Conference bookie::movies

    OOPS!
    
    The words in spoiler comments in the previous notes should have been 
    pathos and grief.
    
    
    Sorry,
    
    
    Marilyn 

    There was a BBC production of this a couple of years ago, starring
    Joss Ackland as Lewis. It shows up on Cable (A and E, Lifetime)
    every once in a while. A beatiful story, but hard to translate to
    the screen.
    
    		Jim
    

Acting, Hopkins, even better than "Remains of the Day"
Acting, Winger, very good, but I had a hard time believ-
	in Gresham's love for Lewis
Structure, Attenborough, superb.  Every scene tight,
	complete, and never lasted a second longer 
	than what was right.  A very fast-paced film.

Audience was a rapt as I.  Everyone stayed in her/his
seat to the end of the credits!  And this was at
a mainstream suburban Boston theatre, not the Nick or
equivalent.

****.5/*****

I would rate this movie quite a bit higher than the base note did, it packs
quite an emotional wallop. I saw it early on New Year's Eve at a sneak preview;
probably a mistake, as I was (as .3 said) welded to the chair during the
credits, and it cast its shadow on the rest of the evening.  Hopkins is very
good as C.S. Lewis, though I wouldn't want to see this movie as a double bill
with "Remains of the Day" - I'd pick on the similiarities between his roles
to the detriment of their differences. Winger is even better. But the real
winner is the dialogue, which never falters in its intelligence even as the 
plot (based though it is on C.S. Lewis's actual life) verges on soap opera.

I'll be seeing this one again.

    A small correction to my rating on .0 - I meant to give it 
    **** out of ***** (.5 for Winger's performance/character)
    
    All other comments stand. I don't rate movies on the "curve". Given the 
    dross that passes for movies today, it probably would rate higher, but
    IMO just because a lot of movies are poor, good though it was doesn't
    make it great.
    
    I'm as much as sucker for a tear-jerker as the next person, but this
    one didn't do it for me. I MUCH prefer the first 2/3 of the movie.
    
    As always, your mileage may (and problably will) vary.
    
    Marilyn

    I saw Shadowlands last night.  I fell in love with the C.S. Lewis
    character. Never did warm up to Joy.  
    
    This is driving me nuts...what other films has the boy who played
    Douglas Gresham (Joseph Mazzela sp?) been in?  He looks so familar
    yet I can't place him.
    
    Jodi-

    Saw Shadowlands over the weekend..... 'the review's were better'
    
    Could'nt place what exactly was missing from the movie to make it a
    perfect *****. Winger certainly acts better in The Piano. The movie
    seemed to drag at times. 
    
    Can anyone say why wasnt the move "real" Oscar material???

    I too feel the reviewers are giving this more credit than it deserves. 
    Yes, the story is of interest, and the performances applaudable (I
    agree that Hopkin's character is the more interesting and fully
    developed of the two).  But I too felt something was missing.  Although
    the story is very emotional, I felt unfulfilled with the intesity of
    the relationship.  Hopkin's character was written as the more reserved
    of the two characters, but I understood his feelings and thoughts much
    more than Winger's.  I think that is what I struggle with...Joy
    obviously cared for Lewis, but the portrayal was very surface and
    shallow. 
    
    My opinions of this movie are probably overshadowed by the fact that we
    learned only the day before that my father-in-law has cancer.  We had
    free tickets to a sneak preview and went to the movie knowing only that
    it was a "love story"...it hit too close to home!  The other thing I
    didn't like...it seemed during the most emotional, tear-jerking scenes
    there was little or no musical score.  You could hear the entire
    audience stiffling their sniffles.  It was very distracting!  Give me
    my "cover-up" music!  

    Re. 7
    
    Debra Winger is not in "The Piano", that's Holly Hunter.

We saw Shadowlands a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was a much better 
version than the telemovie (during which I went to sleep). 
I thought it was wonderful 

***** out of *****        (having read the book before & after the movie, 
 			   & having read a LOT of C.S. Lewis)

Chele

    My wife and her cousin went to see this; my wife cried!  (I haven't
    seen her cry in ten years).  2 hankies up.
    
    Carl

    I saw this over the weekend.  I thought it was very well done, and the
    acting was excellent.  Anthony Hopkins is probably the best actor
    around today, imo.  
    
