Return to Me

“Return to me/Oh my dear, I’m so lonely/Hurry back, hurry back, Oh my love, hurry back - I am yours”. 

From the moment Dean Martin’s voice croons over the sound system, you can tell that the movie Return to Me is something special. From an Irish-Italian restaurant to a communicating gorilla, it’s filled with the slightly absurd, and yet it remains completely grounded and has a reality which few films achieve. Add to that its amazingly deep, Christian message and you’ll find you’ve got the near perfect romantic comedy.

The story of Return to Me at first seems like another one of those inanely ludicrous Hollywood plotlines. Bob Rueland, an architect, has a beautiful life with his pretty and loving wife Elizabeth. But everything goes awry when Elizabeth is killed in a car accident, leaving Bob hopelessly lonely and depressed. Meantime, Elizabeth’s heart has been given to Grace Briggs, a young woman who has had a heart problem since she was young. A year later, Grace and Bob meet up and immediately fall for each other. But as their relationship strengthens, Grace struggles with herself, wondering whether to tell Bob the truth. But the “absurdity” of this tale isn’t like that of many other romantic comedies; it feels very real. It’s the same with the quirky characters; though they all are far from “normal”, they have a significant reality to them, just like those in the film While You Were Sleeping. Return to Me presents viewers with a convincing depiction of the cockamamie reality they face everyday.

But what made this film one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever seen was the deep message which provided balance to the humor and jollity. Not only is Christianity presented in a very positive light; Return to Me deals with marriage itself in a profoundly Christian way. In the Christian mindset, marriage is forever and always. Two people, when married, become one. Correspondingly, Return to Me tells audiences that Bob is forever tied to his wife, that they will be forever one. When Elizabeth’s heart begins to beat again in Grace’s breast, Bob reacts to the heart that was given to him. His oneness with Elizabeth causes him to feel to her heart’s revived beating. Then later, toward the end of the film, Marty tells Bob about Elizabeth’s heart, “Perhaps it was meant to be with you always.” It’s not merely a story of “commitment”; Return to Me tries, successfully in my opinion, to express the mysterious unity that comes with marriage.

So, whether you’re looking for romance, hilarity, or depth, Return to Me has got it all. Not only that, but it combines these elements in a way rarely found in films. Above all, what I was struck by was the reality of this movie. It was honest and relevant. Of all the romantic comedies I’ve seen (and being the romantic I am, I’ve seen many), Return to Me is one I will return to again and again.

Cinematic History in the Making

Watch, weep, rejoice. Scenes of this caliber only come around every so often.

I Cannot Believe Myself!

I forgot one of the most amazing guy characters ever! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a huge round of applause to.......

Christopher Foyle! He's intelligent and moral, quiet yet feisty, and also has an incredible walk. And the slightly hesitant way talking, as if holding back something really important, is quite charming.

Attention Gentlemen!

Here's a little list of movie characters you can model yourselves on. Trust me, these are the kind of guys ladies are looking for. Pick one or a little from each; either way, you'll be in good shape. (Please note that most of the traits I mention for each character all these gentlemen share. They're all important and they do go together) Hopefully there are lots of guys reading this.

1. Arthur Clennam from Little Dorrit - Sensitive and manly, kind and hardworking, and with an amazing walk. Honestly, what could be better?

2. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride & Prejudice - Matthew MacFadyen or Colin Firth, take your pick, though I must say my own preference is MacFadyen's version.

3. George Knightley from Emma - Perfect for an Emma who, being intelligent, emotional, and bossy, needs someone firm and mature.

4. Frederick Wentworth from Persuasion - His most important trait is his steadfast devotion. We ladies fall for it every time.

5. Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility - Quiet and reserved, but deeply passionate and loving. Humble and self-sacrificing. And carrying your woman five miles in the pouring rain to save her life really isn't a bad idea either.

6. Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings - Perhaps a little more resolution and purpose, but you get the idea. The kingly hero is never a bad person to imitate.

7. Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings - I know, this one may seem odd. But Sam's loyalty is so unflinching, and his love is so deep, that any woman worth her salt would say yes immediately.

8. Alex Wyler from The Lake House - Alex is creative and intelligent. He's also fights for what he wants despite the obstacles - even if one of those obstacles is time.

9. Bob Rueland - Above all, Bob is a family man. He likes being with his girlfriend's family, he joins them as he should.

