Six Degrees: Daniel Eric Gold: Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Daniel Eric Gold played Todd in my last post Cafe and Charlie in today's post Definitely, Maybe.

Synopsis
Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is in the middle of a divorce when his 10-year-old daughter, Maya, starts to wonder about how he met her mother and his life before his family. So we follow Will and the various characters in his life through his time as a starry-eyed aspiring politician who learns the ways of big city politics. We ride along as he explains to Maya his relationships with three very different women, and Maya decides to try and guess which is her mother (which is fairly entertaining). As Maya puts together the pieces of Will's romantic life puzzle, she shares her wisdom and shows her father, Will, that it is never too late to try and find your happy ending.
Sounds corny, and it probably is. However, Ryan Reynolds and Isla Fisher and Abigail Breslin add their charming wit and sarcastic humor, so it's actually very entertaining.


My Thoughts
Let's get this out of the way: Ryan Reynolds. Yeah, he's in this one. We start the movie listening to his thoughts and inner-monologue. And he has done what we all dream of doing; he has found the perfect song to go along with his day! I try to do this all the time...but they never feel perfect. Well, good for him...Then we get another New York tour montage while he walks to pick up his daughter...Then it gets interesting...

Abigail Bresden (Maya Hayes) and Ryan Reynolds (Will Hayes) make an awesome father-daughter duo. I hope, if I ever have a kid, they can handle my sarcasm as well as she handles his. She dishes it just as much as he does! Anyway, she bullies the "How I Met Your Mother" story out of him, and that's basically the movie. Not quite as long of a story as the TV show, but still fairly complicated and hilarious (mostly because Ryan Reynolds is telling it...). I love how he turns it into a Love Story-Mystery. Guess which one's your mom! Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Summer (Rachel Weisz)? April (Isla Fisher)?

Daniel Eric Gold (The Six Degrees Character from Cafe) is Charlie, the horrible, moocher roommate who constantly threatens to steal the girlfriend while Will's in New York trying to become president.

A big chunk of the movie is watching Will make his way from coffee boy to political guru. The interruptions from Maya are fairly entertaining, but any time a parent tells a story like this, they're bound to give up more information than they intended...








Is it horrible that I always mix up Isla Fisher with Amy Adams? When I really pay attention, I feel stupid for mixing them up, but their voices and everything are similar...




I love what April says when Will asks what she wants to be when she grows up: "I don't know and I don't know how to know. You know?" That's basically where I am, too. I'm thinking a lot of people can relate to that...

Hampton Roth's book reading is also very enlightening. I'm always afraid that language really is being torn apart and left to die, while we "evolve" into LOLs and JKs...I know I sound like a 70-year-old trying to keep the Internet from cafes, but I think language and vocabulary are important. The more words we lose, I think the less capable we are of expressing ourselves. And the less capable we are of expressing ourselves, the more miscommunications there will be...Anyway, that's my soap box for the day. Back to the movie...






Will is telling his 10 or 11-year-old this story, and yet she still has to explain things to him! Boys can be so stupid sometimes (I mean, girls can, too, but come on!). The brutal honesty of a 10-year-old...





You think it's gonna be this dramatic, kind of sad ending...But then it keeps going, and everybody gets to be happy after all. Seems pretty corny, but like Will says, "Sometimes a little corny is just what we need"...or something like that...

Random Facts
Abigail Breslin's character makes reference to her American Girls doll collection stating that they would be "worth a fortune". Breslin is the third actress to play one of the American Girls, Kit Kittredge, in her own movie (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl). Both films were released in 2008)

Many of the bar scenes were filmed in the upper west-side bar Jake's Dilemma, 81st and Amsterdam.

Rachel Weisz was originally set to play the part of Emily.


