Once Upon a Mattress

 Once Upon a Mattress (2005)

Starring Carol Burnett, Tracey Ullman, Denis O'Hare, Zooey Deschanel, Matthew Morrison, Michael Boatman, Edward Hibbert, and Tom Smothers

Directed by Kathleen Marshall

Written by Janet Brownell

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D-

Annie

Annie (1982)

Starring Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Geoffrey Holder, Edward Herrmann, and Sandy

Directed by John Huston

Written by Carol Sobieski

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Movie Review - Post Grad (2009)

Starring Alexis Bledel, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Jane Lynch, Zach Gilford, and Rodrigo Santoro
Directed by Vicky Jenson

Yet another film where that good old English degree does its recipient no good at all (I know the feeling all too well).

Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel...the younger Gilmore Girl) is a young twentysomething who just recently graduated from college, and, as part of her life plan, aspires to get a job at a prestigious publishing company in her hometown. When she doesn't land the job (and fails to get every other form of employment she applies for), she is forced to move back home with her wacky family, begins working with her father, and starts to fall for her Latin next door neighbor (leaving her best boy friend by the wayside).

This flick was certainly more suited to be a tv movie and I'm not quite sure how it managed to get any type of theatrical release. Problem One is that despite how cute Alexis Bledel is, she's not an actress that captures my attention onscreen. This is a comedy (I shockingly laughed a bit...more on that later), but Bledel is never given much funny to do. Granted, that's not her fault, but it didn't help me to like this character. I'm certainly not one to say that I need a "star" to keep me interested in a film, but Bledel, while not bad, just didn't draw me in.

Problem Two is a simple one -- this movie was pretty poorly directed. Director Vicky Jenson apparently is best known for her work in the animation field...she should stick with that (even if she is the director responsible for the accursed Shrek). I don't know how else to say this, but the film looked crappy. There was nothing here that wasn't by-the-book.

Problem Three is the corny script pertaining to the main plot line of Bledel's Ryden and her lovelife. When your romantic entanglement is resolved by a slow motion shot of someone eating an Eskimo Pie, there's a problem.

That being said, Carol Burnett was in this and her simple presence is enough to make me laugh. I remember watching The Carol Burnett Show as a kid (shockingly enough, it would've been in reruns, folks...I wasn't old enough to watch it when it first aired) and thinking it was some super funny stuff. She doesn't disappoint here. And Burnett is certainly helped by the comedic genius of Jane Lynch. I think she's one funny lady and she certainly has the ability to elevate an otherwise lukewarm movie (see For Your Consideration as an example). Michael Keaton's character was an awful caricature of an overbearing father (in fact, most of the Ryden's family were awful caricatures). However, Keaton manages to sell the role and I laughed a bit despite the fact that I really couldn't stand him (I guess that takes some talent).

There's really nothing here. I mean, maybe if it airs on ABC Family or the CW (which, let's be honest here, it will inevitably air on one of those channels in the future), it may be worth a watch simply for Burnett and Lynch...but other than that, this one can certainly be skipped (and based on last week's box office results, most people decided indeed to pass this over).

The RyMickey Rating: D