Victor-Garber Movie Reviews

The acting in the movie is pretty incredible for a TV movie. James Earl Jones was the perfect casting for Dr. Blakely. Wendy Crewson plays Jaime's mother very well. The only acting I wasn't all that fond of was Brenden Fletcher, who played Hunter. What really stands out though is the acting of Jake LeDoux, who plays Jaime- you have to see it for yourself, but I don't understand why he hasn't landed bigger roles. Similar to Haley Joel Osment- wonderful at displaying a wide range of emotions.

Yes everybody did a good job in this movie. However there was nothing exceptional about it. If the cast had been of any less caliber, this would be a forgettable movie. Both Tom Hanks and Geena Davis have made better movies. The only reason I gave this movie four stars is because it can stand on its own and should not be compared to these better movies.

Sleepless

Sleepless in Seattle is a great movie on many levels. It is basically parody on "Love Story" with a few changes. Naturally if you notice the cast you already have half of the formula figured out. But the beauty in this movie is in the details.
Story is that a widower moves across the country to Seattle to get away from old memories. His kid tells his story on a talk radio show and says that his dad needs a new wife. You hear heartstrings of women twanging and more than a few close in for the kill.

The film itself is an accurate view of army life for the Canadians in England in WW II. Just about all facets of their existence at this time is covered; from the speed marches, poor food, boredom, and life at the pubs (as distinct from the beer parlours back home).

The interaction of the senior commanders is well done, though those without a solid background of who was who in the Canadian Army may find the relationships of the characters a bit confusing at first. The personalities of historical figures like Victor Odlum (the un-named general in part I), Harry Crerar and Andy McNaughton are well captured. The Canadian actors who portray the British commanders like Mountbatten, Bailie-Grohman and Hughes-Hallett do so seemingly effortlessly; I was surprised to find out after the fact that these talented actors don't actually have the English and Scottish accents they used in the film.

Minor historical details are incorrect such as insignia and weaponry but these are minor trifles and don't detract from the film; in fact many rare items of kit are showcased in the film also. The only glaring error is also a continuity shot; Mills bombs are showed being primed during the trip across the Channel, and then an American grenade without fuse is shown in an action shot, and two shots later the same grenade is shown, this time with grey putty covering the hole where the fuze should be!

As for the history behind the raid, the book by Loring-Villa that this film is based on is an excellent read. The other reviewer who intimates that Dieppe provided valuable lessons learned hasn't asked himself - if Dieppe never happened, would Normandy have taken place any differently? As bitter as it may be to swallow, the casualties at Dieppe may very well have been in vain; certainly the Allies had many lessons to draw on from other invasions, from Gallipoli to Wake Island to Sicily and dozens of others, before the landings in Normandy.

Dieppe was a stupid waste, and this movie explores why in an honest and intellectual manner. Best to read the book in conjunction. The characters of the Canadian infantry unit portrayed put a great human face on things, though a little more character development would have helped. Hard to fit everything into four hours though, and the interplay between Churchill and the others in that galaxy of generals is equally as interesting and important.

However the most interesting part of the mini-series and the most controversial, is in the way it assigns blame for this fiasco. The key man is Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was assigned to take over Combined Operations in October 1941. Mountbatten was ordered by Churchill to conduct commando raids on occupied Europe and to harass the enemy. Some of these raids were successful (and they are not mentioned in this film), others were not. In conjunction with other leaders, including General Montgomery, Mountbatten decided to launch a division-size raid on the port of Dieppe. No operation of this size had ever been attempted before. The mini-series portrays Mountbatten as the arrogant, amateurish villain of this tragedy, who uses the raid to supposedly promote his own selfish career interests. In fact, all the British senior planners in the raid, including Montgomery, are depicted as intense, idiotic and inflexible. They lie to the Canadians about the German defenses and the air and naval support that will be provided.

