Garry Marshall (1)Critiques

Now settled in Genovia, Princess Mia faces a new revelation: she is being primed for an arranged marriage to an English suitor.

FROM AMAZON: Modern-day fairy tale picks up right where THE PRINCESS DIARIES left off! As future queen of Genovia, Princess Mia (Hathaway) has everything a girl could want -- except the magical romance she's always dreamed of. But soon, Mia's shocked to discover that she needs to get married right now or her family will lose the crown! Comic complications rule the day in this delightful family story about finding out who you really are and discovering what it takes to make your dreams come true!

An easy-going chick-flick with some wonderful actresses.

Even better then the previous one. Such a fantastic film showing the power of women.

For a romantic comedy, this film starts in rather a dramatic way and has a thread of tragedy running through it, yet I thought it was very well handled.It's not laugh-aloud funny, although there are plenty of light-hearted moments. Inevitably there's a growing romance, but it's not a passionate one - instead, it grows out of a low-key developing friendship.

Overall, we all enjoyed this very much. More thought-provoking than many films of this genre, and nicely done. The children are excellent, although it's really not a children's film, and we appreciated the clean language, the lack of anything that would rate the film higher than PG, and the positive attitude to the church.

Definitely recommended.

Latest longer review: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2023/09/raising-helen-kate-hudson.html½

It's light and silly, undoubtedly. But also amusing in places, with great rapport between Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, who still looks elegant and considerably younger than 70. Mia’s awkwardness, despite her princess lessons, shines through in some cleverly choreographed moments, and there are some interesting scenes about the balance between duty and love.

All in all, we thought this made a worthy sequel and enjoyed it.½

A schmaltzy Disney film on a Cinderella theme, but very enjoyable for a relaxing evening in. The plot is probably well-known: Mia, a gauche, clumsy teenage American girl who tries hard to be invisible at school suddenly learns that her grandmother is Queen of a small European country. And as her father (whom she never knew) recently died, Mia is heir apparent to the throne of this country. She is appalled at first, but agrees to some 'princess lessons' and a makeover, and is gradually transformed.

Julie Andrews is perfect as the royal grandmother, and Anne Hathaway as Mia is excellent too - she manages both the awkward clumsy stage and the increasing elegancy of the transformation. There are some delightful scenes with the two of them together, and a few low-key ethical issues such as the shallowness of high school cheerleaders and sports stars, and the need for people to stand up for what they believe in.

I found it very enjoyable, and my husband enjoyed it too, rather to his surprise.

There are a few extras; we enjoyed the behind-the-scenes shots and descriptions of how the cast gelled together, and how the film was put together.

I didn't particularly like this movie which starred Matt Dillon. I don't remember, nor do I care, the plot of this movie, but I think it's about a bellhop boy and his misadventures in the distance past, like the 50s or 60s.

An excellent 1990 film that's essentially the same story as 'My Fair Lady' with Julia Roberts absolutely brilliant as the prostitute Vivian. Richard Gere is less believable as the wealthy cut-throat businessman Edward, and the chemistry between the two doesn't quite work, but it's a very good story with an excellent script and great pace.

Some humour, some excellent scenes with the hotel manager, some thought-provoking commentary about wealth and attitudes to 'working' women like Vivian. And a somewhat unlikely but entirely satisfying fairy-tale ending.

Rated PG in the UK, R in the US. Unsuitable for children and younger teens due to the subject matter and some scenes of intimacy, albeit nothing explicit.

Full review here: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2021/04/pretty-woman-julia-roberts.html½

An excellent film, now over thirty years old but with many issues still relevant today. About a lasting friendship between two very different girls. Bette Midler is believably selfish in her ambitions as a singer, yet she's quite attached to the wealthy (and very attractive) Hillary (Barbara Hershey), who is a lawyer. There are arguments and differences in their friendship, in particular over a man, but also over their different values.

Very well made, mostly in flashback scenes (with some superb casting for the eleven-year-old versions of the main actresses). If the ending is a tad predictable, it's still done well, and quite poignant.

