Great Movie Re-Watch

Working Girl (1988)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Working Girl (1988)

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writer:

Kevin Wade

Starring:

Melanie Griffith

Harrison Ford

Sigourney Weaver

Blurb:

When a secretary’s idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss’ job.

Thoughts:

How could I not love Working Girl? It was basically made for me. A strong female lead fighting for her chance at her dream job. Plus young sexy Harrison Ford. That’s exactly the kind of story I love.

I don’t remember the first time I watched this movie. I can’t think of any memories attached to it at all. It’s just one of those films that I discovered on TV and fell in love with.

It received mostly positive reviews when it came out. It also did well at the box office. Yet we don’t get these types of movies very often. Wonder why that is? Hmm… A film where a woman is kept down by the system deals with very realistic sexual harassment and has to deceive to succeed. No idea why this hasn’t been done more often. Maybe it has, and I just missed it. I’m not one for drama movies, and this has enough comedy in it not to take away from the story but to make it not as heavy as it could be.

I can’t even complain that the main antagonist is a woman trying to keep another woman down. That was an entire mindset for a generation of women. It’s sadly realistic. One of the best things to come from my generation is women helping other women. We can succeed together.

I’d love to see another movie like this with a modern setting. I don’t want a remake. It’s not the sort of film that needs that treatment. I just want to see a story in the same vein. A reboot, maybe?

Overboard (1987)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Overboard (1987)

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writer:

Leslie Dixon

Starring:

Kurt Russell

Goldie Hawn

Edward Herrmann

Katherine Helmond

Mike Hagerty

Blurb:

A cruel but beautiful heiress mocks and cheats a hired carpenter. When she gets amnesia after an accident, he decides to introduce her to regular life by convincing her they’re husband and wife.

Thoughts:

I know that Overboard has problems. It definitely takes the premise too far once Kurt Russell’s character sleeps with Goldie Hawn. He should have come clean before then. The thing is, I really like this movie. The chemistry between the two is obvious, and how could I not like a story where a rich person lives life from the other side. It’s great!

Most reviewers seem to disagree with me, and that’s valid. They did go too far. Overboard wasn’t a hit when it came out and barely made its money back. Like so many other movies I own, though, it went on to be a cult classic. I wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that it was played frequently on TV?

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

The Princess Bride (1987)

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer:

William Goldman

Starring:

Cary Elwes

Robin Wright

Mandy Patinkin

Chris Sarandon

Christopher Guest

Wallace Shawn

André the Giant

Blurb:

While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.

Thoughts:

The Princess Bride is my movie. When someone asks me that awful question, what’s my favorite film, The Princess Bride, is my answer. I used to have the entire thing memorized. My friends and I would take turns quoting the whole thing. One time when I was bored at work, I recited it for a coworker, including acting out the fighting scene on the cliffs of insanity. When I say The Princess Bride is my movie, I mean that it is the movie that had the most significant impact on my life, except for maybe Star Wars.

I’ve introduced a few people to The Princess Bride, and without fail, they enjoy it. It is one of those rare films that is perfect. There is nothing I would change. I’ve had it on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital. I’ve got the criterion collections version. I’ve got t-shirts and the board game. This is my movie.

I’m not claiming to be its biggest fan. Not even close. But The Princess Bride is my ultimate comfort movie. I fall asleep to it because I can close my eyes and visualize the entire thing. I love it.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Director:

Emile Adrolino

Writers:

Eleanor Bergstein

Starring:

Jennifer Grey

Patrick Swayze

Jerry Orbach

Cynthia Rhodes

Blurb:

Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances “Baby” Houseman falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle.

Thoughts:

I noticed on my most recent viewing that Dirty Dancing doesn’t have the best acting. I never know what Jennifer Grey’s character is thinking or feeling. Once they start having sex, it’s obvious, but before that, her stare is a bit dead. Patrick Swayze is, of course, very emotive, and I know what he’s thinking.

There’s also the whole she’s supposed to be eighteen, and he’s supposed to be a few years older than that. They’re clearly in their late twenties and early thirties. I end up missing out on the whole forbidden love because they’re adults. Her parents shouldn’t be able to hold her back. I get the class thing, but Baby clearly doesn’t care about that. So the only thing holding them back is her parents. I missed all of that until I read Wikipedia.

I don’t watch Dirty Dancing for the acting so much as I watch it for the music, though. The dancing is also nice, but it’s the music that I love. It’s been a while since I listened to the soundtrack, but there was a time when I was sixteen when I listened to it nonstop for an entire week.

Honestly, I’m not sure if this is a movie I need to own. I have the soundtrack. Do I really need the “story?” I do like the depiction of abortion in the film. It’s realistic, and the woman isn’t shamed. So that’s a big positive in the movies column. I don’t know. I’ll probably keep it. Sometimes I just want to watch Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey crawl across a floor toward each other while lip-syncing.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Gary Goldman

David Z. Weinstein

W.D. Richter

Starring:

Kurt Russell

Kim Cattrall

Dennis Dun

James Hong

Victor Wong

Kate Burton

Donald Li

Blurb:

A rough-and-tumble trucker helps rescue his friend’s fiancée from an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

Thoughts:

I’ve only watched Big Trouble in Little China once before. I’d forgotten how crazy awesome it is. I’ve kind of only been paying half attention to a lot of the movies I’ve re-watched so far. I couldn’t do that with Big Trouble. There’s always something either funny or crazy going on, and it’s hard to look away. Especially since it’s not a movie, I’m very familiar with.

What makes the movie is that Jack, Kurt Russell, isn’t the hero. He’s an everyman thrust into a fantastic story and becomes a sidekick. He isn’t a joke and has his moments to shine, but he’s also not a savior, even if he did kill the bad guy in the end. He’s the movie’s main focus, but while he’s surviving, you see the other characters doing most of the heavy lifting. It’s, frankly, awesome. I’d love to see more movies like this, and if anyone has any recommendations, please post them in the comments.

Gracie, Kim Cattrall, comes off a bit manic. She’s constantly moving and has a positive energy even when talking about the potential end of the world. She’s smart and has a Lois Lane vibe. She gets herself in trouble but also gets herself out of it. She’s more capable than Jack.

Big Trouble in Little China was a financial flop. The studio had no idea how to market it because they didn’t understand it. For them, Russell was supposed to be the hero, but he clearly wasn’t, so they made Carpenter write something to “explain” the character. This is why we get the opening scene, which makes the least amount of sense in the entire movie. Thankfully, the film ended up finding its audience and now has a cult following.

I already want to re-watch Big Trouble. I’m kind of ashamed that I own it and have only seen it twice. It should be one of those movies I watch periodically throughout the year. It has many of the things I liked about Last Dragon. It has a large minority cast, weird fight scenes, and a heavy 80s influence. Only Big Trouble does it all, just a bit better. There is a huge 80s influence, but it’s done in all of the best ways. It’s easily in the top ten movies I’ve watched so far, quite possibly top five.