Dakota

Starring:John Wayne, Vera Ralston, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, Mike Mazurki, Ona Munson, Olive Blakeney, Hugo Haas, Nick Stewart, Paul Fix, Grant Withers, Robert Livingston, Olin Howland, Pierre Watkin, Robert Barrat, Jonathan Hale, Robert Blake, Paul Hurst, Eddy Waller, Sarah Padden
Director: Joseph Kane
Studio: Republic Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
It was invariably a bad sign when Republic saddled John Wayne with a wife and obliged him to wear a city feller's coat. To make matters worse, in Dakota the uxorial appendage is Czech kewpie doll Vera Hruba Ralston (a wife offscreen, too--to studio boss Herbert J. Yates). Eloping with her from the Chicago mansion of her railroad-baron daddy, Wayne wants to head west for California. Ralston prefers the wheat lands of Dakota and, not for the last time, gets her way.

With a slew of seasoned character actors (starting with Walter Brennan as a choleric riverboat captain), auspicious writing credits (Carl Foreman, Oscar-winner Howard Estabrook), and an offbeat setting--a melting-pot Fargo with immigrant farmers wearing the costumes of their native lands--Dakota really ought to be a more memorable movie. Instead, despite plenty of chases, robberies, and killings, it seems never quite to get started. The only mildly interesting aspect is Wayne's having to play it smiley and affable toward the likes of land-grabber Ward Bond and his henchmen Mike Mazurki, Grant Withers, and Paul Fix even as he knows they're responsible for every nasty thing that befalls the community.

Amazon.com

E.B. White's classic tale gets a Babe-like makeover in Charlotte's Web, a delightful and well-made film that is sure to become a family classic. Directed by Gary Winick (13 Going on 30), the new version eschews the musical numbers of the 1973 cartoon and mixes CGI with live-action animals. Dakota Fanning brings the right amount of chutzpah to Fern, the young farm girl who rescues a runt, Wilbur, from death and visits him every day at her Uncle Homer's farm. But it's Wilbur's friendship with Charlotte the spider (voiced by Julia Roberts) that ultimately saves him from the "smoke house" (a kid-friendly alternative term to the slaughterhouse), for Charlotte's talent for weaving praiseworthy words about Wilbur into her web turns the Zuckerman farm into a tourist attraction. The more tragic elements of the book are handled sensitively by Winick, working from a script by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), and Roberts' soothing, maternal voice (who knew it would work so well?) makes it all go down easy. It turns out to be just one of many perfect celebrity voice-casting choices, for the farm animals, voiced by an all-star cast including Oprah Winfrey (the goose), Robert Redford (the horse), Steve Buscemi (Templeton the rat), and John Cleese (the sheep), lend plenty of sharp humor. But it's two corn-hungry crows, voiced by Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) and OutKast's Andre "3000" Benjamin who steal the show. (Ages 4 and older) -- Ellen A. Kim

Beyond Charlotte's Web

Other Children's Book Adaptations on DVD
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
The Original 1973 Charlotte's Web Cartoon

Stills from Charlotte's Web (click for larger image)

Product Description

The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures - a spider named Charlotte - and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte - who sees miracles in the ordinary - spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving.

Customer Reviews:

A Heartwarming Story About Freindship.......2007-07-03

My Oppinion: Charlotte's Web is an excellent movie very entertaining for all ages.

About the film: The movie is about a spider who bfriends a young pig and tries to save his life by writing on her web's and the two becomes good friends.

My Oppinion 2: This movie is a great story about friendship. this was a very good film, they didn't change much from the animated version which is great.

f you like this movie then check out the soundtrack to the movie, then the original animated movie.

Great Movie!.......2007-07-03

I loved watching this with my children. They kept rewinding it back to their favorite parts. Dakota Fanning really brings Fern's character to life, and Templeton was hilarious. This movie, taken from the classic by E.B. White, should be both read and watched, for, although most of the main characters are animals, they personify something significant about the human spirit. Some pig, some movie! Enjoy it!

wonderful movie.......2007-07-02

wonderful movie , and great adaptation of the book, great for the whole family, my 2 nieces love it

Sweet and Fun.......2007-07-02

Charlotte's Web, based on the classic tale, is a sweet adaptation of the classic novel. It is becoming increasingly rare that the entire family can sit down together and enjoy a movie together. This is one that is perfect for families to enjoy as the movie dislpays the importance of acceptance, friendship, and sacrifice. The voice work here is outstanding, especially with Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte. Dakota Fanning is charming as usual. This is a sweet and fun film well-worth 4.5 stars. Enjoy. My family sure did.

Charlotte's Web.......2007-06-22

Great, great, great! I cried the whole time because the animals are just soooo cute! The picture was colorful, and the community where the town folks lived reminded me of home in Louisiana. Wish I could move to that farm when I retire. All should watch it and learn a lesson from the animals about being different but having the same idea about helping a friend in need.

Average customer rating:

Sweet, Funny, Feel Good
Sweet
Country mouse moves to city and becomes city mouse
Not one for a chick flick...but
Miss Melanie's back, but where is Scarlett?

Sweet Home Alabama
Starring: Reese Witherspoon , Josh Lucas , Patrick Dempsey , Candice Bergen , and Mary Kay Place
Director: Andy Tennant
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007E2F5
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

As formulaic, utterly inoffensive romantic comedies go, Sweet Home Alabama could be better, and could be worse. It's a variant of Julia Roberts's Something to Talk About, with all the same strengths and weaknesses, and Reese Witherspoon is definitely its saving grace. As an Alabama country girl turned hot New York fashion designer, Witherspoon finds the genuine emotions hidden under a blandly familiar plot, making her character's romantic indecisiveness seem not only credible but disarmingly appealing. She's just agreed to marry the Camelot-bred son (Patrick Dempsey) of New York's no-nonsense mayor (Candice Bergen), but first she has to officially divorce the husband (Josh Lucas) she left behind years earlier... only to discover that their love is stronger than ever. The rest, of course, is a foregone conclusion, but with a sharp supporting cast and a few charming moments, Sweet Home Alabama will satisfy anyone who prefers safe, reassuring entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This delightfully entertaining romantic comedy stars Reese Witherspoon (LEGALLY BLONDE) as sophisticated Melanie Carmichael, a rising New York clothing designer who suddenly finds herself engaged to the city's most eligible bachelor. But this is no fairy tale romance for Melanie. She has skeletons in her fashion-filled closet that include Jake -- the backwoods husband she married in high school who refuses to divorce her. Determined to end their marriage and sever all ties with her past once and for all, Melanie returns to Alabama. But home starts to tug at her heartstrings, and what she thought she wanted may not be what she wants at all.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet, Funny, Feel Good.......2007-07-01

Looking for a feel good movie? Here's one. Sweet Home Alabama is just that, sweet.

