I've been listening to Tim Mcgraw for close to six years, and this has to be his best album so far. The lyrics are reflective and profound, a little sad, but with a dash of hopefulness. That's what makes this CD so enjoyable; he acknowledges the despair and hardships in life, but provides the listener with an uplifting message of faith and love to balance out the gloom. My only disappointments are the two upbeat tracks, something like that, and my next thirty years. Out of all fourteen, I'd have to say my two favorites are "Please Remember Me", and "A Place in the Sun", with "My Best Friend" coming in as a close third. It's true that Mcgraw has matured and gained a heap of wisdom on this album. It is, truly, a masterpiece of songcraft.

I have to confess, first off, that I didn't read this entire novel. In fact, I stopped at about chapter 6 or 7. I'm an avid reader, and usually don't mind long I.E. five hundred plus paged books. Perhaps I have no imagination, but the main reason I forebore to read the rest of this, is that there were too many unanswered questions for me, most importantly, how does this boy (we never learn his name) escape from each of his cruel caretakers? The author never shows him actually running away from the villages, except for the first one, and it's never made clear how he spends his days, or why certain people take him in, and others couldn't be bothered. I don't despise this book, but I'm definitely not a fan of spare writing, and this thing's certainly full of that. The violence and hints of deviant sexual behaviors weren't extremely off-putting either, although that long description of the gouging out and disposing of a youth's eye was more than a little nauseating.

Since I just finished the novel "A Prayer for Owen Meany" only yesterday, I thought I'd write a review for the movie, which I saw several years ago. While it's true that the plot of Irving's novel is oversimplified, one has to remember that a PG rating wouldn't be appropriate for a more faithful adaptation of it. I hated the character of Simon Birch from the beginning; as one other reviewer noted, he's an all-around jerk, rude, foul-mouthed, and unsympathetic to the max. However, let's not forget that the screenwriters changed the characters' names for a reason, namely, this film has to be judged separately from it's inspiration. The movie itself is not as cloying as one might expect, given the main character (Sinon's) crassness, and ultra-cynical perspective on life. In fact, he is less of a Christ-figure than his novel counterpart, less believable in the role. They didn't even make an effort to duplicate Owen's voice. But besides all these complaints, the dnding is a somewhat more realistic than that of the novel, although less powerful. It's still touching. But to all those reviewers who took issue with this movie simply because it departed so sharply and in so many places from the book, I say, "Judge this with a different scale." It's been altered for a reason.

This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Let me start out by saying that I haven't even seen this, and I already know it is a piece of corporate trash. I actually got a mini preview of it by hearing a cassette dramatization, one of Disney's usual props to sell it's videos. It's humor is too grown-up, sophisticated, and ultimately, gross, for children. It is what you would find in a movie like American Pie, or some other less sexual teenage flick, only slightly dumbed down for children. I can't see the animation, so I have no comments to make on that. I actually like Albert Brooks' character, but he was about all that saved this from being utterly stupid and unbearable. The story line is unbelievably formulaeic, even more so than some of Disney's other efforts. I'm not even going to explain it, since the abundance of reviews here make the main plot elements clear. The characterization is cardboard, no, make that paper-flat and uninteresting, except for the sympathetic Marlin. The humor is disgustingly subpar, as I've said, it's toilet humor for children. Really, people. Do we actually want to teach our kids these kinds of things are funny? I'd never thought I'd see the day when Disney had to resort to almost swearing in it's movies to hold children's interests. That is absolutely unforgivable. And referring to a volcano as an invitation to produce phlegm? My, how pathetic! Personally, I don't find it ammusing in the least.

I remember rushing out to watch this movie when it first appeared in theaters, since I was an enormous fan of the Lyn Reed Banks books. Alass, this movie took what could have been a wonderful adaptation, and turned it into a dumbed-down pile of insipid script and mostly forced acting. When I first saw it, I loved everything about it and immediately fell in love with the boy playing Omri, but now, I realize that his acting is horrible, but it's not his fault. The script is below mediocre; it's pitifully babyish. Lyn Reed Banks's stories had a charm of old-fashioned nostalgia to them, not so with this film. It has been completely modernized, including a few curse words, a relocation to the US, and a total emphasis on stereotyping the characters and making as many comical gags at their expense as possible. I will admit that there are several very touching moments, and even a little educational value to this, since Litefoot plays his character perfectly, and Frank Oz did feel inclined to at least include a song and a few sundry bits of the Iroquois language here. But overall, I would recommend the books over this.

I recently read this as part of a survey of childrens' literature about the Medieval period. Let me say first, that the dialogue is completely modernized, with not even a complex word to redeem it. I know this is because the original is supposedly in dialect, but please, our children are more sophisticated than that. Adam is self-involved, careless, and annoyingly stupid. Despite it's touted 320 pages, this could have been printed in 150, and contained much the same material. The only thing that redeems this novel from being totally forgettable is the snatches of Latin and Old English ballads scattered throughout. If you want your children to have a much clearer understanding of the times, with a book focussed more on character than on plot or modern accessability, have them read Song of the Gargoyle. It's also about a boy who loses his father, and has to search for him, in the company of a dog-like being, but has ten times the depth and realism of this piece of trash. The boy is also a minstrel, of sorts, but he has more likable qualities than Adam, as well as more adventures in less pages. The ending is a happy one, but it involves a twist, which isn't at all forseeable, as theat in Adam of the Road. Please, just skip this, I don't care if it won a Newberry Award, and read Song of the Gargoyle, by Zylpha Keatly Snider.

I saw this movie for the first time when I was about twelve, and loved it. I read the book, and liked it as much, maybe even better. Recently, I rented the movie to see if I would still like it; I didn't. I'm now a lot older, and usually still enjoy the children's literature and films that I read on occation. Not this one. Yes, Mara Wilson is cute, and Danny DeVito does an excellent job, very humorous, too, and Pam Ferris is truly frightening as Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey is lovable also; I simply didn't experience the sense of magic and wonderment that I'd had as a child. I'd give this film a try, but don't expect to feel as much triumph or hatred, or anything else, as you would if you were ten again.

I received this for Christmas, a little wary since it was supposed to have a seventies rock and roll feel. Well, I don't see any of that here, of which I am extremely glad. Most of these songs are top-notch; I can't even tell that he's working with his road buddies, this music is so good. The only piece I don't like in here, as I already stated, is the cover of Elton John's Tiny Dancer. That's partially because I don't like covers of songs, and also since I don't like that song in particular. But other than that, this album is beautiful. She's my Kind of Rain is lovely, the lyrics are strange and metaphorical, which adds to their beauty, something you rarely see in country music, or almost any other kind of music these days. Home is just a good old-fashioned ode to the country boy's roots, while Comfort Me and Watch the Wind blow By are unabashed celebrations of natural beauty and grandeur. There had to be an obligatory track about Mexico, and there is. Red Ragtop is nice, as are all the others, but I wish he had done another duet with Faith on this album, as their voices blend well together. Over all, this is a good, solid effort, that Mcgraw's Southern twang does a great deal of justice to.

I am a huge sucker for British accents, so I went to see this movie the first week it premeered in theaters. Since I have no cable television, Amanda Bynes is a new face for me. Colin Firth is quite convincing as Lord Henry Dashwood, and Bynes, although forced to make some typical American mess-ups as the script mandates, does an admirable job as the young, impetuous, but ultimately caring, good-hearted heroine. I have to say, though, that the best character for me was Oliver James, not because of his acting abilities, which were not thoroughly explored, but his singing voice needs to get more credit. In truth, he should release an album over here in the States. Those two songs on the soundtrack just don't give me enough! Speaking of the soundtrack, I love how they used "I Wanna be Bad"! I wish they had played the entire song during the film! The caniving, devious step-sister and mother, (rather like Cinderella, don't you think)? are decent as well, and the grandmother is extremely funny in the little screen time she is given. I'd actually recomend this, if only for the British actors, and Amanda Bynes's cute, charming, if a bit chiche, performance.