Andy Tennant has a sure hand with date movies (“Fools Rush In,” “Ever After,” “Sweet Home Alabama”) so you can’t really go wrong here. It’s froth, it’s fluff, and it is just what you want in a Valentine picture: no disappointing cynical twists.
It isn’t as grown-up as “Sideways,” but that excellent film could prove a bit too “grown-up” for everybody’s tastes. There are naked people in it. Funny, very funny, but not a stitch on.
“Hitch” is a simple, familiar story, the kind every leading man in Hollywood from Gary Cooper to, now, Will Smith used to do, a time or two. It isn’t one of the great screwball comedies, but it has downright hilarious moments. It gets plot-mired in a few of the later complications and would probably have been better if a bit shorter, a tad simpler. You won’t mind much, if you don’t expect much more than light, romantic entertainment.
This, “Hitch” is, without a hitch.
And for the younger ones, there is “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie.”
At a little over an hour (63 minutes) this Pooh pic is just right for the under-8 set. Those bigger folks with kids in tow will like it, too. It’s not a super modern “pixared” product. This is regular animation, well-done, but without the dash and wow we’ve come to look for in cartoon features.
The focus is on the story, and casting not-star actors for most voices is a refreshing change. There is no recognition distraction. The best known names are David Ogden-Stiers and Carly Simon, who does original songs but doesn’t play a character. The story is built around a simple, often used device: fear of the unknown. The misunderstood menace has seen marvelous use in children’s stories from movies “To Kill a Mockingbird” to books like Walter R. Brooks’ wonderful “Freddy and the Ignormus.”
Disney does it again, with this traditional animated feature. And it is rated G. Naturally.
And, though it wasn’t playing in time for a review, one has high hopes for “Because of Winn-Dixie.” The book it’s based on won a Newberry Medal. Kate Dicamillo’s story has been a favorite ever since. She didn’t write the screenplay, but may have contributed to a rewrite. Wayne Wang (“The Joy Luck Club,” “Smoke, Blue in the Face,” “Anywhere but Here,” “Maid in Manhattan”) directed. Dakota Fanning’s little sister Elle Fanning plays Sweetie Pie Thomas, and the cast included Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, and Eva Marie Saint.
Singer Dave Matthews is not making his film debut here. His first movie was “Where the Red Fern Grows,” apparently did not find theatrical distribution and is out on video. It’s also based on a prize-winning dog and kid book. In any case, you might give “Because of Winn-Dixie” a chance, especially with young folks in mind.
Time was, two days a week double-features, serials, and cartoons packed the Sunrise with the shorter set. Now, films fit mostly for them seem far fewer and further between.
Finally, a maxim. If you don’t know what to see, go to the Sunrise. You may never have heard of the picture playing there. But you can rely on one solid fact: it will be a picture somebody thought a fine film. That is the primary consideration used in programming Sunflix. So don’t forget to ask, “What’s on at the Sunrise?”
John Chappell may be reached at jchappell@thepilot.com.
