Woman of the Year: A Review

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

"I take two steps forward; I take two steps back. We come together cause Opposites Attract".  So sang Paula Abdul and the Wild Pair on Opposites Attract. While Woman of the Year may not be that peppy, it fits the story of mismatched newspaper columnists. Held as a romantic comedy, I found Woman of the Year a disappointment given its lofty reputation. 

New York Chronicle's foreign affairs correspondent Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) makes dismissive remarks about the need for sports during this, no ordinary time. This draws the ire of her fellow Chronicle reporter Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy). He takes umbrage at her haughty suggestion that baseball be suspended for the war's duration. Craig, the Chronicle's sports correspondent, writes a terse article berating Harding's snobbishness. Harding gives as good as she gets in print. This internal battle of the sexes is too much for their editor, who orders both to knock it off.

Once they meet in the flesh, both see that there is more than meets their eyes. Craig is quickly smitten with Harding. She in turn seems to take a shining to Craig. Soon, they start seeing each other socially. This is not easy for both, especially Craig. He is more comfortable with his sports pals, especially ex-boxer Pinky Peters (William Bendix), than with her intellectual polymath set. Sam especially detests Tess' snobbish secretary Gerald How (Dan Tobin). They are very different people. They are also very much in love.

They marry, delighting her diplomat father William J. Harding (Minor Watson) and her favorite aunt Ellen Whitcomb (Fay Bainter). Despite getting married in a fever, Tess stubbornly refuses to alter anything about herself. She will continue supporting cause after cause. She will take little note of how little time they spend together. She has little issue having Yugoslavian refugee Dr. Lubbeck (Ludwig Stossel) crash their wedding night even if Lubbeck was unaware of the nuptials. Over and over, Tess continuously puts her own needs, wants and careers ahead of both her marriage and her husband.

One would think the low point was when she brings a Greek child refugee to live with them without so much as asking Sam. That, however, is slightly higher than what she does when she wins "Woman of the Year". Sam has finally had it and promptly leaves. A surprise wedding from her maiden Aunt Ellen prompts Tess to rethink things. Could she manage as just Mrs. Sam Craig or is there a way for her to be Tess Harding Craig? 

There is a story about Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn's first meeting prior to making Woman of the Year. Hepburn stood 5'7" and wore heels when she met the 5'10" Tracy (though I suspect that he was shorter). She apologized for standing slightly taller and said that she would be more careful about her footwear. Woman of the Year producer Joseph Mankiewicz, who was with Tracy, looked at Hepburn and said, "Don't worry, Kate. He'll cut you down to his size". 

Woman of the Year is the first of an eventual nine pairings of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. I can see what made them work so well as one of the great screen duos. They are a strong blending: her patrician air and his average man manner. Tracy and Hepburn balanced each other quite well. It is to where I wonder if both were playing versions of their real-life themselves. Woman of the Year shows how despite their differences there was an immediate and longstanding attraction. 

Ring Lardner, Jr. and Michael Kanin's Oscar-winning screenplay is quite clever with the wordplay. After finally meeting, Sam rushes to catch up with the leggy Tess. As she stands on the staircase, he starts going up. "Isn't the sports department downstairs?", the WASP Harding asks. Sheepishly replying that it was, she asks, "Well, aren't you going in the wrong direction?". He looks at her and replies, "Maybe I am".

Perhaps it is just me, but I found double meaning in that exchange. Sam is saying that he is going in the wrong direction physically. However, could he also be suggesting that his pursuit of Tess might also be going in the wrong direction?

The film has much excellent wordplay. Tess, in a state of inebriation, looks at Sam who tells her, "I love you". "Even when I'm sober?", she asks. He replies, "Even when you're brilliant". When they get back to Tess' apartment, he admires a painting. "It's a little too high to reach", he says. Tess answers, "I'm not", the meaning clear and probably as daring as the Hays Code will allow.

After all, Sam did not take advantage of the situation, and they were not together until after their quickie wedding.  

Woman of the Year has been celebrated as a female empowerment film, showcasing the woman as the dominant figure. Therefore, the final scene of Tess' total ineptness in the kitchen seems to disappoint viewers. I have a different interpretation. I did not find Tess Harding empowering. I found her horrid.

Repeatedly, Tess Harding shows how callous, self-centered, snobbish, indifferent and insensitive she can be. And those are her positive attributes. Over and over again, we see how Tess repeatedly not only refuses but does not even consider making any adjustments for Sam. I think it is unfair to say that marriages involve the woman making all the changes to please a man. Marriage is a compromise where two people fine-tune their individualism for a joint life. Woman of the Year, it seems, celebrates someone who will not rather than cannot change.

The nadir of Tess' thorough awfulness is in her dealings with Chris, the Greek orphan. Everything involving this situation shows Tess to be a total monster. She takes Chris because she is the head of a refugee group and is expected to take one. She not only never talked to Sam about it but never even considered it. The most appalling aspect is when she and Sam prepare to go to her Woman of the Year dinner.

Sam expects someone to be at the apartment to babysit while they are out. Tess tells Sam that there will be no one. She expects Chris to be fine alone and unsupervised.  She also seems genuinely puzzled over why Sam is so angry about all this. 

Let us go over what has transpired. Tess became a traumatized orphan's ward to save face. Tess did not discuss bringing said traumatized orphan into the home she has with her husband. Tess did not even consider discussing bringing in said traumatized orphan into their home. Tess had no issue leaving said traumatized orphan alone and unsupervised for hours on end so she could attend a dinner celebrating her. She thinks that said traumatized orphan can easily fend for himself should he wake up to find an empty house.

And this is what people say is empowering? 

I hope that people bemoaning the ending that shows Tess to be clueless in the kitchen could be just as upset about Tess' horrendous mothering skills. At least Joan Crawford had someone stay with the children while she was out.

I cannot fault the performances. As stated, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn seemed to be playing versions of themselves. Tracy had a nice, affable manner to his Sam. He has a surprisingly light touch for comedy, even when it comes at his expense. Hepburn makes Tess into a confident, sophisticated and intelligent woman even if she has no real common sense.

There is strong but small supporting work from Fay Bainter as Tess' loving but at times frustrated aunt. She shows Aunt Ellen as aware that independence is good, but a man beside you is just as good. William Bendix was fun as Pinkie, forever regaling anyone within earshot of his glory days in the ring.

As for the film's ending, I do not see the controversy the way others do. Hepburn shows a surprising ability for physical comedy. I did not see this kitchen scene as her losing power to a man. I saw it as a snobbish woman, who had everything done for her, finally having to figure out things that most of us know. She was going to leave a child alone for hours while she went to a party celebrating her greatness. Her getting a little egg on her shoes seems small in comparison. 

As I finished Woman of the Year, I did end up liking it. I liked how Sam Craig took down Gerald Howe (Dan Tobin), Tess' smug secretary. We did not see it, but we got the gist of it. I think its reputation is overrated. However, there was more to like than dislike. I do not think that Tess Harding Craig was a true Woman of the Year. Maybe Woman of a Season. 

DECISION: B-

TRACY AND HEPBURN FILMS

Keeper of the Flame

Without Love

The Sea of Grass

State of the Union

Adam's Rib

Pat and Mike

Desk Set

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Solo Mio: A Review

SOLO MIO

There is a distinct pleasure in seeing a movie that is unapologetic and open about itself. Such is the case with Solo Mio. Simple, sweet and direct, Solo Mio charms the viewer with its story of love lost and found.

