THE THREE LITTLE PIGS (1933)

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Directed by Burt Gillett

“The Three Little Pigs” is one of the most classic Disney Short films. Who didn't see this film in grade school when they were young? I just re-watched this movie and I've found that it still holds up. I like it just as much now as I did when I was in first grade. This is truly a timeless film, and it is one that will hopefully be around for many generations, entertaining children for years to come.

The story, in case there is anyone who doesn't know it, is about three pigs who are building houses. Two of the pigs don't like to work and decided to quickly build their houses out of straw and sticks. The third pig is more studious. He has a sense of responsibility, and he takes the extra time to build his house out of bricks. When the big, bad wolf comes to attack the pigs, the first two discover the downside to cutting corners and must run to their brother in the brick house for shelter.

There are so many things about this film to recommend that it's hard to pin down a few to talk about. However, the music is a very major part. The song 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf' is a Disney classic and it actually became an anthem of the people, who sang it to ward off fears about the Great Depression. I still find myself humming it when I'm a little nervous about something.

The animation is key too. This was the first cartoon to be fully storyboarded. Before this film, cartoons were made from brief sketches describing the feel of a scene. The result of this new process of writing and directing animated shorts was more fully developed stories and much more clever animation. There were lots of little gems in this film that the casual watcher might not catch on first viewing. For example, in one pig's house are portraits of his mother and father. The mother is a large sow feeding several piglets and the father is several links of sausage. I had never noticed that before, and I have seen this film several times.

“The Three Little Pigs” won the Oscar for Best Short Subject (Cartoon) in the 1932/33 awards ceremony. The other nominees were “Building a Building” and “The Merry Old Soul”.

This review was written on June 3, 2008

BEING THERE (1979)

BEING THERE
Directed by Hal Ashby
Starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, and Melvin Douglas

After being passed over for nominations in several excellent films, and losing to Rex Harrison for his performance in “Dr. Strangelove”, “Being There” was supposed to be the film that would allow Peter Sellers to join the pantheon of men who were Academy Award winners. “Being There” was his pet project. It took him nine years to get it made and he still had to convince studio heads that he was right for the lead.

“Being There” is about John Chance (Sellers), an illiterate and simple-minded gardener for an old man. At the beginning of the movie the old man has just died. He has no family, so his lawyers come to take the house away. They inform John Chance that he must leave, which he does without any complaint. He walks out the door and into Washington, DC in 1979. We begin to wonder how he's going to survive his first night on the streets when he's hit by a car owned by Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine. Eve insists that Chance come home with her to be taken care of by the private doctors who have been hired to take care of her dying husband Benjamin (Melvyn Douglas). On the way home there is a miscommunication and Eve mistakenly believes that John Chance is Chauncey Gardiner, a businessman who has just lost his business.

Benjamin is a very powerful man, and he takes a shine to Chauncey, eventually deciding to introduce him to the President of the United States, who has come to be advised on economic matters. The President asks Chauncey's opinion on the matter, and Chauncey tells him that in a garden there is Spring and Summer, but there is also Fall and Winter. If the roots aren't damaged during Fall and Winter, then growth will happen again in Spring and Summer. The President quotes Chauncey in a nationally televised speech and soon Chauncey is one of the most popular yet mysterious characters in the country.

Peter Sellers delivers a strong performance. He was truly a comic master. His portrayal of John Chance/Chauncey Gardiner was so innocent, yet hilarious. Equally good were the performances of Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas. They never doubt Chauncey's legitimacy, and in less capable hands this could look asinine, but I was never taken out of the moment.

Unfortunately, Sellers did not win his Oscar for “Being There”. He died a year later, so he would never have the chance again. In a lesser year, “Being There” might have swept the awards, but 1979 was a very strong year, including the releases of “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “Apocalypse Now”, “All That Jazz”, “The Rose”, “Norma Rae”, and “Breaking Away”. Sellers lost his Oscar to Dustin Hoffman's performance in “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Other nominees were Al Pacino in “...And Justice for All”, Roy Scheider in “All That Jazz”, and Jack Lemon in “The China Syndrome”.

