5 comments about The Homecoming: A Christmas Story.

1. This movie is unfouled entertainment....Unlike the garbage on television today.... A must see for the whole family or someone who grew up the tv series....You will love this special holiday movie!



2. I thought I would start my family's initiation of the Waltons with where it began with The Homecoming. I had not seen it & expected it to be different but was thoroughly disappointed. The parents just DID NOT suit the rest of the family.
   The mother had a smoker's voice which was rather comical considering the wholesome family values she was supposed to stand for. She looked to be simply a Holywood actor without an ounce of motherliness to her. Her husband fitted about as ill in his role.
   This is certainly not one we will bother to keep on our shelves let alone watch again for pleasure.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show with my son. It is just as heartwarming as I'd remembered it to be.



4. I'm going to order the Homecoming when we get back from vacation. I've looked for it every Christmas for the past ten years or more. Its not being shown on television for some reason. Does anybody know why? Too political perhaps?
   
   We loved watching it when it was shown in the 70's.



5. This brings back so many found memories of watching the wonderful shows of the Waltons. But this first one is so stronge in family, faith, pulling together and lots of love. I now have all my grandchildern loving it as much as I do. It should be in everyones DVD collection.

5 comments about The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause.

1. This movie was cute only because Tim Allen and Martin Short were really great together on this movie. It moved a little slow and the way it came together was a little blase. Overall, it was pretty good because I am such a Tim Allen and Martin Short fan.



2. Ho Hum. I guess expecting anything overdone the third time around to work is a bit much.



3. I watched this movie first out of the Santa Clause movies while babysitting and now I want to see the first and second ones. It's pretty good. Great for families



4. This was definitely not as good as the first two Santa Clause Movies, it seemed to lack the humor and warmth of the first two. The first Santa Clause will always be my favorite!



5. All 3 of the Santa Clause movies are so good and so much fun, just perfect family movies for the holidays. My kids are 10 and 7, boy and girl, and they both LOVE these movies and have watched each one many times. I'll even watch them when they come on TV. Martin Short plays his character so well in number 3, and Tim Allen is always a pleasure to watch.

5 comments about The Cary Grant Box Set (Holiday / Only Angels Have Wings / The Talk of the Town / His Girl Friday / The Awful Truth).

1. The problem with some DVD box sets is that there's usually a film or two included that you could very well do without or perhaps would not even like in your film collection. No such problem with the simply named "The Cary Grant Box Set" which includes five movies that are all among Grant's very best. That alone makes this a must-have for Grant fans. So the featurettes, the vintage replica movie postcards and the overall attractive packaging are bonuses -- significant ones at that.
   The films feature such wonderful leading ladies as Jean Arthur (twice) Rosalind Russell, Irene Dunne and the incomparable Katherine Hepburn. Hepburn appears in "Holiday" directed by George Cukor, a depression era film that skewers the upper class. Grant plays Johnny Case an up and coming young business man who thinks more of exploring life than of making money. He finds himself in love with the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur but it is soon obvious that he has more in common with the girl's sister. Lew Ayers turns in a memorable performance as the brother, a philosophizing drunk.
   "Only Angels Have Wings" offers a very different Grant, this time playing a the leader of a crew of daring mail pilots in South America. Here Jean Arthur is the love interest though a lovely young Rita Hayworth offers competition. Thomas Mitchell is part of a stellar cast directed by the great Howard Hawks.
   "Talk of the Town" is to me one of the most underrated films of all time. Grant is Leopold Dilg a labor activist framed for a factory bombing. After escaping from jail he hides out in the bucolic summer home of an old childhood friend played by Jean Arthur. The catch is that she's renting the home to one of America's leading legal minds a supreme court candidate played by Ronald Coleman. There is comedy, the inevitable romance and a good deal of politics in this surprisingly thought provoking film directed by George Stevens.
   Grant is again directed by Hawks but this time in a classic screwball comedy in "His Girl Friday." This remake of "Front Page" introduced the concept of rapid fire overlapping dialogue, principally between Grant and co-star Russell who play a former husband and wife team that doubled as a newspaper reporting dynamic duo. Grant would like them back together again but Russell and a would-be second husband played by Ralph Bellamy have other ideas. Grant is diabolical and hilarious as he manipulates events around a forthcoming execution in an effort to get the girl and the story. Among the laughs, "His Girl Friday" also has a points to make about corruption, media and justice.
   "The Awful Truth" starring Grant and Dunne is straight screwball as the two stars play a divorcing married couple that maybe doesn't really want to separate. Leo McCarey directed this fast paced romp, poor old Ralph Bellamy is again Grant's hapless foil.
   In the unlikely event I'm sent to a desert island that has a DVD player and can only bring a few DVD sets, this one is coming with me. In any event this box set should find itself on the the shelves of any Cary Grant fan.



