The Chronicles of Narnia and Other Old Friends Fill 2005 With Nostalgia

Two years after the final installment in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy came out, the first of Walden Media's adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia hit theaters. I'd been looking forward to it for months, and it capped off a year in which the movies allowed me to revisit pleasantly familiar territory time and again.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - I'd seen the BBC version of this C. S. Lewis classic several times. As much as I enjoyed it, I was anxious to see how it would fare with the big-budget treatment. I saw it opening night, and while the BBC version is inarguably the more faithful adaptation, there was a lot I loved about this edition, starting with the adorable Georgie Henley as Lucy and the thoroughly endearing James McAvoy as the faun Mr. Tumnus. The special effects are gorgeous, as is the cinematography, and some of the key moments from the book leap to life on the big screen. Plus, this movie is responsible for Lazy Sunday, one of my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live sketches.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - I read the book, and of course I saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so again I was interested in seeing how this update would compare. Tim Burton struck me as being an ideal director for a film taking place in such a skewered world, and he delivered a techni-color treat emphasizing the importance of family. While I missed Veruca's bumbling dad and Charlie's ludicrous teacher, in some ways, I preferred Johnny Depp's vulnerable, Michael Jackson-like Willy to Gene Wilder's manipulative version, and I definitely preferred irresistible Freddie Highmore as Charlie.

Dear Frankie - This little gem of a Scottish film stars Gerard Butler as a mysterious stranger who poses as the father who has walked out of young Frankie's life. It's the only way his mother, played by Emily Mortimer, can think of to painlessly deal with the ruse she's kept going; she's been writing to Frankie for years, posing as his father. The seeds of romance that blossom between her and the pseudo-dad are sweet, but it's the man's growing fondness for the open-hearted deaf child that really makes the film endearing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Another great installment in the Harry Potter series. Though Michael Gambon is harder to take as Dumbledore in this film than the others, Brendan Gleeson's outstanding performance as Mad-Eye Moody makes up for it. Meanwhile, the visual spectacle of the Quidditch World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament is dazzling, and there's lots of humor to be found as Harry and his friends begin to navigate those dangerous waters of teenage romance.

Hitch - Will Smith and Kevin James are a winning team in this film about a man who makes a living secretly helping schlubs win over the women of their dreams. Each has his own romance to pursue throughout the film, but it's their buddy movie chemistry with each other that's really endearing. They are hilarious together, and James is one of the most lovable losers ever to hit the big screen.

March of the Penguins - Documentaries rarely go far in the theater, and it's pretty unusual for me to go see one there. But this one had been getting so much good buzz that I, like so many others, couldn't resist. The cinematography of those penguins making their perilous journey is breathtaking, and Morgan Freeman narrates with all the warmth of a grandfather telling a bedtime story.

Pooh's Heffalump Movie - My appreciation for Winnie-the-Pooh is one of the first things most people learn about me. I'm a huge fan of the Silly Old Bear, so I was determined to catch this film in the theater. My friend Libbie and I ended up with the theater all to ourselves, so I was able to combine the big-screen experience with the privacy of a home viewing. I loved the quietness of the movie, the lovely animation and the introduction of the adorable Lumpy to help teach the Hundred-Acre Wood gang that different doesn't have to mean scary.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - I hadn't read the novel on which this film is based, but Libbie had, and she was the one who recommended the movie to me. All four of its young leading ladies have starred in television shows, though two hadn't yet at the time this movie came out. I was especially interested in Amber Tamblyn, who starred in the sadly short-lived Joan of Arcadia, and her storyline ended up being my favorite. Meanwhile, America Ferrera, who would go on to star as the plucky heroine in ABC's Ugly Betty, won me over in her storyline, which came in a close second.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - At long last, this film made Star Wars a pair of trilogies - though of course, the original trilogy is the far superior one. Still, I think this third installment was probably the best of the three, albeit not as much fun as The Phantom Menace.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - This pair of claymated buddies finally got a full-length adventure. Though the chatty, addled inventor and his silent, brainy pooch might be better suited to shorter outings, this is a very fun adventure, especially for Anglophiles. And as a big fan of Art Garfunkel, the inclusion of a clip from the song Bright Eyes was a nice bonus for me.

