Screenwriters: Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) and Billy Ray (Breach)
Director: Kevin McDonald (The Last King of Scotland)
Actors: Russell Crowe (American Gangster), Rachel McAdams (The Notebook), Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland), Jason Bateman (The Kingdom), Robin Wright Penn (Forrest Gump), Helen Mirren (Excalibur), Viola Davis (Disturbia) and Jeff Daniels (The Crossing)

Labels: Ben Affleck, film, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, movie trailer, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright-Penn, Russell Crowe, Viola Davis

A classic. William Goldman (Heat, The Marathon Man, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) proves his talent is wide ranging in what is probably the best live-action family film in the last thirty years. Filled with genuine humor and good morals this movie is a certain crowd pleaser and should be seen at least once. A traditional boy-meets-girl storyline is given new life thanks to Goldman's affectionate telling and rousing performances by a cast who looks like they had a great deal of fun.

The cast of the film is very impressive with each of them adding to the overall ensemble. A young Fred Savage plays a cynical boy who at first resists his patient grandfather's offer to read him a book. The book, about a beautiful princess, doesn't interest the boy until the plot begins to unravel. The pages come alive and the story is told in a nice bit of meta fiction on screen. The characters played by Robin Wright-Penn, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Chris Saradon, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn and Billy Crystal. The ensemble each give memorable performance with even the side characters making their mark. Wallace Shawn's conniving Sicilian Vizzini is particularly guilty of stealing his show. The performances give a lightness to the film and combined with Goldman's clever twists with words, makes this an absolute joy to watch. This is not a movie you see, it's one you buy and own. It is one of those rare films that lends itself to becoming a part of people's lives in the same way Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Story and The Sound of Music have.


Related Reviews:
Billy Crystal movies
Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
Analyze This (1999)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Siskel & Ebert
Crazy for Cinema

Labels: Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, film, movie review, Robin Wright-Penn