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FREAKY FRIDAY: Directed by Mark Waters. Written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, based on the book by Mary Rodgers. Produced by Andrew Gunn. Executive producer, Mario Iscovich. Cinematography, Oliver Wood. Production design, Cary White. Editor Bruce Green. Costumes, Genevieve Tyrrell. Music, Rolfe Kent. Music supervisor, Lisa Brown. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, with Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harold Gould, Ryan Malgarini, Rosalind Chao and Lucille Soong. Walt Disney Pictures, 2003. PG. 93 minutes.
Hollywood studios worship at the temple of the young male demographic and make movies for boys, young and old. Disney has a better than average reputation for allowing girls to be heroic as well as boys — witness Mulan and Spirited Away. In that spirit, welcome to the Disney remake of its 1976 version of Mary Rodger's much loved 1972 novel about a mother and daughter who are briefly cursed (or is it blessed?) with finding themselves in each other's body. The '70s era film starred Jodie Foster, while here the daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan), plays an updated female adolescent, complete with body-piercings and 'tude. Anna is a handful for her harried, psychotherapist mother, Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis), a widow who is marrying her fiancé, Ryan (Mark Harmon) in two days. Anna's in a twit because she has a major scheduling conflict. On the night of her mother's wedding rehearsal party, Anna's raucous garage grrll band, in which she hits all the right notes as lead guitarist, has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to audition for some top music industry guys. But Mom's not giving an inch. Anna's been in detention at school, a condition she failed to share with Mom. So it's a no-go. At dinner in a Chinese restaurant the night before the rehearsal dinner, Anna and Tess square off at each other, leaving Grandad (Harold Gould), little brother Harry (Ryan Malgarini) and the groom-to-be sitting alone at the table. But the scene between Tess and Anna does not go unnoticed. Pei-Pei (Rosalind Chao), the owner of the restaurant, simply isn't quick enough to stop her mother (Lucille Soong) from slipping Anna and Tess each a fortune cookie, with a special message just for them. The earth moves. When the electrons settle into familiar paths, Tess and Anna return to the table as if nothing has happened. But by the next morning, everything has changed. In the vein of Groundhog Day, Run Lola Run, All of Me and other movies where the characters have a second or third chance to get right something important they haven't figured out 'til now, Freaky Friday gives both Tess and Anna time to roam around in each other's mind, body and persona for long enough to create a lot of trouble and do a little good. Curtis and Lohan give excellent performances that make the movie sing. Curtis still looks to us like Tess, but Anna's personality shines through when she's counseling clients and talking about her new book. Lohan looks like Anna, but inside she's really uptight about sex, especially where Anna's boyfriend, Jake (Chad Michael Murray), is concerned. Imagine how confused Jake is when Tess spends the afternoon sipping lattes at the coffee shop and talking music with him. The permutations on this enduring, endearing plot are endless. Maybe it should be remade for each generation of mothers and daughters. I noticed quite a few family groups at the Saturday matinee, and they seemed to really have a good time. I laughed out loud. Can't wait to see it with my granddaughter and her mom. We'll watch Whale Rider, too. Can't get too much of a good thing. Script by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon gives director Mark Waters (The House of Yes) room to work on monkey business with these excellent actors in a variety of situations. Ah, there's that word. A kissing cousin to a television situation comedy but smarter and funnier, Freaky's success hopefully doesn't mean some low-talent doofus will pick it up, stretch its comedic potential to the limit, and ruin the whole idea. Overkill happens, especially on TV. Catch this one in the theater. Now playing at Cinemark and Cinema World. Highly recommended.