    I enjoyed it, but it really was a depressing story.  I know it was
    true, so that's what really happened, but it wasn't very cheerful. 
    That's for sure.  
    
    Lorna
    

    I saw this one this weekend.  I liked it.  Good scenery - beautiful
    scenes of Cambridge and the countryside, I liked Anthony Hopkins as 
    Lewis and the actor who played his brother, along with all the other
    supporting actors that played Lewis' peers.  I liked watching all the
    various relationship build between these characters.
    
    However (spoiler):
    
    Even though I like Debra Winger, I had a hard time getting over the
    fact that I have already seen her die an early and heartfelt death in 
    another movie "Terms of Endearment".  I liked her as Joy in
    "Shadowlands", but because of the similarities to "Terms of Endearment",
    I couldn't forget that she was simply an actor playing a role.  As a 
    result, I believe it made this movie less of a tear-jerker (less
    "real") for me than it might have otherwise been had someone else been 
    chosen to play the part of Joy.
    
    But, I did like it overall, 'cause I do like movies that deal with 
    relationships and that show how people live(d), so I do recommend it if 
    you like that kind of "stuff"!
    
    Karen.

    It would have been hard for me *not* to enjoy this; I like too many of
    the elements, including Lewis' work and Hopkins', the English
    countryside and the ivory-tower world of Oxford, book-lined studies and
    wry humor - and really splendid love stories. 
    
    Oh, and a good cry. ;-)
    
    There were things I wish could have been included, or expanded on - the
    script never did delve very deeply into anybody's philosophy, and while
    the one-liners were quite good and potentially thought-provoking (how
    many of us would like to hang out with our friends and discuss whether
    "We read to know we're not alone" is true, false, or something in
    between?), I would have liked at least one rousing philosophical battle
    that lasted more than fifteen seconds, perhaps something just after the
    "easy answers to difficult questions" bit. But perhaps that's best
    saved for discussions in person, over tea (or espresso, or wine, or
    ale; something to sip while thinking, and to gesticulate with while
    trying to send home a point).
    
    Very sweet, and sad, and joyful as well; after all, the odds were that
    they'd never have found each other at all...
    
    -b

    
    Oh, a spoiler warning
    
    
    	Am I the only person who found the movie happy?  Sad, true - but
    ultimately uplifting.  Here's why :
    
    	After being sort of a 'mental recluse' all his life, living in
    saftey, never starting an arguement he wasn't sure he could win or
    asnking a question he didn't know the answer to, he lets down his guard
    for the woman he loves.  He learns what it is to take a risk - after
    all, what is life if you don't take risks? ( and what are risks if you
    don't get burned every down and then? ).
    
    	I found it a very nicely balanced movie ( it didn't hurt that I've
    been a big Narnia fan since I was a tot :-) )...  Of course, my
    girlfriend ( still sniffling in the car on the way home ) disagreed,
    so... your mileage may vary.
    
    				- Jim

    Re .15: Nope, not the only person; I thought of it that way, too.
    
    -b

    I loved this movie and I agree with everything that -b and Jim (?)
    have said. People had described this movie as depressing and I did not
    find it depressing at all. Sad, yes. I cried quite a bit. But
    depressing, definitely not. I would describe it as warm.
    
    Manisha

    I saw this last night and liked it, with some reservations. It's not a bad
    movie, but I don't think it's as good as it could have been. Having seen a
    production of the play a few months ago, I have, perhaps unfortunately,
    something to compare it to. The play was superb, emotionally rich,
    intellectually and spiritually challenging. The movie makes some odd
    choices that I can't help but see as lessening the impact. The sentiment
    was turned up and the philosophy turned down, when the play as written
    already had them perfectly tuned. 

    A pity for Debra Winger that the movie wasn't more faithful. Joy is much
    more interesting in the play. 

    Re:.6 Jodi, I don't think you got an answer to your question. The little
    boy looked familiar to me too. I'm not certain, but isn't he the little boy
    from Jurassic Park?

