Wednesday, July 20, 2016 | Times-Herald Xtra 3
Movie Reviews
“Life, Animated” is a cinematic treasure Review By: Jonathan W. r e g a r d e d d o c u m e n t a ries. The f ilm, directed Hickman by Oscar winner Roger It was when Owen Ross Wi llia ms (“Music reached three years old b y P r u d e n c e ”), m a g i that his parents noticed a cally builds upon Owen’s big change in their little life-changing infatuation boy. Cornelia and Ron Sus- with Disney films to tell kind could see their son the emotional story of his was withdrawing. When family’s ongoing struggle the devastating diagnosis with what is thought to be of autism came crushing a crippling disorder. down, they didn’t know Visually rich with aniwhere to turn. Luckily, life mation taken from Owen’s finds a way. artwork and writing, “Life, B a s e d o n t h e b e s t- Animated” is a cinematic sel l i ng book by aut hor treasure that will go far in Ron Suskind, “Life, Ani- demystifying what autism mated” is likely to be one means for those searching of this year’s most highly for answers.
“Ghostbusters (2016)” is a weak parody Review By: Jonathan W. Hickman The 2016 reboot of “Ghostbusters” is an exercise in lazy filmmaking. Saved only by moments of humor that can be attributed to its winning cast, this unnecessary movie may cover the sizable production budget but is unlikely to spawn a new franchise. And if “Ghostbusters” dies with this iteration, it might not be a bad thing. But, heck, who would have thought that Pokemon would make such a thunderous comeback? Instead of extending the original mythology introduced back in 1984 under the guidance of director Ivan Reitman, “Ghostbusters (2016)” takes many of the original’s gags and tries to update them with a dash of nostalgia. The central permutation is a gender flip of the key players. So, the ghost boys become the ghost girls in this new age. On the surface, the casting looks absolutely wonderful. Comic superstar actresses Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig are joined by hot Saturday Night Live current cast members Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones to form the team that won’t be afraid of no ghosts. And it is solely the natural comedic charisma of this combination that makes the concoc-
tion bearable. Fans of the source material know the score: three scientists and a layman with horse-sense form a team to battle the growing ghost population in New York City. Of course, they face many challenges, including the fact that most New Yorkers think they’re crazy. Wiig plays the straight-man academic Dr. Erin Gilbert, whose career as a professor is derailed by her interest in the supernatural. Her childhood friend is Dr. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), who has partnered with the wacky Dr. Jillian Holtzmann (an over-the- top Kate McKinnon), who can instantly build gadgets capable of fighting menacing apparitions. And after encountering and facing down a scary spirit, subway worker Patty Tolan (a stereotyped Leslie Jones) forces herself into the ghost club. Unlike the 1984 film, the new “Busters” suffer from a chemistry problem. Not only are they uncomfortable with one another, but this is not a group of ladies you’d necessarily want to hang out with. Compare Venkman, Stantz, Spengler, and Zeddmore, who, after finding fame as ghost fighters, danced the night away in some of New York’s hippest clubs. These were everyman types who
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put in a hard day’s work complete with smoke breaks and plenty of booze. By contrast, the team in “Ghostbusters (2016)” are social pariahs to the extreme. The breezy script glosses over developing their individual personalities in favor of cutting quickly to the action. Sadly, what is initially intriguing and quirky never evolves, which makes it hard to root for them when they go to battle. Ultimately, “Ghostbusters (2016)” is a weak parody of the original. It lacks heart and character development that managed to endear the original’s characters with audiences for decades. The fault lies with the lazy writing and intentionally cheesy special effects that would rather remind us of the source material without trying to do anything fresh or different. We do get gratuitous cameo appearances by Bill Murray (who has little more than one pointless scene) and tacked on moments with Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson. There is a passing visual reference to the late Harold Ramis, as well. Too bad this 2016 update is a remake and not a continuation of the humorous vibe that made the original a comedy classic.
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By MAGGIE BOWERS maggie@newnan.com Is it time for a change? The Newnan Times-Herald wants your opinion. A reader survey with questions and room fo f r comments is now available online at www.times-herald.com/s / urvey. /s y y. The survey was created in a style similar to that of a customer service experience questionnaire. Readers can rank the importance of various sections in the newspaper in addition to topics covered. Several changes were made to The Newnan Times-Herald in the past, and the majority of the improvements were a result of readers’ input. According to Publisher, John A. Winters, the time is right to gather the opinions of readers once again. “Tell us what you think we’re doing right and where we need to improve,” Winters said. The survey is available in both an online and a print fo f rmat. Visit www.times-herald.com/survey or find the survey printed today on page 3A. The printed survey can be filled out by hand and ret ur urne ed to T he New na n Ti mes-
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Aft ffter being a part of the educational field in Georgia ffor more than 40 years, longtime educator and Cowetan Cathy Wright is retiring. Currently, y y, Wright is the director of the University of West Georgia campus in Newnan, and the campus is holding “Cathy Wright Day” on Feb. 5 to celebrate her retirement. “I’m 64, heading towards 65,” she said. “A “ t this age, you start to wonder how much time you have left fft ; and you think about things you want to do, places you want to go; you wonder if you’ll stay healthy enough to do any of them … My children grew up here in Newnan with one set of grandparents next door and the other set only two miles ffrom our home. Grandparents were a big
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F MILY FA L HOPES TO RAISE $15,000 FOR SEIZURE ALERT DOG LY
By SARAH H FA FAY AY CAMPBELL
that there is something wrong,” Erin said. Doctors told her Micah – whom When E Erin Scharko-Fisk was 14 weeks pre egnant with her second they wouldn’t call by name – might child “we e were told he was not have a trisomy chromosomal abnormality. Either Tr T isomy 13, 18, or 21. compatible e with life f .” fe Sch h a rko -F F i s k s we r e t o l d t h a t An ultrasound showed that little T he Sc sarah@new wnan.com
would not survive the pregnancy. y” y. Though doctors had urged Erin to abort, Micah was born healthy. He just had a little extra skin around his neck. “He never spent one night in the NICU. He was perfe f ct. T fe To us,, it was
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Dear Citizens, I would like to take this time to thank each of you for your outpouring of support and offers of prayer for public safety. During the explosion at Bonnell, Citizens came together and delivered water and food to the scene for the public safety personnel and the family members of the employees at Bonnell. This shows that our Citizens care for each other and for the men and women who work to protect you and your family. After the tragedy in Dallas, Texas again our Citizens came forward with words of encouragement and offers of prayer for our Officers. Some of you when you saw Officers, you gave them a pat on the back and words of encouragement and told them that you appreciated the job they do. You brought food by the station for the Officers, sent cards, and made phone calls with kind thoughts and words to help pick up our spirits. Words cannot begin to express our gratitude for your outpouring of support. It is because of citizens such as you that we will continue to do what we are sworn to do and that is to protect the citizens of Newnan and Coweta County. We are fortunate to have your support during good times and even more so, during the bad time. You are the reason that Newnan and Coweta County is a great place to live, work and raise a family. The out pouring of support from you has blessed my heart deeply. I hope each of you have a blessed day. Thank you so much. Sincerely,
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