Movie Reviews of Pleasentville, A Bug's Life, and Step Mom
Pleasantville*** Who took the pleasant out of Pleasantville? The modern-day satire and fantasy, Pleasantville features two nineties siblings, David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), teen twins from a broken marriage. One night, a mysterious television repairman (Don Knotts) appears at the door and gives David a special remote control for the television. As he settles down to watch a 24-hour marathon of his favorite show from the fifties, Pleasantville, the teens struggle over the remote. In the process, lightning flashes and the quarrelsome pair are suddenly transported back to the black-and-white world of fifties American television – where sex is taboo, toilet bowls don't exist, and husbands and wives sleep in separate beds. A devoted Pleasantville fan, David is thrilled, but Jennifer is horrified by this colorless, emotionless world. David pleads with his sister to blend in with their new surroundings, but instead she breaks all the rules by taking the star basketball player to Lover's Lane in order to seduce him. As these modern-day values are introduced, the stale town of Pleasantville goes from black and white to color, piece by piece. Writer and director Gary Ross has delivered a visual marvel peppered with strong social commentary. The two hour and four minute Pleasantville is so well performed you may not want it to end. Maguire (The Ice Storm) is easy to identify with and Witherspoon (Twilight) is effective in the role of bad girl/good girl. William H. Macy (Fargo) is devilishly deadpan as the “Father Knows Best” figure and Joan Allen (Nixon) plays a mother who aspires to be more than just a hausfrau. This is one to see. a Bug’s life*** Lovable pests with famous voices The folks who brought you Toy Story are back with another computer-animated masterpiece, the entomological epic, A Bug’s Life. On Ant Island, the ant colony works responsibly to gather food for winter, while the grasshoppers carouse freely, neglecting to prepare for hibernation. The greedy gang, led by the voice of Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) extorts a sizable portion of provisions from the bullied colony. Enter Flik, a bumbling blue ant who, while demonstrating another of his mechanical creations, scatters the hard-earned harvest. The angry ants, in the interest of self-preservation, banish its absent-minded denizen. Flik seeks to redeem himself by hiring a fierce tribe of warriors to stave off the seasonal pillage. The mercenaries turn out to be a bug ensemble from a flea circus, and the fun begins. Directors John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton failed to overcome a tired plot (shades of The Magnificent Seven) and a long running time of 96 minutes. The cast is ordinary and the music strangely familiar to fans of Toy Story, with the return of Randy Newman and his signature sound. But the humor is quick (“Hey waiter, I’m in my soup!”) and the artwork marvelous. Surf by the official web site (http:// www.disney.com/DisneyPictures/bugslife) for hilarious, albeit self-promotional, outtakes. A Bug’s Life is probably too intense for children under seven or anyone with an unnatural fear of pastel-colored ants. step mom ** No more wicked stepmothers What ever happened to the wicked stepmother of fairy-tale fame? In Step Mom, she’s been made over into a hip, fresh and completely lovable character named Isabel, played by Julia Roberts (My Best Friend's Wedding). Isabel has moved into the Manhattan apartment of divorced dad Luke (Ed Harris of The Right Stuff) much to the dismay of his kids and ex-wife, Jackie (Susan Sarandon of Dead Man Walking). Throw in Isabel’s inability to parent, Luke popping the question, and Jackie’s terminal disease, and you have a two-hour, all-star weep-a-thon. Director Chris Columbus (Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire) tries his hand at poignant, heartwarming comedy-drama, and delivers a Shakespearean-style tragedy that puts Terms of Endearment to shame. If you aren’t interested in the plot, see this movie for the actors. Sarandon’s portrayal of a bitter mother being replaced by a newer model, and then having to deal with her own mortality is likely to earn her the Best Actress Award. Roberts, as the successful young career woman thrust into premature parenthood, seems likely for a Supporting Actress nod as well. Harris is underutilized in his role as the man caught in the middle. As the children, tortured eldest daughter Jena Malone (Contact) displays considerable range and Liam Aiken is simply delightful as the mischievous young son. Ubiquitous Hollywood composer John Williams (Star Wars) magnifies the joy and sorrow with a steady musical score. <<<