10. Robin Hood as portrayed by Errol Flynn - *swinging on a vine to a tree branch" Welcome to Sherwood, my lady! Need I say more?

11. Lucius Hunt from the Village - Lucius is a visionary. He is not merely content with life. He knows things can be better and thus wishes to make them so.

12. Maximus from Gladiator - In this last slot, you can really put most of the characters guys think about emulating. You know: Jason Bourne, The Saint, Andre Marek (from Timeline), and all the superheroes. It's the fighter category, which is very, very important.

Don't worry, I won't pick on you guys. Soon I'll enter a list of female characters who girls should try to imitate.

The Parent Trap

Since I recently did a review on a film tied to the classic Disney film Swiss Family Robinson, I think it’s appropriate that I turn to a version of another of the Big Four (Swiss Family Robinson, Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, and Old Yeller). Up till now, I hadn’t given a thought to the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, but several weeks ago, while in the limbo that is too-tired-for-homework-but-still-awake, I found it on YouTube. Although what I could access was difficult to piece together, I managed to get a good feel for what the Meyers/Shyer version was.

Here’s a quick summary for anyone unfamiliar with the story.

Annie James and Hallie Parker (Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers in the 1960 Hayley Mills version) are two completely different girls who meet at summer camp and immediately come to loathe each other. Annie is a sensitive and cleanly Londoner. Hallie’s a hip and brusque American. Funny thing is, they look exactly alike, and, as they eventually discover, are twin sisters whose parents divorced soon after their birth. Since each girl wants to meet the parent she never knew, they decide to switch places, and while at it, to bring their parents back together.

My opinion? Meyers/Shyer’s The Parent Trap was a kid’s movie for adults and teens, not children, which only some will find amusing enough to be worth their while. A kid’s movie for adults, you say? I know, that sounds crazy, so let me explain.

The morals which define adults are as clear or murky as the stories they read and watched in their formative years. Thus, I believe it is imperative that the stories and characters we give to children have pristine clarity. The villains must be obviously evil, the heroes must be lucidly good, and the message must be straightforward and simple. Children do not have the maturity of adults and thus cannot handle the complexity of character and story that adults do, and should, have in their books and movies. It was the maintenance of this clarity which made Disney so great in the past and has made Pixar so great in the present. They have no dabbling in adult themes and complexities, unlike the Hannah Montana/High School Drama/Cartoon Network shows that make up the bulk of today’s “children’s section”.

And it is because the newer Parent Trap lacked this lucidity that I would not recommend it for children. In the original film, all the characters had a clear moral standing. Their growth was straightforward, and the conduct of each character fit perfectly. In the newer version, however, all the dramatis personae have a muddy ambiguity which at times became downright inconsistency of character. The best example is the two girls. The audience is supposed to care about their innocence and childish vulnerability. Scenes such as when Hallie meets her mother or Annie meets her father express this perfectly. And with a young actress - Lindsay Lohan was 11 as opposed to Hayley Mills, who was 15 - that youthful innocence is supposed to shine through. Yet I found it hard to see a little girl as innocent and, well, little who was a bit too comfortable saying “O G-d”, mentioning sex or drunkenness, and playing real, betting poker. Meyers/Shyer created little girls who were just a tinch too adult, making the new Parent Trap definitely not something I would want my own children or siblings to grow up struggling to sift through.

On the other hand, this is a movie I would say adults can undoubtedly handle, and even enjoy at the same time. Not to say that they necessarily will enjoy it, but it’s a definite possibility. After sifting through the (relatively few) content issues which create character ambiguity here, there are undeniably some good elements to the film. The acting, I must say, was on the whole pretty good, excepting a surprisingly lifeless Dennis Quaid, who had none of his predecessor Brian Keith’s vividness. Lindsay Lohan, though not an exceptional actress, definitely has talent which comes through in her performance. She handled the dual roles quite well, giving each a unique identity. As for Natasha Richardson, what can I say? Though not Maureen O’Hara, she was charming and engaging, vivid and real. More than any other character, hers had emotions that touched the viewer. But, what else could one expect from the sister of Joely Richardson and the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave?

To conclude briefly, then, for I have gone on long enough. The new Parent Trap lacked the clarity of its predecessor, leaving a somewhat turbid morality that I find unsuitable for young children. It would, however, fit into a category of “kid’s movie for adults”, though whether such a genre is necessary or proper is a question I shall leave for another day. Let’s just say the 1998 version of this classic tale wasn't a trap for parents, but for their children.