Matt Taylor (Kevin James) is over the moon when his elementary school teacher girlfriend Heather McNally (Julie Ann Emery) accepts his marriage proposal. It is off to Rome for a great wedding. Unfortunately, Heather has become a runaway bride. She leaves a Dear John letter along with Matt's engagement ring when she flees. Matt is understandably shocked and devasted. Worse, he cannot exchange or get a refund on the Two Become One travel package. 

He stays in Rome, convinced that Heather will return. He also opts to keep using the Two Become One package despite the obviousness of him being alone. Two couples soon note this and attempt to take Matt under his wing. One is Julian and Meghan (Kim Coates and Alyson Hannigan). They are on their third marriage to each other. The other is Neal and Donna (Jonathan Roumie and Julee Cerda). They met when Donna was Neal's therapist. Matt is flustered but accepting of the other couples' well-meaning though to him eccentric efforts. 

One person who does help is Gia (Nicole Grimaudo). She is the local cafe owner whose coffee shop is the starting point of the various Two Become One tours. Gia offers an understanding ear and a bright smile. She takes a shine to this bald American and soon whisks the reluctant and reticent American through Rome. Matt still pines for Heather but ultimately is convinced by his impromptu bros that he needs to move on.

The best way to do that is to invite Gia to Tuscany, the next leg of the Two Become One package. Gia, who is having difficulty with her landlord/ex, thinks it is the perfect opportunity to visit relatives in the area. Among them is none other than her Uncle Andrea, as in Andrea Bocelli. Will Matt and Gia find that they are meant to be?

Solo Mio is like a Tuscan sun. It is warm, bright and joyful. The script by John and Patrick Kinnane along with star Kevin James, knows that Solo Mio is intended as a sweet, slightly goofy romantic comedy. The film is something of a Kinnane family project, as Solo Mio is directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane. 

The script is surprising in how there is nothing truly objectionable about it. It has one of the best subversions of expectations that I have seen in recent years. There is a subplot of Matt attracting the unwanted attention of Claudia (Caterina Silva). She is a lusty and usually drunk Italian woman who first bumps into Matt at the bar the other Two Become One couples take him to. As she keeps hitting on a still-shellshocked Matt, he tells him, "I like your hair". At first, it is suggested visually that Claudia and Matt will hook up due to their mutual drunkenness. In a clever twist, we find that this is not the case. In fact, it is a sight gag at Matt's expense.

Solo Mio takes some traditional tropes and upends them somewhat. Our two couples are eccentric and slightly silly. Julian's continuing insistence that Matt go after "the coffee lady" and Neal's meeker manner are presented in slightly broad ways. However, we also see that Julian and Neal have their own issues. A nice moment is when Julian and later Neal both walk into Matt's suite. They offer their own wacky comfort while also taking jabs at Matt. A slight argument about Matt wearing an Ed Sheeran t-shirt is played well. The Kinnane Brothers do not let the actors go over-the-top here in zaniness. In fact, it is surprisingly underplayed. It is nice to see these three couples (counting when Gia joins them) bond.

We see this when the couples and Matt go to a rooftop party. One would not expect that Julian and Neal's sincere but whacked out version of Dobie Gray's Drift Away would be the setting for a nice romantic scene between Matt and Gia. That in itself is oddly charming. That Claudia pops up to put her own mark on the scene makes it funny. 

Solo Mio is fully aware as a mix of sincere and slightly absurd. This carries over into the performances. While best known as a stand-up comic and sitcom star, Kevin James is called here to play something like the straight man. He makes Matt into a sympathetic figure without making him a tragic one. We do get a nice bit of dramatic acting from James when he reflects on his loss. He talks to a slightly uninterested and drunk Claudia about how he thought that he never thought he'd have a chance to marry, how he felt that Heather was a miracle only to have it blow up in his face; it is hard not to feel for him.

James also keeps to Solo Mio's slightly goofy nature, such as when attempting to downplay Julian and Neal's ideas of what he and "the coffee lady" might get up to in Tuscany. He makes Matt's curious plight a bit humorous in his stumbling manner. Attempting to make puns with Gia, he says, "I was trying to be funny". Without missing a beat, Gia replies quite cheerfully, "Keep trying". 

In this scene, we see Matt as a genuinely nice guy. We see Gia as equally pleasant, almost amused by this American. Grimaudo's delivery shows that there was no malice or sarcasm in her statement. She was actually trying to be helpful. Nicole Grimaudo is a standout in Solo Mio. She plays Gia as mostly cheerful and optimistic. It makes it easy to believe that she would eventually be enchanted by Matt. She does have some good dramatic moments. There is a scene in her cafe after the rooftop party where it is just Gia and Matt. Here, Gia also talks a bit about her background. The way it is both played and directed reveals a soft touch. We end up caring about the characters.

This extends to the supporting cast. Other actors perhaps would have made Julian a bit creepy or sleazy. Kim Coates makes Julian more clueless but well-meaning. At heart, Julian wants Matt to heal from this awful heartbreak. He goes about it by suggesting random hookups and pursuing "the coffee lady". Those might be poor choices. However, they come from a good place. Jonathan Roumie's Neal is the counter to Julian's more aggressive manner. He makes Neal's meeker manner pleasant but equally misguided. 

While Alyson Hannigan and Julee Cerda as Meghan and Donna have less to do, they also add to the overall charm. They are combative and dominant towards their husbands. However, they also love them and like everyone else, are well meaning. It is always nice to see Andrea Bocelli play a version of himself. It is also nice to hear him sing a few songs. Who would imagine that Bocelli and James dueting on Nessun Dorma would work?

Well, work as reasonably as it could considering that Matt does not know all the words. 

Solo Mio runs a brisk 96 minutes. Short, simple, sweet, amusing, delightful and self-aware, Solo Mio hits all the notes of a successful romantic comedy. The more I think on it, the more I am delighted with Solo Mio. Vincero indeed. 

DECISION: B+

Ella McCay: A Review

ELLA MCCAY

Ella McCay and Ella McCay are a disaster. Ella McCay seems to have been engineered into being one of the worst films ever made. That is the only explanation that I can find to describe how awful, how cringe inducing, how so wildly and spectacularly wrong Ella McCay went. 

Told in voiceover by Estelle (Julie Kavner), we learn all about Ella. Despite being a mere 34 years old, Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) is the Lieutenant Governor of "the Valorous State" (I initially thought that it was New York State). She is surprised when the popular Governor Bill Moore (Albert Brooks) tells her that he is going into the President's Cabinet as the new Interior Secretary. This will require his immediate resignation, elevating Ella to the governorship.

This new position puts her in an awkward position with her family. Her estranged father Eddie (Woody Harrelson) wants to reconnect with both Ella and her brother Casey (Spike Fearn) because his newest girlfriend Olympia tells him to. Olympia is a psychiatrist, so she puts the pressure on Eddie to mend his relationship with his adult kids, or she will cut off their relationship. Ella's husband Ryan (Jack Lowden) is initially thrilled to be the incoming First Gentleman. As the owner of a series of pizza restaurants, he imagines that he will now move into the big time.

