Owen Wilson

January 30, 2012 By Rebecca Cusey

Bottom Line: Full of quiet goofiness and sweet moments, this flick about birdwatching is better than you expect.

The Gist: Three passionate birdwatchers set out separately to break the record of the most birds seen in a calendar year. A rich executive trying to retire (Steve Martin), a young loser trying to do something with his life (Jack Black), and a cocky champion defending his title (Owen Wilson) all follow the same trail of blue breasted pipers and pink footed geese.

The Verdict: Watch it. In equal parts funny and touching, the film centers on birdwatching, but could really be about any passion. The central question is how far one will go to accomplish a goal and what one is willing to lose in integrity and family ties. While passion is a good thing, taken too far, the winner might find the record is all he has in life and the losers might be the real winners.

Be Aware: Rated PG for some light language and implied sensuality (between a married couple, mildly shown). Appropriate for grade schoolers, in fact, my three children loved it.

Midnight in Paris

December 20, 2011 By Rebecca Cusey

Bottom Line: Woody Allen is back in his groove with the enjoyable “Midnight in Paris.”

The Gist: On a vacation in Paris, the male half of an engaged couple (Owen Wilson) finds a portal to the literary past and spends his nights drinking with Hemingway and Fitzgerald. He meets a flapper girl whose own fantasy goes even further back in Paris’s past.

The Verdict: Watch it. The fantasy of slipping into 1920s Paris with literary greats and a continual movable party delights. Less existential moping and more fantasy is definitely a good thing for Woody Allen. This movie is a platter of intellectual petits fours.

Be Aware: Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking. The engaged couple clearly cohabitates and discusses sexual issues, including affairs. Sex is not shown but is occasionally discussed, but is not a big part of the film. Appropriate for some teens, depending on your family comfort with depictions of adult unmarried sexual relationships.