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As far as inspirational sports movies go, The Rookie is better than average. This movie starts off pretty strong, but then its momentum begins to dip near the middle of two-hour and eight-minute runtime. The story manages to catch its second wind near the end, though. Dennis Quaid gives a very convincing performance as Jim Morris, ignoring the fact that he is over 10 years older than Morris really was when he was signed. I was also disappointed to read some of the real-life facts about Morris's marriage. Regardless of the reality, The Rookie is a good movie for the whole family with plenty of heart.

Why settle for a single romantic comedy when you can get two for the price of one with The Holiday? And while the coinciding storylines push the runtime to over two hours, this movie doesn't feel bloated. When one plotline starts to feel stale, it simply hops over to the other one. Kate Winslet definitely gives the strongest performance in this film, followed closely by Jude Law. Cameron Diaz starts off shaky but finds her footing in the end. Meanwhile Jack Black never seems to quite fit the rom-com lead role he was given. It may be a little uneven, but The Holiday deserves a visit every now and then.

I don't remember seeing this ABC television special in the 80s, but I did read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever back then, so maybe that's why it felt so familiar to me. Or perhaps that's because I recently watched the 2024 film adaptation. Regardless, this is a cute story with a good message. Loretta Swit gives a solid performance as Grace, the head of this story, and little Fairuza Balk shines in her acting debut as Beth Bradley, a prominent character and the heart of this story. Yes, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a little cheesy, but a little cheese is always welcome around Christmastime.