One True Thing - * * 1/2*

Posted on September 18, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

One True Thing

Director Carl Franklin tackles this small-scale tearjerker, based on Anna Quindlen’s novel One True Thing. Although good, and appropriately sad, it never reaches its full potential.

Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) never had a good relationship with her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep). Instead, she has always idolized her father, George (William Hurt), a writer of moderate reknown. Following in his footsteps, she is well on her way toward a career as a feature writer at a New York magazine.

But, everything changes when she learns her mom has cancer. Someone needs to stay home and take care of Kate until she feels better, and Ellen has been drafted for the job. Reluctant at first, she soon learns how everything her mother does is much more difficult and underappreciated than she originally thought.

Those duties aren’t made any easier by the approach of the holiday season. Kate is thoroughly involved in the community, and her women’s group, the Minnies, administer various holiday activities and functions as well as decorating the entire town. And all this falls in Ellen’s lap, who doesn’t have a decorative bone in her entire body.

If all this sounds like the ingredients for a sentimental tearjerker, well, it is. However, although blatantly sentimental, the movie never gets as downright weepy as similar tales. This is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good in that the film doesn’t overplay its emotional hand…but bad in that a movie of this caliber should be able to tap those depths of emotion without overplaying its hand.

The problem with One True Thing can’t be traced to one specific element of the film. Most everything here is done well and good. The problem is that there’s little that is great in the film.

Case in point, take the performances. Streep is good as the ailing mom, but it’s a performance which won’t rank high along with her illustrious career. Zellweger holds her own in a rather large role in the company of rather prominent actors. William Hurt seems to drift through his part, still recovering from his Lost in Space misadventure. (As a side note, he actually gets to mutter “Danger Will Robinson” at one point in the film.)

Although a nice little sentimental film, One True Thing never taps its potential. It is alternately entertaining and sad, but not the three-hankie tearjerker it strives to be. One True Thing tops out at one hankie, if that.

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Permanent Midnight - * 1/2*

Posted on September 16, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Permanent Midnight

David Veloz directs his adaptation of Jerry Stahl’s autobiographical portrait of a Hollywood writer succumbing to the downward spiral of drug addiction. Despite some adequate performances, the film merely treads water with nowhere to go, and nothing to say.

Ben Stiller portrays Stahl, who moves to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s to get away from the drug scene in New York. However, his ploy doesn’t work… rooming with a fellow addict (Owen Wilson) doesn’t help…and soon Jerry is plunged even deeper into the world of drugs.

But not everything is a negative influence on Jerry. His wife, Sandra (Elizabeth Hurley), who married him for a green card, helps him get a job writing for the puppet sitcom, Mr. Chompers (in real life, ALF). A literary agent, Jana Farmer (Janeane Garofalo) is impressed by his work and wants to represent him.

But all that matters to Jerry is the drugs. He continues to sink deeper and deeper, blowing off work, friends, family, and anything else which might have once held some meaning for himself. The fact that this story is an autobiography (and that it’s told in flashback) should let you know that he doesn’t completely self-destruct, but the question remains: how far will he drop.

Permanent Midnight is all over the map, and not in a good way. Its narrative is jerky, the flashbacks seem forced, and there’s nary a consistent tone to be found in the entire film. Sometimes, a confusing atmosphere can actually enhance a film about drug addiction (see: Trainspotting), but here it is a serious distraction.

Ben Stiller does his best to lift Permanent Midnight out of the morass, but can’t quite do it on his own. His dramatic performance here is one of the best in his career, showing that he can do more than neurotic comedy. However, he is hamstrung by the script. We are treated to one dramatic scene about his family, but other than that there is never any insight into what makes his character tick. He’s merely a junkie writer, and that’s it.

The plight of the junkie has been visited several times before in films. Permanent Midnight delivers a few illustrations of the depths to which a drug addict will sink, but little else. You don’t leave the film more enlightened than when you entered, and not very much more entertained either.

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Without Limits - * * 1/2*

Posted on September 11, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Without Limits

Without Limits is the second biopic of Olympic track athlete Steve Prefontaine (following last year’s Prefontaine). Both films hit all the same bases, and have about the same effect: a modest appreciation, but little understanding of the man.

Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup) is introduced through the eyes of college scouts. “Pre” is the most sought after high school runner in the country, and every prestigious college can’t wait to recruit him. However, Pre has his sights on the University of Oregon, where the legendary Bill Bowerman (Donald Sutherland) coaches.

The film doesn’t display a very high opinion of running coaches. Bowerman’s only advice to Prefontaine is to avoid “front running”, a bad habit which Pre refuses to break, and with which he wins. Aside from that, the grand strategy in this film seems to simply be: run faster.

The film follows Pre, both as a collegiate athlete, an olympian, and later as an “amateur” athlete. Through it all, he’s the consummate rebel. He never wants to simply run with the crowd…he always wants to lead the pack.

More than the previous Prefontaine biopic, Prefontaine, Without Limits gets us on a personal level with Steve Prefontaine. It’s too bad the Pre Without Limits shows us isn’t all that interesting. He’s just another romanticized version of the “doomed athlete”. We never find out what makes him tick…or why he was important enough to merit two movies about his life.

Billy Crudup plays Pre with all the spit and polish deserving a wonder-boy athlete. There are no rough edges, yet no real defining character distinctions, either. Donald Sutherland fares better as his coach, though at times he seems like he’s starring in a Nike commercial (a company with which the real life Bowerman was involved).

The story itself is more or less straightforward, but there are odd little gaps here and there. They’re kind of like holes in memory…it doesn’t seem like anything is missing, but things don’t quite flow right. Whether this was the filmmakers’ intent, or just the result of some sloppy editing, the result is a vague outline of the events in Pre’s life, rather than a clear picture.

Without Limits is not completely satisfying. But it does manage to conjure up a sense of respect for an athlete who, after nearly 30 years, has likely faded from most memories.

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Cube - * 1/2*

Posted on September 11, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Vincenzo Natali directs this science fiction thriller with an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, there’s little to Cube besides that premise and some creative filmmaking techniques.

The plot of Cube seems to have fallen right out of the Twilight Zone. Six complete strangers (well, there’s a seventh…but he’s a goner pre-credits) awaken in a strange place. They’re stuck in a series of idential cubic rooms. Each room has a door in the center of each wall, in the floor and in the ceiling. Each door leads to another identical room. Well, not quite identical…the rooms vary in color and many of the rooms contain elaborate deathtraps.

Quick to take charge of the situation is Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), a cop who believes they can conquer the situation with teamwork and strong leadership. Rennes (Wayne Robson) has a different idea. He’s a master escape artist, confident he can escape this bizarre prison.

Holloway (Nicky Guadagni) is a bleeding-heart doctor who’s wary of anyone wanting to take charge. Worth (David Hewlett) seems to know more than he lets on. Leaven (Nicole de Boer), a math student, has no idea why she is here, and Kazan (Andrew Miller) is an autistic man who doesn’t seem to be of any help at all.

Can these six people survive the deathtraps and one another to discover the purpose of (and escape from) this cube-maze? Can they survive one another?

Any film which essentially drops its six actors into a box for its duration is obviously going to need strong characters and dialog. Unfortunately, that is exactly what Cube lacks. The characters are mere archetypes (including one who inexplicably switches as the film goes on). Their interactions are forced and uninteresting. Nicole de Boer displays a little charisma as the most likeable prisoner. But after the first hour, even she begins to wear thin.

What are Cube’s strengths? Well, it does have an ingenious set design. Only one cube-room was actually designed and used to represent the entire structure. The special effects are also particularly good (if a bit gruesome)…you can’t tell the film had a shoestring budget.

But an interesting premise and an interesting design can’t change the fact that while watching Cube, you feel like you’re in your own deathtrap cube room.

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Rounders - * * *

Posted on September 11, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Rounders

Rounders introduces us to the world of high-stakes poker. With an electric cast, and some apt direction, it transforms a run-of-the-mill storyline into a fascinating movie.

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is a master poker player. He claims that poker is not a game of chance…it’s a game of skill, and he can rank with the best. But when a bad stroke of luck proves him wrong, he swears off the game and concentrates on a law career, much to the delight of his girlfriend, Jo (Gretchen Mol).

However, things are about to change. Mike’s longtime best friend, Worm (Edward Norton), has just gotten out of jail. Needless to say, Worm is a bad influence upon Mike, and sooner than you can shuffle a deck, Mike is being drawn back into the world of high-stakes poker.

