NEW FILM FRIDAY
DOUBLE HAPPINESS - Low-budget, independent comedy-drama about a Chinese-Canadian woman struggling with her identity and battling conflicts with her Old-World parents. A hit at the Sundance Film Festival. In English, and in Chinese, with English subtitles. Reviewed in this section today. PG-13 (sex, profanity, vulgarity) (Exclusive, Tower.)
NEW FILMS SUNDAY
ALL MINE TO GIVE - * * * - Tender, sentimental soap opera yarn, apparently based on a true story, about hardships suffered by a Scottish pioneer family in 1856 Wisconsin. Before their untimely deaths, the parents give the oldest child the task of parceling out his siblings to neighbors and friends. Surprisingly effective, with excellent performances from Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, Patty McCormack, etc. (British title was "The Day They Gave Babies Away.") Made before ratings (1956), probable G. (Avalon, with "The Secret of Roan Inish.")
MIDNIGHT MOVIE
SHALLOW GRAVE - * * 1/2 - This very dark, offbeat comedy-thriller from Scotland was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, with its story of three eccentric roommates who must decide whether to report the death of their new boarder or dispose of the body and keep his suitcase full of money. Funny, grisly and very stylish but certainly not for all tastes. R (violence, profanity, nudity). (Tower, Friday and Saturday.) (Feb. 3, 1995)
FREE MOVIE
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET - * * - Richard Attenborough is quite good as the man who believes himself to be Santa Claus, young Mara Wilson ("Mrs. Doubtfire") matches him as the darling girl who doesn't believe and the production is quite colorful, but this remake of the 1947 classic is rather bland and Elizabeth Perkins, as the cynical mother, is too cold, as the film throws out the original's laughs to instead wallow in sentiment. PG (mild vulgarity, mild profanity, violence). (Kaysville, Monday-Thursday evenings.) (Nov. 18, 1994)
CONTINUING FILMS
ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS - turkey - Jim Carrey is back in the role that shot him to superstardom, taking his goofy, crass pet detective persona into the African jungle. But the studio must have blown the film's budget on Carrey's salary, as this sequel is even sloppier and less coherent than the original. Not that fans will care. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, sex, nudity, comic violence). (Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Nov. 12, 1995)
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT - * * * - Slick, funny and bright romantic comedy has Michael Douglas as a widowed U.S. president who falls for an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening), prompting his aides (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox) to fear a romance may ruin his bid for re-election (especially when unbilled Richard Dreyfuss, as a ruthless senator, uses it to try and bring the popular president down). Engaging performances from an all-star cast and a witty script make this slight but enjoyable yarn a lot of fun. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity). (Broadway, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, South Towne.) (Nov. 17, 1995)
APOLLO 13 - * * * * - Heart-pounding suspense highlights this textured true story of three astronauts (Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon) stranded in space in the spring of 1970, as Mission Control races against time to bring their crippled craft back to Earth. Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan co-star, and all are excellent. Easily the best work yet from director Ron Howard ("Parenthood," "Far and Away," "Cocoon"). PG (profanity, vulgarity). (Kaysville.) (June 30, 1995)
BABE - * * * - This family comedy was the summer's biggest surprise, a whimsical yarn about a piglet who trains as a sheepdog. Low-key and very funny, with a "Muppet" sensibility, this Australian effort is based on the children's book "The Sheep-Pig," by Dick King-Smith and was co-written and co-produced by George Miller ("Mad Max," "The Witches of Eastwick"). G. (Family Center, Kaysville, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 4, 1995)
THE BIG GREEN - * 1/2 - Steve Guttenberg (where's he been lately?) headlines this laughless soccer variation on "The Mighty Ducks," as Olivia d'Abo plays a British "exchange teacher" in a small Texas town where Guttenberg is the burned-out deputy sheriff, and together they help her students form a peewee soccer team. Dull and dumb. PG (comic violence, vulgarity, one profanity). (Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 29, 1995)
BRAVEHEART - * * 1/2 - Mel Gibson directed, co-produced and stars in this big-budget epic, based on the true story of 13th-century Scottish rebel William Wallace, who united his people against English rule in general, and evil King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan) in particular. Spectacular battle scenes and a compelling story with excellent performances, but the violence is far too bloody, and - at nearly three hours - the film is far too long. R (violence, gore, rape, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Olympus Starships.) (May 24, 1995)
