Fun Film Fact 9/16/12

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

In the French version of the film, Cogsworth's name is Big Ben, after the famous clock tower in London.
Cogsworth was written with actor John Cleese in mind to voice the character, but he turned down the role.

Fun Film Fact 09/17/11

THE LION KING (1994)
The wildebeest stampede took approximately three years to animate.

Fun Film Fact 07/26/11

During the first Golden Age of Disney animated films, Walt Disney nick-named his core group of animators the "Nine Old Men." The Nine Old Men were the main animators on every Disney film from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to The Rescuers (1977). This group of men is credited with refining the basic rules of hand-drawn animation that are still used to this day.

Fun Film Fact 07/24/11

John Ratzenburger has a part in every Pixar movie.

Toy Story: Hamm, the piggy bank

A Bug's Life: P.T. Flea, the ring-leader of the bug circus

Toy Story 2: Hamm, the piggy bank

Monsters, Inc.: The Abominable Snowman

Finding Nemo: School of Fish, the fish that mime objects for Marlin and Dory

The Incredibles: The Underminer, the evil mole at the end of the movie

Cars: Mack, the 18-wheeler

Ratatouille: Mustafa

Wall-E: John, the human

Up: Tom, the construction foreman

Toy Story 3: Hamm, the piggy bank

Cars 2: Mack, the 18-wheeler

Fun Film Fact 07/21/11

In every Pixar film there is a section towards the end of the credits called "Production Babies." The "production babies" are the babies of everyone who worked on the film that were born during the production of the movie. For instance the were 58 babies born during the making of Wall-E, including three sets of twins.

Alexander & William, Amelie, Asher, Atlee, Ava, Avery, Berge, Cohen, Cora, Dillan, Dylan, Ellen, Emma-Brie, Emma Jane, Emma June, Esha, Evija, Flora, Friederich, Giorgia, Hailey, Harper & Griffin, Jack, Jackson & Parker, Jenna, Jonathan, Katie, Kayla, Keilani, Leila, Liam, Logan, Luca, Lucie, Maeve, Maya, Nasreen, Noah, Parisa, Peter, Phoenix, Reina, Sadie, Sequoia, Tais, Tessa, Tobian & Ellarudy, Tomas, Victoria, Violet, Violet Grace, Vivien, Vouk, Zumis

Fun Film Fact 06/24/11

Bob Peterson, an artist and director at Pixar, has voiced a number of characters in Pixar's films. Before animation begins on a film, the entire movie is story-boarded and then the story boards are cut together into a rough version of the film. Often the filmmakers will voice the characters themselves just to get an idea of how the film will play. Bob was so good during some of these rough cuts that they didn't bother trying to find a voice actor to replace him. Thus far he's been Roz in Monsters, Inc., Mr. Ray in Finding Nemo, and Dug and Alpha in Up. 

Coming Soon: Winnie the Pooh

The new Winnie the Pooh movie comes out on July 15! This movie has been in the works for some time and it's finally here.

When I watched the trailer for the first time, it made me so nostalgic for my childhood. I was a huge fan of Pooh when I was little. My sisters and I would watch VHS tapes of the Pooh movies all the time. I was Winnie the Pooh for Halloween one year. When I was ten, I still had a Winnie the Pooh border running along the walls in my bedroom. When my family went to Disney World when I was 12, I didn't even bother with Mickey or the princesses. All the souvenirs I bought were Winnie the Pooh: a Pooh Bear t-shirt, an Eeyore key chain, and an alarm clock with all the characters on it. I've read all the original A.A. Milne stories more than once. Needless to say, I am very excited for the film.

I love use of the Keane song "Somewhere Only We Know" in the trailer. If you listen to the lyrics, it fits perfectly.

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

Recently, the only Winnie the Pooh around has been a terrible 3D computer-animated show on Playhouse Disney.

In the trailer it even seems like Disney is acknowledging that they've steered Winnie the Pooh in the wrong direction. There's a title card that says "Back where they belong."