One person who is not thrilled by Ryan is Eddie's sister, Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis). Helen has never liked Ryan ever since he hooked up with Ella when both of them were teens. Another person who is also not thrilled about incoming Governor McCay is Casey. He is a reclusive bookie who never makes contact with the family. Ella has more contact with her loyal state trooper guard Nash (Kumail Nanjiani) than she does with Casey.

Governor Moore switches to Governor McCay despite her inability to gladhand either the public or political donors. Ella gives a lengthy inaugural speech where she pushes for "the Mom Bill" which will give government aid to expectant and new mothers. It will also have "tooth tutors". This is where toothpaste companies will provide free toothpaste products to poor people. It will also bring dentists or dental students to poor and rural areas that have too much soda and too few dentists.

There is a scandal brewing, however. Ella and Ryan have been, shall we say, cavorting, in an unused apartment in the Capitol building during her lunch hour. Somehow, this can be construed as using government property for non-governmental use. An unnamed reporter has learned of this and wants "exclusive access" to the new Governor. Ella balks at such a thing. She is more appalled when Ryan not only admits to being the source but gives this reporter a $7500 check to make the story disappear. How long will the McCay administration last? Will Ella bring Casey around? Will they reconcile with Eddie? Will Casey reconcile with his ex, Susan (Eyo Edebiri)?

One watches Ella McCay in sheer astonishment that something so mind-numbingly stupid and incoherent could have come from James L. Brooks. The man behind Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets created something that seems to come from someone unfamiliar with movies, with people, or with logic. Ella McCay is idiotic from the word go. It is as if Brooks threw in various bits of half-formed ideas and sketches that did not work independently and thought that he could force them into working if he blended them all together.

It did not, not by a long shot. It is cringe-inducing seeing how Ella McCay flounders and flops about from Plot A to Plot W to Plot G to Plot Q before even remembering Plot A. Let us look at a few examples. In Ella McCay, Governor Bill is beloved and extremely popular (as Estelle's narration tells us). He is excited that he will be joining the Cabinet. Already something is wildly off with this plot point. Ella seems taken aback by the news, as if this came out of nowhere. She has to suddenly rush into being Governor. 

That makes no sense. You have to first be nominated by the President to a Cabinet post. You then go through a Senate confirmation hearing. That takes weeks to happen. As such, Ella would have known that Moore was being considered for a Cabinet appointment. She would not be caught off-guard. A sane person would have been prepared to assume office under the circumstances. 

Later in Ella McCay, however, Bill comments that Ryan's interview saying that Ella approved of a payoff would affect his Cabinet chances as he hadn't been confirmed yet. Does that mean that Moore resigned the Governorship BEFORE he was formally confirmed and appointed? That just does not make sense on any level. You have to be shockingly ignorant of how Cabinet appointments or government work. 

Granted, the minutia of Cabinet appointments may not matter overall in what is billed as a romantic comedy. Ella McCay, however, has other elements that are just stupid. We spend a long time on a subplot involving Casey and Susan. We frankly do not care about Casey and Susan. We never get a setup about Casey and Susan. We never get a reason to care about Casey and Susan. Once Casey, who denies being agoraphobic despite struggling to leave his apartment, goes to Susan, we get a very tedious scene with them. It is so dreadfully acted that one watches in pretty much horror than in anything else. Once Susan bizarrely agrees to start up their relationship, they pretty much disappear from the screen. 

They are not an interesting couple. They are not necessary in terms of the plot. They are just filler for a long movie (almost two hours). There is no set-up for their story. There is no interest during the time they are sucking up screentime. Fern and Edebiri look uncomfortable on screen. It is almost like watching an audition video than an actual performance.  

Jack Lowden's Ryan is a very contradictory character. Shown primarily as a goofball and idiot, we are supposed to believe that he turned evil after talking to his bitchy mother. He initially was delighted in the trappings of power, down to thinking that he could use the helicopter. Once his mother berated him for not saying anything when Ella failed to mention him in her inaugural address, he suddenly wants a political appointment. Put aside how a sane person with an ounce of intelligence would know that is not how appointments work. Why this sudden shift from dimwit to malevolent?

Ella McCay wants to have it both ways. On one hand, Ryan (who never got a last name on screen) is so moronic that he tells Ella that he gave this mysterious reporter a $7500 check because, "nobody likes carrying that much cash". On the other hand, he is so evil that he goes to a local reporter and says "Uh, well, my wife was the one who thought a payoff would be the way to handle it. And...it was her decision to end our marriage". He uses the term "payoff". Even a dolt like Ryan would know that he was saying that his wife, whom he apparently wants to divorce in a pique, was trying to bribe someone. Then again, perhaps he does not realize it. 

I do not know if Brooks realizes that closing Ella McCay by showing local health inspectors and police retaliate against Ryan paints Ella as corrupt and abusing her own power. 

Also, the "scandal" of Ella and Ryan having a little nookie during office hours does not strike me as the scandal Ella McCay pushes us to think that it is. I think most people would be more amused by a married couple schtupping in an unused Capitol room than appalled. Ella, had she any sense, would probably not fret about such insignificant matters. The unnamed and unseen reporter attempting to use this information as leverage would be an idiot for thinking this innocuous information was akin to Watergate.

Then again, I think everyone in Ella McCay is an idiot. Brooks should have the lion's share of blame for this total fiasco. His plot is all over the place, with story threads that go hither and yon, colliding with each other with no rhyme or reason. Over and over again plots and gags that are introduced are either never resolved or forgotten altogether. There is a bizarre subplot of Ella's security detail. State Trooper Nash, usually a cheerful and supportive fellow, is dismayed that his new partner Trooper Alexander (Joey Brooks, son of director James Brooks) hopes that now-Governor McCay's long stay at Casey's home means that they will get overtime. We are treated to this exchange.

Alexander starts sobbing when Nash insists that they should leave and not get overtime. "Sorry. I just could have used the extra money. The divorce is...the divorce is chomping me up". Replies Nash in a very calm tone, "She's getting what's fair, man". Alexander looks around and meekly replies, "Yeah". Later on, once Ella emerges to find both troopers asleep, she does not apologize to them for never formally releasing them. Instead, she berates Alexander for thinking of his overtime and half-pay during "The Great Recession". When they return to Ella's home, Nash takes his turn berating Alexander, telling him that there are many things that he can do with his kids that are free.

I was absolutely gobsmacked at all this. Nash and Ella show themselves as thoroughly unsympathetic to a character we are not introduced to and who pretty much again disappears. Who is Nash to decide if the former Mrs. Alexander "is getting what is fair"? Who is Ella to be so thoughtless and uncaring that she never formally permits the men assigned to protect her to leave?

Moreover, this comes after Ella, in a state of marijuana-laced speechmaking, tells Casey her economic stimulus plan. She will push to "jack up" license and registration fees, especially on commercial vehicles, to cover the cost of fixing substandard roads and ports. 

It is simply astonishing that Ella McCay would have been elected dogcatcher with such a proposal. It is simply astonishing that Ella McCay thinks that this woman would have even come close to being elected to even dogcatcher. One moment we get a lecture about how commercial vehicle owners/drivers should pay more. The next, a poor state trooper is told that he should have left his post because others are struggling financially. 

