13 Going On 30

Watched 13 Going On 30 last night, holy SHIT. My new favorite teeny bopper movie! It's more than that though, it really is. I would classify if more as a romantic comedy, due entirely to Mark Ruffalo (well, Jennifer Garner might have helped a little). He is so perfect, he brings pathos and depth to what could very easily have been a two dimensional character. You can feel Matty's pain at having the love of his life, who destroyed him 17 years earlier, appear out of the blue, forcing him to deal with painful feelings long buried, but obviously still very close to the surface. (I related more to him than to Jenna, actually.)

Garner's enthusiasm brings great energy to the film, and the story is well-conceived enough to remain tight to the end and not overdo the sentimental stuff. The "anti-happy ending" before she gets zapped back to 13 (largely due to Ruffalo's push for it, according to the director in the special features) lends an emotional truth that makes it all feel very real. Jenna's new wish is granted and she gets a "do-over", but for a minute there I really thought she might be left at 30, forced to be deal with the consequences of her initial wish. In that version Matty would, of course, ditch his fiance at the altar, let's not get too crazy.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised. Dead-on casting for the kids, especially Jenna & Tot Tot's (tee hee) characters. Watching Andy Serkis play a real live person was a little weird. He reminded me of Rowan Atkinson, only less annoying. I like lots of dumb teenage-demographic stuff just for the romance, but I really think on the whole this was a decent movie.

Movies

I want to try to keep a current count, but for what's already past I'm going to try to remember everything I've seen so far since I moved here. Right now I've checked out Girl With the Pearl Earring, Heist, Laurel Canyon, Dirty Pretty Things, In the Bedroom, The Man Who Would Be King & Frida; borrowed The Prince & Me and Miracle from Lindsey.

At the movies:

The Village
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Collateral
Wimbledon
Garden State


Library:

The King of Marvin Gardens
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Dr. T & the Women
The Big Sleep*
Sexy Beast
Seabiscuit
Contact*
A Decade Under the Influence
M*A*S*H(*)
Gosford Park******=)
Dark City
Klute
Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 2
Boogie Nights*

Elsewhere:
The Transporter

Just Die Already: Most Annoying Characters Ever

FT 10/19/04 12:48am

I am among my people. At last, I can stand tall, stand proud, and say, "Frodo Baggins is a worthless sack of crap." That wretched half-assed accent; that bad perm; that gag-inducing introductory scene that almost ruins the entire trilogy. Any character that can make Ian McKellan (almost) look like a nimrod is no friend of mine. And in other film:

I really hated her as the elderly Rose.

Am I supposed to like her just because she's old? Best supporting actress my ass! Homegirl won a SAG award for this?! I sooooo wanted her to fall off the boat.

There's a little known actress named Cynthia Stevenson who annoys the crap out
of me in every movie she's in.

Cynthia Stevenson is such a bitch as Holly Hunter's sister in Home for the Holidays. She's so mean to Holly & Robert Downey Jr! And her daughter was a bitch, too.

As for all this Ferris Bueller chatter, my fingers are in my ears, my eyes are shut, and I'm chanting, "Lalalalalalala I can't heeeaaar yooouuu!" Although you've made me realize what I've always known to be true, deep down in my heart: Cameron & Sloane forever!!!

* * * *

Some time has passed and as I've roamed the forums, I'm reminded of my very heartfelt, passionate feelings about a low-budget, little known movie by the name of Spiderman 2. Maybe this belongs under "Unpopular Opinions", but so strong are the flames of my hatred, I think my opinions are best rendered here. I was flailing - flailing! - in my seat, impotent in my rage, feeling real anger, at having to sit through such a gigantic turd that people I trusted - famous people & real live (formerly) trustworthy friends alike - hailed as "the greatest superhero movie ever made." Peter Parker, as depicted by Tobey Maguire, is a total fucking whiner/pussy/douchebag who should have gotten run over by that fucking train. Not since Martin Lawrence in Thin Line Between Love & Hate have I felt such hatred toward a character, and I really, truly, wished he would die, and take his useless girlfriend with him.

(and later:)

Sometimes it's nice to leave the theater at that point.

It's the principle of the thing! I hate being a quitter. And in every movie that I really hate, there's always at least one thing that's good. In Spidey it was some of the Doc Oc stuff - a legitimate Sam Raimi moment in the operating room! What a shocker! (Even in Thin Line, Lynn Whitfield was really good, even if the character written for her by Asshead Martin was total shit.) Also, I'm a total optimist, especially when I want it to be a good movie.

Fametracker posts (FT)

Just to keep for posterity. =)