Momma's Past Picks 'n Pans 
 |  Directed by Lasse Hallström Written by John Irving The Cider House Rules, set in the '40s, is about a doctor and an orphan destined to become a doctor, an orphanage, an apple orchard, love, war, discovery and destiny. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine in exquisite form I might add) is the doctor, taking in unwanted children and performing illegal abortions for desperate women in desperate times. Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) is the orphan who, after two failed adoptions in infancy, grows up to become Larch's spiritual son, hands-on pupil, and intended successor. A finely tuned, sharply acted, cast of characters (Charlize Theron is dazzling) and well written script makes this film an old fashioned cinematic afternoon-delight. Visually beautiful 'n richly character driven. We are quietly reminded that there are rules in life and true wisdom does reside in learning when and where to bend them. I left the theatre smiling and thirsting for the fresh, cold, crisp, apple cider of my Michigan childhood memories.
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 |  Directed by Curtis Hanson. Screenplay written by Steve Kloves Starring: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr, Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, Richard Thomas
Go quickly to your movie theatre boys 'n girls as Curtis Hanson, who previously brought us the fabulous L.A. Confidential, has given us a winner once again! Mix together...
... 'n ya get a juicy slice of academic life in Pittsburgh during a wackey weekend when our hero, Grady, learns all about life, love, and choices. Wonder Boys is a richly textured character study that will entertain & delight you & should not to be missed!
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 | Directed & Written by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring: Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Jeremy Blackman, Melinda Dillon, & Philip Baker Hall. Magnolia is simply put one of the best films I've ever seen! On one day in the San Fernando Valley when the weather is partly cloudy with an 82% chance of rain, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, magically woven into a story about putting things right again. Through a collusion of coincidence, chance, human action, past history and divine intervention they will weave and warp through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax. This is one delicious, mouth-watering cinematic banquet not to be missed! An incredible feast for the eyes, the ears, and the mind. Magnolia is a sure bet for an many many Oscar nominations & goes on the very top of my all time favorite list.
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 |  Direction & Screenplay by Frank Darabont Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Jeter, James Cromwell, Doug Hutchison, & Sam Rockwell In The Green Mile , an adaptation of Stephen King's serial novel, death row prison guards Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) and Brutus Howell (David Morse) get a new larger than life inmate named J. Coffey (Duncan) who possesses a mysterious, but magical gift.
There was a good story in The Green Mile.
What was surprising & totally irritating was how deeply buried that story was in three hours and eight minutes of plodding storytelling by a filmmaker too fond of his own work to cut a single frame. Not even the excellent acting of an exquisite cast ensemble led by Tom Hanks as the head guard or the wonderful cinematic moments injected here and there can make up for a film that moves with the suffocating deliberateness of a river of muck 'n mud. Darabont, anal retentive in his attention to detail, beats the viewer over the head with repetitive superfluous screen shots in an apparent attempt to make sure we get his point. Furcrisakes Mistah DeMille I figured out right at the onset who was good... who was naughty or nice 'n that twerpy guard Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchinson) was one twisted dude. I also don't shy away from viewing screen violence, but three electric chair executions was excessive and I absolutely felt Edouard Delacroix's (Michael Jeter) departure was over-kill to say the least. How many realistic shots of a man's head consumed by flames does any person need to experience? Certainly not ten minutes worth & don't even get me started about the miraculous mousey ending... Unfortunately this was not another Shawshank Redemption.
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 | Directed by Michael Apted. Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Serena Scott, Denise Van Outen, and Robbie Coltrane This time out in The World Is Not Enough our hero, James Bond (Brosnan) temporarily resigns from MI6 to head up security for Elektra King (Marceau) after her father, a prominent oil tycoon, is killed in a bombing attempt on MI6 headquarters. The villian, Renard (Carlyle), is intent on using the resources of King Enterprises to accomplish a twisted vendetta against MI6... Formulaic yes... but a winning 'n entertaining formula that has succeeded for thirty years. Indeed we know before even entering the theatre what we're going to experience 'n that is why we continue to go in the first place... simply for that mindless Bond fun. However, in this the 19th Bond caper, I was bored by the plot and bothered by the casting of the way-too-young-nymphette Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist...yeah right! Puleeeze! Half way through the film, I started to experience the dreaded head jerk 'n had to force myself to a wakeful state time and again only to be lulled back into twilight sleep by the sluggish pace. I did enjoy some of the action sequences, but found myself yearning for more of the old Bond tongue-in-cheek witty dialog and less non-stop pyro-technics & blasts. I like Brosnan as Bond, but it was Sophie Marceau who injected this dull saga with life & a much needed breath of fresh air & consequently saved me from giving it the burning bag. Save yourself some money and if you're hungering for a good action flick with a great storyline, rent or watch Enemy of The State currently showing on cable television.
