Degrassi Goes Hollywood (2009)
I have to admit, I really missed the boat on the Degrassi franchise in the beginning but as a devoted fan of Kevin Smith, his interest caught my interest and I started watching. Before long, I was hooked. I also really like Shenae Grimes so I thought there might be a chance of a cameo in Degrassi Goes Hollywood.
I was excited and even though I didn’t get the cameo I had been hoping for, I was treated to so much more – Kevin Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Kelly Carlson and Pete Wentz! A great story! A great cast with many of the beloved Degrassi regulars and the awesome Jason Mewes. All in all, Degrassi Goes Hollywood is a winner!
The only problem? Two words – Perez Hilton. That dude makes my blood boil. Aside from that, there are precious few problems with Degrassi Goes Hollywood and so much to love!
The Proposal (2009)
Sandra Bullock. Betty White. Ryan Reynolds. Craig T. Nelson. These are just four of the many, many reasons I would highly recommend watching The Proposal.
Sandra Bullock has made some less than spectacular career choices – some of which I couldn’t even sit through – but in The Proposal, the girl we all loved so much in Miss. Congeniality, While You Were Sleeping and The Lake House is back and the world is a more adorable place for it. Yes, Sandra plays an ice queen with seemingly no human emotion but she’s still endearing and lovable.
Then we have Ryan Reynolds. His comedic timing is spot on and he has incredible chemistry with Sandra. Betty White is always incredible as is the often underrated Craig T. Nelson.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
Have I mentioned yet that Matthew McConaughey is a hunk? No? Matthew McConaughey is a babe. I’m sure you’re aware of that though, so let’s talk about Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I love the above mentioned babe although I’m the first to admit I’ve seen him in some pretty wretched movies and Jennifer Garner… well, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about her. I adored her in 13 Going on 30, but some of her other movies – which shall remain nameless – have left me feeling a little underwhelmed. For that reason, I almost skipped this one. Then came the two words that made me run to the theater – Breckin and Meyer.
I love (an unnatural, almost shameful kind of love) Breckin. He is the epitome of adorable. The guy’s like a while basket of puppies with kittens on top. I call this the Breckin Factor. When I see his name attached to any project, I feel an undeniable force pulling me to it. Add to the Breckin Factor Lacey Chabert and Michael Douglas plus delicious Matty, and it was a must see.
All that said, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was actually a pretty good movie. The plot seemed a little blah to me at first, but they really made it work. There are some cringe-worthy over the top cheesy moments, but they’re few and far between and hey, it’s a chick flick. What would a chick flick be without a little cheese?
13 Going on 30 (2004)
13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It has everything going for it. Fun music, a familiar but always entertaining premise, love and romance, an awesome villain to loathe (Judy Greer’s snobby and conniving Lucy Wyman) and the adorable Mark Ruffalo to root for. I don’t think I even need to mention the sheer enjoyability of Jennifer Garner’s performance as time traveling Jenna Rink. It’s just so much fun to watch Jennifer in this role because it’s so obvious she had a blast doing it. C’mon, watch the Thriller dance scene and tell me she wasn’t loving that!
13 Going on 30 is clearly not the first movie to use the premise of a teenager wishing to be older and waking up in the morning to find that they are (Hi ‘Big’, I’m talking about you, here), but what it lacks in originality it makes up for with heart. You are practically on your knees in front of the screen begging for the happy ending you know you’re going to get. You fall in love with the characters and the movie rewards your affection.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
I just want to start this out by saying that Amy Adams should win every award that can be given in the field of acting – best supporting actor and best actor included – because this woman is amazing in everything I’ve ever seen her in. She’s beautiful, talented and just generally awesome.
Okay, now that I have that out of the way, Amy Adams is just one of the incredible performers that make up the cast of Sunshine Cleaning. Little Jason Spevack is adorable as Ocsar and Alan Arkin is brilliant as family patriarch and perennial screw up, Joe. Emily Blunt (whom I first fell in love with as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada)… what can I even say about Emily Blunt. Her performance as Norah in this movie is absolutely heartbreaking.