CASINO - * 1/2 - Despite some stunning visual touches, Martin Scorsese is really off his game with this bloated tale of mobsters in Las Vegas during the 1970s. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci both narrate the entire film, which has De Niro running a casino, marrying alcholic hooker Sharon Stone and gradually working his way toward a breakdown while trying to keep loose-cannon Pesci under control. The story is all over the map, with performances undermined by the narration and many redundant scenes and monologues. James Woods barely registers and a bevy of comedians in straight roles (Don Rickles, Alan King, Dick Smothers) have little to do. An irritating three-hour misfire. R (violence, gore, sex, profanity, vulgarity, brief nudity, drugs). (Broadway, Century, Holladay, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Nov. 23, 1995)
CLUELESS - * * - Alicia Silverstone is bright, charming and very funny, and there are some sharp satirical bits in this teen comedy about a rich, spoiled, Beverly Hills high school girl playing matchmaker for friends and teachers. But the film's view that sex and drugs are perfectly OK for 15-year-olds is sure to make parents cringe. PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, profanity, drugs). (Family Center, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (July 19, 1995)
CONGO - * 1/2 - Corny, cliche-ridden high-tech jungle epic based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel has con artists searching Africa for a lost city (and a cache of diamonds) while a scientist in their company plans to release a remarkably intelligent gorilla back to the wild. Violent, contrived silliness, with bad acting, bad accents and an "Indiana Jones" climax. PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Kaysville, through Sunday.) (June 9, 1995)
COPYCAT - * * 1/2 - Yet another horror-thriller, bolstered by the performances of Holly Hunter as a San Francisco homicide detective tracking down a psycho who re-creates famous serial-killer scenarios and Sigourney Weaver as an agoraphobic psychologist who tries to help and becomes the killer's chief target. Routine, derivative and loaded with leaps in logic, but the stars bring it up a notch. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, nudity). (Century, with "Powder"; Cottonwood, Midvalley, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (Oct. 27, 1995)
DANGEROUS MINDS - * * * - Michelle Pfeiffer is very good as an ex-Marine who lands a high school teaching position, only to discover she's assigned to troubled teens who have run other teachers out of town. Naturally, she wins the kids over and helps them discover the joy of learning. Familiar but well-played stuff. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Family Center, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 11, 1995)
THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN - * * * 1/2 - This low-key but frequently hilarious comedy is a throwback to the kind of British farce that Peter Sellers or Alec Guinness would have starred in four decades ago. A pair of cartographers measure a mountain near a small Welsh town and find that it's really a hill - so the townfolk try to build it up to mountain-size. Hugh Grant stars but Colm Meaney steals the show. PG (adult themes). (Kaysville.) (May 12, 1995)
GET SHORTY - * * * 1/2 - Eccentric, light but very funny mobster-Hollywood yarn about a movie-crazy Florida collector (John Travolta) who finds himself in Los Angeles on the trail of a debtor and begins to worm his way into the movie business. Travolta and supporting cast (Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Rene Russo and unbilled guest stars) are all in top form, the script is faithful to Elmore Leonard's comic best-seller and director Barry Sonnenfeld (the "Addams Family" movies) keeps things hopping. R (violence, profanity, brief nudity). (Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley Square, Trolley North.) (Oct. 20, 1995)
GOLD DIGGERS: THE SECRET OF BEAR MOUNTAIN - * 1/2 - What starts out as a Disneyesque family picture becomes surprisingly ugly in this story of a city girl (Christina Ricci) and a country girl (Anna Chlumsky) who come together in a small Washington town and go on a treasure hunt. The graphic subplot about Chlumsky and her mother being abused simply has no place in a movie aimed at children. PG (violence, language). (Cinemas 5, Olympus.) (Nov. 4, 1995)
GOLDENEYE - * * * - All the impossible stunts, miraculous escapes and sexual double-entendres fans expect highlight this first James Bond thriller in six years, with a new 007 (Pierce Brosnan) and a '90s, high-tech look. What's more, his drinking and womanizing are addressed rather than ignored. The plot is routine stuff about a former KGB agent plotting to destroy London with a satellite nuclear weapon, but when has plot ever mattered in a 007 flick? Brosnan won't make us forget Sean Connery, but he's good and the film is highly entertaining. PG-13 (violence, sex, vulgarity, profanity). (Broadway, Century, Creekside, Gateway, Midvalley, Reel, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 17, 1995)