Sellers didn't win an Oscar, but the film was awarded a statue for Melvyn Douglas's performance as Benjamin Rand, the dying husband who's last few weeks are made brighter by the presence of Chauncey Garniner. Other nominees for Best Supporting Actor were Robert Duvall in “Apocalypse Now”, Mickey Rooney in “The Black Stallion”, Justin Henry in “Kramer vs. Kramer”, and Frederic Forrest in “The Rose”.

This review was written on June 9, 2008

INHERIT THE WIND (1960)

INHERIT THE WIND
Directed by Stanley Kramer
Starring Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, Donna Anderson, Elliott Reid, Gene Kelley, Dick York, and Harry Morgan

“I say that you cannot administer a wicked law impartially. You can only destroy, you can only punish. And I warn you, that a wicked law, like cholera, destroys every one it touches. Its upholders as well as its defiers.”

“Suppose God whispered into a Bertram Cate's ear that an un-Brady thought could still be holy? Must men go to jail because they find themselves at odds with a self-appointed prophet?”

“Remember the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Proverbs. 'He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.'”

These are three of the greatest quotes from “Inherit the Wind”, which is a fantastic movie that is just as relevant to the times today as it was when it was made almost fifty years ago. It's an amazing coincidence that I chose to watch this film today, because we are once again on the verge of a holy war. A war where people claiming to represent God are going to try to use their influence to spread hatred and discrimination. Most of you who read these blogs know me personally, but in case someone reads this who doesn't know me personally, I'll explain my last sentence. I live in California, which will become the second state in the United States to allow same-sex couples the right to marry next week. That is unless a ballot initiative put onto the ballot by religious fundamentalists puts a discriminatory amendment into our state constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

What does this have to do with “Inherit the Wind”? “Inherit the Wind” tells the true story of the Scopes Monkey Trial, in which a high school teacher was arrested for teaching evolution to his students. The case drew national acclaim and two big lawyers came in to try the case. The Prosecuting Attorney was William Jennings Bryant and the Defense Attorney was Clarence Darrow. They were two of the most important political figures of their time. Bryant was known as the “Silver Tongued Orator” and had ran unsuccessfully for President three times. Clarence Darrow was a leader of the American Civil Liberties Union and had also represented Leopold and Loeb at their murder trial.

For the purposes of the movie the names were changed. Clarence Darrow became Henry Drummon (Played by Spencer Tracy), William Jennings Bryant became Matthew Harrison Brady (Frederic March), reporter H.L. Mencken became E.K. Hornbeck (Gene Kelley), and teacher John T. Snopes became Bertram T. Cates (Dick York). The names changed, but the facts surrounding the trial are largely unchanged. In fact, some of the more outlandish lines of dialogue were taken directly from the court room record.

Why is this film so important? Because even today, almost fifty years after the film was released, there are still people who believe themselves to be divine messengers from God. They may not be right, but they are certainly loud! And they can influence countless others. They rule by fear, and they convince poor people that unless they conform to strict standards they will be left out of the goodness that God has to offer. Evolution and same-sex marriage are not the only issues that they weigh in on! In matters of civil rights, gender rights, environmental issues, and even the selection of presidents these so-called leaders call forth their armies to do their bidding. The blind lead the blind and we all get carried along as they march us off a cliff.

May it never be said that I'm anti-religion. I'm a firm believer in God and his son Jesus and the goodness that can come from them. I draw the line when people use religious teachings to promote hatred and bigotry, or to blind us all from common sense.

“Inherit the Wind” deals with these issues with such passion and fervor that it will leave you breathless. All of the performances are utterly remarkable. Director Stanley Kramer knows how to get the most out of every actor he works with. There is not a moment where he is not turning the knobs of tension, making your heart speed up and your breath shorten with the skill of a fine craftsman. That he was not nominated for Best Director is a shame.

