This film was horrible, even worse than Dirty Grandpa which ironically enough also starred Zac Efron and Aubrey Plaza.
Here, Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) are partiers and smooth-talking salesman who use cheap tactics to earn a living. They ruin all family gatherings with their rowdy ways. And their father (Stephen Root) is sick of it. They are ordered to bring dates, nice girls to their sister's (Sugar Lyn Beard's) Hawaii wedding. So, like all responsible adults, they post an add to Craigslist and two girls who have just as many issues as they do answer it. Alice (Anna Kendrick) and Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) are also heavy drinkers and enjoy the recreational marijuana, among other drugs and in desperate need of a vacation. But they act nice, Tatiana is a teacher while Alice manages a hedge fund, something which she explains badly.
Naturally, this ruse doesn't last long and things turn ugly when the truth is revealed. Turns out Alice was badly wounded at her own wedding when her groom left her at the altar. And Dave actually wants to break free of his needy brother and do his own thing, draw graphic novels.
Now, everything works out in the end, with the misfits bound together to fix what they broke. Jeannie ends up getting married anyway.
The film isn't good, with the messages it tried to make falling flat. The characters have learned nothing and despite doing nothing really good in their lives until helping Jeannie get married, have a happy ending. All four of the main actors are far better than the script and have turned in far better performances in other films, and in Plaza's case, an excellent television show. They deserved far better than this dreadful film.
The supporting characters are actually slightly more interesting than the main ones, with Jeannie's groom, Eric (Sam Richardson) finally pulling a one eighty toward the end, to get everyone to realize how selfish they are, and Jeannie is also great in that scene where she is higher than a kite. And cousin Terry (Alice Wetterlund) is just an odd character in a sort of sick competition with Mike over women.
Unfortunately, this film is also barely funny, with sole scene is when the brothers argue and their mikes are on, exposing everything to the whole wedding party and guests. And it is certainly cute that Jeannie and Eric have their own secret hand clapping ritual before they kiss and make-up. These people needed to learn their lessons and grow up and the film would be better for it. Grade: C-
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Middle: Dental Hijinks
Mike (Neil Flynn) can certainly handle his pain. Frankie (Patricia Heaton) claims to her boss, Dr. Goodwin (Jack MacBrayer) that Mike has a sore tooth and has had one for weeks, but he never complains and Mike won't see anyone about it. But he gives in and then forces Dr. Goodwin to lie to Frankie about it; they get a beer instead but Dr. Goodwin. The lie grows into something bigger and bigger until Mike can't handle the pressure anymore and finally actually gives in and lets Dr. Goodwin drill in his mouth.
Axl (Charlie McDermott), Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) and Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) decide that it is finally time to sell the Winnebago as they can't take it with them, so after their last rager, they find some freshman, eerily similar to themselves who are eager to take it off their hands. However, they soon regret that decision as that means they won't be able to spend the last three months of college together so Axl lies to the freshman, saying that they would need to be responsible for all the unpaid parking tickets if they bought it so the legend will live on for a few more months. I think that was probably also a good idea in the long run, as Axl won't have as great of a future that he wanted and plans on having.
Sue (Eden Sher) desperately wants a man. And she has finally settled on one: Tyler (Keaton Savage), who drives the golf cart around campus, giving both the injured and intoxicated a ride around. Of course, Jeremy (Will Camp) tries to ruin things at first but Tyler still nevertheless invites Sue over to watch a movie with him and his girlfriend, Julia (Jesse Sherman) who is nice, but notices that Tyler doesn't like her much anymore.
Naturally, Sue is devastated about this and doesn't really want anything to do with him anymore but Tyler informs her that Julia broke up with him because she feels that he likes someone else. Sue takes this the wrong way, not understanding that it is she. At least this one has a nice ending. Sue just might get that boyfriend she so desperately craves. It must be nice getting what you want.
Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) plot line is thin. He is attempting to write the next Hamilton, but this time it would be a Scottish rap about his own personal hero, Sir Charles McKenzie. It actually isn't completely horrible, but it isn't selected to be the next musical at the high school, but he won't give up until it is a hit.