The movie is a return to the original Winnie the Pooh that we all know and love. The hand-drawn animation is fun and whimsical, like it should be.

The early reviews are quite positive. The movie is clearly geared toward children (the running time is just 69 minutes), but I wouldn't mind spending an hour with the Hundred Acre Wood gang. After watching Harry Potter, I'm thinking I'll need something I'll be smiling through rather than crying through.

Are you as excited as I am?

My Top 15 Movie Dads

In celebration of Father's Day here's a countdown of my favorite movie dads.
Mind you, this is not a list of the BEST dads (Jimmy Markum and Darth Vader could use some parenting classes). It's just a list of my favorite father figures from film. <<Bonus points for alliteration

#15 Mr. Fox
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009)
Voiced by George Clooney

If you haven't see Fantastic Mr. Fox (which a lot of people haven't because it tanked at the box office) I would definitely recommend it. It's based on a Roald Dahl book and it's a beautiful little stop-motion movie made by Wes Anderson about a community of animals (foxes, badgers, weasels and the like) who decide to take on the three terrible farmers who are constantly trying to kill them. Yes, it sounds generic and fluffy, but it's not. It's really funny and witty. Mr. Fox is a master at breaking into the various farms and stealing chickens and apples and cookies, but when he and Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) decide to start a family, he has a hard time settling down. The best relationship in the movie is between Mr. Fox and his son Ash. Ash is shy and self-conscious and Mr. Fox is sometimes disappointed that his son isn't bold and daring like he is. Go rent it. I know you'll like it.

 

#14 Lord Elrond

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

Played by Hugo Weaving

BEWARE OF SPOILERS

Lord Elrond is in all three Rings movies, but his fatherly role is best in the third film. He loves his daughter, Arwen, very much and it breaks his heart to see her fall in love with Aragorn, a human. If she chooses to stay with him, she will forfeit her elven immortality. He tries to make her leave Middle Earth with the other elves to save her, but she ultimately chooses to stay with Aragorn. My favorite Elrond moment in all three films is a scene where he doesn't even say a word. It's at the end when Aragorn is crowned king and he sees Arwen for the first time since leaving Rivendell back in Fellowship of the Ring. There is a two-shot of Arwen with Elrond in the background. As she goes to Aragorn, Hugo Weaving has the most incredible look on his face. It's a combination of happiness for his daughter and sadness for her mortality. It's a beautiful acting moment.

#13 Daniel
LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)
Played by Liam Neeson

Daniel is a widower and when his wife died, he was left to take care of her son, his stepson. Love Actually is all about love in its many forms. My favorite relationship in the film is between the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) and his assistant, but a close second is the relationship between Daniel and Sam (Thomas Sangster). (As a side note I would just like to say that I'm not sure I've ever seen a kid with bigger eyes than Thomas Sangster's.) The relationship spins out basically just how you would expect: They start out distant and slowly but surely events in their lives bring them closer together (in this case it's that Sam needs advice about how to get a girl in his class to notice him) and by the end they're as close as if they were biological father and son. Though the plot line is fairly generic, the acting is great and there are some fantastic scenes between the two of them. My favorite is the scene where they watch Titanic together. The scene ends with the greatest line: "Come on, Dad. Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love."

#12 Chris Gardner
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006)
Played by Will Smith

In The Pursuit of Happyness you watch Chris Gardner's situation go from bad to worse to almost unwatchable destitution and all the while he has his son with him. After they get evicted, they go from one homeless shelter to another, just barely getting by. I have a hard time watching the scene where they are forced to spend a night in the bathroom of the subway station. But Chris is incredibly devoted to his son and almost everything he does is meant to ensure a better future for Christopher, Jr. A cool fact about the film is that Christopher, Jr. is played by Will Smith's actual son, Jaden Smith.

#11 Mac MacGuff
JUNO (2007)
Played by J.K. Simmons

So often in movies geared toward teenagers the parents are made to be one-dimensional ding-bats, but in Juno both of Juno's parents are so wonderfully three-dimensional. Mac MacGuff is a hard-working blue-collar dad who loves his kids very much. My favorite scene with him is the scene where Juno tells her parents that she is pregnant. Instead of blowing up and being incredibly angry, he's disappointed. He's also sad for his daughter because he knows it means she's going to have to grow up a lot sooner than planned. It's that sort of unconditional love for his kids that makes me love Mac MacGuff. He also has some of the best one-liners in the movie. His response to learning that Bleeker is the father makes me laugh so hard. "I didn't know he had it in him."

 

#10 Arthur Weasley

HARRY POTTER

Played by Mark Williams

There are a lot of father-figures in the Harry Potter books and films and, though he isn't my favorite father-figure, I adore Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley is very much a substitute mother to Harry, but Mr. Weasley isn't so much a substitute father. He's more of a loveable, absent-minded uncle. Arthur is the father of seven and he works so hard at a thankless job. The thing I love most about the Weasley family is that no matter how poor they are, they are always so happy and loving. My favorite quality in Mr. Weasley is his love of Muggles. The best scenes with him are when he mispronounces things or asks Harry endless questions about batteries or rubber ducks. Mark Williams is perfectly cast. When he is introduced in Chamber of Secrets you like him right off the bat. His first scene is the morning after the twins and Ron rescue Harry in the flying car. Though Mr. Weasley scolds his children, he is secretly impressed by the brilliance of their plan. 

#9 Jimmy Markum

MYSTIC RIVER (2003)

Played by Sean Penn

BEWARE OF SPOILERS

When his teenage daughter is murdered, Jimmy Markum sets out on a violent crusade to avenge her death. Instead of letting the cops do their job, he decides to take things into his own hands. Sean Penn, in his first Oscar-winning role, plays him with such ferocity and intensity. Though he is angry and violent, Jimmy also has two other daughters, which softens him up a bit. This is my favorite Sean Penn performance because of the incredible range he displays. There's the scene at the beginning of the movie where he makes funny faces at his daughter as she walks down the aisle at her First Communion that's so heart-warming and fun. Then there's the scene at the very end in the bar where he and two of his friends corner the man he suspects of murdering his daughter. It's an intensely disturbing scene. My favorite acting moment is the scene where he learns his daughter has been murdered. As he screams and yells and cries, he has to be restrained by seven policemen. I found it hard to watch the first time I saw it. Clint Eastwood shot it in a cool way, with the camera slowly pulling away overhead.

#8 Robert Parr/ Mr. Incredible

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)

Voiced by Craig T. Nelson

In the beginning scenes of The Incredibles Robert Parr is bored with his job and annoyed with having to keep his superpowers a secret. He loves his wife and kids, but he's stuck in a rut. He jumps at the opportunity to reclaim his super-identity and in the process of becoming a superhero again, he becomes a super dad. My favorite scene is when he thinks his family has been killed by Syndrome. The preceding scene of Helen Parr and the kids dodging the missiles is intensely exciting and so the next scene is intensely sad. Those geniuses at Pixar....

 #7 Ben Parker

SPIDERMAN (2002)

Played by Cliff Robertson

I know Ben Parker is Peter's uncle, but for all intents and purposes, he's Peter's father. Uncle Ben is so loving and joyful and I just adore him. Uncle Ben's death is what ultimately makes Peter decide to become Spiderman and he influences a lot of Peter's actions even after he's dead. Cliff Robertson plays Uncle Ben with such warmth and understanding. He also has the greatest line ever in a superhero movie: "Remember, with great power comes great responsiblity." The Spiderman franchise is being rebooted and the first film, The Amazing Spiderman, has just wrapped filming. I am SO jazzed about the new cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field and guess who's playing Uncle Ben. MARTIN SHEEN! I love everything Martin Sheen does: The West Wing, The Departed, Wall Street, so I can't wait to see him as Ben Parker.

