The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, December 7, 2000
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Movies
Section B • Page 5
Movie line
102 Dalmatians. A live-action sequel to the 1998 live-action movie 101 Dalmatians, Glenn Close stars again as Cruella De Vil, an evil fur-lover recently released from prison. She sours the streets of Paris, trying desperately to kidnap Dalmatians to make a coat. At Southwind 12, 3433 Iowa St.
The 6th Day. Set in the future where cattle, fish and even the family pet can be cloned. But cloning humans is illegal, until family man Adam Gibson (Amold Schwarzeneger) comes home from work to find that a clone has replaced him. At Southwind 12.
Almost Famous, Writer/Director Cameron Crowe brings the 1970s music scene to life with his semi-autobiographical story of a teen journalist who goes on the road with a rock band. At Plaza 6, 2339. I. Iowa. St.
*Bedazied. A romantic comedy in which a boring computer programmer (Brendan Fraser) makes a deal with the devil to get the woman of his dreams. At Plaza 6.*
Best in Show, Christopher Guest brings his unique brand of luxury to the screen with another mockumentary. This one is about purebred dog owners competing for their pets to be named "Best in Show" at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. At Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St.
Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is an 11-year-old boy living in northeast England in the mid-1980s. While his gruff father and brother are taking part in a coal miners strike, Billy is lonely and goes to boxing lessons and plays his dead mother's plano. One day Billy notices a ballet class nearby and intrigued, he begins practicing and taking lessons. At Plaza 6.
Bounce. In this story of chance romance, Gwyneth Paltrow plays a young widow of a plane crash victim. She is swept off her feet when she meets Buddy Ameral (Ben Affleck), a successful advertising executive. However, when Buddy reveals that he once gave up his seat on a plane that lair crashed, the two realize they have a deeper connection. At Southwind 12.
Charlie's Angels. In this remake of the popular 1970s television show, the three angels — Dylan (Drew Barrymore), Natalie (Cameron Diaz) and Alex (Lucy Liu) — are called to duty by their flirtatious boss, Bosley (Bill Murray), to intervene in the kidnapping of a well-known millionaire. At Southwold 12.
The Exorist: The Version You've Never Seen. Originally released on Christmas 1973, this version includes a digitally remastered soundtrack with new sound effects and music, along with never-beforeseen restored footage. Regan (Linda Blair), a little girl, becomes possessed by the devil and undergoes a violent exorcism. At Plaza 6.
Dancer in the Dark. The story concerns Selma (Bjork), a czech immigrant living in 1964 Washington State with her 12-year-old son, Gene. On the verge of blindness, Selma spends her days working in a factory and performing other odd jobs to save enough money to pay for an operation that will cure Gene of the same disease. Pass the time, Selma fantasizes that her own life is a musical. At Liberty Hall.
Girl on the Bridge. Saved in the last moment from throwing herself off of a bridge, a young woman is convinced by her rescuer, a knife thrower, to accompany him and travel around France. Starts tomorrow at Liberty Hall.
Now The Grinch Stole Christmas. In this live-action adaptation of the 'famous Christmas tale by Dr. Seuss, director Ron Howard casts comedian Jim Carney in the title role, giving the rendition a perverse, manic spin, At Southwind 12.
The Legend of Bagger Vance. A white war hero (Matt Dannon) in 1930s Georgia competes for a golf championship with the help of his black caddle, Bagger Vance (Will Smith), who possesses the secret of the perfect swing. At Southwind 12.
Little Nicky. Adam Sandler stars as Little Nicky, a man who has just moved from hell to New York City. Nicky has been sent to the city by his father, Satan (Harvey Keitel), in search of his evil brothers. At Southwind 12.
Meet the Parents. A young woman brings her fiancé (Ben Stiller) home to meet her parents. Her father (Robert DeNiro) instantly dislikes him and what follows is a disastrous family weekend. At Southwind 12.
Men of Honor. The true story of Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), who was the first African American to become a master diver in the Navy. Two men help each other overcome racism, physical impairment and the rules of the military system. At Southwind 12.