As the kids say, "make it make sense".

Put all that aside. Ella McCay is simply bad because it is so terribly acted. I do not know who Emma Mackey is. She was in the 2002 Death on the Nile remake and was dreadful in it. Here, she is I think attempting to be a weird mix of quirky and intelligent. Perhaps someone like Anne Hathaway could have made it work. Here though, Mackey came across as an obnoxious idiot who is the Queen of Failing Upward. No one in their right mind would think that Ella McCay would have achieved high office short of literal bribes being given and taken. This is a woman so dumb that she literally does not notice a poor staffer literally drooling next to her; said staffer is asleep and exhausted after the oblivious Ella has kept them locked in a staff room late into the night. That staffer is suddenly awakened when Ella has this kind of peppy cheer that she lets out.

There are no performances in Ella McCay. Everyone bar none is bad. Jack Lowden is directed to make Ryan goofy and evil. He is unconvincing either way. Jamie Lee Curtis attempts to liven things up by being almost unhinged in the faux cheeriness. Woody Harrelson has nothing to do but be the equally dumb father, unaware of his self-centeredness. I think that was meant to be funny. It just wasn't. Spike Fearn and Ayo Edebiri do nothing, except perhaps look deeply uncomfortable being anywhere near this debacle. Kumail opted to play Nash as eternally calm. That is a choice, I guess. Everyone thinks that by mugging for the camera they will make whatever they think is comedy work. It does not.

We also have Kavner popping in to be our narrator. Why is she the narrator? Why does she start by speaking directly on camera only to transition to straight voiceover we do not know. Why she, who plays Ella's secretary, get to be the narrator we do not know.

The state motto in the mythical state Ella McCay is set in is "Verum est Difficile" or "Truth is Difficult/Hard". Here is a hard truth: Ella McCay is a total, unmitigated disaster of a film. It is another sign that the man behind the dreadful How Do You Know can make something even worse than that monstrosity. 

There are movies that I have disliked. There are movies that I have hated. And then there is Ella McCay, perhaps the worst movie of 2025.  

DECISION: F

The Farmer's Daughter (1947): A Review

THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER

Immigrants add so much to the uniqueness of American life. Everything from American cuisine to American vernacular has been enriched by foreign-born people. Politics is no different. In America, a naturalized citizen can rise to high positions of power except for President of the United States. One such success story is chronicled in The Farmer's Daughter. Charming and surprisingly contemporary, The Farmer's Daughter delights in its blend of homespun wisdom and political romance. 

Swedish American Katrin "Katie" Holstrom (Loretta Young) leaves her family's farm to study nursing in Capitol City. Crooked barn painter Adolph (Rhys Williams) offers her a lift to save bus fare but instead hoodwinks her into spending all her money for car repairs. These repairs, caused by his incompetence and efforts to force his attention on the not-so-dumb blonde, leave her penniless. 

Still, Katie is a resourceful Scandinavian. She quickly finds employment as a maid to the politically powerful Morley family. Katie does not initially win over the Morley's cranky butler Joseph Clancy (Charles Bickford). However, she is a good worker who manages to survive Mr. Clancy's cantankerous ways. She also charms Agatha Morley (Ethel Barrymore). Mrs. Morley is the widow of a respected Senator and something of a kingmaker for her political party. She is also the mother of Glen Morley (Joseph Cotten), who is on his third term in Congress. 

Katie has made clear that she will work for the Morleys only temporarily. Her plan is to be their maid just long enough to raise the funds needed to go back to nursing school. However, Katie has become indispensable to the family. Mrs. Morley and Mr. Clancy also see what Glen will not admit: he has fallen in love with Katie. Katie feels the same way, but neither can say it out loud.

One thing that Katie can say out loud are her views on politicians and politics. The Morleys and their party seek out a replacement for a fellow Congressman who has just died. Reluctantly settling on Anders J. Finley (Art Baker), Katie is appalled at the selection. He is thoroughly unsuitable in her eyes. She confronts Finley on his record at his first political rally, much to Agatha and Glen's embarrassment. Katie's open and honest manner inspires the opposition to field their own candidate for Congress: Katrin Holstrom! She agrees to be their candidate, driving a wedge between herself and the Morleys. Her open and honest campaign is at odds with Finley's dirty tricks, culminating in lurid suggestions on her reputation by Adolph to the Finley campaign. Will Agatha and Glen go along with smearing Katie's good name to hold on to power? Will her Swedish brothers help her out of this jam? Will Glen and Katie find that politics do make the strangest but happiest of bedfellows?

The Farmer's Daughter has a special place in Academy Awards history. It is not because of the number of nominations that it received (only two, for Loretta Young as Lead Actress and Charles Bickford as Supporting Actor). It is not because of the film's historical significance. In fact, save for being the inspiration for a television series of the same name, The Farmer's Daughter is not well-known. No, the film has that special place because it has one of the biggest upsets of all time in terms of Oscar winners. 

At the 20th Academy Awards, the odds-on favorite to win Best Actress was Rosalind Russell for her performance in Mourning Becomes Electra. Russell was on her third nomination in six years and a back-to-back nominee this year. She was well-liked and respected by her peers. She had also hired publicist Henry Rogers to run her Oscar campaign. Rogers had guided Joan Crawford and Olivia de Havilland to their successful Oscar wins the previous two years. Mouring Becomes Electra was a rich, juicy lurid melodrama meant to showcase Russell's range. She had won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for Mourning Becomes Electra. At the Oscar ceremony, all of that year's Golden Globe winners matched the eventual Oscar winners for Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actor/Actress. It stood to reason that Rosalind Russell had the Oscar in the bag.

Russell was so sure that she would win that she literally stood up just as Fredric March announced the winner. The winner, however, was not Rosalind Russell. To audible gasps, the winner was Loretta Young. Young's win seemed to come out of nowhere. This win is more stunning given that all her competition was in heavy dramas, and the Academy then and now is very resistant to comedies. Perhaps another time we can discuss how Loretta Young pulled off one of the greatest surprise Oscar wins in Academy history. For now, let us look at the film.

The Farmer's Daughter is a breezy 97 minutes long. In that runtime, we get a great deal of story that showcases the various actors. Loretta Young maintains solid Swedish accent. It is never cartoonish or exaggerated, a credit to her and her dialect coach. She also shows Katie to be much shrewder than everyone gives her credit for. Early on, she and Adolph are forced to stay in a motel. He pretends to have trouble starting the car. Katie, with a look that shows she is fully aware of Adolph's schemes and intentions, cooly gets the car started. Katie is a smart cookie despite the blonde hair and foreign accent.

Young also shows that Katie is blunt but polite, almost guileless, in her manner. She is serving at a victory party for Glen and his fellow Congressman Wilbur Johnson (Thurston Hall). Johnson asks her if she voted for him. She replies that she had just moved and had not registered to vote in his district. He boasts that she would have voted for him if she could have. "If I could have voted, I wouldn't have voted for you", she replies in a perfectly sweet and matter-of-fact manner. Young says this with such innocence but directness that one laughs. Katie did not tell Johnson this to insult him. She told him this because she is honest. Earlier, she piped in when Morley's cronies deride a former Congressman whom the Holmstrom family knows. When he was described as a second-rate Congressman, Katie says, "Mr. Schmidlapp was first-rate with a second-rate party". 