On the other hand, the high-level Canadian army leaders are portrayed as a mixture of opportunists and victims. The corps commander volunteers his division to "do something" before the American army "steals the show". The senior Canadian commanders suspect the mission will flop but bite their lips. Major General Roberts, the division commander, is the most sympathetic character in the entire film, as first the division and then a difficult mission are dumped in his lap. Roberts is depicted as an honest, caring commander who wants to accomplish the mission and return with as many of his boys as possible. I strongly recommend professional army officers who are interested in joint operations to pay particular attention to Roberts role, because they are many genuine problems of interservice coordination laid bare therein. Unfortunately, this mini-series puts too negative a spin on the reasons for the tragedy. There was amateurish planning and mistakes made, but no British conspiracy. Mountbatten was far from the self-serving snob portrayed in this film.

For those viewers who expect to see an action-packed war movie, they will be disappointed by the actual landing, which only occurs in the last half-hour of the film. The budget must have been fairly low, because the focus is only on "Blue Beach" (there were seven other beaches landed on that morning). There is no coverage of other units, tanks landed or the massive air battle overhead. As in old style war movies, the enemy is never visible except for muzzle flashes. On Blue Beach, the Royal Regiment of Canada lost all but 60 of 543 troops landed. The film suggests that their sacrifice was in vain but this is far from the truth, given the huge improvement in Allied amphibious techniques between August 1942 and June 1944. The film's suggestion that the "dress rehearsal" explanation was a cynical ex post facto deception is scurrilous.

Dieppe is not the most accurate war movie or the most exciting, but it does have a great value in depicting the difficulties in mounting joint operations. Rather than the detailed dramatization of the actual operation that it attempts to portray, Dieppe should be viewed as a cautionary military fable about how the best laid plans can fall apart. It is superb in depicting how many little "want of a nail" issues can mount up to set the stage for disaster. However viewers should not accept the portrayals of historical individuals, particularly those who can no longer defend their reputations, at face value.

THE STORY:

Winnie Foster, daughter of a wealthy couple, ventures off into her family's woods one day and comes across a mysterious boy, Jesse, and his family, the Tucks, who seem to be "lost in time." Feeling trapped herself in her "too prim and proper" for her family, Winnie feels liberated with the carefree lifestyle of the Tucks. However, the Tuck family secret is something that can very well, and nearly does, bring Winnie's world crumbling down in front of her very eyes.

THE DISCUSSION:

"Tuck Everlasting" has long been at the top of the list of books the school system loves to have students read, and for very good reason. The story, very carefree but at times a little deep and occasionally dark, provides good discussion fodder on issues such as life and changing society values. Winnie's conflict with her parents' values as well as the ramifications of "eternal life" make great fodder for discussion and meditation.

Overall, the movie contains all the great things you could look for in both a love story and a family movie. The relationship between Winnie and Jesse should have most couples all "warm and fuzzy" (or ill to their gut). The movie overall is very light and easy and should be enjoyable for anyone. The violence level is kept to a minimum and the "darker" elements of the story are tame enough to where it shouldn't upset anyone.

THE ADAPTATION:

Movies based on books are double-edged swords. They either ruin the "meaning" of the books they seek to praise or they themselves become masterpieces (like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park). "Tuck Everlasting" falls into the latter category. I myself read Babbitt's book in elementary and though it's been 16 years I still remember the book quite well. As far as I can tell, this movie was about as true an adaptation as you can get. The main themes and event sequences are translated well onto the big screen. Fans of the book should appreciate this movie.

BEST SCENES:

1.Miles' story. This is a very powerful scene that touches very well on the "eternal life" issue. This scene could easily win an award.

2.Jail Break. Hilarious scene!!!

3.Tuck's Talk with Winnie

4.Jesse and Winnie's adventures

THE VERDICT:

Overall, this movie is a great choice for young couples on a date or family's looking for a nice, clean movie. Yes indeed my friends, it's a chick flick!!! Enjoy.