Though I prefer the plot lines to converge into something special, this one was nice, with some fine performances by the guest stars and Tyler is an interesting character and now we will be seeing more of him. I still like Lexie (Danielle Bodadilla) better. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-It is never a good idea to talk to a guy about how heavy your periods are.
-Beverages and food are not included at the annual Bago bash.
-Chips need to accompanied by their respective dips.
-Sue is like me, whenever people are smoking something around her, she holds her breath until she can't anymore.
-Tyler also isn't into parties. He likes a quiet dinner and Netflix. He fully admits that he is basically forty. Me too.
-Jeremy is only in that one scene but it is hilarious. He hasn't had the energy to chain himself to anything in months and probably ate real meat. Sue fracked his heart and the meat was imitation, just like her love. And when he needs to puke, he must do it on the eco-on building so it will mean something.
-Sue can't believe she hasn't thought of mixing M+Ms with popcorn as Julia did.
-Frankie will get the code to the key pad so she can use the side door and not have to walk as much.
-Also, Sue, you don't need a man. They aren't necessary. And you're lucky, you always find nice guys who respect you. I haven't been that lucky. In fact, I wasn't even kissed for the first time until I was twenty-five. And yet, I'm better off without them. And now that you have a boyfriend, Sue, don't forget about your truly wonderful friends.
-Trying is a win for a Heck.
Axl (Charlie McDermott), Hutch (Alphonso McAuley) and Kenny (Tommy Bechtold) decide that it is finally time to sell the Winnebago as they can't take it with them, so after their last rager, they find some freshman, eerily similar to themselves who are eager to take it off their hands. However, they soon regret that decision as that means they won't be able to spend the last three months of college together so Axl lies to the freshman, saying that they would need to be responsible for all the unpaid parking tickets if they bought it so the legend will live on for a few more months. I think that was probably also a good idea in the long run, as Axl won't have as great of a future that he wanted and plans on having.
Sue (Eden Sher) desperately wants a man. And she has finally settled on one: Tyler (Keaton Savage), who drives the golf cart around campus, giving both the injured and intoxicated a ride around. Of course, Jeremy (Will Camp) tries to ruin things at first but Tyler still nevertheless invites Sue over to watch a movie with him and his girlfriend, Julia (Jesse Sherman) who is nice, but notices that Tyler doesn't like her much anymore.
Naturally, Sue is devastated about this and doesn't really want anything to do with him anymore but Tyler informs her that Julia broke up with him because she feels that he likes someone else. Sue takes this the wrong way, not understanding that it is she. At least this one has a nice ending. Sue just might get that boyfriend she so desperately craves. It must be nice getting what you want.
Brick's (Atticus Shaffer's) plot line is thin. He is attempting to write the next Hamilton, but this time it would be a Scottish rap about his own personal hero, Sir Charles McKenzie. It actually isn't completely horrible, but it isn't selected to be the next musical at the high school, but he won't give up until it is a hit.
Though I prefer the plot lines to converge into something special, this one was nice, with some fine performances by the guest stars and Tyler is an interesting character and now we will be seeing more of him. I still like Lexie (Danielle Bodadilla) better. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-It is never a good idea to talk to a guy about how heavy your periods are.
-Beverages and food are not included at the annual Bago bash.
-Chips need to accompanied by their respective dips.
-Sue is like me, whenever people are smoking something around her, she holds her breath until she can't anymore.
-Tyler also isn't into parties. He likes a quiet dinner and Netflix. He fully admits that he is basically forty. Me too.
-Jeremy is only in that one scene but it is hilarious. He hasn't had the energy to chain himself to anything in months and probably ate real meat. Sue fracked his heart and the meat was imitation, just like her love. And when he needs to puke, he must do it on the eco-on building so it will mean something.
-Sue can't believe she hasn't thought of mixing M+Ms with popcorn as Julia did.
-Frankie will get the code to the key pad so she can use the side door and not have to walk as much.
