1995

Cast- Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Jack Warden, Glynis Johns

Lucy (Bullock) is a Chicago subway worker with no family and few friends.  When the man she fancies herself in love with (Gallagher) is unconscious on the tracks with a train about to run him over she risks her own life to save him.  At the hospital, Peter is in a coma and confusion abounds with the family believing Lucy to be Peter’s fiance and she gets caught up in the madness.

Why I love it – I love Sandra Bullock’s performance in this movie and, like her character, fell in love with the Callahan family.  They were hysterical and the writing was top-notch.  The absurdity and warmth of the family made me understand Lucy’s ongoing decision to keep quiet about her deception.  It is the family in this one that is the stabilizing factor for this romantic comedy and I loved that.

This is a perfect time of year to watch this feel-good movie since it takes place over Christmas and the New Year.  It is a reminder to all of us who have loving family to celebrate the holidays with that there are those who could use a little cheer and an invitation to join in the celebration.  Lucy was adopted by a family that did not know her and I think that we could all benefit from taking that to heart.

I have seen this movie too many times to count and I love it every time.  It is my favorite Sandra movie and maybe the only time I ever felt like Bill Pullman was a great romantic lead (but feel free to tell me if there is a better one).  She is charming and likeable, as is the movie.  And when my husband gave me a choice, like Lucy, the only stamp I wanted in my passport was from Italy.

Interesting fact- Demi Moore was first slated to be Lucy.  I think Bullock was the perfect choice.  Only Bullock could have made this silly, sappy movie a success.

This month Michael challenged us to read and watch one of three Humphrey Bogart movies.  I chose The Big Sleep because it was the one I hadn’t seen before and ended up watching the movie before reading the script.  This may have not been the best way to do it, because I didn’t really enjoy the movie.  I know it is a classic, but even though I like old movies I can’t like them all.

The Movie

Philip Marlowe is a private detective hired by the dying General Sternwood to look into the gambling debts of one of his two daughters.  As Marlowe visits the general at his huge estate, he also meets both of the daughters, one appearing a little crazy, Carmen, and the older, haughty one, Vivian.  Vivian tells him he should also be looking in to the disappearance of a close mutual friend, Sean Regan.  The man who owned the debts, Geiger, is murdered and Marlowe finds Carmen on the scene.

Okay, the plot gets much more complicated from here, so I will not try and unravel it.  There were murders, secrets, lies, beatings, and disappearances and I was not playing close enough attention to make sure I got it all right.  Humphrey Bogart was very compelling as Marlowe and Lauren Bacall did a good job as the secret keeping tempter.  Bogart and Bacall were married when they filmed this and their chemistry is obvious.  The best part of the movie was watching Bogart in a perfect role for him. 

The Screenplay

I enjoyed the script so much more than the movie.  It was co-written by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, and Howard Hawks and based on the book by Raymond Chandler.  I found the script to be a great read.  It was so descriptive that it read almost like a book.  And there were scenes in the second half of the script that made more sense to me than the ones in the movie.

Actually, I would have liked to have read the book first, then the screenplay, and finished by watching the movie, but it’s too late for that.  In the first movie for this challenge  (The Fast Times at Ridgemont High) I preferred the movie, but this time I really liked the detailed script more than the star heavy movie.  Go figure.

Why not join us  next month?

2001

Cast Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth

Bridget Jones has decided that this is the year for change, so she keeps a diary detailing her thoughts, sorrows, and exploits.  She’s sleeping with her boss and dealing with the break-up of her parents 35 year  marriage, but she’s still charming, sweet, and a little too obsessed with finding a man.

Why I love it – I will start with the obvious reasons first – Hugh and Colin.  Yes, yes, Renee was fantastic as Bridget (actually this may be my favorite Zellweger role), but it was the two leading men that kept my attention from wandering.  They were both perfect as the men on either side of Bridget.  I could, and have, watch these two in anything.  Colin did steal my heart in this one as a man of few, but absolutely romantic, words and longing gazes.

As for the movie, it had wit and humor and a main character that I both wanted to shake and hug, which is no small feat.  The girl is laugh out loud funny.  Bridget’s journey from clueless to fierce was wonderful to watch.  And Renee was fearless as Bridget, showing off the weight she had to gain for the role.

I liked it better than the book and that’s not easy for me to admit.  Perfect casting and great writing make this a lighthearted comedy worth watching.

Here’s my complete list of Top 100 Movies.