Gideon58's Reviews

Goodbye Charlie was a slightly smarmy but very funny comedy from the 60's that I grew up with. This was the story of a womanizing cad named Charlie Sorel, who one night is partying on a yacht and romances a married woman. He is caught by her husband who shoots Charlie, who falls overboard into the ocean. Charlie's body is not immediately located but a memorial service is held, attended by his best friend George (Tony Curtis) and some of the women Charlie romanced over the years.

A couple of days later a woman (Debbie Reynolds) is found naked on the beach outside of Charlie's apartment, where George is sorting out Charlie's things. We soon learn that this woman is a female reincarnation of Charlie Sorel, apparently God's ironic way of punishing Charlie for the dreadful way he treated women all his life. Charlie initially freaks out at the idea of being a woman but soon shows he hasn't learned a thing and reverts to the old Charlie even though he is a woman now.

I was just a kid when this film first hit theaters but I still thought it was pretty funny. Reynolds and Curtis are energetic in the lead roles and are well-supported by Walter Matthau as the guy who shot Charlie, Pat Boone as a schnook who found and falls in love with the reincarnated Charlie and Joanna Barnes and Ellen MacRae as two of the women in old Charlie's life. BTW, Ellen MacRae later changed her name to Ellen Burstyn.



It's no cinematic masterpiece, but it will make you laugh. Remade many years later as SWITCH.

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The 2000 recording of the British revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar was dazzling from start to finish...a beautiful revival of the classic rock opera that shows exactly how to revive a classic musical...this production has re-thought the show for the new millennium, giving it some new visual trappings, through some inventive staging, has refocused the relationships in the show, but most of important of all when reviving a musical, it has remained true to the original piece.



This rock opera chronicling the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ was first brought to the screen in 1973 by director Norman Jewison, who copped out a bit by presenting the story as a show being presented by a group of traveling players...no such breaking of the 4th wall here...directors Gale Edwards and Nick Morris have opted not only to present the story as real and in a somewhat contemporized setting, but thanks to some effective staging and camera-work, have focused the show where I always thought it really belonged...on the twisted relationship between Jesus and Judas Iscariot, which I have always felt was the crux of this musical but tends to get lost in most productions of this show due to a lack of actual vocal interaction between the two characters, but putting the show on tape allows camera-work to come into play beautifully, adding an entire new texture to this tragic relationship, perfectly conveying the conflicted emotions of love and guilt and resentment both these men supposedly felt for each other.



The classic Webber/Rice score is presented intact and includes "Heaven On Their Minds", "I Don't Know How to Love Him", "Everything's Alright", "King Herod's Song", "Hosanna", and "Superstar." Contemporary settings are a big plus here...the office where Ciaphas does "This Jesus Must Die" seems to be a definite wink to Darth Vader in STAR WARS and the idea of Pilate actually being undressed and in bed for "Pilate's Dream" was inspired.


The entire cast is first rate with special nods to Glenn Carter (Jesus) Jerome Pradon (Judas), Fred Johanson (a bone-chilling Pilate) and Michael Schaeffer (Annas). For fans of the show a must see and it could make converts of non-fans. Breathtaking from start to finish.

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South Pacific has never been one of my favorite musicals so I was initially unenthused at the thought of watching a concert version done live from Carnegie Hall, but decided to give it a chance when I learned that Brian Stokes Mitchell would be singing Emile DeBeque.

As I suspected, Brian Stokes Mitchell's rich baritone and the role of DeBeque were a perfect fit, his rich, dark brown tone seemed to fill every inch of Carnegie Hall...his rendition of "This Nearly was Mine" literally stopped the show. Never one of my favorite songs, Stokes Mitchell, as he did when he played Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, puts his own stamp on the song and I swear a chill went down my spine as he concluded the piece.

Stokes Mitchell was flawless, as always, but the real surprise for me in this concert version was Reba McIntire singing Nellie Forbush. McIntire, who starred as Annie Oakley in Annie Get your Gun on Broadway, made a surprisingly effective Nellie. Her marked southern drawl was less of a distraction in a concert version than I think it might have become in a full production.

