Parent Trap (1998)

Parent Trap (1998)

Disney

July 29, 1998

Children's, Comedy
DVD
C-

I saw this movie at the time and liked it well enough, although I had sentimental feelings about the '60s original.  This time, other than curiosity value in Lohan's debut, I wasn't really drawn in.  Nancy Meyers directed and co-wrote.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire

20th Century Fox

November 24, 1993

Comedy
DVD
C

I'd avoided this movie since the time, since the clips and quotes I saw and heard just never struck me as funny.  I made it to the halfway point, since I actually liked the very beginning, with Robin's character playing a temperamental actor, even if that was a little too close to Tootsie all things considered.  The acting was better than I expected, including poor miscast Sally Field as the Yuppie wife-mother.  But the random racism, sexism, and, yes, transphobia (including a throwaway joke about one of Robin's phone personalities), as well as the EXTREME, even for this sitcomic setup, implausibility (an acquaintance notices that two characters have the same eyes but the wife and children don't?), finally got to be too much.  Still, I've certainly seen worse, including from Williams.

This movie is based on Anne Fine's novel Alias Madame Doubtfire, which I think I did attempt reading in the last twenty years, but I wouldn't swear to it.  Chris Columbus directed, three years after Home Alone.

Gremlins

Gremlins

Warner Bros.

June 8, 1984

Horror, Comedy
DVD
B-

I didn't see this at the time, when I was sixteen, although I was certainly aware of it of course.  I first watched it maybe seven years ago and liked it more than I expected.  I do have to say, however, that I think that the gremlins are the least interesting aspect, sort of a necessary evil if you will.  I do like the themes of friendship, family, and romance, as well as the deliberately back-lotty small town and the many references to movies.  Now having seen some of the deleted scenes, I better understand, for instance, why Reinhold's character just disappears, but the movie definitely could've been more tightly edited prior to final release.  Still, it remains entertaining.  Chris Columbus wrote and Joe Dante directed.  I've tagged as many people as I can, but it's definitely an "Oh, look!" kind of cast.