Favorite Scenes, Actors, and Ideas in Films

What is Funny to you?

July 9th, 2007 by JeanieMarshall

One of the dynamics that I have discovered by watching people (including myself) is that essentially everyone believes he or she has a sense of humor. I no longer question that everyone has one. The question is, what is funny to you?

I have seen movies that are considered by many to be hysterically funny. In fact, the audience laughs so hard that it is a challenge to hear the next lines. Sometimes it even helps to get the humor when others are laughing.

When I saw K-Pax, my friend and I, sitting in the back of the theater, seemed to be the only two who found it funny. Not all of it is funny; it’s classified as a drama, a mystery, a fantasy. I attributed the seriousness of the audience to the widespread pre-press centering around an enigma, so the members of the audience were trying to figure out whether he was or wasn’t who he indicated he was. Spontaneously, my friend and I laughed out loud. We had no hidden agenda, but soon we noticed that others were laughing at the same places. Humor takes place (or not) in the moment, so trying to fit the pieces together can really interrupt the flow of enjoyment.

Years ago, I went to a movie that was considered one of the funniest and best of the year. I was excited to hear so many rave reviews. At the movies, though, I was so incredible bored by the vacuous humor that I could hardly manage a smile. Of course, I won’t name the movie because I don’t want to speak against a movie. I want to make a broader point: we all laugh at different situations and circumstances. I think it’s important that a movie like that be made because it offers a forum for many people to laugh. The fact that I do not laugh is only important to me.

Uproarious laughter is not the only response to humor. Just plain enjoyment is a wonderful response. I’ve heard many viewers of Dave, criticizing the genre (comedy, romantic comedy) because they do not find the movie funny. I think it is the premise that is funny, and I find so much about it that is amusing, delightful, and funny. It’s one of those movies I can watch anytime, even if I just watched it the day before. It is one of my favorites, which I will soon write a commentary about.

Some people like to convince others that something is funny or tasteless or silly or hilarious or stupid. Such conversations take the fun out of fun. Agreement is over-rated; I am enthusiastically for diversity and variety. While I might think a film is tasteless or not funny, others enjoy it. And what I find heartwarmingly funny, others do not. If I criticize others’ choices, I send an engraved invitation for others to criticize mine. And, quite frankly, even if I do not criticize other’s choices, there will always be someone to criticize something I like. That’s fine. The road to happiness is paved with compliments, not criticism.

I particularly like uplifting humor — moments with a little twist, a surprise, or a different perspective. I think it’s important to laugh — to laugh at something you think is funny, or to laugh at nothing at all. I don’t relate to put-down or bathroom humor.

I encourage you to seek out what you find humorous. If no one else finds it humorous, so be it.

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.
The minute it crops up,
all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.
– Mark Twain

Copyright © 2007 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Greenfingers (2000), A Film Commentary

March 20th, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
Greenfingers
Directed by
Joel Hershman

Written by
Joel Hershman

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Based on True Story

Story Line: Gardening and the gardeners blossom in a minimum security prison.

Cast in Brief :
Clive Owen as Colin Briggs
Helen Mirren as Georgina Woodhouse
David Kelly as Fergus Wilks
Warren Clarke as Gov. Hodge
Danny Dyer as Tony
Adam Fogerty as Raw
Paterson Joseph as Jimmy
Natasha Little as Primrose Woodhouse
Sally Edwards as Susan Hodge
Peter Guinness as Dudley
Lucy Punch as Holly
Donald Douglas as Nigel
Kevin McMonagle as Laurence

This is one of my favorite little flicks. I refer to it as “little” for a variety of reasons. The running time weighs in at 91 minutes, shorter than most feature films. Greenfingers is little in scope, content to focus on one main story line with a few others that support and enrich the main story without cluttering it. It is also a small-budget film. As with many gems, in the littleness is its power.

I can watch this movie anytime. And have watched many times. At my house, I love having a garden; I also love having gardeners. To watch flowers sprout is a joyous pastime. In fact, over this past weekend, I noticed that one of my jasmine plants shot out from greenness to pink-whiteness, as if in one night, just to fill the air with sweetness.

Greenfingers is rooted in a true story depicting criminals in prison who, through gardening, grow into their humanity. In England, gardening might be considered a quiet national sport. While it is certainly a story about gardening, more importantly, it is a story about re-purposing, redemption, and triumph.