#6 Mufasa

THE LION KING (1994)

Voiced by James Earl Jones

I would have to say that Mufasa is the most powerful dad on this list. Not only does he have an incredibly powerful voice, he has an incredibly powerful onscreen presence, which is very rare for an animated movie, especially one about animals. I'm not sure if there's another animated character that even comes close. It's also rare for a movie geared toward children to have such a prominent death theme. Almost every scene Mufasa is in, he talks about death. In the scene where he shows Simba the pridelands, he talks about how death is just part of the circle of life. In the next scene, he saves Simba from being killed by the hyenas. Then in the next scene, he talks about how the stars are the kings of old and how he will one day join them. And then finally, he has a death scene. I love how honest Mufasa is with Simba. I always believe the truth is best and I hate it when adults lie to kids because they don't think the kids can handle the truth. Sure, a lie protects them for the moment, but the truth is always better in the long run.

#5 Marlin

FINDING NEMO (2003)

Voiced by Albert Brooks

Marlin is another perfect example of unconditional love overcoming all odds. After his wife is eaten by a barracuda, Marlin is terrified of the ocean. He sees danger everywhere, so he shelters Nemo from everything. When Nemo is taken by scuba-divers, Marlin's only mission is to find his son. His fears go out the window because Nemo is all that matters to him. He escapes sharks, jellyfish, and whales and rides the EAC with totally mellow sea turtles, all in pursuit of Nemo. As the pelicans say, "That's one dedicated father."

#4 Jimmy Braddock

CINDERELLA MAN (2005)

Played by Russell Crowe

Cinderella Man is based on the true story of Jimmy Braddock. During the Great Depression James Braddock was a down-and-out boxer who made a huge comeback. He was seen as a sign of hope by many destitute Americans. I love the tagline of the movie: "When the country was on its knees, he brought us to our feet." In the movie, Jimmy and his wife Mae (Renee Zelleweger) have three children to care of during a time when it is extremely difficult to find work. Many families around them have sent their children away to live with relatives who can take care of them, but Jimmy refuses to let his children go. I have two favorite fathering moments in this movie. The first is a scene at the beginning of the movie where one of the young sons steals a salami from the deli. Jimmy scolds him and takes him to the deli to return it and they have a wonderful scene outside the deli. Jimmy tells Jay to never steal again and Jay admits he stole it because he knows how poor they are and he wanted to help. My other favorite scene is when Mae decides to send the children away without telling Jimmy. Jimmy has been shut out of the boxing world for some time and he comes home to find the children gone. He immediately goes to Madison Square Garden where he begs for money from the boxing big-wigs who are all still prosperous. He is literally hat-in-hand. Certain movies make me cry, but I also have certain actors who, when they cry, make me cry. Russell Crowe is one of those actors and that is one of those scenes.

#3 Darth Vader

STAR WARS

Played by David Prowse, Voiced by James Earl Jones

Darth Vader is one of the most well-known movie fathers of all time. Even people who haven't seen Star Wars know "I am your father." (He never says "Luke, I am your father." Get your facts straight people.) Given that he repeatedly tries to kill his children and then slices off his son's arm, I would say that Vader lands on the lower end of the 'good parenting skills' scale. However, he eventually sees the error of his ways and has a very sad final scene with Luke as he dies.

#2 Dr. Wilbur Larch

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES (1999)

Played by Michael Caine

Dr. Larch is the doctor at the Saint Cloud Orphanage. Though he isn't anyone's biological father, he is the only male on the staff, so he becomes the father-figure for all the children at the orphanage. Homer Welles (Tobey Maguire) grows particularly close to Dr. Larch and Dr. Larch trains him to be a doctor. One of my favorite lines of Larch's is during a voice-over at the beginning where he talks about Homer: "I named him Homer, after the Greek poet, and Welles because he seemed...deep." Michael Caine won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and rightly so. Dr. Larch is loving and caring, but also very lonely. He has many demons, including an addiction to ether. The writing (which also won an Oscar) is beautiful and Dr. Larch is an incredibly realistic character. Every night when he puts the boys to bed, he reads to them and there are a number of fantastic scenes where he reads from David Copperfield. And each night as he turns out the light he says, "Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England." One of the reasons I love The Cider House Rules so much is because it is a beautiful movie about New England. 