A good year for fantasy and adaptations. Not too many surprises in 2005, but much of this year's crop felt pleasantly nostalgic.

Will Smith Tries His Best to Get Deserving Guys Hitched

Back when I went to see Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, the day before my birthday, Hitch was playing in the other theater. Although going to see Winnie-the-Pooh was her idea, my friend has playfully rubbed it in ever since that she could’ve seen Hitch one time, but instead we had to go see that dumb Pooh movie… So last night we finally amended that. It’s nice to have a six-screen dollar theater. It means that most of the movies we wanted to see when they first came out make it to the more affordable big screen before landing on video.

The first thing we noticed was the apparent randomness of the previews. Usually there is a certain overriding theme. Revenge of the Sith boasted previews for action / adventure flicks, predominantly involving superheroes. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe probably aims a little younger than the other films, but it qualifies as an epic fantasy and probably will be this Christmas’ big blockbuster. And after all, C. S. Lewis did say that really great children’s literature appeals as much to adults as kids, and that’s especially true when the current adults were kids when the book in question came out and recall it fondly. But I’m in danger of losing myself on a tangent. The point I wanted to make is that the previews here ranged from Kicking and Screaming to The Interpreter, apparently indicating that Hitch is a film with a diverse audience. To my surprise, none of the trailers were for a romantic comedy.

I go into most movies without terribly high expectations. I expect to be entertained, and usually I am. But I leave the “You’d better wow me or else” attitude for monumental movies like the LOTR trilogy. I had heard a lot of good things about Hitch, so I figured I’d like it, but for a buck I didn’t really care too much if it fell a little flat. Luckily, it turned out to be a dollar well spent.

Will Smith plays Alex Hitchins, known to his clients simply as Hitch. He’s a rather unlikely date doctor, given the fact that in college he had all the panache of Steve Urkel (and looked suspiciously like him too). But a longtime lack of luck with the ladies must have inspired him to concentrate on tapping into their psyches, because in the present day he is smooth and savvy, sure he’s discovered all the tricks for getting a girl’s attention. For the most part, he focuses that inside information in a positive direction, helping hopelessly geeky guys win the affections of the women they adore – as long as they really are interested in a relationship and not a sleazy one-night stand. It’s an altruistic pursuit, particularly when he takes on the case of Albert (Kevin James), a clumsy, bespectacled accountant head over heels for beautiful heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta).

Smith is the film’s focal point. He often directly addresses the audience, imparting his wisdom. At several points in the movie, the scene alternates between Hitch giving Albert advice on an upcoming date and Albert doing his best to take it and fly with it once he’s in the actual situation. The first half of the movie is full of disastrous hilarity, not only on the part of the perpetually klutzy Albert but also Hitch, who finds his own insight seems to fail him miserably when he’s faced with the prospect of pursuing a serious relationship of his own. The object of his affection is Sara (Eva Mendez), a career-centered journalist who’s always first on the scene when the fodder for juicy gossip is born. Both Allegra and Sara seem pretty receptive to the advances of their wooers, though Sara is hard-pressed to admit it. I heard many comments about the lack of chemistry between Smith and Mendez, but I thought they made a fairly convincing couple, while James and Valletta were adorable together. The most chemistry, however, is clearly between Smith and James, whose scenes together are both riotous and touching. If Smith is suave and debonair, James is sweetly bumbling, and it’s easy to see why an heiress would fall for his character.

There’s nothing terribly unpredictable in this film, but when’s the last time you were shocked by a romantic comedy? Though my friend loved the beginning, she though the movie descended into implausibility, but I thought it was all pretty cleverly done, and while it may have been a tad over-the-top, the film illuminated some of the difficulties that two people who could make a beautiful couple create for themselves. Mainly, though, this film is simply a lot of fun.