Initially resisting a transfer from a high security prison to an open space prison, Colin only gradually re-pots himself from his life of isolation to being part of a group with a purpose. Old man Fergus seeds Colin’s change, quite literally with a package of seeds. Perhaps it is not so apparent on the first viewing, but on later viewings it is obvious that Fergus expects Colin to bloom, not because Fergus forces him, but rather, as any good gardener, because he gives him space and encourages him.

The hardness and crudeness of hardened criminals provide the perfect contrast for the softness and sweetness of flowers. The film is not without some mild violence, but it is mostly off screen and only enough to make a film about criminals believable. It is a joy to watch their challenges and joy as they nurture flowers into a showy garden.

When I first saw this movie, I knew Clive Owen only as the “man in the BMW commercials.” Since he also looks a bit like a dear friend of mine, I had hoped that his career might grow, at least as much as he allowed his character to grow in Greenfingers. He portrays perfectly the stoic resolve of a condemned person, even as he stretches to embrace more possibilities for his life. Helen Mirren gives, as usual, an outstanding performance as a self-assured celebrity among England’s gardeners and mother to Colin’s love interest.

All other performances are gems, as well, under the proficient hand and eye of the writer/director. I believe that movie was properly seeded, nurtured, and developed into the vision of its creator, Joel Hershman.

Copyright 2007 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Download soundtracks on iTunes.itunes Click this link to access your version of iTunes and take you to the Soundtracks section of the iTunes Store.

ITunes
In the upper search field, type “Greenfingers” or any other soundtrack you want. You’ll be linked to a variety of options. If you’re only interested in a single song, you can listen to the first few seconds of any song, just to be certain you’ve found the correct one.

Do you need an iPod or iTunes? Itunes is free (the iPod isn’t) and is available for any platform, so you can listen right at your computer. (To find the latest version of the free iTunes Download, click on any iPod product at the Apple site.

Jeanie’s Favorite Moments from the 79th Academy Awards

February 26th, 2007 by JeanieMarshall

Here are some of my favorite moments in this year’s Academy Award Ceremony.

Set Our Own Pacing
Thanks to a Tivo DVD recorder, I now have the answer to the tedium of a typical award ceremony. This year’s event weighed in at nearly four hours, rather than the scheduled three hours. Here’s what we did to make the pace work for us: we recorded the show on the DVD recorder and tuned in about 30 minutes after the scheduled beginning. We fast-forwarded through the stuff that didn’t interest us. When we caught up in real time, we paused the playback, ate a meal, and then resumed our watching. We twice changed the end-recording time for the DVD recorder so it would not cut the show off early.

Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren’s acceptance speech was a favorite highlight. Its beginning was very endearing, with her purse in one hand and her earring in another. Considering her recognition in award ceremonies that preceded the Academy awards, her win was expected. Among other things she said, “For 50 years and more Elizabeth Windsor has maintained her dignity, her sense of duty and her hairstyle. She’s had her feet planted firmly on the ground, her hat on her head, her handbag on her arm and she’s weathered many, many storms.”

Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson was a joy to watch in her acceptance speech, which came just after her performance of several nominated songs. I find her refreshing, genuine, and extremely talented.

Forrest Whitaker
I admire Forrest Whitaker’s rather eclectic body of works and his collective talents. I had enough of Idi Amin in real life, so I will not be seeing the film, The Last King of Scotland. I have seen clips of it, telling me that clearly Forrest Whitaker nailed the part. I am envisioning the day when Hollywood is less enchanted with gory depictions of humans’ inhumanities, regardless of how historically accurate they may be. Whitaker’s acceptance speech was from the heart.

Interpretative Dancers
The 12-member interpretative dance troupe Pilobolus rolled and tumbled themselves into a still life in silhouette to represent a variety of images significant to the Academy awards. These were very brief, and strategically placed throughout the evening to provide a nice change from the acceptance speeches.

Sound Effects Choir
Also entertaining were the sound effects created by mainly human voices to match the visuals shown on the screen above.

Randy Newman
I really appreciate Randy Newman and all the songs he has produced for the movie industry. He wrote both the music and lyrics for “Our Town” from “Cars” and performed it live, in his natural, casual manner. Randy, good for you.