Arabian Knights: Cartoon musical adventure feature for kids. G. At 10 am 7/19 only. Movies 12. Freddy vs. Jason: The ultimate celebrity death match: Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) takes on Jason "The Face Mask" Voorhees (Ken Kerzinger), in this film directed by Ronny Yu. Freddy, whose powers to kill on Elm Street are thwarted by dream suppressing drugs, tries to manipulate Jason's dreams so that he continues the killing spree. When Jason realizes he's been playing Jason's pawn, all hell breaks loose. R. Cinemark, Cinema World. Grind: Four skaters follow their idol on his summer tour in an attempt to get noticed, get sponsored and become stars themselves. Directed by Casey La Scala; stars Mike Vogel, Vince Vieluf, Adam Brody, Joey Kern and Jennifer Morrison. PG-13. Cinemark, Cinema World. Hollywood Homicide: Fast-paced action comedy directed by Ron Shelton stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as cops, with Isaiah Washington, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood, Master P., Lolita Davidovich, Dwight Yoakum, Keith David and Martin Landau. PG-13. Movies 12. Mighty Wind, A: Christopher Guest's (Best in Show) pseudo-documentary narrative about a folk music reunion show of folk is one of his craftiest satirical offerings, critics say. Stars the usual suspects: Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Bob Balaban. Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Guest himself. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Open Range: Kevin Costner directs and stars as Charley Waite, a former gunslinger forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman (James Russo). Also stars Robert Duvall, Abraham Benrubi, Diego Luna and Michael Gambon. Blake French at www.filmcritic.com writes, "Open Range is a patient film … but it tests our patience to a maddening degree. … Life may have moved slowly in the West, but that doesn't mean a movie has to. If you have two hours to live, see this movie — it will make those two hours seem like two weeks." R. Cinemark, Cinema World. Uptown Girls: Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy) stars as the freewheeling daughter of a late rock legend, and the toast of the Manhattan social scene. But when Molly's inheritance is stolen, she's forced to do something she's never done before — get a job. She becomes nanny to precocious Ray Schleine (Dakota Fanning), an "eight-year-old going on forty," and in a comedic battle of wills, each discovers in the other a true friend. Directed by Boaz Yakin. Also stars Heather Locklear. PG-13. Cinemark, Cinema World. Winged Migration: Documentary directed by Jacques Perrin; stars puffins, sandhill cranes, pelicans, ducks, Canada geese, snow geese, European white storks, bald eagles, albatrosses, penguins, turtledoves, black-necked swans, robins, Arctic terns, egrets, macaws and black-headed ibises. The NYT's Stephen Holden writes, "The breathtaking cinematography of migrating birds in Jacques Perrin's mystical documentary Winged Migration transports you to an exalted realm where nature operates under its own inviolable laws and humanity is portrayed as a crude, destructive interloper in the natural scheme of things." G. Bijou.
CONTINUING: American Wedding: Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are getting married. Now if their friends and family will just stay on their best behavior. Right. American Pie's crude humor lives on. Also stars January Jones, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas. R. Cinemark. Anger Management: Adam Sandler plays a man who must undergo anger management. His shrink, played by Jack Nicholson, moves in with him. Also stars Marisa Tomei. PG-13. Movies 12. Bad Boys II: Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay for another in this summer of sequels. Smith plays Mike Lowrey and Lawrence plays Marcus Burnett, two Miami narcotics detectives assigned to stem the flood of designer ecstasy into Miami. R. Cinemark. Bruce Almighty: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Aniston star in this tale of a at TV reporter, who has a really bad day, rages against God and receives more than he expected. PG-13. Movies 12. Chicago: Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as killer dames behind bars who compete for tabloid coverage. With Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly and Richard Gere. 2002 Academy Awards for best picture, supporting actress Zeta-Jones, art direction, sound, editing and costumes. PG 13. Movies 12. Online archives. Daddy Day Care: Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin lose their jobs and can't afford day care for their sons, so they open their own facility. Comedy directed by Steve Carr also stars Anjelica Huston, Steve Zahn and Regina King. PG. Movies 12. Finding Nemo: Pixar (Toy Story) presents this computer-animated fantasy of two Clownfish, Marlin and his son Nemo, who get separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (A Bug's Life), with voices by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney. Very highly recommended. G. Cinemark. Online archives. Freaky Friday: Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan play a quarreling mother and daughter who accidentally switch bodies. Ooops! Mark Harmon plays the mom's fiancé. Directed by Mark Waters, based on Mary Rodgers' book. Opens Wed. 8/6. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Holes: Adventures digging holes at Camp Green Lake for Stanley, who comes from a strange family that's been cursed for generations. Embarrassingly, Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson co-star. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Hulk, The: Director Ang Lee's action-adventure adaptation of the Marvel Comics series hits darker notes than the usual superhero comics. Scientist's (Eric Bana) inner demons change him after a catastrophic experiment. Written by James Schamus, it also stars Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas and Sam Elliott. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Johnny English: When all but one of MI5's top agents are killed in an explosion, it is left to the inept Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame) to try and solve who has stolen the crown jewels from the Tower of London. Accompanied by his assistant Bough (Ben Miller), Johnny bungles his way through one scrape after another. Directed by Peter Howett. PG. Movies 12. L'Auberge Espagnole: This Barcelona shared apartment is the dream European Community. Multicultural room-mates mix it up and have a great time. Written and directed by Cédric Klapisch, this saucy enchilada is a tasty treat. R. Bijou. Online archives. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life: Second in the franchise again stars Angelina Jolie as action heroine Lara Croft who saves the world, again, from unspeakable evil. Directed by Jan De Bont, also stars Gerard Butler and Noah Taylor. PG-13. Cinemark. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde: Reese Witherspoon is back as Elle Woods, Harvard Law, class of 2001, now in DC on behalf of pet animal's rights. Luke Wilson is still her boyfriend, as is her manicure person, Jennifer Coolidge. Sally Field and Bob Newhart join the cast. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld directs. PG-13. Movies 12. Nowhere in Africa: Caroline Link's film follows a family through the transition from Hitler's Germany in 1938 to colonial Kenya. Based on a best selling autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig, it is a tender look at a marriage under stress, a child who embraces Africa, and a Kenyan man who looks after them all. Winner of the 2002 Academy Award winner Best Foreign Film. R. Bijou. Online archives. Pirates of the Caribbean: Non-stop adventure directed by Gore Verbinski stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Depp sashays, Rush dissembles, Bloom fences and Knightley swashbuckles - mid-summer's great escape movie. Recommended especially for Depp and Rush's over the top performances and the good time had by all. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. S.W.A.T. Police Special Weapons and Tactics unit buddies Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell star in this action-thriller based on the 1970s TV series. Also with Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Seabiscuit: Story of a has-been racehorse who became America's Depression-era success story. Seabiscuit, the original down-and-outer who makes it big, is supported by Tobey Maguire as his jockey, Chris Cooper as his trainer and Jeff Bridges as his owner. Written, directed by Gary Ross and based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling non-fiction book, it also stars Elizabeth Banks, William H. Macy. All the marks of a winning film. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Spy Kids 3D: Game Over: Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara continue to embrace the family business — spying — but this time the Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) may be their nemesis. Also stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino. Special 3-D viewing glasses required. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who's on a roll. PG. Cinemark. Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines: Jonathan Mostow directs, and Arnold Schwarzenegger comes back to save the world from annihilation once again. John Connor (Nick Stahl), is 18 now, and he's fighting off a female killer cyborg from the future, (Kristanna Loken). R. Cinemark. Online archives. Two Fast Two Furious: John Singleton directs this sequel action adventure about street racing. Stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Eva Mendes. PG-13. Movies 12. Whale Rider: Winner of the World Cinema award at Sundance 2003, Niki Caro's Maori drama about a spunky girl, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes), who decides to show her beloved but authoritarian grandfather that she is able to lead the tribe, despite being a girl. A wonderful, inspiring drama that features the exquisite New Zealand coast. A don't-miss movie. PG-13. Bijou. Online archives.
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THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
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RELEASES ON VIDEO All the Real Girls: Wry love story between a young woman who wants to break out and a more experienced guy who loves her but wants to wait. Stars Zooey Deschanel and Paul Schneider; written and directed by David Gordon Green. Extras: Commentary by director David Gordon Green and the cast, "Improv and Ensemble: The Evolution of a Film" featurette, deleted scenes. R. Bowling for Columbine (2002): Documentary on guns, violence and fear directed by Michael Moore. Extras include introduction by Moore, feature-length commentary by Moore's production office receptionist and intern, and text and stills of Moore's controversial Oscar acceptance speech. R. Chicago (2002): Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as killer dames behind bars who compete for tabloid coverage. With Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly and Richard Gere. Extras: Commentary by Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon, deleted scene of "Class" performed by Zeta-Jones and Latifah, behind-the-scenes featurette. PG-13. The Good Thief: Neil Jordan directs the great Nick Nolte in this remake of a French heist movie that incorporates some amazing characters and a smart double plot that sneaks right past you if you don't pay close attention. Highly recommended. Extras: Commentary by Jordan, "To Film a Thief" making-of featurette, deleted scenes with commentary. R. Next week: Desperado, ER: The Complete First Season, El Mariachi, The Iron Giant, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Pollhall Junkies |
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