Sweet.......2007-06-08

Josh is to cute for words - I would pick him every time. I think it would have been better if they kept in the other parts of the film that you can see in the outtakes - it makes it flow better.

Country mouse moves to city and becomes city mouse.......2007-05-23

This movie is your typical country mouse moves to city and becomes city mouse. City mouse goes back to the country and is very "ashamed" of the country where it orginally came from. What makes this story different is the "romantic" side of the city mouse and the realization that the city mouse really isn't a city mouse at all, she is still a country mouse inside her heart. What I really liked about this movie in a whole is the slow realization that one must be honest in one's life to really achieve happiness with one's self and others around them. I don't mean to stand on a "soap box", but this is a story that is very hard hitting in that fact. The story is well acted and presented in a way that you don't quiet know what is coming next. See this movie if you want some laughs and have some good fun. I highly recommend this movie to all comedy fans of all ages.

Not one for a chick flick...but.......2007-05-20

I watched this primarily because of Reese Witherspoons portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Here in Sweet Home Alabama, she is a country girl turned city girl, who is forced to return to her roots in order to get a divorce from her husband that she hasn't seen in 7 years so she could marry another.

But in so doing, she finds that the past life she had been embarrased about wasn't so bad. Forced to slow down, she rediscovers herself, and finds out what true love is all about.

After it was over, it made me want to move from the city to some small town like what I grew up in.

Another show like this one is Doc Hollywood with Michael J. Fox. If you liked one you'll like the other.

Miss Melanie's back, but where is Scarlett?.......2007-05-19

Reese Witherspoon is the main attraction of 2002's SWEET HOME ALABAMA, an almost absurdly formulaic and predictable romantic comedy. Luckily for SWEET HOME ALABAMA, Witherspoon's screen presence lifts this film up from the merely humdrum and makes it watchable, entertaining, and even believable---at least until the last five minutes or so.

Alabama-born Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon) is one of New York's preeminent fashion designers, engaged to the JFK Jr.-like son of New York's woman Mayor (Candice Bergen) who plays her role as a power-mad politician with an unpleasantly realistic air.

Shortly after the engagement, Melanie travels Way Down South on the quiet to take care of a little unfinished business---including finally dumping the undivorced, plaid workshirt, mullet-headed, ballcap-wearing, chaw-preferring, beer-guzzling husband she's left behind.

Greeted like the Antichrist upon her return home, Melanie's secret life is laid bare, including a teenage pregnancy and an upbringing that was short on Plantation but long on Pickup Truck. As a matter of fact, "Felony Melanie" has quite the past reputation, and it isn't helped by her present City Cousin ways---the locals come to her door with pitchforks and torches and a rail on which to run her out of town. For her part, she can't stand her roots and is embarrassed and humiliated by the metaphorical red clay on the soles of her feet.

Worse yet, her stubborn not-quite ex is dedicated to making her life miserable by not finalizing the divorce papers. Forced by circumstance to hang around the old back forty, Melanie, willy-nilly begins to reconnect with her past life. Things come to a head when her New York fiance shows up, and she is forced to acknowledge the past she's been denying.

As noted, Witherspoon is the best element of the film. She is engaging and likeable, and utterly convincing as the conflicted, emotionally fragile Melanie, so much so that the viewer is compelled to comfort her in her confusion (or this one wishes he had). Witherspoon finds the humor in every situation, and sometimes the tears, playing Melanie with an honesty that is surprising for this genre of film. In short, she acquits herself very well. She can act.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA is warmhearted for the most part, but there's an edginess to the Big City Diva vs. Country Gal elements that's a little discomfiting. The characters, whether urban or rural, all seem ready to strangle their opposite numbers on cue. There's a Civil War of the soul going on here and at stray moments it feels downright ugly in the gut.

The film closes on a totally false, and surprisingly down, note (this reviewer will pass on providing any spoilers), though it is typical for this kind of fluffy comedy.

Watch Reese and suspend your disbelief.

Average customer rating:

A Heartwarming Story About Freindship
Great Movie!
wonderful movie
Sweet and Fun
Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Julia Roberts , Steve Buscemi , John Cleese , Oprah Winfrey , and Cedric the Entertainer
Director: Gary Winick
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NA6CP4
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Amazon.com

Beyond Charlotte's Web

Other Children's Book Adaptations on DVD
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
The Original 1973 Charlotte's Web Cartoon

Stills from Charlotte's Web (click for larger image)

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

A Heartwarming Story About Freindship.......2007-07-03

Great Movie!.......2007-07-03

wonderful movie.......2007-07-02

wonderful movie , and great adaptation of the book, great for the whole family, my 2 nieces love it

Sweet and Fun.......2007-07-02

Charlotte's Web.......2007-06-22

Average customer rating:

Not great, but not bad
Top notch film starring Denzel Washington
kinda wet (as opposed to all wet)
Best Punisher Movie Ever Made
Worse than tripe.

Man on Fire
Starring: Denzel Washington , Dakota Fanning , Marc Anthony , Radha Mitchell , and Christopher Walken
Director: Tony Scott
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JN0W
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Amazon.com

Style trumps substance in Man on Fire, a slick, brooding reunion of Crimson Tide star Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott. The ominous, crime-ridden setting is Mexico City, where a dour, alcoholic warrior with a mysterious Black Ops past (Washington) seeks redemption as the devoted bodyguard of a lovable 9-year-old girl (the precociously gifted Dakota Fanning), then responds with predictable fury when she is kidnapped. Prolific screenwriter Brian Helgeland (Mystic River, L.A. Confidential) sets a solid emotional foundation for Washington's tormented character, and Scott's stylistic excess compensates for a distended plot that's both repellently violent and viscerally absorbing. Among Scott's more distracting techniques is the use of free-roaming, comic-bookish subtitles... even when they're unnecessary! Adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell and previously filmed as a 1987 vehicle for Scott Glenn, Man on Fire is roughly on par with Scott's similar 1990 film Revenge, efficiently satisfying Washington's incendiary bloodlust under a heavy blanket of humid, doom-laden atmosphere. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Washington) has given up on life--until his friend Rayburn (Oscar winner Christopher Walken) gets him a job as a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning). Bit by bit, Creasy begins to reclaim his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy unleashes a firestorm of apocalyptic vengeance against everyone responsible.