2. Usually makers of a boxed set of films featuring one artist will put at least one bad or mediocre film in with the rest. This is not the case with this boxed set. All of the films are excellent, and there are featurettes included for all of the movies. Only His Girl Friday gets a commentary track though.
   
   This is the Region 1 debut of Holiday on DVD. It pairs Katherine Hepburn with Cary Grant in a film that is a bit out of step with its time (1938) in that it ponders the wisdom of endlessly pursuing wealth at a time when such thoughts were considered almost un-American. Grant plays a man who becomes engaged to a woman and only later finds out she is the member of a fabulously wealthy family and that he, once a part of the family, will be expected to go to work in the family business and count money for the rest of his life. This is out of step with Grant's character's view on what he wants his future to be, but in step with his fiancee's sister's view of life played by Hepburn.
   Extras:
   Cary at Columbia featurette
   Deleted Scenes Photographs
   
   Only Angels Have Wings (1939) pairs Grant with Jean Arthur. This is a drama/romance with only a few light moments in which Grant plays a pilot and the manager of a small burgeoning South American airline. Arthur is an entertainer who meets Grant and decides he is interesting enough that she wants to know him better so she intentionally misses her boat back to the states. Add in the complication of Grant's old flame (Rita Hayworth) showing up as the wife of a disgraced pilot who is looking for a second chance, and you have the makings of a very good film.
   Extras:
   "Angels: Made in Heaven" featurette
   
   The Talk of the Town (1942) is another chance for Grant to play working class hero opposite Jean Arthur. This time he is a fugitive from justice, falsely accused of torching a factory and causing the death of a factory worker. He decides to hide out in Arthur's home, but the complication is that a famous law professor (Ronald Coleman) has rented the home for the summer and wants nothing but peace and quiet while he writes a book. He winds up with anything but that. This film is a good blend of drama and comedy.
   Extras:
   Talking About "Talk of the Town" featurette
   
   The Awful Truth (1937) pairs Cary Grant with Irene Dunne in a screwball comedy about a couple that divorces but finds that they really are meant for each other. They spend the whole film sabotaging both their own and each others' romances until they both realize "the awful truth". This film allows Cary to be the well-dressed sophistocate who also does some great pieces of physical comedy. The plot also involves the couple's dog, including a bit of detective work involving a tell-tale oversized hat that would make The Thin Man's Asta proud.
   Extras:
   In Love with Cary Grant featurette
   Inside "The Awful Truth" featurette
   
   The best known film of the bunch is probably "His Girl Friday" (1940). This pairs Grant with Rosalind Russell who plays Hildy - Grant's ex-wife and his best reporter. Hildy is leaving the paper and leaving town to become the wife of an Albany insurance agent played by Ralph Bellamy, a man who always plays it safe. Grant's character uses the approaching execution of a man who may be innocent to try and lure Hildy back to the paper and back to him. Poor Ralph Bellamy. This is the second time in this boxed set that he has played a man who obviously doesn't stand a chance against Grant's charms and cunning, the first time being in The Awful Truth.
   Extras:
   Commentary Track
   On Assignment: "His Girl Friday" featurette
   
   One of the featurettes mentions that among the stars of the 1930's very few seem to transcend time, and Cary Grant is one of those very few. That's because he didn't really belong to any one era. He was also very fortunate that, after a very few years making some rather mediocre films at Paramount, he was able to negotiate a contract allowing him to work for two studios - RKO and Columbia. These are indeed some of his finest films while at Columbia, and the set is very much worth checking out.