Trio about Comedians at the Academy Awards
Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly brought a poignant message to the audience. To me, it’s a very important message. I do wonder why more fun, funny, and feel-good films are not acknowledged. Some day….

Ennio Morricone Award by Clint Eastwood
I liked Clint Eastwood’s presentation, flubbed lines and all, with the listing of many of the 400 movies that Ennio Morricone has scored.

Favorite Gowns
There were many beautiful gowns this year. My favorites were on the following women: Reese Witherspoon, Helen Mirren, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

King and Queen Crowned
It’s interesting that the last King of Scotland and the Queen of England were crowned Best Actor and Best Actress.

Greater International Recognition
I appreciated that the awards ceremony had a greater international flavor. There were many non-American nominees and also winners compared to previous years.

Oscar Here’s the link to the official site for the 79th Academy Awards. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences web site.

Copyright 2007 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Groundhog Day (1993), A Film Commentary

February 2nd, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
Groundhog Day (Special Edition)
Directed by
Harold Ramis

Written by
Danny Rubin

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romantic Comedy

Story Line: Weather Forecaster Phil meets Punxsutawney Phil again and again for the first time.

Cast in Brief :
Bill Murray as Phil Connors
Andie MacDowell as Rita
Chris Elliott as Larry
Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson
Brian Doyle-Murray as Buster Green
Marita Geraghty as Nancy Taylor
Angela Paton as Mrs. Lancaster
Rick Ducommun as Gus
Rick Overton as Ralph
Robin Duke as Doris, the Waitress
Carol Bivins as Anchorwoman
Willie Garson as Kenny

This is a magical and powerful story, starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. This Harold Ramis film is classified as a “Romantic Comedy,” yet Groundhog Day is also a brilliant film about time, time warp, consciousness, wisdom, awakening, love, and redemption. It is one of my all-time favorite films. If you’ve never viewed it, perhaps it’s time. If you have viewed it, perhaps it’s time to see it again and again. As many times as I have seen it, I still laugh out loud at the humor while appreciating the deeper premise.

This exceptionally good film is rich with meaning for those who want meaning; rich with humor for those who want humor, and some romance and a history lesson as well. Of course, you will accept the film Groundhog Day in whatever way pleases you. And you will accept Groundhog Day (February 2) in whatever way pleases you.

The second of February is a celebration, unique in the life of anyone who lives in the Northeastern part of the United States. I grew up knowing about Punxsutawney Phil, intrigued by the festivities in Pennsylvania. Celebrated every February 2, people gather at Gobbler’s Knob just outside Punxsutawney to hear predictions from a rodent named Phil, the world’s smallest and furriest weather forecaster. It’s his day in the sun or shade.

At 7:30 in the morning Eastern Standard Time, Phil comes out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, he forecasts that spring is near. The townspeople claim that he has never been wrong. This annual celebration began in 1886, so that makes this the 121st year! (We must assume, however, that this is not the same Phil.) Check out the official Groundhog Day web site.

The movie, Groundhog Day, is based on this tradition. A cynical, self-absorbed weather forecaster is assigned to cover the celebration. He gets caught in a time loop. Funny as that is (and it is funny), the deeper message of having a second (or fourteenth) chance to re-live a day is deeply meaningful. For all of us, life gives us multiple opportunities to experiment. On the screen, we watch Phil in an interesting set of opportunities, experimenting in many ways to manipulate his environment. And then, he changes in the most profound way, from the inside out.

My professional life revolves around helping people to embrace principles of self-empowerment. While many people (including weather forecaster Phil) want things around them to change and so try to manipulate them, the truth is that the only change that matters is the change that takes place within an individual. This unique films targets that principle as no other film I’ve seen. It does it humorously, with a clever story, and endearing characters. It is a rare gem.

Copyright 2006 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Download soundtracks on iTunes.itunes Click this link to access your version of iTunes and take you to the Soundtracks section of the iTunes Store.

ITunes
In the upper search field, type “Groundhog Day” or any other soundtrack you want. You’ll be linked to a variety of options. If you’re only interested in a single song, you can listen to the first few seconds of any song, just to be certain you’ve found the correct one.

Do you need an iPod or iTunes? Itunes is free (the iPod isn’t) and is available for any platform, so you can listen right at your computer. (To find the latest version of the free iTunes Download, click on any iPod product at the Apple site.