Customer Reviews:

Not great, but not bad.......2007-06-20

To my surprise, Tony Scott's remake of Man On Fire isn't the war crime I was expecting by a long shot. Horribly over-directed in places, true, but nowhere near as irritating as Domino, which is the closest ADDS filmmaking has come to projectile vomiting at the audience to date. It helps that Scott has a decent script and a good cast to keep his worst excesses in check, and it has to be said that some of the stylistic touches (such as the very active subtitling) are really pretty good. He's better at framing the surrounding scenes than some of the big moments, which are fairly tension and adrenaline-free for all their imagination, but he's prepared to get his hands far dirtier than you'd expect from a mainstream studio picture, and he even manages a couple of moments of emotional resonance as well. It's certainly much better than the dire original, which only had a good John Scott score (part of which turned up in Die Hard) going for it (aside from the film's change of location from Italy to Mexico, the song has changed from Someone to Watch Over Me - well, Ridley beat him to that one - to Linda Ronstadt's infinitely less relevant cover of Blue Bayou). Good to see Christopher Walken in a good guy role again, too.

Top notch film starring Denzel Washington.......2007-06-19

Man on Fire is one of the best crime drama films I have had the pleasure of viewing. Set in the heart of Mexico, the film tells a fantastic story that is backed up by great direction and cinematic appeal. With that said, you throw in top notch actors like Denzel Washington and Christopher Walken and it does more than make the grade.

Man on Fire centers on John Creasy, a burned out loner type whose only resolve in the present day is a bottle of liquor. Creasy meets up with an old friend (played by Walken) who turns him towards work as a bodyguard for a family's daughter in Mexico, a place where multiple ransom based kidnappings occur on a regular basis. Given his extensive background of military accomplishments which includes counter terrorism and Special Forces (to name a few) he is hired almost immediately, although he himself is reluctant about the new role.

The character development of Creasy is excellent, but I would have to attribute that as much to the screen presence of Denzel as I would anything else. Overall the direction of this movie is superb, using captions when necessary and applying some different camera uses in regards to angles and perception to allow different moods to be invoked for a specific scene. Dakota Fanning plays as the daughter that he is supposed to protect, and I feel was a good choice for the role. As the movie moves on, we learn little about Creasy's past but get to explore him tearing down some walls in the present, as both a "vigilante with a vengeance" persona as well as seeing the human compassion side of him in his adoration of the little girl he is paid to protect. The film has it all when it comes to twists and turns as well as themes of corruption, family, and revenge. As Creasy says it best in the movie; "revenge is a dish best served cold". The films emotional conclusion is still a stoic ending when you take into account all the harrowing events and actions that led up to it. I feel what makes this film so much better than many of its kind is the ability to evoke a great seriousness within the main character while putting him in a dire situation throughout much of the film.

Bonus Disc: If you were a fan of this film when it first came out then you may enjoy this particular "Collector's edition Steelbook" package, which features a bonus disk chocked with extra's including multiple trailers, behind the scenes footage and an interesting documentary that talks about the ransom based kidnappings that take place in places like Mexico on a regular basis. Also discussed somewhat is the history of this story which originally came from a novel and had an initial film made about it starring Scott Glenn several years ago.

kinda wet (as opposed to all wet).......2007-06-12

How do you take a decent script, fine cast and turn it into average, run-of-the-mill, uninteresting film fare?
Easy. Get a no-talent hack like Tony Scott to direct--with his whirling dervish, idiotic, mindless, pointless,
car commercial, dizzying camera moves and editing.

It's sad. Because Denzel is working his butt off here, so is the incredible Dakota Fanning, not to mention the fine cameo that Chris Walken turns in--depressingly enough, Tony Scott simply will not leave the camera alone...and keeps spinning it, twisting it, whirling it, gliding with it--not to mention the constant changing from 16 mm to 35mm to Super 8 mm...Man oh man; this is infuriating.

And he does it every damn time. He did it with Top Gun, Days of Thunder... Why destroy otherwise excellent performances with incredibly useless, distracting camera moves? WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS? THE CAMERA SHOULD NOT BE NOTICED AT ALL! don't you understand that? You pull the audiance out of the fantacy by making them aware of your relentless camera SHENANIGANS.

I just don't get it.

Hey, Mr. Scott: it's very simple. Leave the actors be. Let them do what they were hired to do--which is to act! We don't need to know your camera is (always) there. Period. (In fact, we preffer it when we do not know the camera exists at all!)

Take a look at some of the late, great John Ford's films. Want to see the way a film should be directed? Take a look at John Ford. Please.

Best Punisher Movie Ever Made.......2007-05-28

I've seen Man On Fire multiple times since it's original release, and it never ceases to amaze me. Often times critics will reference a mild weakness in the plot, which I for the life of me cannot seem to find. I understand that Tony Scott's directing techniques may not necessarily be for everyone, but this is a film that simply would not be the same without it. From frenetic pans and out-of-focus shots to overlapping of frames and free-roaming subtitles, the direction and editing in Man On Fire takes the viewer into the chaotic plot of a man not only out for revenge, but a sense of self-redemption (assumably).

The only thing I'd really like to point out is in relation to the title of my review. For any comic book reader out there that was seriously disappointed with The Punisher movie, I'd highly recommend this as a substitute. Man On Fire is pretty much the very essence of the Marvel Comics character, with the exception of his name being Creasy and being a black guy. But everything about this flick radiates Frank Castle.

Worse than tripe........2007-05-24

The worst aspects of human nature exploited for entertainment value. I guess it's a sign of the times.

Average customer rating:

Relive the terror of 9/11 again and again!
Well balanced film
Good, but doesn't come close to the 50's version...
War of the Worlds
Great Movie

War of the Worlds (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Tom Cruise , Dakota Fanning , Miranda Otto , Justin Chatwin , and Tim Robbins
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JNTI
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies (Jaws, Jurassic Park). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and soon is on the road with his teen son (Justin Chatwin) and preteen daughter (Dakota Fanning) in tow, trying to keep ahead of the invasion. The film is, of course, impeccably designed and produced by Spielberg's usual crew of A-class talent. The aliens are genuinely scary, even when the film--like the novel--spends a good chunk of time in a basement. Readers of the book (or viewers of the deft 1953 adaptation) will note the variation of whom and how the aliens come to Earth, which poses some logistical problems. The film opens and closes with narration from the novel read by Morgan Freeman, but Spielberg could have adapted Orson Welles's words from the famous Halloween Eve 1938 radio broadcast: "We couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night, so we did the best next thing: we annihilated the world." --Doug Thomas

War of the Worlds at Amazon.com

The Soundtrack
The War of the Worlds (1953)
War of the Worlds - The Complete First Season (TV series)

Classic Sci-Fi Movies and Their Remakes
Aliens Invade on DVD
The Prog-rock Opera (no kidding)

Customer Reviews:

Relive the terror of 9/11 again and again!.......2007-06-12

I think this movie is ABOUT September 11th. It isn't just drawing on the imagery or providing a parallel to the political situation [as you might find in Episode III or Batman Begins], I think this movie is a full-on processing of 9/11, in the only way you can currently make a movie about 9/11: using metaphor and indirection.

