March 25, 1998
JoJo's Notebook:
The movies of 1997
So, I went to the movies tonight and took in Blues Brothers 2000. I know. I know. And, I knew going in. But, I thought it really couldn't be all that bad. Could it? That the cameos would make it worth the time and effort. And, I was going to the discount theater so it was only gonna cost a buck-fifty. Yikes. I was wrong. Lemme just tell you if you're thinking about seeing this movie, it's not worth it 'til the last 25 minutes or so (counting the credits). If you're gonna see it, plan to get there late. Very late. And, you'll be much happier with the movie than if you sit through the entire thing. Trust me. You won't miss anything more than a chance to watch Aretha lip-synch to R-E-S-P-E-C-T which is fun but not worth the agony of getting to the "good" part of the movie. The part you went for in the first place.
But, I guess all was not lost. It prompted me to put up a "JoJo's Notebook" entry! Yee ha. And, so...
A friend of mine (hi, Gail!) sent me some pre-Oscar email a couple of weeks ago listing the 1997 movies she and her husband had seen and what they thought of them. So, naturally, I had to come up with my own list and rankings. And, after watching the aforementioned Blues Brothers fiasco, I felt compelled to share it here.
First, a note about me and movies. I like movies. I'm not the sort, in general, to go to a movie I don't think I'll enjoy so my reviews are usually favorable. And, I'm not the sort, ever, who analyzes things to death. I go to the movies to have a good time. Not to pick them apart.
Second, a note about this list. I'm including movies that had U.S. theatrical releases in 1997. Movies I actually paid to see in movie theaters. I didn't see some of 'em 'til '98 but they were all released last year. I haven't seen any of the 1998 releases. Not a one. Amazing, really. But, none of the 1998 movies I want to see have shown up at the discount theater yet and, unless it's an "art house" flick, I rarely bother to see anything 'til it's cheap cheap cheap.
So, here you go, my list...from favorite to least favorite:
The Rainmaker
Not a movie to garner Oscar nominations. But, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I kept thinking, "this is fun!" the entire time I was sitting in the theater. It wasn't the best movie I saw but it was the one I enjoyed the most. But, not by much, 'cause there was...Shall We Dance
The guy (you know the one, the guy with the hair!) was way too fun. I felt compelled to walk that way for several days after seeing the movie. Just 'cause.Titanic
I'm very impressed that they were able to pull this thing off. It really was an incredible feat.Good Will Hunting
One of the rare times when Robin Williams proves he doesn't have to run around at full speed to entertain the audience. I enjoyed the story. Watching Will come to terms with his life was moving stuff. And, yes, I have to admit the fact that those two kids wrote the thing and stuck to their guns about starring in it did impress me.The Full Monty
I think I took too long to see this one. All I heard before seeing it was that it was the most hilarious movie ever. A non-stop laugh fest. But, it wasn't. It actually had some very touching stuff. I enjoyed the movie. In fact, it's the only one on this list I saw twice. But, I probably would've enjoyed it more if I hadn't heard all the hype.L. A. Confidential
My pick for best movie of the year. In the Oscar sense. I like movies that have complex stories that actually succeed in pulling everything together in the end. This one reminded me of Lone Star in that respect. This movie and Shall We Dance are the movies I'd most recommend you see if you're looking for a recommendation.The Wings of the Dove
A movie that makes you want to go out and buy a Henry James novel has quite a bit going for it, doncha think?Eve's Bayou
This one was robbed with respect to Oscar nominations, in my opinion. It's a good movie with great performances all around.Air Force One
Good old fashioned action. And, Harrison Ford. Too fun.As Good As It Gets
I love Greg Kinnear. He's got the most engaging smile. It's great to see him doing so well. I loved his Jack impression.Chasing Amy
Ben Affleck in a flick he didn't co-write. This was a bit off-beat (as they say) but quite entertaining.Ulee's Gold
Oh, man! I wish Peter Fonda had won the Best Actor Oscar. And, it was great fun seeing Patricia Richardson doing something more worthy of her talents.Boogie Nights
