Daddy Day Care: is "Mr. Mom" meets "Kindergarten Cop".  Eddie Murphy is a out of work father who talks his friend into opening a day care center.  Although it a retread, there are several laughs, but too many scenes become more than a bit strained for humor.  The little boy, Khamani Griffin,  who plays is son has a ton of cuteness.  So, although I can only give it a weak ok if there's nothing better to see, I did hear several people saying how funny it was while we were leaving, so you may enjoy it more than I did.  AND, when did Eddie Murphy morph into Bill Cosby?  movie seen 5/10/03   
RECOMMEND: Sitting Pretty is a very funny film about a know-it-all who becomes a family's "nanny".  Clifton Webb is delightfully imperious as he takes control of the family (who in turn warm up his heart) and Maureen O'Hara is just delightful as the wife of the family, with Robert Young adding his usual warm good humor.  A winning classic.
Dan in Real Life: Steve Carell gives another good performance as a widowed father of three who falls in love with his brother's girlfriend (the lovely Juliette Binoche) at a family weekend.  Unfortunately, its too much like the recent "The Family Stone" to be that fresh, but I did enjoy the performances, so I will give it a recommend.  Seen 11/3/07
The DaVinci Code: One of the most anticipated movies in a long while is finally here with lots of publicity and lukewarm reviews.  I found that it served the book well and kept me interested until the final 20 minutes, but I had also thought that the book rather ended with a whimper, so that is more the problem.  Audrey Tautou with her huge dark eyes is the perfect choice for Sophie, Paul Bettany gives Silas a menace combined with pathos, and Ian McKellen brings a wry rascally charm to his performance as Teabing.  Surprisingly, it is Tom Hanks who appears to just walk through his lead role, but again that may be the fault of the book, as Langdon was not the most interesting character in the book.  There is so much information that comes at you, that sometimes you do feel like you're back in a classroom, but the mystery and locations keep it moving.  So not as bad as many reviewers would have it, but I doubt that it will have the success of the book, which was such a good read and made you think.  So I do recommend the movie, though there is a caveat, that you really will need to read the book also, to "get" everything you see and hear. seen 5/20/06
RECOMMEND: The Parallax View is an intelligent political thriller of the 70's with Warren Beatty as a reporter who begins to learn that an assassination isn't quite what he thought he saw.  It is scary and thoughtful and one of the good products of that time. 
The Day After Tomorrow: Is one of those delightfully cheesy disaster movies, full of cornball emotions and intentional and unintentional laughs, that keeps you entertained.  (The audience roared at the destruction of Las Angeles for reasons I don't want to give away.) Obvious computerized special effects (the coyotes look like a Disney cartoon) blend global warming preaching to make for a movie that moves quickly and keeps you wondering what will come next.  It's like spending a couple hours on a roller coaster ride, so go along for the ride, even if you don't buy the message.  movie seen 05/28/04  
RECOMMEND: The Day After is a outstanding tv film that tells the tale of a mid-West town dealing with the after effects of nuclear war.  It is grounded in human relationships and the reality of the effects.  It is a tough film, but well worth seeing.  Jason Robards heads the solid cast. 
De-Lovely: I really wanted to like this movie, but unfortunately I found the style of the story-telling annoying and the most talented Kevin Kline just too old for the role.  (Kept thinking how interesting Johnny Depp would have been as Cole Porter.)  BUT, I thought Ashley Judd did a fine job as his wife and some (not all) of the song performances, in particular Vivian Greene doing "Love For Sale", are fine.  movie seen 07/22/04  
RECOMMEND: High Society is the delightful blend of Cole Porter music, stars at the top of their game, and a pleasant re-filming of "The Philadelphia Story".  It is one of my favorite oldies.
THE DEEP END : There is a tone of quiet desperation to this excellent film as a mother attempts to cover up a crime to protect her son.  Tilda Swinton gives a wonderfully subtle performance as the mother who is attempting to maintain a normal household as her life spirals out of control.  Goran Visnjic gives fine support as the blackmailer who first threatens, then begins to fall for her.  The movie is emotionally draining and definitely one of the best of the year.  movie seen 8/31/01   
RECOMMEND: Orlando is the first movie I saw Tilda Swinton in.  It is based on a Virginia Woolf's novel about a person who lives several lives both as a man and as woman, beginning in the Elizabethan Age and ending in the Twentieth Century.  There is a haunting quality to it that stays with you, despite (or maybe because of?) the strange storyline.
