As you can tell from the title, the theme for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, is characters either getting older or younger. It was tougher than I thought but I was able to find 3 films to fit the theme so here they are:
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Jenna just wants to be popular but when her thirteenth birthday party ends up being a mess, she wants to hide until she's thirty. Thanks to some magic dust, when she wakes up the day after she is thirty and basically has it all. But she'll realize that being an adult isn't as cool as she thought it'd be. I used to love romantic comedies when I was younger so of course I watched this. I don't remember much about it but I'm sure I'd hate it today.
17 Again (2009)
Mike (Matthew Perry) is pretty unhappy with the way his life turned out. One night, he tries to help a man who wants to jump from a bridge and gets the chance to rewrite his life as he becomes seventeen again. I watched this ages ago for Zac Efron. I enjoyed it at the time but I'm sure I'd feel different about it now.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2009)
Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born old and wrinkled and gets younger over the years. I don't remember much about this one as I haven't seen in years, and I never saw the whole film, but I remember enjoying the parts I saw and I'm planning to rewatch it as I'm sure I'd love it.
I avoided 13 Going on 30 and finally saw it last year and didn’t hate it. It’s mindless but fun. I haven’t seen the 2nd film at all because I find Matthew Perry smarmy and can only take him in Friends. We match with Benjamin Button which I think will be popular today
ReplyDeleteI think I enjoyed 17 Again more than 13 Going on 30 but Zac Efron is the only reason.
DeleteWe match on two!!! What you said about this being a tough week proved true for me as well.
ReplyDelete13 Going on 30 seems to be the most prevalent choice of the week. I thought it sweet but nothing I'd go running back to see more than once.
Benjamin Button was beautiful looking and excellently acted but overlong. A decent film though.
17 Again was strictly a vehicle for Zac Efron but as such a harmless time passer. I chose it out of desperation but harbor no special affection for it.
My first came to me right away and then it took a lot of searching for two more.
Big (1988)-After being denied admittance to a carnival ride 12 year old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) makes a wish he was big on an antique fortune telling machine. He wakes up the next morning to discover his wish has come true and he is now a 30 year old man (Tom Hanks). Panicked he finds his best friend Billy, convinces him of the truth and they go on a hunt for the machine while Josh hides out in New York. By luck he gets a job in a toy company and because of his innocence manages to shoot up the corporate ladder with amazing speed while discovering romance with Susan, another exec at the company. Beguiling comedy with assured direction by Penny Marshall and captivating performances by the cast none more so than Hanks.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)-In 1918 a child is born with all the characteristics of an old man and over the course of his lifetime ages backwards. Complicated fantasy has a gossamer sheen and thoughtful performances by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and an extraordinary one by Taraji P. Henson as his caregiver Queenie.
17 Again (2009)-Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) had to abandon his dreams 20 years ago when his girlfriend became pregnant and they wed. He is now unemployed, estranged from his wife and children and living with a friend but an encounter with a stranger allows him to suddenly be 17 again (where he’s played by Zac Efron) and a chance to try and fix all that went wrong. It sounds heavy but it’s played for comedy.
I think this was a tough week for everyone as there wasn't much to choose from. I haven't seen Big but I've been meaning to for so a long time!
DeleteWe share a couple of picks. I almost went with Benjamin Button but I wasn't sure if I had mentioned it in a previous list.
ReplyDeleteThis week was so limited!
DeleteBenjamin Button is clearly the best of this bunch. The other two are okay, but not anywhere near that one.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
Delete13 going on 30 is cute but that's mostly thanks to Ruffalo :)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to rewatch it but I kinda hate Garner.
DeleteNice picks! I haven't seen it in a long time, but I love The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I'm amazed they came up with an entire movie because the short fiction feels entirely different. It's quite a charming movie.
ReplyDelete