Tom Hanks may have gotten snubbed this year by the Academy, which failed to nominate him for his exceptional work in Captain Phillips, but he remains one of our most celebrated dramatic actors. Many of his younger fans, however, might not realize that before he turned to serious roles, he was just a goofy comic…
For viewers inclined toward anti-corporate sentiment – which is probably more than a few of you these days – Saving Mr. Banks will be an uphill climb from the start. The story itself doesn’t set off too many red flags: P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), the author of the novel on which Mary Poppins was based,…
I’ve got a new post up at Movie Mezzanine this morning. You’ve probably noticed that I’m publishing more and more of my articles at other sites – and fewer here at my blog. This is a trend that I hope will continue; as much as I value having this space, I always appreciate having my…
I had a piece in The Atlantic this afternoon on Big and the other body-swap movies (Vice Versa, 18 Again!, Like Father, Like Son) of the late ’80s. Here is an excerpt: The dominant, lasting image in all these films is that of a grown man acting like a child. In Big, Vice Versa, and Like Father, Like Son, the…
Thirteen years ago, The Matrix was released, and its themes of oppression and revolution connected deeply with critics and audiences alike. The filmmakers – siblings Andy and Lana Wachowski – were similarly oppressed by its success and have spent the last decade failing to live up to it. But now their time has come. In…
George Clooney is hosting a $12 million fundraiser for President Obama’s re-election campaign. Bill Maher gave a $1 million contribution, making him the campaign’s biggest individual donor. Eva Longoria has been made campaign co-chair and is doing serious outreach to the Hispanic community. It is clear that President Obama is emphasizing celebrity support in his…
We’re counting down the Top Five Most Liberal Movies of All-Time. Click here to read about #5 and #4. But now it’s on to… 3. “The ‘Burbs” I think of 1989-1991 as Tom Hanks’ magic years – after his breakout role in “Big” and before he started to move away from comedy with “Philadelphia.” Along with “Joe…
Last week, we counted down the Top 5 Most (Secretly) Conservative Movies of All-Time. When I started thinking about the list, I was as shocked as you were to see some of my favorite movie stars in such conservative movies. Does this mean that the actors, writers, and directors involved in those movies are really…
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