Pixar Review 6- Toy Story

May 5, 2015May 6, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

What is the great human fear? I think it is the fear of being replaced or forgotten by those we love (or even the world at large). I propose to you that is the reason why Toy Story is such a great movie. Yes it’s a game changer in the world of animation and yes it introduced the world to 2 of the most delightful characters in movie history but at it’s core is a message that we can all relate too.

Toy Story is of course Pixar’s first animated feature film and the first CG film from any studio. After getting Oscar recognition for Tin Toy the idea of a lost toy started with John Lasseter and crew and they were able to convince Disney to sponsor their project. It took them 5 years to make and what they came up with is one of the most likable entertaining animated films ever made.

I asked on facebook and twitter- Any thoughts on Toy Story 1? What impact did it have on you? Do you love it? What do your kids think of it?

Will said

I love, love, love all of the Toy Story movies. They’ve been been very formative on my life. For one thing, they taught me that you shouldn’t abuse or mistreat anything whatsoever, on the off chance that they are sentient.

Jeremiah said

It completely changed the way I look at animated film. The script was so refreshing and the computer graphics blew me away! It’s still my favorite animated feature film. My girls are 18 & 19 and they grew up on Toy Story and they still love it today!

Jeremy said

I loved it as a kid. I had a toy Woody and a toy Buzz who I played with a lot. I’m actually the exact same age Andy was in Toy Story 1 and 3, and I went to see Toy Story 3 on my 18th birthday the summer before I went away to college. Suffice it to say, many feels were had.

Megan said

I LOVE Toy Story. My 4-year-old loves it as well. I try to only get him hooked on movies that I don’t mind listening to thousands of times over again! Hahaha.

Gina said

kids (ages 5-9) love it. Buzz lightyear is still a hero, even though the movie came out a decade before the oldest was born

Terry said

I loved it! Wish I was having lunch at Pizza Planet.

Kyle said

Like a majority of Pixar’s films, it’s a masterpiece. The impact it had on me? Teaching me how to do lean storytelling right

I particularly like that last sentiment. Toy Story is such tight storytelling.

The beginning is all to build up the introduction of Buzz. We see Woody as basically the CEO of the bedroom. Everyone has their job and he is comfortable in his spot as the leader. They even have a little staff meeting.

But suddenly this new seemingly better version of Woody comes along and just like any kid would do Andy is super excited; thereby quickly unraveling Woody’s world. The posters are gone, the old west town cardboard is gone and a spaceship has replaced it and finally Woody’s spot is now a Buzz comforter and sheets. At least for that moment Woody has been replaced.

Woody then experiences two of the most deadly sins but we can all relate too- envy and jealousy. He’s envious of what Buzz has that appeals to Andy and the other toys and he is jealous of all that Buzz has taken away from him.

He handles these emotions sometimes being angry, sarcastic, sad, and depressed but it is always a response that at least I relate too when I’ve been faced with similar situations. We are also always given bits of joyous comic relief like the famous flying sequence.

The other thing that is so brilliant in the Buzz and Woody relationship is they are seeing the same things and yet in totally different worlds. Buzz is a space ranger and is seeing everything through those goggles. Woody is a toy and looking from his viewpoint. How often in life does conflict come from 2 worldviews crashing into each other like that? Again another reason why so many children and adults relate to Toy Story and love it.

Once Buzz and Woody get lost the story becomes a real journey. This is perhaps one of my favorite scenes in all of animation. ‘You are a toy!’ Again it’s those two universes coming into conflict.

The design in these sequences is just beautiful. The stars at the gas station and the fun of Pizza Planet. I agree with Terry I wish I was having lunch at Pizza Planet.

Then the story moves to our villain Sid who is actually a really creative kid in a lot of ways. He isn’t just playing but creating; however, in the world of the movie he is basically an evil mad scientist who is murdering toys. It totally works within the world of the movie.

The brilliance of the sequences at Sid’s house is Buzz is not Woody’s competition any more but his only ally. It’s kind of like you may hate a person in your sorority but if it is only the two of you walking down a scary street all the sudden you feel this bond. Group dynamics work that way! Buzz also learns that Woody is right he is just a toy. Surely we can all relate to that moment where we realize we are very small insignificant person in the grand scheme of things. That’s what makes this scene so powerful.

