Shoup Airlines

Ad Nauseum

It’s bad enough that the Geico Cavemen are getting their own tv show, which I predict will kill the comedic genius of the commercials, but does the Burger King really need his own full length movie? I thought I got it my way at Burger King?

Why is it everyone in Hollywood always jumps on the same bandwagon no matter how ridiculous the idea? Whatever happened to real creativity? Do I hear a biopic on the heart wrenching yet feel good story of the Aflac duck in the wings? Is there anyone that could withstand 90 minutes of Dear God, I want to stab a white hot, rusty needle repeatedly into each ear just make that noise stop voice of Gilbert Gottfried? How many more questions do I think I could keep asking?

Stranger Than Fiction

This is the story of Harold Crick and his wristwatch. It is a beautifully written story that illuminates the human condition in a way rarely shown. I went in with low expectations thinking this movie would be chock full of cliches about living life to the fullest and a very restrained Will Ferrell. I couldn’t have been more wrong…kind of. When you think about it, the movie is cliched, but you never realize it until after the credits role. That’s good writing and acting.

Directed by the same guy that did Finding Neverland, so you know you’re in good company, the story unravels around an IRS drone that realizes there is more to life and quickly starts embracing it when he suddenly begins to hear narration in his head stating “…little did he know…” that he will die soon.

I believe there are two camps of Ferrell fans, those that love his inhibition-less, point blank comedy and those that enjoy his more subtle and layered stuff. You won’t like this film if you strictly fall in the former group. Will Ferrel is at his best, playing the meek and OCD driven IRS agent to the hilt.

As for everyone else, Emma Thompson plays the author/narrator of Crick’s life and shines throughout. In fact, I can’t think of anyone better in the role. Dustin Hoffman perfectly mumbles his way through as the disbelieving literary professor that helps Crick determine the type of book his life is.

And then there’s Maggie Gyllenhaal. Hey ME, I suggest you skip down to Queen Latifah before you start frothing at the mouth and feel the need to write a scathing retort. I have a soft spot for Maggie and her part does nothing to remedy the situation, even with her damn Bavarian sugar cookies! She plays the socialist baker that Crick audits and then elevates to love interest even after being greeted with “get bent, tax man!” All bias aside, Maggie not only delivers, but easily matches Ferrell’s touch for humanizing the character in a way that makes the inevitable relationship so plausible you find yourself rooting for them. Don’t even get me started on her smile.

I’m not quite sure why Queen Latifah is in the movie though. I mean, she’s obviously there to allow Emma’s character to converse with the audience outside of narration and she does an excellent job of holding her weight (pun SO intended) against Thompson, but the part just sticks out like a sore thumb, always distracting from the main storyline. It isn’t Queen, it’s just the character.

I highly recommend this film if you haven’t seen it yet. Full of some very memorable lines, I can’t think of a better way to describe the movie than beautiful.

Obscure Trivia: Did you know Emma Thompson started out as a stand-up comic? And…look for Tom Hulce of Amadeus fame in a cameo I guarantee you WILL NOT recognize.

If it ain’t Scottish…!

Robin Williams is one of my favorite stand-ups. Note that I said stand-up and not actor. Don’t get me wrong, he can excel in the movies (Good Will Hunting) but far more often than not he just does the same improv and that got old long ago. His stand-up differs because it is premeditated so no improv, it’s mostly observational, and he can sell it better than Joe Girard could sell a car to an Antarctic explorer.

Unfortunately, he rarely does it anymore. Robin or Joe. Luckily, back in 2002, Robin did an HBO special from Broadway that had me laughing hysterically from beginning to end. The other day, I stumbled across part of it on YouTube and thought I’d share. I HIGHLY recommend you Netflix the entire act.

Oh yeah, there’s one or two f-bombs hidden in the bit so be careful at work. Consider yourself warned!