Highly Recommended

This TV Executive is played hysterically by Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, The Color Purple, Rat Race) and needs to do the one job you would think everyone on the planet would never turn down - BEING - yes BEING - Santa Clause.

Santa's 200 year term is almost up and its time to find his replacement. Due to a magical Christmas hat - he finds her in Whoopi. The two then go on a hysterical journey of adventure and heart. Santa is masterfully portrayed by Nigel Hawthrorne (Tarzan, Amistad) and the chemistry they have together is sensitive and real.

Some other outstanding performances are those of Santa's pain-in-the-neck sidekick Ralph played by Taylor Negron (Stuart Little, Spy Hard) and Mr. Victor Garbor (Cinderella-TV, Titanic, Annie-TV) as Whoopi's assistant.

The movie is charming and has a heart. It is nothing really special but really more fun! (2-3-02)

Being a big Whoopi Goldberg fan I was prepared to like the combination of her with Christmas anyway but what unfolded was a delightful story that made me laugh and shed a little tear along the way. Goldberg is an extremely talented actress who I feel has been shamefully neglected by Hollywood over the years. As seen in her terrific work in "The Colour Purple", "Ghost", and "Sister Act" she is a performer with a huge range, a natural in comedy and also uniquely gifted to put across a performance of great sensitivity. In "Call Me Claus" Whoopi has a field day in a VERY present day tale of commercialised Christmas, home internet shopping and a lack of belief in anything that doesn't have a $ sign attached to it. She plays Lucy Cullins a cranky, cynical producer of a terribly crass home shopping network that is hosting the annual "Kristmas Korner". While hating everything about Christmas she hires a Santa for the festive season promotion of their christmas products that contain such essential items as sock warmers and Santa poker machines! What she fails to realise is that she has got the real Santa (the late great Nigel Hawthorne in a delightful performance) and he proceeds to not only turn Lucy's life unside with the news that she must be his successor as his 200 year contract for the job of Santa is expiring, but also manages to teach her a bit about forgiveness, caring, and appreciation of others in the process.

What unfolds in "Call Me Claus" is an amusing tale filled with many funny situations. Whoopi's natural comedy timing comes to the fore in particular in the hilarious Santa audition scenes and once she has become the new Santa in white dreadlocks and Santa suit (minus the belt!) trying to get the hang of the correct way to slide down a chinmey. They and other scenes will have you laughing out loud and her crusty character gives a different edge to your usual holiday movie. Whoopi really makes this film however equally as great is Nigel Hawthorne as "Nick" in his last performance prior to his death in 2001. I couldn't think of a better role for Hawthorne to go out on than his portrayal of Santa Claus. He is at times warm and sentimental , funny, and suprisingly up to date in his thinking and indeed the whole performance is a delight. Victor Garber as the TV show producer and Brian Mitchell as the fast talking ideas man also score well in their assorted roles. But without a doubt it is Whoopi's and Hawthorne's show all the way.

It's a refreshing change to have a contemporary Christmas film that really explores alot about what Christmas has become to alot of us, the crass commercialism, lack of belief in the holiday and the true meaning of Christmas. "Call Me Claus" while a light hearted romp does look into all these issues and really makes you think about how we actually do spend the holiday season and what should really be important to us. While no great Yuletide classic this film is highly recommended viewing during the season. It's a part of my Christmas collection now and to see two superb talents like Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorne together doing what they do best is definately a holiday treat not to be missed.

This TV Executive is played hysterically by Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, The Color Purple, Rat Race) and needs to do the one job you would think everyone on the planet would never turn down - BEING - yes BEING - Santa Clause.

Santa's 200 year term is almost up and its time to find his replacement. Due to a magical Christmas hat - he finds her in Whoopi. The two then go on a hysterical journey of adventure and heart. Santa is masterfully portrayed by Nigel Hawthrorne (Tarzan, Amistad) and the chemistry they have together is sensitive and real.