The story is a familiar one, but told with a surprising amount of freshness and energy. Matt Damon provides narration throughout the movie, and this is actually one of the few examples of where narration actually works. The narrative doesn’t preclude action on the screen, rather, it is a counterpoint. Damon provides an insight into the mind and strategy of a genius at work.

The games of poker themselves are fun to watch, but you don’t have to be an aficionado to enjoy them. John Dahl’s insightful direction highlights the moods and strategies of the game, rather than the mundane details. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t really matter that they are playing poker here. The game of choice could be chess, bowling, or hopscotch…it merely serves as the vehicle from which the characters are introduced.

And what an assortment of characters! Damon’s congeniality works well in the central role. He’s a character you instinctively want to root for. Norton, on the other hand, sort of creeps up on you. He’s an odd mix of treachery and charm. Even though he keeps on doing the wrong thing, you can’t help but like the guy.

The supporting cast boasts the likes of John Malkovich, John Turturro and Martin Landau. Malkovich is the slimy Teddy KGB, a master poker player with ties into the Russian mafia. His mannerisms border at times at being over the top, but because his character is played with such relish, it’s a forgivable sin. Turturro is Joey Knish, a “grinder”, who makes a living on the poker circuit. He admires Mike’s skill, but is also wary of a dangerous streak, and often tries to give him advice. Landau is a sympathetic judge who is teaching Mike in law school.

Of the supporting cast, only the women (both Gretchen Mol and Famke Janssen as Mike’s former poker-playing flame) don’t get any meat. They’re stuck playing questionable roles that seem to exist merely to keep this from being an all-male cast.

Just like Mike can sum up the status of a poker game with a few careful glances, after a few scenes, you know pretty well where the movie is going. However, it’s a fun game, and at times worth it just to watch the masters at play.

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Knock Off - 1/2*

Posted on September 4, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Knock Off

Jean Claude Van Damme’s recent string of films haven’t been too inspiring, and Knock Off doesn’t do anything to change the trend.

Van Damme stars this time as Marcus Ray, of all things, a designer jeans rep. Yes, you read that right. He, and partner Tommy Hendricks (Rob Schneider), rule the Hong Kong offices of V6 designer jeans…jeans so strong that an elephant can’t tear them apart. That is, unless they’re cheap knock-offs.

And knock-offs also happen to be a specialty of Marcus’. His adopted brother has his fingers into nearly all the counterfeiting operations in Hong Kong. When the latest shipment of V6 jeans is discovered to be mostly phonies, that attracts corporate attention, in the person of Karan Leigh (Lela Rochon).

But the knock-offs are attracting other attention as well. It seems that the omni-powerful Russian mafia are using them as part of an elaborate global terrorism scheme. This has attracted the attention of not only the Hong Kong police, represented by Lt. Han (Michael Wong), but also the C.I.A., with a team led by Harry Johannson (Paul Sorvino).

The best thing Knock Off has going for it is its sense of style. With grainy, blurry footage, camera sweeps that pass through objects, unlikely angles, and various film speeds, director Tsui Hark at least attempts to give the film a different visual style. Unfortunately, most of the time it is merely annoying. Perhaps a subtler approach that didn’t scream, “Look at me! I’m being innovative!” might have worked better.

But anything would have worked better than this script. At first I wasn’t sure if it was horrendous dialogue, or just the expectedly bad acting from Van Damme and Schneider. But once other actors started spouting the same pained delivery, I was getting suspicions. But by the time the ludicrous plot started pouring forth, I was sure. This is one stinker of a script.

For all it’s double-crosses, deceptions and counterdeceptions, Knock Off can’t shake the slightly silly feeling at its core. You haven’t seen ridiculous until you see the CIA’s computer simulation of global terrorism (involving a very tiny globe, and a sinister, cackling agent that looks like he stepped off the pages of Spy vs. Spy).

The action scenes, are bearable, though, since they were filmed in blurr-o-vision, prolonged viewing will likely cause headaches. Again, the film does try to be original. It packs in such elements as an illegal charity rickshaw race, a giant exploding Buddha, and a cargo ship with ever-changing terrain.