Randy Newman’s music is wonderful for especially the Toy Story movies. He has a modern feel mixed with a Great American Songbook style. It describes what’s going on without being too literal, poetic while still feeling marketable which is perfect for a movie about toys. It just works.

As tension builds Buzz is tied to the rocket and Woody has to think of a way to save his once enemy now friend. He realizes these creatures he once feared are really wonderful (another good lesson for kids) and they stage a little lesson for Sid.

But that’s not the end. No they have to get to the moving truck before Andy leaves. This last segment is so great both plot, animation-wise and everything else. It is such a triumphant moment for Buzz when he realizes he can save the day for the people in his life (again a very relatable emotion).

All the voicecasting is great especially of course Tom Hanks and Tim Allen who are just perfect for the roles. Who would have thought Tim Allen when he was on Home Improvement would make a great space ranger toy but it works. Tom Hanks is more of an obvious choice but his experience in both comedy and drama make him the right pick for the part. All the side characters are completely lovely with Potato Head Don Rickles probably being my favorite. John Ratzenberg is great as Ham. Annie Potts as Bo Peep and Jim Varney as Slinky Dog are all great.

They were so clever too with details like watching the Mr Spell or the Etch-o-sketch for little jokes. It’s also brilliant to have a dinosaur that should be fierce be neurotic. Wallace Shawn is terrific as Rex. They all have accepted their place like in a business and work together well. Even when they are ostracizing Woody it makes sense from their point of view.

Anyway, what more is there to say but Toy Story is not just the first CG animated film but it is one of the best. The story taps into themes we can all relate too and taps into universal emotions. It also gives us some of the best characters ever in film. The adventure is so much fun and it still looks great today. I love it. If it was the only Pixar film I would still be singing their praises.

Overall Grade- A+ (you’ll see that a lot in these Pixar. It’s just the way I feel).

Toy Story was so well loved that the academy gave it an honorary award for special achievement and I think that was the catalyst for the Best Animated Feature Film category, so great films like Toy Story wouldn’t be ignored in the future or need special awards. It’s really touching to hear John Lasseter talk about the films creation and team.

It’s All About the Story

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I thought before I posted my review of Toy Story I would comment a little bit on the big hand drawn vs CG debate. Some in the blogosphere have put hand drawn animation on a bit of a pedestal bemoaning its reduction. People will paint hand drawn in very glorious pictures and CG as its ugly tyrannical cousin.

I’m sorry I just don’t buy it. Whether stop motion, 2D, 3D, CG or whatever else it all comes down to the story. As last years Rocks in My Pockets showed you can have sketches, doodles and with the right kind of execution and story it will be compelling.

Toy Story, Up, Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-e, Lego Movie, are not masterpieces because of the animation. It is the story. It is always the story. Same with the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Spirited Away etc. The stories are amazing; thereby making the movie something that will last forever. Occasionally you will have an artistic film like Fantasia that tries something new- mainly presenting a concert in the form of an animated movie. In that case the story takes second fiddle to the art but it is the exception rather than the rule.

Still got 2D on that pedestal? Well think for a second that hand drawn animation gave us this little gem…

But I won’t be too defensive about CG either because it gave us this monstrosity.

But hand drawn can give us this glorious, emotional scene

CG can provide us with this. For my money one of the greatest scenes ever in any film, animated or not.

If that doesn’t convince you both mediums are capable of great artistry and dreck than I don’t know what will. I am an equal opportunity animation format lover. I love great CG animation. I love great 2D animation. I love great stop motion animation. I love great live action movies. But in the end it all comes down to the story (I’ll say it a million times).

And I just have to believe in a world where an entire studio makes stop motion films- one of the hardest most laborious types of filmmaking there is, we will always be a space for 2D animation. It just might not be from the big 2 (currently Disney and Dreamworks) and you know what? That’s fine with me. (I can just hear some of you shouting at the screen). If the only 2D films we get are masterpieces like Song of the Sea from small studios in Europe sign me up.

I really see a 2D studio in the states starting up like Laika and putting out low budget films with an old school feel. If that happens all it takes is for one of these studios to score a big hit with their 2D project and the bigger studios will take interest. Even if it is smaller vanity projects I just don’t believe 2D is dead. Check out Over the Garden Wall which was a stunning miniseries last year. Watch the Simpsons which despite what some think has gotten artistically more interesting in the last few years. Watch Song of the Sea, or this year we have When Marnie was There or The Prophet coming out. We also will get Shaun the Sheep from the Aardman stop motion folks. As I see it the world of animation is as rich and diverse as it has ever been. Last year we had 20 animated films. 20! I remember when we were lucky to get 2. And really how great to not just get the big voices but a wide range of artists using different mediums that help them tell their stories. I know I’m in the minority but I feel very optimistic.

