THE MOVIES OF 2007: Pregnancy, Comedy, Trilogy
Okay, put down those damn Top Ten movie lists for a moment. Instead, here’s our view on the films of 2007.
THE BIG BUMP
2007 was THE year to be a cool pregnant chick. Katherine Heigl’s character in Knocked Up, Keri Russell in Waitress, Ellen Page in Juno. Hell, even Rose McGowan at the end of Terror Planet. (On a side note, my pregnant wife’s on the cool list too, even though it’s real life and she’s not in a movie.)
THE BIG LUMP
Speaking of Knocked Up, Seth Rogen is bringing some seriously fresh material to mainstream comedy and earning a lot of box office in the process. With a band of buddies and Judd Apatow as the new Godfather, you can have a nice dose of sincerity while your buddy is puking on your t-shirt.
THE BIG THREE
The trio of giant “threequels” all found big business and tepid reviews. In order of total box office gross: Spider-Man 3 (#1), Shrek the Third (#2), Pirates: At World’s End (#4). Add The Bourne Ultimatum (#6), Rush Hour 3 (#12) and Ocean’s Thirteen (#22), and you’d think the writers’ strike started long before the Fall.
THE BIG BOMBS
Two fictional movies focusing on war and terrorism never got off the ground: Robert Redford’s Lions for Lambs (soapbox included) and Rendition. When’s the last time a movie with Tom Cruise had trouble making $15 million in theaters? And Rendition — with Reese Witherspoon — didn’t even earn $10 million. Maybe five years of war on television is making every real story already seem flashy and fictional.
TOP PERFORMANCES
I’ve never been much for Daniel Day-Lewis. To my eyes and ears, he’s just a touch below Gary Oldman in the overacting department. 
But There Will Be Blood has re-opened my eyes and ears and, like many in the film, I am reborn in the Church of Daniel. ”Force of nature” is a sadly overused phrase but, man, does it fit in this case. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s new curiosity, Day-Lewis is reserved, conniving and outlandishly confident, and his timing is amazing. His speech even has its own strange, unique cadence.
Molly Shannon will probably always be overlooked because she’s known for comedy. But her performance in Mike White’s Year of the Dog makes it tough to peer past her. She exudes a shaded loneliness that’s both sad and proud, and the love she shows the dogs in the movie couldn’t appear more genuine. She is, for real, ”Superstar!”
MECHANICAL PERFORMANCES
The chatter and patter between Transformers characters was just Chuck E. Cheese silly. If I knew it would be aimed at ten-year-olds, I would’ve stayed away. Mr. Bay, please calm down a bit.
DON’T MAKE FUN OF ME
Not in my Top Ten, but worth seeing to serve your sappy side: Music and Lyrics, Freedom Writers, Pride.
MAKE FUN OF THEM
Stupid films: Because I Said So, Catch and Release, Fracture, Smokin’ Aces
INDIE CHAMPIONS
We love the little guy here at The Lobby, and celebrate the most successful small releases of 2007:
:: Avenue Montaigne — the “other” Parisian restaurant movie grossed $2 million on only 17 screens
:: Nitro — more from the French! This action film from Quebec earned nearly $3.5M on 74 screens
:: La Vie en Rose — yeah, it’s French, but it’s also British and Czech. The life story of singer Edith Piaf was the smallest film to earn double digits: $10M on 178 screens.
:: Across the Universe — Julie Taymor’s ode to Beatles’ music was the most successful movie on fewer than 1000 screens, earning $24M.
… And the fact that Steven Soderbergh helped Charles Burnett’s sad portrait Killer of Sheep finally get released after 30 years.
Happy New Year to all…
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Other Posts of Interest
- Potter, Potter: Final HARRY POTTER Novel to Be Two Movies
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- An Odd “Bloody” Ending: There Will Be Blood
- Final Episode: ESPN’s The Bronx Is Burning
- Critics Poll: The Best Movies of 2007
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No Country For Old Men and Mr. Brooks were two of my favorites this year; but contrary to what anyone says, I thought Smokin’ Aces was fun. (Seriously, how many times will you get to see Afleck killed less than halfway through a movie?)