HACKERS - * * - A group of high school computer geeks are framed for an industrial conspiracy by a corporate security officer who is also a hacker. So, they enlist the aid of Internet peers to help clear their names. Despite its high-tech trappings and some amusing moments, this is conventional stuff, with nothing we haven't seen before. PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, profanity, sex, nudity). (Sugarhouse.) (Sept. 17, 1995)
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - * * - Jodie Foster stumbles in her second diercting effort, a comedy-drama with Holly Hunter as a harried single mother who reluctantly goes home to her dysfunctional family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Good cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning, but the film is an uneasy, overplotted blend of comedy and melodrama that fizzles more often than it soars. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, drugs). (Cottonwood, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 3, 1995)
HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT - * * - Despite a stellar cast (Winona Ryder, Ellen Burstyn, Anne Bancroft, Maya Angelou, Alfre Woodard, Kate Nelligan, Jean Simmons, Kate Capshaw) and a few charming moments, this ensemble yarn linked to a patchwork quilt becomes frayed with episodic storytelling, weak plotting and conflicting messages. The story has a young graduate student spending the summer with her grandmother and great-aunt as she tries to finish her thesis and consider a marriage proposal. Flashbacks tell us about the women's younger lives and their frustrating relationships with unfaithful males. PG-13 (nudity, sex, profanity, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5.) (Oct. 6, 1995)
THE INCREDIBLY TRUE ADVENTURE OF TWO GIRLS IN LOVE - A semi-comic, interracial lesbian romance about two teenage girls who meet during their senior year of high school. This film played out of competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival. R (sex, nudity, profanity, vulgrity, drugs). (Exclusive, Tower.)
INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD - * * * - A bit slow but still magically entertaining, this adaptation of the award-winning children's book is a fantasy about a young boy who sees a small toy Indian come to life, leading to life lessons for both. Imaginatively directed by former Muppeteer Frank Oz ("What About Bob?" "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison ("E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," "The Black Stallion"). PG (violence, mild profanity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships.) (July 14, 1995)
IT TAKES TWO - * * - This theatrical starring debut for the Olsen Twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley, of TV's "Full House") is a reworking of "The Parent Trap," with an orphan and a rich kid, respectively, switching identities while they try to bring one girl's caseworker (Kirstie Alley) and the other's rich father (Steve Guttenberg) together. Not bad, though it will appeal most to small fry. PG (mild profanity, mild vulgarity, comic violence). (Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley North, Trolley Square.) (Nov. 17, 1995)
A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT - * 1/2 - Lame teen take on "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," with a Little Leaguer finding himself transported back in time to Camelot, where he must help King Arthur reclaim his kingdom. But the new Mickey Mouse cartoon, "Runaway Brain," which precedes the film, is great fun. PG (violence, mild vulgarity). (Valley Fair.) (Aug. 11, 1995)
LIVING IN OBLIVION - * * * 1/2 - Wild, zany and hilarious low-budget comedy about low-budget moviemaking, this is an obvious hit at the Sundance Film Festival, but even non-film buffs will get a kick out of put-upon filmmaker Steve Buscemi being driven crazy by his cast and crew as he tries to create a work of art. It's inside, of course, but not too inside. (The character of the egotistical leading man is said to have been based on Brad Pitt.) R (profanity, brief nudity, mild violence). (Exclusive, Tower.) (Nov. 17, 1995)
MIGHTY APHRODITE - * * 1/2 - This social comedy is Woody Allen-Lite, about an upscale married couple (Allen, Helena Bonham Carter) who adopt a child and are very happy. A few years later, however, Carter is having an affair and Allen becomes obsessed with finding his son's real mother - only to discover she's a ditsy hooker (Mira Sorvino). Some funny stuff (especially a Greek chorus gimmick) but too vulgar and ultimately unsatisfying. R (profanity, vulgarity, violence, nudity). (Trolley Square.) (Nov. 10, 1995)
MONEY TRAIN - That "White Men Can't Jump" duo, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, play foster brothers working together as New York transit cops when they get the bright idea of robbing the train that transports daily collections. Reviewed in this section today. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity, sex). (Century, Cottonwood, Crossroads, Gateway, Midvalley, South Towne.)
