6.3 ~ #9

"Babe" (1995)

From Netflix: "Director Chris Noonan's tale of precocious piglet Babe's (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) struggle to fit in and become a champion sheepherder won the hearts of audiences and critics. Nominated for seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture), Babe won the Visual Effects Oscar, and everything from farmer Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell) to the multitude of farm animals to the humble, edgy script is remarkably appealing for kids and adults alike."

I actually own this movie in VHS, and from this you can deduce that I've seen it a zillion times, but could probably stand watching it once more. :)

I learned while researching this movie that apparently it was made in Australia (I :heart: all things Australian, BTW) but it was dubbed in "American" accents before it's US release to make it more consumer friendly. Ridiculous, that we Americans need everything spoon-fed to us, but then again, who knows if the movie would have done poorly if it hadn't been dubbed? This movie was only an hour and half, just the second movie on the list of ten that have gone by that is under 2 hours long.

Random fact: Babe is voiced by the same lady that voiced Chuckie on Rugrats.

This movie totally makes me want to be a vegetarian again. I guess that's what happens when you anthropomorphize animals. It's so sad though, to imagine from an animal's perspective what it must be like to be raised with the sole purpose of being someone else's food. While in that respect, I don't think this movie should be labeled family friendly (I'd find that traumatizing!), I do think this movie has a couple of great messages, besides just being fun to watch: the first is that just because things have always been a certain way doesn't mean that there's not a better way. The other moral I found to this story is that aggression is not the answer, and you can get a lot more accomplished when you work together with other people instead of being a bully.

So yeah. In less than 24 hours I'll be 24 years old, and I still love "Babe".

:)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For next week, I'll be watching:
#10: "Back to the Future"
#11: "The Batman Superman Movie"
DOTW: "Stripped"

I hope you'll watch along and comment! :)

6.2 ~ #8

"As Good As It Gets" (1997)

From Netflix: "When acerbic, reclusive and obsessive-compulsive author Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) lets stressed-out single mom and waitress Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) and gay neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) and his dog into his life, profound changes await them all in this touching dramedy. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay, the film won Oscars for Nicholson's and Hunt's heartfelt performances."

I love this movie.

I've seen it before, many times. I think the reason I've seen so few movies is because once I decide I love a movie, I will watch that same movie a dozen times in a week. Considering that, it's no wonder I hadn't had time to watch a bigger variety of movies.

In any case...

With a cast like this, it's hard for any movie to suck. Add to that a great story, and you've got gold. Jack Nicholson is phenomenal, as always. I don't think this guy has EVER sucked at anything EVER. Greg Kinnear is another one of those guys that is just so GREAT at everything he does, whether he's playing the douchebag, the daddy or the gay artist (like here) he always delivers. I don't personally like Helen Hunt too much, but I really LOVED her in this. And Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a tiny part, but he's good at it.

And the dog that plays Verdell is the bomb.

This is such a great movie. It's funny, it's sad, and it's HUMAN. It tears down walls and makes you see how the characters tick, and when you see all these people on such a real level, it makes their interactions even more interesting. It's got a fantastic message about tolerance, and it also tells you that if you take chances, you might surprise yourself. Definitely a must-see, and entertaining enough that after all these times I've seen it, I only know realized that it's over 2 hours long. Every movie on this list so far with the exception of the first has been at least 2 hours long. Yikes! Good thing with movies like this, you don't feel it. :)

Next up: another movie I can watch over and over, and have: "Babe".

6.1 ~ Documentary of the Week

"High: The True Tale of American Marijuana" (2008)

From Netflix: "Filmmaker John Holowach directs this fascinating documentary about the causes and effects of the war on drugs. It also delves into the little-known politics and economics behind the battle and exposes the broken lives and casualties left behind. Holowach examines the infamous drug rehab program Straight, Inc., the fight against pain medicine misuse, the history of the marijuana legalization movement and more."

Boring.

Badly made, the narrator talks over the people she's interviewing, and the film manages to take something interesting and important and find a way to make it boring...there are way better movies about this subject matter out there...

FAIL.

That's all I can say.

That's all I WILL say. Watch only if you wish to pass out.