Sorry, this post took such a ridiculous amount of time to get out. Life kind of got away from me for a while. The Six Degrees of Actors Anonymous continues :-) 
In case you can't remember who we left off with, Daniel Eric Gold was the six degrees character from the last post Cafe. I'll pick an actor from Definitely, Maybe to choose one of their movies for the next post. If you have suggestions of who to use, let me know. Ryan Reynolds would be easiest, obviously, but there are quite a few great actors in this one.

Six Degrees: Jennifer Love Hewitt: Cafe

Cafe (2011)

Synopsis
A good-hearted musician struggles to find a way to tell his beautiful barista coworker that he loves her, despite the fact that she is in a relationship. Meanwhile, regulars and customers at the cafe where they work have their own problems and encounters. A police officer keeps an eye on his wayward cousin, who owes money to a charismatic dealer, and a married man contemplates his relationship with a good-looking new acquaintance. However, one customer believes he is in fact the main character in a computer simulation of modern life, set in the cafe, all designed by a young girl.






My Thoughts
I've never seen or heard of this movie, but it sounded...interesting. Starts out pretty weird with some cops in a cafe and shots fired, and then one of those great flash back scenes to "Last Sunday," so hopefully we'll see why someone's shooting up a small cafe.

So far this movie is super weird. We've got a cop who has what I'm assuming is a less than law-abiding cousin he's looking for, a group of law breakers (though you're not really sure what it is that they do, yet), a weird writer in the corner who compares the population of West Philadelphia (break into Fresh Prince song HERE) to a blend of coffee (which I actually thought very interesting), a nervous coffee barrista who secretly loves his coworker, and a computer nerd whose computer tells him he's really just an avatar that she created along with his entire world...I'm confused...You?



It seems like you get to spend a movie people-watching in a cafe without them knowing. I'm a people-watcher, and sometimes I really wish I could hear what they were saying without being a creeper. The first half of this movie you get to meet everyone who walks through the door and hear what they're saying and learn about their lives without them knowing you know. And watching all the lives intersect, as they do in movies and sometimes in life, is intriguing.




The writer has a tatto that says "What a piece of work is man." I don't know why, but it really stood out to me. I guess if you people-watch at a crazy cafe all day, it would probably seem true. Although, if the whole world is just a bunch of avatars, it wouldn't really matter...This movie is quite weird...

Maybe this "programmer" is supposed to be God? She created this world and is always there listening and talking back to those who choose to "tune her in"...She created all the "characters"...She put free will into the programming...I don't know how I feel about the comparison, but it seems like you're supposed to make that leap...'

I, honestly, can't decide if I really like this movie or if I really hate it. It's one of those movies that you'll probably have to watch a few times to decide. Or you might just completely hate it the first time around. Have you seen The Fountain with Hugh Jackman? I had a similar reaction to that movie...had to watch it a couple of times before I was sure. You can't make sense of it really, but there's just something about it that draws you in...Anyway, give it a shot if you want, and let me know what you think!

Random Facts
The film takes place almost exclusively inside a real working West Philadelphia cafe.

LAST Christmas Special: Wrap-Up

Here's my personal (and RottenTomatoes) rating of the Christmas movies I have watched and shared. I tend to not be super hard on movies, so you might think my ratings are very generous, but these are just my opinions. Most seem to fairly well correspond with RottenTomatoes, though I've never really used them to look up ratings before...


Anastasia (1997)
Love this movie, even though it may not be a "Christmas" movie. It seems like a great day-after-Thanksgiving movie, when you want something wintry, but not quite Christmastime.

Me: 92%
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%






The Family Stone (2005)
This movie reminds me of my family so much, which is probably why I like it. There doesn't seem to be much special about it, but I still tend to like it.

Me: 82%
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%








The Family Holiday (2007)
This movie was one of those corntastic Christmas movies. Has Uncle Joey from Full House, and a couple of fairly adorable children. I wasn't a huge fan, however, and Rotten Tomatoes didn't even have a rating...