-Also, Sue, you don't need a man. They aren't necessary. And you're lucky, you always find nice guys who respect you. I haven't been that lucky. In fact, I wasn't even kissed for the first time until I was twenty-five. And yet, I'm better off without them. And now that you have a boyfriend, Sue, don't forget about your truly wonderful friends.
-Trying is a win for a Heck.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Mary and Martha (2013)
This HBO film wasn't bad, but I felt like they could have done a better job.
Mary Morgan (Hilary Swank) takes her son to South Africa for an experiment as he was being bullied at school and used free time wasting away playing video games. And young George (Lux Haney-Jardine) is having the time of his life until, thanks to a hole in the mosquito netting, he dies suddenly of malaria. Mary is devastated and blames herself.
Upon her return trip, she meets Martha (Brenda Blethyn) whose own son, Ben (Sam Claflin) died of malaria while he was working/volunteering at an orphanage down there. Together, they decide to help fight to end the deadly disease, only then does the film finally move along, even though it folds out just like you have seen before, in other films, but that doesn't make it any less effective.
Malaria is indeed a killer, killing many more people each year than terrorist attacks and the Vietnam conflict. And, with the proper netting, completely preventable. Ben, in his case, gave his malaria pills away to the children, but the poor guy dies off-screen, unlike the young George, whose death fuels the film. Poor Mary does blame herself, but has to turn her grief into something good, which she does. She just wants to save one life.
Despite the good performances and message, the film is slow going and I wish they had added the perspective of someone on the inside, instead of doing the typical Hollywood white-washing everything. And why was Paul (one of the orphans) taken to a different hospital than George? Grade: B+
Mary Morgan (Hilary Swank) takes her son to South Africa for an experiment as he was being bullied at school and used free time wasting away playing video games. And young George (Lux Haney-Jardine) is having the time of his life until, thanks to a hole in the mosquito netting, he dies suddenly of malaria. Mary is devastated and blames herself.
Upon her return trip, she meets Martha (Brenda Blethyn) whose own son, Ben (Sam Claflin) died of malaria while he was working/volunteering at an orphanage down there. Together, they decide to help fight to end the deadly disease, only then does the film finally move along, even though it folds out just like you have seen before, in other films, but that doesn't make it any less effective.
Malaria is indeed a killer, killing many more people each year than terrorist attacks and the Vietnam conflict. And, with the proper netting, completely preventable. Ben, in his case, gave his malaria pills away to the children, but the poor guy dies off-screen, unlike the young George, whose death fuels the film. Poor Mary does blame herself, but has to turn her grief into something good, which she does. She just wants to save one life.
Despite the good performances and message, the film is slow going and I wish they had added the perspective of someone on the inside, instead of doing the typical Hollywood white-washing everything. And why was Paul (one of the orphans) taken to a different hospital than George? Grade: B+
Friday, February 17, 2017
Rush (2013)
This film was actually better than I expected, considering I know nothing about Formula One racing. Here, we have the portrait of two completely different champions: James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), the blond British Playboy and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl, the better role), the Austrian hothead. While Hunt celebrates his victories with extra booze and women, Lauda stays loyal to his wife and actually values marriage. (He wears a wedding ring; Hunt does not.)
They have a rivalry on the track, with Lauda having the far better work ethic and a better understanding of how the vehicles work where Hunt is more brash and daring when he races. And then, the unthinkable happens: Lauda is badly burned in early August 1976, during a race on the Grand Prix circuit. He is in the hospital for about forty days and undergoes a skin graft but upon his release and against medical advice, he almost immediately returns to racing to defend his World Championship. He finishes a mere fourth but that finish is celebrated by many. Hunt didn't finish, engine troubles. However, though Lauda has his second straight championship in the bag, the weather conditions are so dreadful in Japan, he forfeits the race, wanting to come home to his wife at the end of the day.
But he would have two more in his lifetime, that one victory was all Hunt needed to fuel him for the rest of his too short life.
Despite the words they have to say to each other, they do truly respect each other and when a reporter is cruel to Niki upon his release saying how can his wife love him when he looks as bad as he does, Hunt beats up that reporter afterwards. And Hunt's victories while Lauda was recovering inspired him to get back out on the track even though Hunt was the one who insisted on racing in the rainy conditions in the first place.
