You know what's a good movie? (Part 7)

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

Connection: Jack Nicholson

Part 5: The Departed

Connection: Matt Damon

Part 6: Good Will Hunting

Connection: Robin Williams

Part 7: Mrs. Doubtfire


I still pop this classic in the DVD player at least once a year, and it's still hilarious!  Director Chris Columbus gave us a film for all ages (as he often does).  That film... Mrs. Doubtfire!  Robin Williams stars as a lovable dad who can't hold down a job.  He's married to Sally Field, a very serious career woman who has little time for her kids.  The kids are played by Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence and Mara Wilson. 

When the parents file for divorce, it becomes harder and harder for Williams to see his kids.  So he comes up with a plan to dress as the kid new nanny, Mrs. Doubtfire.  When Sally Field's character starts dating Pierce Brosnan, hilarity ensues.

The movie is all about heart.  Yes, on the surface, it's a man dressing up like a woman, and being put into all sorts of uncomfortable situations.  But beneath the surface, is a story of a family who has an enormous amount of love for his children.  He loves them so much, he's so desperate to see them everyday, he's dressing up as a woman to do so.  That's what the best films are all about, heart. 

The movie mostly follows Williams, Field, and their children.  Each character has an arc, some growth over the course of the movie.  I think that's important too.  Williams becomes a responsible parent, Field loosens up and enjoys her life, their son gets better grades in school, etc.
Plus there are some great supporting characters, like Williams gay brother, who is played by Harvey Fierstein.  These characters fill out the movie with just great all around performances.

Chris Columbus is one of my favorite directors in Hollywood.  He's done consistently good work.  His choice of cast, setting (San Francisco), score, montage, etc.; everything played into a real life scenario, which had us thinking, 'this is possible'.  Best of all, he knows how to capture people, real people.  This is just a dad wanting to be with his kids, it's so simple, but can open up a world of possibilities with a director like Columbus.

Then there is the star of the show, one of the best situation comedy actors of our time... Robin Williams!  Give the man a spoon and he'll make a funny situation out of it.  In the picture to the right, he made the lids to two pans funny, he's that good. Examples of Williams' genius: The way he's jealous of Brosnan's character and the relationship he's developed with Field, the way he picks up on women while he's in the suit, the way a man picks up on him while he's in the suit; all brilliant acting.

He nailed the accent to Euphegenia Doubtfire, his walk in the fat suit was funny, his reaction to women was funny, everything about Williams' performance was funny.  I loved him in this and can safely say, NO ONE else in Hollywood could have done what he did in this film.

Mrs. Doubtfire went on to gross 441 million dollars worldwide during its theatrical run.  That is an incredible amount of money.  There were a ton of movies before Mrs. Doubtfire that had a man or woman acting in a fat suit.  There are a LOT of movies that came out after Mrs. Doubtfire that tried it as well (i.e. Shallow Hal, and the terrible Big Momma's House).  But no one got it quite right like Columbus and company.  It's a movie with a great message, a ton of laughs, and has endured the test of time.  I absolutely love this film.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 6)

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

Connection: Jack Nicholson

Part 5: The Departed

Connection: Matt Damon

Part 6: Good Will Hunting

When talking about Hollywood pairs, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are as obvious a pair as it gets.  The two childhood friends wrote a script, waiting year after year for the right moment, and that moment came in 1997.  Capped with an Academy Award for "Best ORIGINAL Screenplay".  The two men were 27 years old, and thrust into the Hollywood spotlight.

Good Will Hunting focuses on Matt Damon's character, Will.  Will is an underachiever, working as a janitor at a college.  At the college, Professor Lambeau wants to challenge his students.  He writes down partially completed math problems on a chalk board outside the classroom, in hopes one of his students will be able to solve them.  The professor is played by Stellan Skarsgard, terrifically played by Skarsgard!  We quickly find out, Will is a mathematical genius solving the problems on the board during his night shift at the college.  After a series of events, Will must work with Professor Lambeau AND see a therapist to stay out of jail.

Will does whatever it takes to avoid talking about his problems.  So one therapist after the other gives up on him, and refuses to take him as their patient.  Until Professor Lambeau calls upon Robin William's character, Sean, the two were college roommates.  This is where the meat of the story begins.

Williams plays a widower that is content with the way his life has played out.  He's a soft spoken man, very contrary to the Professor.  He sees Will as a tormented soul, not just a math prodigy.  It takes a long time for Sean to get Will to talk, but when they finally begin to do so, they see they're a lot more alike than either had expected.  Through their sessions, we discover that Will was abused as a child, physically and emotionally.  His only escape was being with his friends.