“Inherit the Wind” was nominated for four Oscars. It won none. The first was for Spencer Tracy for Best Actor for his brilliant and powerful portrayal of Henry Drummond. He lost to Burt Lancaster in “Elmer Gantry”. The other nominees were Jack Lemmon in “The Apartment”, Laurence Olivier in “The Entertainer”, and Trevor Howard in “Sons and Lovers”.
Ernest Laszlo was nominated for Best Cinematography in a Black and White Film. He lost to Freddie Francis in “Sons and Lovers”. Other nominated films were “The Apartment”, “The Facts of Life”, and “Psycho”.

Frederic Knudtson earned a nomination for Best Film Editing. The winner was Daniel Mandell who edited “The Apartment”. The other nominated films were “The Alamo”, “Pepe”, and “Spartacus”.

The final nomination went to Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith for Best Adapted Screenplay. Older records will not list Mr. Young. They will instead list Nathan E. Douglas, which was Mr. Young's pseudonym. Nedrick Young was unable to put his real name on the script because he had been blacklisted from the industry because of ties to Communism. How fitting that a film about the dangers of fanaticism should be written by a man who was a victim of it. The Oscar went to Richard Brooks for “Elmer Gantry”. Other nominated films were “Sons and Lovers”, The Sundowners”, and “Tunes of Glory”.

THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944)

THE THREE CABALLEROS
Directed by Norman Ferguson

Viewed by many as a sequel to “Saludos Amigos”, “The Three Caballeros” is far superior in many ways. For starters, the story is much better. “Saludos Amigos” is a documentary about the Disney animators traveling to South America that is expanded with some South American-themed cartoons. “The Three Caballeros” is a full-length cartoon starring Donald Duck. It is Donald's birthday, and his friends from south of the border have sent him presents. We still learn a lot about the culture, but it is presented in a way that is a lot more interesting, and very fun!

Joining Donald in the fun are his two friends, Jose Carioca, the parrot from Brazil, and Panchito, a Rooster from Mexico. They take Donald on a variety of adventures, filled with fun, music, and beautiful women, whom Donald falls for in a crazy fantasia at the movie's end. All of this is accompanied by the skillful animation that Disney is known for. There are also some sequences where animation and live-action are mixed. These scenes are incredibly well done, and set the scene for future movies where animation and live-action are mixed more.

“The Three Caballeros” was nominated for two Academy Awards. This was in a period where there were a lot more nominations per category. For the first nomination, Best Scoring of a Musical, “The Three Caballeros” is one of twelve nominees. The film lost the Oscar to “Anchors Aweigh”, which is one of my favorite films. Other nominees were “Belle of the Yukon”, “Can't Help Singing”, “Hitchhike to Happiness”, “Incendiary Blonde”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “State Fair”, “Sunbonnet Sue”, “Tonight and Every Night”, “Why Girls Leave Home”, and “Wonder Man”.
The second nomination was for Outstanding Sound Recording, and “The Three Caballeros” is once again one of twelve nominees. The winner was “The Bells of St. Mary”. Other nominees were “Flame of the Barbary Coast”, “Lady on a Train”, “Leave Her to Heaven”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “A Song to Remember”, “The Southerner”, “They Were Expendable”, “Three is a Family”, “The Unseen”, and “Wonder Man”.

ANGEL AND BIG JOE (1975)

ANGEL AND BIG JOE
Directed by Bert Salzman
Starring Paul Sorvino and Dadi Pinero

While everyone else in America was watching the American Idol finale, I was watching “Angel and Big Joe”, the winner of the Oscar for Best Short Film (Live Action) in 1975. I'm glad that I made this choice. This is a fantastic short film that deals with family and loyalty. Dadi Pinero plays Angel, a young migrant worker who is living with his mother and younger brother in the midwest while they wait for a call from his father telling them that he has found work in Arizona. Paul Sorvino plays Big Joe, a phone repairman who forms an unlikely bond with Angel. Through the course of the movie They grow very special to each other. Joe becomes a surrogate father to Angel, and Angel becomes a pseudo-son to Big Joe. This relationship is threatened when Angel's father calls to say that he's gotten work and the whole family needs to come to Arizona.