Me: 61%
Rotten Tomatoes: -







White Christmas (1954)
This one is a classic, and I love the music in it. I'm a fan of these older musical films. So it all depends on the mood that you're in, but if you're looking for an old-time music number, this one will work.

Me: 94%
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%








Good Luck Charlie (2012)
Another corny one, though the paintball scene was pretty entertaining. That's what I'd like to do for Christmas some year.

Me: 61%
Rotten Tomatoes: -








Lucky Christmas (2011)
Win the lottery, find a perfect guy...Yeah, sounds like an okay Christmas. Super corny, but what do you expect from these Hallmark and Disney Channel movies?

Me: 63%
Rotten Tomatoes: -




A Christmas Story (1983)
Another classic, though I've never been much of a fan of this one. I used to watch it in school, but this is the first time I've watched it since then. Still not a huge fan...but it's not horrible.

Me: 74%
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%



A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
More classics! This is one of those movies that I always used to get yelled at for never having seen it. It's a cute one!

Me: 91%
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%






Prancer (1989)
When you look at the quality of this movie, it might not be much. For some reason, though, I've always really liked this one. It's a new spin on a Christmas tale and I think it's a cool idea. How many of us would be willing to take in Santa's reindeer??

Me: 78%
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%







Prancer Returns (2001)
A sequel, and a very stereotypical sequel. I don't think this movie was necessary, and there were better ways to go about it, but it wasn't a horrendous follow-up.

Me: 64%
Rotten Tomatoes: -








It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
I know this is another one of the classic, loved Christmas films, but I could not really get into it. I'm not sure why, because I tend to like the older movies.

Me: 81%
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%






Jingle All the Way (1996)
I liked this one more than I think I was supposed to. I enjoyed watching Schwarzenegger play at karate and pretend to be a super hero. I don't really understand half of what he says, but it's entertaining to me. I also thought the kid was cute, and the movie was cute, even though it went a little crazy with the commercialism preaching.

Me: 64%
Rotten Tomatoes: 17%







Elf (2003)
I love this movie, as do many others. I'm not usually a Ferrell fan, but Zooey Deschanel wins me over, and it's a very funny and lovable film.

Me: 90%
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%






Holiday Inn (1942)
This movie is fantastic. It gave us White Christmas and another chance to watch Crosby and Astaire work together. Those two make a fantastic team. A wonderful musical holiday film.

Me: 100%
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%







Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Another one I'd never seen before, at least not in the recent past. Fairly cute movie, though.

Me: 89%
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%








National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
I could not get into this movie. It is not my kind of comedy. I can see how others could find it entertaining, but it is really not my kind of thing.

Me: 51%
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%








The Santa Clause (1994)
I think I liked these movies more than I should have, too. I'm a bigger Tim Allen fan than I knew I was. I like his sarcastic humor. It goes along with my own, I think.

Me: 91%
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%








The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
I even liked the sequels! I thought they did a great job of continuing the story with a realistic new twist. It gave us more information and background around the big guy, and kept the same characters (I love character consistency).

Me: 86%
Rotten Tomatoes: 55%







The Santa Clause 3 (2006)
Yep, liked this one, too! :-)

Me: 81%
Rotten Tomatoes: 15%








The Polar Express (2004)
I thought this movie was cute, but it took me a while to get past the idea of Tom Hanks being every main character. The imagery was gorgeous, at least!

Me: 78%
Rotten Tomatoes: 56%







The Search for Santa Paws (2010)
Super corny...The stuffed dog where Paws comes from is very creepy...And it reminded me too much of Annie. You run a risk when you pick out random movies from your local library, but sometimes you can find the gems...And sometimes you find these...

Me: 58%
Rotten Tomatoes: -







Christmas in Canaan (2009)
Billy Ray Cyrus...I feel like not much more needs to be said...

Me: 54%
Rotten Tomatoes: -









Christmas Lodge (2011)
This was a typical Thomas Kinkade film. The scenery was very pretty, the story was very corny. I got a little more into this random library movie than I did the other two. Not a bad one.