His friends consist of Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Cole Hauser.  We see the lifelong friendship the foursome have created.  The comedy in the movie comes while the four are just simply sitting around telling stories.  There is a line during these scenes that is pure comedy "How you like them Apples?" is truly epic! The scenes between the friends seem so organic, and how couldn't they be?  We know three of the four grew up together.  That organic feel was absolutely necessary in developing the characters.

Will's love interest is played by Minnie Driver, who does a magnificent job, and was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", she plays Skylar.  The relationship between Will and Skylar grows throughout the movie, but Will is still stand offish.  He wont let her in.  Skylar is a hard working student with aspirations that Will just can't relate to.  In a critical scene in the movie, Skylar asks Will to follow her to Stanford for her next school.  The thought of another person abandoning him is too much for Will to handle, and he explodes in a fit or rage.  The scene is very well done and crucial to understanding why Will is as tormented as he is.

As the movie proceeds, Will and Sean's therapy sessions dive deeper and deeper into Will's psyche.  What this young man, Will, has been through, must have been unbelievably difficult.  Approaching the end of the movie, Will inches towards a breakthrough in therapy.  When the breakthrough occurs, it's amazing.  I personally think this specific scene is what garnered Robin Williams an Academy Award win for "Best Supporting Actor" and a nomination for Matt Damon for "Best Actor". 

The movie was directed by Gus Van Sant who had a very difficult task.  There were so many layers to every character; all of which needed ample screen time to develop.  We've seen many movies, this year alone, that had too many characters for their own good (i.e. Valentine's Day, Iron Man 2).  But Van Sant is like the conductor of a symphony, and what a symphony it is.  The way he peels away layer after layer off all the major characters is beautiful.  The tone, pacing, editing and music to the movie are perfect.  Speaking of which, the movie was nominated for "Best Film Editing", "Best Music, Original Dramatic Score", "Best Music, Original Song", "Best Director" for Van Sant and last, but not least, "Best Picture" of the year.

What I love more than the art that was created, was the way the art was created.  The movie is brilliant in my eyes.  But the way Matt Damon and Ben Affleck followed their dreams and became Oscar winning writers and two of Hollywood's A-List actors, is a movie waiting to happen.  They wrote the script, and were patient for the timing to be right; I'd say their timing was as good as it was going to get.  Nine Oscar nominations and two wins is impressive by anyone's standards.  Hopefully the duo reunite to bring us more original stories like the one in Good Will Hunting.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 5)

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

Connection: Jack Nicholson

Part 5: The Departed

The Departed is about two Massachusetts State Police troopers; one played by Matt Damon, the other by Leonardo DiCaprio. Two troopers, two very different paths. I'm sorry, but we don't talk plot on AtD, it's more about opinion... for plot, WATCH THE MOVIE!

Let's start with Matt Damon. Damon has to play possibly the most difficult role in the film. He has to play it cool as a State Trooper, so he doesn't get caught tipping off Jack Nicholson and his thugs. But he also has a dark side; staying loyal to Jack Nicholson. Playing on both sides of the fence AND keeping a relationship going with a State Trooper therapist (Vera Farmiga) proves to be very difficult for Damon. Spectacular acting.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a similar role, but it's not quite so difficult. DiCaprio does a great job portraying someone who is tormented by the job he has taken on. He can't tell anyone who he is, he has to try and find the mole in the State Troopers (Damon) and he's falling for his therapist (Farmiga). It's a great performance, but again, Damon's is more difficult.

And then there's good old Jack Nicholson. The mob boss who NO ONE messes with. He loves Damon like a son, and uses him for his own benefit. As an audience we all think Nicholson is avoiding jail because of Damon helping him; well there's a lot more to the story. I've read that the part was originally written for Robert De Niro, but he had to pull out because of The Good Shepherd, a film he directed also starring Damon. Nicholson is ok in this movie. You see, no matter what Nicholson does, it feels like he's over-acting. I don't know how else to explain it, but I do like him in this film. He demands attention, takes over every scene he's in, and is very charismatic every time there's a run-in with the law.

Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin give amazing performances in supporting character roles. Wahlberg is the only actor from the movie to be nominated for an Academy Award that year. He has some great one-liners that will either get you to love him or want to hit him right square in the eye. Great movies seem to always have great supporting casts.

Then there's the man that has to tie this tangled web of story together. Don't get me wrong, the movie is easy to follow, but that's only because of Martin Scorsese. Any other director would have lost the audience. There is a lot of double-crossing, deception, lies, cheating, cover-ups, etc. that could lose even the most sophisticated of movie fans. But Scorsese finds a way to make it flow very nicely, very simply. He was rewarded with his FIRST Oscar for Best Director on his 8th nomination. The movie also won Best Picture of the year. The Departed is a smart, very well executed thriller, that deserved the recognition it received in 2006. Thanks to a legendary director, and an excellent cast who gave spectacular performances.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 4)

Let's recap.