My faults with the film include the scene where Hunt is disqualified from a race because his car is an inch too short. I wanted to know why that would mean he was disqualified and what some of the other car-related reasons for disqualification could be. And then, his win is reinstated and I wonder how that could be possible. I also thought Olivia Wilde was wasted in her small role as the model Suzy Miller, Hunt's wife, who would leave him for Richard Burton. I also wanted more of Lauda's relationship with his wife Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara) especially after his accident in which she stood by his side and he respected her for it.
Despite that, the film had the necessary authentic feel and the actors were quite good and that made the film incredibly watchable. Watch for great actors Natalie Dormer, Christian McKay and James Norton (literally one of the few things the male gender has going for it at the moment) in small parts. Grade: B+
They have a rivalry on the track, with Lauda having the far better work ethic and a better understanding of how the vehicles work where Hunt is more brash and daring when he races. And then, the unthinkable happens: Lauda is badly burned in early August 1976, during a race on the Grand Prix circuit. He is in the hospital for about forty days and undergoes a skin graft but upon his release and against medical advice, he almost immediately returns to racing to defend his World Championship. He finishes a mere fourth but that finish is celebrated by many. Hunt didn't finish, engine troubles. However, though Lauda has his second straight championship in the bag, the weather conditions are so dreadful in Japan, he forfeits the race, wanting to come home to his wife at the end of the day.
But he would have two more in his lifetime, that one victory was all Hunt needed to fuel him for the rest of his too short life.
Despite the words they have to say to each other, they do truly respect each other and when a reporter is cruel to Niki upon his release saying how can his wife love him when he looks as bad as he does, Hunt beats up that reporter afterwards. And Hunt's victories while Lauda was recovering inspired him to get back out on the track even though Hunt was the one who insisted on racing in the rainy conditions in the first place.
My faults with the film include the scene where Hunt is disqualified from a race because his car is an inch too short. I wanted to know why that would mean he was disqualified and what some of the other car-related reasons for disqualification could be. And then, his win is reinstated and I wonder how that could be possible. I also thought Olivia Wilde was wasted in her small role as the model Suzy Miller, Hunt's wife, who would leave him for Richard Burton. I also wanted more of Lauda's relationship with his wife Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara) especially after his accident in which she stood by his side and he respected her for it.
Despite that, the film had the necessary authentic feel and the actors were quite good and that made the film incredibly watchable. Watch for great actors Natalie Dormer, Christian McKay and James Norton (literally one of the few things the male gender has going for it at the moment) in small parts. Grade: B+
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
The Middle: Sorry, Not Sorry
Well, this is probably the worst episode for Valentine's Day ever. In the past, we have had Sue (Eden Sher) and Darrin's (John Gammon's) first kiss over the trash can and then he proposed to her and everything but now we have the Hecks fighting, nothing going right, with water leaking through an open pipe in the basement and Brick (Atticus Shaffer) missing the deadline to turn in his paper online because the computer wasn't working properly.
This leads to a huge argument between Mike (Neil Flynn) and Frankie (Patricia Heaton) over the division of household chores and which one has the harder job, leading Brick to contacting Sue and Axl (Charlie McDermott) for an intervention. Which does happen and Mike and Frankie feel guilty over all the yelling which distressed Brick, however, then they realize that half or more of their arguments are because of the kids. They would be far happier without them. Taking back their apology, they force the kids to help, which leads Brick to trip down the steps so badly, he sprains his ankle. Which once again leads them to feeling guilty. But they decide to take different approaches, Frankie wants to let the kids come to them, and Sue does come down but she's the easy one. Mike goes up to force Axl to come down, but he was out getting the family burgers and a wet-vac, to make things easier and yes, he did realize that he should have come down to help. And then he throws back that Mike never apologizes while his exist even if they aren't great or often sincere.
Meanwhile, Sue has a heart-to-heart with Frankie, saying that Frankie likes the drama and needs to take care of herself first.
