JakeStevens Blog

What a load of crap that is. This movie sparked a newfound interest for me in Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear. Nicholson's Melvin Udall is as lovably loathsome as they get, Greg Kinnear is believably gay without reigning in a flamboyant performance, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. is fantastic as his lover and the catalyst for Nicholson and Kinnear's characters to unwillingly interact with one another. The script is filled with some of the most quotably funny lines from the '90's, and the story is just plausible enough to make you feel warm and fuzzy in the warm and fuzzy parts. Only gripe: The friggin' previews ruined one of the best lines in this film ("You make me want to be a better man"). It's the damned climax of the film!!! Hmph...trailer makers - who needs 'em? In any case, this FILM is as good as it gets.

Even though this film came out in the wake of "Seven" (which it shares a lot of similarities with), this film has a flavor all it's own. Morgan Freeman is, of course, a joy to watch (as he is in nearly everything he's in) as Dr. Alex Cross and Ashley Judd is wonderful as Kate McTiernan. The supporting cast are equally as strong (with a notable performance by Carey Elwes) and the story is captivating enough to keep you watching and guessing until the end. I worthy film to add to my collection, and yours, too!

I remember seeing this in the theater with my girlfriend at the time, and just falling in love with the characters, especially Timothy Hutton's character (I even tried to grow my hair like his for a time) and Natalie Portman's character (that almost goes without saying). Heck yeah, this is as chick flick as they come, but the cast is top notch and the soundtrack fits the tone of the film PERFECTLY. This is one of those "comfort" films I've talked about in other reviews, and I tend to watch this on rainy days when I want to fall asleep in front of the tube. Well written and expertly directed, give Beautiful Girls a try.