4 Movies in 4 Days. It didn't start out that way. But when is the last time 4 films that I thought I would like came out in the same week? And all of them were just a couple blocks away A friend gave us some gift cards to the local theater. With all the rain we have been having - Lulu and I decided to be movie critics.
America does a lot of things well. Recently people have question whether the USA is number 1 in anything anymore. One thing for sure - no one make movies like Hollywood. I am such a sucker for movies about the little guy winning out. And these films had me laughing and crying within minutes of each other. Lulu thinks Oprah will be nominated for an Oscar.
Planes - is a Disney film - not to be confused with a Pixar film. This one hangs on the coattail of the Pixar film cars. I loved them both. If you are a hobbyist airplane nut - you will love all the references to different familiar plane models - lots of plane jargon - and Disney's talent of making non-living things live. I liked the movie - but can't imagine little kids sitting through 90 minutes of this. But parents will make them. ***
We're the Miller's - about a guy that puts together a pretend family - paying them to travel in a camper to Mexico to be marijuana mules. Jennifer Anniston plays the mom and also plays a stripper. There are about 2 minutes of her stripping - but never wearing less than bikini coverage. There is no nudity unless you want to count the kid's swollen scrotum after he is bitten by a spider. Since I love motor homes - and have traveled so many places with my family - it was a natural for me. It has a nice twist in the end. Quite a bit of dirty language - but it was really funny. ****
Jobs - is a pretty good biopic of Steven Jobs - one of the founders of Apple Computers. The film covers form his days as a hippy at college - through the time he is thrown out of Apple - to his returning as a victor to lead the company again. I can't believe Leslie Ann Warren took a two minute part as an old lady. It does not cover his tragic death to cancer - they left enough on the table for a sequel - if people want it. Ashton Kutcher was a very believable Steve Jobs. *****
One aside here. When Keith was a freshman at FSU - he bought $1000 of stock in Apple Computers. In 3 months it dropped its value to $500 - and I insisted he sell it because he needed the money for college. That was 1996 when stock was $10 a share. Last year it was the most valuable company in the world - if Keith kept the stock all that time he would have been very rich. He was sure to remind me. Son Drew is an Apple Computer zealot - nothing can be as good as a Mac. When his son Jack wanted a Leap Pad for his birthday - it was blasphemy when the grandparents bought it :-) Son Drew will love this movie.
The Butler - was easily the most inspiring film. Last weekend it led the pack earning $25 million for a 3 day weekend. It is kind of a black Forrest Gump - the main character is played by Forest Whitaker. The butler's wife is none other than Oprah. Robin Williams does an adequate Eisenhower - John Cusack does a believable Nixon. The movie compares the life of The Butler through 60 years - sort of an Uncle Tom - while his son is a civil rights activist - and the buck heads the whole film. The movie is based on a real life White House butler. I remember all that news from - thru 7 presidents. Generally Democrats Kennedy - Johnson - and Bush pushed along the civil rights cause. *****
Our local Regal theater offers early matinees for $6.50. They also have a senior citizen discount for evenings.The theater is less than a mile from our home. It has been raining too much in Tallahassee or we could have walked there and back.
Of the 4 viewing - 3 of them were almost empty rooms. But all the good seats were taken for - The Butler. We ended up sitting up front - where I love - but Lulu avoids. As we watched some of the horrible KKK scenes - I could turn around and hear lots of talking to the scene and a lot of scared eyes. It reminded me of back in 1988 - when we lived in Tallahassee - and Mississippi Burning was the film. We sat in the front alone then too - and we hoped the crowd did not need a scapegoat.
We had not attended the Regal in 6 months. The last time they insisted on looking through Lulu's purse - pretending they were looking for guns - but really they did not want you to bring in food and drinks. They must have lost a lot of customers - because they made no effort to inspect purses or pockets. One lesson learned.
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