Me: 71%
Rotten Tomatoes: -










Feel free to rate your favorites or least favorites or tell my opinions are horrible! I welcome the comments! :-)

*So Christmas is over and I'll get back to my random actor films. I'm thinking about doing a sort of 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon type thing. I'll pick an actor and watch a movie of theirs, then pick a different actor from that movie and do a movie of theirs. That way I'm not watching 14 Will Smith movies in a row, because I get a little burnt out, and I'm guessing you do, too. We'll give that a try...*

Christmas Special: Random Movies from the Library....

**I know it's been a while since my last post...My house lost our internet for a while. So here's a belated Christmas post, and I'll move back to my random actors soon enough. Hope everyone's holidays have gone well!*

The Search for Santa Paws (2010)

Synopsis
When Santa and his new best friend, Paws, discover that the boys and girls of the world have lost the spirit of the season, they take a trip to New York City. But after Santa loses his memory, it's up to Paws, a faithful orphan named Quinn (America's Got Talent's Kaitlyn Maher), her new friend Will (The Game Plan's Madison Pettis) and a wonderful group of magical talking dogs to save St. Nick and show the world what Christmas is really about.








My Thoughts
You can probably tell from the synopsis that this is a very...very corny movie. If you have a 4-year-old who is a puppy-lover, this movie might be for them. The dog is cute (except when it's in the creepy fake dog mode...), the little kids are fairly adorable, and it has a 'little orphan Annie' feel to it.

There's Christmas magic and talking dogs and an odd-looking Santa to help the kids and the audience remember the spirit of Christmas.

And, of course, the common face to Christmas movies, Danny Woodburn, as Santa's main guy.

I'm not doing many 'thoughts' on these movies, because chances are no one has seen them or will watch them unless they are really adventurous or are looking for new movies to introduce to their small children. This movie is cute, but only if you're planning on watching it with 2- to 5-year-olds around to show you when to laugh and when to be concerned. My family and I were never really sure...But at least there's a happy ending, of course.

There's also a sequel, Santa Paws 2: Santa Pups (2012). I'm probably not going to watch it, but I thought I'd at least let you guys know that it's out there. If you've got an interested youngster, you should watch it and let us know what you think.

Random Facts
Kaitlyn Maher (playing Quinn) was also in other puppy movies: Santa Buddies (2009), Treasure Buddies (2012), and Santa Paws 2: Santa Pups (2012). (I guess there are a lot of Buddy movies these days...I've only seen the original and a few of the early sequels, so I don't know if they're any good. Any of you have thoughts?)


Christmas in Canaan (2009)
Synopsis
DJ and Rodney are two boys who don't like each other from the start. Rodney thinks DJ is an ignorant white farm boy, and DJ thinks Rodney acts too smart for his own good. After a school bus scuffle between them, DJ's father and Rodney's grandma come up with a clever idea that brings them closer than either would have liked. Living in Canaan, TX in the 1960's does not make it easy for a black boy and a white boy to forge a friendship. It is only amid the magic of an unforgettable Christmas that DJ and Rodney discover a land of milk and honey where hope and love make all the difference.





My Thoughts
I tend to steer clear of Billy Ray Cyrus' acting attempts, but this movie came home from the library, and I figured I might as well. I wouldn't really call it a Christmas movie; it's more focused on the race issues of the 60's and how difficult it is for a black kid and a white kid to figure out their differences and find a way to be friends anyway. It's kind of a surface examination, but you can see the underlying issues all over.






Halfway through the movie, after the boys have grown up and their relationship has cemented, Christmas finally comes and they're tested a few more times. Hard economy and people split down the middle. The "some Christmas" part was super corny, but it made its point. It really is the thought that counts, and Christmas shouldn't just be about stuff...If you can get past the cliche phrases and corny acting, it really is a great thought.