But I digress. My main point is I am not going to defend CG or its dominance in these Pixar reviews because I fundamentally don’t think it is a bad thing. I would put the animation in Ratatouille or Wall-e up against anything in the Disney Renaissance. I really would.

But like I said, in the end CG, 2D, stop motion, live action whatever it might be the story trumps all. Last year there was a movie about a man sitting in a car talking on his phone for 2 hours called Locke and I was completely immersed because it was a good story.

If you like 2D better that is awesome. We all have our artistic preferences but just make sure you aren’t seeing it through rose tinted glasses nostalgia can provide. It’s great. I love it but I also remember the 70’s and 80s when the good animated films could be counted on one hand and we waited years to get them and that was a 2D world! Give me the last 20 years over that 20 any day CG and all.

Anyway, I am certainly grateful for the new tools Pixar gave us and the incredible stories CG animation has told. Because they are special, life changing stories however they might come to fruition in an artists hands.

So let’s enjoy these masterpieces and get started talking about what started it all for CG Toy Story!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STORY!

Pixar Review 5- Knick Knack

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

We are almost at the first feature film review, Toy Story, in my Pixar reviews but I hope you have enjoyed looking at these early shorts as much as I have. I remember seeing them when I was little on the tape my uncle gave us and I loved them then, love them still today.

The last review we did was the Oscar winning short Tin Toy and today we will look at Knick Knack. It is one of the funniest Pixar Shrots and the comedy holds up remarkably well.

In the commentary John Lasseter says they got the idea for Knick Knack from his wife’s snowglobe collection. He started to wonder ‘what would it be like to be stuck inside there’ which led him to the story of a snowman in a snowglobe looking at all the summer souvenirs and yearning to get out of his dome.

At the time there were only 8 animators working at Pixar. Can you imagine that? 8! Each animator designed their own knick knack for the snowman to gaze at.

The snowman then tries all these elaborate methods to get out of his globe including dynamite and a jack hammer. As with Tin Toy the sound mixing does a ton to convey humor, emotion and the effects of the various attempts to get out.

The accompaniment is an accapella percussion by Bobby McFerin of Don’t Worry Be Happy fame. At the end he says ‘blah, blah, blah, blah”. Lasseter says they didn’t know what to do at the ending so they had written ‘blah, blah’ on the paper meaning to fill in later but McFerin saw that and sang the blahs. It turned out to be the perfect way to end the short!

The ending with the mermaid and the fishbowl is so funny. Lasseter says they were storyboarding the short and the secretary came in and suggested the fishbowl ending. Isn’t that funny?

It has the feel of a Looney Tunes skit like Roadrunner and Wilie Coyote and there is something about that kind of humor in a short which works so well and is timeless.

The animation with the snow flying everywhere also looks great and feels like a snowglobe. I also like the way the coal on his face get all jumbled up each time he tries to break free from his cage!

It’s a real charmer and I’d give it full points A+

Now we are on to Toy Story! What is your favorite of these 5 early shorts- Adventures of Andre and Wally B, Luxo Jr, Red’s Dream, Tin Toy, and Knick Knack. I still think Red’s Dream is my favorite but they are all great!

Age of Adaline Review

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Sometimes movies are just ok. Not great but not total crap either. Right in the middle and that’s fine. After all, we can’t expect masterpieces all the time!

The new movie Age of Adaline (funny contrast to Age of Ultron!) fits that description. It’s fine. I’m glad I saw it but it is a definite mixed bag.

Basically it is about a woman named Adaline who has a car accident and is struck by lightning which makes her have the power to never age. She is played by the stunning Blake Lively. She looks gorgeous in the clothes from every era (except for one very bad wig in the 60s). It feels like she has an old soul and Lively even has the posture and quiet way of speaking you’d expect from someone born in 1908.

After being pursued as a communist in the 50’s she becomes scared and decides to change her name, occupation and identity every 10 years (all the while staying in the Bay Area in California).