3. This was a very good buy for the money and the shipping included. I would definitely purchase from Amazon again based on this experience.



4. Cary Grant, Hollywood's most charismatic leading man for 40+ years, never played a supporting role once he became a star. Here are 5 early classics from Columbia, each with its own charm, each chock full of brilliant, witty dialogue. Five stars for each of these movies. Wouldn't that rate this collection 25 stars?



5. I bought this when it was $20 because of the gold box deal, and its a definitely a bargain for what you get. I have now have 2 copies of Holiday, but I couldn't pass up getting Only Angels Have Wings, The Talk of the Town, His Girl Friday, and The Awful Truth for the price. Had I bought the others individually I would have spent somewhere near $80. Plus you get a set of vintage postcards of the movies. My only problem is that the box is a little banged up, and I wish that Amazon would do a better job of taking care of the dvd sets before the send them out.

5 comments about Hocus Pocus.

1. In a time with so many cheesy horror films, this movie can be shared with the whole family



2. Love this movie. I bought it for my sister in law, hers wore out. She was thrilled.
   
   Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sara Jessica Parker did a great job.
   
   Great movie. I would strongly recommend it to anyone.



3. There are so many outstandingly hilarious moments in this film, it's hard to pick a favorite. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are so perfect together, that every time I watch this film I imagine the blast they must have had making it.
   
   Great script, great laughs, great cast -- what more do you need?



4. This is a good movie, funny and interesting. I've loved this movie since I was a kid, and now I just got it for Christmas.



5. This movie is so fun for kids and adults of all ages! It is a wonderful movie to watch Halloween Night as a family! I love this movie!

5 comments about The Christmas Card.

1. We were so happy with this dvd being able to get one of the hallmark shows that were shown at the holiday season. We love it and are thankful to Amazon.com for having it available. We also purchased another one for our friend for her birthday. thanks again, Bob & Kay Atkinson



2. My husband and I saw this movie on tv at Christmas 2007 & loved it! I wanted to watch it & my husband happened to be in the room so he didn't have a choice! He said he liked it so much because he's a big Ed Asner fan, but I think he liked the story & is afraid to admit it! I changed the channel once because I thought it would be sad & depressing but had to catch it the next time it was on & I totally liked it! Now we'll watch it every Christmas with Love Actually, though the two are nothing alike! This isn't s super original story (boy sets out to meet unavailable girl) but the way it comes about is really good, and the sets--especailly the house in all the trees--are great!



3. I love this movie. It is a really good movie. Sure to become a classic if more people buy it and watch it.



4. I think this is a great love movie. This is a guys summary. Girl is in love with a guy that is kind of selfish and has money and then falls in love with a guy that just is nice. The movie is one of my favorites at Christmas time and your alway rooting for the nice guy to win the girl.



5. This movie was so good, I bought another one for my granddaughter. Its hard to find good clean movies anymore.

5 comments about Love Actually (Widescreen Edition).

1. One of my favorite movies so I bought this for a friend for Christmas and she loves it! Great quality and good price. I highly recommend this movie/product!



2. Well I just saw this movie after having heard gazillions of times how good this movie is. I have to agree its one of those movies which gives you a warm feeling about being in love. However is the topic really love or infatuation here. The better name I think would be "Infatuation Actually " :)



3. I can't stand most chic flicks. I hate saying outloud to the characters in a movie "why don'y you just say/do {insert logical suggestion here}". What I love about this movie is that it is sweet and sappy but not in a manner that makes me want to shove my finger down my throat afterward. The film takes a look at several different angles we see every day in relationships and not all of them are happy nor are all of them ever resolved. The humanity included, however, is what appeals to me most.
   