This movie is especially heartfelt. The relationship between the two main characters is especially sweet. Paul Sorvino and Dadi Pinero have wonderful chemistry together, even at times when the dialogue seems a bit stilted. Pinero is also guilty of overacting a bit, but it's his first movie credit, and he's very good most of the time, so it's easy to forgive.

Like most of the other shorts I've reviewed, I found this movie on youtube. It's almost a half-hour long. It's definitely worth watching. You won't regret it.

This movie won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short. The other nominees were “Conquest of Light”, “Dawn Flight”, “A Day in the Life of Bonnie Consolo”, and “Doubletalk”.

This review was written on May 21, 2008

MIKE'S NEW CAR (2002)

MIKE'S NEW CAR
Directed by Pete Doctor and Roger Gould
Starring the voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman

When it comes to computer animation, it doesn't get any better that Pixar. “Mike's New Car” is a short film that is a sequel to Pixar's full-length film “Monsters Inc.” but the only similarities between the two films are the two main characters, Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman). If “Monsters Inc.” had never been made, this film would probably be just as strong and just as funny.

The plot is incredibly simple. Mike gets a new car, and he tries to show it to Sulley, but wrong buttons are pushed and hilarity ensues. The movie is designed for kids to enjoy, and they certainly will. There is plenty of broad physical comedy that is very well done. Things like development of character and deep meaning are absent, but they're not necessary in this film. Even if you haven't seen “Monsters Inc.” you know that these two guys are buddies, and that's all that's needed to enjoy this movie. Any deeper meaning or metaphor would only seemed tacked on and un-necessary in this slap-stick buddy comedy.

“Mike's New Car” was nominated for Outstanding Animated Short. It lost the award to “The Chubbchubbs!”. The other nominees were “Atama-yama”, “Katedra”, and “Das Rad”.

This review was written on June 8, 2008

BLAZING SADDLES (1974)

BLAZING SADDLES
Directed by Mel Brooks
Starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickins, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, and Harvey Korman

“He rode a blazing saddle. He wore a shining star. His job to offer battle to bad men near and far...” So begins Mel Brooks's western epic comedy “Blazing Saddles”. This was the third movie directed by Brooks, following the Oscar-winner “The Producers” in 1968 and the lesser-known “The Twelve Chairs” in 1970. In this movie he really landed in the style that he would exploit for the next two decades—Parody of Hollywood conventions. This is an epic send-up of Westerns, complete with all of the stereotypes needed, and then some!

One of the co-writers was the brilliant comedian Richard Pryor, who was originally supposed to star as Sheriff Bart but had to pull out because studios would not back the film with such a controversial person in the lead. The team of writers, which also included Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, and Alan Uger created one of the funniest and daring scripts in movie history. No subject is taboo, and no racial or ethnic group is off limits. By films end, laughs have been caused by stereotypes of African Americans, Jews, homosexuals, Germans, Native Americans, rednecks, Arabs, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped, and anyone with the last name Johnson. There's also quite a bit of fun poked at government officials and animals. This description may turn some people away, but let me state clearly that this film is NEVER offensive. There are sure to be some prudes who get their panties in a twist over some of the language, but anyone who really watches the film will realize that Brooks has aired out these tired stereotypes and exposed them for the biased judgments they are.

The plot goes like this. Bart (Cleavon Little) is an African American railroad worker in the old west. After attacking one of the white overseers he is sent to be hanged. While in the capitol Secretary of State Hedly Lamarr (Harvey Korman) finds out that the new railroad will be going through the town of Rock Ridge. He wants to scare away all of the townspeople and claim the land for himself. To do this he grants Bart a stay of execution and makes him the new sheriff of Rock Ridge, much to the racist townspeople's dismay. Bart has to win over the townspeople and stop Lamarr from stealing the town. He is aided by his new deputy, Jim (Gene Wilder), who was once the fastest gun in the West, but now resides at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

It sounds like the set up for any classic western, but it is infused with hilarious Mel Brooks wit and humor. In one instance, Bart must arrest Mongo, a villain who is strong like a bull, but smart like a tractor. He does this by invoking the spirit of Bugs Bunny and sending Mongo a candy gram that is filled with dynamite. As he walks away we hear a loud explosion and the closing music of a Merrie Melody cartoon. That's all, folks!