    John
    

    The reason I thought this movie was depressing (re .17, Misha) is:
    
    
    
    I immediately identified with Debra Winger's character (maybe because I
    always love her acting or maybe just because she was the female lead). 
    Anyway, seeing the story from her perspective, or rather putting myself
    in her place, all I could imagine was how horrible it would be to
    finally meet a man who was perfect for me, only to then die of cancer. 
    God, that is so depressing.  Call me strange, but personally, I'd
    rather meet a few not so perfect men and live longer!  The whole thing
    had such a feeling of doom hanging over it for me.
    
    The interesting thing was that my (male) friend, who saw the movie with
    me didn't find it depressing, and thought it was a beautiful story. 
    When I told him why I found it so depressing (above), he explained that
    *he* had identified with Anthony Hopkins character and that he felt it
    was a beautiful story explaining that it's better to open oneself up to
    love, even one loses it, than to never experience such joy.  Of course,
    the big difference here is that the guy in the story gets to keep
    living, and reflecting upon the wonderful, brief love he was fortunate
    to experience.  She, on the other hand was dead.
    
    So, he identified with the guy, and didn't find the story depressing. 
    I identified with the woman and found it morbid.
    
    We thought it was kind've interesting how we each took the viewpoint of
    the character with the same gender as ourselves.   (Of course, maybe
    Debra Winger's character would rather have had it like it was than
    never had known C.S. Lewis, but not me.  There's other things I can
    enjoy in life, besides perfect love - books, music, movies, antiques,
    etc.)
    
    Lorna
    

>    Of course,
>    the big difference here is that the guy in the story gets to keep
>    living, and reflecting upon the wonderful, brief love he was fortunate
>    to experience.  She, on the other hand was dead.
    
    Joanna Russ couldn't've said it better.
    
    Ray

	This is now out on video and I caught it recently in this form.
	I watched it with someone who had also seen it in the theatre and
	they told me that they noticed at least one scene was missing in
	the video version!  Anyone who remembers the scene (behind the
	spoiler) know any reason why it wouldn't be in the video?

	[spoiler warning]

	After they marry (the 2nd time), he brings her home and I'm
	told there is a scene where he gets the room ready and in
	doing so, they show him pushing the two twin beds together.
	This was not shown in the video.

    Re .21: I remember the scene you mention, and can't think why it
    wouldn't be in the video, unless somebody had their Prude-o-meter set
    to a truly ridiculous level. However, I suppose it's possible that the
    video was edited for length, to make it a tidy length for possible
    airing on commercial TV? And, if so, that that scene was simply
    considered extraneous. [It's a shame it was cut; I thought it was
    touching.]
    
    -b

    We saw this last night, and enjoyed it immensely, though the grief and
    leave-taking of the final half-hour or so was a bit protracted and
    melodramatic. To what has gone before, I have just one question and one
    observation to add:
    
    <possible spoiler>
    
    
    Is this movie pretty close to the truth? My wife and I were both
    wondering if the first, secret marriage really happened.
    
    We were enthralled with Hopkins' performance, and he was very
    convincing. The only lapse (and it wasn't really his) was when Douglas
    is (he thinks) alone in the attic with the wardrobe. Then Lewis speaks,
    and for a couple seconds we see him backlit by the sunshine from the
    window. My wife and I both said something like, "Look out, Doug, it's
    Hannibal Lecter!" :-)
    			Jim
    

    <possible spoiler>
    
    
>    Is this movie pretty close to the truth? My wife and I were both
>    wondering if the first, secret marriage really happened.
    
He did marry her first in a civil marriage so that she could stay in England.
I can't remember, but I believe they already knew she had cancer.
And it was kept secret. None of his friends approved of his marriage to
a bossy, divorced American, and the Church did not sanction marriage to
a divorcee (something not brought out in the movie). Though C.S. Lewis argued
that since it was Bill Gresham's second marriage, her marriage did not count,
he couldn't get the church to marry them. It was only when it appeared that 
she was close to dying, that a minister friend consented to marrying them.
Then she went into remission, and lived for another 2-3 years.

/eileen

    <possible spoiler>
    
    
Checked a bio at the library. It was not known she had cancer at the
time of the civil marriage. Actually this movie fascinated me, and
I ended up reading a bio or two.

My daughter has been a Narnia fan since we started reading them to her
when she was 5 or so.  I picked up the Out of the Silent Planet series
of fantasy (with very religious overtones) he wrote in the 40's, and
have read the 1st 2 out of the 3. Interesting reading.