   Unlike critics who see this film as a dramatization of commercial Christmas at its worst combined with weak writing, I see several fun, imaginative, (even if not believable) and witty dramas tied up in a nifty little package. I love the dry humor and the music is thoughtful and appropriate.



4. My husband and I both hated this movie! There were way too many story lines pushed into a 2.5 hour movie. It was confusing trying to keep track of them all.
   And the porn couple? A completely unneccesary story line! Are we to beleive that a couple who are completely naked around each other and have simulated sex are actually shy with each other and fall in love? Oh please. I couldn't have cared any less about them. They should have been left out of the movie entirely.
   There was not enough depth given to ANY story line, and therefore, most of the movie was unbelievable. It wasn't a love story at all. It definitely wasn't a "feel good" movie that "warms your heart" like some reviewers have said. Nothing like we expected.
   Another thing that was annoying was the music. At times, it was very out of place. It was as if they tried to put every great Christmas song in the movie, and it didn't all fit. At times it was too noisy and you couldn't hear them talking because of it.
   One story line they didn't even finish. We just never saw the couple again!
   If I could have given this movie 1/2 a star, I would have. The most unenjoyable movie I've seen in years. Completely horrible and a waste of time.



5. Love Actually is one of the best movies Ive ever seen. If you are at all into romantic comedies, this is definitely a winner. The comedy in it is truly hilarious without being stupid. The cast is fantastic. I cant really imagine any other actors than the ones cast to perfectly play the characters in the film. The DVD has a great commentary as well. I wasnt let down one bit by this film. All hail British comedy!

5 comments about Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition).

1. A princess (Audery Hepburn) is petty much a prisoner of her position; she is on a European tour. While in Rome she has an opportunity to escape her overseers and join the local festivities. A freelance reporter (Gregory Peck) accidentally spots her hand knows who she is. Out for an exclusive interview he pretends to be a businessman and befriends her. Together they see the real Roam accompanied by his incognito photographer pal (Eddie Albert.)
   
   Does the reported get his exclusive and a ticket back to the states?
   Or do they setup house?
   Will the princess ever get caught?
   
   Everyone has fun and you will too.



2. Roman Holiday is a beautifully bittersweet romance starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (originally, it was optioned by Frank Capra, who had hoped to cast Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor in the lead roles). Hepburn plays the spoiled Princess Ann, who is fed up with palace life and the endless protocol. After being given a sedative, she makes a run for it and ends up out cold on a park bench in Rome, where newspaper man Joe Bradley discovers her and begrudgingly takes her home with him, fearing for her safety.
   
   He quickly pieces together her formal, outdated manner of speaking and the disappearance of the princess (official reason: sudden illness), and his first inclination is to cash in on her secret identity by writing a tell-all story for $5000. He enlists his friend Irving as photographer. But as Joe indulges Ann's simple wishes for gelato, sightseeing, and a dash of adventure, he finds himself genuinely falling for Ann. The two engage in a complicated tango of avoidance; Joe hides the fact that he's press, and Ann tells him that she's run away from school. Irving uses a camera hidden in his lighter to snap impromptu photos. Poor Irving is tripped and spilled on by Joe in a none-too-subtle attempt to shut him up before he spills the beans on more than one occasion, and I felt bad for Irving's bewildered expression as Joe keeps taking him out.
   
   Pandemonium breaks out as the palace sends out secret police to retrieve Ann, and the film falls into near-slapstick in the final third at a barge dancehall. The ending is bittersweet yet appropriate, neither too much nor too little. Roman Holiday is a stunning vehicle for the luminous Audrey Hepburn, who won an Oscar for her performance, was the first comedy for Gregory Peck, and most of all, serves as a showcase for the timeless wonders of Rome. It was the first American film to be shot entirely in Italy (Paramount had frozen assets in Italy). Real Italian nobility and real international press corps were featured in the film. Most of the locations exist, and the colorful, authentic backgrounds and ethnic faces add a degree of authenticity that could never have been matched in a California studio.
   
   There are several extras including a documentary on the film's restoration, a stills gallery, and the original trailer. The transfer is crisp enough and looks fresh despite its age. Roman Holiday will appeal to fans of romance, comedy, and travelogues, and is a mesmerizing blend of all three elements.



3. Roman Holiday is my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie! I was so excited when my brother, knowing how much I loved it, gave it to me for Christmas!
   In her screen debut, Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her performance as Princess Ann. Tired of all the obligations and duties of being princess, she runs away while on a goodwill tour in Rome. She meets Joe Bradley (played by Gregory Peck), an American newspaper man, who offers to show her all the sights of Rome - with the intention of getting an exclusive interview. (I love the part when Audrey walks into his tiny apartment looks around and says, "Is this the elevator?") She agrees and they spend the day together "just doing whatever they'd like" - riding mopeds, dancing, getting caught in the rain and (I like this part) their visit to the "Mouth of Truth." As the two spend the day together they realize they are falling in love.
   
   The part of Joe Bradley was originally offered to Cary Grant who turned it down (he didn't make a movie with Audrey Hepburn until 1963's Charade). I think Cary Grant would have been better for the part, and as he is so good at comedic roles he would have seemed more natural for the part. But I can see why he didn't take the part - the movie is about the princess and he didn't know then what a great actress Audrey was. Elizabeth Taylor was also considered for the part of Princess Ann, but she was already making a movie and the director, William Wyler, decided to use a new actress. And lucky for us he decided to use Audrey Hepburn! In my mind, no one but Audrey could play the part of Princess Ann! What an incredible actress!



4. For anyone that isn't familiar with Audrey Hepburn's movies, this is the best one to start with... in my opinion this is her best work. Roman Holiday is the movie that started it all for Hepburn, and you'll see why. This is one of those movies that you can just escape in... it brings you into a fun, safe, playful world. Hepburn and Peck are a perfect romantic match in this classic movie. I whole heartedly recommend this film to anyone!



5. My wife and I saw this wonderful movie on DVD last night for the very first time, eventhough we are both old enough to have seen it in a movie theater in the 50s. The storyline has been explained many times here, so I'll not go into it again. Audrey Hepburn was simply beautiful and played the role perfectly of a princess wanting to live a "normal" life and do all of the things she wanted to do, dreamed of doing, for just one entire day. Peck was typically restrained as the man who wanted that one BIG SCOOP to further his career as a newspaperman and land himself his dream of working in New York City. Her dreams comes true and is surprised to find love among them, if only for twenty-four hours, he sacrifices his dream of being a star reporter for love of her.
   
   This was the perfect movie for two romantics who are generally unimpressed with today's lifeless actors, four-letter-word infused dialog, and plotless movies. Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Audrey Hepburn DVD Collection (Breakfast at Tiffany's / Sabrina / Roman Holiday / Funny Face / Paris When It Sizzles).

1. The enhanced versions of "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" are sharp and clear. "Funny Face" is so wonderful in wide-screen and enhanced color that it was like I'd never really seen it before. (And I own a VHS that I've watched at least once a year for the last ten.) Scene after scene, I kept crying out, "Wow, O Wow!" "Breakfast at Tiffanys" will always be a classic. "Paris When It Sizzles" was a pretty stupid movie when it came out. Despite cameo appearances by Tony Curtis, Noel Coward and others, it's manic 60's vibe isn't quite camp enough. I would have preferred having "Charade" in this collection. But, four out of five isn't bad.



2. I love the beauty of each of these films. They are classic and still hold up well.



3. WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE LIST WHAT EXTRAS ARE ON THIS 2007 5 FILM SET WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT OTHER SETS DONE OTHER YEARS? THANKS.



4. This is a nice set, I only wish it included "My Fair Lady."
   
   A collection of her most popular films. It's great that they even have special features considering the age of these films, in a time long before home video. Special features include (by movie):
   
   Sabrina - Sabrina documentary, Photo Gallery
   
   Breakfast at Tiffanys - Commentary by producer Richard Shepard, The making of a classic, It's so Audrey: A Style Icon, Brillance in a Blue Box, Audrey's letter to Tiffany, Original theatrical trailer
   
   Paris When it Sizzles - none
   
   Roman Holiday - Remembering ROman Holiday Documentary, Restoring Roman Holiday featurette, Edith Head-The Paramount Years featurette, photo galleries, teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, re-release trailer
   
   Funny Face - The Fashion Designer and his Muse, Parisian Dreams, Paramount in thr 30's restrospective featurettee, photo gallery, Theatrical trailer



5. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Anniversary Edition - Widescreen
   Sabrina - Full Screen
   Roman Holiday - Collector's Edition - Full Screen
   Funny Face - Anniversary Edition - Widescreen
   Paris When it Sizzles - Widescreen
   
   Each DVD comes individually wrapped in its own case with official cover from the movie, for about $5.60 Each. I like this better than placing all the DVDs in one box like most TV Seasons are wrapped (Ex. LOST)

5 comments about The Hogfather.

1. This movie makes a difficult shift from novel to film with great success. The story is faithfully told and much of Pratchett's very dry humour is interspersed everywhere. It is a fine stand alone film - it does not require that you have read any of the Discworld books, but obviously some of the jokes won't be obvious if you don't know to look for them (The Death of Rats, especially).
   
   Great special effects and really well done acting. It is a long movie (two discs) but really riveting - the time flew by. It is definitely a movie I would watch again and agin.



2. Most book adaptations are twisted into unrecognizable lumps by cheap producers. Fortunately, someone locked the "suits" in the elevator and got on with making "Hogfather" as a film wonderfully true to the Novel.
   I can only hope that the Discworld Series becomes more widely known because of it. Pratchett is an unsung genius. If you haven't read his
   work - stop cheating yourself. I'd thoroughly recommend getting both this film and the book it's based on. Then Pick up a copy of "Guards! Guards!".
   That will set you in the right direction for a supremely fun journey.



3. Being a Terry Pratchett fan, I gritted my teeth on this one: one the one hand, intense curiosity about how well the book might be made visual; on the other hand, a cringing memory of just how badly such things have turned out in the past.
   
   To my delight, this is a BRILLIANT rendering of the book. The wit is all there. Susan, Albert, Ridcully, and even Death fit their written characters, bang on. Mr Teatime is perfectly psychopathic. If there was any room to quibble, it would be that Nobby looks more human than one might expect.
   
   The imagery is also vividly done, and a picture being worth a thousand words is probably how the screenplay manages to capture so much of the book in the time available.
   
   If you're not familiar with Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, you might find the film a bit confusing, but highly entertaining. In my house, Hogfather has joined the short but prized list of must-watch films for Christmas, er, Hogswatchnight.



4. In Discworld, the winter holiday is Hogswatch, which bears a remarkable resemblance to our Christmas. This particular Hogswatch, something is amiss, however. The Auditors have approached the assassin's guild and taken out a contract on the Hogfather (you know, Santa.) How do you kill a potentially mythological creature? Well, the guild decides to send their craziest assassin, Teatime (Marc Warren) to do the job.
   
   As Teatime goes about his mission, the body count begins to rise, which catches the attention of Death (a wonderful puppet voiced by Ian Richardson). Over the years, Death has grown fond of humans, so he sets out to fill in for the suddenly missing Hogfather.
   
