A Naked Look At Charity

HOME

ABOUT JACKIE

NEWS

BOOKS

MOVIES

VIDEOS

TELEVISION

COLUMNS

LINKS

CONTACT

Helen Mirren and Julie Walters in "Calendar Girls"
courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment

"A Naked Look At Charity"

New Yorkshire, England seems like the last place on earth where a few of its female inhabitants would come up with the idea of a nude calendar. Well think again. It did happen there when a club of middle aged women decided posing nude was the very way to raise money for medical research.

This true incident is the basis for the VHS/DVD "Calendar Girls" which stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters. This delightful movie has great performances as well as a touching and emotional script. It is not played out in any prurient way at all, and is reasonably suitable for all members of the family.

Mirren and Walters are both excellent actresses and they lend credibility to the film and substance to their roles. This is a video you will not want to miss.

Ron Howard's follow-up film to "A Beautiful Mind" is "The Missing." This wonderful western stars Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones. They play a daughter/father team who are searching for her daughter who has been kidnapped.

This movie is reminiscent of the John Wayne classic "The Searchers" and is just as involving and just as emotional. Both Blanchett and Jones are at their peak as performers and make this story of the old west vibrant and compelling. You won't be able to stop once you get involved in the search and the chase.

Westerns are not as popular as they once were but this one should please any audience that loves a good story and a full round of action. Don't miss out on seeing "The Missing."

Those who like action movies will want to get "Torque," an explosive film about car races and lawbreakers. The film stars Martin Henderson, Monet Mazur and Ice Cube. Ice Cube is one of my favorites and he has a great time in this movie.

The film is worth watching for the action sequences. There are some special effects sequences which will have you on the edge of your sofa. They look to be real but you know they have to be staged. Or at least you hope they are.

"Torque" revs up the action and then some. It is a blast from start to finish and a thoroughly enjoyable movie of this type.

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" signaled a new interest in Christian themed movies. Such a film is "Home Beyond the Sun." This movie features a cast of actors whose names you won't recognize, but what they lack in experience they make up for in zeal.

The story concerns a young girl in China who is discovered by an American teacher. She wants to get this orphan adopted by an American family but she has an uphill struggle. The movie chronicles her efforts and makes for a fascinating expression of determination and faith

Religion and faith are the cornerstones of this truth inspired story, so you have to accept the religious references in order to enjoy the film. "Home Beyond the Sun" is a beautiful story with a strong message of hope and tenacity.

If you like animation and music then you might enjoy "The Triplets of Belleville." This is an Oscar nominated movie that tells the story of a young man who is kidnapped by the French Mafia. His grandmother and some of her friends are determined to find him and get him back.

The songs and the animation are the drawing points of this movie. The turn offs are that it is in French and in some spots it comes across as anti-USA.

Lately interest in "The West Wing" has waned, but in its second season interest was at an all time high. This is the reason you will want to get "The West Wing: The Complete Second Season." In this DVD presentation you can see all the stories about President Jed Bartlet and his staff, as well as some great extras such as a gag reel and a tour of the White House set.

The extras are always great but the real reason for watching this "second season" is because of the great stories and great performances. The cast, which includes Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Stockard Channing, Rob Lowe and a host of other solid actors. They clicked as an ensemble and made this a powerful political drama.

Finally there is "The Osbournes 2 1/2" which is the second half of the second season plus a boatload full of extra material. The bonus material is the reason to get this DVD and it is stuff you won't see on TV. If you like Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly then by all means rush out and get this two-disc set.

Click above to find out more about Jackie's books!