Red Planet. Packed with futuristic high-tech special effects, Red Planet is an action drama that explores the apocalyptic possibility of Earth becoming unlivable for human beings. At Plaza 6.
Remember the Titans. The true story of Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), an African-American football coach who led a racially divided high school team, the Titans, to victory in 1971 Alexandria, Va. Boone overcame racial prejudices and bigotry among his team and other coaches, teaching players respect, dedication and strength. At Southwinds 12.
Unbreakable. David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a man from a blue-collar neighborhood in Philadelphia, emerges unharmed as the only survivor of a devastating train accident. A mysterious stranger shows up to offer a bizarre explanation of why David escaped without a scratch. At Southwind 12.
Costner shines in politics flick
By Clare McLellan
Kansas movie critic
irrying to recover from the not-so-distant painful memories of For Love of the Game and The Postman — I won't even touch that water movie — Kevin Costner returns to what he does well in Roger Donaldson's Thirteen Days.
No, it's not a baseball flick,
although I bet a old Kev has
prayed a few times that people
only think "If you build it ..."
when they think about his up-
and-down career.
Thirteen Days, starring Kevin Costner, explores the Cuban Missile Crisis and the people behind the politics during John F. Kennedy's presidency. Contributed photo
Thirteen Days focuses on Costner movie-era triumph — John F. Kennedy's presidency. Even though it was Dealey Plaza and conspiracy theories in JFK, this film explores the nightmare of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the people behind the politics.
I must admit, for the first 15 minutes or so I was worried for Kevin.
It looked as though Days could be another flop. Shoddy acting and the most atrocious Boston accent you've ever had the misfortune of hearing made Costner's character, Kenny O'Donnell, look like a fool. I'm not a political historian, but I can't imagine that you become special counsel to the president of the United States by being an idiot. Friendship ties only bind so tight.
The tagline for the film is "You'll Never Believe How Close We Came."
As the movie progressed, however, the acting improved (the accent never did), and the story intensified, propelling the audience through the two-and-a-half hour film. From what I can tell, *Days* is a Hollywood-accurate portrayal of the behind-the-scenes action during the crisis. Only those who were there know what the atmosphere was like in the White House for those 13 tense days in October 1962, but this film gives you a sense of the urgency about the situation.
It was nerve-racking to say the least — to see how many times the U.S. government
came close to leading the nation into another world war during those two weeks. The audience should walk away with a renewed or newfound respect for the men involved in resolving the crisis peaceably. The stress they were under was unthinkable.
In this respect, Days employs a bit of "great man" history - painting Kennedy and his brother Bobby to be the heroes.
Even though they deserve our gratitude, JFK also was the one who botched the Bay of Pigs invasion, costing many lives not long before.
Thirteen Days:
Acting ●●●○○
Writing ●●●○○
Accurate accents ○○○○○
Costner's ever-fluctuating ability to pick a good movie ●●●○○
Historical accuracy ●●●○○
It was striking to see these two huge characters in our country's history alive again on the big screen, relying on each other as brothers. The final scene shows them standing together on the White House porch, and coupled with some nice camerawork, this makes a powerful closing to a decent film.
but each character was well developed and distinct. Steven Culp, who plays Bobby Kennedy, is arguably the best-cast, as he not only nails his persona, but actually looks like Bobby. A bit part in the film is played by a real Kennedy — Christopher Lawford, son of Patricia Kennedy, JFK's sister.
A drawback to the effectiveness of the two lead characters, however, was their accents. The dialect coach on this film needs to seek a new profession because while Costner's accent was too thick, JFK's was barely there. What is that about? JFK is known for that voice — among other
things.
One distracting aspect of this film was the "here and there" use of black and white photography. Every now and then a scene would appear in black and white, then change back to color on a whim. If someone has the secret decoder ring that solves this mystery, please write me at writer@kansan.com and fill me in as to why this was done. That aside, Thirteen Days was a well-done political drama. I don't know if it will be enough to earn Costner back his pre-Waterworld clout, but it's a step in the right direction. Next time, Kevin, for the love of God and the game, steer clear of the accents.