Finding Neverland

I finally got around to seeing this movie on dvd, and while it doesn’t rank in my top 5 like it did at the Oscars last year, this is an affecting and occasionally inspiring movie about creativity, hope and vitality in the face of, well, life. The first (and still best) Johnny Depp/Freddie Highmore collaboration utilizes the standard Miramax biopic formula to tell the story of J.M. Barrie, but the actors and director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) keep it from succumbing to overt tear-jerker status.

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Top 13 Movies of 2004

2005 is almost over, so I figured I could finally publish my list of the top 13 movies of last year. Why 13? Because 10 is played out, and 13 is my number of choice. Why now? Because in this day and age, with movie theaters filled with more ads than television, more annoying crowds than a football game, topped off by escalating ticket prices, can you blame a guy for waiting 3-4 months for DVDs to come out? So without further adieu, here’s my list of the Top 13 Movies of 2004. Can you guess what #1 is?

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Based on the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, Goblet of Fire had a difficult task from the beginning. The book was huge—literally and figuratively. Goblet was, up to that point, by far the largest in terms of pages and scope. For the first time we are truly introduced to the larger wizarding world in which Harry lives, and the book juggles numerous plots: the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Hermione’s SPEW, boy/girl tangles, the increasing menace of the Malfoy family, the timidity of the Ministry of Magic, and most importantly, the impending return of He Who Must Not Be Named.

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War of the Worlds

The last time Spielberg did a blockbuster/serious double header was 1993, which brought us the incredibly entertaining Jurassic Park and the incredibly moving Schindler’s List This year’s double dip? War of the Worlds and the upcoming Munich. One can only hope that the second of these two will fulfill that legacy, because this one sure didn’t. It’s funny. I was really excited about seeing this movie in May/June. Then Tom Cruise went on Oprah, acted like a total loon, and I remembered why I can’t stand him. Which probably explains why I’m just seeing this movie now, on dvd, months later.

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Death Cab for Cutie

Where: The Paramount, Seattle, WA
When: November 19, 2005
Who: Death Cab for Cutie with Stars

Seth Cohen’s favorite band has finally made it. Even in its hometown, it took Death Cab four years to make the natural progression from small club (the Crocodile) to big theater (the Paramount). But with the groundbreaking Transatlanticism, and this year’s major-label debut, Plans, DCFC has gained star status, and deservedly so.

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