AND FINALLY....

#1 Captain Von Trapp

THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

Played by Christopher Plummer

The Sound of Music is my absolute favorite musical and I love Capt. Von Trapp because of his character arc. He is a widower and a retired naval officer and, though he appears to be more of a drill sergeant than a father at first, he loves his children very deeply. At first he finds Maria's presence in his home irritating and her love of music unacceptable, but he soon falls in love with her. The Nazis want Capt. Von Trapp to serve in the German navy and he is vehemently opposed to the idea, so he devises an escape plan. Capt. Von Trapp will literally climb mountains for his children. Christopher Plummer is a master actor. In the beginning scenes when he is ordering his children around with a whistle, he can come off as a one-note character, but Plummer's acting makes the character seem real. And of course by the end of the movie he is expressing his love towards his children and Maria in a much more overt way. My favorite scene is when he sings "Edelweiss." There's some serious acting going on as he sings. (I know he's dubbed, but this is one of those cases where I just don't care.) It's a beautiful scene.

And there you have it. My Top 15 Movie Dads. Let me know who some of your favorites are in the comments!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Fun Film Fact 06/15/11

In honor of the Stanley Cup (GO BRUINS!) today's fact is from my favorite hockey movie:

MIRACLE (2004)
Over 280 miles of film were shot which is a record for Disney.

Fun Film Fact 06/09/11

The number A113 is hidden in almost all Pixar movies. Many of the animators at Pixar are alumni of CalArts, the animation school founded by Walt Disney, and A113 is the classroom where character animation is taught.

Here are a few places it's hidden:
TOY STORY: A113 is license plate number on Andy's mom's van.
WALL-E: A113 is the directive given to the Axiom that says never to return to Earth
UP: A113 is the courtroom that Carl goes to after he hits the man with his cane
THE INCREDIBLES: A113 is a room in Syndrome's lair

Favorite Oscar-Winning Original Songs

The category of Best Original Song was first introduced at the 7th Academy Awards in 1934. Each year the song writers and composers who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences (AMPAS) nominate 3-5 songs that were written especially for a film and then the Academy as a whole votes for the best one.

The genre with the most songs on my iPod is Soundtrack. I love movie scores and original movie songs. The right song can make a world of difference to particular scene. In the late 80's to late 90's Disney ruled this category, winning it seven times in 11 years. People often refer to this period as the Second Golden Age of Disney.

However, within the last 10 years or so a new trend has sprung up: Instead of the song fitting into a scene in the movie, the song is more of a companion piece to the film and often plays during the end credits. Usually the song will be lyrics set the movie's score or the other way around, with the movie's score being based on the song.

Here are a few of my favorite Oscar-winning original songs:

"Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
By Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer 

"Moon River" is one of the most famous songs ever written for a film. It's a song about having a dream, wanting something greater that what you have now. When we first meet Holly Golightly, she seems like a bit of a floozy with good intentions, but then she sings this song. Holly is sitting on her fire escape in very simple clothes (very unlike the high-fashion she wears the rest of the movie) playing the guitar and singing. I love that this is actually Audrey Hepburn's voice. (She was dubbed in My Fair Lady.) She sings the song with such longing and the audience gets to see a new side to Holly.

