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movie notes Nov. 2021
Dec. 2nd, 2021 02:51 amI took a trip home which was physically and emotionally challenging. One thing I enjoyed was watching movies with my dad.
My Cousin Vinny
Two young men from New York get arrested in rural Alabama for a murder that they had nothing to do with. They hire cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), a newly-minted lawyer who had to try 6 times to pass the bar exam. He and his fiancee (Marisa Tomei) arrive to the small town and are fish out of water. The comedy in this is great; it mostly relies on benign cultural differences like food and clothes, Vinny's inexperience (but ultimate competence), and on banter. Marisa Tomei plays the smartest person in the room. It was great fun.
Content notes: there is an extended scene near the beginning that's just a prison rape "joke", and it's unpleasant. There's also some gallows humor (literally) about the electric chair.
A League of their Own - rewatch of an old favorite. I love Geena Davis a lot.
For the Love of the Game
A romantic drama that stars Kevin Costner as a major league baseball pitcher. Unfortunately this is super dull, and while the baseball parts were nice, I kind of hated the main couple. They were fine individually but just a terrible romantic couple, that the movie wanted me to root for. At the beginning of the movie she dumps him, and then shortly after he has the best pitching night of his life! You'd think that would be a sign that the relationship was not good. Especially given how superstitious baseball players can be. But no, they got back together afterwards.
Secondhand Lions
A very cute movie about a kid (Haley Joel Osment) who goes to live with his great-uncles (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) on their Texas property. The uncles are rumored to have a lot of money stashed away, which attracts toxic relatives and traveling salesmen. The uncles have 5 dogs, a pig, and eventually, an old lioness. The uncles are brothers and had adventures in Africa with the French Foreign Legion when they were young. Christian Kane is in this a little bit, playing the younger version of Duvall's character; it's a very similar role to his portrayal of Eliot Spencer on Leverage.
Source for most of these was DVDs found at the thrift store.
My Cousin Vinny
Two young men from New York get arrested in rural Alabama for a murder that they had nothing to do with. They hire cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), a newly-minted lawyer who had to try 6 times to pass the bar exam. He and his fiancee (Marisa Tomei) arrive to the small town and are fish out of water. The comedy in this is great; it mostly relies on benign cultural differences like food and clothes, Vinny's inexperience (but ultimate competence), and on banter. Marisa Tomei plays the smartest person in the room. It was great fun.
Content notes: there is an extended scene near the beginning that's just a prison rape "joke", and it's unpleasant. There's also some gallows humor (literally) about the electric chair.
A League of their Own - rewatch of an old favorite. I love Geena Davis a lot.
For the Love of the Game
A romantic drama that stars Kevin Costner as a major league baseball pitcher. Unfortunately this is super dull, and while the baseball parts were nice, I kind of hated the main couple. They were fine individually but just a terrible romantic couple, that the movie wanted me to root for. At the beginning of the movie she dumps him, and then shortly after he has the best pitching night of his life! You'd think that would be a sign that the relationship was not good. Especially given how superstitious baseball players can be. But no, they got back together afterwards.
Secondhand Lions
A very cute movie about a kid (Haley Joel Osment) who goes to live with his great-uncles (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) on their Texas property. The uncles are rumored to have a lot of money stashed away, which attracts toxic relatives and traveling salesmen. The uncles have 5 dogs, a pig, and eventually, an old lioness. The uncles are brothers and had adventures in Africa with the French Foreign Legion when they were young. Christian Kane is in this a little bit, playing the younger version of Duvall's character; it's a very similar role to his portrayal of Eliot Spencer on Leverage.
Source for most of these was DVDs found at the thrift store.
