Faith On The Gridiron... "Woodlawn"

Woodlawn (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Nic Bishop, Sean Astin, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd, Jon Voight,

Directed by Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin

The Story:

Coach Tandy Gerelds (Bishop) takes over the Woodlawn High School team in Birmingham Alabama at the height of desegregation in the 70s. Trying to integrate his racially mixed football team proves to be challenging, but Hank (Astin) comes to ask if he can give the team a pep talk. Hank preaches about the love of Jesus and how they should all work together towards a common goal, and the message of love makes the team bond together and they go on a remarkable run through the season that inspires the entire community.

This is their story.

Faith.

Football.

Mix these two together and it should be a slam dunk (wrong sport, I know) yet there was something slightly off with this film. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was that just didn't register with me on this film.

Perhaps it was the length of the movie (a bit over 2 hours) or the repetitiveness that seemed to happen during the season. Sure, I get it, it's football after all, but it really seemed to just keep pushing the same three buttons over and over again and never really expanding any of the character focus.

Granted, these based on a true story films, you can only take so much creative license with, but it just seemed like there should have been more conflict based on the desegration or the faith inspiration than was really portrayed.

The cast was fine, with a lot of focus put on Castille who portrayed Tony Nathan in the film. The nice part, that while Woodlawn doesn't go on to have the happy ending you normally get in the movies, they do tackle a bit of Nathan's story to end on an upbeat note when he does finally win a championship and one of the first people that he calls is his old coach.

It's a good movie, just not a great one.


Final Grade: C

Oh Yes It's Ladies Night... "Moms' Night Out"

Moms' Night Out (2014)

PG

Starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, Trace Adkins, Andrea Logan White, Robert Amaya, Kevin Downes, Alex Kendrick, Abbie Cobb

Directed by Andrew & Jon Erwin

The Story:

Allyson (Drew) has hit the wall. She feels like a terrible mom and if only she could get out for night to recharge her batteries.  Planning a night out with her two best friends (White & Heaton) while the guys (Astin, Amaya & Downes) watch the kids.  What could possibly go wrong?  Just about everything...

From the folks who have been bringing us some fine Christian dramas, they have turned their eyes towards comedy.

How'd they do?

Not bad, not bad at all.

Bringing in their biggest "names" yet, all the characters are given just enough space and room to be individuals instead of cookie cutter background characters.

The action and mayhem snowballs from a reservation gone awry to a lost child, and just about everything in between.

Is it too much?  Maybe...

But as a parent, you should recognize one of those days when one thing goes wrong, how seemingly everything else that could go wrong on that same day is about to happen.

There's several scenes that are downright hilarious, traffic stop, I'm looking at you.

Is there a Christian message tucked in there somewhere?  Of course.  However it isn't one that is delivered over and over (and over) again like a sledgehammer, so this film could be watched by people of just about any faith (or lack thereof) and not bristle too much.

At the end of the day, everyone gets a little frazzled in the world, and there's nothing wrong with that.

It gives you an opportunity to bounce back and recharge, and someday, maybe far, far down the road, you'll look back on your bad days and have a really good laugh about how rough it was.

In the meantime, you can laugh at their bad day instead.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd watch it again!

There Are Worse Things Than Being Fired... "Demoted"

Demoted (2011)
Rated R for language and nudity

Starring Michael Vartan, Sean Astin, David Cross

Directed by J.B. Rogers

The Story:

Mike (Astin) and Rodney (Vartan) are the best salesmen in the tire company.  They are excellent at what they do, yet the prank pulling duo are less than cordial to the secretaries and downright brutal to Ken Castro (Cross) their rival in sales.  However when the boss dies and Castro winds up in charge of the company, he demotes the two to secretaries.  As Castro continues to drive the company into the toilet, the guys need to repair some serious bridges if they have any hope of saving their place of employment.

Well, it's no Office Space.

It wants to be at times, but it can't channel that same magic.

Instead, the movie has to be content to be a morality play for Mike and Rodney and show them the sexist ways that they employed against the secretaries and to apologize for it.

Amusingly enough, once they mend those fences, the secretaries find that Mike and Rodney have the best advice for them, because who better to tell them what guys are really feeling, than a pair of dudes?

