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Green Card starring Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell

Posted on September 5, 2010 Written by ripitup

Green Card starring Andie MacDowell and Gerard Depardieu. Written and directed by Peter Weir. 1990.

George (Gerard Depardieu) is a French man wanting to stay in the States. Bronte (Andie MacDowell) is a horticulturist, who has just found her dream apartment: a roof floor with its own greenhouse. Through a mutual friend, they make a deal. George and Bronte meet, get married and go their separate ways. What they don’t know is that the number of people trying to “trick” the government for green cards has increased a lot and the immigration officers are being strict. So they realize that if they want to get what they want, they need to spend time with each other, live in Bronte’s house and learn as much as they can about each other. While George isn’t having problems hanging in Bronte’s flat, Bronte is about to have a fit. She has to lie to her friends, parents, boyfriend and to the apartment’s board. Moreover, she needs to handle George’s differences, as they couldn’t have been more opposite. George loves to eat, express his thoughts openly, loves passion, hasn’t been formally educated and is a slob. Bronte is more introverted, loves “nice guys”, has been to college, seems to love plants more than people and loves things to be in order.

But as time passes and they get on each other’s nerves, they also begin to be attracted to each other Can they finally realize they might be falling for each other? And even if they do, can they convince the officers that they are a real couple?

Green Card is a very lovely romantic comedy/drama from 1990, written and directed by Australian director Peter Weir (Gallipoli, Fearless, Master and Commander, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Truman Show).The movie is more fun than funny. It is emotional and romantic. Somehow, even though it carries some typical romantic comedy elements, everything in this film flows so naturally. It is perfect that George is not your typical heartthrob but he is so lovable, and that Bronte doesn’t spend the movie walking in sexy clothes or being perfectly made-up and immaculately dressed when she is at home. The dialogue and interactions are just lovely. Keep in mind, this movie won’t go out of its way to try and make you laugh. It tries, and succeeds in making you smile a lot. And before calling it a chick flick, do consider the fact that the writer/director is a heterosexual male.

Rated 6.0 on IMDB. I think it is too charming and real to be just a 6. Let me know what you think.

Fun note: Director Peter Weir was nominated for Best Original Screenplay with this movie.

Recommended (Similar) Movies:

French Kiss starring Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

In & Out starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck and Matt Dillon

Posted on September 3, 2010 Written by ripitup

In & Out starring Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Matt Dillon and Joan Cusack. Hilarious! Image via moviegoods.com

Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is a high school literature teacher and the team coach and he is loved by everyone in the Indiana town he lives and he is just very content with his life.

Everything changes when Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) – a former student/currently Hollywood’s new heartthrob- wins Oscar with his role as a gay soldier and thanks Howard at his acceptance speech, mentioning that Howard is gay.

This shocks the whole town, especially Emily, Howard’s parents, students and most of all Howard. From then on, the movie becomes more hilarious as Howard tries to explain to everyone that he is not gay. But the media have already smelled a good story and they are all over town. The most insistent reporter of them all is Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck) who thinks he is actually helping Howard come out.

Now Howard has to face the most important question of his life: Was Cameron right? And if he is, how the hell is he going to tell everyone that he is gay, after having tried so hard to persuade them that he wasn’t?

***

In and Out is one hell of a comedy. Now, if your favorite comedy about a gay guy is Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor’s I love you, Philip Morris, then there is a chance you won’t like In & Out. But I absolutely hated I love you Philip Morris (even though I love Jim Carrey) but In & Out is one of my favorite movies. It is charming, silly, upbeat, lovely and downright hilarious. Yes, there are stereotypes. But the thing with clichés and stereotypes is that if you use them well, you will have good entertainment. After all, they became stereotypes and clichés for a reason.

I heard people complain that the movie isn’t funny because Howard is actually gay. Now, don’t consider this a spoiler. Knowing this will straighten up your expectations about the movie. Now, the fact that Howard is gay but doesn’t know it makes the movie even funnier. The fact that people didn’t notice or pretended not to notice is just hilarious. After all, here is a guy who hasn’t had sex with his fiancée for 3 years because he “respects her” (I mean, come on!!), he knows everything about Barbara Streisand and adores her and well, do look at his hands.