The Farmer's Daughter does not mention either the state or which party is which. However, I think that the Morleys were Democrats given how Katie was given a speech by the late Senator Morley to practice her English with. The speech was a eulogy for President Woodrow Wilson which criticized the failure to enter the League of Nations. This particular scene is well-shot and directed by H.C.  Potter. As Katie speaks, we see her absorbing the thoughts, reflecting on the meaning. Unbeknownst to her, Mrs. Morley is overhearing her late husband's words. Mr. Clancy is aware of this, but Mrs. Morley silently shushes him. The scene is surprisingly moving.

The film does not skimp out on the love story. Loretta Young plays Katie's growing love for Glen softly and effectively. A glance, a softness in her facial expression, her fainting when she mistakenly thinks that Glen and not Wilbur had died all show how she had fallen in love without overtly saying so. Joseph Cotten is not often thought of as a romantic lead. However, he does a nice job in The Farmer's Daughter. There is a particularly amusing scene when Glen is attempting to impress Katie with his skating prowess. As played by Cotten, he comes across as a lovestruck teen attempting to show off to the girl. There is something almost childlike in Cotten's manner that makes the scene cute. The conclusion will have you smiling if not laughing the way that Katie was.

Glen, as played by Cotten, is a good man. He can be a political creature, willing to pick someone electable versus someone who would be best for the constituents. However, we see that Glen eventually does the right thing by both his morals and by Katie. Charles Bickford was nominated for his performance as the crabby but secretly lovable Joseph Clancy. He is efficient and brooks no foolishness. He also appreciates Katie's solid work ethic and ultimately becomes her friend and ally. As she tearfully leaves the Morley home when starting her campaign, Clancy tells her that he's been with the Morleys for over twenty years. He has supported them and their candidates all these years. This time though, he's going to vote for her. 

Ethel Barrymore is wonderful as the shrewd Agatha Morley. She has great rapport with Bickford's Clancy. While most people refer to them as "Mrs. Morley" and "Mr. Clancy", in their scenes they refer to each other as "Agatha" and "Joseph". This reveals a greater connection than that of employer and employee. There is no hint of romance between them. Rather, it is more one of respect and personal affection.

The Farmer's Daughter is surprisingly contemporary when it comes to politics. Katie comes out in favor of a living wage. When Morley asks her to explain what that is, she replies that a living wage depends on whether you're getting it or receiving it. She also is unafraid to call out politicians who work for their donors rather than their constituents. Katie openly confronting Finley about his past corrupt bargains of giving government contracts to family and friends is something we rarely see now. Such a scene will have the viewer cheering.

The film also targets not just political but moral corruption. While never overtly stated, it is clear from Allen Rivkin and Laura Kerr's screenplay that Adolph is a Ku Klux Klan member. As he tells a clearly displeased Agatha about his "organization", she fills in the information about this organization's goals and memberships. It wants an America that is white, with no foreign born and with "the right kind of religion". This group would therefore not want someone like Katrin Holmstrom due to her immigrant Swedish background. However, Agatha sees that Finley would have no problem not only associating with someone like Adolph but would smear Katie's reputation. Agatha would, very reluctantly, go along with the insinuations of impropriety. The connection to open bigotry, however, is a bridge too far. at the end, she has Adolph thrown out. Clancy, in fury, throws Adolph's hat at him. "YOU FORGOT YOUR HOOD!" he shouts.   

Still, The Farmer's Daughter is not a political film. It is a romantic comedy that involves politics. Charming, sweet and with strong performances all around, The Farmer's Daughter is a film that people should know more of. Raise a cup of glogg for the delightful The Farmer's Daughter, and we'll just pretend that it is Christmas.   

DECISION: B+

31 Candles: A Review

31 CANDLES

Love is all sorts of things. Love is strange, love is a stranger, love is a battlefield. Love will keep us together and tear us apart. Love hurts and love makes the world go round. Love is what the world needs now and what one can't help falling into even if you'll never fall into it again. 31 Candles, a nice and charming romantic comedy from an up-and-coming filmmaker shows us that love is also kosher. 

Leo Kadner (writer/director/editor Jonah Feingold) may be Jewish, but he is the unofficial king of Christmas movie directors. Perhaps he has this Judeo-Christian connection because his birthday is December 26. December 26, 1993, to be exact. Why does this matter? Well, Leo is coming up on his 31st birthday and is still single. He is what he dubs a "situationship" with Molly (Djouliet Amara), but neither want marriage. 

If Leo were ever to marry, it would be to Eva Shapiro (Sarah Coffey), the girl of his dreams from that certain summer of 2006. Leo and Eva were in opposite summer camps. All these years later and Leo has not forgotten Shapiro. One of the few things that Leo's long-divorced parents agree on is that he should work on stabilizing his life. Things look to turn around for Leo when Eva returns to New York City. She is pursuing an acting career, no easy feat given how at 6'1" she towers over everyone. She especially towers over Leo. Eva supplements her income by tutoring Jewish kids for their bar/bat mitzvahs. 

As it so happens, Leo never had a bar mitzvah. Could this be a way to gain Shapiro's attention and affection (Leo almost always calls Eva by her last name)? His fellow Hebrew students James and Sallie (Derrick Delgado and Zoe Hoffmann) look on with puzzlement and amusement at their accelerated classmate whom they estimate to be between 41 and 52 years old. 

Leo tries to play it cool with Shapiro. He ventures into the dating and Jewish world with some oddball results. His sister and brother-in-law offer at times conflicting advice. His Italian friends and Asian bodega owner also chime in on Leo's various exploits, romantic or otherwise. Fortunately, he has his wise Grammy Lila (Caroline Aaron) to offer sensible words of wisdom to her bumbling grandson. Or does he? Eva has her own curveballs to throw at him. In the end, Leo finds the greatest love of all.

31 Candles is firmly rooted in its New York Jewish world yet should be appealing to people of all backgrounds. The film never attempts to be anything other than what it is: a pleasant, well-meaning romantic comedy. Like our lead character, 31 Candles wants to be loved and give love, even if he stumbles around in doing so.

Jonah Feingold wears many hats in 31 Candles. He is writer. He is director. He is editor. He is also the lead. Feingold pulls off each task effectively. Coming across as a Woody Allen's less neurotic nephew, Feingold has both clever lines and a good overall structure to the film. When getting together with Eva to discuss him having his long-delayed bar mitzvah, she tells him of a specific reading that he'll have to do. "It's from Genesis", she tells him. Looking pleased at this news, Leo replies, "Oh, I love Phil Collins". 

The line itself is amusing. However, it also reveals just how removed Leo is from the religious aspect of Judaism. "I'm Jew-ish", he remarks. 31 Candles does not end up with Leo opting to become a hazzan. It does show that he is more conscious of what being Jewish is both good and bad. The only real dark moment in the film is when a date takes askance at the thought of her possibly "looking Jewish". Fortunately, Feingold has a later scene with friendly but frank Chinese bodega owner Jaya (Lori Tann Chin) and a bagel to lighten the mood.