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

So FattMatt and I need to apologize for not keeping this thing alive, but today we deliver. Batman, 1989... 'nuff said! I spent most of the past few hours "researching" this film. And by research I mean watching hours and hours of special features footage about the film. There's a lot to talk about, so let's jump right in.

Before this movie, there was no place for superhero movies the way there is now. Technology was not what it is today, and there was no way to produce these movies in way that would satisfy fans. Before Batman, there was the Richard Donner film, Superman: The Movie. That film proved you could make a good MOVIE that was about a superhero; it wasn't necessarily a good SUPERHERO movie. Batman carried on that tradition.

Also in 1989, the film's director was a relative unknown... Tim Burton. He had some success with Beetle Juice, but it is important to note that Beetle Juice LATER become the cult classic it is now. To add more doubt to the minds of everyone involved was the budget, at the time, it was the most expensive film in the history of the industry. In 1988, while the film was being made, Tim Burton was only 30 years old! Holy mother of wow!

The most controversial move of all was the casting of Michael Keaton to play the Caped Crusader; a move FattMatt and I LOVE! See, no matter who was cast, fans were going to be disappointed. This was a new take on Batman, never before seen on film. A dark Batman required a dramatic actor, not so much an action hero.

And for every Superhero film, you need a super villain; how about one of the best villains in comic book history... The Joker. The Joker was an obvious move on the part of the filmmakers. The trick of course was to cast someone GOOD enough to carry the roll. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jack Nicholson. Joker Jack; does it get any better than that? This version of the Joker was true to the source material, far different than the one depicted in the 1960's Adam West Batman TV Series. Nicholson played him with a charisma that made you love the bad guy, even though you didn't want to. Kudos to Mr. Nicholson, and I am a firm believer that NO ONE else could have pulled off Tim Burton's Joker better than Jack Nicholson.

Burton enlisted the help of Danny Elfman for the score.

Batman Theme Song sound bite Batman sound bites

Elfman's theme for Batman was so good, so popular, that the studio gave the score it's own soundtrack, apart from the soundtrack with songs by Prince inspired by the film. The movie went on to gross over 400 million dollars worldwide! The movie and soundtrack were huge successes. It made Tim Burton the must-have director of his generation; it paved the way for Batman: The Animated Series; it lead to three live-action sequels; it opened the flood gates of comic book movies that we all know and love today.
The movie won an Oscar for Design and Nicholson was nominated for a Golden Globe for best Supporting Actor. A pretty good day at the office, Mr. Burton, a pretty good day.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 3)

To recap, Tonedog and I thought it would be a cool idea to try a six degrees of separation type game. We'll talk about a good movie, then find a common actor, director, plot, etc., and then move on to the next movie.

In the last installment of "YKWaGM?" Tonedog talked about Toy Story.
Today, I'm going to tie that in with a few common themes with The Incredibles, number one obviously being animation, and number two, Pixar.

Disney distributed Pixar's The Incredibles in 2004, roughly 10 years after Pixar's smash hit Toy Story. This film is easily one of my favorite animated features of all time, and includes an all-star cast including Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Sarah Vowell and Brad Bird.


The concept for the movie originated with Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant on my favorite television series The Simpsons. Bird had also previously directed the excellent animated classic The Iron Giant. Work on The Incredibles started out as a traditionally-animated feature for Warner Bros.' animation studio, but after the studio shut down, Bird took the idea with him and went to Pixar.

Pixar had a lot of work on their hands making the feature. It was planned to be a whole 15 minutes longer than any of their previous films, and had a lot of difficult animation that needed to be perfected, such as long hair, skin and clothing on human characters.

One of the main reasons I appreciate the film so much is because of it's adult tone. While primarily a kids movie, the film had a lot of grown-up issues in it, such as the government ban of superheros, insurance company practices and family and marital problems. There's even [spoiler alert] a character that dies in the end!
The humor in the movie is also just plain genius, and reminiscent of the sarcastic tone found in The Simpsons.

Like that, Pixar once again revolutionized the animated film industry as we knew it, just as they had done a decade before with Toy Story. It's also the first Pixar film to feature an entirely human cast of characters.

The movie eventually opened up to $70,467,623 its opening weekend, averaging about $9,000 per screen, the highest opening weekend for Pixar at the time, and held its # 1 spot the second week. It went on to become the 5th highest grossing film of 2004, and the 3rd highest for Pixar after Finding Nemo and Up.
It is ranked in over 25 professional film critic's Top 10 lists for 2004.
It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and won 2 of them, including Best Animated Feature, the 2nd of Pixar's 4.

