"Touchback" isn't a touchdown

I expected a feel good movie with Touchback, starring Kurt Russell and Brian Presley. I could tell by the trailer that this one would be a reminder that life as you know it is pretty good.

It would be predictable, but would it make me feel like I did for George? Let's just say, I wasn't captivated, nor did I get misty-eyed. Maybe it was the distracting aging makeup. Maybe it was the acting. It wasn't terrible, but what I saw on screen made me think that I was watching a Hallmark Channel movie.

The film centers around Scott Murphy (Presley), the star quarterback of the Coldwater High School football team. He's on his way to become a star at Ohio State. He just has the big championship game to play. And then tragedy strikes. In making a crazy play to win the game, he breaks his leg in a way that'll make even manly sports fans cringe.

Fast forward about 20 years. Scott is still in Coldwater, looking like he's pushing 50 instead of 40. He didn't live the dream. His best friend did. Instead of a famous quarterback of his dreams, he's a soybean farmer in corn country. He's about to lose everything after his crop freezes, so he desperately attempts taking his life. Instead, he's taken back to high school knowing all he knows about the future. He finally sees what the girl he later marries is like in high school, and he sees how terrible he and his friends can be to unpopular kids. And he has a chance to change his outcome. Will things change, a la Back to the Future? Or will he realize his life is full, ala It's a Wonderful Life? You will know as you watch. No surprises here.

The story is one of redemption, true friends and gratitude. It's a good talker, should you invite your older tweens to see this one. Would you make changes if you could "fix" your past? If you did, do you think the people important in your life now would still be there for you in your alternate future? Why do you think so many people talk about regretting past decisions? Oh, so many questions... It's rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements.

I have to go back to the makeup because it REALLY bothered me. As high schoolers, they looked almost 30. As 40-year-olds, they looked ancient. Yes, many movies have had this issue, and you can get past it if the acting and/or story is great. This movie was just OK, so it bothered me. I remember having the same issue with Grease, but at least it had good music.

Toouchback gets a D+. If it's on TV, I'll encourage my kids to watch it. But really, the ultimate story for loving your life for us is It's a Wonderful Life. My husband adds that Mr. Destiny is pretty good story about destiny, too. I've not seen it, but I guess I have to now. :)

Family movie night: "Cowboys & Aliens"

When I first heard of the film Cowboys & Aliens, I laughed. My husband pointed out it might be good because of the cast, Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, and Steven Spielberg’s involvement as an executive director. We saw it at the theater, and I just thought it was just OK. I can’t recall the original grade I gave it (maybe a C+). That blog has since been deleted, but I recall liking Daniel Craig in cowboy gear.

Well, we're doing a family movie night these days, and the picks are slowly moving away from the typical family films. My husband thought it would be a good action flick for our 15 year old. We invited our 11 1/2 year old to join us, since we didn’t recall anything overtly objectionable. We remembered a lot of fantasy violence – it’s a cowboy movie. I couldn’t recall much about the aliens, but as I am often reminded by my kids, I think things are way scarier than they really are. Oh, and there is semi nude scene of Olivia Wilde coming out of fire, but it’s nonsexual and appropriate for the scene. We figured if anything popped up, we’d just address it later.

I drifted off a few times while watching it a second, but I was reminded these aliens could be a little scary for little kids, but not my kids. They’re pros. ☺ These aliens were cowboy tough, a cross between the creepy aliens with the abdomens that open up from the Alien series and odd-looking robots that squirt green blood when wounded. My youngest did fine and said they really weren’t scary. But they do have a way of popping up, even when expected they can make you jump.

It’s rated PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference. Olivia Wilde’s character is called a not so nice name starting with a “W” several times by a posse of outlaws. Both kids enjoyed it, but our son really liked it. “Five stars” he proclaimed at the end of the DVD. My daughter says 4 stars.

The movie didn’t interest them in learning more about aliens or cowboys, but it did make for a fun evening. Long live family movie night.

Cheers!