Conversations with God (2007), from Spiritual Cinema Circle Movie

February 1st, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
Conversations with God
Directed by
Stephen Simon
Written by
Neale Donald Walsch
Eric Delabarre

Genre: Drama, True Story, Metaphysical

Story Line: True story of Neale Donald Walsch, who transforms his life of struggle into a life as a bestselling author.

Cast in Brief :
Henry Czerny as Neale Donald Walsch/God - voice
Vilma Silva as Leora Garcia
T. Bruce Page as Fitch
Ingrid Boulting as Sunny
Zillah Glory as Carly
Abdul Salaam El Razzac as Chef
Jerry McGill as Oscar
Michael A. Goorjian as Roy ‘The Morning Boy’
Michelle Merring as Daisy

The film Conversations with God details the journey of a homeless man who inadvertently becomes an unlikely and highly acclaimed bestselling author and spiritual messenger. Walsch filled dozens and dozens of legal pads recording these conversations, and their messages became the basis for an internationally acclaimed book series that has sold over 7 million copies and been translated into 34 languages. Now, it is a major feature film. Marianne Williamson says, “This movie is a marvelous illustration of how a life can transform from something so seemingly hopeless to something miraculously good.”

Conversations with God is an original production of The Spiritual Cinema Circle, a DVD club that delivers inspiring and uplifting films — features, shorts, and documentaries directly to your door each month. The Circle finds fascinating films from festivals around the world. These films will open your heart, stir your soul, and expand your mind.

Members of The Spiritual Cinema Circle are receiving Conversations with God as part of the February 2007 DVD collection which also includes three outstanding short films. The Circle is America’s fastest growing DVD club specializing in uplifting and inspiring movies. Each month members pay $21 plus shipping and receive a DVD with 4 or more films that are theirs to keep.

Special for new subscribers to The Circle: during the month of February 2007 you will receive the Conversations with God compilation plus an additional special bonus DVD Soulmates (you pay a nominal shipping fee), which features 6 short films about the magic of relationships and the healing ability of an open heart. That’s a total of 10 great independent films. To receive Conversations with God and all of these films visit Spiritual Circle Cinema.

Spiritual Cinema Circle Logo

From Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Akeelah and the Bee (2006), A Film Commentary

January 30th, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
Akeelah and the Bee
Directed by
Doug Atchison

Written by
Doug Atchison

Genre: Drama, Coming of Age, Racial Diversity

Story Line: A young girl from South Los Angeles changes her world by spelling each word, one letter at a time.

Cast in Brief :
Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson
Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Larabee
Angela Bassett as Tanya Anderson
Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Welch
J.R. Villarreal as Javier Mendez
Sean Michael as Dylan Chiu
Sahara Garey as Georgia
Lee Thompson Young as Devon Anderson
Julito McCullum as Terrence Anderson
Erica Hubbard as Kiana Anderson
Eddie Steeples as Derrick-T
Dalia Phillips as Ms. Cross
Tzi Ma as Mr. Chiu
Jeris Poindexter as Steve

Starting with a beautifully crafted script, Akeelah and the Bee is fine entertainment. It’s rare to see a film that centers on a young girl, and rarer still on a young African-American girl. She is a champion. A true champion, because so many people become her cheering squad. She did not do it alone; many others changed as they witnessed and cheered her success. The story itself is fictional; however, it’s well researched to be plausible, yet precedent-setting enough to be inspiring.

Excellent E X C E L L E N T Excellent

The opening titles and DVD presentation are very engaging. It’s so perfect that “Akeelah” is an interesting name to spell. It’s no secret, I love words. So, this is a very special movie to me. The story is inspirational and heartwarming. While the overall flavor is a drama, there are many humorous moments.

Akeelah’s changes are incremental, blossoming in stages when she’s ready, and sometimes before she’s really ready. She ends up a different person from the one who appears in the first scenes. I really appreciated her tenacity throughout, which presented itself in a variety of behaviors that might be called stubborn, scrappy, or even belligerent. We also see her as shy, vulnerable, and trying to find her place in each situation. Sometimes she stumbles, but far more often she exceeds the expectations and shakes the status quo.

