FROM THE ARCHIVES

Tag: drama

Midway Review
Entertainment

Midway Review (2019)

Gary Smith

Midway got written off by critics in 2019 and that was mostly unfair. Roland Emmerich's Pacific War epic is flawed but worth your time, especially around this Memorial Day weekend and the lead up to it.

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The Children's Hour Review 1961
Entertainment

The Children’s Hour Review (1961)

Gary Smith

William Wyler directs Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine in one of the darker films either actress ever made. A child's malicious lie destroys two women's lives, and the ending doesn't pull its punch.

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Ultimate Audrey Hepburn Rewatch Hub - Her 5 Best Films Ranked
Entertainment

Top 5 Audrey Hepburn Movies

Gary Smith

Audrey Hepburn had a career that spanned five decades and remains one of the most timeless filmographies in Hollywood history. From Roman Holiday to Wait Until Dark, here are her five best films — plus honorable mentions and a few misses.

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Deep Impact Review (1998)
Entertainment

Deep Impact Review (1998)

Gary Smith

Deep Impact came out the same summer as Armageddon and has been unfairly compared to it ever since. It is the better film. Robert Duvall is outstanding, Tea Leoni earns her emotional payoff, and it treats the audience like adults.

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Here on Earth Review
Entertainment

Here on Earth Review (2000)

Gary Smith

Here on Earth is everything A Walk to Remember does right, done wrong. Two unlikable leads, a sympathetic boyfriend treated like an obstacle, and an emotional payoff the film never earns. Leelee Sobieski deserved better material than this.

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The Elder Son Review
Entertainment

The Elder Son Review

Gary Smith

The Elder Son is a light comedy drama that asks very little of you and delivers a pleasant hour and a half in return. Great performances from Shane West, Leelee Sobieski, and a great Rade Serbedzija make it worth your time.

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Lars and the Real Girl Review
Entertainment

Lars and the Real Girl Review (2007)

Gary Smith

Lars and the Real Girl is not what you think it is. It is sincere, warm, and quietly beautiful, carried by a Ryan Gosling performance that never winks at the audience once. One of the most underrated films of the 2000s.

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Mr. Holland's Opus Review
Entertainment

Mr. Holland’s Opus Review (1995)

Gary Smith

Richard Dreyfuss delivers the best performance of his career in a film that spans thirty years of one man's life and earns every emotion it asks you to feel. The ending alone is worth the price of admission.

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Entertainment

Draft Day Review (2014)

William McPherson1 Comment

Draft Day is a genuinely interesting behind the scenes look at how the NFL operates on the biggest day of the calendar. Great cast, compelling premise, but the writers didn't trust their own story enough to leave well enough alone.

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Entertainment

Joan of Arc Review (1999)

Gary Smith1 Comment

The 1999 CBS miniseries had no business being this good. Leelee Sobieski was just sixteen years old and already delivering one of the finest portrayals of Joan of Arc ever committed to screen. This one holds up.

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My First Mister Review
Entertainment

My First Mister Review (2001)

Gary Smith1 Comment

Christine Lahti's My First Mister is one of the most overlooked films of 2001. Sobieski and Brooks share an unlikely chemistry that carries this quiet gem almost all the way home — almost being the operative word.

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Jersey Boys Review
Entertainment

Jersey Boys Review (2014)

William McPherson

Jersey Boys (2014) Here is a musical for old farts. And I'll go ahead and admit right now, even though I'm only 28, I've kind of always been an old fart at heart. When it comes to music that old farts like, it doesn't get much older or fartier than Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Along with my appreciation for timeless music, I'm also a sucker for great coming-of-age music movies like Almost Famous and That Thing You Do, which rank among my all-time favorites. Jersey Boys isn't quite on that…

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