McIntire's interpretation of the songs was energetic and she acceptably masked the fact that "A Wonderful Guy" and "Honey Bun" were both a little out of her range. Lillias White was brilliant as Bloody Mary, one of the few times I have heard "Bali H'ai" and "Happy Talk" completely belted...her voice was lush and controlled and I don't think I have ever been so moved by "Bali H'ai" before.

Jason Daniely's rendition of "Younger than Springtime" as Lt. Cable was lovely, but when the music stopped and he had to actually speak dialogue, he became stiff and uncomfortable to watch and I think Alec Baldwin was just miscast as Luther Billis. But the breathtaking musicianship of Brian Stokes Mitchell and Lillias White made this concert worth watching.

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After their brief encounter in Scarface, Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer were reunited for Frankie and Johnny, a charming romantic comedy about an ex-con hired to work at a restaurant where he falls in love with one of the waitresses there.

I absolutely love this move...Pacino has rarely been more sexy and appealing on screen and no matter how much they tried to make her look like a Plain Jane, Michelle Pfeiffer is just beautiful and also gives a very affecting performance as the repressed Frankie, afraid to release the love she has to give due to a troubled romantic past. Pacino and Pfeiffer make the most of a clever script, buoyed by Garry Marshall's sure-footed direction and solid comic support from Nathan Lane, Kate Nelligan (hysterically funny as another waitress at the restaurant) and Marshall's good luck charm, Hector Elizondo, as the restaurant owner. A warm romantic comedy with an unexpectedly quiet denoument.

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Run, do not walk to see Hairspray, the dazzling and exuberant 2007 film version of the Broadway musical based on the 1988 cult classic directed by John Waters that introduced Rikki Lake to the world.

This is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a wide-eyed and pleasingly plump high schooler growing up in Baltimore in the racially turbulent 1960's who finally realizes her dream of being a dancer on her favorite TV show, THE CORNY COLLINS SHOW,an "American Bandstand" type music show that extols the virtues of being young and white in America in the 60's.



One day a month, the show has what they call "Negro Day" where they feature exclusively black artists and black dancers. Tracy's innocent remark that she "wishes every day was Negro Day" makes her a surprising but willing symbol for the civil rights movement in 1960's Baltimore.

Director Adam Shankman has expanded the Broadway musical beautifully for the large screen and also provided the superb choreography for the toe-tapping musical numbers. This musical sucks you in right from the beginning...I found myself singing along with the characters on the screen and I didn't even know the words to the songs, that's how deliciously contagious this film is.

A product of a nationwide talent search, young Nikki Blonsky makes a sparkling film debut in the role of Tracy...her fresh scrubbed enthusiasm and her clear-as-a-bell singing voice are a perfect fit with the role of Tracy. Her opening number "Good Morning Baltimore" energetically begins the story and has the audience in love with Tracy immediately.

John Travolta works very hard to be believable in the role of Edna Turnblad, Tracy's introverted but loving mother, a role originated in the Waters film by transvestite Divine. No, you never completely forget that it's Travolta under all that makeup and padding, but he completely commits to the role and brings Edna vividly to life.

Michelle Pfeiffer is perfection as the villianness of the piece, Velma Von Tussle, the manager of the TV station where The Corny Collins show is taped and Brittany Snow, who played the good girl in John Tucker Must Die proves she can be bad as Velma's daughter and Tracy's arch enemy,Amber. Elijah Kelley (so memorable in Take the Lead) is sexy and charismatic as Seaweed, Tracy's black pal who falls for Tracy's best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes).



Christopher Walken is delightful as Tracy's dad and Queen Latifah is effective as Seaweed's mom, who is the host of The Corny Collins Show on Negro Day. Mention should also be made of a brief but very funny turn by Emmy winner Allison Janney as Penny's mother and if you don't blink, you will even see a brief cameo by the original film's director, John Waters.

Musical highlights include the previously mentioned "Good Morning Baltimore", "The Darker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice", "I Know Where I've Been" and "You Can't Stop the Beat". Hairspray is a musical with a message, but it's never preachy and the message is not delivered with a sledgehammer, but with a song and smile and some amazing dance moves. An instant classic that will motivate multiple viewings. A winner.

