Smart People, Defying Gravity, Stand by Me
Smart People
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
Even though I’ve seen this kind of movie before, I still really liked it because it had a good balance between comedy and drama. Not only is it about family dynamics, it’s also about relationships outside the home (or lack thereof). In the middle of the film, I realized the greatness of its title. Yes, most of the characters are smart academic-wise but some of them lack emotional intelligence, which makes it harder for them to be liked by others. Dennis Quaid is great as a professor and a father who not only wants to get his book published but also become the head of the English department. Quaid is often very elegant and I think he truly shines. A lot of people claim that Ellen Page plays the same role as a blend between quirky and too smart for her own good. I disagree because her character here is not as likable as Juno; the nuances in Page’s acting can be discovered if one decides to look deeper into the character she’s playing. I also really liked Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, and especially Ashton Holmes. I first took notice of him in “Wind Chill” (but seen “A History of Violence” first) and I’m glad to have stumbled upon him again. His character brings heart and something different to the story. Overall, this movie may not be the most original but I thought it was smart, funny, and heartbreaking; for a movie that’s only about an hour and thirty minutes long, in the last few scenes, I feel like the characters have grown a lot. This is worth a rental if one likes character studies.
Defying Gravity (1997)
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
Overall, I’m glad to have stumbled over this small gay-themed movie even though it had its flaws. I enjoyed the characters, especially the romance between Daniel Chilson and Don Handfield. Even though I wish there were more scenes of them together because those were when the movie became alive (they have great chemistry!), in a way their limited time on screen together made their interactions that much more special. I also liked Chilson’s relationship with his best friend, played by Niklaus Lange. I had major doubts about Lange’s character because at first the filmmakers weren’t using him the best possible way. I was suspicious (and slightly annoyed) because they didn’t know what to do with him. Luckily enough, they found the right angle regarding Lange’s character so I was very happy about that. One of the highlights of the film involves Chilson and Lange’s conversation in the mountains. A character that I wanted to get to know more was the girl played by Linna Carter. Instead, she just appeared in and out of the story without really having much of a purpose. On the more negative side, I thought that the writing was borderline terrible. Yes, it was made in the 90′s and it’s a small film but those are not excuses. I’ve seen plenty of films that are older than twenty years and films that didn’t have a big budget that have a really good script. I actually laughed out loud during some of the scenes because some characters would say things like “very… uncool!” when someone messes up. In a way, I felt like I was watching a TV-movie during some scenes. I give this film kudos for actually wanting to focus on the story, unlike most LGBT movies that focus too much on the sex scenes. This one barely had any but it was interesting to watch because we ultimately care for the characters.
Stand by Me
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
This is without a doubt one of the best coming-of-age tales I’ve ever seen. I haven’t read the novella by Stephen King which this film was based on so I don’t know how close this movie followed the original material. However, I cannot praise this film any higher. The four main cast is top notch: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell. Each of them were put on the spotlight during their journey to see a dead body, so we really got to know them well, despite the film’s running time of only about an hour and thirty-five minutes. Wheaton is the writer whose brother had died, played by John Cusack, and doesn’t feel accepted by his father, Phoenix is the natural leader of the group who is both tough and sympathetic, Feldman is the sarcastic kid and is a bit emotionally disturbed, and O’Connell is the “fat kid” who desperately wants to belong with the group by trying to prove himself. I found this film to be really insightful about not only childhood friendships but all kinds of friendships in general. The scenes where Wheaton and Phoenix would bond by sharing their thoughts and emotions really put tears in my eyes because their acting was top-notch; I felt like I was watching regular people shedding their souls in order to achieve some sort of an understanding. For a pretty short picture, there were so many highlights which include the bridge, the leech, Wheaton’s revenge story around the campire, and of course the scenes where Wheaton and Phoenix were one-on-one, just talking about their failures, successes, and goals. Another actor that is worth mentioning is Kiefer Sutherland as the bully. He’s was intimidating… but in a good way. I was convinced that he could actually hurt the four kids. I have to say that he somewhat kind of reminded me of Emile Hirsch in “Alpha Dog” (the tough guy persona) and “The Air I Breathe” (looks-wise). This was really a joy to watch because each scene has something special and memorable in it. That certain glow that the picture had made it look timeless, and the script combined with Rob Reiner’s excellent direction made this more than just a movie for me.
