Made of Honor, 2008

THURSDAY MOVIE CONNECTION!!!
Patrick Dempsey--Sydney Pollack



Director: Paul Weiland

Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Sydney Pollack





Womanizer Tom (Dempsey) met Hannah (Monaghan) in college, and since then, they've been best friends.  Tom is with a different woman practically every night, but Hannah is his special girl he can do anything with, including take home to his messed-up family.  Hannah wishes Tom would see her as more than a friend, but can't wait around forever.  While visiting Scotland for a few weeks, she meets, and gets engaged to, Colin (McKidd)-- just when Tom was thinking she was the perfect girl!

Hannah asks Tom to be her Maid of Honor, and after he discusses it with his friends, he says yes- because he wants to be in on the planning, and he really plans to steal the bride.

This is rated R, and it certainly deserves it.  It just reminds me of how much I HATE romantic comedies these days.

Miracle on 34th Street, 1994

Director: Les Mayfield

Stars: Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson

A wonderful remake of the 1947 classic! And don't worry- it's really the exact same story. I like this one better, personally, since it goes into the romance between Dorey (Perkins) and Bryan (McDermott) a little deeper. Otherwise, same story; which is not a bad thing! You'll love it!

Limitless, 2011

Director:Neil Burger

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Abbie Cornish

Eddie (Cooper), a writer suffering from writer's block, meets up with an old friend, who offers him a pill, which gives one the ability to use 100% of your brain. Eddie tries it, and his life turns upside down- he finishes his book, he understands business, picks up languages just by half-listening to them, etc, etc. He is superman.

When it wears off, Eddie is back to his normal loser self, so he goes to his friend for more, and finds that he has been murdered. Luckily, Eddie finds his friend's stash of pills, which sets him up for a while, but then the side-effects start to take hold. He literally loses track of time, and hits rock bottom when he becomes the suspect in a murder investigation-- and he has no idea if he even has an alibi.

It wasn't great, but not bad either. It had a happy ending, so I was happy enough, really.

Arranged, 2007

Directors: Diane Crespo, Stefan C. Schaefer

Stars: Zoe Lister Jones, Francis Benhamou

When Nasira (Benhamou), a Muslim, and Rochel (Jones), an Orthodox Jew, start teaching in the same New York school, no one expects them to get along. But they soon find how much they have in common, especially their arranged marriages.

You feel like you are part of their lives for a while. I like those kinds of films. This is a sweet story. It is very like Sabah: A Love Story, which I reviewed in the past couple months. Very enjoyable!

Change of Habit, 1969

Director: William A. Graham

Stars: Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore

Thank God for Family Video. Well, I mean, Netflix has more movies, I guess, and Redbox is pretty much awesome with its $1 new releases. But Family Video is where I found this one- so it will always be special to my heart.

Dr. John Carpenter (Elvis) runs a free clinic in the city, and is in over his head with work, so the local church sends 3 nuns to helps him out. Sister Michelle (Moore) catches his eye, and as they work together at the clinic, they start to fall in love. But she's a nun, so she has some decisions to make.

I love this movie, because it's sweet, and also because it deals with religion and faith in Catholicism, and I guess I like the way it's done.

NOTE: This was Elvis Presley's last film. I also like it because it has the least amount of cheesy music in it. In the beginning Elvis is jamming with some people, and then there's a song in the middle, but not a musical sequence, and then there's one at the end. Really! Elvis wanted to be a more serious actor, and this was a step in the right direction.

One Fine Day, 1996

Director: Michael Hoffman

Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, George Clooney

Now I know, after watching this movie, why George Clooney was voted "Sexiest Man Alive" so many times.

A single mom and a single dad spend a crazy, hectic day together after their respective kids miss the boat for their field trip. They take turns watching the kids and doing their jobs, hating each other and flirting the whole time!

I love the last scene- so good!

Someone Like You, 2001

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Stars: Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Hugh Jackman, Marisa Tomei

Cute. Not the cleanest movie ever, but not the dirtiest either. Very cute!

Jane (Judd) meets Ray (Kinnear), and they begin dating, though he is already dating Dee. Six weeks later, Ray calls it off just as they are planning to move in together. Needing a place to stay (not to mention recover), she moves in with her womanizing co-worker, Eddie (Jackman). With her life falling apart, Jane comes up with a theory for why men leave women. Under a false name, her theories (equating men with cows) are published in a men's magazine, and suddenly everyone wants to meet and interview her! Or her assumed identity, anyway.

And of course, the truth is going to come out. Soon everyone will know the real identity of "Dr. Marie Charles", and Jane will realize that she has probably misjudged men, especially Eddie.

I love Greg Kinnear. He's so hilarious in this movie!

An Affair to Remember, 1957

Director: Leo McCarey

Stars: Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr

I love Cary Grant!

Nickie (Grant) and Terry (Kerr) meet on an ocean-liner, headed for New York. Both are engaged to other people, and both are traveling alone. Sounds like love to me!

They fall in love, and begin their "affair" (I think of affair more as an "extra-marital" thing, and marriage isn't involved here. Not that that makes it ok. I guess that conversation could go on forever. They were both cheating, anyway!) At the end of the voyage they agree that in 6 months, if nothing has changed, to meet on the top on the Empire State Building. But something prevents one of them from making it! Will it prevent them from spending the rest of their lives together? (That question is to get you to watch it, because you're in such suspense!)

The part where they go off and meet Nickie's Grandmother is my favorite! I don't know why I love it so much, but I would watch the film just for this part!

FACT: This was a remake of McCarey's 1939 film Love Affair