#75 "Follow the Stars Home"

Stats: 2001. Starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Campbell Scott, Eric Close, and Alexa Vega. TV-PG. Based on a novel.

Background: Follow the Stars Home is one of the zillions of movies I taped off TV. I’m pretty sure I saw it when it first aired as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special, and then watched it every time I came across it on cable. A couple years ago, I bought the dvd from Amazon ... but that didn't stop me from continuing to watch it every time I found it on TV!

Plot: Dianne (Williams-Paisley) and Mark (Close) had a whirlwind romance that ended once they learned their child would be born with severe genetic abnormalities. After Mark takes off, Dianne raises their daughter Julia on her own with assistance from her mother (Blair Brown) and Mark’s physician brother David (Scott). When an accident brings Mark back into Dianne’s life, she wonders if perhaps he’s finally ready to be a father to Julia. But David has loved Dianne since before she met Mark, and he longs to care for both her and Julia. How will Dianne choose between the brothers?

Reactions: I love this movie! It’s so sweet … and while the romance is there, it’s more about motherly love. And I love the proposal at the end: “Marry me and eliminate lower back pain.” You’ll just have to watch it to see what I’m talking about!

Also, it’s fun to watch old TV movies and see where people are now: Blair Brown (Nina Sharp on my current favorite show Fringe), Patricia Belcher (Caroline on Bones—she was responsible for Booth & Bones’ first viewer-seen kiss), and Octavia Spencer (Oscar winner for The Help) all have supporting roles!

Verdict: Keep

#74 "The Flying Deuces"

Stats: 1939. Starring Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. Not rated.

Background: The Flying Deuces is one of the few movies we owned when I was a kid. And, as it was one of our only movies, we watched it often. I remember thinking it was so incredibly funny. A while back, I found it in the CBD catalog for 99 cents. How could I pass that up? I pictured showing the movie to my (still future) children and watching them enjoying it as much as I did as a kid.

Plot: While he and Stan are staying in France, Ollie becomes smitten with Georgette, the innkeeper’s daughter. When he learns she is married to François, he first decides to drown himself. But a man-eating shark scares him away from the river, so he instead decides to join the French Foreign Legion. Stan, who allows Ollie to completely control him, joins him.

Being in the Foreign Legion is much more difficult than they expected, and soon they decide to leave. They are charged with desertion and sentenced to death by firing squad, but they manage to dig their way out of their prison cell. They escape by stealing an airplane, but, as they don’t know how to fly, they crash, and Ollie dies and becomes a talking horse, à la Mr. Ed.

Reactions: Boy, was I ever bored as I watched this! The physical comedy that I found so absolutely hilarious as a child didn’t make me snicker even once. And it’s really quite dark wrapped up in a comedic exterior—just go back and read my plot summary! Honestly, I’d be happy to never watch this again. Still, I think I’ll keep it in the interest of my future children …

Verdict: Keep

P.S.: You can watch it for free here.