THE CHOICES WE MAKE - HANKS & THE 'RESOLUTION'

By Greg Walton

REVIEW Film Critic

Carpe'-diem:  The rallying cry for every New Year's resolution made under

the spell of a champagne high and just as quickly forgotten beneath the

curse of a morning-breath low.

It's so much simpler to choose something we might follow through with on

accident...like, "I vow to eat more Italian Sausage" or "I promise to never

leave the toilet unflushed."

But we always seem to set ourselves up for failure, pledging to right our

wrongs, mend our ways, and call Mom more often.  Then there's films like

CastAway and The Family Man, both of which feature middle-aged men who come

face to face with a lifetime of selfish egoism and missed opportunities,

and come out smelling like roses.

Click Here to Read More about Tom Hanks!!

Tired of playing second fiddle to Bobby DeNiro, Hollywood's golden boy Tom

Hanks finally gets to prove his acting chops by losing all the excess

baggage he picked up since Bosom Buddies.

CastAway maroons Hanks on a South Pacific island, the sole survivor of a

plane crash that separates him from the rest of the world, including

fiancée' Helen Hunt.  A workaholic Fed Ex employee, Hanks finds little to

do on his new island home other than mindlessly sort the packages that wash

up on his beach.  But boredom and hunger force him to fend for himself, and

the film's second act follows Hanks transformation on the scales from

Skipper to Gilligan's waist size - and the emotional/spiritual realization

that the world is much smaller than he imagined it to be.

 Director Robert Zemeckis  (Back to the Future, Forest Gump) cleverly

avoids all dramatic music during the island sojourn, isolating the audience

and heightening the drama as Hanks learns to survive; fashioning crude

tools, painting a friendly face on a volleyball, and even performing a

painful bit of dentistry.  So engrossing are these un orchestrated

interludes, that when the title card comes up to announce 4 Years Later,

you almost feel cheated you didn't get to see the whole thing.

Like nearly all great films, CastAway is about much more than its

unfortunate CBS prime-time scenario would suggest (just ponder the double

meaning of that title and try to forget Richard Hatch's naked love handles).

At its simplest, the film is pure, visceral entertainment - a Crusoe-esque

adventure that chronicles man's enduring will to survive.  But Hanks

painful loneliness isn't confined to the island, and his long dream of

escape might not be the real answer.

Zemeckis surfs over a sparse but intelligent screenplay, punching up the

action scenes - like the terrifying opening plane crash - while leaving

time to ponder the open-ended questions 4 years with nothing but your own

thoughts might suggest.  It's a brilliant balancing act that only teeters a

bit with Helen Hunt's rather sappy scenes.

Make no mistake, CastAway is serious entertainment; questioning the course

of society, the value of technology, and the choices each man or woman

makes in life.  But it's all washed down with a slug of coconut milk and

Tom Hanks in a loin cloth, just for perspective.

Grade: A

Click the picture for the official website!

Lifted liberally from It's A Wonderful Life, Nicolas Cage gets a glimpse at

the wife (Tea Leoni), kids (the lispy and cute Makenzie Vega), and picket

fence (New Jersey) he would have had in The Family Man had he not chosen

the life of a high-powered Wall Street type.

Thrust into a world of dirty diapers, nosy neighbors, and a drab wardrobe,

Cage rebels against his suburban nightmare with a vengeance.  Everything is

an affront to his platinum card lifestyle, from his wife's pro-bono law

office to his own career as a tire salesman...retail, no less.

And when, by chance, his old life and new life converge, Cage comes to the

same crossroads he faced 15 years ago.  Can money buy true happiness...or

are there more benefits to married life than free sex?  With a title like

The Family Man, it's  a pretty safe bet he doesn't choose the hookers.

There's a predictable pleasure in watching Cage come to his senses, and

watching the film reinforce the American dream of two kids, a dog, and

bowling on Monday.  The miraculous set-up (Cage's glimpse is provided by a

magical master of disguises played by Don Cheadle) downplays any attempt to

criticize how idealized this dream life actually is.  In this world, wives

are understanding, friends are loyal, and home is where the heart is.

Leoni goes a tad overboard in the devoted wife department (she's even

interested in sex, for God's sake!), but Cage is believably loopy in both

worlds, popping out his bug eyes for a cheap laugh then just as quickly

turning into a big ole' puppy dog.  But through all the lukewarm drama and

recycled plot hooks, the film still makes you root for those two crazy kids

to stay together.

The Family Man is a big pat on the back.  A hearty Hollywood

congratulations for making the right decisions.  For choosing family over

fame...happiness over wealth.

Oh, and the director thanks you personally for his new Ferrari.  Ta Ta!

Grade: B

WES CRAVEN'S DRACULA 2000

Yes, everything sounds better with a British accent.  Even

ridiculously inept dialogue like,  "If anything moves, chop off its head or

put a stake through its heart!" Feeding these lines to a cast of unknown

Liverpuddlians rather than some  Party of Five reject was a bright idea.

And Wes Craven's Dracula 2000 has a few other things going for it as well: a 

throbbing soundtrack, silky smooth camerawork, and an exotic yet dangerous

looking Count (Gerard Butler).  Quit looking for plot holes and you might

even enjoy this Blade-goes-southern-gothic late show.

Grade: B-

DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?

    	A stoner comedy for the new millennium that isn't even up to Chong's

standards,  Dude Where's My Car  follows Jesse That 70s Show  Ashton

Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott of  American Pie  on a

series of sexy, stupid, and tiresome misadventures in pursuit of their

missing crap-mobile.  Spot the guest stars (Fabio, Andy Dick, Hal Sparks,

and Data from Star Trek), leer at some boobies, but don't expect to laugh

much. Dude's  cult classic opportunities are as wasted as Jesse and Chester.

Grade: D+