The Penn Stater Magazine

At the Movies with President Spanier

December 28, 2009 at 4:11 pm Tina Hay Leave a comment

Penn State President Graham Spanier has been a movie buff for most of his life, and for the past 20 years or so he’s also been an amateur movie critic of sorts.

The typical pattern is that he crams in as much movie-watching (typically the year-end releases) as he can over the University’s holiday break—or, in his case, after the December graduation ceremonies and before he heads off to the bowl game. Then he e-mails his capsule reviews to a growing list of family, friends, and colleagues.

I received Spanier’s annual e-mail today, containing short reviews of a dozen movies, and with his permission I’m sharing his reviews with you here.

By the way, I’ve only seen one of the movies he mentions—It’s Complicated—and I loved it.

The Hurt Locker
Four stars
“Riveting and suspenseful, an exceptional portrayal of the dynamics, risks, and dilemmas of an Army IED explosive prevention unit in Iraq. Such devices account for a huge portion of deaths in Iraq. And the film provokes thought about our presence in hostile parts of the Middle East—without being a political movie.”

Avatar
Four stars
“An incredible visual extravaganza, this is perhaps the most amazing deployment of information technology ever in a movie. The $16 movie ticket in NY, for the most expensive movie ever made, was certainly worth the price. In 3-D, it wraps together a love story, good versus evil, and a story line for the modern era.”

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Four stars
“A deeply disturbing story about an abusive household in Harlem that ends on a hopeful note for an unattractive 16-year-old girl, Precious, who is pregnant for the second time by her father and tormented by an unfit mother. She is encouraged by an alternative school teacher, but has to cope with truly overwhelming odds.”

An Education
Four stars
“A 16-year-old British girl with academic but not worldly brilliance is introduced to life’s possibilities, and heartbreaks, by an older man while her parents struggle with the trade-off between Oxford and Marriage.”

Nine
Three and a half stars
“In this Broadway musical translated to a movie, a tormented director struggles with movie-making in the midst of internal conflicts about women, morality, and commitment. Visually stunning with its sets and Rome as a backdrop, the film features a cast of many of Hollywood’s most beautiful and talented women.”

Invictus
Three and a half stars
“Morgan Freeman, as Nelson Mandela, shines as always, in this inspirational Clint Eastwood-directed film, which is more about leadership than sport—the sport being rugby. Important lessons about forgiveness and reconciliation in the post-apartheid years in South Africa.”

Sherlock Holmes
Three stars
“Non-stop action in this modern and spiced-up version of the escapades of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in London before the turn of the 20th century. At times feeling like a cross between Harry Potter and the Da Vinci Code, one can’t help but enjoying the characters, even if they don’t fit our historical concept of Sherlock Holmes. Fabulous cinematography.”

The Blind Side
Three stars
“Bring some tissues along for this touching movie starring Sandra Bullock, based on a true story about an abandoned black high school student who is adopted by a wealthy southern white family and goes on to succeed in playing football.”

Up in the Air
Three stars
“Graham Spanier lookalike George Clooney travels full time in conjunction with a high-flying job where he has to fire people for others. His disconnected life takes an unexpected turn as he falls for a woman who enchants him while he mentors a young woman who thinks she has all the answers.”

It’s Complicated
Two and a half stars
“The title says it all in this romantic comedy about a couple who rekindles their interest in each other 10 years after their divorce while their grown children watch things unfold and another man competes for the mother’s affection. Meryl Streep once again demonstrates her talents in the lead role.”

Everybody’s Fine
Two and a half stars
“Robert De Niro as a widower who spent his life working to provide for his children’s education, all the while setting high expectations. Now alone, he sets out to visit his four grown children sequentially in a sentimental journey loaded with messages about family dysfunction and reconciliation.”

New Moon
Two and a half stars
“This wildly popular sequel continues a romance between Bella and the pale and protective vampire, and adds in the growing attraction to an equally devoted werewolf, but Bella’s down-in-the-dumps posture is draining. The first movie was actually quite good, but this second try in what threatens to be an ongoing series was disappointing.”

Spanier adds this note about this year’s crop of Christmastime movies: “All of those listed are worthy of your ticket purchase, depending on your fancy, with many very highly recommended.”

If you’re an ultra-serious movie buff and want to see what he said about last year’s end-of-year movies, you can read those reviews here.

Tina Hay, editor

Entry filed under: Graham Spanier. Tags: An Education, Avatar, Everybody's Fine, Graham Spanier, Invictus, It's Complicated, New Moon, Nine, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Sherlock Holmes, The Blind Side, The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air.