Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

  In my opinion this is pretty close to a perfect movie.  The writing and directing are perfect and every actor gives a flawless performance. What more can you ask for?

  Nearly 30 years after its release, “Philadelphia” is still one of the most powerful films I've ever seen. Tom Hanks plays Andy, the high-powered lawyer who gets fired because he has AIDS, although the law firm's partners deny that, and claim he was fired because of poor performance and almost loosing a big client. His character doesn't go through a lot of emotional or mental changes, but the physical transformation from a fairly healthy-looking man to a man literally on his death bed is remarkable. Denzel Washington's character, Joe, changes the most, going from someone who was scared after learning he shook the hand of someone (Andy) who had AIDS, and being disgusted by gay men, to developing an affection and respect for Andy. Andy hires Joe, an “ambulance chaser,” to represent him in a lawsuit against the law firm when every other lawyer he contacted turned him down. The supporting cast is phenomenal. Among them, Jason Robards as a law firm partner, Joan...

   “What's Up Doc?” remains, in my opinion, one of the funniest movies to ever come out of Hollywood. Fifty (gulp!) years later, it still holds up. This farcical tale centers on four identical overnight bags that get mixed up causing all kinds of hilarious trouble. One of the bags is full of expensive jewelry; another, top-secret government papers; another, igneous rocks belonging to Dr. Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal); and the fourth, the clothes and belongings of Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), who seems to cause problems wherever she goes. The bags get mixed up in a San Francisco hotel when people are trying to steal the jewels and the government papers and get the wrong ones. Another mix up – perpetuated by Judy – is that the man giving Howard grant money believes Judy is his fiance, Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn). Eunice – again, thanks to Judy – is eventually kidnapped by the people trying to steal the jewels. When everyone realizes there are actually four identical ...