Keke Palmer is surrounded with other fine actors, such as veteran actors Laurence Fishurn who plays his usual role as unrelenting mentor and Angela Bassett who touches a wide range of emotions. Lesser known actors as the spellers and the community add to the engaging story and interactions. Second to Keke, my favorite performance comes from J.R. Villarreal, a strong young actor I want to see in other roles.

Central to the movie, of course, is the national spelling bee and the steps to it, including the importance of studying etymology, reading the dictionary, using mnemonic devices, and finding rhythm in the words. Akeelah and the Bee also touches on themes of love, cooperation, dreams, focusing on goals, and varied experiences of intellectual competition.

In the early days of the National Spelling Bee (that is, the the early days, when I was a participant), neither the competitive spirit nor the competition was as strong as depicted in this movie or other spelling bee movies. I remember spelling everything. It was minor escapism — to escape the boredom of school. In seventh grade, I read a book a day during school time, and I spelled. I won for my district. Fortunately, I skipped the eighth grade and escaped into my freshman year in a prep school. These days, I’m delighted there are online dictionaries so that I can continue to learn to spell words.

As to the “Our Deepest Fear” Quotation…. On the poster that Akeelah reads in Dr. Larabee’s office, the quotation is attributed to Nelson Mandela. Fortunately in the closing credits, it was properly attributed to Marianne Williamson. I often try to set the record straight on this matter, and, in fact, quote and credit it every year on February 24 on the Dailyaffirm Process. It’s written by Marianne Williamson and published in “A Return to Love,” pages 190-91 of the 1992 edition; Nelson Mandela quoted this piece in his 1994 inaugural address.

Akeelah succeeds for a variety of reasons: her own innate abilities and tenacity, the assistance of a mentor, and the support and caring of young people and adults from her own racial and cultural background as well as those of other racial and cultural backgrounds. Akeelah and the Bee also succeeds for a variety of reasons: many elements come together in a way that the audience can feel the love and other emotional expressions from community, contestants, and the spelling bee audiences. For me, this is clearly one of the best films of 2006.

Copyright 2007 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Download soundtracks on iTunes.itunes Click this link to access your version of iTunes and take you to the Soundtracks section of the iTunes Store.

ITunes
In the upper search field, type “Akeelah and the Bee” or any other soundtrack you want. You’ll be linked to a variety of options. If you’re only interested in a single song, you can listen to the first few seconds of any song, just to be certain you’ve found the correct one.

Do you need an iPod or iTunes? Itunes is free (the iPod isn’t) and is available for any platform, so you can listen right at your computer. (To find the latest version of the free iTunes Download, click on any iPod product at the Apple site.

To Catch a Thief (1955), A Film Commentary

January 23rd, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
To Catch a Thief
Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Written by
David Dodge
John Michael Hayes

Genre: Classic, Intrigue/Mystery, Romantic Comedy

Story Line: It takes a thief to catch a thief; it takes a beautiful woman to catch a former thief.

Cast in Brief :
Cary Grant as John Robie
Grace Kelly as Frances Stevens
Jessie Royce Landis as Jessie Stevens
John Williams as H. H. Hughson
Charles Vanel as Bertani
Brigitte Auber as Danielle Foussard
Jean Martinelli as Foussard

I think this is my favorite of all the Alfred Hitchcock films. It is unmistakably Hitchcockian, yet much more gentle than his suspenseful films. It’s a delightful mystery with the usual Alfred Hitchcock cameo. I liked not knowing the little twists when I first saw To Catch a Thief, but I also liked knowing the twists on later viewings. Of course, I won’t tell you the twists because the unfolding is an important part of the fun movie experience.

Over the opening titles is a Travel Service Store, with posters of France. The cinematography of the country side is magnificent. Add to the countryside, the shots of beautiful people and interesting locals, the film is truly gorgeous. To Catch a Thief earned a well-deserved oscar for its cinematography.

It’s a fantasy really, teaming Hitchcock’s two favorite star, each enchanting in many ways. Grace Kelly’s beauty is captured at every angle, enhanced by the costuming in the characteristic Edith Head manner. Grace Kelly’s seductive playfulness is a treat to watch, rarely carried off by others who try. And Cary Grant is in elegant form. The two of them have wonderful chemistry as they play their cat and mouse games on the French Riviera. I enjoyed their witty banter and the credible performances by the supporting actors.

It is Hitchcock-lite; playful, humorous, crisp, easy on the eyes. It is a gem of its time, old fashioned, with a master filmmaker in a slightly different genre from his usual.

On the movie set of To Catch a Thief, Grace Kelly met Prince Ranier of Monaco. This was her last film as she went on to a new adventure as the Princess she wanted to be.

The original phrase on which the movie is based is, of course, “It Takes a Thief to Catch a Thief.” It is interesting to reflect on who is the thief and who did the catching and who was caught. But you’ll have to watch the movie before you can reflect with me on that.

Copyright 2006 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Download soundtracks on iTunes.itunes Click this link to access your version of iTunes and take you to the Soundtracks section of the iTunes Store.

ITunes
In the upper search field, type “To Catch a Thief” or any other soundtrack you want. You’ll be linked to a variety of options. If you’re only interested in a single song, you can listen to the first few seconds of any song, just to be certain you’ve found the correct one.

Do you need an iPod or iTunes? Itunes is free (the iPod isn’t) and is available for any platform, so you can listen right at your computer. (To find the latest version of the free iTunes Download, click on any iPod product at the Apple site.

Cool Runnings (1993), A Film Commentary

January 16th, 2007 by JeanieMarshall
Cool Runnings
Directed by
Jon Turteltaub

Written by
Lynn Siefert
Michael Ritchie
Tommy Swerdlow
Michael Goldberg

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sports

Story Line: Inspired by the entrance of the first Jamaican bobsled team in the 1988 winter olympics.

Cast in Brief :
Leon as Derice Bannock (as Leon Robinson)
Doug E. Doug as Sanka Coffie
Rawle D. Lewis as Junior Bevil
Malik Yoba as Yul Brenner
John Candy as Irving ‘Irv’ Blitzer
Raymond J. Barry as Kurt Hemphill
Peter Outerbridge as Josef Grool
Paul Coeur as Roger
Larry Gilman as Larry
Charles Hyatt as Whitby Bevil Sr.
Winston Stona as Coolidge
Bertina Macauley as Joy Bannock

This is one of my three most favorite sports films. It’s fun, funny, unusual, inspiring, and engaging. As so many films in this sub-genre attempt, Cool Runnings exemplifies authentic teamwork, courage, dealing with winning and losing. Based on the 1988 entrance of the Jamaican bobsled team into the winter olympics in Calgary, this movie is a gem.

The extent of my bobsled experience is limited to an occasional look at an olympic event every 4-8 years. But I’ve been to Calgary and I’ve been to Jamaica. And the meeting of the two in this film is hilarious and emotionally engaging. Indelibly in my mind’s eye is the team’s first view of snow and blustering cold at the Calgary airport.

All the actors are outstanding, rising to their roles and embodying their characters. The team members are endearing, authentic, and worthy of cheering on. Usually the phrase “coming of age” is applied to experiences of people younger than the bobsled team, but it is very much a coming-of-age experience for each one of the four bob sledders.

I think the film itself was an incredible undertaking. Bobsled runs are not an easy location to scout or secure! The cinematography is outstanding, including the natural weaving in of archival footage from the 1988 Olympic Bobsleigh competition. The musical score is wonderful.

In another way Cool Runnings is an incredible undertaking. In the midst of a full range of humor, it touches on most of the toughest issues humanity faces: racism, integrity and lack of it, poverty, national pride, ridicule, self-esteem, and redemption. None of these issues is exploited, but serve as an ever-present backdrop.

I love Jamaica and feel the spirit of Jamaican patriotism. Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it’s bobsled time.

Copyright 2006 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her empowering guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com

Download soundtracks on iTunes.itunes Click this link to access your version of iTunes and take you to the Soundtracks section of the iTunes Store.

ITunes
In the upper search field, type “Cool Runnings” or any other soundtrack you want. You’ll be linked to a variety of options. If you’re only interested in a single song, you can listen to the first few seconds of any song, just to be certain you’ve found the correct one.

Do you need an iPod or iTunes? Itunes is free (the iPod isn’t) and is available for any platform, so you can listen right at your computer. (To find the latest version of the free iTunes Download, click on any iPod product at the Apple site.

Shakespeare in Love (1998), A Film Commentary

January 2nd, 2007 by JeanieMarshall