BuzzSugar

New in Town: Lovin' in the Cold

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:30:40 -0800

New in Town is packed with a lot of bad, wrong-headed moves including small-town stereotypes, predictability, conventionality, and in one bizarre scene, hard nipples. Despite a talented and likable cast with wonderful character actors like J.K. Simmons and Frances Conroy, this romantic comedy was probably doomed from the start due to a script that can't decide if it wants to be Fargo, Norma Ray, or Working Girl.

That said, there is something in this movie that no script can write in and that's some honest-to-goodness chemistry between the two leads. Maybe I'm a sucker for Harry Connick Jr., maybe it's rare to witness some genuine onscreen sparks, or maybe I've been suffering too long from generic rom-com fatigue. Whatever the reason, I couldn't help but get a moderate case of the warm fuzzies after watching it.

To see some more of my thoughts on New in Town, read more.

Renée Zellweger plays Lucy Hill, a tough Miami executive at some kind of food-making corporation who storms around in sky-high heels as if they were running shoes. We see Lucy at a meeting full of suits and jogging on the shore, but beyond that we don't really get any more insight into her character, which is one of the problems with this script. It makes it difficult later on to sympathize with her or even to understand why she does some of the things she does when she has to take over a processing plant located in the frozen tundra of New Ulm, Minnesota.

Lucy is sent to lay off a bunch of employees, but the longer she's in town the more she sees how devastating her actions would be to the people of New Ulm who have been so gosh darn nice to her. The plight of the town folks is given voice through the local union rep, Ted (Harry Connick Jr.), who has lots of initial contempt for the new lady in town and sees Lucy as a corporate stooge. Until, of course . . . he doesn't.

There are lots of tiresome homespun-isms by the sweet, down-to-earth townspeople, as well as much scrap-booking and tapioca-making, stuff like that. And at first Zellweger plays Lucy as a stiff "ice queen" (another extreme stereotype this movie can claim: that of the callous, powerful working woman). But once things heat up between her and Ted, she warms up and the performance takes on a more natural, playful tone. If fact, it's right in the middle that the characters emerge as more than caricatures and things get charming. Lucy is especially fun to root for midway through because she's smart and determined and also hilariously out of place on dates with Ted. The bottom line is that there is plenty to roll your eyes at, including an ending that's silly and syrupy, but I'll admit it: I laughed and I wanted these two opposite lovebirds to be together forever.

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate

Movie Preview: Renée Zellweger Is New in Town

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:31:48 -0800

The trailer for the romantic comedy New in Town, starring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr., seems to tell the whole story, and it looks like a predictable story at that. As the plot description states, "Renée Zellweger stars as a Miami-based consultant whose latest assignment, to restructure a manufacturing plant in small-town Minnesota, causes her to reconsider her professional and personal objectives once she settles into her new life."

And yet, if it's so predictable, why did I laugh out loud a few times while watching the trailer? There's something kind of adorable and funny about this movie, and I'm actually excited to see it. New in Town (which was previously titled Chilled in Miami) opens Jan. 30. To check out the trailer, read more.

TV Tonight: Living Proof on Lifetime

BuzzSugar — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:30:04 -0700

Raising awareness and funds when it comes to fighting breast cancer is only half the battle. Tonight's TV movie on Lifetime, Living Proof, shows that for the doctors and scientists working on a cure, the fight has just begun.

Starring Harry Connick Jr., Living Proof "is the true story of oncologist and researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon, the UCLA doctor who helped develop the breast cancer drug Herceptin, and his effort to keep the drug trials afloat."

Based on the clips I've watched, Dr. Slamon faced down messy politics and sacrificed a great deal to help women suffering from breast cancer, so it seems like an inspiring true story to air during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The movie also stars Bernadette Peters, Amanda Bynes, Angie Harmon, Swoosie Kurtz, Tammy Blanchard and Regina King, and Renée Zellweger is one of the executive producers.

Below I've included some preview clips, including a chat with Connick Jr. about the film and a taste of an original song he wrote for this project. Living Proof airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. (but check your local listings). To see the clips, read more.

Photo courtesy of Lifetime

Movie Preview: Gerard Butler, Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Back when this movie was a part of my tearjerker movies Fall Movie Preview post, there was no trailer available, but I was looking forward to seeing what the tone of this movie would be. Now, judging from the newly released trailer, it looks a little sappy, but also cute and endearing - if you're in that kind of mood. Plus, I recently learned that Swank injured herself during a scene in which Gerard Butler is stripping, and somehow that makes me like the movie more.

Opening December 21, the movie is based on a novel and stars Hilary Swank as Holly, a young widow who discovers that her husband wrote out messages for her just before he died. Some of the notes include unusual requests, and before long, Holly and her girlfriends (played by Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon, pictured) are going on a string of adventures that Holly's late husband planned for her.

I think the best parts of the trailer feature Lisa Kudrow's character's ill-fated attempts to pick up men (well, those moments and Jeffrey Dean Morgan's extremely adorable smile are my favorite parts), but you can see what you think of the trailer yourself if you read more

'
Source

Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. Chill in Miami

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:40:09 -0700

As the title suggests, these two are in negotiations to star together in a movie. The "fish out of water comedy" is titled Chilled in Miami and "centers on a Miami businesswoman who's transferred to the sticks of Minnesota."

The original title for this project was 32 and Single, so I'm certainly relieved to see that at least they changed that up (because, you know, it's the 2000s now and being 32 and single isn't all that unusual or tragic). However, I must say I don't really understand what Chilled in Miami means, exactly. I assume it has something to do with Zellweger's character's icy cold personality before slowing down and warming up to the Minnesotans charming small town ways.

Yawn. I so hope there's more to the storyline than this!

Source, source

What to TiVo: Friday

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:50:43 -0800

ABC is new with Supernanny, Ugly Betty, and 20/20
CBS is new with Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and NUMB3RS
FOX has repeats of House and Bones
NBC is new with Law & Order and Dateline NBC
The CW is new with Smallville and has a repeat of America's Next Top Model
USA is new with Monk and White Collar
Bravo has Legally Blonde
E! is new with The Soup
TLC is new with Say Yes to the Dress and Battle of the Wedding Planners
MTV has repeats of Southpark and Jackass, and has Kill Bill: Vol. 2
VH1 has Cocktail and a repeat of Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew
Late-night highlights include Terrence Howard and Sheryl Crow on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Mariah Carey on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Reese Witherspoon, Danny DeVito, and Kris Allen on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Diddy on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Harry Connick Jr. on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; Amanda Peet on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Emmy Rossum on Last Call With Carson Daly on NBC