   And Death's antics catch the attention of Susan (Michelle Dockery), his granddaughter. When Susan learns what is happening, she sets out to find the Hogfather and save his life, a mission that takes her to the Tooth Fairy's castle. Will she be in time?
   
   While I'm not normally a fantasy fan, I had heard of Terry Pratchett's popular Discworld series. This British TV miniseries is based on one of his stories. I'm pretty conflicted about it. On the one hand, there was plenty of fun in the story and setting. The acting was wonderful. And the movie looked incredible. It was very state of the art and has plenty of eye candy. I especially loved watching the "computer" write on parchment with quill and ink. While there are some discussions about belief that will fly over kids' heads, there's nothing here that should really frighten them.
   
   However, it moved pretty slowly. It is three hours long and could easily be cut down to two if they wanted to make the effort. There is a whole sub-plot involving a wizarding college that could have been cut and the needed information worked in some other way. Really, very little happens there that we need to know, although there are a couple fun scenes set there.
   
   I'm sure the books' many fans will love this movie. Fantasy fans in general will enjoy it as well. The rest of us can do worse then this miniseries, but a good editing job would have made things more enjoyable.



5. The book was written by a brilliant word-smith who crafted each phrase with care and cleverness. The movie does not deviate from the dialog in the slightest and is all the stronger for the faithful trust in the source material. The movie is clever in music and photography to the great enjoyment of my gladdened eyes. Well worth purchasing even if the DVD lacks the standard extras found amongst the more common DVD releases.

5 comments about The Holiday.

1. This movie was funny, romantic, and just enjoyful. A movie for everyone, even your man.



2. I decided to go ahead and buy this movie because I thought it looked like kind of a fun movie from the previews. Honestly it exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed it. I really was swept up in the story and the romance between the two couples. A suprisingly great movie!



3. This is a great movie. I own it and bought one for one of my best friends. We laughed and teared a bit. Hilarious and so cute.



4. Now, as a dutiful boyfriend, I've had to sit through my share of reeking romantic comedies, and some I've found more than merely tolerable. The plot is going to stink, that's a given - but maybe there'll be a laugh here or there, like in "Something about Mary." Not this time. By the standards of the genre, this one is boring. Even my girlfriend, who drags me to these things without shame, suggested halfway through that we nuke this one and put on something else. So, fair warning: this one is as corny as a regular romantic comedy, but without any entertainment value. Dull as it gets. Cameron Diaz was atrocious, worst actress in the world, capable of only one character (and it's not cute any more.)
   
   By the way, was I supposed to laugh when she punches her boyfriend in the face twice? Why is domestic violence funny when the woman is the attacker? This actually happens in reality, by the way. Imagine a guy beating his girl being played off as slapstick. There'd be an uproar.



5. I found the whole scenario of this movie, contrived and fake.
   (1) How many young women even live in gigantic Malibu mansions with a swimming pool, gym, and huge kitchen?
   (2) If they do, would they then be naive enough to let a foreign total stranger live in their mansion, drive their car un-insured in the madhouse of L.A.'s traffic, and to use all their stuff on just a day's notice?
   (3) Who would impulsively pay the exorbitant air fares that airlines charge for last-minute flight bookers, as they both did, to visit a place they have no connection with?
   (4) How could a single woman like Kate Winslet, logistically, possibly work in downtown London and then commute so far out every day to a big rural drafty, thatched-roof Farm house? (No Londoner, especially a single woman, ever lives like that). The village's charm was over-stereotyped.
   (5) What woman, smart and successful enough to afford a mansion like Cameron Diaz, would naively open the door to a drunken stranger late at night in the middle of nowhere (in a snowstorm), and then 8 minutes later have sex with him, when she was planning to fly home the next day? This casual, mindless treatment of sex is disgusting, especially for a Christmas film. Do all these women viewers really find this romantic? Then there's something really wrong with them. I had no sympathy for Cameron after this scene.
   (6) Finally, the spoken line about Cary Grant being from Surrey is incorrect - he was instead a native of Bristol).