Recommended to adults or teens.

Full review here: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2021/03/beaches-bette-midler.html½

There couldn't be a more fantastic movie than this one. Great actors, great music, great scenery, great story. I play "He sleeps" on my phone all the time. Although you need to get the DVD because it is edited and chopped up to play on tv.

A light-hearted romantic comedy with excellent chemistry between the principals. Some great one-liners, nicely choreographed action, and - refreshingly - a PG rating. Very little bad language, nothing explicit, only one mild incident of violence (unexpected but not inappropriate).

We saw this in 2010 and re-watched, having entirely forgotten the storyline, nearly ten years later. Definitely recommended for a light evening's viewing - a plus being that there's nothing inappropriate for teenagers or even younger children, though the story is unlikely to appeal to little ones.

Longer review here: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2020/06/runaway-bride-julia-roberts-richard-...

I love Garry Marshall movies and have always like him and his sister Penny. This is a great behind-the-scenes book about his different movies and TV shows. I really enjoyed hearing about what happened and why things were done the way they were done. I also enjoyed the audio book which had Garry reading it himself. If you like Hollywood then read this one.

Review: My Happy Days in Hollywood by Garry Marshall.

This book was a real entertainer for those who watch shows, sitcoms, and movies from the late fifties to the late nineties and re-runs over the years. Garry Marshall grew up in the Bronx and describes himself as a sickly child who loved baseball and being introduced to show business by his mother through her dance school. After going to college at Northwestern and enlisting in the military and sent of to Korea for a couple of years Garry Marshall ended up in Hollywood where he set out to be a comedy writer and then moved on to television. Marshall is funny and honest; sharing anecdotes and reflections about his films and the actors he worked with.

In this enlightening and enjoyable memoir, Garry emphasizes the family feel and leadership style that he writes in length about and how even as it showcases his ability to accurately gauge a personality without feeling a need to judge. Garry Marshall is proof that nice people can succeed and do in fact finish on top. His views, outlook and values are qualities that many in Hollywood should strive for. He is a unique person, down to earth, has lived in his same average house for years, with his wife for many, many years and took on directing, filming productions that sometimes were a flop, but he kept on trying. There were also times, when he was much older he encountered cancer and a hip replacement but he never gave up.

Garry began his professional writing career with Joey Bishop and worked with people like Danny Thomas, Sheldon Leonard, and Lucille Ball. During this time in his life he worked with both difficult and easy people and took it all in as part of the job. I t was interesting to read how the mix of people got along and what shows were headaches and what shows brought a lot of fun to the set. I was impressed with his work ethics of trying to make things go smoothly for everyone without a hitch. In show biz it was hard for Garry to keep everyone in an up-beat attitude and yes, he did not always have good days.

Garry created iconic programs like “The Odd Couple”, “Happy Days”, “Lavern and Shirley” (staring his sister Penny Marshall), and another audience favorite “Mork and Mindy”. He also did some film work followed with a mix of hits and misses as, “Beaches”, “Pretty Woman”, “Overboard”, “Runaway Bride”, and “Princess Diaries”. Garry Marshall had a magic touch when it came to comedy, pairing characters, combining many characters to work together, and mastering everyone’s schedules. The vast array of talent he worked with was intelligence and had very few quirks. I will say after reading some of the jokes, and funny acts from the past…why did I think they were hilarious back then and now some things sound like dry humor……?

A misogynist writer stalks a woman in order to attack her in an article.

Moderately upsetting.

Concept: F
Story: D
Characters: D
Dialog: C
Pacing: C
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: B
Music: D

Enjoyment: F

GPA: 1.4/4½

I normally don't read biographies or particularly like them but there is something about Garry Marshall's book that really resonates with me. He's a good guy and has a unique perspective on entertaining. His childhood reminds me of where I grew up, even though it was Bronx not Brooklyn and he seems so well balanced and creative that I truly admire him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a look behind the curtain in the nicest way about how things work in Hollywood. Marshall is a an interesting man and the bookd was geared as an advice book -- if you want to be a writer, director or producer, even an actor, in the movies or on TV.