Certain elements are directly parallel: from visuals of buildings collapsing, airplanes fallen from the sky, walls lined with "missing" posters, and especially the snowfall of ash and clothes that occurs during several scenes, to thematic elements, such as the question of whether it is preferable to seek revenge although it would mean more deaths, or simply to attempt to survive in the aftermath. There is talk about how an "occupation never works," and Tom's son is doing a paper on the French occupation of Algeria. Later in the film, Tom has to try to convince his son not to join the Army, as it would be throwing his life away in a pointless war. Yep, you got 9/11, and it's right there on your movie screen.

I happened to be on vacation the week of 9/11, returning five days after the attack, while the rubble was still burning. I didn't see the attack in person, but I saw the walls of "missing" posters, precisely as depicted in this film. You could literally feel the psychic tension increase the closer you came to downtown. Me and several of my friends reported suddenly bouts of crying happening at least once an hour. I worked in a building nearby that summer, and saw the pile of rubble from the towers that looked just like a big dump--until I saw a tiny person at the base of that pile, and realized that that pile of rubble was at least 10 stories high. I watched the attacks on television as they happened. The amazing thing was that they looked SO MUCH like special effects. I had no idea that the special effects I had been watching were so realistic! I had to turn off the TV after a very short time, because the more I watched it, the less real it became. One of the few moments that seemed real was when the second tower was collapsing, but the news commentator, possibly because of some technological delay, wasn't commenting on it yet.

As I watched War of the Worlds, I kept thinking "Why would someone, especially anyone who was in New York around 9/11, want to watch this?" I think the answer comes in the form of one of Hitchcock's cardinal rules for creating suspense: that the audience should identify with the main characters--but not too much. He believed that it is crucial that the audience remain aware, on some level, that they are sitting safely in an auditorium watching a movie. The incredibly intense experience of watching imagery so familiar from the 9/11 while safely eating popcorn in an air-conditioned movie theater is powerfully cathartic. It allows us New Yorkers a way to process the terror and confusion we felt--from a safe distance.

When I was a video clerk at a Borders Books and Music store, I remember looking at a video that included the famous footage of the Kennedy assassination. The copy on the back of the box said something to the effect of: "Relive the horror of that terrible tragedy again and again!"

I thought this movie was incredible. The sheer precision of the direction was amazing. As I was watching it, it occurred to me that Spielberg truly is heir to Hitchcock in terms of his skill at telling a story by purely visual means, the economy and efficiency of his shots and editing, and how he is able to make a story exciting almost entirely through technique. That this story involves the inclusion of several very complex effects only makes his technical achievement that much greater.

Spielberg very cannily keeps his special effects--and these are the very best special effects money can buy--in the periphery of most shots, which very effectively ups their realism and the sense of their integration with the characters. For example, one shot shows Cruise looking up, while we see the approaching alien ship reflected in the windshield of the car next to him. Contrast this to something like The Day After Tomorrow, in which you have the special effects shots and the character reaction shots, which are usually two very separate things.

Many reviewers have picked out the mysterious fact that the one car Tom picks out magically works, when all of the others don't. Upon seeing this movie again, I see that there is an explanation for this. That is the car that Tom suggested a way to fix to the mechanic, and presumably the mechanic fixed it while the first tripod was appearing. This also explains why Tom knew to go right to that particular car. It's almost charming that Spielberg thinks that most people will be paying attention to this, particularly when distracted by mass scale destruction! Nevertheless, this doesn't explain the miraculous way the car survives without a scratch when a jet airliner crashes and destroys and entire neighborhood.

One of the sequences I have seen derided as being lugubrious or somewhat pointless is the scenes in which Tom and Dakota hole up in the basement with Tim Robbins. Sure, Tim may be getting a little comfortable in his nutso basement dweller routine, but I think that this section contains THE most critical content of the movie, and that is its critique of the way politics have played out in the post-9/11 world. Outraged that the aliens should DARE to attack humans [it's just not right!], Tim, with his single shotgun, is under the delusion that the humans can rise up and show these aliens a thing or two. He has no plan except for the righteousness of his desire to stand up. Tom has to stop him, as he knows that if Tim makes a sound, he [and Tom and his daughter] will be instantly killed. Not to mention that it wouldn't accomplish anything. I think this creates a fairly compelling parallel with the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq war... How many of us, if we could go back, wish we could choose not to pursue a course of senseless retaliation that has done nothing but destroy a country and kill more than 1,500 of our troops? At least the Tim character, in the movie, wants to retaliate against someone who actually attacked him.

Many of my favorite critics have lauded the technique of this film, but ultimately decided that it is minor Spielberg. I disagree. I think this is major Spielberg in virtually every sense. If you buy into my 9/11 interpretation, it is an important film. It is certainly an emotionally powerful film and a technically masterful film. It has been quite a while since I have been so completely overwhelmed by a movie. In allowing viewers to reprocess the terror and confusion of 9/11 from the safety of their seats, and placing it within a context that can be thought about without the crazed emotional outbursts that prevent the real issues that arise from the attacks from being discussed, it's almost as though he has delivered us a nationwide therapy session.

Well balanced film.......2007-06-08

Despite being a tom cruise movie with Mr. Spielberg at the helm this is a good movie.

I've read the book and always loved an 'alien invasion' story but I was afraid that this would become a 'how long until the next explosion' kind of film.

This is not the case and even tough the film ends in a too abrupt way I still recommed it.

Good, but doesn't come close to the 50's version..........2007-05-23

I remember awhile back, when I first heard that Steven Spielberg was going to do a remake (or new version) of one of my favorite books and movie versions of all time. While I can hardly remember reading the book and its details and differences, I do remember it firing my imagination as a youth. In that youth, I also remember the brilliant, though campy at times, special effects, adventure, and genuine excellence of the 1953 version, and the latter has always been one of my all time favorite sci-fi films, long past, or near future.

I wondered long before this hit theaters, let alone DVD, why exactly Steven Spielberg was trying to make a better, let alone updated movie version when the 50's one is near about perfect? Why remake, in any form, or however different, an almost flawless previous version? Could Steven pull it off, if anyone? Could over 50 years passing advances in CGI and special effects, possibly be better than the original movie? The answers, for the most part, are no.

Spielberg hasn't made a decent sci-fi/fantasy picture since "Jurassic Park, " in my view, and the things I did not like about his "AI" and "Minority Report" efforts, are all over this, and make the film more of a glimpse into what special effects (and great music by John Williams as always) can come up with, than a compelling film experience. Or any type of validation of Steven as one capable of making a decent sci-fi/fantasy anymore, without super budgets which, for all the eye candy this version offers at times, is hollow and very slow at times. And which, in the final analysis, pales in comparison to the 50's movie.

In the 1953 version, the story and characters were all rather simplified compared to the book, but it was all told in a purely linear and easily understandable way. It immediately started and continued without any of the unnecessary fanfare and pretty much useless character development seen in this version. The original was years/decades ahead of its time. This version seems contrived and confusing in many parts and seems to lay an uncomfortable, temporal "post 9-11" paranoia upon the whole, which detracts from what made the book so memorable, and takes a lot of the pure "fun" out of the first and only truly great movie version.

In the 50's flick, we are well into the story very quickly. In Spielberg's version, extreme concentration is first put into getting to know divorced, blue-collar Tom Cruise's life and quirks, as well as that of introducing us to his situation in life and his relationship with his ex-wife (and boyfriend), his kids (who he just so happens to have custody over "for the weekend" when the aliens decide to arise and attack), and it really just drags and isn't believable. Cruise's character from the start just seems so carefree and irresponsible, that it makes one almost not really care whether he's victorious in the end or not. And his kids at the very beginning seem unlikely to recognize his authority, let alone his capability to lead them through an alien invasion nightmare. In short, before ANY special effects of note appear, the movie has already dragged and we wind up impatient for the expensive CGI.

While some of the computer generated imagery is indeed outstanding, it lacks imagination, and a lot of it seems to be shot in black and white or faded color, unlike the original, which if nothing else was and remains one the most colorful and beautiful films ever. Spielberg has used this "technique" before, especially in "AI" and "Minority Report" as well as "Schindler's List," but it just doesn't work here. One wonders by the end whether this was intentional or not, but with all the reported money spent on this, I would've loved to see a FULL-COLOR version. This is drab in comparison to the original movie version, and I really don't understand this "technique" when so overdone. Any film technique as such, witness Spielberg's over-indulgence with the shaky, cinema-verite in "Saving Private Ryan," shouldn't occur throughout a movie, because it eventually grows tiresome to the viewer, and is unnecessary.

I guess it's just impossible for someone like me who enjoyed the 50's version so much, to approach this with anything less than disappointment. This is much more like the Mel Gibson film, "Signs" than it is anything else, and sacrifices possibly awe-inspiring direction and special effects for just too much character development for characters in this which we really never care about. It more resembles a "horror" film than anything truly sci-fi, and every time we really want to SEE the alien ships and the aliens themselves, we are left with B&W or faded color, dark and very slow-paced scenes concentrating on an uninteresting side-story to what the whole world is going through.

A lot of the effects are first-rate, and you can see where a lot of the money went in creating this, but again, why not just go for broke and utilize COLOR film? Why the constantly annoying, needless dull images which begin to take the characteristics of gimmicky filmmaking, than anything approaching artistic license? Why concentrate so much of the movie to the purely personal experiences of one person, and his bratty son and (constantly screaming) daughter, when this is "WAR OF THE WORLDS?!"

Some of the greater, global effects of the alien invasion are dealt with later, but the film's major flaw is setting up most of the movie as more about Tom Cruise's character and kids, as rather isolated examples, even though we see countless others vaporized by the ET. And Cruise's character is never really all that believable, let alone one which we can truly root for in the end. In the 50's version, we actually see "the planet" trying to take on these nasty folks from outer space, in various scenes involving infantry, guns, tanks, and jets, and eventually the dropping of "the bomb." Here, almost none of that is shown, except on the side, and Cruise eventually seems to succeed with a simple hand grenade in liberating his daughter from abduction/captivity. What happened to the BOMB? None of this is mentioned, even though if this is supposed to take place in more modern times, the world has a 1000 times more firepower.

This is a half-decent movie over all, but is too inconsistent and focuses on the wrong people, places, and things throughout. While I have seen the great original 50's version dozens of times (and I suggest y'all buy THAT instead of this), this just isn't interesting enough for that type of loyalty and repeated, often repeated viewings. There are some really good parts in this movie, but overall, it never rises anywhere close to the quality and originality and execution of the 1953 version. And even the good parts of Spielberg's version make one wonder really, where did all the budget go to anyway?

Ah yes, the director's pockets most likely. Disappointly seeming more of a vanity project from a multi-multi millionaire who has seeming lost his ability to really challenge and enchant (see Close Encounters, ET, or the already mentioned Jurassic Park), like with "AI" and "Minority Report," this is another Spielberg sci-fi/fantasy flick gone bad. Not that it's all that bad. It has its moments. But while the original threw us right into the action and adventure from the beginning to the end, this version should've been re-written and re-filmed into something a lot more compelling, especially considering the 50 plus year gap between the classic and this misfire.

Unless you haven't seen the original (also available on DVD and a much wiser buy), or are a Spielberg fanatic or collector, this is a rental at best. If you love it and are blown away, go ahead and dole out the cash, but I can hardly imagine anyone loving this in the first place, as it is contrived and uninvolving mostly throughout. And the special effects are more "disaster" movie kind and dark and faded, when they needn't have been. This DVD version also has virtually no extras, when they could've easily included a LOT.

Guess all that was saved for some "special collectors edition" or something, where Steven could pocket a few more bucks, but the movie itself should be the star of any DVD, and the film just doesn't add up to something one would want to watch repeatedly. Let alone shell out money for desperately needed, almost non-existent extras, deleted scenes, etc.

Another curious sci-fi/fantasy misfire for the most part, from a director who seems to have lost his touch in the genre, for a long time. The music and a few scattered special effects save this in the end from just being really bad, but it could've been a lot better with a bit more forethought as to story, characters, and filmic techniques. And the 50's version was and remains the definitive and by far the best rendering of the novel, this a distant and for the most part unenjoyable remake.

War of the Worlds.......2007-05-15

I don't care for science fiction movies, but this one is really good. I have watched it over ten times. I recommend this to anyone over the age of 15, because it could scare smaller children.

Great Movie.......2007-05-13

My family loved it. I highly recommend seeing on a widescreen if you missed it at the theater.

Average customer rating:

Self-righteous garbage
A must-see!
A brilliant mutli-layered exploration of human beings linked by the fast food business
Terrible
urrrppp!

