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July 2, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 19, 2004 50 First Dates Henry falls deeply in love with Lucy after a memorable encounter, only to find the following day that she has no idea who he is. It turns out she has lost her short-term memory and "reboots" after each night's sleep. This leads to Henry wooing her anew every day. With Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor and drug references. 96 min. Against the Ropes Inspired by true events in the life of renowned boxing manager Jackie Kallen, a middle-aged Jewish mother from Michigan who guided the careers of several high-profile professional boxers. With Meg Ryan and Omar Epps. Rated PG-13 for crude language, violence, brief sensuality and some drug material. 111 min. Calendar Girls In the tradition of "The Full Monty," about British steel workers who bare their bits, comes this film based on a true story about late middle-aged British women who do everything BUT the so-called Full Monty. That is, they want to strip down for a charity calendar, but don't want anyone to see anything ... uh, specific. The nudity idea is concocted by Chris, the brash member of a stuffy women's club, who is tired of annual charity calendars that feature flowers and bridges. Chris is played by Helen Mirren, who at 58 is still very purr-worthy. A lot of the comedy comes from the older women fretting about how much to reveal, but most of the gags are relatively tame. Sweet and charming, but maybe too tasteful for its own good. Rated PG-13 for nudity, some language and drug-related material. 108 min. HHI Catch That Kid Like a poor man's "Spy Kids," this movie about a trio of preteens who plot a bank heist has none of the whiz-bang gizmos of Robert Rodriguez's trilogy. That should be a good thing; the "Spy Kids" movies grew increasingly slick and bombastic. But "Catch That Kid" also lacks the essential ingredient in all great kids movies: fun. Indie director Bart Freundlich, making his first big studio film, has turned out something that's surprisingly slow, ugly and - worst of all - boring. In this remake of a Danish caper, Kristen Stewart (Jodie Foster's daughter in "Panic Room") enlists two friends (Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu) to help her steal money to pay for her father's surgery. Rated PG for some language, thematic elements and rude humor. 92 min. HI Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen An egocentric teenage girl moves from Greenwich Village to a suburban high school, upsetting the established order as she believes she deserves to be the most popular. With Lindsay Lohan, Adam Garcia and Glenne Headly. PG for mild thematic elements and brief language. 90 min. Eurotrip Scotty is graduating high school thanks to the German pen-pal who translates his German homework. When he finds out his pen-pal is an attractive young German woman, he convinces three friends to trek through Europe. With Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts and Jessica Bohrs. R for sexuality, nudity, language and drugs and alcohol. 92 min. Girl with a Pearl Earing Not that one intends any slight against a generally accomplished cast - featuring shooting star Scarlett Johansson - but it's the look and attention to detail that truly set the movie apart. And that's appropriate to a story about the mysterious way painters achieve something of beauty. Here, the artist is Johannes Vermeer, and in Peter Webber's film we get the possible back story to one of his best-known paintings. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra offers a visual rendering of the Dutch town of Delft in the 17th century that has a shimmering quality worthy of Vermeer himself. So ravishing is the film to look at - an achievement shared by production designer Ben van Os and costume designer Dien van Straalen - that its surface threatens to overwhelm its substance. Rated PG-13 for some sexual content. 99 min. HHHI House of Sand and Fog Like a human chemistry experiment, this drama documents the explosive mixture of pride and desperation. Jennifer Connelly plays a down-on-her-luck cleaning woman, evicted from her home because of a county tax mistake and her own negligence. Ben Kingsley is the other half of this formula, a stern former Iranian Air Force colonel who buys her bungalow at auction for a quarter of its worth. Neither wants to compromise, and the scenes between the two Oscar-winners are filled with loathing and compassion for both sides. First-time feature director Vadim Perelman and co-screenwriter Shawn Lawrence Otto impressively adapt Andre Dubus III's Oprah-endorsed novel, making this story of small-time failed humanity seem epic in scale, a metaphor for any conflict - global or personal. Rated R for violence and disturbing images, language and a scene of sexuality. 126 min. HHH Miracle The story of the astonishing U.S. Olympic hockey victory over Russia in 1980. With Kurt Russell, Eddie Cahill and Patricia Clarkson. PG for language and some rough sports action. 136 min. Monster Academy Award Nominee, Best Actress. Drama about the life of Aileen Carol Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was executed for killing seven men in the state of Florida in the 1980's. With Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Annie Corley, Pruitt Taylor Vince Rated R for strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language. 111 min. Mystic River 5 Golden Globe Nominations including Best Drama, Director, Screenplay, Actor and Supporting Actor. Three childhood friends whose relationship ended after a tragic accident are reunited 25 years later by a murder investigation. Directed by Clint Eastwood. With Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney. Rated R for language and violence. 138 min. Triplets of Belleville Animated feature about a boy training for the Tour de France who, along with other racers, are kidnapped. It's up to the boy's grandma and dog to try and rescue the lad, which leads them to three crazy old crones. The animator's love for hot jazz, Max Fleischer, Tex Avery, Betty Boop, etc. is apparent throughout. In French, with English subtitles. PG-13 for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor. 80 min. Welcome to Mooseport A beloved two-term president retires to a small East Coast town to write his memoirs. Implored by the townsfolk to run for mayor, he enters the race with a hardware store owner running against him. A friendly rivalry heats up when the men find themselves in competition not only for the job, but for the affections of the same woman. With Gene Hackman and Ray Romano. PG-13 for some brief sexual comments and nudity. 111 min. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams