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Reviews
Árvácska (1976)
Haunting tale of an impoverished society and it's neglect of a child.
In our world it is often children who suffer most egregiously when poverty claims a land.
French fairy tales of children being abandoned in woods when poor families could no longer feed themselves are based on true examples of abandonment. Examples exist from England and nearly every other country with written histories and where impoverishment has claimed lives and yes, when such conditions have eaten away the veneer of humanity, personal values, and selflessness.
Nobody's Daughter explores the depths of one such suffering child. This Hungarian movie graphically portrays the brutal cruelty of people in her life who were in their own battered way, considered otherwise good.
Zsuzsa Czinkóczi portrayed 6 year old Csöre as a nude child orphaned by circumstances. Her acting was a superb testament inasmuch as she is a child herself of course, and by even limited imagination we can hope that any other child impoverished or not may have some equal gift to offer mankind, if only given the chance.
Csöre in the film is viciously raped by a large man, grotesquely burned by other callous adults who occasionally feed her, later savagely beat by a foster mother and ... well, there is more but it's not my goal here to recant the movie in it's entirety, only to suggest to those caring viewers who are interested in reality as it existed in recent history, and in reality as it exists in other parts of today's 'modern' world, this film will provide you with much food for thought. It has me. My family and I were nearly in tears, breathless at the savage indifference to Csöre's personal feelings and physical tortures of her day-to-day's existence.
Nobody's Daughter is not about as one other reviewer said, "a nude girl running about...", for that is only the typical hypocrite knee-jerk utterance, or the pretentious puritan's silly thoughtless whisper, or a shallow view from a cretin's perspective.
Nay, this film should be recommended viewing for people embracing the idea of foster parenting, or for social workers in any country on earth, and for United Nations personnel who deal with the occurrence of poverty-based neglect of Earth's most valuable resource...our children.
Finally the moral Nobody's Daughter should graphically indicate to us all is that to abandon or neglect even one child on this planet is to abandon our hopes and dreams entirely.
The Wonderful World of Disney: Eloise at the Plaza (2003)
10 out of 10 -- Spunky, Fun, Light-hearted and Warm...a Family film pure and simple...
As my children and I were watching Eloise at the Plaza we were tickled too many times to count them all and laughed endlessly. Ten year old star Sofia Vassilieva is several things: 1) Beautiful 2) Charming 3) Precocious 4)Unbelievably intelligent 5) Funny 6) Sweet as sugar and 7) A highly skilled child actress.
There are not too many films today, including some Disney videos, which are truly a family-safe composition...as too many times we conscionable parents are set-up by liberal Hollywood with a cute theme, but only to suffer foul four-letter words and filthy sexual double-entendres vomited forth from the mouths too-many of today's movie children. The South Central Los Angeles corruption of America's morals has been flooding movies for a decade now. But I am so pleased to announce that Eloise at the Plaza (and also Eloise at Christmastime) does not indulge the revised lessening of children ethics in any way whatsoever.
In fact Eloise is a lovable treasure. This movie is about a sprightly, bubbly munchkin of a 6 year old girl with a teasing way, but a wholesome way about her. When all things are taken into account there is notably no places in this story where a parent needs to hold their hands over the eyes or ears of their younger children. There are no points that need to be sped up to the next DVD chapter. Like a Blessing from parent Heaven, the good heart of Eloise is exactly as a conscionable parent would have expected it...fun, frivolous, endearing, and full of unexpected kid 'spunk'.
10 out of 10.
The Secret Garden (1993)
My Most Precious Movie Choice
Once in a while something excellent comes along that adds to one's life in unexpected ways.
As a single father of two children, boy and girl, I look far and wide for movies that will allow me to provide good, wholesome family time...without the fear of foul language issuing forth, foul gestures, or all-too-typical South Central L.A. ghetto demeanor being exhibited by punkish personalities. And unfortunately too many Hollywood child actors are nowadays forced to lower their personal ethics for inappropriate movie roles in our never ending averaging-down of America.
The Secret Garden dismisses the need to add token actors of every type (a.k.a. Disney's last unbelievable rendering of Annie - TV 1999), race and sexual dysfunction to it's cast. Movies once were special beautiful places where the best actors were chosen for the part, and where viewers could easily lose themselves and for a short time become something in their mind's eye that was wonderful and magical. This is such a film. It's cast is well chosen for the story, not for current day hypocrisy. The Secret Garden allows viewers to immerse in a world larger than themselves ease and without having to keep saying...now why is THAT person in the movie...or why does THAT person have to keep making obscene gestures or engage in a constant flow of obscene sexual double-entendres?
This movie is pure of heart. It is one of one of Hollywood's finest creations.
Kate Mayberly as Mary Lennox is convincing. Her entry into the film is as a 10 year old girl who is catered hand and foot, literally, bathed and dressed by Indian nannies, then ignored by her parents. She grew to feel pampered, unloved and unwanted, and without the training to even dress herself. This is a sobering cameo to any parent, of how not to 'raise' a child.