Naturally, Castro goes off the deep end and is a terrible boss.  Cross plays these types of roles in his sleep, and he doesn't disappoint here.

It's okay, but could have been much better as the movie waffles between satire, slapstick and a message film.

Tighten it up, it could have been much better.

Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No, you'd be better off checking out Office Space again.

How Sweet To Fall In Love Again Every Morning..."50 First Dates"

50 First Dates (2004)
Rated PG-13 for language and situations

Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Blake Clark

Directed by Peter Segal

The Story:

Henry Roth (Sandler) loves the ladies, but hates the commitment.  So he lives a life in Hawaii of love 'em, and send 'em back to the mainland.  But then he meets Lucy (Barrymore) and the two hit it off.  In fact, Henry thinks he could possibly be in love.  When he meets Lucy again, she blows him off like she doesn't even know him.  That's when we discover that Lucy was in an accident that robs her of any memories since the day of the accident.  How far is Roth willing to go to prove his love to Lucy?

In 1994, Sandler and Barrymore teamed up for the instant classic, The Wedding Singer.  It was a very funny romantic comedy that just sparkled all the way through, thanks to the great chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore.

Ten years later, the duo reunited, and while it didn't achieve the results of their first collaboration, it wasn't too bad.

The jokes are more crude and less sweet this go-round, so that has squashed the replay value in the house.

Which is a real shame, because the love story is one of the sweetest to watch unfold.

While Lucy's family goes through elaborate measures to ensure Lucy adjusts as easily as possible to her memory loss, it's Henry who chooses to stick around and endure the daily heartbreak of losing the love of his life.

In the end, Lucy lets Henry go, because she knows it's unfair to keep him tied down to her and her accident.

But no love story can end that badly, and what follows may actually bring a tear to your eyes.

I know it gets me every time.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I do own it, but again, it doesn't get nearly the airplay as the first team up.

Celebrate Friday By Doing The Truffle Shuffle! "The Goonies"

The Goonies (1985)
Rated PG for Language and Sheer Awesomeness

Starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Jonathan Ke Quan, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey

Directed by Richard Donner

The Goonies: Mikey (Astin), Chunk (Cohen), Mouth (Feldman)and Data (Quan) are facing the end of their stay in Astoria Oregon.  The bank is foreclosing on their houses to create a  big money making deal and there is no room for these houses.  But when they discover a treasure map, the boys embark on one last mission: to uncover the lost pirate treasure of One-Eyed Willie.  However, when they cross paths with the dangerous Fratelli family, they may lose more than just their homes if they aren't careful.

I Think This Review Will Go Well!

There are very few movies I would classify as "Perfect" or "As Close to Perfect As You Can Get".

The Goonies makes either of those lists, all day, every day.

A well-written story by Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus, it was helmed by Richard Donner who I have mentioned often that he is one of my favorite directors of all time.

It's not just one of the best 80s movies of that generation, it can stand toe to toe with the best of any decade.

Hard to believe it's going on 30 years old.

The great thing about The Goonies, and what helps make it timeless?

Before There Was Twerking...

It's a wonderful thrill ride/coming of age/fun/adventure story that is great for kids, and kids of all ages. 

When those kids grow up and have their own kids, they introduce them to the magic of this movie, and the bond between family and movie grows stronger with each passing viewing.

Or at least, that's what's happened in our household.

There are scenes that are burned indelibly into the pop culture consciousness...

The Truffle Shuffle?

Chunk's blender confession?

Data's pinchers of peril?

Heck, Mouth's "You're Ruining My Joke" gag gets used around the house all the time whenever someone stomps on someone Else's punchline.

Still A Better Pirate Movie Than Anything With Johnny Depp In It.

Any plot holes you can find within the movie are minor and don't detract or distract from the film.

Heck, about the only thing I would like to see is the octopus scene that was mentioned at the end but apparently removed from the film.

If you have never seen it, run, don't walk to your nearest capability to view this film.

If it's been awhile, dust it off and play it again, especially if you have any kids now and they've never had the privilege of seeing the movie.

It is currently streamable if you are an Amazon Prime member.


Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it and it gets watched at least once a year, if not more than that. :)