The Hecks realize that their children are growing up and even use the word mature to describe Axl, going where they have not gone before. And Mike actually apologizes for not picking up soap, which makes Frankie's mouth drop open. But she takes Sue's advice to heart and doesn't make a big deal out of it, which would probably lead to more yelling.
While this wasn't a bad episode, I feel that they attempted to do something similar in both seasons one and three, and I wanted a sappy Valentine's Day episode, but important points were made and Frankie was right, the kids were watching their actions the whole time, just as we were. And this episode also didn't need any guest stars, but they didn't need them. The Heck family is strong enough to carry the show themselves. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Frankie won't let stand for hose spaghetti, but hose coffee is okay.
-Brick doesn't want to let the state know how late they are feeding him as they still probably have a file open.
-Mike never wants to go down into the basement again.
-Brick had to write a paper on the Louisiana Purchase on a computer without an 'l'.
-Mike changes the oil in the car and shovels snow off the driveway, while Frankie buys the family dinner and knows everyone's schedules.
-Mike hates that everything is on a cloud these days.
-When Frankie starts crying, Mike tells her not to, as the house is wet enough.
-Also, Brick is in high school now, he can help himself to snacks on his own.
-I guess the Hecks will never have an actual vacation to Florida.
-Sue crawls through a hole in the wall to get into her brothers' room.
-Axl does his laundry at Sue's place now.
-Axl attended about half of his classes. Yikes.
This leads to a huge argument between Mike (Neil Flynn) and Frankie (Patricia Heaton) over the division of household chores and which one has the harder job, leading Brick to contacting Sue and Axl (Charlie McDermott) for an intervention. Which does happen and Mike and Frankie feel guilty over all the yelling which distressed Brick, however, then they realize that half or more of their arguments are because of the kids. They would be far happier without them. Taking back their apology, they force the kids to help, which leads Brick to trip down the steps so badly, he sprains his ankle. Which once again leads them to feeling guilty. But they decide to take different approaches, Frankie wants to let the kids come to them, and Sue does come down but she's the easy one. Mike goes up to force Axl to come down, but he was out getting the family burgers and a wet-vac, to make things easier and yes, he did realize that he should have come down to help. And then he throws back that Mike never apologizes while his exist even if they aren't great or often sincere.
Meanwhile, Sue has a heart-to-heart with Frankie, saying that Frankie likes the drama and needs to take care of herself first.
The Hecks realize that their children are growing up and even use the word mature to describe Axl, going where they have not gone before. And Mike actually apologizes for not picking up soap, which makes Frankie's mouth drop open. But she takes Sue's advice to heart and doesn't make a big deal out of it, which would probably lead to more yelling.
While this wasn't a bad episode, I feel that they attempted to do something similar in both seasons one and three, and I wanted a sappy Valentine's Day episode, but important points were made and Frankie was right, the kids were watching their actions the whole time, just as we were. And this episode also didn't need any guest stars, but they didn't need them. The Heck family is strong enough to carry the show themselves. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Frankie won't let stand for hose spaghetti, but hose coffee is okay.
-Brick doesn't want to let the state know how late they are feeding him as they still probably have a file open.
-Mike never wants to go down into the basement again.
-Brick had to write a paper on the Louisiana Purchase on a computer without an 'l'.
-Mike changes the oil in the car and shovels snow off the driveway, while Frankie buys the family dinner and knows everyone's schedules.
-Mike hates that everything is on a cloud these days.
-When Frankie starts crying, Mike tells her not to, as the house is wet enough.
-Also, Brick is in high school now, he can help himself to snacks on his own.
-I guess the Hecks will never have an actual vacation to Florida.
-Sue crawls through a hole in the wall to get into her brothers' room.
-Axl does his laundry at Sue's place now.
-Axl attended about half of his classes. Yikes.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
I Know Where I'm Going (1945)
This is a little British film just as World War II was ending. In this one, Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller, pitch perfect) is a middle class working girl who has big dreams and they are about to come true, she's off to marry a rich man (never shown on screen).