Fast Food Nation
Starring: Wilmer Valderrama , Catalina Sandino Moreno , Ana Claudia Talancón , Juan Carlos Serrán , and Armando Hernández
Director: Richard Linklater
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MEYKAU
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Amazon.com

If you're still eating that fast-food burger after watching Super Size Me, you might not feel too hungry after watching Fast Food Nation, a fictionalized feature based on Eric Schlosser's bestselling nonfiction expose. Director Richard Linklater, who cowrote the screenplay with Schlosser, guides a topnotch ensemble cast through a peek behind the veil of how that Big Mac is born. Much of the film focuses on the illegal immigrants who work in the loosely regulated meat-packing industry, and actors including the luminous Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), who plays a desperate but outraged laborer. Greg Kinnear also delivers a spot-on performance as a fast-food chain marketing manager, trying frantically to discover the source of stomach-turning contamination in the company's meat. Stories are woven in unexpected ways, and cameos by the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Patricia Arquette, and especially Bruce Willis keep the narrative fresh. The film has a point of view, but thanks to Linklater's deft touch, is never didactic. As Willis's character slyly says, "Most people don't like to be told what's best for them." Agreed, yet Fast Food Nation likely will help the viewer be more conscious of what's on the end of that fork. --A.T. Hurley

Extras from Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation Arcade-Style Game

Beyond Fast Food Nation

Super Size Me
Fast Food Nation (Paperback)
Fast Food Nation: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

Stills from Fast Food Nation

Description

Inspired by the incendiary New York Times bestseller that exposed the hidden facts behind America's fast food industry, Fast Food Nation combines an all-star ensemble cast lead by Greg Kinnear, Wilmer Valderrama and Avril Lavigne with riveting, interlocked human stories to serve up "a firecracker of a movie that jumps off the screen" (Rolling Stone). When a marketing executive (Kinnear) for the Mickey's burger chain is told there's a nasty secret ingredient in his latest culinary creation?"The Big One"? he heads for the ranches and slaughterhouses of Colorado to investigate...but discovers the truth a bit difficult to swallow.

Customer Reviews:

Self-righteous garbage.......2007-07-03

I hate to give this sanctimonious diatribe about the evils of capitalism one star, because it doesn't deserve any. Seriously, this is quite possibly the worst waste of time ever, I can see myself on my deathbed lamenting the time I wasted watching this worthless claptrap.

Schlosser's book was both informative and enlightening, but the movie, chocked full as it was with stereotypes and misguided, opinionated drivel, was neither. From the hapless, forlorn illegal immigrants and their abusive coyotes and supervisors to the stupid, idealistic kids to the greedy, uncaring company executives, the cast of characters seem to have been taken straight out of a stereotype catalog. And the constant refrain throughout the movie had very little to do with the fast food industry, except to repeatedly point out that "there is s#!t in the meat". More, it was a general stab at the capitalist system and the evils of for profit ventures. I wonder if Schlosser felt guilty about taking the money he was paid for having his book and his reputation slaughtered like the cattle in the closing scene. Which, BTW, was the only part of the whole movie that was not completely disingenuous, as the meat industry is pretty disgusting when you think about it. Not that I am a vegan or anything, mind you.

I can only assume, that if capitalism and profit are so horrible, that the producers of this, to use the term loosly, FILM, donated their take to worthy animal and human rights organizations. Otherwise they are not only lousy filmmakers, but hypocrites to boot. Maybe they would be happier in Cuba or North Korea or someplace like that.

On the bright side, no one can ever accuse Plan 9 from Outer Space or Robot Monster of being the worst movie ever. The bar has just been set to a new low.

A must-see!.......2007-06-17

Those who see Fast Food Nation as simply a movie about hamburger or even the fast food industry miss the point. Fast Food nation uses the fast food industry as a metaphor for the degradation of EVERYTHING from the land to the lives of ranchers to the the people who work within the death machine which is modern corporate culture. It is broad in its scope, but it must be. The banding together of young people to fight the ills they saw through direct action gives hope for the future.

A brilliant mutli-layered exploration of human beings linked by the fast food business.......2007-06-16

"Fast Food Nation" is a superb reworking of Eric Schlosser's 2001 book by Schlosser and director Richard Linklater.

Set mostly in and around the town of Cody on the Mexican-American border, "Fast Food Nation" follows three story threads all linked by the fast food business.

Mickey's burger chain has a problem - fecal matter in its burger patties -so it sends out its new marketing manager Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear) to find out what is going on at the meat packing plant that supplies all their patties.

Uni-Globe Meat Packers employes many illegal Mexican immigrants. The immigrants are exploited and brutalised by a the company - treated little better than the animals processed at the plant. An evil supervisor at the factory Mike (Bobby Cannavale) drives around in a red pickup, treats the Mexicans with contempt, and coerces women staff members into sex - he is like the devil himself and the factory can be seen as a kind of hell for the animals and workers.

Amber (Ashley Johnson) works on the counter at the Mickey's restaurant in Cody oblivious to the evils of the nearby meat-packing plant. Through some college friends and her uncle she is slowly awakened to the plight of the workers and animals, and prompted to take action.

"Fast Food Nation" features a number of brilliant cameos by Kris Kristofferson (rancher), Bruce Willis (tough company negotiator) and Ethan Hawke (Amber's uncle) but the entire cast is excellent. It also features a great score from "The Friends of Dean Martinez".

"Fast Food Nation" succeeds because - save for the evil supervisor Mike - it doesn't paint the good and bad guys in black and white. It doesn't offer easy answers either.

A brilliant, multi-layered film from creators Linklater and Schlosser.

Terrible.......2007-06-13

This was by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Don't waste your time or money! I truly enjoyed the book, but the movie really had nothing to do with the book. The topic of "poopy" burgers was hardly addressed as the whole movie revolved around illegal immigrants. It was full of propaganda and rather un-American.

urrrppp!.......2007-06-05

Warning: watching the last three minutes of this film can lead to vegetarianism. Based upon Eric Schlosser's devastating book about the fast food industry by the same title (2001), this fictional film never quite finds its focus. The ostensibly main character disappears half way through, never to reappear. It's not clear which of the many sub-plots is the main narrative. But I still recommend the movie. When corporate hack Don discovers that there are more than chemical additives to Mickeys "Big One" burger, namely fecal matter, he travels to the Uniglobe Meat Packing Company to find out what's wrong. Lots, it turns out. You'll find yourself back in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1906), what with illegal immigrant labor on the cheap, animal cruelty, horrible sanitation, hazardous work conditions, employee abuse, pitiless corporate greed, and more, all to feed our fast food habits. You'll never think about a Big Mac in the same way, nor should you, thanks to this mediocre movie that nevertheless provides some serious social commentary.

Average customer rating:

sweet Dakota Fanning
Marvellous television
"I loved it" review
Kudos to the sci channel how about a sequel?
Excellent Sci-Fi Series

Steven Spielberg Presents Taken
Starring: Julie Benz , Steve Burton , Eric Close , Catherine Dent , and Dakota Fanning
Director: Michael Katleman , Tobe Hooper , and Jeremy Kagan
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JM39
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Amazon.com

Steven Spielberg's alien abduction opus Taken is what happens when you cross-breed Close Encounters of the Third Kind with The Waltons. Obviously flushed with the success of the TV miniseries Band of Brothers, Spielberg's Dreamworks studio has created an equally epic 10-part story chronicling 50 years of habitual abduction over several generations of three American families. Beginning with the most notorious alien cover-up in U.S. history, the 1947 "crash" at Roswell, New Mexico, Taken introduces the "Greys" and the families they routinely abduct, probe, and, in a couple of cases, impregnate over the course of the ten 90-minute episodes. The three families are: the Keys, from which first Russell, then his son Jessie, then grandson Danny, are all abducted; the Clarkes, who are descended from a liaison between lonely put-upon housewife Sally Clarke and one of the Roswell crash survivors; and the Crawfords, the ruthless G-men who are committed to uncovering the purpose behind the alien visitations at any cost.