31 Candles has amusing moments and scenes. There is when Leo's brother-in-law Greg (Jared Freid) offers this suggestion. "He's short. She's tall. Climb her like a tree". There are the deliberate bad bris jokes Rabbi Zeldin (Judy Gold) offers. "What do you call a cheap circumcision? A rip-off!", Rabbi Zeldin quips. She then adds "I do take tips" in a deliberate pun that even Henny Youngman would roll his eyes at. 

31 Candles, though, also has heart behind the schtick. These come with Feingold's scenes with his beloved Grammy. Jonah Feingold and Caroline Aaron are surprisingly moving together; whether Grammy is comforting him or telling him what a yutz he is, these nice, short and simple scenes are highlights in the film. Their last scene together, which throws in a surprise, did affect me more than I thought.

Feingold also manages to get his actors, including himself, to be more than Borscht Belt level. There is still a bit of an exaggerated manner to some of the performances, including himself. However, on the whole the sincerity that is played on screen makes up for occasional stumbles. Feingold also has some surprisingly inventive moments in 31 Candles. There is a subtle switch from color to black-and-white in a fantasy moment that spoke of how Leo sees the world. Grant Fonda's score also keeps things light, adding nice Hebrew touches to our tale of love lost and potentially found.

31 Candles has a few stumbles apart from some of the perhaps slightly over-the-top acting moments. The relationship that Leo has with Eva's sister seems to not be addressed or downplayed. There is a running montage to get to temple on time that looked a bit amateurish. I think there was some kind of running gag about Leo's probable dyslexia that did not completely work (he keeps reversing numbers, leading him to believe for example that a $72 total is a remarkably inexpensive $27). One editing choice where he seems to kiss Eva but then asks to "reverse" things left me a bit confused. I was not sure if it was another fantasy moment or if it did happen.

As a side note, I have recently rewatched Moonstruck, which also has a curious case of romantic sibling rivalry. I do not know if Feingold drew inspiration from that for his film. However, his one-night stand seemed to just come and go. 

Overall, though, 31 Candles is a cute little film that follows the romcom conventions well. "Just because something is cheesy doesn't mean it isn't necessary", Leo comments. He might have been talking about the Christmas movies he directs. It could easily apply to 31 Candles. It might be frothy, but it is still charming.  

DECISION: B-

Moonstruck: A Review

MOONSTRUCK

The words "lunacy" and "lunatic" stem from the Latin word for "moon" (luna). "Luna" is still the word for "moon" in Spanish and Italian. Being in love is a bit like being insane, I suppose. The lunacy of love is delightfully captured in Moonstruck, a charming romantic comedy with standout performances all around.

Italian American widow Loretta Castorini Clark (Cher) is a mistress of bookkeeping but at 37 figures that she will never love nor marry again. The Castorinis are a superstitious lot, convinced that good or bad luck follows them. Loretta agrees to marry her nebbish, bumbling boyfriend Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). She is not in love with Johnny but thinks that this is for the best.

Loretta's engagement is not welcome news to her father Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia). He balks at her getting married again and especially at paying for the wedding, tradition or no tradition. Loretta's mother Rose (Olympia Dukakis) is not enthusiastic either but quietly accepting. Johnny has left for Palermo to see his dying mother and has asked Loretta to invite his estranged brother, Ronny. Her initial efforts are rebuffed, but determined to see it through, she goes to Ronny's bakery. 

Despite her common sense, Loretta does more than mend fences with Ronny (Nicolas Cage). She goes to bed with him. He now declares his love for, to which she responds by slapping him and yelling, "SNAP OUT OF IT!". Cosmo and Rose, unaware of any of this, continue believing that Loretta and Johnny will be married a month from now. Rose's brother Raymond Cappomaggi (Louis Gus) and sister-in-law Rita (Julie Bosavvo) recall when Raymond claims to have seen a giant Moon when Cosmo was courting Rose. To almost everyone's surprise, "Cosmo's Moon" has returned.

Cosmo is the only one not to see it. More than likely, it is because he has a mistress, Mona (Anita Gillette). Loretta agrees to go with Ronny to the Metropolitan Opera to see La Boheme, his other great passion, on condition that he drop any romantic ideas and go to her upcoming wedding. The romantic entanglements continue when both Loretta & Ronny and Cosmo & Mona end up at the Met. Rose, meanwhile, has dinner alone until she invites jilted professor Perry (John Mahoney) to join her. Rose suspects that Cosmo is cheating on her, unaware that Loretta has inadvertently confirmed her mother's suspicions. Things come to a head when Johnny unexpectedly returns, his mother having made a "miraculous" recovery. How will these tangled romances end? 

Moonstruck is a love letter to love in all its crazy, charming and confusing forms. Screenwriter John Patrick Shanley in his Oscar-winning screenplay builds a logic to the increasingly eccentric situations. He builds up the story slowly, allowing for both the characters and their predicaments to flow. Moonstruck does a masterful job in showing how the various characters evolve and how they see the world. 

For example, early on we see Loretta appear to dismiss someone ordering roses, commenting on how so much money is spent on something that will be tossed into the trash. However, when the florist that she is working the books for presents her with a single rose, we see Loretta genuinely charmed and moved by the gesture. This reveals that despite the "bad luck" that got her husband killed by a bus, Loretta at heart still believes in love. 

We see the characters in all their delightful eccentricity throughout Moonstruck. It is when Cosmo hoodwinks a couple into spending more money on plumbing. We see it when Rose is awakened to be told Loretta's news. "Who's dead?", Rose asks in a quizzical but deadpan manner. It is in their insistence that some other force controls both the positive and negative events in their lives.

One thing that I do not think people have focused on is a key moment. After Raymond tells the story of Cosmo and his Moon, we see all the characters react when a massive moon appears to them. Loretta looks on this "love moon" with wistfulness, soon joined by Ronny who asks her to come back to bed. Raymond gets frisky with Rita, who delights in the renewed attention. Cosmo's father or Pop (Feodor Chaliapin) encourages his dogs to howl with delight. Rose looks at it with longing and sadness, underscoring how Cosmo has strayed. It is telling that Cosmo, passed out drunk, is the only one not to see it. I think it suggests that Cosmo is the only one not in love anymore. He is blind to true love, something that everyone else is not.

Moonstruck has excellent performances from the entire cast. Both Cher and Olympia Dukakis won Oscars for their performances, with Gardenia receiving a Supporting Actor nomination. Cher has a strong manner to her Loretta Castorini. Blunt, sometimes exasperated, Loretta is also a woman emerging into her own. She is resigned to things, to a settled life. Once she encounters the wild Ronny, it is as if Loretta has allowed herself to come out and embrace life. 

Cher has wonderful comedic timing with her castmates. She can bemoan her father's obstinacy and Ronny's brutish and self-pitying manner. She can also show compassion and tenderness. Her disbelief that Cosmo could be stepping out on Rose, coupled with her shock and disappointment when she discovered Cosmo's infidelity, showcases Cher's acting strengths. While most people remember her "SNAP OUT OF IT!" reaction, there are other moments that showcase Cher's strong performance. A quiet moment is when she returns home after the opera. Just by kicking a can down the street, we see Loretta contemplating all that she has gone through and wondering if her luck has finally turned.

Dukakis is wise and loving as Rose, the Italian mother who knows more than she lets on. Her continued search to find why men chase women is comic gold. However, we also see the genuine love and pain she feels about Cosmo. She loves him and knows that love hurts. Beneath Rose's wisdom, there is warmth, compassion and understanding. Dukakis balances humor and heart. 

As a side note, it is curious that despite neither of them being of Italian heritage, Cher and Dukakis are so perfect in their roles as these Italian Americans.

The actual Italian Americans in Moonstruck also do wonderful work. Danny Aiello is hilarious as Johnny, the weak, bumbling and befuddled beau. I would use nebbish, a good Yiddish term, to describe Johnny. Vincent Gardenia is wonderful as Cosmo, the man who lost love and ultimately found it again. We see that, at heart, he does love his wife and daughter, even if he has to struggle with his fear of death to show that love. 

Nicolas Cage makes Ronny's crazed manner almost rational. He is a bit cartoonish, but I think that is how Ronny is. A great bit of directing, either from Cage or director Norman Jewison, is when Ronny scratches his face while Loretta calls him "a wolf". It is a sly nod to Loretta's perception and Ronny's true nature. 

It would be unfair to not mention John Mahoney, the only non-Italian character in Moonstruck. His role is small, but it is important. It serves as a counterpoint to the various romantic entanglements of the Castorinis. While they pursue love, the non-Italian Perry pursues affirmation. Yet, in his own way, Perry also has a little bit of moon magic. While reflecting on his life with Rose, he expresses a belief that love is like "moonlight in a martini". 

Moonstruck is a charming and logical story, even if its logic is broad. That, I suppose, is how love is: charming and with its own curious logic. Love has never been so amusing and delightful as it is when one is Moonstruck.

DECISION: A+

Materialists: A Review

 MATERIALISTS

The singles scene is fraught with all those lonely people. Materialists attempts to make our trio tie into the overall search for love. Longer than it should be, Materialists barely manages to hang on. 

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a successful matchmaker for the Adore Matchmaking firm. She is now on her ninth married couple and attends the wedding. Here, she encounters Harry (Pedro Pascal), who is rich, handsome, tall and single. In the matchmaking world, he is a unicorn, one who is entranced by our young Dolly Levi. She is intrigued and interested in our elegant older man. There is a complication though.

That is her ex, John (Chris Evans). Supplementing his acting career with catering gigs, John and Lucy find that they still are interested in each other. Harry, for his part, will not be denied and woos Lucy. Soon, they become lovers, though Harry still keeps the reason for the scars on his legs to himself. They go see John perform on the stage, and John sees Lucy slipping from him.

Tragedy hits Lucy when Sophie (Zoe Winters), an Adore client who has proven difficult to match, informs Adore that Lucy's latest match assaulted her. Lucy is devastated by the news, and her professional confidence is shaken. Lucy becomes entangled in both John and Sophie's lives. She also wonders if Harry is right for her. Will Lucy find true love and matchmaking success? If she does find love, with whom will she find it with?

I was not impressed by writer/director Celine Song's first effort, Past Lives. One of my colleagues is far harsher than I am about Past Lives, routinely calling it "Cuck: The Movie". While I would not go that far, he is not far off from my views on Past Lives. That being said, Materialists is a bit more standard in terms of storytelling compared to Past Lives. It is closer to a romantic comedy but with more drama than flat-out farce.

In some ways though, Materialists does not move away from expectations. When the plot blurb is, "A young, ambitious New York matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex", it does not take any thinking to realize with whom said New York matchmaker will end up at the end. Just as I was reminded of The Matchmaker (which in turn was made into the musical Hello, Dolly!), while watching most of Materialists, I was reminded of all things, the Hallmark television movie Dater's Handbook. In that trifle starring the current Duchess of Sussex, the main character has to decide between a perfect man and a wacky man. If you follow the conventions of romcoms, you should know how it will all play out.

That Song opted not to go for a more humorous take on this plot is a credit to her. Materialists cannot be said to take things totally seriously. However, it is not a laugh-fest. Instead, it takes a more serious manner to the premise. Separate from the faux love triangle, we see how current dating sets up both men and women for failure.

In some ways, Materialists is critical of women and their expectations in romance. There are some montages of Lucy attempting to please the various requirements that her female clients present for their ideal match. We hear these women ask for almost impossible standards in terms of a potential date's height, age and financial status. At one point, Lucy is told by a potential client that said client is a catch. Lucy, as diplomatically as she can while expressing clear irritation, informs her that she is actually not a catch. This may be a reaction against Sophie's assault and the guilt that Lucy carries about it. However, it is nice to see someone deflate people's egos.

We get a nice bit in the end where we hear that Sophie has hit it off with a short dentist. There is a lesson here about how people need to cut off potential mates based on high expectations that they do not hold themselves to.

It is a bit surprising how women are criticized in Materialists. Harry admits the reason for his leg scars. In this well-written and acted scene, we see not just that women can be shallow about men. We also see the sometimes-extreme lengths that men will go through to attract a mate.

Materialists is probably Dakota Johnson's best performance. Yes, she is pretty. However, here she is more matter of fact, almost staccato in her manner. I think it fits the character of Lucy well. She is forthright, direct, and diplomatic. She believes herself to be doing a genuine good. Even when she fails, Lucy carries a sense of responsibility and later, guilt, over her failures. Pascal did well, although he was quieter as Harry. His last scene when he reveals the truth about himself to Lucy is a good closing moment for the character.

I cannot say much about Evans though. Outside of Captain America, I cannot think that he has had a standout acting moment. Materialists is not it. He is playing an actor, and even in the scene where we see him "act", I cannot convince myself that he is acting. I think he did the best that he could. 

I do think that Materialists is maybe longer than the film should be. Both my cousin and I nodded off at different points. It is curious that there are no male employees at Adore, though said male might not want to be an Adore-A-Girl. Moreover, few clients are male. I do not know if that suggests that men are not looking for love or would try this expensive journey. 

However, on the whole Materialists has some good moments and performances to make it barely passable. There is a bit of a payoff in the final scene with the original couple featured early on. I get what Celine Song was aiming for. I just think that she barely the target. 

DECISION: C+ (6/10)

The Accidental Tourist: A Review

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

There are all kinds of grief and all kinds of ways of coping with said grief. The Accidental Tourist looks at the locked lives of individuals caught up in those griefs, and how through patience and quirky dog trainers there can be healing.

Macon Leary (William Hurt) is the writer of The Accidental Tourist, a series of travel books for businessmen uninterested in travel. He and his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) are struggling through the sudden death of their son Ethan, killed in a random act of violence. Macon, already pretty detached from others, has completely closed up over Ethan's death. Sarah, unable to move beyond this, asks for a divorce.

Macon's only true companion is Edward, Ethan's dog. In need of someone to care for Edward when traveling yet again for more Accidental Tourist writing, he comes upon the Meow-Bow Animal Hospital and its proprietress, Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis). She not only agrees to care for Edward but diagnoses why Edward is mercurially aggressive.

Muriel is very open and persistent about her attraction to Macon while still being professional but forthright with him. She gets Macon to take dog obedience training from her, and soon a relationship develops between them. Macon also gets to know Muriel's ill son, Alexander (Robert Gorman). For his part, Macon's publisher Julian Hedge (Bill Pullman) starts knowing the very WASP and insular Leary siblings. There is Charles (Ed Begley, Jr.) and Porter (David Ogden Stiers) and their caretaker sister Rose (Amy Wright). Julian and Rose soon fall in love, though that would mean leaving the Leary men incapable of taking care of themselves.