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I'm hot and cold with Woody Allen. I like one movie he makes and hate the next. I also admit to preferring latter Woody (post 1980) to early Woody.Hannah and her Sisters is probably my favorite Woody Allen film...the prototypical Woody Allen film revolving around several neurotic New Yorkers and how their lives intersect bound together by the thread of three sisters (Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Dianne Wiest)and the various people and events that invade their lives.



Allen appears as a writer (surprise) who actually marries two of the sisters at various points in the story. Michael Caine won an Oscar for his charming performance as Mia's current husband, who has been secretly lusting after sister Hershey for years. Caine has rarely appeared more vulnerable and endearing on screen.



Dianne Wiest also won an Oscar for her powerhouse performance as the proverbial black sheep of the family, the sister who never seems to be able to get her life together or figure out what she wants to do with it. Most of the performances are on target; only Max Von Sydow misses the boat in a creepy performance as Hershey's current roommate/hermit.



Mia's real-life mom, Maureen O'Sullivan, turns in a scene-stealing performance as the sisters' Mom and the late Lloyd Nolan made his final film appearance as their dad. To say much more would give too much away, but if you love Woody Allen, this film is a must. A charming oscar winning screenplay and a lovely ending, all set to some beautiful music.

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Definitely not for all tastes, but a riveting film experience for those who are game, Hard Candy is a severely intense and claustrophobic two-character drama that will have you either riveted to your seat or running from the room. Ellen Page (Juno)delivers a powerhouse performance as Hayley, a 14-year old girl who communicates online with a photographer (Patrick Wilson) a man she suspects is a pedophile, arranges to meet him in person, drugs him and plans to punish him for what appears to be his intended seduction of her by castrating him.

The captor/captive interplay here recalls films like Misery and Extremeties but descends to an entirely unique level of ugliness due to the callously cavalier attitude of the captor and the hopeless desperation of the captive, whose complete powerlessness and panic is heartbreaking to watch. To reveal anymore of the story would just be wrong, but it should be noted that the film boasts solid direction and a smart screenplay, though the camera-work does get a bit dizzying at times. Page commands the screen in an Oscar-worthy performance that induces chills and hisses and is perfectly complimented by Wilson's emasculated victim. A one-of-kind motion picture experience that will leave you breathless and limp.

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Produced at a point in his career where he had the juice to do whatever he wanted, Eddie Murphy took on the task of producing, directing, co-writing and starring in Harlem Nights, an expensive-looking but ultimately empty gangster saga about a group of black nightclub owners/gangsters running a ritzy club during the 1930's, headed by a wisecracking hot shot (Eddie Murphy)and his adopted father (Richard Pryor) and their attempts to avoid being overrun by white gangsters who think they are taking over turf that, it seems, they think is rightfully theirs, simply by virtue of their color.

This was an idea that probably looked great on paper but it definitely lost something in the translation. This was a vanity piece for Eddie and I think he spreads himself a little too thin trying to be the whole show here.

Admittedly, it was a pleasure seeing Murphy and Pryor together on screen, but the rest of the large supporting cast, including Arsenio Hall, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Michael Lerner, Danny Aiello, Jasmine Guy, Thomas Mikal Ford, Stan Shaw, and Eddie's brother, are really given precious little to do (though I will admit Murphy's fight scene with Della Reese is hysterically funny and probably, the movie's best scene).

Murphy clearly poured a lot of money into this film and a good deal of it shows on screen. The art and set direction are impressive and the breathtaking costumes should have won an Oscar, but this one was a big miss for Eddie as he definitely tried to wear too many hats.

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Gene Kelly directed the 1969 film version of Hello Dolly!, the musical version of the Thornton Wilder play "The Matchmaker" featuring music by Jerry Herman (Mame, La Cage Aux Folles).
This big but empty film version is the story of a widowed matchmaker named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who has arranged a potential mate for a wealthy Yonkers businessman but then decides that she wants him for herself.



Barbra Streisand is miscast as Dolly Levi. Barbra, who was 26 at the time, takes on a role meant for an actress in her 50's. I don't blame Streisand entirely; some blame must rest with director Kelly, as Streisand's characterization is all over the place...it's part Mae West, part Yente the Matchmaker and part Barbra. Walter Matthau's casting as Yonkers businessman Horace Vandegelder looks good on paper, but he and Streisand have absolutely no on screen chemistry at all. It's been well-documented over the years that Streisand and Matthau did not get along at all during the making of this film and this tension does show on screen.



