This weekend I saw "Because Of Winn Dixie," starring AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Dave Matthews, Eva Marie Saint, and Cicely Tyson. I had very high hopes for the movie, even calling attention to it in my Favorite Flicks of 2004 article (see "Benji Off The Leash"). Unfortunately, I was let down. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie and even started to cry. But there are some essential things wrong with this dog flick. First of all, I feel the ending leaves us very close to where we began. But pehaps the biggest fault is the dog's screen time. For several long periods of time during the film, I found myself wondering where the dog's story went. The title mentions his name. It starts off about the dog. The climax and resolution centers around the dog. Shouldn't the minor details in between be vastly about the dog? Instead, we meet people. On the one hand, these people have fantastic dialogue and act superbly. On the other hand, their stories are shrug-able and lead us nowhere important or enlightening. Overall, a movie about a dog that leaves you asking, "Where's the pooch?" didn't do its job right. In the end, it is still a happy movie and worth a watch.
I also had the chance to see "Being Julia" starring Annette Benning. I usually dislike English flicks and this one took me a while to get into. However, the payoff is marvelous. The story, set in the 1930's, is entertaining and there are some very funny gags. The end of the film features an acting battle (sort of speak), which left a huge smile on my face. If Hilary Swank is deprived of the Oscar, Benning is my next best choice. She brings a charm to every movie she stars in. This is a far cry from "American Beauty," but she displays her wonderful talent excellently.
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