It's this question that forms the main thread of the story: but even though the Greys' actions are at best ambiguous and at worst hostile, the viewer can't help feeling that after all this systematic abuse of their human test subjects the aliens will in the end present them with a cure for cancer. In fact, Taken is Spielberg at his most touchy-feely: for all its science fiction trappings it's basically a soap opera, lacking the sinister undercurrent of either Dark Skies or The X-Files. Nevertheless, it's an engaging series with decent performances--most notably Joel Gretsch as psychotic Owen Crawford--good special effects, and an engaging enough storyline to make it entertaining, if somewhat disposable, TV. --Kristen Bowditch

Customer Reviews:

sweet Dakota Fanning.......2007-01-31

I just spent the entire weekend viewing taken
and i have to admit it was a very well spent time. The story was very interesting despite what other reviewers said.But I have to say my favorite character was Dakota Fanning (Allie)
She really stole the show from the time she entered the picture.Your heart really went out to this little girl.It started out with an alien craft crash in 1947 and really held your interest all the way threw.It went threw 5 generations of families with a fantastic cast.
and a very moving climax. Dakota even did great job narrating

Marvellous television.......2007-01-17

My wife spotted this on one of the German channels and became a fan, so we acquired the DVDs. OK, the story is pure hokum and the characters can be decidedly odd, ranging from the angelic, wise-beyond-her-years Ally to the villainous Crawford tribe, who are so bad that you have to resist the temptation to boo them every time they appear, as in a traditional English pantomime. But it gets you in. Part of the appeal appears to be that the thing is just so beautifully realised - the contemporary settings seem absolutely perfect - that it's irresistible. You find yourself wishing that that there were really something to it - and perhaps this is the other part of the appeal, something encountered in "The X-Files", that there is something beyond what is officially presented and that it's being covered up. Perhaps there's something in us that enjoys a good conspiracy theory, perhaps because we like to think that the world isn't just a series of accidents and happenstances. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed this series.

"I loved it" review.......2007-01-17

Whenever Steven Speilberg is involved, you know you won't be disappointed.
I loved watching the series. It pulled me right into the lives of three different families and their encounters with extraterrestrials over a number of generations. I did't want it to end! It is defintely something I would watch again. Also it was fun to see Dakota Fanning at such a young age. It also makes you wonder.....Could there be?.......Hmmmm............

Kudos to the sci channel how about a sequel?.......2007-01-01

After about five years this little gem is still getting rave reviews. I purchased this a few years ago for 90 bucks. I do not buy box sets or season dvd's of any tv show. I never would have thought that taken of all things would make me break down and by a box set dvd but it did . I do not even like Alien movies and I am not into the ex files but I love this mini series because it was well written and acted. You will love this if you buy it but shop around $ 107.00 is a lot.
BY the way I guess I am breaking my rule again I cannot wait for season one of Hero's to come out on dvd when it does it is as good as sold.
I may not love Alien movies but I have a fondness for superhero movies.

Excellent Sci-Fi Series.......2006-11-10

Very well produced series, shows the life of four generations. Including one person who was a world war II veteran and starts to have nightmares about being abducted, people involved in the Roswell incident and the changes in their life after the incident, and afterwards how the heirs of these people are affected by the aliens visit.

Average customer rating:

just great to see it again
DVD Packaging?
Mystery Training, or "I'll see your `Other Sister' and raise you a `Flowers for Algernon'"
The Greatest Film I've Ever Seen
One of the best dvd's i've ever watched.

I am Sam (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Sean Penn , Michelle Pfeiffer , Dakota Fanning , Dianne Wiest , and Loretta Devine
Director: Jessie Nelson
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000066HAS
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Amazon.com

I Am Sam makes you laugh, cry, and recoil all at the same time. Perhaps no other film of recent memory has epitomized the shameless sentimentality of Hollywood as succinctly as director and screenwriter Jessie Nelson's story of a mentally challenged man fighting to retain custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Sam (Sean Penn), who has the mental age of 7, wipes down tables at a Los Angeles Starbucks and takes good care of his daughter Lucy, who was left with him shortly after birth by a homeless woman. Sam has gotten by just fine with a little help from his friends, including his eccentric neighbor (Diane Wiest) and a lovable group of similarly challenged friends, but a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to get Lucy back from the state. Sam's lawyer, Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), is an overly ambitious woman whose life is soon transformed by proximity to Sam's brimming humanity. Sean Penn is, as usual, wholeheartedly committed to his role and turns in an admirable, if overtly affected performance. However, I Am Sam, with all its earnest charm, reaches an emblematic low when Sam, a character apparently devoid of any authentic sentiment, delivers a courtroom speech memorized from Kramer vs. Kramer as the film's finale. --Fionn Meade

Description

Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn give career-defining performances in this humorous and heart-warming film about a mentally-challenged father who enlists the aid of a high-powered attorney to help him regain custody of his daughter. An all-star supporting cast and a spectacular soundtrack complete this unforgettable story of life, love and laughter.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Filmmaker Commentary - With Director / Co-screenwriter Jessie Nelson
DVD ROM Features:Script-to-Screen Link to Original Website Hot Spot
Deleted Scenes:Deleted and Alternate Scenes with optional Director commentary
Documentary:Original Documentary: Becoming Sam
Other:Theatrical Press Kit DTS sound
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

just great to see it again.......2007-07-04

I used to love the show when I was younger and now i am most happy to own it on dvd .
I plan on getting me the rest of the series one by one, I can only recomend this to everyone who loved the show as much as I did.
It`s still very funny to watch.
regards
iris

DVD Packaging?.......2007-03-29

I have a question for anybody who has purchased this item from Amazon recently.

Does the DVD come in a cardboard "snapper" case or a plastic keep case?

I've seen both at retail with the same UPC and was not sure what Amazon had...called customer service but they couldn't give me a straight answer.

Help would be appreciated.

Mystery Training, or "I'll see your `Other Sister' and raise you a `Flowers for Algernon'".......2007-03-24

"I am Sam" is both repellent and fascinating. It took me an entire day to finish the film. I'd watch a few minutes 'til Sam did something so cringe-worthy I'd shut off the TV out of reflex, then be drawn back an hour later because I had to see what happened next, even though I was well aware I was watching dishonest, manipulative garbage. I guess I was fascinated by how pretty they were able to package it.

Sean Penn is often able to extract and convey the humanity in misunderstood, unpopular people, helping balance out the generally insensitive status quo; other times he's empathetic to a fault.

