Dr. Ed-2

mar this adaptation of the great Thornton Wilder play about mutability and one man (town's) place in the universe. Paul Newman, Jane Curtin, and Jayne Atkinson fare best. Jeffrey DeMunn is a little too "actorish," and the young leads lack spark and pale when compared to the luminous performance of William Holden and Martha Scott in the 1940 film. Not bad, but not great either. No two accents are alike (considering this is a turn-of-the-century New England town)---even among families. If you can't do accents, why bother?

is the totally mesmerizing musical number headed by Tisha Campbell in an all-out Supremes homage. Try taking your eyes off Jasmine Guy as she gyrates through this number. Great song with campy, over-the-top choreography as Guy and 2 other slink and stalk across the stage in skin-tight gowns. The high point of the film! Was this song a hit back in 1988?

with nice performances by Kay Francis and Pat O'Brien, but it's old vet Thurston Hall as Kay's father who steals the show as the lewd and carefree old rogue. Kay wears a couple of truly hideous outfits but otherwise looks great as usual. Lots of supporting players help spark this breezy film: Grant Mitchell, Sarah Edwards, Georgia Caine, John Eldredge, Gordon Oliver, Josephine Whittell, Joyce Compton, and even the usually stuffy Ralph Forbes.