“Blazing Saddles” earned three Oscar nominations, but failed to win any of them. The first was for the wonderful Madeline Kahn, who earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of the Marlene Dietrich-inspired saloon sing, Lili Von Shtupp. Kahn is absolutely delightful in this part. She couldn't be funnier if she tried. Her big showcase is the song “I'm Tired”, in which she sings of how often she's been loved, and how she just wants to sleep now. Kahn lost the award to Ingrid Bergman for her performance in “Murder on the Orient Express”. Also nominated were Diane Ladd in “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore”, Talia Shire in “The Godfather, Part II”, and Valentina Cortese in “La Nuit Americaine”.

The second nomination was for Best Film Editing. The editors were John C. Howard and Danforth B. Greene. They lost to “The Towering Inferno”. Other nominees were “Chinatown”, “Earthquake”, and “The Longest Yard”.

The third nomination was for Best Original Song for the title song, written by Mel Brooks and John Morris. The song “Blazing Saddles” is such an amazing song that it's hard to believe that it didn't win. It was sung by Frankie Laine, who is well known for his renditions of songs about the West. According to rumor, Mel Brooks did not tell Laine what the movie was about because he was worried that Laine would be offended and not sing the song. Or even worse, Laine may try to do it “funny”. The result is Frankie Laine singing his heart out and making the title ballad as powerful as any other great song from the Old West.

The winning song was “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”. Other nominees were “Benji's Theme (I Feel Love)” from “Benji”, “Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold”, and “Little Prince” from “The Little Prince”.

This review was written on June 10, 2008

ALL NOTHING (1980)

ALL NOTHING
Directed by Frederic Back

“All Nothing” was nominated for Outstanding Animated Short Film in 1980. Like Peter Lord's short film, “Adam”, this film is about man's relationship with God. Unlike “Adam”, “All Nothing” paints a much bleaker picture, showing Adam and Eve as little more than spoiled brats who are never happy with what they have.

The animation in this film is gorgeous. This was Frederic Back's first nomination of four. He won twice. This is the first of his films that I have seen, but if the others are as well done as this film, then surely Back is one of animation's most under appreciated men.

The film begins with God creating everything in Genesis fashion. The animals are beautifully designed, and the image of God as creator and provider is established. When God creates man things start to go wrong. Adam and Eve decide they would like to swim like fish, and God grants their wish. Then they decide they aren't happy as fish and want to have fur like mammals. God changes them. They see the birds and a jealous of their power of flight. God gives Adam and Eve wings and feathers. This also does not work out, so God gives them human form. Adam and Eve are very unhappy, and plot to take over the world from the animals, killing them all and using their pelts, feathers, meat, and bones for decoration and food. They even manage to kill God, leaving them alone to rule.

The film concludes with humankind's realization that they must find some sort of balance. They try to set things right, and by the end it looks like they may have.

This movie is absolutely beautiful to watch. The animation is wonderful and the soundtrack is perfectly suited to it. It is about eleven minutes long, and is available for viewing on internet video posting sites like youtube. I highly recommend it.

“All Nothing” lost the Oscar to “A Legy”. Also nominated was “History of the World in Three Minutes Flat”.

This review was written on May 20, 2008

ANNA & BELLA (1985)

ANNA & BELLA
Directed by Borge Ring

“Anna & Bella” is a fun animated short film that won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1986. It tells the story of two sisters who are looking back on their lives through a series of photographs. They remember the bad times along with the good, but no matter what the memory is, sharing the experience has made the bond between these sisters stronger.

If nostalgia is your thing then you won't be disappointed with “Anna & Bella”. Personally, it reminded me of when I was very young and would help my grandfather call his sister on the telephone. They would remember old stories with laughter and sighs. I hope that someday I can have the same relationship with my sister. Forgive the cliché, but blood really is thicker than water, and “Anna & Bella” reminds us of that.