There is a narration in the movie which is so annoying. For some reason the creators felt they needed to provide some kind of ridiculous scientific explanation for what is happening to Adaline and while the narrator is babbling on about neurons and atoms aligning with the moon I wanted to shut him off. Honestly I laughed a lot it was so bad.

And it really takes away from the magic of the story this terrible narration.

Adaline had a daughter before all of this never aging but she did age and now is played by Ellen Burstyn who looks like her Grandmother. As weird as it sounds I bought them as this strange relationship. Ellen Burstyn has been in 2 movies playing a daughter who is older than her parent in 2 years. Who would have thought of that!

She meets a man named Ellis played by Michiel Huisman who I believe is on Game of Thrones (don’t watch it). He is good and very attractive. They have good chemistry together.

Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker play Ellis’ parents and they are also very good. The casting all around really worked in this movie.

Anthony Ingruber plays a yougn Harrison Ford and it is uncanny. He looks and sounds just like him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so close a non-family match in a movie ever. It is amazing to watch and makes me wonder if they could use him for any young Star Wars scenes or maybe a Han Solo stand alone movie. Seriously look at this picture. Don’t you think he looks like a young Harrison Ford?

There is a nice heart to Age of Adaline and like I said the performances are strong with good chemistry. It also looks beautiful although a reliance on close ups got a little bit old.

Be warned there is a scene with a dog that made me cry. It’s pretty emotional.

The problems with the film are how silly the whole premise is but like I said their attempt to take out the magic and make it about science fell completely flat. I also didn’t think it made much sense for her to keep changing. Sure maybe in the 60s but after years her panic seemed a little strange.

The narration is awful and some of the dialogue is very dopey. Also while Lively is good it is a little one note. It would have been nice to have seen more of her in the different ages. Maybe a Forrest Gump style of storytelling but she fears having her picture taken and avoids it at all costs. It ended up feeling like an ordinary domestic drama without any of the magic.

Still, not a total loss. I’m glad I saw it. I’d give it a C.

Pretty tame content-wise. There’s some sex but most of that is off screen and no other offensive content.

Any of you see it let me know.

Disneynature 3- The Crimson Wing

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Last night I watched the 2nd Disneynature film (my 3rd review) called The Crimson Wing and found myself getting emotional over the plights of flamingos. Yep, this movie really got to me more than either of the Disneynature films I have seen (Monkey Kingdom and Earth).

Unlike Earth which split its time between 3 animal families Crimson looks at a species of flamingos that inhabit a series of lakes in Tanzania. These lakes have bizarre properties which happen to be just right for flamingos. The movie approaches their entire existence as a ‘mystery’ and lays out the pieces of how they are able to survive .

It starts out with drinking in the red algae. The water looks red with the algae and that is what makes the flamingos pink. It’s so different and beautiful and the cinematography throughout is stunning. I can’t imagine how many hours in a boat or sitting out on blazing hot salt flats they must have done to get some of their shots. They also don’t resort too time lapse as a gimmick like they did in Earth. This feels like a man standing in the water with a camera watching things happen. Amazing.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a place that changes so rapidly. The sun is so hot that large sections of the lake dry up and there remains red salt beds that the flamingos use to nest. It was really fun to learn about a place that was completely foreign to me. I’ve never heard of these lakes and they were so different than any other natural phenom I’ve ever seen. I mean look at this crazy weird lake in the photo below.

The narration read by Mariella Frostrup (who sounded to me like Cate Blanchett) tries to give a haunting quality and tell a mystery and sometimes it works and other times it feels very cheesy like we are touring Middle Earth instead of Tanzania. Where it does work is the sections involving the little baby chicks that are sooo cute!

You can see in the photo above the piles of salt they nest on and they move around and chirp like adorable little birds they are.

But wait there is evil about! (literally in the movie the predator is referred to as the Wicked Witch of the lake). There are the villainous marabou who I sincerely hated so much. They were so creepy and stood around the pack waiting for the little birds to get separated and pounce!

You probably think I’m joking but I was upset for the little chicks . The way they do it is very absorbing. They show the little chicks who aren’t strong enough get ‘shackles of salt’ around their little legs and they try to walk away from the marabou but the salt weighs them down.

crimsonwing7 — If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings than we need to talk…

Some are so weighed down when the group leaves the lake they can’t keep up and are left. The film shows them trying to get up and then falling and I was seriously upset! A side of me wanted to yell at the filmmakers and tell them to help the bird and get that salt off but I guess that isn’t their job. I may have even shed a tear….