There have been minor changes to Herman's score, including one song actually written for Herman's other famous musical, Mame, called "Love is only Love" that brings the film to a screeching halt.

The film doesn't really come alive until the Waiter's Ballet, imaginatively choreographed by Michael Kidd and Barbra's dynamite rendition of "So Long, Dearie" but these two highlights happen about two hours into the film and it's a long wait getting to them.



A classic Broadway musical makes a limp transition to the big screen, thanks primarily to overblown and unfocused direction from MGM icon Gene Kelly.

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High Anxiety is Mel Brooks' brassy and brilliant salute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Brooks plays Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a psychiatrist who gets appointed to run a mental hospital called The Psycho Neuro Institute for the Very, Very Nervous where he gets involved with nutty patients, shady staff members, and is forced to confront a childhood trauma. It goes without saying that this film will hold more appeal for folks familiar with Hitchcock's work, but even those who aren't should recognize Brooks' obvious nods to Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds.

Brooks is amusing as Thorndyke and has surrounded himself with his usual nutty repertory company: Madeline Kahn plays love interest Victoria Brisbane; Harvey Korman is very funny as Institute bad guy and freak Dr. Charles Montague; Cloris Leachman is hysterically funny as the evil and kinky Nurse Diesel; Ron Carey as Thorndyke's sidekick, Brophy; Dick Van Patten as Thorndyke's predecessor, and Charlie Callas as a patient who thinks he's a dog.



There is also a very funny cameo by one of the film's co-writers, future Oscar winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man).

As he usually does in the films in which he appears, Mel gives himself a classic musical moment, performing the title song in a piano bar, definitely one of the film's highlights. It's not quite up there with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, but fans of Brooks and Hitchcock should eat it up.

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Though it's not considered a classic like Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, there are a lot of laughs to be found in Mel Brooks' History of the World Part I, a zany,if inconsistent look at Biblical times, the Stone Age, Ancient Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution as seen through Brooks' demented brain. The film is not as all encompassing as its title implies, but Mel gives his own twisted vision to these particular times in earth's history, which includes Mel himself in four different roles, including Moses and his own version of Louis XIV (It's Good to be the King). Mel gathers his usual nutty repertory company together and laughs are provided by Sid Ceasar (very funny as a caveman), Madeline Kahn and Dom DeLuise (hysterical as Cleopatra and Ceasar), Gregory Hines, Cloris Leachman, and Harvey Korman as Count De Money ("That's De Monay!!!). As always in his films, music is key and the Spanish Inquisition is presented here as a mammoth production number that is guaranteed to either amuse or offend,depending on your mood. Hard-core Brooks fans will love it, others be warned...there's something to offend everyone here.

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Hit the Deck is MGM's 1955 remake of a 1930 musical about sailors on leave and the girls they romance, which despite the accustomed MGM gloss and some nice songs by Vincent Youmans, still fails to make the impact of a Singin in the Rain or The Band Wagon. The paper-thin story finds Vic Damone romancing Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn chasing Debbie Reynolds and an energetic Ann Miller finds herself involved with the forever wooden Tony Martin.

The score includes "Sometimes I'm Happy" a dreamy ballad crooned by Damone, "I Know that You Know" a cute duet with Damone and Powell and the rousing "Hallelujah!" led by the effervescent Kay Armen. My favorite number in the film is a 3-way duet sung by the six leads called "Why Oh Why?", but none of this makes up for the fact that this is one of the weakest products from the MGM dream factory.

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Hollywood Ending is one of Woody Allen's more realistic yet hysterically funny movies that takes a scathingly accurate look at the place Woody hates more than any other...Hollywood.



As the ultimate New Yorker, this film may seem a bit strange for Woody but he really makes it work. Woody plays Val Waxman, an Academy Award winning director who hasn't made a movie in 12 years. Thanks to his ex-wife (Tea Leoni), Val is given the opportunity to direct a big budget private eye film noir drama; however, he has so much anxiety about returning to work after so long, that the day before he begins shooting, he develops psychosomatic blindness and tries to shoot the film while blind, without anyone knowing.

This premise is a wonderful set up for a lot of great gags and most are quite effective. Woody's incisive script takes the expected pot shots at Hollywood but stays within the framework of a very amusing story.

Woody is surrounded by a strong cast including Debra Messing, very funny as Woody's current girlfriend who demands a role in the movie, Treat Williams as the cold-blooded studio exec who is also engaged to Leoni, director Mark Rydell as Woody's agent, George Hamilton in a surprisingly deft turn as a film exec, Tiffani Theissen as an oversexed starlet and fashion designer Isaac Mizahari as an obsessive set designer, who wants to re-build New York for the movie rather than film there. There are a lot of laughs to be had here in this very funny movie with a lovely and warm ending that will bring a smile to your face.

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Hollywoodland is an entertaining and riveting look at Hollywood during the studio system days, which turns out to be a perfect marriage of biopic and crime thriller, based on the death of actor George Reeves. Reeves was the handsome and talented actor who made his film debut in Gone with the Wind but didn't become a household name until he accepted the starring role in a 1950's TV show called The Adventures of Superman



Reeves death is documented in Hollywood legend as suicide, however, this movie offers evidence that could support the theory that Reeves was murdered. And from this premise, this movie cleverly offers the viewer two very riveting stories: first we have the story of Reeves, an actor who may not have been as good as he believed he was, whose career was pretty much at a stand still until he was offered the role of Superman.

According to Paul Bernbaum's carefully crafted screenplay, Reeves was the boy toy of Toni Mannix, the high strung wife of MGM General Manager Eddie Mannix, who may have thrown roadblocks in Reeves' career path to keep him dependent on her. And even though Reeves achieved a whole new level of fame as Superman, he is depicted here as hating every minute of it.



The other half of the story takes place after Reeves death where we meet a 2nd rate private dick named Louis Simo, who has been hired by Reeves' mother to prove that Reeves was murdered and it is the seamless blending of these two stories that make this film so compelling.

Allan Coulter's direction is rich in scope and creativity and he has pulled four powerhouse performances from his cast that keep this film sizzling: Adrien Brody is deliciously charismatic as Louis Simo, the world weary private detective who does summon images of Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum.

Diane Lane, in her best performance since Unfaithful, chews up the scenery as the decadent diva Toni Mannix and Bob Hoskins makes the most of his somewhat underdeveloped role as Eddie Mannix; towering above all, in the film's biggest surprise, is a superb performance by Ben Affleck, yes, Ben Affleck, as the tortured and tragic Reeves...Affleck has never been more compelling on screen in a performance that should have gotten him an Oscar nomination ...Affleck completely loses himself in this role, peeling away the layers of Reeves for us, like an open sore, making Reeves a raw nerve to be savored with caution. Mention should also be made of a memorable supporting turn by Lois Smith as Reeves' mother.



First rate production design and costumes beautifully recreate the old Hollywood of the 1950's that some of us still miss. My only problem with the story is that after offering several other theories as to how Reeves may have died, the movie cops out at the end and seems to state that he killed himself after all...the film loses a rating point for that IMO, but other than that, a real movie buff's movie that will enthrall and, if you're in the right mindset, might even evoke some tears.

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Every once in a while when you sit down in front of the TV to be entertained, you don't want to have to think or analyze or correlate anything that you're watching. Sometimes you just want to put your brain on hold and watch pretty people in pretty costumes having pretty problems. If you like to indulge in mindless potboilers every now and then have your fill with the 1985 miniseries Hollywood Wives, the trashy multi-episodic miniseries based on the equally trashy Jackie Collins novel.

The story follows a select circle of Hollywood friends, acquaintances, newcomers, secret holders, adulterers and their various escapades. Now, let's see if I can remember all of this...Steve Forrest is an actor looking for a comeback and neglecting wife Candice Bergen while having an affair with Mary Crosby...producer/director Anthony Hopkins is cheating on screenwriter wife Stefanie Powers with blackmailing bimbo Suzanne Somers...Andrew Stevens and wife Catherine Mary Stewart move to Hollywood so that he can begin a career as an actor but she's the one who ends up having a career, being drafted by the studio head (Rod Steiger) who wants her for the lead in a film that Hopkins promised to Somers. When Stevens' career goes nowhere, he gets hired by Roddy McDowell to be a male escort to make ends meet. Stevens by the way, has a dual role as a psycho who comes to Hollywood to find the mother that gave him up for adoption many years ago.