Unlike Dustin Hoffman's detached but strangely engaged portrayal of autistic Raymond in "Rain Man," I was always aware of Penn steering Sam (who is described as retarded with autistic tendencies), manipulating him to match the film's theme of "All you need is love." The theme is a nice sentiment, but pragmatically irresponsible given the subject matter.

Penn's Sam Dawson isn't as irresponsible as Penn's Sam Bicke in the semi-true, "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," which had Penn as a humiliated, desperate everyman, leaving out important history about the real Bicke (Byck) that drove him to the assassination attempt. (Without knowing this it's a far more compelling performance.)

"I am Sam" does a big disservice omitting important information about the circumstances that led to Sam Dawson making a baby.

The film starts with close-ups of Sam obsessively organizing sweeteners and cups at Starbucks, complimenting people on their coffee choices. His boss George tells him it's time for him to go. Sam gets excited and runs over to the hospital where a woman is giving birth. A nurse asks him, "You the one responsible for this?" And Sam says he's sorry.

Afterward, the mother abandons Sam and the newborn, saying "I just needed a place to sleep." I guess you could infer it was the mother's idea to make the baby, which could be supported by a scene later in the film where Sam is in a food court conversing with a woman, oblivious he's being propositioned -- but this wasn't enough to ease my concern.

For seven years, Sam is able to take care of his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning, "Hounddog") without too many problems. He named her after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" because he's a big Beatles fan. Their music plays a prominent part in the film, with the soundtrack primarily comprised of contemporary artists (Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, The Black Crowes to name a few) covering their songs.

Sam has a few fellow mentally challenged friends who help him with Lucy. He also has Annie (Diane Wiest) as Lucy's godmother, an agoraphobic neighbor who helps answer Sam's many child rearing questions, which include giving him a feeding schedule based on Nikelodeon's TV schedule:

Starting with "'Hogan's Heroes' Then again, wait until "I Dream of Jeanie,' and then `I Love Lucy.'"

His friends' main activities are going to IHOP and "Video Night." One of them is obsessed with Victor Flemming, another guy is paranoid, and another one really wants to see "Kramer vs. Kramer."

One night, Lucy wants to go to Big Boy instead of IHOP. Sam throws a fit when the waitress tells him they don't have French pancakes. "Ask Bob! Bob's Big Boy! Because the customer is always right! The customer is always right! The customer is always right!" Lucy is embarrassed.

Cut to a scene of Sam dressed up as a young Beatle, flailing his arms to the Wallflowers cover of "I'm Looking Through You" with an embarrassed Lucy and her schoolmates during a Halloween party.

Lucy (Dakota Fanning, "Hounddog") is taken from Sam during a birthday party by a social worker (Loretta Devine from TV's "Boston Public") after Sam is determined to have the IQ of a seven year old. The social workers are concerned Sam won't have the ability to take care of Lucy when she gets older.

Sam finds a fancy lawyer named Rita (Michelle Pfeifer, who is still quite the Ladyhawke) and stalks her and manages to quote both "Lovely Rita" and "Michelle" to her. Rita ignores him until some of her colleagues mock her when she says she has considered doing pro bono work before.

The concern about Sam's baby-making is brought up once: while questioning neighbor Annie, the prosecution asks her about Sam's competency when puberty comes. Annie says he would have as much difficulty as any other father - she's lived a long life and has observed all kinds of fathers. The prosecution then asks her: What about your father? The camera does one of those dolly/zooms like when the boy on the raft got eaten in "Jaws," and Annie quietly leaves the room.

Then Sam defends himself by quoting a courtroom scene from "Kramer vs Kramer" and loses the case.

But Rita convinces him to keep going.

As you've probably already noticed, the film has a strong supporting cast, which also includes Mary Steenburgen and Brent Spiner (Data from TV's "Star Trek: Next Generation" and cruise director Godwyn in "Out to Sea") in a brief appearance as a shoe salesman.

Laura Dern ("Rambling Rose") plays Randy Carpenter, Lucy's protective foster mother. She has a change of heart when Lucy won't stop sneaking out and visiting Sam. She agrees to be on Sam's side in court, and the film ends with the kids playing soccer and Sam giving Lucy (Dakota Fanning, "Hounddog") a big hug after she scores with Aimee Mann and Michael Penn's cover of "Two of Us" on the soundtrack.

I guess I just wanted more interaction between lawyer Rita and Turner, the prosecutor. As it is, "I am Sam" feels as if the filmmakers cheated the ending and tried to blind the audience with shmaltz.

Which brings me to the cinematography. Elliot Davis uses small zooms and jerks to emphasize every emotion, as if with every movement he's saying, "Feel this, because I know you can't without me!" Calm down, Elliot.

The DVD features audio commentary, a documentary "Becoming Sam," which wasn't as insightful as I'd hoped it would be, deleted/alternate scenes, which I didn't bother watching, and some cool folding/unfolding origami menus, which were probably my favorite thing about the whole disc.

The soundtrack is better than the movie. I suspect people will probably buy more of it than the "Hounddog" soundtrack. Personally, I'm waiting for the "Do the Right Thing" CD reissue, featuring Radio Raheem's "Fight the Power" m-m-m-mash-up with "Fairytale of New York" and "Close to You," topped with Bosco.

The Greatest Film I've Ever Seen.......2007-03-23

I Am Sam is one of, if not the best, motion picture of all time.

I Am Sam is about a retarded man named Sam (Sean Penn) who has a mental capacity of a 7-year old. He works as a server at Starbucks, is obsessed with The Beatles, and loves IHOP. After he accidentally has a daughter (Dakota Fanning) with a homeless woman who he names after the song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. The woman leaves him, and Sam is left to care for Lucy by himself. However, when Lucy intentionally begins to hold back in school to prevent becoming smarter from her father, child protective services takes her away and Sam must fight to obtain custody. He befriends a lawyer, Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer) with a bad marriage and a son who she thinks hates her. Together, Sam and Rita fight for Lucy's custody in a heartwrenching roller coaster of tears, laughs, and the overwhelming power of human spirit.

This is all beside some of the most stunning performances I've ever seen in a film. Sean Penn is top of his game and gives an amazingly realistic performance as a disabled man without a single flaw. To this day it makes me furious he didn't win the Oscar. Dakota Fanning's premiere role is by far her greatest ever, and at only six years old opened the eyes of actresses who've been in the business for years and basically screamed into their faces "This is how acting is done." And Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a phenomenal, incredibly realistic performance that will absolutely take your breath away.

A

The Soundtrack	The War of the Worlds (1953)	War of the Worlds - The Complete First Season (TV series)
Classic Sci-Fi Movies and Their Remakes	Aliens Invade on DVD	The Prog-rock Opera (no kidding)