I had some problems with Sunshine Cleaning – namely the ending. Sometimes a more open, unresolved ending works, but I felt there needed to be more here. I wanted to know what happened with Rose, Amy Adam’s character, and the one armed model builder Winston. Surely it was love? Am I wrong here?
Aside from the unsatisfying ending, Sunshine Cleaning may have been one of my favorite movies this year. Just a word of warning though, considering the premise of the movie (two sisters need money and start a bio-hazard removal service, which basically means they ‘clean up’ crime scenes etc, after the body has been removed) there is a fair bit of blood. If you have a weak stomach you might have a hard time with this one.
Hairspray (2007)
Oh my GOSH! This cast! John Travolta (Grease), Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes (She’s The Man), James Marsden (The Notebook, 27 Dresses), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Brittney Snow(John Tucker Must Die), Zac Efron (17 Again, High School Musical), Allison Janney (10 Things I Hate About You, Juno, American Beauty), Nikki Blonsky and even Jerry Stiller are nothing short of amazing in their roles and help make Hairspray one of the best musicals ever!
Director Adam Shankman expertly directs this adaptation of the original 1988 screenplay by the legendary John Waters and Leslie Dixon without losing the spirit and fun that we all loved about Hairspray to begin with. It might be a bit more mainstream than Waters original, but it keeps its biting satire and above all else, entertains and delights. This is a good, fun, watch for movie fans and musical fans alike.
The Cake Eaters (2007)
Directed by the incredible Mary Stuart Masterson, The Cake Eaters isn’t just a great chick flick, but a great movie overall. Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays Georgia, a young woman with Friedreich’s ataxia – a disease that causes nerve damage and eventual heart disease – beautifully and it’s impossible not to love Elizabeth Ashley as Georgia’s free spirited grandmother. I absolutely loved this movie, although there was one serious flaw, so let’s get to that now.
The Cake Eaters was written by Jayce Bartok who also plays the completely unnecessary role of Beagle’s older brother Guy. I kept waiting for something to happen with his character that factored into the story, but it never amounted to anything. He shows up, does his thing and is in the final scene of the movie, but he really has no impact on the movie at all. Jayce gave a great performance in the movie and wrote a great script but his character seemed to be written in as an excuse to cast himself in the movie.
Aside from that, I really have no complaints about the movie. Some people are frustrated by the ending (which I won’t ruin here) but I love a movie that doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat package and lets you draw your own conclusions. If that isn’t your thing, you might want to skip The Cake Eaters.
Ghost (1990)
September 15, 2009 by kitten
Filed under Tearjerkers
Oh Ghost… what a beautiful, amazing, moving, touching movie. Ghost features my favorite performances ever by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. This is what love stories are all about!
The idea that two people could be as in love as Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen are in Ghost is so powerful. That’s the kind of unconditional and allconsuming love us ladies dream about. The pottery scene… oh goodness! That may possibly be my favorite love scene in any movie ever.
Ghost makes me a sappy, weepy emotional wreck and that’s why I love it so much. It cuts right to the core of your soul and holds tight. It is the ultimate chick flick, the ultimate tearjerker and the ultimate love story.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Legendary line from a legendary movie. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray had a special kind of magic that rarely happens on screen. She was adorable and innocent. He was hunky and rugged – were the perfect on screen couple.
Dirty Dancing will go down in history as one of the best chick flicks ever made. It’s the perfect date movie because, secretly, guys like it too. They might not admit it, but it’s a proven fact. Proven by who? Who cares!
Titanic (1997)
September 13, 2009 by kitten
Filed under Romance, Tearjerkers
Legendary – a classic. I don’t really know what to say about Titanic. We’ve all seen it and we all love it. This is a movie that gets better every time you watch it.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have the kind of chemistry that sets the screen on fire. We lose ourselves in Jack and Rose. Leonardo and Kate don’t exist. They play their roles flawlessly. It’s no surprise no one believed they weren’t a couple off-screen.
Titanic really has everything a girl could ask for in a chick flick – romance, drama, action, a cute boy and a weep-inducing ending. There is nothing about Titanic that doesn’t work and that’s why we all love it so much.