Those are the main story lines so if you're in the mood for some mindless eye candy, sit back and enjoy.

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Sandra Bullock commands the screen in Hope Floats, a surprisingly effective comedy-drama about a former prom queen turned single mom, who, upon learning of her husband's infidelity, returns to her hometown with her daughter in tow and moves in with her mother and learns life is not so easy for an aging prom queen.

This film boasts a deft screenplay that is beautifully realized by the director and cast. Bullock gives one of her richest performances as a woman who must start over and is clueless as to where to begin and must also face the wrath of those she wronged as prom queen and haven't forgotten the way she treated them. Gena Rowlands does an Oscar-worthy turn as Bullock's mom, a robust and vibrant woman who loves having her daughter home but won't take her nonsense either. As a big Rowlands fans, I have to say there are few films where I have enjoyed her more. Mae Whitman is a revelation as Bullock's daughter and Harry Connick Jr. shines as the hometown hunk with a hankering for the prom queen.

An emotionally charged comedy-drama that sucked me in from the beginning and evolved into a loving character study of a woman re-examining her past and fearing her future.

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For those who prefer their entertainment on the mindless side, check out the 1978 comedy Hooper which stars Burt Reynolds as an over the hill stuntman having his thunder stolen by a young up and coming stuntman (Jan-Michael Vincent). There are crazy car stunts, a good bar fight, and some funny dialogue. Sally Field is decorative window dressing and there are wonderful supporting performances from Robert Klein as an egomaniacal film director, John Marley as an aggravated studio head, and best of all, Brian Keith as a retired stuntman and Field's father.

Check your brain at the door and just have a good old time with the life of a Hollywood stuntman.

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How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying is the 1967 film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning 1960 Broadway musical that broke Broadway box office records and made a star out of Robert Morse. Morse was thankfully allowed to recreate his Broadway role in this exuberant film version as J. Pierpont Finch, an ambitious young window washer who, through the aid of the title book, cleverly manages to work his way up the corporate ladder at World Wide Wickets, Inc.

Morse lights up the screen in the best role of his career. He sadly never really got a role of this caliber again and I've never been able to figure out why. He gives a smart and brassy performance and is well-supported by 20's crooner Rudy Vallee, also reprising his Broadway role as company president JB Biggley and Michele Lee as devoted secretary/girlfriend Rosemary Pilkington. There is also standout work by Anthony Teague as company brown-noser Bud Frump and Maureen Arthur as Miss La Rue, Biggley's outspoken mistress whose physicals assets clearly outweigh her secretarial skills.

David Swift's fast-paced direction is a plus as is Bob Fosse's inventive choreography. Sadly, the original score has been severely tampered with and several great songs from the stage show have been cut, but we still have "How to", "The Company Way", "A Secretary is not a Toy", "It's been a long day", and the show's most famous song, "I Believe in You." A clever and entertaining screen adaptation of a classic Broadway musical.

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Cool to see a mention of Hooper; it's one of my childhood favorites that I've seen many times.

Hard Candy is my type of movie, but I didn't care for it. I found it more lame than intense.

Sean Penn's riveting, Oscar-nominated performance is the centerpiece of I am Sam, a manipulative but nevertheless deeply affecting drama about a mentally retarded man trying to secure official custody of his daughter (Dakota Fanning)with the help of a savvy attorney (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is a single parent herself.

This film is a complete manipulation in terms of story and writing and characters, but the manipulation works. Penn is remarkable and Pfeiffer offers one of her strongest performances as the lawyer who learns as much from Sam as he does from her. Fanning makes a strong impression as Sam's daughter, one of her first major roles. Mention should also be made of supporting turns from Richard Schiff as the cold-blooded prosecutor in Sam's case and Laura Dern as the woman who wants to legally adopt Fanning. It's nothing groundbreaking or original, but it definitely tugs at the heartstrings.

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