DEEP IMPACT: It is the end of the world! - well almost. Luckily, we have lots of heros to save the day, but before that there is a lot of real heartful drama. There is a real questioning of what the country and its people would do in this situation. I was surprised that for once it wasn't only that tired movie scenario of a secret government plot.  (Note: I have seen this movie several times on cable since this review and am constantly impressed at how well it is constructed.   Mimi Leder did a fine job of directing.)
RECOMMEND: Sean Connery and Natalie Wood (as a Russian scientist) did it all before in METEOR. Not a great film, but one of Natalie's last.

Deja Vu: is a clever story about an ATF agent (Denzel Washington) investigating a terrorist bombing of a New Orleans ferry loaded with Navy personnel.  He becomes haunted by an attractive female victim and his search for answers leads him to a secret government project. If I say more than that, will give away the plot.  There are numerous twists and turns and you have to watch every bit of the movie to pull it all together.  The end, however, will leave you saying, "Huh?".  In checking a discussion board about the movie, discovered I wasn't the only one kinda flummoxed by the ending.  It works emotionally, though it is very illogical.  But, I do recommend the movie for having a good ride and keeping you thinking.  seen 11/25/06
The Departed: has a terrific plot line and solid cast, but in the end it was too long and felt like a bit of a retread.  It is the story of two cops, one of whom works undercover in a Mob Boss's gang and the other is used by the Mob Boss to get info on the cops.  Jack Nicolson has great fun as the mob boss and Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are fine as the young cops dueling it out.  The scenes are gruesome and tough and the dialog attends to be pithy, but lacked the necessary tension.  I think Scorsese could have cut a half hour out of the film and it would have moved much better.  So, I'll give it a weak recommend for the elements that work, such as the performances.  seen 10/06
The Devil Wears Prada: Is the movie we've seen dozens of times before - the impossible boss with the naive young employee who learns lessons about the herself in the process of mastering the business world.  BUT, the multi-layer performance by Meryl Streep as the demanding Miranda Priestly, managing editor of THE fashion magazine is complimented by the charm of Anne Hathaway as her new assistant and the stylish wit of Stanley Tucci, who guides Anne's character.  The peek into the fashion world was fun and there is small good dialog and scenes, but in the end, you've already seen the plot to death.  So, although it is a thumb's up for what is there, don't expect something fresh and new also.  seen 7/1/06
RECOMMEND: The Best of Everything is a very 50's look at women in the business world starring Joan Crawford as the witch in charge.  It is a very polished soap opera with poor suffering women who are in love with a variety of creeps.  I remember wanting to work in an office and dress like them ("Busy Gal" is my favorite Barbie fashion), but of course, reality is a lot less glamorous.  It is a fun, cheesy, mind wasting movie and a look back at another time that marked, perhaps, a beginning of the woman's movement that blossomed in the 60's & 70's.
DINOSAUR:  The amazing technological production more than makes up for the well worn plot devises of the odd baby raised by another species' mom  (just think of last year's "Tarzan").   But, I found myself in awe of the movie and the amazing effects - really an achievement from Disney.  BUT, I do have to warn that small sensitive children may be alarmed by some of the scenes (judging by the couple of screaming kids in the theater when I saw it).  movie seen 5/20/00    
RECOMMEND: The Land Before Time tells the tale of baby dinosaurs looking for their families.  It is definitely sweet cartooning, but no where as realistic as "Dinosaur" feels.
