2 of 6

J. Robert Parks (The Phantom Tollbooth) says the director "wants to explore how our families both make us who we are and also limit what we can become. Anderson's style … has a maturity and sophistication that belie his years." He praises "the fabulous soundtrack" and concludes that this is "the funniest movie of the year. It's as dry as a frigid January night and often wickedly subtle … and Anderson and his cast have fantastic timing. Hopefully, Gene Hackman will be honored with some kind of Oscar nomination."

While Parks, Boatwright, and I were laughing out loud, Lisa Rice (Movieguide) found the movie "really not that funny." She writes it off as a "wasted, lame attempt at dark humor", and she is bothered by "several strange camera moves." The soundtrack, which features the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other popular favorites, is, according to Rice, "only semi-irritating." Describing Royal's sins, she concludes that this particular sinner is just too far gone: "Gene Hackman's character is so miserable as a human being that you never like him and you never root for him. You have to like the protagonist a little bit to have a good movie!"

I guess whether you enjoy the movie or not depends on whether you can pity Royal for his blindness and foolishness, or if you can see his virtues — humor, spontaneity, resourcefulness, optimism, and determination. James Bowman, critic for The American Spectator, highlights Royal's transformation as "a … redemption that is enhanced, I think, by all the seemingly irrelevant craziness going on around him."

Mainstream critics, meanwhile, are singing the film's praises: "It's intellectual lunacy of splendid order, creating an entire world that's simultaneously recognizable and tantalizingly new, and an entire family of people both ridiculously improbable and heartbreakingly real," says MaryAnn Johanson (The Flick Filosopher)

And Roger Ebert (The Chicago Sun-Times) writes, "There are big laughs, and then quiet moments when we're touched. Sometimes we grin at the movie's deadpan audacity. [The movie] is at heart profoundly silly, and loving."

* * *

In The Majestic, Jim Carrey plays Peter, an amnesiac who wanders into a small town where the locals, including a bereaved father (Martin Landau) and a beautiful blonde (Laurie Holden), think he's a long lost war-hero come home. The film is another Oscar hopeful from director Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption). Some critics are smiling at its Capra-esque spirit, while others have condemned it as cheap sentimentality.

The U.S.C.C.'s critic writes, "While reminding viewers of the difference one life can make … Darabont's nostalgic take on early 1950s America leisurely develops the narrative before falling into familiar sentimentality."

Bob Smithouser (Focus on the Family) calls it "an entertaining slice of Americana that makes you think about all kinds of issues. I really enjoyed meeting characters I'd want as next-door neighbors. People to care about. People to root for. That's a rare thing on the big screen. There's a renewed sense of patriotism in the United States right now, and The Majestic will no doubt warm the hearts of audiences longing to recall a simpler time."

Paul Bicking (The Dove Foundation) writes, "Although it rides an emotional rollercoaster, audiences will cheer this inspiring and patriotic story. Major themes of rekindled hope, restoring broken lives and reminders of American ideals shine through this refreshingly wholesome film."

next page... |  2 of 6

share this page

December (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45