Film

If you wade through the first fifteen minutes or so, you will be rewarded with a fairly enjoyable movie about thirty-five year old Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) who still lives with his parents (Kathy Bates & Terry Bradshaw), and the plot to get him moved out of the old family home. This arrangement seems to suit Tripp just fine, as he leads the life of a revolving-door Romeo while still having all his clothes washed and meals cooked by his Mom. Commitment-phobic Tripp routinely gets rid of girlfriends who decide to get too serious by taking them home and surprising them with his under-the-same-roof parents. His parents, Sue (Kathy Bates) & Al (Terry Bradshaw), however, think its high time Tripp left the nest. The solution lies with Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), a relationship-specialist for hire, whose forte is "simulating a romantic experience" with stay-at-home sons that gives them enough confidence to venture out and set up home on their own. Of course, the scenario doesn't unfold as expected and the planned course of events comes off the rails. Zooey Deschanel provides comic relief and reality checks as Paula's roommate, Kit. Tripp's two best friends, Ace (Justin Bartha) and Demo (Bradley Cooper) are also live-at-home guys, whose characters mercifully develop a bit more depth as the movie progresses. Overall, though, this movie combines some fun scenes and situations, but doesn't live up to all its potential.

The Last Holiday - visit the movie's web site - watch the preview

Stars Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and Gerard Depardieu.

Queen Latifah is a joy to watch in this movie, as she brings Georgia Byrd to life for us. She leads a tidy little life as a shy cookware sales person in a large department store. Her dreams for a better life are recorded in a scrap book she keeps, filled with places she would like to visit, things she's like to do - and the man she would like to marry. LL Cool J does a remarkable job portraying Sean Matthews, as Georgia's co-worker, who is as smitten with Georgia as she is with him. However, shyness and self-doubt have kept them apart while working in the same store. Georgia's life is abruptly upended when she is diagnosed with a disease that only leaves her with a short time to live. She decides to live out some of her life-long wishes, by quitting her job, cashing in her savings, and flying to an Alpine resort to sample some of Chef Didier's fine cuisine (Gerard Depardieu). At this hotel she is mistaken for a wealthy businesswoman, including by the nasty man who owns the store chain she used to work for. Humorous misunderstandings, life lessons, and a dash of romance liven up this life-affirming film. This film is a fluffy, heart-warming delight and the perfect antidote for any down days you might feel. Don't confuse this film with the 1950 original that starred Alec Guinness, as they only share a basic premise and are totally different stories. The script for the modern version underwent many years of gestation and was finally re-written with Queen Latifah in mind - and is all the better for the transformation.

The Family Stone - visit the movie's web site - watch the preview

Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keating and Luke Wilson

Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) is dropped into the deep end by fiancé Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney), when he invites her home for Xmas to meet his family. The Stones are exuberant even for extroverts, with non-stop banter and teasing. Everett appears to be the odd man out, with his uptight character standing apart from his siblings. However, he apparently seems well matched to Meredith, who is urban neurosis personified. Meredith's introduction to the Stones does not start well and goes humorously down hill, the more she tries to fit in. Diane Keaton portrays the Stone mother, who is a rather annoyingly unbalanced character. Complications set in when Everett's brother Ben (Luke Wilson) arrives, who is rather unbelievably