I was very surprised at how funny this movie was. It certainly wasn't all laughs; this movie had some of the most depressing scenes I saw all year. But, for the most part, this was a much more up-beat movie than I ever would've expected. I was sorry Julianne Moore didn't take the Oscar home. Her performance was great and I think she deserved it.Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
I'm glad I hadn't read the book going into this one. That allowed me the freedom to sit back and enjoy the kooky characters. So, the question is: did it happen the way he said? Or not? Hmmmm...Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
I went into this one just wanting to have a good time. And, I was not disappointed. Janeane Garofalo stole the picture, of course.Men In Black
That Will Smith is too cute. There's no getting around that. Pairing him with Tommy Lee Jones was a great idea. This movie was pure silliness. And, sometimes, that's all I want out of a movie.Conspiracy Theory
Mel and Julia? How could that go wrong? 'Twould be hard as far as I'm concerned.My Best Friend's Wedding
Rupert Everett made this movie for me. Just like he did for everyone else.Picture Perfect
I enjoy those Friends folks. I can't help it. And, silly romantic comedies are surely my soft spot where movies are concerned.Tomorrow Never Dies
I like James Bond. I liked Remington Steele. So, I thought Pierce made a fine James Bond. I enjoyed the fact that the villian was a media mogul. The part of his extravagant multi-media meeting with the software guy had me in stitches. And, how 'bout Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer being in the movie? Too fun. Of course.In & Out
Too much hype. I liked the movie and found it entertaining enough. But, I didn't (and still don't) see why everyone was so ga-ga over it. My biggest laugh came from the names of the movies the Matt Dillon character's co-nominees had been in. And, I don't think that was supposed to be the most memorable part of the movie.Selena
My sister was a fan before it was cool to be a fan. Before Selena died. She really wanted to see this movie so I went along. I liked seeing Jennifer Lopez again. And, was pleasantly surprised at how well they handled the ending.A Life Less Ordinary
I had no idea this movie would have that whole "other world" theme with Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, and Dan Hedaya going on. Too strange. But, an okay movie.Cop Land
As with In & Out, I wonder: what's the big deal? Shrug. Janeane Garofalo was, once again, the highlight of a movie despite her small part.Addicted to Love
Too strange. The movie had some fun stuff but for the most part I kept wondering "why bother?" throughout much of this movie.Murder at 1600
I couldn't even remember if this was the Clint Eastwood one or not. I remembered wanting to see both but never managed to see Absolute Power. I sure wish I had, though, as this one was nothing memorable.The Fifth Element
I like Bruce Willis. I don't know why. I just do. So, I saw this. And, I knew it would be bad. As it happens, there were actually some good moments but, overall, this was a weird movie. And, not my cup of tea.Blues Brothers 2000
Well, I've already gone into detail about this one so I won't bother repeating myself.Speed 2: Cruise Control
I saw this with my friend Meg and her husband Graeme...a huge Sandra Bullock fan. I like her too, but somehow, I don't think it's quite the same. Heh. Anyway, the movie was just plain bad. No bones about it. The best part was when, with about 10 minutes to go, Graeme leaned over and told us he thought it was getting stupid. I nearly died laughing. "Getting" was the wrong tense of that word by miles and miles.
There you have it. I also tried to go see I Know What You Did Last Summer but the reel broke about 30 minutes into the movie. The theater manager refunded our money and we didn't really see the point of going back another day to see how things would turn out. Nevertheless, I suspect it would probably beat out those last 3 or 4 on the list. Scary thought, eh?
One last note about the Oscars. I accurately predicted 20 of the 24 awards. That's the best I've ever done. By far. I missed the two documentary awards, the musical/comedy score award, and the Best Actor award. I knew Jack would win but really wanted Peter to win and let my heart make that one vote.
Signing off for now...