This film was made in The Netherlands, but the style of animation is very similar to Disney of the period or the films that Don Bluth was making. It had a rough-drawn look and a minimalist color scheme that gave the film great charm.

“Anna & Bella” won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. The other nominees were “The Big Snit” and “Second Class Mail”. “Anna & Bella” is available for viewing on youtube.

This review was written on May 24, 2008

A MIGHTY WIND (2003)

A MIGHTY WIND
Directed by Christopher Guest
Starring Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catharine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Bob Ballaban, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Hitchcock, Larry Miller, and Jennifer Coolidge.

This hilarious film is the third “mockumentary” directed by Christopher Guest. It follows in the grand tradition of “Waiting for Guffman” and “Best in Show”. In each of these films Guest utilizes his company of actors to create loving, yet scathing send-ups of people who take themselves way too seriously. In this case, the world of folk music is the target.

Irving Steinbloom, producer of some of the greatest folk acts of the 60's, has died, and his children decide to reunite three of their father's biggest acts for a tribute concert. The Folksmen are a Kingston Trio parody, the New Main Street Singers are a parody of the New Christy Minstrels, and Mitch and Mickey are kind of an amalgam of several people including, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Bob Dylan.

This movie is largely improvised, and the true talent of all the performers absolutely shines! There are “fall-out-of-your-seat” funny moments that lead in to “grab-the-hankys” touching moments. Especially powerful is the on-screen chemistry of Mitch and Mickey, played my Eugene Levy and Catharine O'Hara. Their characters had divorced several years back, and in the process of re-uniting they explore the feelings that brought them together in the first place. I personally believe that Levy's performance was Oscar-worthy, but the Academy has a long history of ignoring comic performances for some reason.

The music was equally amazing. All of it was written by cast members, and never for a second do I doubt its authenticity as 60's folk music. There are subtle winks in the music that add to the humor (“A mighty wind's a-blowin'/.../It's blowin' you and me!”), but for the most part the songs are lovely, incredibly well-sung and played, and sometimes very touching, as is the case with “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”, which earned the film it's only Oscar nomination, for Best Original Song. It was written by Michael McKean and his wife, actress Annette O'Toole during a long car trip that they were forced to make because all planes had been grounded following the 9/11 attacks in New York City. I can only imagine what this song must mean to the two of them, deeply in love.

Unfortunately, this song did not win the Oscar. The winning song was “Into the West” from “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”. As much as I loved that movie, the song was nowhere near the powerhouse that “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow” is. “Kiss” really pushes the limits of what music can be in a film. “Into the West” is little more than underscoring, but “Kiss” is an integral part of the story in addition to a wonderful song. However all of the Oscar voters were swept up in LOTR-induced fever and gave that film a whopping 11 statues. I think that in this case it would have been good to share the wealth.

Other nominees were “Scarlet Tide” and “You Will be my Ain True Love” from “Cold Mountain” and “Belleville Reundez-vous” from “The Triplets of Belleville”.

This review was written on June 8, 2008

INTO THE WILD (2007)

INTO THE WILD
Directed by Sean Penn
Starring Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, and Hal Holbrook

“Into the Wild” is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who abandons is family and possessions and pursues life on the road leading him from Baja, California to South Dakota and eventually to the Alaskan wilderness. This is the third movie written and directed by Sean Penn and in it he shows that he is more than just an A+ actor. The screenplay is masterful—Full of nuance and wonderfully written characters. It's a shame that this screenplay wasn't nominated for an Oscar. The portrait of McCandless that he wrote was remarkedly multi-faceted and entirely human. Why did Christopher decide to abandon everything he knew? Was it that he posessed a wisdom well beyond his years and had realized the key to happiness? Or was he just trying to get back at his parents for years of mental and spiritual abuse? This movie paints a blur, portraying Christoper alternately as pseudo-messiah and selfish 20-something. Emile Hirsch, as Christoper, brings a full performance, which I'm sure must have been a runner-up for an Oscar nomination. If he keeps making movies like this, I'm sure a little, golden statue is in his future.

