instruction:
In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
question:
with more and more television shows having gay characters , and even the infamous " ellen " sitcom being centered on the life of a lesbian , the movie industry too seems to be gaining more and more homosexual based plot lines .
the birdcage was critically acclaimed , as was this years chasing amy .
then along came in & out , and all three of these films are on my top ten list for the years in which they were released .
it 's also noticeable that this " alternative lifestyle " becomes less and less taboo as the years go by , and it seems that using comedy as a medium is proving a worthwhile effort .
while it 's a very serious issue to many , it is the comedies that people are flocking to see and that are gaining notoriety .
but the way we 're using comedy to present homosexuality is also changing quite dramatically .
while the gay community was once very stereotyped and used to laugh * at * , it is more and more becoming something we laugh * with * , and when a movie like in & out comes along , it is something that both heterosexuals and homosexuals should be able to thoroughly enjoy .
it does n't poke fun at the lifestyle , it simply uses it to all
it 's comedic capacity , just as love , sex , marriage , birth , death , and anything else has been .
the idea for in & out was born the day tom hanks won his oscar for portraying an aids - afflicted gay man in philadelphia .
if you remember , during his acceptance speech , hanks gave a highly emotional tribute to the gay community , and even sighted a former gay teacher of his as a major inspiration in his life .
it 's a serious and touchy subject , but producer scott rudin viewed it as the setting for a potentially hilarious comedy , and pitched it to screenwriter paul rudnick .
it 's true that if this same film had been written by a heterosexual , it may have been more controversial , but because it was written by an openly gay writer , the prerogative was set .
kevin kline , who only seems to become more and more acclaimed , stars as howard brackett , a high school english teacher in the small , picturesque town of greenleaf , indiana .
after a three - year engagement to fellow teacher emily montgomery ( joan cusack ) , a wedding date has been set , and the hubbub surrounding it is almost as big as that
surrounding another huge story - greenleaf high graduate cameron drake ( matt dillon ) is up for a best actor oscar .
the small town eagerly awaits both events , and both seem quite astronomical , but little does anyone know how much one will affect the other .
when cameron drake is announced the winner , the excitement is heightened as he pays tribute to his high school english teacher , mr .
brackett .
everyone is cheering back in greenleaf - that is until cameron tacks on those three calamitous words , " and he 's gay .
"
the town becomes silent as the entire population joins in a simultaneous jaw drop .
the thing is , nobody , including howard , can understand how cameron came to that conclusion , and such wild and unexpected news can only wreak havoc in such a conservative american haven such as greenleaf .
naturally the questions pour from howard 's fiancee , parents ( debbie reynolds & wilford brimley ) , students , and the high school 's principal , tom halliwell ( bob newhart ) , and the evidence starts to become more and more obvious : howard is clean , neat , honest , sincere , a romantic , and perhaps the most incriminating fact , he loves barbara streisand .
the frenzy is n't helped any when camera crews from every conceivable news magazine and " entertainment tonight " wannabe show up at greenleaf high the very next morning .
one particular reporter is peter malloy ( tom selleck ) of " inside entertainment " , who unlike the collage of other reporters , wants to spend a whole week in the life of howard brackett , including coverage of his wedding .
the intrusion is all but welcome by howard , who is going more and more out of his mind with each passing minute .
it seems that no matter where he turns , a camera is being shoved in his face and questions regarding homosexuality are being tossed to him like frisbees .
the dominoes begin to tumble as howard 's closest friends begin acting different and principal halliwell hints at a possible termination of employment should howard indeed be gay .
it all sounds very devastating , and it would be if it were n't presented with near - perfection by one of this year 's most delightful ensemble casts
.
kline seems only to improve with age , and he is downright perfect here .
the great thing about this film is that every single character has a moment to shine , and they use it wonderfully .
every single actor turns in one of their best performances ever .
dillon has never been so likeable , cusack
has never seemed so perfect for a role , and brimley , reynolds , and newhart
all provide huge laughs when they 're up to bat .
rudnick 's script is heavily laced with wit and humor , and you 'll likely find yourself laughing out loud for a solid ninety minutes .
while in & out does n't carry enough to give it four stars , it remains one of the best done films of the year , all - around .
the script is exuberant , the actors are absolutely top- notch , and we 're allowed just the perfect blend of heart - tugging so as not to bog down the laughs .
it remains a solid comedy throughout its entirety , yet we 're still allowed a sappily touching ending .
despite it 's subject matter , and one scene that comes almost too close for comfort on explaining gay sex , this is a movie that everyone could , and should , enjoy .
frank oz , best known as a voice talent for muppets
, directs this film quite delightfully , using all the potential rudnick 's script has to offer , which turns out to be quite a bit . check this one out .
you 'll have a gay old time .
answer:
P

question:
a friend invites you to a movie .
this film would evade the explosions and special effects of standard summer fare , and be grounded in reality .
