THE INTRUDER

Meagan Good     Dennis Quaid     Michael Ealy     Joseph Sikora

     You know a movie script is bad when the audience laughs at things that are not intended to be funny and groan at characters’ poor decisions.  This describes The Intruder, written by David Loughery and directed by Deon Taylor.  There are so many flaws in it, the audience can’t take it seriously.  Most annoying is a blast of loud music just after a dialog that is so low you can barely hear it.  

     The story is about a young couple who gets excited about buying a house in Napa, which is expensive, but its grounds are lush and gorgeous and it’s near some woods, so when the owner comes down on the price and offers to leave furniture and everything as is, they decide to take the plunge.

     The owner Charlie (Quaid) is very friendly and welcoming and clearly loves the house. He’s a bit intrusive and possessive, which is irritating to Scott (Ealy), but he wins over Annie (Good) with his “charm” and some sad stories of his life recently.  Charlie is expecting to leave soon for Florida to be with his daughter, so Annie and Scott both try to ignore him and enjoy their new treasure.  Nevertheless, she is especially drawn to him, feels sorry for him, and, to her husband’s dismay, even invites him for Thanksgiving dinner with their friends.  

     It’s so easy to see where this is going, which takes away from much of the suspense the filmmakers must have hoped for.  Charlie keeps reappearing, even when Scott tells him to stay away, and things go from bad to out of control, despite a newly installed security system. 

     The acting is reasonably good; Dennis Quaid is able to convey creepiness even when he is bringing gifts, and his gradual dishevelment across time shows his skill. Meagan Good and Michael Ealy are both very attractive, and clearly show the concern that evolves as fears of Charlie increase.  Joseph Sikora seems miscast, though, in his not conveying the urbanity of a sharp advertising executive from the city.  

     Just as the couple’s situation goes from bad to intolerable, the viewer’s experience of this film is likely to evolve in the same way.  At first, there is some disbelief, but gradually, you just have to throw up your hands at the ridiculousness.

You can skip this poorly crafted film, which seems to be following an amateur playbook.

Grade:  D-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

A DOG'S PURPOSE

Bruce Gheisar   K. J. Apa   Britt Robertson John Ortiz   Dennis Quaid   Josh Gad   Peggy Lipton

          This movie would fulfill the most basic fantasy/wish of a dog owner with a devoted pet—probably of any species.  It’s a heartwarming story of an entertaining dog (voice-over by Josh Gad so we know everything the dog is thinking) that is reincarnated four times.  Pet owners range from a small boy named Ethan (Gheisar) who grows up with “Bailey” until he goes to college and experiences a tragedy; to a policeman, Carlos (Ortiz), who uses “Ellie” as a search and rescue police dog; to a young woman for whom “Tino” helps find love and family; to an irresponsible couple who abandon him; and finally again to owners who truly care for him. 

         Screenwriter Cathryn Michon and Director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey) manage to keep what could be an overly sentimental sop engaging and interesting, even to those who are more neutral toward dogs and other animals.  The story, based on W. Bruce Cameron’s novel, is thoughtful, has some substance, and realistically portrays all kinds of families.  It doesn’t shy away from alcoholism or neglect, for instance, as it shows wholesome, loving, and thoughtful groups.

       Gad’s voice-over is perfectly rendered, and is perhaps the best part of the film in making dog-talk plausible and giving food for thought to humans.  Gheisar, as the small boy Ethan and K. J. Apa as the teenager make us care about Ethan and experience his joys and pain.  Robertson as Hannah is gracious and fun across time (later, by Lipton) as we see her in different roles.  Quaid seems perfectly fit for his character, the grown-up Ethan years later, evolving into someone who makes sense, given what has happened to him in his life—a little crusty and doubtful.

          This is a film for dog/pet owners who derive special pleasure from knowing and caring for them.  Others may find it too sweet, sentimental, and fanciful; it all depends on how you feel about pets, I guess.

Reincarnations of dog.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TRUTH

Cate Blanchett   Robert Redford   Topher Grace   Dennis Quaid   Elizabeth Moss   Bruce Greenwood   Stacy Keach

          This Truth does need to be told to remind us of the importance of solid investigative journalism at a time when so much news has become infotainment.  The film is based on a book written by its lead character Mary Mapes (Blanchett) entitled Truth and Duty:  The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power.  It gives Mapes’ account of a story she researched and produced on television’s “60 Minutes”, which questions President Bush’s service in the Air National Guard.  The first half of the film shows the painstaking efforts made by the CBS team to fact check their data to assure its veracity.  They sincerely think they are doing the best job they can as journalists.  Little do they realize the power of those who have competing interests in squashing such a newscast.  

          The coincidence of the story being aired during a Presidential election turns out to be meaningful.  Needless to say, it creates a firestorm of controversy.  Dan Rather (Redford), CBS’ news anchor reporting the story, is criticized, but nothing like the vitriolic attacks on Mapes, his producer.  Was it at least partly because she was a woman?  She had a reputation for aggressively going after stories, but initially CBS patted her on the back for this.  The film does a good job in showing that some of the things she is criticized for actually make her a good reporter. 

       But when CBS’ parent company, Viacom, enters the picture and begins to exert a strong arm over CBS—because of a competing interest—the writing is on the wall.  Rather sees it.  He bends to the forces and goes out gracefully.  Rather and Mapes are the best of friends/colleagues, but with very different personalities and backgrounds.  Having been abused by her father and well supported by her husband, she cannot resist a final major defense of the story (against her lawyer’s advice to mollify a committee stacked against her), which is not in her own self-interest.  But that’s a hero for you.

        Blanchett is clearly a star in this production—as she is in so many—by capturing the essence of the Mapes figure and empathically rendering it.  Her co-star Redford—while he does not physically resemble the newscaster—easily conveys the essence of Rather.  The actors’ chemistry onscreen is a valid reproduction of the deep connection between Rather and Mapes. 

        This is a film that will not receive its due primarily for political reasons, I think.  But it is well told even-handedly by writer/director James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spiderman, 2012, 2014; Zodiac) and the actors. 

I am glad this account of Dan Rather’s undoing is being told, although it is a sad story.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland