As I write this, I still don't know who the next President of the United States will be. It is quite possible that when this edition of Civilian Voices is posted on Thursday, I still won't know. It's madness I tell you, madness. But perhaps more importantly, the jury is still out on Charlie's Angels. Is it a winner? A loser? It seems to have won the popular vote last weekend, but will it be able to hang on to win that darn Electoral College? EMHA starts us off with her vote...

"I volunteer as a Big Sister for a social services agency, and this past weekend I promised two of the 11-year-old girls in the group that we'd do a 'movie thing.' I was thinking we'd rent Nickelodeon's Snow Day or The Little Mermaid II, but boy was I wrong! These girls begged and pleaded until I finally relented and took them to see Charlie's Angels. I knew it was going to be a crappy two-hour music video featuring boobies, booties, and butt-kicking thanks to David's THB column from last Friday. "As I sat in the theater, I really struggled with whether it was an appropriate thing to take them to see, and all of these rational, feminist, film-critic arguments kept running through my head. About halfway through, I realized that the girls were absolutely loving this movie, because they were watching it with true 11-year-old unbiased excitement. I finally decided to just sit back and enjoy the silly ride. While my 32-year-old self was saying 'God, that sucked!', my inner 11 year old was able to smile and say 'That was awesome!' It's all a matter of perspective I guess!" --EMHA

Iconoclast submits his vote for the Angels, as well as his picks for this weekend...

"First off, I have to concur with John H and Shawn F on their reviews of Charlie's Angels. It is dumb fun to the nth degree that is best enjoyed at a midnight screening (which my friends and I did) with a couple bottles of beer in your system (although it is not necessary). I think the only way to improve on CA would have been to make the movie in 3-D. Then it would have been a proper event. "As for this weekend, I am looking forward to (gasp!) Little Nicky, mainly because someone else is picking up the tab. I don't know about the rest of you, but listening to Chicago played backwards made me laugh. And I hope to get some time to catch Billy Elliot. We still have to wait for Requiem for a Dream in Atlanta. :-( " --Iconoclast

And here is Paul M. with his views on Drew and the gang, as well as another vote for Julia Roberts's performance in Erin Brockovich...

"Yes, yes, I was waiting eagerly in line to purchase my ticket to Charlie's Angels this past weekend and walked away with a huge smile on my face. It is fluff. It is dumb. It is so much fun. (Sorry for the unintentional rhyme.) Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu all possessed an enthusiasm that proved to be contagious. I looked throughout the crowded theater during the film and saw nothing but smiles and people laughing. Not every film has to be Leaving Las Vegas. Not every film must get a point across. Some movies are made for the age-old reason of simply making people happy, and that's what Charlie's Angels did. I loved it. I'll be seeing it again this weekend. "As far as best performances of the year are concerned.... The one performance that pops into my head with lightning speed is Julia Roberts’s spectacular turn in Erin Brockovich, which to this date, in my opinion, is the best film of the year. Julia was at her all-time best in a role that not only proved to be crowd-pleasing but also allowed her to show off her beefy acting chops (I can hear the cleavage jokes coming). The entire cast and crew for that film should be up for multiple nominations. I believe that Diane Lane deserves a nod for Supporting Actress for her turn in The Perfect Storm. She took a throwaway role and injected it with warmth and truth and made the audience care about her character. Kate Hudson is equally deserving for her performance in Almost Famous. I think this is just the beginning of a long and bright career for this talented young woman. "Too bad us men aren't faring as well this year... let's hope the end-of-the-year rush of films will take care of that." --Paul M.

Cucs casts yet another vote for Ms. Roberts and names a few other possible contenders...

"Julia Roberts has the Best Actress category all locked up. EW just named her the #2 Most Powerful Person in Hollywood. She's wonderful in the movie. She's Hollywood's golden girl. Everyone else -- FUHGETABOUTET, as they say in Brooklyn. But rounding out the top five will be Joan Allen (The Contender), Gillian Anderson (The House of Mirth) -- she just won the BIFA (British Independent Film Academy Award for Best Actress -- Marcia Gay Harden in Pollock (though they could put her in Supporting), and yes, maybe, even Bjork (Dancer in the Dark)." --cucs

Speaking of contenders, Gerry thinks the cast of The Contender is a shoo-in for a major award...

"I suppose that when SAG gives out their ensemble award it will go to The Contender. Has there been a movie this year with more praised performances? Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliott, and, of course, Gary Oldman (even if he does hate that he is -- lo and behold! -- the villain of the film)... everybody in this film is doing something that they have never done before, and I imagine that this little movie will do wonders for everybody’s careers. Joan will duke it out at the Oscars with Julia, but the 'actress' should defeat the 'star' in this one. Other candidates for great performances of the year: Mark Wahlberg in The Yards, Albert Finney in Erin Brockovich, and Diane Lane in The Perfect Storm. Pretty weak year, now that I think about it." --Gerry Liebman

And Gary wants to second the opinion of one of our earlier readers...

"May I be the first to second Paul Doro's choice of Gina McKee's wondrous performance in Michael Winterbottom's amazing Wonderland. If there's a better film this year, it hasn't opened yet. Winterbottom's film captures the hazy malaise of modern life in London with the right balance of anxiety and caustic optimism, with hand-held cameras and Michael Nyman's dizzying, elegiac score to bring it all home. Who cares if two people saw it (box-office grosses be damned), this one's from the heart. And McKee (also in top form in Croupier) will be joining that "A" list sooner than she probably dreamed." --Gary Shipes

Finally, Howard gives us his picks for performances of the year...

"C'mon kids! There have been so many more wonderful performances this year than were mentioned. In addition to Jack Black in High Fidelity and Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, I would have to go with Albert Finney and Marg Helgenberger in Erin Brockovich, as well as Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr., and Tobey Maguire for Wonder Boys. There's also Ben Stiller and Jenna Elfman in Keeping the Faith, a totally underrated movie; Jeanne Tripplehorn in Timecode; and Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup for Almost Famous. In a looong shot, there was a terrifyingly real performance from Tara Subkoff as the hostage in The Cell. Kirsten Dunst sparkled in The Virgin Suicides. But, for my money, the best performance so far this year was from Billy Crudup in Jesus' Son. Never, for a single second, did I question that he was anyone other than the character he played. Amazing. I could keep going, but I won't. There it is." --Howard Schumann

Looks like Julia Roberts is in the lead, but it is, as they say, too close to call. Also perhaps too close to call is the estimated box office for this weekend. Will Adam Sandler knock Charlie's Angels out of the top spot? Does anyone care about Red Planet? Will Cuba Gooding Jr. finally end his post-Oscar slump with Men of Honor? What will you be seeing this weekend and why?

And as far as this wacky presidential election goes, will the election of either candidate really have an influence on the film industry? Or were both candidates talking the talk without having any intention of walking the walk once in office? And do any of you want them to walk that walk in the first place? What role should the federal government play in policing the entertainment industry? E-mail me your thoughts, won't you?

 

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