But her carefully laid plans are ruined when her travels to the Scottish island of Kiloran are derailed by gales of wind, forcing her to stay on a larger island where she falls in love with the owner of the island and naval man on leave, Torquil McNeil (Roger Livesey) who prefers the simpler things in life.
Joan is stubborn and beyond headstrong, determined to get what she wants, what she has spent her whole life trying to get, even risking her own life along with the innocent others to get it, only to have her plans thwarted by the uncompromising weather, but in the end, she picks love and a life with less money.
The film is also filled with some odd Scottish legends and lore, but should be enjoyed for the simplicity of the story and excellence of the performances, even from the minor, unique characters and the transitions between scenes are something to be admired. I do wish they had subtitled the Gaelic phrases, but still, this is a great film with brilliant camera work. Grade: B+
But her carefully laid plans are ruined when her travels to the Scottish island of Kiloran are derailed by gales of wind, forcing her to stay on a larger island where she falls in love with the owner of the island and naval man on leave, Torquil McNeil (Roger Livesey) who prefers the simpler things in life.
Joan is stubborn and beyond headstrong, determined to get what she wants, what she has spent her whole life trying to get, even risking her own life along with the innocent others to get it, only to have her plans thwarted by the uncompromising weather, but in the end, she picks love and a life with less money.
The film is also filled with some odd Scottish legends and lore, but should be enjoyed for the simplicity of the story and excellence of the performances, even from the minor, unique characters and the transitions between scenes are something to be admired. I do wish they had subtitled the Gaelic phrases, but still, this is a great film with brilliant camera work. Grade: B+
Friday, February 10, 2017
The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio (2005)
Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) loves winning contests, but more importantly, she needs to as her husband Kelly (Woody Harrelson) drinks all the extra money and then some. This film is based on the memoir her daughter Tuff (Ellary Porterfield) wrote just after her death but Tuff (real name Terry) isn't the narrator, instead Evelyn is but it is done in such an odd way, especially the toaster scene in the very beginning, and is without a doubt the weakest part of the film.
Though Evelyn has an upbeat attitude, her life was far from happy, begging her husband for milk money and sneaking around him wWhen he is drinking and his baseball team is losing. Fortunately, for the most part, her winnings come just in the nick of time to hold the family together. Her husband is both proud of her great skill but upset that his co-workers pick on him because of all of her winnings. But she does truly love him and he loves her, as he is devastated when he accidentally causes her to fall on some broken milk jugs. Kelly is more than just an alcoholic, he is so attached that when she finally travels for a day, he believes that she finally left him. She answers smartly with the "I would never leave the kids with you."
Evelyn is not infallible, upset when she has to beg the milkman to leave the milk anyway and she will pay him back next week and when her husband can't pay the mortgage and the family will have to split up, she breaks down, but things work out and even Kelly comes through, if he had to die to do it.
While the film is pretty good, telling a simple story well, the book is far better and some things are changed. In the film, Evelyn doesn't get to go to New York with her son Bruce (Trevor Morgan) because another one of her sons gets arrested but in the book she did and Bruce couldn't sleep because it was so quiet.
The performances are good, though I wish the kids would have had more personality and been introduced better. And Moore's big speech to Tuff would have had a bigger effect if Tuff had been the narrator and a bigger part in the film. But Moore and Harrelson are excellent though Laura Dern is wasted in the small role of another contest winning housewife.
The film's best scene is when Evelyn wins a grocery shopping spree and how she planned out everything, loading up her cart with meat and exotic foods, stuff her family had never tried before. She may have longed to travel but has no regrets of how her life went, truly loving her children, and valuing their successes. This film didn't win any awards, nor did it deserve to, but it tells an inspiring story and Moore more than does the role justice. I just wish the script had been as strong as she was. Grade: B
Though Evelyn has an upbeat attitude, her life was far from happy, begging her husband for milk money and sneaking around him wWhen he is drinking and his baseball team is losing. Fortunately, for the most part, her winnings come just in the nick of time to hold the family together. Her husband is both proud of her great skill but upset that his co-workers pick on him because of all of her winnings. But she does truly love him and he loves her, as he is devastated when he accidentally causes her to fall on some broken milk jugs. Kelly is more than just an alcoholic, he is so attached that when she finally travels for a day, he believes that she finally left him. She answers smartly with the "I would never leave the kids with you."
