Monthly Archives: December 1998

Playing by Heart - * * *

Posted on December 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Playing by Heart is a film that would like to think of itself as an intricate puzzle, whose pieces smoothly slide into place as the film progresses. However, as a puzzle, Playing By Heart is fairly simple. Luckily, observing the … Continue reading →

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A Civil Action - * * *

Posted on December 25, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Not your typical legal drama, A Civil Action eschews grandiose cinematic gestures in favor of a slightly more grounded (and definitely more cynical) interpretation of the legal process. It provides an always interesting, and sometimes fascinating, glimpse inside the workings … Continue reading →

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Stepmom - * * 1/2*

Posted on December 25, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

With a bland and unrevealing title like Stepmom, you might half expect a horror film about the mad matriarch of a dysfunctional family. That’s not the case here. Rather, Stepmom is another a long tradition of three-hankie weepies, and a … Continue reading →

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The Faculty - * *

Posted on December 25, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

And another film rolls out of the teen-horror factory. But, The Faculty shows promise: it has some decent talent attached, and seems to be a change of pace from your run-of-the-mill serial killer stalking teenagers film. Is it any good? … Continue reading →

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The Thin Red Line - *

Posted on December 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

A study in pretension, The Thin Red Line marks the infamously reclusive director Terrence Malick’s anticlimactic return to the cinema. On the surface, the film is a war movie, based on the James Jones novel of the same name. But, … Continue reading →

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Mighty Joe Young - * *

Posted on December 20, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

They’ve remade King Kong, they’ve remade Godzilla, now Hollywood has set their sights on another giant animal from years past: Mighty Joe Young. But this updated remake is more of an example of modern special effects technology than of good … Continue reading →

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You’ve Got Mail - * * *

Posted on December 18, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

One of the oldest adages in Hollywood is: find a good formula and stick with it. So, hoping for another Sleepless in Seattle, writer/director Nora Ephron has once again teamed up with stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for a … Continue reading →

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Prince of Egypt - * * *

Posted on December 18, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

When Dreamworks first set up an animation division to rival Disney, it was a lofty goal. And their first traditionally animated film, The Prince of Egypt, makes some bold steps. Telling the tale of Moses, the film eschews Disney’s traditionally … Continue reading →

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Patch Adams - * * 1/2*

Posted on December 11, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

In Patch Adams, Robin Williams portrays a real-life doctor struggling to reform the impersonal medical system with a human touch. It’s a good premise, and Williams seems to be perfect for the role…perhaps a bit too perfect. The film is … Continue reading →

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A Simple Plan - * * * *

Posted on December 11, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Crime doesn’t pay. Particularly in a world where the rule of Murphy’s Law is absolute. That’s the lesson learned by the characters in the well-acted, brilliantly written and intensely gripping drama, A Simple Plan. Hank Mitchell (Bill Paxton) has a … Continue reading →

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