Till today, I'd have to rank The Incredibles as my favorite animated movie of all time, tied with Disney's most recent hit, and Academy Award nominee for best picture, Up. I hope a sequel will soon be in the works, as they have a lot of different ways to continue this story line.

I hope you can all agree with me when I say that Pixar's The Incredibles is most definitely one of the greatest films of the 2000s.

Check back for our next installment of You Know What's a Good Movie? to see what movie Tonedog will tie-in with this new classic.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 2)

Just to review, FattMatt and I decided to try a six degrees of seperation on ya'll. We'll start with one movie, find a common actor, director, etc., and then move on to the next film.

So, in the first installment of "You know what's a good movie?" we covered Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks. The next installment also stars Tom Hanks, but in a different kind of way... computer animation. Toy Story.

It was 1995 and things were about to change in Hollywood. We were introduced to Pixar, and in a BIG way. That unknown company would help pave the way for computer animation in a way no one could ever have expected. It's 2010 today, and Pixar has released 10 films, ALL home runs.

Growing up, I loved action figures, I mean I was obsessed. My brother Shmoo and I collected EVERYTHING. And being the imaginative little boys we were, we would act out our own action scenes. We make noises for guns, sound effects for explosions, you name it, we did it. We felt the toys coming to life. And THAT is what Pixar achieved, they made the toys feel real.


Tom Hanks was the voice of Woody, an older toy and leader of the bunch. Tim Allen voiced Buzz, a new age, hi-tech toy who has become a favorite to the toys' owner, Andy. There are a lot of our childhood favorites in the film as well: Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Etch A Sketch, and many more.

With lots of dazzling color and a cast of talented voices, the movie was a huge success. Looking back at the film, Pixar has improved everything they do. Their animation techniques are better, the worlds and scenery are bigger and better, and it all started from Toy Story.

As I mentioned earlier, the movie would change Hollywood forever. After the movie was released, a ton of computer animated films hit the theaters. Some good, some awful, all because of Pixar. A Toy Story sequel was made, and still remains the only Pixar sequel to date. Last year, Toy Story 1 and 2 were released in 3D for a limited time.

Look out this summer, Toy Story 3 is coming. And now, Andy's going off to college, what's going to happen to all the toys? We'll have to wait and see.

Check out the Toy Story 3 Trailer below and look for our next installment of You know what's a good movie?:

You know what's a good movie?

Hello devout readers! FattMatt and I decided to try something new today, play a game of sorts. It's called, "You know what's a good movie?". For the next few days, we're going to talk about movies that are connected in some way. Maybe they share a director, maybe they share a starring actor or actress, or maybe there is a common plot? We're going to start with a very obvious movie, because we honestly don't know what movie we're going to discuss tomorrow, until tomorrow.

So.... You know what's a good movie? Forrest Gump. The movie that won every Oscar there is to win was an amazing piece of film history. Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump; a man who lives an incredible life filled with some of this country's greatest moments in history. It co-stars Robin Wright Penn and is directed by Robert Zemeckis.

FattMatt and I have discussed over and over. We've tried explaining this to people numerous times; the movie is based on the notion of coincidence or chance. Yes, indeed, the character of Forrest is lovable and charming. The special effects that placed Tom Hanks in the pages of history were breath taking. The love story sub-plot was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers that could not be. But the fundamental idea of the film is that anyone, from anywhere can do great things. In Forrest Gump's case, it was all by chance.


By chance he was a college football star. By chance he was a ping pong champion, a Vietnam War hero, a shrimp boat Captain phenom because a hurricane took out every other boat in the area. This made for an amazing adventure through the life of someone who was so pure, so innocent, he couldn't hurt a fly.

Tom Hanks played it perfectly, one of those performances we rarely get to see. Where an actor BECOMES the character, not simply plays the part. Few actors have ever accomplished this. Off the top of my head, the only other two that come to mind... Denzel Washington in Training Day and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

Robin Wright Penn played the troubled love of Forrest Gump, Jenny. And Penn delivered! She expressed pain, confusion and hurt that so few actresses could ever pull off. Jenny was abused as a child and that lead to many, many wrong decisions. The one constant in her life was Forrest. Her and Forrest, again, by chance, stay in each other's lives. Penn was terrific.

Robert Zemeckis won the Oscar for Best Director and deserved it. The movie was well ahead of its times as far as visual story telling and special effects. Forrest Gump had an amazing soundtrack that played to the times in the film. Looking back, there are movies today that still can't convince you of Zemeckis did years ago. That Tom Hanks shook hands with the presidents of past? Amazing. Keeping the theme throughout the film convincing must have been a difficult task.

Forrest Gump will forever be talked about. It's one of those "movies for the ages". It's one of the few that I can think of from the 1990's that has stayed with the times. Truly an amazing film.

Check back tomorrow for the next installment of "You know what's a good movie?".