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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Sep 8, 2010
The Joneses
James and the Giant Peach
(Walt Disney)
“James and the Giant Peach,” Henry Selick’s 1996 musical film adaption of the children’s book by the late Roald Dahl (ex-husband of the late Patricia Neal) is a good example of how far movie technology has advanced in 15 years. Combining live action and stop-motion animation, this is the story of James (Paul Terry), whose cozy seaside life comes to an abrupt end with the death of his parents. The boy is sent to live with evil and abusive aunts Sponge (Miriam Margolyes) and Spiker (“Ab Fab”’s Joanna Lumley).
James’s wish to be far away from his terrible situation is granted when he is made guardian of a magical stew. Some of the ingredients infect a dead peach tree, which sprouts a fast-growing piece of fruit. The peach becomes the boy’s means of escape. He crawls inside the peach (a magical, animated world) and meets a group of insects, including the wise Grasshopper (out actor Simon Callow), the wise-cracking Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss) and the mothering duo of Miss Spider (Susan Sarandon) and Ladybug (Jane Leeves).
The giant peach transports James and his new family to NYC. On the perilous journey, they encounter hunger, thunderstorms, a mechanical shark, terrifying nightmares, getting thrown off course and pirate ghosts. But they survive and reach New York, where James’ arrival becomes legend.
With life lessons about how everything can begin with a dream and how to see things in a different way, the kid in each of us is meant to be inspired. If only the movie itself was that inspirational. Sadly, it’s not.
DVD bonus material on the double-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo includes a production featurette, the “Good News” music video and more.
The Joneses
(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/Echo Lake)
Keeping up with “The Joneses” is harder than you think. The Jones “family” – father Steven (David Duchovny), mother Kate (Demi Moore), son Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) and daughter Jenn (Amber Head) – is planted by a faceless corporation in one of the biggest houses on a block of newly constructed mansions to commit stealth marketing.
The family parades around in expensive clothes, drives an array of new Audis, adorns themselves with expensive jewelry and has a home decorated in the latest trends – complete with all the latest cutting-edge toys and gadgets. All they have to do is get their well-to-do neighbors to take note of their goods and go out and spend, spend, spend while maintaining the façade (in spite of the fact that Steven and Kate sleep in separate bedrooms and Jenn wants to bed Steven).
Little by little, the cracks begin to show. High-schooler Jenn is sleeping with a married man. Mick misinterprets signals from a classmate and ends up getting beaten up, which leads him to come out as gay. Less well-off neighbors Larry (Gary Cole) and Summer (Glenne Headley) do their damnedest to keep up until tragedy strikes. And despite trying to keep a professional distance between herself and Steven, Kate realizes that she has feelings for him, threatening the lifestyle to which she has become accustomed.
At turns funny and serious, writer/director Derrick Borte’s “The Joneses” does a respectable job of commenting on consumer culture and its negative impact on society. Moore and Duchovny are pleasant to watch together and bring some glamour to the movie. Supporting-players Headley and Cole prove they can hold their own.
DVD special features consist of deleted scenes.