Still, for all its novelty, Knock Off falls apart as easily as a counterfeit sneaker. Keep looking for the real thing, you won’t find it here.

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Simon Birch - * * *

Posted on August 29, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Simon Birch

Simon Birch is a film loosely based on John Irving’s novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Names, dates, plot elements and places have been changed…so fans of the books should be wary going in. It may not be a faithful adaptation, but with an open mind, it’s a charming little film in its own right.

The titular character is a diminutive twelve-year-old in a small Maine town during 1964. Despite his small stature, Simon has a big heart. He means to do well, even though he’s constantly getting into trouble. The doctors claimed it was a miracle that he is even alive, so Simon believes God has put him here for a purpose.

His best friend is also the film’s narrator, Joe Wentworth (Joseph Mazzello, and Jim Carrey as an adult). Like Simon, Joe is somewhat of an outcast in the small community. He was born out of wedlock, and his beautiful young mother (Ashley Judd) has steadfastly refused to reveal to anyone the identity of his father. This is a question which haunts Joe day and night, and he has begun his own private search for his dad.

The action all takes place over one fateful year in the lives of Simon and Joe. They have adventures, make new friends (notably Joe’s mom’s new beau, Ben Goodrich (Oliver Platt)), and at least try to stay out of trouble under the watchful eyes of Reverend Russell (David Strathairn) and Miss Leavey (Jan Hooks).

There are times when the film nearly gets bogged down in its own sweetness, but it is usually saved by some smart dialogue and good delivery by Ian Michael Smith. Both he and Joseph Mazzello quickly establish an easy, believable rapport that is crucial for the success of the film. The two young actors are a credit to the film.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Jim Carrey’s bookending narration. Not only does his small cameo smell of a casting gimmick, but it is unnecessary and actually spoils two crucial plot twists later on in the film.

It may be for that same reason, but several of the “sad” moments in the film are strangely unmoving. The pivotal misuse of foreshadowing undercuts any dramatic tension in these scenes. Moments which are intended to be deeply touching are instead dispassionate.

Still, that’s not to say the film is a failure…far from it. The central story of friendship is strong enough to carry the weight of Simon Birch on its own. Add to that a nice little portrait of small town life in the 60s, and several funny moments, and you’ve got a good little film, just like Simon himself.

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Why Do Fools Fall in Love? - * *

Posted on August 28, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Why Do Fools Fall in Love?

Why Do Fools Fall in Love is an unusual biopic…one that isn’t terribly interested about its subject. It’s more concerned with the various other lives which are intersected and thrown into turmoil.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love tells the story of singer Frankie Lymon (Larenz Tate), who in 1955 wrote his first smash hit (the title song), at the age of 13. However, his star burned bright and brief. He quickly spiraled into despair, drugs and death.

The film takes place in 1986, and reveals Frankie’s story in flashbacks. Many years after his death, Diana Ross performs a best-selling version of Why Do Fools Fall in Love…adding many dollars to Frankie’s previously bankrupt estate. Soon, there is not one, but three separate women who each claim to be Frankie’s widow, and entitled to the fortune.

One woman is Zola Taylor (Halle Berry), a singer with The Platters, who toured sometimes with Frankie. Another is Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Fox), a shoplifter who helps Frankie through the lowest valleys of his life. The third is Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon), a somewhat prissy schoolteacher who loved Frankie during his final days.

It’s difficult to point out exactly where Why Do Fools Fall in Love goes wrong. For starters, it drags on about a half an hour too long. Each woman tells her own story about Frankie Lymon, and by the time you’ve reached the second one, you’re ready for the film to end.

The film tries to portray Frankie in three different lights, as seen by each of his three “wives”. However, the pictures they paint aren’t as surprisingly dissimilar as they claim to be. Add to that the fact that Frankie never truly emerges as a compelling enough character for a two hour biopic, and you’re in for a long sit.

Still, although Larenz Tate is somewhat undefined in his role, the three lead actresses give it a good try. None of them are quite convincing in their “middle-aged” scenes set during the 1980s, however. Of the three, Vivica A. Fox has the juiciest role, and is quite convincing as the unlikely target of Frankie’s love who would (and does) do anything to prove her devotion.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love has an interesting concept, but is poorly executed. The film should have put more focus on Frankie, and why he was the way he was. Instead, we are left with a collection of fading memories that are never quite as vibrant when told second-hand.