It's rare to find a movie where every character in a large supporting cast is so well portrayed. Truly, the team of actors who make up the supporting cast are this movie's greatest strength. Christoper's journey to find himself and find true happiness could have easily been cut short if he had listened to the advice given to him by all of these people he met on his way to Alaska. Boil this movie down to it's bare essentials and you'll find an old adage: No man is an island. Everyone tries to tell him this, but he refuses to listen, and by the time he figures it out for himself his life has irreversibly turned tragic.

This movie received two Oscar nominations. One was for Best Supporting Actor, for Hal Holbrook who played Ron Franz, an old man who tries to give the benefit of his years of experience to Christopher. Holbrook will lead you to tears. His is a performance of the highest class—Full of real emotion and pathos. The Oscar went to Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”. Also nominated were Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson's War”, and Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton.”

The other nomination was for Editing. The editing in this movie was outstanding. It really helped build the tension and reveal the story wonderfully. The Oscar went to “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Other nominees were “No Country for Old Men”, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, and “There Will be Blood”.

This review was written on April 19, 2008

SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942)

SALUDOS AMIGOS


When you think of Disney films, “Saludos Amigos” is probably not the first one to come to mind. It's only 42 minutes long, making it the shortest feature-length Disney film to date. According to Oscar eligibility rules a film only has to be 40 minutes long to count as a feature film, so “Saludos Amigos” just barely passes the mark. There is no through-line plot. It's half animated and half documentary about the Disney animators going to South America to get inspiration for cartoons. The four cartoons they came up with were “Lake Titicaca”, starring Donald Duck, “Pedro”, about a young airplane and his first journey across the deadly Andes Mountains to get the mail, “El Gaucho Goofy”, which is along the same vein as other cartoons where Goofy teaches the audience how to do something, and “Aquarela de Brasil”, which is in the style of Disney's Silly Symphonies.

I read online that these four cartoons were originally supposed to be shown separately, but were put together with the documentary footage because it was believed that they would only be of interest in the country that they were about. I don't know if that's a justified fear or not. Movies from other countries and about other countries are shown here and can be quite popular. American movies are always very popular overseas. But oh well, it wasn't my decision to make. It was of nice to see the footage of the Disney animators learning about South American culture, even if it did make the entire film seem a little cobbled together. The animation is wonderful. It's classic Disney—Very funny and featuring characters that we all know and love.

This movie was nominated for three Oscars. It didn't win any of them. The first nomination was for Best Original Song for the title song. Honestly it's not that impressive. It's one of TEN nominees that year, and it just doesn't hold up to the other songs, many of which have become standards. The other nominees were 'Happiness is a Thing Called Joe' from “Cabin in the Sky”, 'Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There' from “Hers to Hold”, 'Change of Heart' from “Hit Parade of 1943”, 'My Shining Hour' from “The Sky's the Limit”, 'You'd be So Nice to Come Home To' from “Something to Shout About”, 'We Musn't Say Goodbye' from “Stage Door Canteen”, 'That Old Black Magic' from “Star Spangled Rhythm”, and 'They're Either Too Old or Too Young', from “Thank Your Lucky Stars”. The winning song was 'You'll Never Know' from “Hello Frisco, Hello”.

The second nomination was for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. Disney films are always known for their delightful scores, but this movie just gets lost in the field of ten nominees. The winner was “This is the Army”. Other nominees were “Coney Island”, “Hit Parade of 1943”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Sky's the Limit”, “Something to Shout About”, “Stage Door Canteen”, “Star Spangled Rhythm”, and “Thousands Cheer”.

The third nomination was for Outstanding Sound Recording. In this year they nominated an insane amount of films for each category. “Saludos Amigos” was one of TWELVE nominees! The winner was “This Land is Mine”. Other nominees were “Hangmen Also Die!”, “In Old Oklahoma”, “Madame Curie”, “The North Star”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Riding High”, “Sahara”, “So This is Washington”, “Song of Bernadette”, and “This is the Army”.

Originally Written on June 2, 2008