While Streisand is an ultimate cliché, it is a funny one. However I think the casting overcomes one big cliché as many gay guys being feminine when the reporter turns out to be gay. Guys, the reporter is Tom Selleck! You just can’t get more masculine than that! Frankly, none of my straight guy friends is as masculine as Selleck’s Peter.

The supporting cast includes Shawn Hatosy, Alexandra Holden, Zak Orth, Lauren Ambrose (as Howard’s students), Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley (as Howard’s parents) and Shalom Harlow (as Cameron’s skinny girlfriend).

Kevin Kline is just a riot. Yes, the whole cast is great but he does make the movie. At 6.1 on IMDB, this truly is one of the most underrated comedies ever. Frankly, it might be a 7.0 compared to all movies ever made but for a comedy, it is a 10/10.

Favorite Lines

Howard’s mom (Debbie Reynolds): Howard, we want you to know that you are our son and we will always love you. Gay, straight, red, green if you rob a bank, if you kill someone.
Howard’s dad (Wilford Brimley): If you get drunk, climb a clock tower, and take out the town.

Howard’s mom: As long as you get married.

***

Peter (Tom Selleck): I am gay. I came out.

Howard (Kevin Kline): To whom?

Peter: Whom? To Everyone. My folks, my boss, my dog… One day I just snapped. I got tired of switching pronouns and remembering to lower my voice. And I couldn’t take it..lying to the people I love…Does that sound familiar?

Howard (in the thickest voice he can muster): No!

Peter: So I just said, mom, dad, sparky…I am gay.

Howard: What happened?

Peter: Well, my mom cried for exactly 10 seconds, my boss said who cares and my dad said “but you are so tall!!)

***

Howard: I am not gay!

Peter: What was Barbra Streisand’s eighth album?
Howard: Color Me Barbra.
Peter: Stud!
Howard: Everybody knows that!
Peter: Everybody where? The little gay bar on the prairie? You know what you need?

Howard: I need a weddin (before Howard can finish, Peter grabs him and kisses him)

You kissed me.

Peter: You noticed.

Howard: This is not Los Angeles!

Peter: People don’t kiss in Greenleaf?

Howard: Not at an intersection!!

Favorite Scenes:

– The Oscars – Cameron’s outing Howard and everyone’s reactions…

-Howard, the masculinity tape and the dancing.

Other Posts on Kevin Kline

The Big Chill

French Kiss

The Fun Actors and Moustache Poll: feat. Kevin Kline

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

Posted on September 1, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White and Mary Steenburgen

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a beautiful, successful and workaholic editor at a big publishing firm in New York. However to her co-workers, she is the absolute bitch from hell; especially to her long-suffering assistant Andew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). He has been working day and night, putting in weekends so that he can be an editor himself. Unfortunately, this goal requires him being Margaret’s slave.

However Andrew gets the upper hand when Margaret is facing the problem of deportation as she is Canadian and her visa has expired. She finds the perfect solution: she will marry Andrew and keep her job and because she is staying in the firm, he won’t be fired. The unwilling Andrew gets a bigger shock when the immigration officer Mr. Gilbertson (Dennis O’ Hare) informs them that a fraud marriage will result in a prison sentence of 3 years and a fine about $250,000. So Andrew blackmails his way into an immediate promotion and they go to Alaska together to give Andrew’s family the good news. Of course they have to pretend they are in love and keep “the fraud” secret. So the grandmother Annie (Betty White) and mother Grace (Mary Steenburgen) are more than surprised when Andrew brings home the “absolute evil bitch”. However they are happy to have Andrew back and they are willing to welcome Margaret into the family. But the father of the house (Craig T. Nelson) is already bitter because Andrew didn’t take over the family business and moved to New York to be an editor’s assistant, a job area he doesn’t respect and a passion he doesn’t understand. Of course trouble doesn’t end there. Mr. Gilbertson isn’t willing to leave them alone and the more Margaret gets to know the family, the more she gets to love them. And Andrew starts seeing a whole new side to Margaret. But how is a business deal is supposed to work when feelings get involved?