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54 - *

Posted on August 28, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

54

The 70s are a hot era in Hollywood right now. 54 is the latest film to jump on the retro train. This time, the infamously exlcusive disco, Studio 54, is the backdrop for yet another drama detailing the soullessness of the disco age.

The central character of 54 is Shane O’Shea (Ryan Phillippe), a young man who sees the exotic world of Studio 54 as his escape from his pathetic life in New Jersey. Catching the eye of the Studio 54 owner, Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), Shane soon finds himself with a job as a busboy. Night after night, he is able to catch glimpses of the rich and famous, including his dreamgirl, soap star Julie Black (Neve Campbell).

Shane quickly strikes up a friendship with some other club employees, a married couple Anita and Greg (Salma Hayek and Breckin Meyer). Anita is only a hatcheck girl, but she dreams of being a disco diva, if only she could get a break. Greg is a busboy, with his eye on the best job at Studio 54: being a bartender, where you’re a mini-celbrity and the money, drugs and sex just keep rolling in.

Money, drugs and sex are the lifeblood of Studio 54 (the disco’s most prominent piece of decor is cocaine-related). So much of flows throughout the film that you just know there’s going to be a big denouement. And when it comes, the moral message is awfully heavy handed. The entire climax of the film ends up being awkward and unconvincing.

But at least the film delivers a message there, which is more than can be said about the remainder of the film’s half-dozen subplots. They’re simply tossed into the film with no thought (or screen time) given to any semblance of resolution. A few of the luckier subplots are tidied up with a quick gloss-over narration, but in any case it’s sloppy filmmmaking.

Ryan Phillippe is rather unremarkable as the film’s centerpiece. Of the entire cast, only Mike Myers truly stands out. And that is mostly due to the fact that he displays a heretofore unknown range of talent with a dramatic role.

For all its glitz, 54 paints the 70s as a rather boring era. Billed as the party that never ends, in 54 it seems more like the party you just can’t wait to leave. At least the soundtrack is interesting.

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Fall Preview

Posted on August 28, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Well, it’s that time of the year again. The summer film season has ground to a halt, and the months ahead are packed with the studios’ best hopes for Oscar glory (as well as a few holiday treats). What follows here is a breakdown of 40 of the seasons films, not a comprehensive review, simply the best 30 and worst 10 films as I predict them. I’m sure there are plenty of gems I’ve missed (and a few which, due to a computer glitch I’m sure, I’ve mis-predicted). But what would a Fall movie season be without surprises.

OK, to start the season out on a sour note…here are the ten Fall films which I have serious doubts about. Hopefully they will be better than they seem…

10. Babe: Pig in the City
Babe was a cute enough movie, but not much more than cute. It should have stood on its own. The trailers for this sequel, with the talking chimpanzees, doesn’t bode well.
9. Urban Legend
The concept behind this one has potential. Yet, the previews have been a complete letdown. Rather than a refreshingly original horror film, we’re treated to a rehash of I Know What You Did Last Summer, where ghost stories come to life.
8. Jack Frost
This one has some redeeming talent behind it (Michael Keaton might be able to pull it off). But a live-action snowman tearjerker??? It’ll have to be brilliant to be watchable.
7. Knock Off
When was VanDamme’s last good film? When was Rob Schneider’s???
6. A Night at the Roxbury
Saturday Night Live skits are flimsy material at best…and this one is based on one of the flimsiest.
5. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
What can be worse than a bad film? A bad film’s sequel!
4. The Rugrats Movie
The cartoon has some amusing moments, but this is a project that cries out “direct-to-video” release.
3. Psycho
What is the point? Even if this film is a superb adaptation, no one will admit it.
2. The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave
Glaringly dated. In his heyday, Super Dave didn’t merit a movie. Why now?
1. Bride of Chucky
This one might be so bad, it’s good. Scratch that…it’ll probably simply be horribly bad.

