DVD: Divine Viewing Diversions
The year was 1999.
The century was coming to an end.
And the movies that preoccupied and entertained us that summer painted a vivid portrait of life in an era that sometimes seems the distant past but that also sometimes seems a week ago Tuesday.
Here, then, is the parade of theatrical movies that dominated the multiplex marquees of exactly 20 years ago.
And don’t be surprised at how vivid your memory is of most of these films.
So, travel back in (running) time with us and take a glance back at the movies of the summer of 1999.
Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (PG)
Yep, the force was still with them. Leave it to the sturdy “Star Wars” franchise, the epic saga created by and returned to by writer-director George Lucas – the first installment of which became one of the most influential movies ever made – to light up the box office a quarter-century into its existence by kicking off a new trilogy of prequels. The year’s top moneymaker was a sci-fi fantasy starring Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman that focused on an intended peace negotiation and had strong structural and tonal parallels to the first installment. But it was aided by updated special effects, which were special enough to garner three technical Oscar nominations – for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Visually dazzling if exposition-heavy, this fourth offering had both fervent fans and decided detractors. Despite the carping of naysayers, it remained an unstoppable force.
Runaway Bride (PG)
Julia Roberts, at the top of her game, stars opposite Richard Gere nine years after their memorable teaming in the runaway hit, “Pretty Woman.” Roberts is the title character, just as she was in “Pretty Woman,” and both audience-friendly romantic comedies were directed by Garry Marshall. Roberts is a small-town woman from Maryland who has made a practice, it seems, of leaving prospective grooms at the altar. She is, in other words, always the bride, never the bridesmaid. Gere is a USA Today columnist who is working on a story about her. They are, of course, drawn to each other. The leads certainly have a natural and appealing chemistry, and the plotting is smart and appropriate. And if there’s one genre that can get away with this level of predictability and contrivance, it’s romantic comedy. A heady level of charm – which is the, um, gear that they are working in – makes everything else a breeze to swallow.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (PG-13)
Mike Myers, starring and co-writing and co-producing, returned in this sequel to 1997’s “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” and the broad farce did more big business, with Jay Roach back in the director’s chair and viewers continuing to imitate the very funny Myers characters. That’s plural because he performs in various roles throughout the swingin’ Sixties spoof, including the James Bond-like (not really) title character and the villainous Dr. Evil, reportedly based on Lorne Michaels, Myers’ boss when Myers was a player on television’s “Saturday Night Live.” There’s also a time-travel component as the 1960s superspy gets stranded in the 1990s while struggling to relocate his mojo. Don’t ask. “Austin Powers in Goldmember” would follow in 2002, completing the wacky trilogy. The freshness and originality of the original can’t quite be duplicated, but there are still lots of laughs. Groovy, baby.
Tarzan (G)
Not that we’ve ever lacked for “Tarzan” movies, but it was apparently the right time for a jungle flick from the world of cartoons. Thus, this vibrant animated musical take on the classic tale by Edgar Rice Burroughs, with strong voiceover work from Tony Goldwyn as the titular Ape Man and Minnie Driver as his beloved Jane, and enjoyable songs by Phil Collins, including the then-ubiquitous Oscar winner for Best Song, “You’ll Be In My Heart.” The formulaic plot is everything you might expect, as the creature raised by gorillas discovers that he’s human. But the film’s serious-minded exploration of the Tarzan myth and its light-touch landing on the theme of being different are so crisp and pleasant and energetically paced that it hardly matters. In addition, the animating of the African forest is something to behold, and the able supporting voice ensemble includes Glenn Close, Nigel Hawthorne, Lance Henriksen, Wayne Knight and Rosie O’Donnell. And, yes, it’s still a jungle up there.
American Pie (R)
Four buddies vow to lose their virginity as the night of the high school prom approaches in this popular teen comedy that held the spotlight with its raunchy set pieces. Those naughty highlights were designed to get appreciative viewers talking and reminiscing about them at what we used to call the water cooler, and that’s precisely what they did. Jason Biggs stars – most memorably opposite a warm apple pie – and he’s supported by a large, youthful, game comedy ensemble that includes Shannon Elizabeth, Eugene Levy, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari and Jennifer Coolidge. Three hormone-heavy sequels would follow the original, which parlayed endearing performers, moments of OMG-embarrassment, and gross-out sight gags into an uneven but undeniably laugh-producing romp for those not easily offended.