It's hard to watch movies with such hatred for everyone. And it never ends up well for anyone...It's tough to even figure out how people end up like that. Even today, people fight before they talk...Half the time they agree with each other, but don't even realize it because they're so busy yelling at each other. Everybody just take a deep breath and chill out :-)

I'd say this one's worth a watch if you can get past Billy Ray's corny phrases. He sings most of the soundtrack, too. It's an all right movie, though, with a good message.





Random Facts
Canaan, Texas is a small town northeast of Denton, Texas, near the Oklahoma border.

This movie was based on the book co-written by Kenny Rogers.

Christmas Lodge (2011)
Synopsis
During a weekend trip to the mountains, Mary (Erin Karpluk) finds herself at the now-dilapidated lodge where she spent the holidays with her family growing up. She becomes determined to restore the building to its former glory. Inspired by her grandfather and guided by her grandmother in heaven, Mary throws herself into the project, and during the process finds herself drawn to Jack (Michael Shanks), a handsome man who loves the lodge as much as she does. Historically unlucky in love, this chance encounter allows Mary to renew her faith in life and discover her one true love.





My Thoughts
I can really identify with Mary in this movie. Her attachment to the mountains/hiking, her feeling of dedication and obligation and loneliness, even though there are people everywhere. Just not connected the way she way she wants to be. Hopefully, this movie provides her with the chances she needs to get happy, the way that real life tends to not do so easily. I'm sure it will...

Michael Shanks will always be Dr. Daniel Jackson from Stargate to me. He looks different without the dorky glasses, but he's still Dr. Jackson. I know he's been in a ton of stuff since then, but I was very attached to that show and its characters. I like him quite a bit without the glasses and with the tool bet, though. The mountains look good on him. :-)

Sometimes I don't understand why people can't see themselves. When they're with people that they should obviously not be with. Not necessarily bad people, but people who they do not belong with. Mary and ???? definitely do not belong together...But I'm sure she'll figure it out soon enough.



Everyone should take a night every now and then to listen to the stories of their grandparents and parents. It's so fun to sit and listen and watch how much they enjoyed their lives. And you can learn a lot of interesting things...like how your grandparent might have burnt down a school bus or fallen out of a car back in the day. :-)




This is a Thomas Kinkade movie, so it is a little scripture/Jesus focuses. I like this movie a lot, but I can't really explain why. It takes a while to get to Christmas, but it's a pretty good build up, and the family parts seem fairly realistic. Some of the lines seem a little forced or out of place, but it's still pretty good overall.

Random Facts
John Innes (Grampa) was also a little involved in the Stargate story. He was Zaddik in Stargate: Atlantis. 

Christmas Special: The Polar Express

The Polar Express (2004)

Synopsis
On Christmas Eve, a doubting boy boards a magical train headed to the North Pole. The story follows the boy as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

My Thoughts
I immediately love the attention to detail in this movie. Young Tom Hanks burns his arm on his radiator and knocks over some toys and just small things like that to make it seem realistic. He uses drawers as steps like all children have at some point in time. He begins to question Santa, like we all did. "The end of the magic" begins...or does it?

I did get quite confused when Tom Hanks narrates the beginning, so he's the boy...And he's the boy's dad...And he's the conductor...And he's the hobo on the train roof...My brain just couldn't handle it. It also tends to have some issues with this type of animation. It's kind of like black and white films in my head, takes a second to get used to it, but once my brain catches up it's pretty great. And you can make the imagery a lot more meaningful with a bit of animation.

If you were convinced that something was a dream, why would you even hesitate?!? If a train came thundering down mainstreet and someone offered to take me to the North Pole, I'd jump on that chance!








I've got a Golden Ticket!!





The music in this movie is one of the reasons that I love it. And whenever they do the impossible, it's fantastic. The table cloths that become tables, the hot chocolate shooting through the air into cups, pouring into three cups at once, etc...And now I'll have the Hot Chocolate song stuck in my head til Christmas...