The Secret Garden has been re-made many times, in books, in the theatre, in movies...and several reasons for the sudden death of Mary's parents are provided. The manner of their death is utterly unimportant, for it is the rest of the movie in which the magic of love and acceptance blossoms, and the viewer's anticipation grows as surely as does Mary's own heart and personal demeanor, and as a perfect reflection of the new growth of her formerly abandoned and neglected aunt's garden.
Kate Mayberly is beautiful. She is an exceptionally talented young actress.
My family has enjoyed shedding a few tears along with her character, Mary Lennox during the many times we've viewed The Secret Garden, and we have learned a bit more about the value of caring...and about the power of love.
To anyone considering purchasing The Secret Garden as a family film, do it. There are no downsides here, no parts where a parent has to cover his child's eyes or ears.
The Secret Garden is the perfect family film.
Casper Meets Wendy (1998)
A Fun, Wonderful Family Film!!!
Hilary Duff AAA+++ & George Hamilton AA++
I must say that this is one of the sweetest, cutest films ever made. Hilary Duff is beautiful and her lead role as Wendy the Good Little Witch is pulled up with the alluring spunk and childish impishness that carries this delightful tale of Good over Evil.
And to be sure, George Hamilton as Desmond Spellman the evil Wizard/Male Witch is a perfect choice for the role of the heavey...along with his trademark "Is my hair OK?" self-indulgence and his magical way of being a really bad guy while still being fun. Hamilton is a real meanie, but in a light enough way that the whole family can watch without fear of foul words being uttered from his mouth, or some vulgar ethnic South Central L.A. ghetto gestures that are too overused today in too many movies today. Hamilton brings a classy elegance to the role of a villain we can hate, but like at the same time.
Wendy's aunts and the Casper's 'uncles' are played beyond perfection by each gifted actor/actress in those roles. They are hilariously funny, outlandish and perfect imitations of what the comic books and prior movies have led us to know them to be, all these years. Not remarkably it was like watching my favorite paperback episode come to life. You loved them all, but you really enjoyed it most when Wendy and Casper would achieve the upper hand.
Wendy/Hilary was tremendously successful in her part and viewing the Wendy Meets Casper was an experience akin to love at first sight. Love for the the prettiness of Hilary Duff, love for the sweetness we have learned to expect in both Wendy the Good Little Witch and Casper the Friendly Ghost, and love of a good time where the whole family can laugh at the magnificent special effects and the gaiety in the movie from beginning all the way to its happy conclusion.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Wendy Meets Casper can only be given a full 10!
10 points for Hilary Duff as the perfectly enchanting Wendy. 10 points for all the fab actors and actresses playing the co-lead and support roles 10 points for the storyline...a truly magical event 10 points for the special effects 10 points for Wendy in her dancing dress...*blushes
All in all, a must see for every family.
Casper Meets Wendy (1998)
A Fun, Wonderful Family Film!!!
Hilary Duff AAA+++ & George Hamilton AA++
I must say that this is one of the sweetest, cutest films ever made. Hilary Duff is beautiful and her lead role as Wendy the Good Little Witch is pulled up with the alluring spunk and childish impishness that carries this delightful tale of Good over Evil.
And to be sure, George Hamilton as Desmond Spellman the evil Wizard/Male Witch is a perfect choice for the role of the heavey...along with his trademark "Is my hair OK?" self-indulgence and his magical way of being a really bad guy while still being fun. Hamilton is a real meanie, but in a light enough way that the whole family can watch without fear of foul words being uttered from his mouth, or some vulgar ethnic South Central L.A. ghetto gestures that are too overused today in too many movies today. Hamilton brings a classy elegance to the role of a villain we can hate, but like at the same time.
Wendy's aunts and the Casper's 'uncles' are played beyond perfection by each gifted actor/actress in those roles. They are hilariously funny, outlandish and perfect imitations of what the comic books and prior movies have led us to know them to be, all these years. Not remarkably it was like watching my favorite paperback episode come to life. You loved them all, but you really enjoyed it most when Wendy and Casper would achieve the upper hand.
Wendy/Hilary was tremendously successful in her part and viewing the Wendy Meets Casper was an experience akin to love at first sight. Love for the the prettiness of Hilary Duff, love for the sweetness we have learned to expect in both Wendy the Good Little Witch and Casper the Friendly Ghost, and love of a good time where the whole family can laugh at the magnificent special effects and the gaiety in the movie from beginning all the way to its happy conclusion.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Wendy Meets Casper can only be given a full 10!
10 points for Hilary Duff as the perfectly enchanting Wendy. 10 points for all the fab actors and actresses playing the co-lead and support roles 10 points for the storyline...a truly magical event 10 points for the special effects 10 points for Wendy in her dancing dress...*blushes
All in all, a must see for every family.