Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Muppet Movie (1979)

With a new Muppet movie coming out this month, my husband and I were inspired to introduce one of our childhood favorites to the kids: the original 1979 The Muppet Movie. We both had fond memories, but would it stand the test of time? And would our kids like it too?

The verdict: A resounding yes, the film holds up, even if some of the jokes and puns are groan-inducing. All four of us were laughing throughout at classic slapstick and the antics of Jim Henson’s timeless characters—Animal (“Beat drums!”), the overgrown Sweetums, the charmingly unfunny stand-up comic Fozzie Bear (“Wokka, wokka!”), and the diva to end all divas, Miss Piggy. And then of course, there’s Kermit, whose rendition of “The Rainbow Connection,” sung upon a lily pad in the middle of a swamp, is one of the most enduring film images of my childhood (along with the famous scene of him riding a bicycle—how the heck did they do that?).

A road trip film, The Muppet Movie follows Kermit from his swamp to Hollywood, in search of fame and fortune. Along the way, a growing entourage of misfits and dreamers join in for the ride. One exception: Big Bird, whom they pass on the road going in the opposite direction, declines the offer of a ride and says he is going, “To New York, to make my big break in public television.” Ha-ha!

The Muppets share the screen with real people, and there is no distinction between cloth and flesh as far as characters go, except that the cloth ones seem to have more heart. Among the cameo appearances are Orson Welles, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Bernadette Peters, Dom Deluise and Steve Martin, who plays a sarcastic waiter in a particularly hilarious scene. The iconic puppeteer Edgar Bergen and sidekick Charlie McCarthy also appear in their last film before Bergen’s death.

And of course there is Charles Durning as the evil restaurateur Doc Hopper. Hopper wants Kermit to perform as spokesman for his frog legs franchise, and when Kermit refuses, a ruthless chase ensues. Hopper enlists an evil scientist (Mel Brooks) in a brain-zapper scene that was a bit scary for three-year-old George. But the scene ends with laughs as Miss Piggy mightily trounces the bad guys to save her beloved “Kermie.”

Parents should also note there is a scene with a gun-slinging villain named Snake Walker, who is evil personified, and who throws a giant spear-like fork at an image of Kermit. His bad-guy cronies, Hopper's henchmen, use guns during a frog target practice.

Our overall take: There is some violence that may be troubling to the preschool set, but because it is handled in a comic way, older kids (say, six and up) are unlikely to be bothered. The Muppet Movie is a sweet film that encourages everyone to follow their dreams, and underscores the importance of friendship along the way. And there are enough laughs and the nostalgia factor to make it entertaining for grown-ups as well as kids. We’ll definitely watch it again.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Alamar

Every once in a while you come across a film that delivers on the promise of cinema, a film that transports you to another world, that reveals something deep and true about the human condition, and that shows a mastery of the art and craft of filmmaking. Right now for me, that film is Pedro González-Rubio’s Alamar (To the Sea).

Set in Banco Chinchorro, an endangered but naturally pristine coral reef in the Mexican Caribbean, Alamar centers on the relationship between a five-year-old boy (Natan) and his father (Jorge), who has taken him to live in a remote fishing village. Natan’s mom and Jorge, we learn through voice-over and an opening photo montage, are separating. Natan will ultimately live with his mother in Italy, but first will spend some quality time by the sea with Jorge and Matraca, an older friend of Jorge’s and a grandfatherly figure.

The film is in Spanish with subtitles, something I was concerned about with the kids. But the dialogue is sparse enough, and the story enchanting enough for children, that my three- and six-year-old were riveted the entire time and seemed unbothered by my reading subtitles to them.

Watching Alamar is very much like watching a documentary, and judging by the names of the cast, it seems that most characters are playing themselves. Natan really is Jorge’s son and the film seems to be a sort of hybrid between fact and fiction, giving it an emotional power. In one of the early scenes, we see Natan and Jorge on a motorboat on the way to the little house on piers where they will live. Natan is terribly seasick and his sympathetic father holds him lovingly. Throughout the film, the bond between them is evident and poignant.

There are many captivating scenes of life by the water. The men fish using spears and snorkels, and it is fascinating to watch them swimming underwater. One of the more surprising characters is a white egret, whom Natan names Blanquita. The bird arrives one day and sticks around, eating offerings from the fishermen and even climbing onto Jorge’s arm. According to notes I read about the film, Blanquita’s presence on the set was sheer luck, but she becomes an important part of the story, offering lessons about attachment and loss, and the potential for humans to connect with the natural world.

