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Sugarpants
& Doting Dad MEET THE FOCKERS: Directed by Jay Roach. Written by John Hamburg and James Herzfeld, from a story by Marc Hyman. Produced by Robert De Niro, Jay Roach, Jane Rosenthal. Executive produced by Amy Sayres, Nancy Tennenbaum. Original music, Randy Newman. Cinematography, John Schwartzman. Editors, Alan Baumgarten, Jon Poll. Production design, Rusty Smith. Costumes, Carol Ramsey. Starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo. With Owen Wilson, Alanna Ubach, Ray Santiago, Tim Blake Nelson and Shelley Berman. Universal Pictures, 2004. PG-13. 114 minutes.
Based on the trailers, I had successfully avoided seeing Meet the Fockers for several weeks. But now, in mid-January, with no sign of the rest of the best of 2004 in sight, I succumbed, dragging myself into the theater on a Monday afternoon and settling in to be bummed. I call this condition: zero expectations. But I find I have fallen in love with Dustin Hoffman's perfected film persona of a lively but mellow hippie (I Heart Huckabees), who's delighted to discover aging doesn't mean not having fun. In a film with abundant onscreen talent such as Meet the Fockers, Hoffman as Bernie Focker steals the show right out from under the comic grasp of Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and Barbra Streisand. And he does it by being an absolutely lovable dad and husband. As Roz Focker, Streisand shares a warmth and earthiness that hasn't always been evident in her long career. She's relaxed and plainspoken, not trying to suck up all the good air in the room. Still beautiful and sexy, Streisand exercises her not so subtle flair for comedy here. As Jack Byrnes, the former CIA spook who's keeping his eyes on potential bridegroom Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), De Niro is as reluctant as ever to crack a smile or give an inch. He's outfitted a new mobile home with a secret control room so he can watch everything that goes on in the Fockers' household during the get-the-parents together weekend. Jack's wife, Dina (Blythe Danner), is beginning to chafe at his antics. He dotes on their older daughter's son, little Jack, to an unhealthy degree, and he mostly ignores Dina. The Byrnes's experience the Fockers differently. Dina likes Roz, and she enjoys Bernie's hugs and good humor. She has to verbally remind Jack to cool it when his pinched face discloses his obvious distaste for the behavior of Greg, Roz and Bernie. Jack clings to his belief that Greg will finally expose the skeletons in the family closet. But Dina and Jack's daughter, Pam (Teri Polo), has a secret of her own, and many of the predictable kinks in the movie turn on who knows and who doesn't. Greg, who's a nurse, finally gets fed up with being bullied about by Jack. Caught in the middle between the Byrnes and the Fockers, Greg has to front off an unforgivably awkward scene, in which he tells the assembled engagement party true tales best left untold. It's the worst scene in the film, actually — not funny, just embarrassing. While the plot is less important than the performances, it is gratifying in these post-election days to see Floridians such as Bernie and Roz depicted as old liberals. Of course the Fockers should be living in a hip city in a blue state on the West Coast, such as Eugene, where they'd fit right in. Roz is a geriatric sex therapist, the author of a book called Is Your Vagina Happy? while Bernie's a former attorney now into peaceful martial arts and cooking. He was a stay-at-home dad with Greg, and is still dotty about the son he calls by his middle name, "Gaylord." Near the end of the picture, Greg, Bernie and Jack are arrested by an uptight Officer Le Fore (Tim Blake Nelson), who doesn't give a fig if stuffed shirt Jack is a retired CIA man. Later, Judge Ira (played by comic Shelley Berman), sends his love to "Sugarpants," aka Roz, for saving his marriage. That impresses Jack. Now playing at Cinemark and Cinema World, Meet the Fockers deserves to be seen with zero expectations.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: Alexander: Oliver Stone's action adventure epic stars Colin Farrell as Alexander the Great, with Val Kilmer, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson and Anthony Hopkins. Tedious at three hours, this epic by Oliver Stone misses the mark. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Brothers Karamazov, The: The brothers live in a web of complicated psychological relationships, but when they plan to murder their parent, emotions take over in Dostoevskii's brilliant novel adapted by Ivan Pyriev in 1972. At 7 pm on 1/18 in 115 Pacific, UO campus. In Russian with English subtitles. Free Coach Carter: Based on a true story. Samuel L. Jackson stars as a basketball coach in a Richmond, CA high school. His tough-love ethic requires players to keep up their grades and dress right. He makes national news when he benches the whole team for poor academic performance. Directed by Thomas Carter (Save the Last Dance). PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Ed Wood: (1994) Tim Burton's touching homage to one of Hollywood's worst directors stars Johnny Depp in the title role, and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, Wood's friend. Also stars Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette and Vincent D'Onofrio. Hilarious. R. At 6 pm on 1/16 at DIVA. Free. Elektra: Jennifer Garner plays Elektra, a killing machine, based on the Marvel comic book character created by Frank Miller. The publicity material calls her "a lethal synthesis of grace and power," which means she wears skimpy outfits and jumps around a lot. Co-stars Goran Visnjic ("ER"), Terence Stamp, and Abby Miller. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Grudge, The: The curse of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage kills and is passed like a virus from victim to victim. PG-13. Movies 12. House of Flying Daggers, The: Zhang Yimou (Hero) directs another martial arts film from mainland China about a secret society that destroys an evil, Tang Dynasty regional government. Stars the fabulous Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. PG-13. Cinema World. In Good Company: Written and directed by Paul Weitz (About a Boy), this comedy is about the relationship between an older man (Dennis Quaid) and his much younger boss (Topher Grace). Scarlett Johansson co-stars. PG-13. Cinemark. Racing Stripes: A farmer (Bruce Greenwood) and his daughter (Hayden Panettiere raise a baby zebra to become a champion racer. Live action, computer animation, with voices by Frankie Muniz, Dustin Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg and Snoop Dogg. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Revolution Won't Be Televised, The: Called "a riveting documentary" by The New York Times, Irish filmmakers Kim Bartly and Donnacha O'Brian's portrait of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's left-wing president, shows the alliance between television stations and the oil interests that oppose Chavez. He survived a coup in April of 2002 and was reinstated after a million people protested, and the filmmakers were there. At 7 pm on 1/18 in Cozmic Pizza. Saw: James Wan's bloodthirsty horror tale about a serial killer who commits suicide, leaving would-be victims chained up, stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell. Movies 12. R. Silver City: (1984) Gosia Dobrowolska stars in this love story about post-WWII Polish refugees resettling in Australia. PG. At 7 pm on 1/19 in 180 PLC, UO campus. Free. Twenty Years Old in the Middle East: Interviews with Arab and Iranian youth in Jordan, Syria, Iran and Lebanon following the fall of Saddam Hussein. First in a series of human rights documentaries followed by a conversation moderated by community leaders and educators. At 3 pm on 1/16 in Eugene Public Library. Free. West Coast Drive-Ins: Filmmaker Steve Swanson will be present to answer questions about his documentary survey of the remaining drive-in movie theaters in Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia. At 8 pm on 1/14 at DIVA. Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING: Aviator, The: Martin Scorsese's 169-minute film about lover, aviation pioneer and eccentric billionaire industrialist Howard Hughes stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes, with Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Alan Alda, Frances Conroy and Ian Holm. DiCaprio is brilliant in the role, and Scorsese makes the film his own. One of the best films of the year. Very highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Blade: Trinity: Vampire hunter Blade (Wesley Snipes) goes after vampire leaders bringing back the rejuvenated Dracula, their progenitor, who's now called Drake (Dominic Purcell David Goyer's film is based on the Marvel Comics character and also stars Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey and Natasha Lyonne. R. Movies 12. Fat Albert: Bill Cosby character debuts in a live-action and animated film based on Cosby's stand-up routines about growing up in Philly. Directed by Joel Zwick. PG. Cinemark. Finding Neverland: Johnny Depp stars as British playwright J.M. Barrie, based on Allan Knee's play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan. Directed by Marc Foster, it also stars Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell and Dustin Hoffman. Winslet and Depp's performances are radiant, but the real star of the show is 12 year-old Freddie Highmore, playing the actual child, Peter Llewelyn Davies, who inspired Barrie's play. The picture is heartbreaking, gorgeous and probably too complicated for young children. PG. Cinema World. Online archives. Flight of the Phoenix: Using Robert Aldrich's 1965 adventure film as his base, John Moore updates the main story, in which crash survivors in the vast, remote Gobi Desert attempt to put their fractured plane together and fly out. Stars include Giovanni Ribisi, Dennis Quaid and Jacob Vargas. PG-13. Cinemark. Forgotten, The: Julianne Moore is a grieving parent. She learns from her psychiatrist (Gary Sinese) and others that her 8-year-old son never existed. Directed by Joseph Ruben, the film also stars Dominic West, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Anthony Edwards. PG-13. Movies 12. I Heart Huckabees: Delirious, laugh-out-loud comedy from David O. Russell (Three Kings, Flirting with Disaster) stars Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts and Jude Law. Even funnier on second viewing, this is one of 2004's top films. Very highest recommendations. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Incredibles, The: Writer, director Brad Bird and Pixar Animation Studios create an action-adventure story set in suburbia where a former top crime fighter, Mr. Incredible, gets the call to jump back into actions. PG. Cinemark. Online archives. Kinsey: Bill Condon's excellent film about human sexual researcher Alfred Kinsey stars Liam Neeson, Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard. Frank, open-hearted and genuinely humorous, this is a must-see movie. An entertaining and enlightening antidote to the bedroom politics of the religious right and one of 2004's best, the film gets my highest recommendations. R. Bijou. Online archives. Ladder 49: Stars John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix) as Baltimore firemen. PG. Movies 12. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: The New York Times calls the Lemony Snicket books "mordantly funny," but the stories of the misadventures of three orphans who fall into the hands of an evil count are popular with children and adults. Jim Carrey plays said count, three game kids bedevil him, and Meryl Streep, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly, Luis Guzmán, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Adams and Catherine O'Hara help. Directed by Brad Silberling and written by Robert Gordon. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Wes Anderson's new ensemble comedy stars Bill Murry as a famed underwater adventure filmmaker who's run into some big waves and is going under. Co-stars Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Cate Blanchett, Michael Gambon and Willem Dafoe. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Meet the Fockers: Jay Roach follows Meet the Parents (2000) with Ben Stiller's bride and in-laws to-be Teri Polo, Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner meeting his eccentric parents, Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand. Culture clash. Surprisingly funny and heart-warming, with a lovable performance by Hoffman. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Napoleon Dynamite: Jared Hess' indie comedy stars Jon Heder as a high schooler, who lives in Idaho with his grandmother. The Village Voice says, "the film is an epic, magisterially observed pastiche on all-American geekhood, flooring the competition with a petulant shove." PG. Movies 12. Online archives. National Treasure: Directed by Jon Turteltub and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, adventure stars Nicolas Cage searching for treasure George Washington hid during the Revolutionary War. Sean Bean plays his British rival who's anxious to score the treasure first. PG. Cinemark. Ocean's Twelve: Director Steven Soderbergh returns with the gang: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts and newby Catherine Zeta-Jones. A recent group interview in Premiere makes reveals they had a blast making this sequel. Highly recommended for its unabashedly confident entertainment value. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Phantom of the Opera, The: The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is brought to the screen by Joel Schumacher. It stars Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson. Unfortunately, under Schumacher's insipid direction, kitsch dominates. If you already love the work, you may enjoy the film, but the too-sweet sentimentality is too much for me. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Polar Express, The: Robert Zemeckis directs a wholly CG animation adventure, starring Tom Hanks in multiple roles in this adaptation of children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. Called "performance capture," the technique uses actors' live-action performances to drive the emotions and movements of the digital characters. G. Cinemark. Ray: Jamie Foxx plays late, great Ray Charles in this musical, biographical drama, directed by Taylor Hackford. Co-stars Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Richard Schiff, Aunjanue Ellis and Sharon Warren. Outstanding performance by Foxx. One of the year's finest films. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Shall We Dance: American remake of the sublime Japanese film of the same title. Sorry to report it, but Jennifer Lopez plays the dance teacher and Richard Gere the shy man who learns to dance. See the original to compare to this all-Hollywood effort. PG-13. Movies 12. Shark Tale: In this computer-animated feature, a lovable tropical fish with the voice of Will Smith takes on the underwater Mafia when he assumes responsibility for killing the godfather of the Great White Sharks. Other voices include those of Jack Black, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Angelina Jolie and Martin Scorsese; Eric Bergeron. Directed by Vicky Jenson. PG. Movies 12. Sideways: Fresh social comedy by Alexander Payne follows two guys on a bachelor week in California wine country. Great performances by Paul Giamatti (American Splendor) and Thomas Haden Church ("Wings") sweetens the tale, as do Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. One of the best films of the year. Don't miss. R. Bijou. Online archives. Spanglish: James L. Brooks's comedy/drama stars Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Anne Bancroft and Paz Vega. A non-English speaking woman goes to work for an upscale LA family. PG-13. Cinemark. White Noise: Stars Michael Keaton as an architect who thinks his dead wife (Chandra West) is talking to him through electronic devices in their home. Geoffrey Sax directs this suspenseful thriller, which also stars Deborah Kara Unger and Ian McNeice. PG-13. Cinemark. Without a Paddle: High-speed comedy adventure stars Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard as clueless adventurers who go into the Oregon wilderness in search of lost treasure. PG-13. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
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