Garry Marshall’s autobiography is a delight – from his stories of growing up as sickly child in the Bronx to his desires to be a writer, his college days at Northwestern, and his Army service. And you can’t leave out his tap-dancing mom, his business travelling dad, and sisters Ronny and Penny. He began his professional writing career with Joey Bishop and worked with folks like Danny Thomas, Sheldon Leonard, and Lucille Ball. During this time he worked with both difficult and easy to work with people and I think, found that being easy to work with is the way to go. Based on advice from Sheldon Leonard, he worked his way into producing/directing The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and Mork and Mindy, among others. It was interesting to read how the mix of people got along and what shows were headaches and what shows made going to work fun. (I won’t give it away). He then turned to directing films with hits and not-so-hits like The Flamingo Kid, Nothing in Common, Beaches, Pretty Women, Runaway Bride, The Princess Diaries, and so on. Again, his work ethic of trying to make things pleasant for everyone impressed me. It is a difficult business but if you can make it fun, it’s a plus, for everyone involved. It’s too bad not everyone has this up-beat attitude. And yes, Marshall did not always have good days. He encountered cancer and hip replacement surgery later in life but is still looking forward to each and every day. I could not believe folks saying they were irritated by his references to being a dad or that people grow up and away from Happy Days. I think if we had more people writing/directing/producing films of the family quality of Garry Marshall, we as a society would be in better shape today. I really enjoyed this book and some of the antidotes are hilarious.

Garry Marshall has an impressive career writing, directing and producing TV and movies (along with some theater and acting). He's been involved in many classics, and I've enjoyed his work. In his memoir, he comes across as a genial nice guy with interesting stories to tell.½

This was an interesting look back of Garry Marshall's career through his eyes. I am a fan of some the shows and movies that he has been attached to. I really liked reading about what went on behind the scenes. This book is pretty short but it felt much longer than it was because it spans a long period of time. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Garry Marshall's work.

Maggie Carpenter ( Julia Roberts) is a small-time girl whose marches down the aisle become a series of near Mrs. when she bolts before saying "I do" . Ike Graham ( Richard Gere) , a cynical, big-city newspaper columnist eager to write a tell-all storyabout Maggie. But the more Ike finds out about skittish Maggie, the more he finds he's falling in love. PG 116 min

Джоанна Стейтон - властная, заносчивая и несговорчивая жена самоуверенного владельца яхты. Когда их посудина останавливается для ремонта в небольшом городке, сварливая и взбалмошная Джоанна нанимает плотника Дина Проффитта, чтобы тот смастерил ей новый шкафчик...
Но вместо платы за работу Дин получает от ворот поворот - ведь Джоанна никогда ничем не бывает довольна. Но на этот раз ее фирменные выкрутасы заканчиваются тем, что она падает за борт и напрочь теряет память. А Дин тем временем осуществляет бесподобный план мести: он забирает Джоанну к себе, переименовывает ее в Энни и объявляет своей женой и матерью своих четверых непослушных сыновей...
В ролях: Курт Расселл, Голди Хоун, Эдвард Херрман, Катерина Хелмонд /Katherine, Гарри Маршалл, Майкл Хагерти

Summary: "Your basic Cinderella makeover story with a fresh and affectionate twist. Mia is a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing 15-year-old girl whose two highest ambitions are to become invisible and to get a few kisses from an attractive school heartthrob. She is stunned and horrified when her coolly continental grandmother shows up and informs her that she's the crown princess of the European principality Genovia. Soon enough, Mia has to undertake "princess lessons" (and a makeover) from her queenly grandmother, and eventually she blossoms into a confident, radiant girl." (from Worldcat.org)½

I don't like the message that prostitution is a glamorous profession. Most women who are forced into prostitution are not Julia Roberts. So the whole premise of this movie is flawed. It disturbed me that so many young girls adored this movie when it first came out. It was depressing to me½