OK…now on to some better material. Here are the top thirty Fall films that I am looking forward to:

30. One True Thing
The plot looks cloyingly sentimental, but there’s great talent behind this one: Meryl Streep, William Hurt and Renee Zellweger.
29. Practical Magic
It’ll probably only be a puff piece, but look at the cast: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Aidan Quinn, Diane Wiest, Vanessa Redgave, and Stockard Channing.
28. Permanent Midnight
Ben Stiller has been on a role this year. Can he tackle this heavy dramatic role? The early buzz says “yes”.
27. The Mighty
Even though there’s a Culkin involved here, the advance word has been positive on this one.
26. John Carpenter’s Vampires
Ho hum…another vampire movie. But John Carpenter and James Woods should be able to spice things up a little bit.
25. Theory of Flight
Helena Bonham Carter grabs a juicy role here, and Kenneth Branagh is no slouch either.
24. The Faculty
Robert Rodriguez’ unique brand of ultraviolence should lend a creative spark to this high school body-snatcher film.
23. Rounders
The team of Edward Norton and Matt Damon is good. Adding John Malkovich, Martin Landau and John Turturro just sweetens the pot.
22. Dancing About Architecture
Just look at the cast here: Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Madeleine Stowe, Angelina Jolie, Gillian Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Anthony Edwards, Dylan McDermott, Jon Stewart, Ryan Phillippe. Need I say more.
21. A Civil Action
If it doesn’t get heavy-handed, this John Travolta courtroom drama could be a winner. He’s got a hefty supporting cast backing him up.
20. Simon Birch
A loose adaptation of A Prayer for Owen Meany could have its faults. However, it looks like an amiable enough film, if a little saccharine.
19. Antz
The first of the season’s most unusual genre: the computer-animated bug film. There’s some hefty talent behind this one (which actually beats Prince of Egypt to become Dreamworks’ first animated film), but something about the previews is vaguely unsatisfying.
18. Enemy of the State
It looks like they’re cooking up some good paranoia in this thriller. Will it finally be a Bruckheimer action flick with brains?
17. Meet Joe Black
By the time this one opens, the year will already have had its full of supernatural romances. However, Anthony Hopkins has made few missteps of late, and Brad Pitt fits well into a good, quirky role.
16. Gods and Monsters
Good buzz surrounds Ian McKellan’s performance as aging director James Whale.
15. At First Sight
The pairing of Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino alone makes this one interesting. Add in an Oliver Sachs story, and we might have an intellectually stimulating romance here.
14. Soldier
Is it Blade Runner 2? Sort of, but not quite. Behind some cool visuals are some unsettling rumblings that this could be this year’s The Postman.
13. Ronin
Although it looks somewhat Mission: Impossible-ish, Robert DeNiro leading a group of rogue spies is a compelling concept.
12. The Siege
The trailers hint at a good moral conflict, and Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis should provide adequate friction.
11. You’ve Got Mail
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in a Nora Ephron romantic comedy loosely adapted from an old movie…why does this sound familiar?
10. Star Trek: Insurrection
On the upside, it’s a Star Trek film. On the downside, it’s an odd-numbered Star Trek film (#9 to be precise). The trailers look better than the synopsis may indicate…
9. Apt Pupil
Brian Singer’s contemplation of evil has had its share of controversy, but the story has its fans…and word is this’ll be one to watch.
8. Very Bad Things
Very good buzz surround these Very Bad Things. A post-Mary Cameron Diaz is another draw.
7. Beloved
Jonathan Demme directs his first film after an absence of five years. And it looks to be a good one, with Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover and Thandie Newton rounding out a good cast.
6. A Bug’s Life
Looks promising…but has two hurdles to overcome: Toy Story and now Antz.
5. A Simple Plan
This long-in-development project has got some spectacular buzz behind it. Director Sam Raimi and a strong cast can’t hurt either.
4. Pleasantville
An intriguing, though familiar, idea. However, try to avoid the annoying trailer, which reveals the entire movie.
3. What Dreams May Come
The sets look spectacular, the story seems interesting. In my mind, the wild card here is Robin Williams, who could either nail this one dead on, or collapse into sappiness.
2. Prince of Egypt
Despite the trailer which nearly spoils every spectacular animated effect in the movie, this one looks like one of the best animated films in a while…
1. The Thin Red Line
This WWII epic is one I’ve been looking forward to all year. However, it now faces a huge hurdle: Saving Private Ryan. Can the world cope with two good WWII dramas in a single year?
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