Evelyn is not infallible, upset when she has to beg the milkman to leave the milk anyway and she will pay him back next week and when her husband can't pay the mortgage and the family will have to split up, she breaks down, but things work out and even Kelly comes through, if he had to die to do it.
While the film is pretty good, telling a simple story well, the book is far better and some things are changed. In the film, Evelyn doesn't get to go to New York with her son Bruce (Trevor Morgan) because another one of her sons gets arrested but in the book she did and Bruce couldn't sleep because it was so quiet.
The performances are good, though I wish the kids would have had more personality and been introduced better. And Moore's big speech to Tuff would have had a bigger effect if Tuff had been the narrator and a bigger part in the film. But Moore and Harrelson are excellent though Laura Dern is wasted in the small role of another contest winning housewife.
The film's best scene is when Evelyn wins a grocery shopping spree and how she planned out everything, loading up her cart with meat and exotic foods, stuff her family had never tried before. She may have longed to travel but has no regrets of how her life went, truly loving her children, and valuing their successes. This film didn't win any awards, nor did it deserve to, but it tells an inspiring story and Moore more than does the role justice. I just wish the script had been as strong as she was. Grade: B
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
The Middle: Ovary and Out
Things are happening in the Heck household. Poor Frankie's (Patricia Heaton's) ovaries are akin to wrinkled, dried up grapes so she's upset that she can't have another child. So Mike (Neil Flynn) decides that the solution is babysitting the neighbor's baby. Frankie isn't as happy as you would think, as she knows how much hard work babies are, plus, she didn't actually want another baby, she just wanted to have it as an option.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) finally got his beloved font club to have activity status which means all the kids who come can have their community service credit. And he gets a challenging kid, Gibson (Cooper Roth) who acts all tough and actually knows his stuff and can randomly name fonts off the back of feminine hygiene products. In fact, Brick loses the club over their odd duel of naming the fonts quickest. But as it turns out, Gibson is only an eighth grader, forced to come over to the high school as that is where his mom works and she needs to give him a ride home, so Brick is once again, in charge of the club.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) is happy that his friend Sean (Beau Wirick) has come to visit, but he is most excited about taking a shower in Sue's (Eden Sher's) fancy steam shower. But Sue disappears when Lexie (Daniela Bodadilla) arrives, he literally leaves Sue hanging. The two (Sean and Lexie) get along splendidly and though Axl and Sean act like its fine, they are really grossed out but in the end, they decide not to pursue things further. Lexie feels that Sean is just like every other guy she's dated, someone who is squeaky clean and has their whole life figured out. She needs to date a bad boy, someone who is bumbling along like the rest of us. Sean merely doesn't want to continue their mutual chemistry because he will soon be starting medical school. So that problem is solved. And Sue comes to the conclusion that she needs to put herself out there more. Which is something that we all should do, but Sue will actually do it, unlike me.
In the end, Frankie calls Mike out, for getting the baby for himself as he is at peace sniffing the baby's little head. Then they take the baby for a ride in the car to get her to go asleep and reminisce over when they had done the same thing for their own kids, bringing them down memory lane. Needless to say, it makes them appreciate their own kids more.
While this was a good episode and gave Brick some interesting scenes, I found it odd that Lexie had completely forgotten that moment she and Axl had two episodes ago. But I'm glad this show can't go the route of basically every sitcom in the history of sitcoms, the main couple have a baby as the show gets boring. For this one, that is off the table. And it is nice seeing Mike and Frankie have a real talk, with feelings involved on both ends and also Sue and Axl got along, again, something that we should see more often. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Brick wants Cindy (Casey Burke) by his side as he makes his big announcement that he is resigning. She will do so, but it depends on what he says.
-Sean calmly informs Axl that if Axl had told him how hot Lexie was, he would have visited a lot sooner.