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 | Directed & Written by Kevin Smith. Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Jason Mewes, Chris Rock, and George Carlin Dogma is uproariously hilarious! A witty, funny, thought provoking, satiric tale right from the opening disclaimer that appears as the curtains part that "even god has a sense of humor." and this time out you will be touched by angels of a different kind. Dogma is a tale of two fallen angels... Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) living in limbo in Wisconsin & their attempt to re-enter Heaven by way of a religious loophole. Their return, however, would mean God is fallible and spell doom to all existence. So a woman named Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) is contacted by God's mouthpiece (Alan Rickman) to stop them. Swept up in a cross-country journey, Bethany is aided by a series of celestial companions, including two atypical-to-say-the-least prophets, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), a muse turned stripper (Salma Hayek), and a jive talkin' thirteenth apostle (Chris Rock). Oh yeah! Contrary to the hew and cry of the religious zealots who so proudly pushed ABC into removing the superbly written dramatic series Nothing Sacred from the television schedule last year & who are now engaged in denouncing this film as 1999's cinematic parochial enemy No.1. Nothing could be further from the truth as there is a keen intellect and underlying sweetness behind this devoutly defiant fable. Turns out God is not dead and we do get the answer to the meaning of life! Pull my finger! :-p)
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 |  Directed by Phillip Noyce Written by Jeremy Iacone The Bone Collector is a thrilling suspenseful story about a paralyzed forensics detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) who teams up with a street-smart policewoman Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) to capture a serial killer. Surprizingly there was palpable dynamic chemistry between Washington and Jolie on screen and the outstanding cinematography gave us some great shots, unique points-of-view angles, an effective chilling mood, and some excellent performances by the entire cast. Unfortunately Jeremy Iacone's poorly adapted script left many plot holes for those unfortunates who hadn't previously read Deaver's fine novel. Unlike Silence of the Lambs & Seven, this screen adaptation did not invite us into the mind of the killer or address the multi-layered plots lines so well presented within the book. Hence the three bag rating. For those of you who have read and enjoyed the novel (like Da Hunk & I did), this cinematic collection of bones would be definately one chilling four bagger!
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 | Bringing Out The Dead Directed by Martin Scorcese Sirens screaming and lights flashing, a New York City ambulance speeds through the night. It's drivers are paramedics working the graveyard shift... men who come face-to-face with the dead and the dying on a daily basis. Burnt out from one too many nights on the job, they are nearly as broken as the bodies they haul through the streets. Nicolas Cage (in top form) is one burnt out paramedic, Frank Pierce, haunted by ghosts of the people he was unable to save. Ving Rhames' performance as one of Frank's partners will have you wettin' in your panties! Scorcese et all gives us lucky viewers one wild, realistic, gritty, sensory experience driven by an absolute perfect soundtrack! The vivid cinimatography illustrates perfectly the hectic life of EMS workers. By the time the movie was over, I felt like I was right back into my nursing days feeling totally limp with exhaustion after just getting off from working a triple shift in a Detroit emergency room. Though the story was a little light... Go for the visual experience, the ride, the realism of what emergency medical caregivers experience. It's a trip without the drugs!
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 | Directed by Sam Mendes. Written by Alan Ball. Cinematography by Conrad L. Hall. Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney, & Wes Bentley. WOW! American Beauty is a unsettling, unnerving, undefinable, disturbing, yet mesmerizing take on the American Dream. A powerful tale of two incredibly dysfunctional families living on a tree-lined street named Robin Hood Trail. This locale isn't Sherwood Forest 'n the events aren't so very merry! In one house, lives a man named Lester (Kevin Spacey) his wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), and daughter Jane (Thora Birch). Next door, are their new neighbors Marine Col. Fitts (Chris Cooper), his wife, Barbara (Allison Janney), and his son, Ricky (Wes Bentley). You'll never guess what happens to them... This is one cinematic offering not to be missed! Powerfully written, exquisitely photographed and brought to life by electrical performances of an absolute perfect cast. Kevin & Annette will literally knock your socks off! Fact is, you will be blown away by this original, surprising, emotional journey. Once seated in the theatre, fasten your seat belts buckaroos, because American Beauty takes you on a ride you'll not soon forget.
This incredible film is a sure bet for an many Oscar nominations & goes on my all time favorite list. What a trip! Pass me the Prozac!
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Starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube March, 1991, the Iraqi desert. Special Forces Captain Archie Gates (GEORGE CLOONEY), U.S. Army Sergeant Troy Barlow (MARK WAHLBERG), Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin (ICE CUBE) and Private Conrad Vig (SPIKE JONZE) have spent weeks marking time in base camp while the Persian Gulf war is fought by high-tech specialists. The impersonality of the war has left the men bored and disoriented and, now that the cease-fire has become official, they’re looking forward to leaving this bleak landscape behind. Then a treasure map is found (don't get me started on that whole sequence) and suddenly there are new priorities. I didn't find the screen play as engaging & unpredictable as others have, & I was put off by the grainy film treatment. This was no M*A*S*H by any means. There was some great action, dollops of dark humor here & there and believe it or not, an exploding cow sequence that alone was worth the price of admission for me. I've never seen that before and probably never will again. Hence the three bag rating for Three Kings instead of the deserved two. One bag for the cow!
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