Film 74 (Enchanted) Way to Disney, for Once!
This week was incredibly busy, to the point where I know I did things but they all seem to have blended together. The week went by in a blur.
After the weekend box office disaster that was "Oz," I helped celebrate a coworkers birthday, by having dinner and watching a couple of movies Monday night. It was her birthday, so we let her choose the movies. The few times I've been over, I've asked to watch hockey, so since it was her birthday, I gave her control of the television! We had eggplant parm, which was great and probably the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever had!
"Enchanted" (2007)
Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Susan Sarandon
I saw this one in the theatre when it first came out, with my parents (I know, sounds pretty cool and I've probably lost a few "Cool" points, but who doesn't enjoy some family time every now and then).
I usually steer clear of Disney films. They just never really impress me (and the fact that Walt Disney wasn't exactly a stand-up guy...Google it...I don't really like supporting the enterprise, except for Pixar films- those are great, most of the time). I'm not much for animated movies, to begin with and the fact that often times, Disney films seem to alter facts for the sake of their films being "romantic and ideal" kind of bothers me. I mean, John Smith was not a very stand-up guy and look how they portray him in "Pocahontus."
But here, I think they do something right by interweaving the animated, typical fairy tale of Cinderella (perhaps what happened after the film, I don't know) with live action- and this is where the film really takes off because of its humorous elements (something that most Disney films lack).The "prologue" of the film starts in typical Disney animated fashion and is helpful in setting the stage for the rest of the film, which is live-action but follows all the "Rules" of animated films. (Kind of reminiscent of the "Scream" franchise explaining and then following the "Rules" of horror films.) The story gets complicated because when Princess Giselle finds herself in New York City, she happens upon Robert (played with a specific charm by Patrick Dempsey), a single dad whose daughter instantly likes Giselle for her own childlike innocence coming from the animated world to reality. She lives with them, which complicates things further, but also leads to hilarity of typical romantic comedies, but the approach Disney takes is a charming one. I wonder how much of it, though, rests completely on Amy Adams' ability to be so goddamn charming. I love her! She sings while she cleans the apartment. She makes a new dress out of Robert's curtains. She has animal friends. The entire film is just adorable and entertaining.
Because of the fairy tale element to "Enchanted" is undeniable that the film's success weighs heavily, and perhaps completely, on Amy Adams' shoulders. And this is a burden she doesn't take lightly. And she certainly does not disappoint. Her acting seems completely effortless while in the role. She is incredibly adorable as the clueless, misfit princess lost the the Big Apple (New York City) after popping out from a manhole (which acts as the portal for each animated character, and yes there are more...well, there's Prince Charming, who chases his princess into the new world in order to find her; his lonely assistant, who provides comic relief, as usual; and the wicked Queen, played devilishly by Susan Sarandon).
Fun fact, my mother taught at St. Dom's in Lewiston for 20+ years and during her first couple of years, she actually taught Patrick Dempsey in Freshmen Biology. Then, he went to Leavitt Area High School, before leaving for Hollywood. I asked her years ago if she'd happened to keep any of his old exams (from the 1970s), you know, because they would have his signature, aka autograph on them, and would be worth quite a bit of money these days, since he's really hit the big time after years of obscurity and small roles in films like "With Honors" (one of my favorites).
I love "Enchanted" and could definitely watch it over and over again. It's a quick fairy tale movie that makes you laugh. I think I even commented how quick the story seemed to move along. I couldn't believe it was over when it was, and I could've used a bit more screen time for Amy Adams, but I have several films to choose from if I want to see her some more. (re: Sunshine Cleaning, The Fighter, Junebug, and the Muppets).
After the weekend box office disaster that was "Oz," I helped celebrate a coworkers birthday, by having dinner and watching a couple of movies Monday night. It was her birthday, so we let her choose the movies. The few times I've been over, I've asked to watch hockey, so since it was her birthday, I gave her control of the television! We had eggplant parm, which was great and probably the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever had!
"Enchanted" (2007)
Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Susan Sarandon
I saw this one in the theatre when it first came out, with my parents (I know, sounds pretty cool and I've probably lost a few "Cool" points, but who doesn't enjoy some family time every now and then).
I usually steer clear of Disney films. They just never really impress me (and the fact that Walt Disney wasn't exactly a stand-up guy...Google it...I don't really like supporting the enterprise, except for Pixar films- those are great, most of the time). I'm not much for animated movies, to begin with and the fact that often times, Disney films seem to alter facts for the sake of their films being "romantic and ideal" kind of bothers me. I mean, John Smith was not a very stand-up guy and look how they portray him in "Pocahontus."
But here, I think they do something right by interweaving the animated, typical fairy tale of Cinderella (perhaps what happened after the film, I don't know) with live action- and this is where the film really takes off because of its humorous elements (something that most Disney films lack).The "prologue" of the film starts in typical Disney animated fashion and is helpful in setting the stage for the rest of the film, which is live-action but follows all the "Rules" of animated films. (Kind of reminiscent of the "Scream" franchise explaining and then following the "Rules" of horror films.) The story gets complicated because when Princess Giselle finds herself in New York City, she happens upon Robert (played with a specific charm by Patrick Dempsey), a single dad whose daughter instantly likes Giselle for her own childlike innocence coming from the animated world to reality. She lives with them, which complicates things further, but also leads to hilarity of typical romantic comedies, but the approach Disney takes is a charming one. I wonder how much of it, though, rests completely on Amy Adams' ability to be so goddamn charming. I love her! She sings while she cleans the apartment. She makes a new dress out of Robert's curtains. She has animal friends. The entire film is just adorable and entertaining.
Because of the fairy tale element to "Enchanted" is undeniable that the film's success weighs heavily, and perhaps completely, on Amy Adams' shoulders. And this is a burden she doesn't take lightly. And she certainly does not disappoint. Her acting seems completely effortless while in the role. She is incredibly adorable as the clueless, misfit princess lost the the Big Apple (New York City) after popping out from a manhole (which acts as the portal for each animated character, and yes there are more...well, there's Prince Charming, who chases his princess into the new world in order to find her; his lonely assistant, who provides comic relief, as usual; and the wicked Queen, played devilishly by Susan Sarandon).
Fun fact, my mother taught at St. Dom's in Lewiston for 20+ years and during her first couple of years, she actually taught Patrick Dempsey in Freshmen Biology. Then, he went to Leavitt Area High School, before leaving for Hollywood. I asked her years ago if she'd happened to keep any of his old exams (from the 1970s), you know, because they would have his signature, aka autograph on them, and would be worth quite a bit of money these days, since he's really hit the big time after years of obscurity and small roles in films like "With Honors" (one of my favorites).
I love "Enchanted" and could definitely watch it over and over again. It's a quick fairy tale movie that makes you laugh. I think I even commented how quick the story seemed to move along. I couldn't believe it was over when it was, and I could've used a bit more screen time for Amy Adams, but I have several films to choose from if I want to see her some more. (re: Sunshine Cleaning, The Fighter, Junebug, and the Muppets).
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