SJS
Lifetime Total
1+
Reviews
Cold Sassy Tree (1989)
Smaltzfest
So we read the book, "Cold Sassy Tree", in our English class. Good book.... contains three very interesting main characters (Will, Grandpa, and Miss Love), great dialogue, wonderful coming-of-age story, and a marvelous Southern town backdrop.
Then, we saw the movie.
This thing is TERRIBLE! If you haven't read the book, you *will not* understand it, and if you have, you will be bored to death! The movie jumps right into about Chapter 16 of the book. We barely know these characters, so we don't pay attention. There is a key scene in which Grandpa prays for the town to bless his new wife; in the book this scene was touching, but in the movie his character is not well-developed enough to make us realize that praying this fervently is against his character.
The movie also loses focus of the point of the story. The book was about Will and Grandpa "growing up"-- in the movie, it is more like a romance between Grandpa and Miss Love (played by a homely Faye Dunaway in a role that should have gone to someone half her age).
I beg you not to see this yawn-inducing smaltzfest! Spare yourself! Read the book, or go see some other film about Southern life ("To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)" comes to mind).
Oh, yeah, and to comment on the title: in the book it is quite relevant, but in the movie it is explained in the opening narration and not mentioned again.
Then, we saw the movie.
This thing is TERRIBLE! If you haven't read the book, you *will not* understand it, and if you have, you will be bored to death! The movie jumps right into about Chapter 16 of the book. We barely know these characters, so we don't pay attention. There is a key scene in which Grandpa prays for the town to bless his new wife; in the book this scene was touching, but in the movie his character is not well-developed enough to make us realize that praying this fervently is against his character.
The movie also loses focus of the point of the story. The book was about Will and Grandpa "growing up"-- in the movie, it is more like a romance between Grandpa and Miss Love (played by a homely Faye Dunaway in a role that should have gone to someone half her age).
I beg you not to see this yawn-inducing smaltzfest! Spare yourself! Read the book, or go see some other film about Southern life ("To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)" comes to mind).
Oh, yeah, and to comment on the title: in the book it is quite relevant, but in the movie it is explained in the opening narration and not mentioned again.
The Truman Show (1998)
Very intelligent, one of the year's best.
So as not to spoil the plot, I am going to choose my words carefully. Truman Burbank is a man living in a sort of fishbowl world, as the star of "The Truman Show", a T.V. series that brings hope and joy to millions of people.
Truman is played by Jim Carrey, brilliantly. His acting should definitely get him an Oscar nomination. There is one long scene in the movie where Truman doesn't say a word, but you know exactly what he's thinking. Kudos to Peter Weir as well, for his masterful direction, and to Peter Biziou's cinematography. Almost every shot in the film is from the point of view of a television camera, and creates a kind of documentary feel.
Let's talk about suspense. "The Truman Show" is more suspenseful than many "thrillers". It is impossible to tell what will happen next. This is due to Andrew Niccol's script.
A sure bet for a nomination for Best Picture, "The Truman Show" is intelligent, witty, and contains a very sweet love story for those romantic types out there. It is one of the few films this summer that actually makes you think.
Truman is played by Jim Carrey, brilliantly. His acting should definitely get him an Oscar nomination. There is one long scene in the movie where Truman doesn't say a word, but you know exactly what he's thinking. Kudos to Peter Weir as well, for his masterful direction, and to Peter Biziou's cinematography. Almost every shot in the film is from the point of view of a television camera, and creates a kind of documentary feel.
Let's talk about suspense. "The Truman Show" is more suspenseful than many "thrillers". It is impossible to tell what will happen next. This is due to Andrew Niccol's script.
A sure bet for a nomination for Best Picture, "The Truman Show" is intelligent, witty, and contains a very sweet love story for those romantic types out there. It is one of the few films this summer that actually makes you think.