The flamingos are stunning and the team does a great job showing the scope of the thousands of birds and then time with one or two although they are not given names like Maya in Monkey Kingdom nor do we see a real social structure like MK has.

When the chicks are a little bigger they move to a more traditional part of the lake and there we get evil spotted hyenas picking off the weak and elderly birds!

Some are killed and their bones are left to become part of the red lake and the salt when it changes again and the flamingos migrate elsewhere. It shows these bones of the bird through time and the little chick with the salt shackles that are left behind.

Of the 3 Disneynature films I’ve seen Crimson Wing is my favorite. I was so absorbed in the story of these flamingos and their lake which changes so rapidly. There were moments watching it that I was legitimately concerned even sad at the plight of the salt shackled chicks and the mean marabou.

Very sensitive kids (or adults…) might get a little upset at these scenes and the way the narration and music build milk all the emotion they can out of them.

Here is the trailer:

The music is listed as ‘by The Cinematic Orchestra and Claseria” and it is very good. In fact, they said in my reading that pieces of the orchestration have been used in other movies as recently as The Theory of Everything.

I think most kids will find Crimson Wing fascinating and engaging and adults will get drawn in as well. I’m surprised I had never even heard of it because it was great! It’s just such an interesting lake with its beautiful birds and their cute little chicks. If you loved March of the Penguins you will ove this. It’s great!

Overall Grade- A+ Marabou however are now part of my Disney villains!. 😉

My Animated Blu-ray Library

May 1, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I made this video for my channel of my animated blu-ray collection. I thought you guys might enjoy it. If you guys want to give it a thumbs up that would be awesome and if you haven’t please subscribe to my channel.

Avengers Age of Ultron Review

May 1, 2015December 20, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Got to see Avengers Age of Ultron and loved it!! It’s a great movie and right up there with the original and recent strong Marvel movies like Captain America: Winter Soldier. They have a new villain named Ultron who is an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark and is perfectly voiced by James Spader.

He’s the kind of villain that is all bad but is extremely dominating. There were a lot of moments where I didn’t know how they were going to get out of these situations. I really liked the 2 new additions with Quick Silver played by Aaron Taylor Johnson and Scarlet Witch. There is also another new character that I won’t spoil for you.

Joss Whedon has done it again with a script that is full of humor but lots of good action and tension. All the leads are funny but have moments of growth and development. We particularly see a new side of The Hulk and get to know more about the Hawkeye backstory.

Great music from Danny Elfman and the visual effects work great. The climax is very exciting and like I said I really didn’t know how they were going to defeat Ultron. There are also lots of cameos from the MCU.

I loved it. A very satisfying time at the movies.

As far as content there is a lot of carnage and a scene where a building is toppled to the ground with all the debris that felt a little too 9/11 inspired for my comfort levels. There is a tiny bit of language but nothing big. I’d say it is pretty family friendly.

Overall Grade – A- Content Grade- A

Disneynature 2- Earth

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

After reviewing Monkey Kingdom, Disney’s most recent Disneynature effort I am going back and starting at the beginning with their first film Earth.

Unlike Monkey Kingdom which tells a single narrative of Maya, Earth tells 3 stories but doesn’t give names or that kind of thing. It’s more of a traditional nature documentary.

As the poster might imply Earth follows animals from different parts of the earth, mainly polar bears, humback whales and elephants, for a year. It was filmed along with the Planet Earth project which aired on the Discovery Channel.

It starts out in the Arctic with some adorable polar bears and 2 new cubs. She must find food for herself and the cubs and the ice is melting. The Papa polar bear is lost trying to get food.

Then we go to Africa and follow a herd of elephants. They have cute little baby elephants and have to find water and keep the babies safe from lions. It’s pretty intense really when lions corner a lone elephant and all attack it.

The last set is the whales who must travel 4000 miles to find new feeding grounds with all kinds of challenges.

In between these 3 main stories we get smaller stories of birds, sea lions, dolphins, caribou and possibly the worlds cutest animal penguins.

Watching Earth is a pretty amazing experience and it did fill me with awe at the Earth God has created. It’s so diverse and beautiful. However, this film does not sugarcoat the realities of these species lives. I was surprised how much preying and attacks they did. Some kids might be upset seeing a wolf kill a caribou or what happens with the polar bear Dad or the elephant that gets attacked. It depends on the kid but I would have probably found that upsetting.

