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L.A. Times Archives

April 26, 2001 12 AM PT

Finding Forrester (2000). It’s “Good Will Hunting” in the Bronx, and whether that is good news or bad depends on how you reacted to that Boston-set film. A well-oiled piece of Hollywood machinery, pat and overly familiar but tolerably entertaining until it piles on the contrivances at the close. Sean Connery is the film’s star as well as one of its producers, but his I’m-crankier-than-you-are performance, though glib and entertaining, feels like a reprise of a lifetime of greatest hits. More affecting, and more surprising, is the debut of 16-year-old Rob Brown. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $24.95; (CC) PG-13, for brief strong language and some sexual references.

Girl on the Bridge (2000). A heady tale of love and luck from France’s virtuoso, Patrice Leconte. Daniel Auteuil is a down-on-his-luck circus knife-thrower who saves a despairing young woman (Vanessa Paradis) from drowning, becoming caught up in a bond with her so intense as to be telepathic. So drenched in romantic fatalism is this nominee for eight Cesars--with Auteuil winning--that Leconte wisely shot it in glorious black-and-white. Set in a highly atmospheric Paris, Monte Carlo, Athens and Istanbul. Paramount: no list price; (CC) R, for some sexuality.

Just Looking (2000). Jason Alexander’s directorial debut shows an ability to draw unexpected riches from predictable material. In this case, it’s a coming-of-age story set in 1950s Queens about a 14-year-old voyeur (Ryan Merriman). Gretchen Mol is a sweet surprise as an especially vulnerable older woman. With Peter Onorati, Joseph Franquinha and Patti LuPone. Written by Marshall Karp. Produced by Jean Doumanian. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $29.95; (CC) R for sexual content and language.

Little Nicky (2000). The kindest thing that can be said about this latest vanity project from Adam Sandler is that it’s unapologetically juvenile. A deeply unfunny fantasy comedy about a family feud between the devil’s three sons, it’s not a dangerous movie, just a stupid one. New Line/Warner: no list price; DVD: $24.98; (CC) PG-13 for crude sexual humor, some drug content, language and thematic material.

One Day in September (2000). An unnerving, highly dramatic, Oscar-winning documentary that lets us in on the secrets behind what transpired during the tragic kidnapping and deaths of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. A roller-coaster saga not lacking for heroes, villains, incompetents and dupes, its narrative balances International Olympic Committee hubris, Israeli bitterness, Palestinian pride and mind-boggling German ineptitude and malfeasance. Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $29.95; (CC) R for some graphic violent images.

What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals:

1. Men of Honor (2000). The life of Carl Brashear, the first African American Navy diver, has been turned into socially critical pop mythology at its most potent. You may be left wondering what Brashear’s real life was really like, but this is nonetheless a rousing cheer-the-superhero, hiss-the-supervillain entertainment, with Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Brashear pitted against Robert De Niro, a fictionalized composite of all the racists Brashear endured along the way. The trouble is that the picture winds up almost as much the story of the fictional character as it is an actual hero. With Charlize Theron and Aunjanue Ellis. R for language.

2. Charlie’s Angels (2000). This reworking of the 1970s TV series is a potato chip of a movie. Tasty and lightweight, it’s fine for a cinematic snack, but making it an entire meal really isn’t advisable. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Bill Murray star. Directed by McG. PG-13, for action violence, innuendoes and some sensuality.

3. Remember the Titans (2000). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer in a serious mood is still Jerry Bruckheimer. An earnest look, based on a true story, at how two football coaches--one black, one white--brought racial harmony to a divided community, told with his usual energy, shrewdness and ability to reduce things to the simplest terms. PG, for thematic elements and some language.

4. Meet the Parents (2000). Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro star as prospective in-laws in one of the most fun mainstream comedies in years, a film that gets its laughs from shrewd casting, well-timed line readings and gags that are worked out to a remarkable degree. PG-13, for sexual content, drug references and language.

5. Bounce (2000).A failed romantic weepy, starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, about a cold-hearted advertising guy working through tragedy to learn the meaning of life. The two stars exhibit little chemistry playing two people brought together by a plane crash that only one of them knows is a factor in their relationship. To be fair, they’re straight-jacketed by the standard, cliched nature of a script by director Don Roos. PG-13, for some language and sensuality.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:

1. Men of Honor

2. Charlie’s Angels

3. Bounce

4. The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). A highly polished, genteel fantasy about the game of golf and its relation to, yes, the game of life, this Robert Redford-directed film is so earnest in its storytelling that it negates a charismatic performance by Will Smith and ends up physically and spiritually airbrushed. PG-13, for some sexual content.

5. Meet the Parents

Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers:

1. 102 Dalmatians (2000). Die-hard fans of “101 Dalmatians” may be pleased by this sequel, which is actually more a reworking of the 1996 release, with Glenn Close’s ferocious Cruella De Vil up to her old tricks, eager as ever, despite temporary reform, to create a cloak made of the skins of Dalmatian puppies. Gerard Depardieu is her aide-de-camp (in all senses of the word). There are some scenes of violence that strain its G-rating. G.

2. Rugrats in Paris--The Movie (2000). This sequel to the 1998 hit feels like a half-hour TV show inflated into a feature film. About half the running time is spent setting up why the Rugrats and their families are in Paris, how they got there and who the new characters are. For all the machinations and theme park attractions, the plot doesn’t cover much ground. All is nearly forgiven, however, for the short but memorable scene of Sumo wrestlers singing a karaoke version of “Bad Girls.” G. Times guidelines: Lots of potty humor. Young child deals with mother’s death.

3. Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure (2001). Made-for-video sequel.

4. Remember the Titans

5. Mary-Kate and Ashley: Winning London (2001). The Olsen twins tackle England.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers:

1. Men of Honor

2. Charlie’s Angels

3. Remember the Titans

4. Bounce

5. 102 Dalmatians

What’s Coming

Tuesday: “All the Pretty Horses,” “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Miss Congeniality.”

May 8: “AntiTrust,” “The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack,” “Boesman and Lena,” “Duets,” “Quills,” “Sunshine,” “What Women Want,” “Yi Yi.”