MORTAL KOMBAT - * 1/2 - Very violent but lame action picture based on the popular video game about a trio of martial-arts heroes participating in the title tournament, a series of one-on-one battles with warriors and monsters. Some good special effects (and some that are surprisingly cheesy), but the story and dialogue are pretty bad. Not that the young target audience will mind. PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity). (Family Center, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 20, 1995)
THE NET - * * * - Sandra Bullock stars in this predictable but suspensefully directed thriller, playing a lonely but lovable computer nerd who uncovers a high-tech conspiracy when she stumbles on a confidential program. A paranoia fantasy primed for the '90s, demonstrating how talent can make enjoyable fluff out of by-the-numbers material - and a terrific showcase for Bullock's appeal. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, sex). (Kaysville.) (July 28, 1995)
NICK OF TIME - * * 1/2 - Johnny Depp stars in this Hitchcockian thriller as a mild-mannered accountant who is given a gun and ordered to kill the governor of California or his daughter will be murdered. He is trailed by evil Christopher Walken to be sure he gets the job done within a 74-minute deadline, as the film goes into "real time." If you can get past the ridiculous premise, there is some tension. Charles S. Dutton, Peter Strauss and Marsha Mason co-star. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Nov. 22, 1995)
NOW AND THEN - * * - Occasionally charming ensemble comedy-drama, with Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith, Rosie O'Donnell and Rita Wilson in brief bookend segments as long-time best friends, whose growing up years make up the bulk of the film, as their 12-year-old characters are played by, respectively, Gaby Hoffmann, Thora Birch, Christina Ricci and Ashleigh Aston Moore. Overly familiar and under-directed. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, nudity, violence). (Cinemas 5, Olympus, Sandy 9, Trolley North, Trolley Square.) (Oct. 20, 1995)
OPERATION DUMBO DROP - * * - Silly family comedy set in the Vietnam War has American soldiers taking an elephant through 200 miles of jungle terrain by truck, boat and plane to help out a village being used as an army outpost. Silly, sentimental and highly implausible. Danny Glover and Ray Liotta try hard, but Denis Leary and Doug E. Doug get all the laughs. PG (violence, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (July 28, 1995)
POCAHONTAS - * * * 1/2 - It's not history, but this latest Disney feature-length cartoon - based very loosely on the story of the Indian maid who saved the life of English explorer John Smith - is a delightful romantic adventure loaded with gorgeous animation. Voices are provided by Mel Gibson (who gets to sing), Russell Means, Christian Bale and Linda Hunt, among others. G. (Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (June 23, 1995)
POWDER - * * * - Call this one "Edward Powderhands," as it certainly resembles Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" (and maybe "Nell," as well), with its story of a teenager (Sean Patrick Flanery) born with startlingly white skin who is found in the cellar of a remote farmhouse. Naturally, he is misunderstood, but he does manage to soften the hearts of a few folks in need of humanity transplants. Sensitive and amusing, it might have fared better with a period setting, but Flanery is engaging and Mary Steenburgen and Jeff Goldblum help (despite their underwritten characters). PG-13 (violence, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Century, with "Copycat"; Creekside, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, South Towne.) (Oct. 27, 1995)
THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH - * * * * - Delightful Irish fable, adapted from a novella (Rosalie K. Fry's "The Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry") by John Sayles ("The Brother From Another Planet," "Passion Fish"), about a 10-year-old girl who lives with her grandparents in post-war Ireland, and whose search for her long-lost brother - who was supposedly swept out to sea in his cradle - brings her in contact with half-seal/half-human mythic Celtic beings known as "Selkies." Gorgeous cinematography and magnificent, low-key storytelling. PG (mild violence). (Avalon.) (April 28, 1995)
