“Galaxy Quest”
Calling all Trekkies! If you grew up watching the original “Star Trek” TV series, and later watched “Star Trek: the Next Generation” or “Star Trek: Voyager”, you really must see “Galaxy Quest“. This spoof stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub and Daryl Mitchell as the crew of a TV space show years after its cancellation. They now make their living appearing in character at conventions and supermarket openings, until the day they find themselves living a real episode of their TV show. Sure, the aliens are a little over the top, but there are some classic lines in this that are only funny if you’ve watched the Star Trek series over and over (as I have). We all know the extras are always the first ones to be killed off; that Captain Kirk ended up out of his shirt almost every show; and that die-hard Trekkies can be a little, well, obsessive. It’s satire at its best and loads of fun. It’s rated PG, so the kids could watch it… they just won’t get it.
“10 Items or Less”
Here’s another one of those slice-of-life movies about very little, but stars one of my favorites, Morgan Freeman. “10 Items or Less” also stars Paz Vega, a wonderful actress from Spain who broke onto the American scene in “Spanglish” (another must-see). Freeman plays a larger-than-life movie star – which must have been loads of fun for him to play – who hasn’t been in a movie for several years. He is researching a part as a grocery store manager when he runs into Vega, who’s working the 10 Items or Less line at the store, but aspires for more in her life. He ends up “directing” her in her attempts to secure a better job, deal with her ex, and get her life together. The chemistry between these two is terrific, and, luckily, remains platonic. It’s rated R, but only for some colorful language.
“Waitress”
If you love pie (and don’t we all?), this is the movie for you. Keri Russell (of TV “Felicity” fame) stars as a waitress in a small-town pie diner who finds out she’s pregnant just as she’s about to leave her controlling husband. Besides her two waitress pals, she finds an unexpected friend in the new gynecologist in town, played by adorable Nathon Fillion, who starred in a short-lived, but brilliant, TV series named “Firefly”. This is a far cry from “Felicity” for Russell – there’s not a peppy bone in her here. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Andy Griffith in a terrific role as an irascible patron. Throughout the movie, Russell’s character creates pies to match her moods..gorgeous, luscious pies. The sad part of this movie is that the writer/director, Adrienne Shelly, who also stars as one of the waitresses, was killed in New York City before the movie premiered. What a waste of good talent. Honor her memory by seeing her one and only film. Rated PG-13.
“Lars and the Real Girl”
OK, this one is really out there, and I thought Chris was crazy when he pulled this out. If I tell you what it’s about, you’ll never rent it. But here it is: “Lars and the Real Girl” is about a very lonely guy whose interpersonal skills are so awful that he must resort to an “unreal” girl to get a date, much to the horror of his family and neighbors. This could have turned into a teen comedy sex romp in the wrong hands; instead, it becomes a character study of a sad man and the small-town folk who help as best they can. It should have been silly & unbelievable; instead, it’s touching and well-crafted. Rated R.
“Rocket Science”
You can certainly pick out the independent movies in a line-up. They’re the ones who always stay so darn true-to-life and make us celebrate the little victories without a big hollywood finale. That’s “Rocket Science“, an offbeat story about a stuttering high school boy trying to find his voice. Does he become Class President and win the heart of the cheerleader? No, it’s i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t film. He lives in a world much closer to our own, where sometimes getting through the day in one piece is triumph enough. It’s a wonderful script, nice little touches that I always appreciate, and a tremendous performance by the lead actor, Reece Thompson. Only an independent film could make a story about high school debate teams interesting. I would call this a Dramedy. Rated R.
“Elling”
Here is a simple, sweet film from Norway that we just watched last night. Who has ever seen a Norwegian film? Certainly not 98% of Americans! Well, their loss. “Elling” is the main character’s name, a man who has been sheltered by his mother for 40 years and now must make his own way in the world with a little help from social services. Luckily, he makes a friend and they become the Odd Couple of Oslo. It’s funny without being mean; we never lose sympathy for these characters even if we laugh at their situations. Beautifully written and acted. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film in 2002. Rated R.
“The Dish”
Another lovely, little movie from down under, The Dish is the true story of the radar dish in Australia that received the signal for the broadcast of the first moonwalk. And how things almost went very wrong. Sam Neil leads a wonderful cast of eccentric, but not stereotype, characters in a small town thrust into world importance. You cannot dislike this film..it’s just too sweet (but not sicky sweet!). Rated PG-13.
“Eagle vs. Shark”
Eagle vs. Shark is the movie that made me finally follow through with my idea to post my own movie reviews. We watched this small, New Zealand film last night and just loved it. Great characters, simple story, wonderful writing, good camera work. This is a movie for anyone who has ever felt like a nerd, had unrequited love, or dealt with sibling rivalry. The writing is full of subtext, which I am always so impressed with. You love these people even as you laugh at what they do. This embodies what a little, quirky, independent movie should be. Rated R.