"When You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt (1998)
By Stephen Schwartz

Stephen Schwartz has written some of the most famous musicals of the last 40 years: Wicked, Pocahontas, Godspell, Children of Eden, Enchanted and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, to name a few, but this song is his crowning glory, in my opinion. After years of religious education I didn't think there was yet another way to tell the story of Moses, but when I first saw The Prince of Egypt when I was about 11, I was blown away. This movie is so incredibly well done. It appeals to all age-groups and almost everyone I've talked to finds it incredibly moving. "When You Believe" is sung by Miriam, Moses' sister, and Moses' wife, Tzipporah. The Hebrews' prayers to God have gone unanswered and they are beginning to lose faith. This song lifts their spirits (and the audience's) during their exodus from Egypt. The lyrics, which include some Hebrew, are beautiful. The story of Moses is epic to begin with and this song makes it more so. I get chills when I watch this scene.

"Fame" from Fame (1980)
by Michael Gare and Dean Pitchford

"Fame" is another song about having big dreams, but unlike "Moon River" it is upbeat and more confident-sounding. The singer wants, above all, fame and is willing to do whatever is takes to get there. My mom has the original Fame record album and I first heard this song play on my dad's record player in the kitchen of my house. It got me tapping my toes immediately and the next day I went out and rented the movie. The song plays during an awesome scene where all the kids from the performing arts school dance in the streets and on top of cars in New York City. Recently, there was a remake of Fame and, as with most remakes, it was not nearly as good as the first. The original is the only way to go.

"You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan (1999)

By Phil Collins

The music in Tarzan is different from other animated Disney movies. The songs comment on the scenes instead of the characters actually singing them. A bunch of Disney movies have one or two songs like this ("Circle of Life," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight") but in Tarzan every song is like this EXCEPT for "You'll Be In My Heart." Kala sings a simple version of it to baby Tarzan near the beginning of the movie. Since this is the only song sung by a character, it makes it stand out. The song has the universal messages of acceptance and unconditional love. The full version, sung by Phil Collins, is so uplifting and heart-felt.

"Into The West" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

By Howard Shore and Annie Lennox

 

*SPOILER ALERT*

The thing I love about this song is that a lot of the lyrics are straight from Tolkien's original text:

And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.

Those are the final lines of Frodo's journey in the book. There are different interpretations of what happens to Frodo in the West. I believe the Undying Lands are a metaphor for Heaven, thus Frodo is dying. "Into The West" is about death, but it is not sad, it's hopeful. It's about the beauty of death and how dying means a new beginning. Though the song plays during the end credits, the melody is heard throughout the movie. Interestingly, it plays during scenes about death. For example, there is a huge sweeping version of the melody during one of the most memorable moments from the film, Sam and Frodo on the slopes of Mount Doom. Frodo is ready to give in to the power of the Ring and perish, and Sam saves him. "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" Check it out. 

*END SPOILER ALERT*
 

"Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia (1993)

By Bruce Springsteen

This song plays during the opening credits of Philadelphia. It is set to images of real people from many walks of life in Philadelphia. The song is a rock ballad about love, loss and change. You listen to it and picture a destitute person with hard life and has very little hope left. I love that this is a Bruce Springsteen song because it shows the incredible range he has.

"My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic (1997)

By James Horner and Celine Dion

Many people regard this song as a pop cheese-fest, but I think it's a beautiful song. Jack and Rose's story is one of the most epic love stories of modern times and it deserves a powerful, dramatic song. This is a classic case of lyrics being set to the movie's score, which also won the Academy Award. I'm not a fan of Dion's other music, but there is no denying she an incredible voice. This song is so hard to sing (watch almost any season of American Idol for evidence) and she sings it with real emotion and heart.

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" from Butch Cassidy the Sundance Kid (1969)

By Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

A lot of people don't know that this classic song was originally written for a movie. This scene from Butch Cassidy is one of my all-time favorite Paul Newman scenes. Katharine Ross sits on the handlebars of his bike as they ride through the countryside. The thing I love most about it is that the main characters of the movie are gangsters and criminals, but they are also just people who enjoy the simple things in life like goofing around on a bike. The song is so care-free and fun.