What is most notable about Alamar, as far as my kids go, is that very little happens. This is a good thing. There are no suspenseful scenes, no real danger or threat—just beautiful glimpses into a lifestyle and landscape that are little-known to us. There is love aplenty, and a sense of joy and discovery.

Knowing that the boy and his father would soon be separated gave the film an emotional depth that I appreciated. The kids were not so attuned to this, although it did spark some conversation about divorce with Pearl, my six-year-old. This was helpful as she has recently known friends whose parents are separating. It’s a hard topic for kids to understand, but the film makes clear that a parent’s love for a child can survive distance and separation. Jorge’s connection to Natan has a primordial quality to it—the bond between father and son seem as old and enduring as the sea itself.

I highly recommend this film for kids of all ages. Many thanks to my friend Annie’s mom, Lorna, for telling me about it!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Dolphin Tale

I am a sucker for animal movies, so when I saw a trailer for Dolphin Tale, and found my eyes misting at the very idea of it, I knew this was one I needed to see with the kids. So we went last week, actually making it to the theater on the last day it screened.

While a 3-D version was released, we went for the 2-D version since we had three-year-old George along. He has only been to a movie theater once before, and the dark room and hugeness of the screen are stimulation aplenty for him. While the film is rated PG, I have to say I highly recommend it for all kids, even the young ones. In fact, I wonder why it was rated PG? I really didn’t see anything scary, sexy or troubling about it for young audiences. Go figure.

Dolphin Tale falls in the category of Hollywood inspirational tearjerker, a departure from some of the more artsy stuff I’ve been reviewing here. Despite being somewhat formulaic, I think the film was well done, with good acting and a plotline that definitely held all of our attention.

Dolphin Tale tells the story of a boy named Sawyer who comes upon a beached dolphin entangled in a crab trap. While waiting for a rescue team from a local aquarium to arrive, he develops a bond with the injured animal. Later he sneaks into the aquarium to check on his new friend, only to learn that the dolphin, named Winter by a girl whose Dad (Harry Connick, Jr.) runs the operation, won’t take food and is giving up. When Winter sees and hears Sawyer, however, she miraculously perks up, and so the boy becomes part of her rehabilitation.

It turns out that Winter also has a therapeutic effect on Sawyer—a picked-on loner who is failing school and spends his time tinkering in the garage workshop of his father, who has recently run off on the family. Sawyer’s loneliness is compounded by another loss—his beloved older cousin, a champion high school swimmer, has just been deployed to the Middle East. Tending to the injured dolphin, and developing a friendship with Hazel, the girl at the aquarium, Sawyer starts to become a happy and engaged child, a change noted by his supportive mother (Ashley Judd).

Along the way, some suspenseful plot twists arise. First, Winter’s tail becomes infected and must be amputated, possibly endangering her life. She survives and learns to swim tail-less, but it soon becomes obvious that the side-to-side motion she has adopted is going to destroy her spine, and ultimately end her life. About this time, Sawyer’s cousin returns home after a bomb blast partially paralyzes him. During a VA hospital visit, Sawyer meets a prosthetics specialist (Morgan Freeman) and enlists him in making a tail for Winter. However, the dolphin rejects the first two prosthetic devices, and it starts to seem as if all is lost. Then, there’s a hurricane! And the aquarium is up against financial ruin!

For the kids, Pearl and her friend Sasha (both six) and George (three), all of these setbacks definitely held their attention. The film shows that success doesn’t always come easily, and underscores that persistence and hard work can turn things around. It shows that grown-ups don’t always have the answers, and that with fresh minds and lots of energy, children can make a difference—a great message for kids to hear.

Talking with them about the plot, I realized afterwards that none of the kids understood that Sawyers’s cousin had been in a war, which I suppose was handled somewhat subtly. I think they also didn’t catch that Sawyer’s dad had disappeared, or that Hazel’s mom had passed away—all things alluded to in conversations between adults. I think this is fine. Ultimately what captured their hearts and attention were the friendship between Sawyer and Winter, and the story of kind humans working hard to help an injured animal—themes that I think most kids will embrace.

As for me, I was seriously choking back the tears on several occasions, but as I said in the beginning, I am a sucker for this stuff!