artguylarry

Peter Boyle,Micole Mercurio, Jason Bernard and Jack Warden. They have all left us. And while I'm sure they have done bigger things, I am so grateful that they leave this great movie behind so we can enjoy them together in such a heart warming movie. Every person in this movie is just so lovable and endearing. Granted, there's nothing here to be taken seriously, but that's okay. It's sappy, Hallmark-y, only slightly plausible, and highly unlikely that everything would align so comically in real life, but it's a quirky comfy, warm and fuzzy escape for just under two hours with a family you will fall in love with. And I wouldn't have replaced a single actor anywhere in it.

OK hear me out. I am COMPLETELY against shaming anyone for their overt mannerisms. What we label as "straight acting," "butch acting," or "fem acting," it's all good by me. There's no shame or embarrassment in a gay man who acts feminine. There is however, plenty to be embarrassed by in a gay man who acts like a 9 year old girl. I don't want to type out a name, because I hate that. Let's just call this a reference to the guy who has stepped in for Carson. Carson was fem, but Carson didn't ounce around on set like a teeny bopper on a sugar rush. As a gay man, I support that these guys are representing our culture. But we (in the show's target age group) are adults, and as such, I would prefer to be represented by a professional adult. Not an overgrown toddler. This guy alone knocked 5 stars off of my rating.

Lily Tomlin has so many comedic talents. And they are all here in this film. Dry wit, dual roles (she's good at that), Ernestine the operator, Edith Ann, the little brat (in a deleted scene). Pure enjoyment. I remember seeing this as a kid. Now as an adult, I enjoy it again, being able to catch little pieces of the humor I never understood as a child. An adorable comedy is all this is. I read so many of these user comments and find too many people looking for some sort of message or spiritual enlightenment or an answer to the meaning of life. Get real. It's cute. Just enjoy it.