the plot is as follows : after a terrifying incident , a mother and her independent daughter separate from the father and move away from the city .
they need fresh air to get some perspective , maybe to start over .
romance begins to brew , however , as one of the locals , played by an international superstar in rugged clothing , sparks things up , ( especially at a country - western slow dance ) .
it stars a rising young starlet , helms a good cast , and is directed by one of the better actor - turned - directors in hollywood .
you accept .
you jump at the opportunity to see , what you believe to be ,
_ the horse whisperer _ .
but , poor moviegoer , you have been conned
. alas , you find yourself watching , incredulously , _ hope floats _ .
oh , woe .
your hope has sunk .
why was this movie made ?
why was it released ?
it is a travesty on nearly every level , and has the authority to sink the careers of nearly everyone involved .
at the hands of a better script , the film could have been a gem .
but it is clueless as to what it is about , and only succeeds in transferring same cluelessness to us poor viewers .
_ hope floats _ stars sandra bullock as birdy , who , after discovering her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend ( on national television no less ) , takes her daughter and drives back to her home , helmed by a countryish bumpkin eccentric played by gena rowlands , ( she decorates with stuffed wildlife ) .
birdy 's nephew , travis ( played by _ leave it to beaver _ 's cameron finley ) , is under her custody , and in one of the film 's many failed in - jokes , is always seen wearing a different halloween costume .
what is the point of this ?
does it make any sense ?
is it supposed to be funny ?
the point of the film is to show that the family is eccentric , but i was convinced that the grandma should have been locked up for endangering the mental welfare of a child .
all of this undercuts the plot , of which there is none .
there are only many scenes that are supposed to register emotion .
there 's the scene where birdy , who used to be the prom queen , is humbled by approaching a peer she once mocked , for a job .
there 's the scene where birdy dances with her father , in the hospital for alzheimer 's .
and then there 's the sentimental scenes with justin , played by harry connick jr .
, who is taking a liking to her again , showing her a beautiful pad that he built from scratch .
and during each of these scenes , i was sidetracked by my earlier question .
what sort of eccentric grandmother go through such great pains as to provide a dog costume , a kermit costume , a cowboy costume ( with whip ) , and a full furred barney costume for her grandson to wear during dinner ?
what sort of warped ramifications would this lead for the rest of his life ?
outside of this , there are other sure signs of screenwriters block .
when the daughter stands up to the bully at school .
when birdy almost loses her job .
when the family pulls in a goofy lip - synch to cheer someone up .
when someone dies .
when the daughter cries , ( no , wails ) in exasperation that her father is not coming back .
in a movie like this , you notice the strings being pushed , and you sit there , comatose , hoping it will end . who can survive such a debacle ?
i worry for bullock 's career , which has been running on auto - pilot for the last few years .
she has an attitude , a solid perkiness , and can drive a bus -- but she ca n't handle the emotional scenes , much less hold a southern accent .
harry connick , jr .
is worse -- stick with singing , or get some acting lessons , please !
gena rowlands is the best part of the film .
but she 's such a good actress , that it staggers the mind that she 's weighed down by such lukewarm material here
.
it would be a severe tragedy if the recurring star of john cassavettes ' great films is known for this film .
two notes to forest whittaker : ( 1 ) cut the slow - motion sequences .
there are twelve times where you undercut your own direction by such a failed trick .
have you done so
, you could have shaved off ten - minutes of this almost unbearable debacle .
( 2 ) you 've had to know something was wrong if your cinematographer 's filter makes the candlelight appear like little " x " s .
you 're not a bad director , but you ca n't change a terrible script
.
there 's a recurring scene where birdy , working at the neighborhood fotomat , finds the machine go wrong , and image after destroyed , warped , dark image appear .
think about it .
a succession of destroyed images may have been more entertaining than this movie .
answer:
N

question:
director andrew davis reworks his fugitive formula and the results are about as exciting as his last film-- the dreadful comedy steal big , steal little-- was funny .
keanu
" i 'd rather play music than play another action hero " reeves
is the grad student on the run , who , along with his superfluous sidekick ( rachel weisz ) , has been framed for a sabotaged science experiment that vaporized eight chicago city blocks .
( the mushroom - cloud explosion is a knock - out and easily the best part of the movie .
or , as one audience member succinctly summed it up :
" whoa . " ) false information implicates their involvement and boy and girl are soon on the run , fleeing over open drawbridges , across icy lakes , and through the corridors of power at a top - secret , underground energy facility .
aiding and abetting is the team 's shady mentor , played in an excellent - but - so-
what performance by morgan freeman .
( brit brian cox is also about , as the behind - the - scenes bad guy .
he has some fun fiddling with a southern accent . ) unfunny , overscored , and without a single shred of suspense , chain reaction is * the * summer movie to walk out on . if you make it to the end , a mess of cross - cutting involving another imminent explosion , you 'll hear somebody say " i guess it 's time to go .
" heed that warning .
answer:
N