Movie #398 - A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own
1992 - Rated PG - 2 hr 8 min
Director: Penny Marshall
Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Megan Cavanagh, Rosie O'Donnell, Tracy Reiner, Ann Cusack, Bitty Schram

A pivotal movie from my youth... Girls can play sports! I remember how much I loved this movie, how I'd want to watch it over and over again.  And also how I'd quote it whenever possible.

"There's no crying in baseball!"  -- The valuable wisdom of Tom Hanks, boys and girls.  There is no crying in baseball, all true.

With a fantastic cast of vibrant characters and the perfect She-Ra strength of star Dottie Henson (thank you, Geena Davis), it's easy to see why this movie inspired so many of my young girlfriends to play baseball. Beyond the fun parts, there's also a really great story line here. A telling portrayal of two sisters, the younger always struggling to get her due and the older just trying to live her life. A heartbreaking reality of war-time America and the lengths people went to in order to go about "normal" life. These girls did much for the spirit of our country and should most definitely be celebrated in a movie like this.

It's always been a favorite, and now that I own it (finally), it will continue to be for a long time.

Movie #355 - Lake Placid

Lake Placid
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 22 min
Director: Steve Miner
Starring: Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, Betty White, David Lewis, Mariska Hargitay

Oh, Betty White!! I think this movie might be the first time we saw this Golden Girl swear and it was so worth out.  And look where she is now!

Anyway, I know this movie is crappy.  It's like Anaconda. You want to hate it but you just keep watching it.  And you're rooting for Oliver Platt to get eaten by the crocodile and for Bridget Fonda to shut the hell up.  And you're glad to see Betty White's (SPOILER ALERT) "litter" of tiny crocodiles that will one day take over the placid lake and eat everyone.  Not psyched enough to watch Lake Placid 2 or Lake Placid 3, but psyched all the same.

And no, it does not take place at the real Lake Placid.  Bummer, I know. But the po-dunk town is the perfect place for this beastie to have its way with humanity.  Awesome.

Movie #307 - Independence Day

Independence Day
1996 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 25 min
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A Fox, Harvey Fierstein, Adam Baldwin, Brent Spiner, James Duval, Lisa Jakub

I saw this in the movie theater way back when and loved it.  It's cheesy and very Roland Emmerich-esque, but it's just so much fun to watch that you can't help but enjoy it.  The cast is great - president Pullman, Smith as a marine, Goldblum as a failed scientist, Fierstein and his effortless dramatics.  And Brent Spiner as the weird, crazy-haired scientist in the alien lab - it's just too much.  I love it.

We all know how much Emmerich likes to destroy the world and, although some of his later attempts weren't so bad, this has got to be the best one.  The aliens are creepy in their calculated silence, the people featured at the center of the action are diverse and interesting, and there's just enough personal tragedy and sacrifice to make it seem "real."

Alright, so it's not very "real."  But it's a nice balance of victory and loss, a perfect Hollywood blend of comedy and tragedy.  And the effects aren't so bad either.