SEVEN - * * 1/2 - Compelling but far too grisly and dark (both literally and figuratively), the best aspect of this thriller is Morgan Freeman's performance as a methodical veteran homicide detective on the verge of retirement. Brad Pitt is his hotheaded replacement and they are partnered to find a serial killer who selects victims on the basis of their having violated one of the seven deadly sins. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex, nudity). (Cinemas 5.) (Sept. 22, 1995)
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT - * * - Disappointing Julia Roberts vehicle, in which she stars as a traditional Southern wife and mother who gets a reality check when she discovers her husband (Dennis Quaid) is cheating. Kyra Sedgwick, as Roberts' sister, steals the show with all the best lines, while Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands are terrific, though their characters are sadly underdeveloped. R (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 4, 1995)
THREE WISHES - * * - Fair "family" picture that plays like an episode of TV's "Touched By an Angel," with Patrick Swayze as a mysterious drifter who ingratiates himself into the lives of a widow (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and her two children in 1955 suburbia. Better before it goes into special-effects overload in the final reels, but it never quite takes flight. PG (violence, profanity, nudity, implied sex). (Cinemas 5, Cottonwood.) (Oct. 27, 1995)
TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR - * * - Amusing Americanization of "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," though this one is less realistic as a couple of big stars (Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze) camp it up. The story has a trio (with John Leguizamo) of drag queens finding themselves stuck in a Southern redneck town, where all concerned learn lessons in tolerance. Broadly played comedy with an out-of-place abused-wife subplot. Excellent support from Stockard Channing, Blythe Danner, Arliss Howard, Jason London and Chris Penn. PG-13 (violence, nudity, vulgarity, profanity, racial slurs). (Sugarhouse.) (Sept. 13, 1995)
TOY STORY - * * * * - This hilarious feature-length Disney cartoon - entirely animated by computers - is about two toys, an old-fashioned pull-string cowboy (voiced by Tom Hanks) and a space-age action figure (Tim Allen), who become rivals for the affections of the boy who owns them. Packed with visual gags and witty one-liners, though the toys are treated reverentially. Computer animation still can't quite capture human characters, and their faces should have stayed off-camera - but that's a small misstep in an otherwise utterly charming and hysterically funny film that moves so fast it seems to be half its 70-minute length. G. (Crossroads, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9, Villa.) (Nov. 22, 1995)
A WALK IN THE CLOUDS - * * 1/2 - Old-fashioned, contrived '40s-style soap opera about GI Keanu Reeves returning home after World War II and playing husband to an unmarried pregnant woman (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) who fears her intolerant father (Giancarlo Giannini). Warm and sensuous but not completely satisfying, due in part to Reeves' flat line readings of the highly romantic dialogue. Anthony Quinn, as the woman's grandfather, steals the show. PG-13 (violence, profanity, sex). (Family Center, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 11, 1995)
WATERWORLD - * * 1/2 - Another loud, bombastic stunt-driven futuristic thriller, about a water-logged Earth. Visually arresting (though it owes more than a little to the "Mad Max" movies), with impressive action and solid performances by villain Dennis Hopper and feisty young Tina Majorino. But an ill-advised cruel streak undermines Kevin Cost-ner's protagonist, a mutant with gills and webbed feet. And the film is extremely violent. PG-13 (violence, nudity, sex, profanity, vulgarity). (Sugarhouse.) (July 28, 1995)