Review of Candleshoe (1977) by Courtney W — 26 Dec 2005

[color=lemonchiffon]Christmas is a time for movies...at least it is for me. I stuffed myself to the gills with macaroni and broccoli caserole and then settled down with the fam to watch some movies I had received on DVD.[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]I caught a matinee of[i] Fun With Dick and Jane[/i]. I have to say I laughed quite a bit during it, but looking back on it--the movie overall was just okay. Jim Carrey was Jim Carrey, no real stretch there. However, he was hilarious when he turned to migrant working and yelling "Indicted" at the top of his lungs. Alec Baldwin has found himself in the most unfortunate state of being type casted in the "Millionaire CEO Jackass" role (see also [i]Elizabethtown[/i]).[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]The icing on the cake for me was Billy, Dick and Jane's little son, who has obviously spent more time with nanny/maid Blanca than his parents because he speaks in Spanglish. "Mama yuit her yob!" and "Don't take away my Telemundo" are possibly the best delivered lines in the movie. [/color].

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[color=#fffacd]The first movie I popped in on Christmas morning is the late-70s Disney Jodie Foster as a tomboy movie, [i]Candleshoe[/i]. In which she plays a tweenage con artist that is recruited by adult con artists to go to England and dupe an old woman (Helen Hayes) into believing that she is her long lost granddaughter. What ensues is a treasure hunt for gold dubloons around Candleshoe manor. It is one of those Disney gems (along with all the Hailey Mills movies, [i]Child of Glass[/i] and [i]The Ugly Dachsund[/i]) that never get old. Plus, David Niven is in it.[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]Then I watched possibly one of the most important movies (and books) ever with [i]To Kill a Mockingbird[/i]. I feel at home everytime I see Gregory Peck on screen as the penultimate hero Atticus Finch. I love the scenes with Atticus, his daughter Scout and his son Jim. It is also really great to see Robert Duvall as the town ghost Boo Radley. Chock full of morals, message and one of the greatest performances ever.[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]Finally, I watched [i]Return to Oz[/i], yet another film that I loved when I was a kid. I have a thing for Fairzua Balk movies (see also [i]The Worst [/i]Witch and [i]The Craft[/i]), I don't know why. While the movie is on the bizzare side, it is an ode to surrealistic 80's fantasy. I mean, Dorothy is shipped off for electro-shock therapy because they think she is crazy for talking about Oz. Mombi and her multitude of pretty heads, the freaky Wheelers, lunch pail trees and Jack Pumpkin head just add to the weirdness. It also showcases the wonderful Jim Henson puppetry from the creature shop and claymation as the special effects. Kinda creepy for kids to watch, but I was unfazed when I saw it at 6.[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]I will be back soon.[/color].

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[color=#fffacd]Laters.[/color].

[color=#fffacd]Court[/color].