Some other outstanding performances are those of Santa's pain-in-the-neck sidekick Ralph played by Taylor Negron (Stuart Little, Spy Hard) and Mr. Victor Garbor (Cinderella-TV, Titanic, Annie-TV) as Whoopi's assistant.

The movie is charming and has a heart. It is nothing really special but really more fun! (2-3-02)

Being a big Whoopi Goldberg fan I was prepared to like the combination of her with Christmas anyway but what unfolded was a delightful story that made me laugh and shed a little tear along the way. Goldberg is an extremely talented actress who I feel has been shamefully neglected by Hollywood over the years. As seen in her terrific work in "The Colour Purple", "Ghost", and "Sister Act" she is a performer with a huge range, a natural in comedy and also uniquely gifted to put across a performance of great sensitivity. In "Call Me Claus" Whoopi has a field day in a VERY present day tale of commercialised Christmas, home internet shopping and a lack of belief in anything that doesn't have a $ sign attached to it. She plays Lucy Cullins a cranky, cynical producer of a terribly crass home shopping network that is hosting the annual "Kristmas Korner". While hating everything about Christmas she hires a Santa for the festive season promotion of their christmas products that contain such essential items as sock warmers and Santa poker machines! What she fails to realise is that she has got the real Santa (the late great Nigel Hawthorne in a delightful performance) and he proceeds to not only turn Lucy's life unside with the news that she must be his successor as his 200 year contract for the job of Santa is expiring, but also manages to teach her a bit about forgiveness, caring, and appreciation of others in the process.

What unfolds in "Call Me Claus" is an amusing tale filled with many funny situations. Whoopi's natural comedy timing comes to the fore in particular in the hilarious Santa audition scenes and once she has become the new Santa in white dreadlocks and Santa suit (minus the belt!) trying to get the hang of the correct way to slide down a chinmey. They and other scenes will have you laughing out loud and her crusty character gives a different edge to your usual holiday movie. Whoopi really makes this film however equally as great is Nigel Hawthorne as "Nick" in his last performance prior to his death in 2001. I couldn't think of a better role for Hawthorne to go out on than his portrayal of Santa Claus. He is at times warm and sentimental , funny, and suprisingly up to date in his thinking and indeed the whole performance is a delight. Victor Garber as the TV show producer and Brian Mitchell as the fast talking ideas man also score well in their assorted roles. But without a doubt it is Whoopi's and Hawthorne's show all the way.

It's a refreshing change to have a contemporary Christmas film that really explores alot about what Christmas has become to alot of us, the crass commercialism, lack of belief in the holiday and the true meaning of Christmas. "Call Me Claus" while a light hearted romp does look into all these issues and really makes you think about how we actually do spend the holiday season and what should really be important to us. While no great Yuletide classic this film is highly recommended viewing during the season. It's a part of my Christmas collection now and to see two superb talents like Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorne together doing what they do best is definately a holiday treat not to be missed.

After winning many Genie Awards (the Canadian equivelant of the American Oscar) including best director and picture, as well as being hailed as a "Miramax Classic" on the box, one would think that the DVD would be filled with lots of added bonuses, and at the very least: a theatrical trailer. Alas, the Exotica DVD boasts no special features, if you don't count the gorgeous widescreen transfer, much to my own dismay.

Since many critics praised the film when it was released in 1994, especially Roger Ebert, there is hope that a new DVD will be created. The Criterion Collection includes numerous foreign, avant-garde, cultish films on DVD, most all of them boasting quite a few, excellent special features (especially the sadly-out-of-print Sid & Nancy DVD; but not for the feature-less Night Porter disc). One would hope, with the support of a few major critics and strong following, that Mirimax (or Criterion) would release a new version of this DVD, featuring all the added features, commentaries, bios that the film rightfully deserves.