Notting Hill (PG-13)
Charming and likable Julia Roberts teams up with charming and likable Hugh Grant in this charming and likable romantic comedy. Roberts plays a world-famous movie star from the States, on location in London, who meets modest bookstore owner Grant, and through a series of playful incidents, coincidences, contrivances and complications, they attempt to follow through on their romantic impulses. Director Roger Michell keeps things zipping along briskly and screenwriter Richard Curtis’s witty script doesn’t disappoint. But the film resides on the shoulders of its two appealing and skilled leads, who demonstrate the kind of precise and effective comic timing that can’t be taught. Rooting interest is plentiful, as are the valuable engaging contributions of supporting cast members, including Hugh Bonneville, Alec Baldwin, Rhys Ifans, Gina McKee and Emily Mortimer. For lovers of superior romcom, this one’s a must-see.
The Blair Witch Project (R)
The horror thriller got a makeover in this attention-getting, black-and-white mockumentary, which amounted to a technical project that intrigued an audience looking for horror that haunted. The plot: A young woman hires a two-man film crew – all three are students – to accompany her into the Maryland woods as an investigation of sorts into local myths and superstitions about witchcraft and voodoo. Naturally, they get lost and lose their map as their adventure turns into a nightmare, and spooky, mysterious things begin happening that scare them and us, aided by the point-of-view shooting style, the purposely underlit conditions, and a horrifying series of ungodly, unexplainable sounds. We find ourselves anxious and fearful more as a result of what we can’t and don’t see than of what we can and do. As we watch, we’re aware that we are being manipulated, but we respond to the eerie goings-on nonetheless. We dare you to screen it.
The Sixth Sense (PG-13)
Let’s start with this: If there’s a more spectacularly satisfying surprise ending to a movie than this one from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, I’ve yet to see it. But that’s not the only reason this movie was so discussed and admired, or why Shyamalan so quickly became a household name, or why the film was the second-highest moneymaker of the year, or why it was nominated for six Oscars – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette) and Best Editing. The simple truth is that this is a great movie from first frame to last, a chilling and suspenseful supernatural mystery-drama about a scared little boy who confesses to a dedicated child psychologist – played by Bruce Willis in an effectively understated performance – that he communicates with spirits. Or, as he puts it, “I see dead people.” A brilliant movie that knows how to keep a secret.
The Thomas Crown Affair (R)
This one-generation-later remake of the stylish and influential 1968 cat-and-mouse thriller starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway offers Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in their showy starring roles. The title character is a self-made billionaire industrialist and art thief who devises a perfect robbery, while she is the insurance investigator assigned the case, involving the theft of a valuable Monet painting. Of course, the recovery case is complicated by the romantic entanglement of the two principals, either or both of whom might or might not be principled. It’s a handsome film, about as slick and stylish as movies get, but it’s also decidedly shallow. Brosnan and Russo are enormously likable, and director John McTiernan employs a necessary and not necessarily characteristic light touch while he juggles action and romance. But the material is so light, it nearly floats away while you’re watching.
Bowfinger (PG-13)
A laugh-out-loud satire of the movie business, this comedy holds up and delivers during repeat screenings. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy do the heavy lifting, but it’s the screenplay by co-star Martin and the breezy direction by Frank Oz that hits all the right notes. Martin plays a struggling moviemaker named Bobby Bowfinger who devises a scheme to shoot a movie starring Hollywood’s top action star, Kit Ramsey, played by Murphy, without disclosing to the star that he’s doing so with the help of a decidedly un-famous look-alike, also played by Murphy, and a crew of technicians and hangers-on sporting what you might charitably call limited accomplishments. Everybody’s fine here, but it’s Martin and Murphy, their particular genius long since established, who bring perfect comedy timing to the party and manage to create characters – three between the two of them – who are not only real but real funny as well. Enjoy.