The is one of the few movies that I think I'd like in 3-D. The scene where they come up to Flat Top Tunnel and the roller coaster scene through Glacier Gulch would probably be pretty cool...or make me throw up...

Look, Guys, I speak caribou! Just pull my beard. :-) That would be an interesting talent...

But I bet he gets sick of people tugging on his beard...





And then there's another roller coaster ride through the North Pole, which would probably look fun in 3-D. It seems like one of those movies that was made for 3-D. I don't usually like when they turn a movie into a 3-D movie, but when the movie was made for 3-D from the start, they're a lot cooler that way. As long as it's not just the occasional stunt thrown in to make you jump in your seat.

It feels a little slow when they get lost in the town and in the factory buildings. But all the roller coasters would probably be fun. When they follow the present down the line, it reminds me of the toilet bowl water ride at Deep River Water Park.

My sisters and I were just discussing how weird we think it is that none of the children were voiced by children. Most of the actors were in their 30s and 40s when this movie was made. How do they make their voices sound so young?? And I think Billy (the lonely boy) is the only one that has a name...I don't think they ever introduce themselves, but I might have just been not paying attention.

Has anyone else ever been creeped out by "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"? It makes Santa sound like some kind of child stalker. And when all the elves are chanting it before Santa comes out, it is the worst...Sooo creepy. And then they go into slow motion and make it even worse...



And the creepy, misfit puppet from the toy car made its way to a good home :-) And I think that it's kind of funny that Santa calls himself Mr. C. So mysterious. Seems like a simple enough movie, but I love the music and the animation once I adjust to it. I still find it a little weird that Tom Hanks was pretty much everyone...but it's a great one.

Random Facts
Michael Jeter's (Smokey/Steamer) last movie.

A close examination of all the ticket numbers reveals that they all contain the number "1225" in them. Pere Marquette No. 1225 was used as a model for the Polar Express locomotive. 12-25 also refers to the date of Christmas - December 25th.

The film used 3-D motion capture techniques to digitally record the physical performances of the actors before "skinning" them with their animated forms. All the children's roles were acted by adults using oversized props to get the movement right. (The first animated film to use this performance capture technology.)

This was the first mainstream film to be simultaneously released as a 35mm film and a 3-D IMAX presentation.

The train set seen at the end is a recreation of the new Lionel Polar Express train set combined with the older Lionel Berkshire and the older tubular track. 

The locomotive in the movie is based on the Pere Marquette 1225, a restored steam locomotive located in Owosso, MI. In fact, many of the sound effects of the film's train are recordings of the actual train. The train is often run between Owosso and nearby Chesaning for rides during festivals.

Listed in the Guiness Book of World Records in 2006 as the "first all-digital capture" film, where all acted parts were done in digital capture.

The real name of the Hero Boy is never mentioned.

In the beginning of the movie, Hero Boy looks at a picture of himself on a store Santa's lap. The store's name on the photo is Herpolsheimer's, an old department store in Grand Rapids, MI, Chris Van Allsburg's (author) hometown. Later the train passes by the store.

The premiere was also held in Grand Rapids.

The address spoken by the conductor early in the film "11344 Edbrooke" is the real address of Robert Zemeckis' (director) childhood home. The home is in a south side of Chicago neighborhood called Roseland.

Leslie Zemeckis (Sister Sarah/Mother) is married to Robert Zemeckis (director). 

It is the first movie to use the Imagemotion technology.

The Hero Boy has a University of Michigan pennant on the wall behind his bed. Chris Van Allsburg (author of the book) is a real-life graduate of the University.

The lonely boy is played by Peter Scolari, who starred alongside Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies. It was the first significant role for both actors.

Before the Hero Boy boards the Polar Express, the clock shows that it is 11:55. The time does not change until the first gift of Christmas is given near the end of the film.

**Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Hopefully, everyone can understand the craziness of Christmastime!** :-)