In looking back (nonetheless thrilled that this finally made it to DVD), there is a new harsh melancholy twist is seeing the World Trade Center in the musical number All For The Best. This moment in the film, with its complicated shot on top of the Towers -- takes your breath away. It is sad, strange and newly horrific to see these wonderful, talented people singing such an optimistic, smile-inducing song literally on top of one of New York's most famous icons -- now gone forever.

The energetic, gifted ensemble have a wide range of talents, and though this film did not propel any of them to stardom, some have had good careers (mostly with TV work) since this film was released in 1973, especially Victor Garber, who is so marvelous as Jesus, with his lovely, sweet tenor voice and angular movements, Lynne Thigpen, the effervescent bundle of joy who sings "O Bless the Lord My Soul", and the very funny Jerry Sroka.
As a group, they are all equally strong in their vocal, dance, and comedic skills, and are a large part of why this film works so well.
The Last Supper scene is a great piece of staging, and I especially like the added touch of blessing the bread and wine in Hebrew, and the subtle, though gripping handling of the darker portions towards the end keeps this an excellent family film, as even very young children will enjoy the slapstick humor and clever costumes.
This film is one of the best stage to screen adaptations, and is a jubilant celebration of life and God's love.

I put this movie in my DVD player fully intending to have it play in the background while I cleaned house, but I soon found myself drawn into the story and the songs. Victor Garber is absolutely enchanting and the songs are wonderful (although the choreography is a bit on the cheesy side). I disagree that the film needs to be updated, I think the story is timeless and most people could stand to take a lesson or two from it.

Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, the beautiful, blonde, rich valley girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend who has made the decision to become more "serious" and study at Law School. After being rejected,, Elle decides to follow him to Law School to win him back. When she gets there, she realizes he has a new girlfriend, who is played by Selma Blair (Reese's co-star in Cruel Intentions). This sets up an amazingly fresh and bright comedy that is sure to be remembered by many people.

Elle quickly becomes a very likeable character. She stands up for what she believes in and says some of the things that we wish we could to others, but don't. She's very much of an outcast when she arrives at Harvard and despised by most, but as the movie continues, she slowly begins winning over almost every character in the movie.

Legally Blonde is a very bright and smart comedy, with a hip and talented cast. It contains great morals, a great story, and fun dialogue. And when it's over, no matter what mood you were in before, you're guaranteed to feel better about yourself afterwards. This movie is definitely worth a look.

There are many great extras contained on the DVD, such as a Hoku music video, deleted scenes, and two featurettes. The first featurette informs you of the process of finding the right 'blonde' for Reese, and the second informs you of how the movie actually was made. You can't miss this.

The story is cute, but lacks the insight and nuance of "Clueless". However, Witherspoon outdoes Alicia Silverstone's performance with her sheer energy and determination. Both were excellent, but Witherspoon is the more dynamic.

The acting by the ensemble of supporting actors is very good and helps Witherspoon look that much better. The cast is rich in aspiring actors with strong talent and little name recognition. Of particular note are the performances of Selma Blair and Luke Wilson. Blair plays the uppity girlfriend of Elle's former boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis). Blair is wonderfully condescending and catty throughout most of the film, but shows the ability to move into a softer, more likeable portrayal by the end. Wilson's soft spoken demeanor is perfect for his nurturing role in this film. His support is the catalyst that makes Elle's transition work.

Reese Witherspoon has been gradually moving to progressively larger parts for the last ten years, and at age 25 she made the leap to the lead with this film. She definitely makes the most of the opportunity. She simply dominates the entire film with a high energy performance that has as much steel as perfume. She makes Elle as lovable as she is ridiculous, while instilling her with qualities that you can't help but admire as the film progresses. If this is representative of the wattage she will bring to films, then her future is likely to be very bright.

This is not a great film, but it is very charming and watchable. I rated it a 7/10. We may look back on this film as the one that launched a prominent career.