-Lexie knows the name Donohue name from all the care packages Mrs. Donohue sends to Sue. She scones are especially good, from the five pounds of butter she puts in them.
-Sue has taken to calling Mike to chat and mentions that she sometimes she feels special and other times, she doesn't. Mike doesn't feel special.
-Frankie believes that Sue calls him all the time is because she's not dating and he's sort of her boyfriend substitute. Mike has an appropriate grossed out face at that one.
-Axl had his own key to Sue's fancy apartment made, which could be an interesting subplot at some point.
-At first Mike doesn't even ask if the baby is a boy or a girl, but he isn't worried as they will find out eventually.
-Brad Paisley concert tickets are a good anniversary present, for the record.
-Susie Q is a very special snowflake.
-Even Brick knows about Frankie's shriveled ovaries as the walls are very thin in that house. Why am I not surprised?
-Brick needed to obtain some paper to see fonts in their natural form.
Brick (Atticus Shaffer) finally got his beloved font club to have activity status which means all the kids who come can have their community service credit. And he gets a challenging kid, Gibson (Cooper Roth) who acts all tough and actually knows his stuff and can randomly name fonts off the back of feminine hygiene products. In fact, Brick loses the club over their odd duel of naming the fonts quickest. But as it turns out, Gibson is only an eighth grader, forced to come over to the high school as that is where his mom works and she needs to give him a ride home, so Brick is once again, in charge of the club.
Axl (Charlie McDermott) is happy that his friend Sean (Beau Wirick) has come to visit, but he is most excited about taking a shower in Sue's (Eden Sher's) fancy steam shower. But Sue disappears when Lexie (Daniela Bodadilla) arrives, he literally leaves Sue hanging. The two (Sean and Lexie) get along splendidly and though Axl and Sean act like its fine, they are really grossed out but in the end, they decide not to pursue things further. Lexie feels that Sean is just like every other guy she's dated, someone who is squeaky clean and has their whole life figured out. She needs to date a bad boy, someone who is bumbling along like the rest of us. Sean merely doesn't want to continue their mutual chemistry because he will soon be starting medical school. So that problem is solved. And Sue comes to the conclusion that she needs to put herself out there more. Which is something that we all should do, but Sue will actually do it, unlike me.
In the end, Frankie calls Mike out, for getting the baby for himself as he is at peace sniffing the baby's little head. Then they take the baby for a ride in the car to get her to go asleep and reminisce over when they had done the same thing for their own kids, bringing them down memory lane. Needless to say, it makes them appreciate their own kids more.
While this was a good episode and gave Brick some interesting scenes, I found it odd that Lexie had completely forgotten that moment she and Axl had two episodes ago. But I'm glad this show can't go the route of basically every sitcom in the history of sitcoms, the main couple have a baby as the show gets boring. For this one, that is off the table. And it is nice seeing Mike and Frankie have a real talk, with feelings involved on both ends and also Sue and Axl got along, again, something that we should see more often. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Brick wants Cindy (Casey Burke) by his side as he makes his big announcement that he is resigning. She will do so, but it depends on what he says.
-Sean calmly informs Axl that if Axl had told him how hot Lexie was, he would have visited a lot sooner.
-Lexie knows the name Donohue name from all the care packages Mrs. Donohue sends to Sue. She scones are especially good, from the five pounds of butter she puts in them.
-Sue has taken to calling Mike to chat and mentions that she sometimes she feels special and other times, she doesn't. Mike doesn't feel special.
-Frankie believes that Sue calls him all the time is because she's not dating and he's sort of her boyfriend substitute. Mike has an appropriate grossed out face at that one.
-Axl had his own key to Sue's fancy apartment made, which could be an interesting subplot at some point.
-At first Mike doesn't even ask if the baby is a boy or a girl, but he isn't worried as they will find out eventually.
-Brad Paisley concert tickets are a good anniversary present, for the record.
-Susie Q is a very special snowflake.
-Even Brick knows about Frankie's shriveled ovaries as the walls are very thin in that house. Why am I not surprised?
-Brick needed to obtain some paper to see fonts in their natural form.
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