Eventually, Sarah returns to the picture, wondering if Macon is willing to patch up their marriage. Macon now struggles between his past with Sarah and potential future with Muriel. Which way will he go? Will he find love again with his soon to be ex-wife or with the possible future Mrs. Leary?

The Accidental Tourist gives us that contrast between Macon's hermetically sealed and insular world and Muriel's free-spirited and outspoken manner. That allows us to see how they really are ideally suited to each other without them changing their ways. With the Learys, you see how enclosed they all are by how they behave when playing a card game of their own invention. They are quiet, generally without emotion, not able to say things like "I love you" to each other. It is plausible that they do not say that to themselves. 

Into this comes not just Muriel but Julian. These outsiders break down the walls the Learys have put around them, one by almost sheer force and the other by gently tapping it down. The Accidental Tourist gives us a nice set of love stories which works on so many levels.

Director Lawrence Kasdan, who adapted Anne Tyler's novel with Frank Galati, gives us a well-crafted script. There are many lines and situations that reveal these characters without being overt. "It's terrible when things don't fit precisely. They get all out of alignment," Macon observes. He may have been talking about envelopes, but the double meaning to his own life is clear. Realizing with whom he needs to be, Macon tells one of his women, "You don't need me, but I need her". This confession, delivered so well by William Hurt, gives us the evolution of a man who wanted little to nothing to do with others before his son's tragic death.

Lawrence Kasdan directed his cast to strong performances. Despite winning the Oscar as the Best Supporting Actress, I think Geena Davis is the co-lead in The Accidental Tourist. Muriel is quirky without being insufferable. Instead, Davis makes Muriel into someone you believe is a functioning human, with logic and sense, while still being a touch eccentric. She reacts softly when Macon reveals his son's death to her, not attempting to embrace him in a grand manner. Instead, she shows herself reflective, patient and compassionate.

William Hurt did a standout job as the sheltered WASP who allows himself, over time, the opportunity to open himself up to others and let the grief come through. Kathleen Turner had a surprisingly small role in The Accidental Tourist. However, in her few scenes, we see Sarah not as a villain or some kind of shrew. Instead, we see Sarah as a deeply pained woman who cannot find an ounce of compassion from across the kitchen table. Unlike in other films, we can see why he would contemplate giving Muriel up for Sarah. Sarah wants love and comfort from a man who cannot give it. As such, you do not think Sarah is cruel for asking for a divorce. You ask what took her so long to figure it out.

In their smaller roles, Bill Pullman and Amy Wright let the Julian and Rose romance grow, though we do not see all of it. 

The Accidental Tourist also has the benefit of John Williams' score, which like the screenplay and film itself receive an Oscar nomination. I imagine that William's music for this film is less known than such films as Star Wars or Schindler's List. However, it is a soft, moving score, lending the love story greater elegance and warmth.  

The title The Accidental Tourist captures Macon Leary well. He is an accidental tourist, but of his own life. This is a strong film, with excellent performances and well-crafted in every way. It is easy to get lost in The Accidental Tourist. 

DECISION: B+

Basmati Blues: A Review (Review#1931)

BASMATI BLUES

I know, for good or ill, many people dislike Brie Larson. They do not see a competent, even Oscar winning actress. They see a smug scold or insincere elitist. I cannot muster any hatred towards Larson, however, even in something as fluffy and inconsequential as Basmati Blues. One thinks that its heart is in the right place. Its execution, however, leaves much to be desired. 

American scientist Linda Watt (Brie Larson), along with her father Eric (Scott Bakula) has created Rice Nine, a genetically modified rice that is resistant to pests and drought. The Mogil Corporation needs a representative to sell Rice Nine to the Indian market. The Mogil mogul Mr. Gurgon (Donald Sutherland) decides that perky, naive Linda is the perfect saleslady.

It is off to India, where Linda finds herself in conflict with struggling and poor student Rajit (Utkarsh Ambudkar) who is also well versed in rice production. She does have help from William (Saahil Sehgal), a young Agricultural Ministry official who wants to also get Rice Nine into the Indian market. Linda does her best to blend with the Indian community, but she still stumbles through things. An unofficial competition between Linda and Rajit to win the hearts, minds and contracts of their competing rice and stink weed to see which is better.

Linda now has to fight her attractions to both William and Rajit. The former is wealthy and lured by Gurgon and his aide Evelyn (Tyne Daly) to push for Rice Nine even if the contracts would tie farmers to buy the rice every year and hand their land over to Mogil. Will Linda, who eventually learns of the deception, rise to save the day? Whom will she choose as her love interest?

I figure that the second question is easy to answer since this is a movie where the expression "opposites attract" seems to describe its romance. I found a bit of a shame given that I thought William was a better fit for Linda than Rajit. Put aside how I think Sehgal is better-looking than Ambudkar. William was from an equivalent socioeconomic background, did have a change of heart at the end where he helped thwart Mogil's evil schemes and was more apt to listen to Linda than Rajit, who starts out with contempt for her.

I found Basmati Blues had its heart in the right place. It just did not have good execution. I was surprised to learn that Basmati Blues was an attempt at a Bollywood type musical. Having seen Bollywood and Tollywood musicals, Basmati Blues was nowhere near as big and enthusiastic as the Indian films that I have come across. It is more like a standard Western musical, where characters attempt to express emotions through song.

Not that the songs were particularly good or memorable. The opening song, All Signs Point to Yes, almost startles the viewer because there is nothing to indicate that Basmati Blues is a musical. If one does remember the musical numbers, it is for the wrong reasons. Linda, Rajit and William have an odd love trio in Love Don't Knock at My Door where each of them sings about their conflicting emotions. I found it a bit strange.

Perhaps the oddest moment is when Donald Sutherland himself breaks out into a song-and-dance with The Greater Good, where he and Daly seduce William into seeing things their way. I do not think that even Donald Sutherland thought he was ever going to be King of Broadway Showtunes. He mostly talks on pitch, which makes his number with experienced singer Tyne Daly all the odder. To be fair, The Greater Good is deliberately over-the-top and cartoonish, so we can cut it some slack.

If the songs in this musical are not awful but not great, what about the acting? Well, it is serviceable. Larson is pleasant enough as the mostly cheerful and focused Linda. Ambudkar is appropriately flustered and irritated as Rajit, who knows that he is right but cannot prove it. Sehgal is equally appropriate at William, who is supposed to be a bad guy but is actually quite pleasant. 

As a side note, exactly why this Indian man has this very English name Basmati Blues never bothers to ask. 

Both Daly and Bakula are on screen so briefly that they seem almost wasted. Daly acts as if she is fully aware that Basmati Blues is meant to be silly, so she does not bother to try to be anything other than a broad villain. How can one sum up seeing Tyne Daly and Donald Sutherland break out into their own reworked version of This Train (is Bound for Glory) as they attempt to ride off with their massive sacks of Rice Nine? 

Basmati Blues does try to be amusing, if not clever or original. I cannot find it in my heart to truly hate on it. The film is not the worst thing that I have seen. I found it well-meaning but not good. 

DECISION: D+