If you hate nature documentaries and find them boring than this is not the one that will convert you. It does drag in sections and with James Earl Jones doing the narration it feels very old school nature documentary. I didn’t mind it but it’s not for everyone. It certainly is a natural choice with his iconic voice especially when we see lions.

Some of the details felt a little bit dated to me like the time lapse photography. I think that was really mind blowing in 2007 but it doesn’t hold the same grip in 2015 and they use the technique a lot. Some of their global warming science also is a little bit dated; although, certainly a good message for kids to hear.

I think there are some kids that will absolutely love this, mainly for the visual beauty and not the storytelling. Same with adults actually. If you don’t require a plot and just like seeing all these animals and learning about them than you’ll enjoy it. If that sounds really dull to you it will be. Simple as that. And like I said some of the scenes might be upsetting to small or sensitive children.

As with all Disneynature movies the ending showing how they got shots including a collision with a tree while riding a gyrocopter type device was pretty amazing. There’s scenes where lions and bears try to follow them and the crew looks scared. I’d be scared! They certainly have guts at Disneynature!

Here’s the trailer.

Rewrite Movie Review

April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

April is just my month for liking movies that other people don’t like or that at least aren’t championed by many. That said movies like Jupiter Ascending and Longest Ride I enjoyed for what they were but didn’t love them. Now let me get behind a movie I really love that nobody saw called The Rewrite. It is exactly the kind of movie I LOVE.

Nora Ephron is my literary muse. I love her writing. The little moments of commentary about books, movies, Starbucks, New York, whatever it is. I love how funny her scripts are and yet her characters feel real and have moments of depth and compassion rarely captured in a light comedy. I mention Ephron because The Rewrite was as close to a Nora Ephron movie I have seen since her passing in 2012.

Since 2012 very few romantic comedies have even been made let alone good one’s and for a huge fan of the genre it has been very sad. I miss going to the movies to feel good and be with people that I liked and who made me laugh. I sincerely miss it, so that is part of the reason The Rewrite made me so excited.

It is perhaps appropriate a return to the romcom would star the key of the genre, Hugh Grant. In The Rewrite he plays Keith Michaels an Oscar winning screenwriter who has fallen on hard times after the luster of his youthful career has faded (and his wife leaves him for the director of his big hit…). He doesn’t have a relationship with his son, has no creative energy, can’t get a script sold and is even considering a sequel to his Oscar winning film- something he said he would never do.

His agent played by Caroline Aaron convinces him to go and teach in a small town called Binghampton and having little else to do he agrees. Naturally he starts out feeling that teaching is beneath him and he dismisses class rationalizing that ‘talent can’t be taught so why waste everyone’s time’.

The cast is uniformly excellent with Marisa Tomei, JK Simmons, Allison Janney, Chris Elliott, Bella Heathcote and more.

I particularly loved Janney who is an English professor who loves Jane Austen and has some very funny dialogue with Grant on that topic and many others. It is especially funny because Hugh Grant was in a Jane Austen movie (Sense and Sensibility) so there are more than one winks to the audience in the script.

Simmons and Elliott are a lot of fun as fellow teachers. Simmons is in love with his family. He cries every time he mentions them. Elliott is Grant’s neighbor and he has a lot of funny observations of those around him.

I loved the students and even though they are tropes they are well written tropes. There’s the feminist girl, nerd, slut etc but they are funny and the scripts they are writing have a lot of good jokes that made me laugh (like the Bar Mitzvah gone wrong crossed with Dirty Dancing…).

Tomei is lovely as an older student in Grant’s class who is writing a script based on her life as a single Mom. They have terrific chemistry which is essential in this type of movie.

I have mostly male readers of this blog for some reason so I am sure most of you will probably discount this as a ‘chick flick’ and if you do that’s a shame. It has so many funny lines about work, entertainment, pop culture, movies, writing, education etc. It really reminded me of a Nora Ephron script and maybe even a lighter Woody Allen like Midnight in Paris.

All I know is this is exactly the kind of movie I love. You might say it is the Rachel hat trick- funny, romantic, with a nice heart to it. If you are a writer or love movies I think you will particularly enjoy it. Have an open mind and give it a shot. If any of you do see it let me know what you think.

As far as content there is a little language and talk of an affair with a student although nothing is shown.

Overall Grade- A+ Content Grade- A