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: Taken from the popular novel, the story centers on four Southern  childhood friends who form a secret society as a protection against their unhappy lives.  The movie centers on the Sandra Bullock's character's troubled relationship with her mother, played by Ellen Burstyn, but goes back and forth in time to tell the tale of their lives' ups and downs.  Ashley Judd plays the Ellen Burstyn character in an earlier time and despite her fine performance, the story fails to explain why she is so troubled, though it hints at the reasons, and that is where the movie failed to grab me.  So despite some funny and revealing moments, the movie didn't work as a whole for me.  movie seen 6/8/02   
RECOMMEND: Steel Magnolias is the hilarious and touching story of a group of Southern women that centers around a beauty parlor.  Julia Roberts received her first Oscar nod for her performance of Sally Field's daughter.  Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine are a hoot in their supporting roles as a couple of  town characters.  There is heartbreak and laughs and this is the kind of movie you can revisit and enjoy over again.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story: Is a silly story of a guy and his buddies trying to save his gym hangout by competing in a dodgeball tournament.  But, there are enough twists and turns and cameos to hook you in.  Ben Stiller hilariously overdoes his character, while Vince Vaughn adds a nice wry touch as the normal guy who accepts all his goofy buddies.  Probably more of a guy thing, but I did enjoy the movie for the many laughs.  movie seen 06/22/04  
RECOMMEND: Revenge of the Nerds is the obvious choice tie-in movie.  It is a silly and goofy movie about the nerds starting up their own chapter of a fraternity who end up competing with the jock fraternity.  It has a good heart that balances out any gross parts (and its pretty funny).
DOUBLE JEOPARDY:  Ashley Judd plays a well-to-do wife, convicted of the murder of her husband, who discovers that she was framed and that he is still alive.   Her parole officer is played with his usual bemused hound dog self by Tommy Jones.   Frankly, they both disserve better material.  But, this is one of those   "popcorn movies" that is an OK watch that doesn't lose your interest, but will never be anything more than a two-hour diversion.  movie seen 9/25/99  
RECOMMEND: Sorry, Wrong Number  starred Barbara Stanwyck as a bed-bound wife who overhears on the phone a murder plot on the phone and realizes that she is the intended victim of her husband, played by Burt Lancaster.  Pretty tense, interesting film.
Down With Love: is a very stylized satire of the old Doris Day/Rock Hudson pictures that takes the double entendres to a new low with split screen effects.  I found the first half to be rather sprightly, but it was rather like a SNL skit that goes on to long and loses its fizz.  In the end it was just tiresome, perhaps because I found no magic between Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor despite their efforts.  (David Hyde Pierce does nicely playing the Tony Randall buddy part, who also has a small role in the film.)   But, in the end, I would mark this one as a nice try, but a miss.  movie seen 5/21/03    
RECOMMEND: That Touch of Mink is Doris Day's only movie with Cary Grant and I think it is better than any of the ones she did with Hudson.  Her perky, but sexy girl next door is a nice match to his sophisticated character.  And Gig Young is hilarious as his best friend, and Audrey Meadows is at her acerbic best as her best friend.  An amusing classic of the early 60's.
Dr. Doolittle 2: Is mildly amusing.  The talking animals remain pretty funny, with Eddie Murphy in the supporting sidekick role.  The storyline is tired, but done O.K.  Not a bad movie, has laughs, but it is just not one that will keep you rolling in the aisles.   (It is OK for grade school age kids to see.) movie seen 6/23/01   
RECOMMEND: The Yearling remains one of my favorite movies of a boy growing up and his pet.  Claude Jarmin, Jr.'s outstanding performance is wise and sweet and his tender relationship with the fawn he raises rings true.  Jane Wyman and Gregory Peck are memorable as his parents.   Caution: the ending may be a bit hard for younger children to deal with.  
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story: Is a slow-moving story about a little girl and her father who nurse a thoroughbred back to health after she breaks her leg.  It's a well-worn storyline, but does work due to the lovely performance by Dakota Fanning.  That little girl just gets better and better and her eyes tell more than the obtuse dialogue ever could.  For that only, I can giving this movie a recommend. seen 10/21/05
RECOMMEND: Wild Hearts Can't be Broken is the true story of a young runaway in the 30's who joins a troop of traveling horse divers.  Gabrielle Anwar gives a strong, sweet performance as the girl who will let nothing stop her.  The scenes of the horse jumping off the ramps into little tanks of water are scary thrilling.
Dreamgirls: Is a substantial movie musical with strength and energy and solid performances by the entire cast.  The music is well performed by all in the cast and storyline of the Supremes and Motown keeps you interested.  Jennifer Hudson is the stand-out with her amazing voice and surprising acting skills as the one who is forced out of the group, however, Beyonce Knowles gives a performance showing depth and subtlety.  All, in all, a really entertaining, well-done movie which I can highly recommend.  seen 12/29/06