The Proposal is one charming and hilarious romantic comedy. And don’t get the “romantic” part in the romantic comedy to cloud your judgment, as the movie does a wonderful job of making you laugh. The cast is marvelous, especially Betty White. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry and comedic timing together. This movie is 85-90% comedy. Note that gorgeous Malin Akerman also co-stars. She plays Gertrude, Andrew’s high school sweetheart.

Written by Pete Chiarelli and directed by Anne Fletcher. Sandra Bullock was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy at the Golden Globes for her role. Rated at 6.7 on IMDB. All around fun. 7/10 from me.

Favorite Scenes:

* any scene with the dog Kevin – especially the “eagle dance”

*The bathroom scene- the naked “clash”

*Sandra Bullock and Betty White chanting in the forest together

Favorite Lines:

– on the clash – Margaret blames it on the dog blocking her way.

Andrew: Oh- I barely made my with my life out there.

and pretty much anything during the ending credits.

Other Posts Featuring Ryan Reynolds

Foolproof starring Ryan Reynolds

The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds and Hope Davis

20 Tall Actors from Hollywood

Other Posts on Sandra Bullock

While You Were Sleeping starring Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock

The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves

The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock

In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson

Posted on August 31, 2010 Written by ripitup

In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson and Topher Grace. Written and directed by Paul Weitz. 2004.

Dan (Dennis Quaid) is a 51-year-old successful ad executive. He is happily married with 2 daughters and has been working at the same company for over 20 years. And recently he has received two life-altering news: his wife (Marg Helgenberger) is pregnant and his company has been recently been bought by a corporation so he now has a new boss, Carter (Topher Grace). The problem is Carter is half his age, has no experience in advertising and he is under constant pressure to lay people off, Dan making the top of the list.

Carter is a total workaholic. But when it comes to his social life, he is alone. His wife (Selma Blair) dumps him and he tries to form an unlikely friendship with Dan. But Dan isn’t particularly fond of this rookie who has his job, his office and who keeps firing his friends. And his beloved 18-year-old daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson) has moved to New York to study at NYU and she starts seeing Carter…

In Good Company is simply a beautiful, bittersweet and funny film where art imitates life. I saw the film for the second time last night. The first time was when the movie had first hit the theaters and I wasn’t all that impressed. I had found it ordinary. I guess I was fooled by the movie’s taglines :“He’s rich, young and handsome. He’s in love with you and he’s your dad’s boss.” – which does make it sound like a romantic comedy. And I guess at 20, I was expecting a fun romantic comedy rather than a true-to-life drama with fun parts, so I was disappointed.

At 26, I loved every minute of it. At 26, I am trying to build my life as a freelancer, so that I won’t have to go through what Dan goes through at his age. And almost all my friends are trying to be a hotshot like Carter, without thinking anything through.

I loved how it wasn’t a romantic comedy and how it wasn’t focused on Alex and Carter’s relationship but the effects it has on the relationship with Alex and Dan. But most importantly, I loved the friendship and alliance eventually getting formed between Dan and Carter and how Carter really wants what Dan has built for himself.

It helps that the cast is fantastic. You might have seen Topher Grace in the comedic TV series That 70’s show where he starred as Eric Forman (1998-2006). You might also watch Grace in Valentine’s Day. And of course there is the always charming Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson.

Written and directed by Paul Weitz. 6.8 on IMDB. Depending on where you are in your life, it could very well get an 8.

Favorite Quote:

Carter: Dan, you seem to have the perfect marriage. How do you do it?
Dan: You just pick the right one to be in the foxhole with, and then when you’re outside of the foxhole you keep your dick in your pants.
Carter: That’s poetic.

Recommended film:

Up in the Air starring George Clooney

Other Dennis Quaid Movies

The Day After Tomorrow

Yours, mine and ours

Playing by Heart

Other Scarlett Johansson Movies

He is Just Not That Into You

Vicky Christina Barcelona

Iron Man 2