She's All That (1999)

★★★
My favorite shot in She’s All That lasts about five seconds at the end. Laney Boggs smiles as Zack Siler embraces being on the losing end of a bet. The camera zooms in on Laney, who's laughing with such gusto, like she just set free a lifetime of frustration. Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” plays on the soundtrack. Credits roll. I love it. It summarizes her journey from unpopular art student to someone ready to combine her strengths with her newfound confidence and enter a new chapter in her life. It’s fitting that this movie came out in 1999. With the new millennium just around the corner, she has the opportunity to leave her old self behind and step into another era and start anew.

Train to Busan (2016)

★★★½
A Netflix staple for the last three years, Train to Busan offers not only a thrilling take on the zombie movie, but also a welcome alternative to arrogant Hollywood personalities who have become so insufferable as of late that one is forced to look elsewhere for big screen entertainment. This movie has everything you could want from this genre, and more. It’s exciting and gory, but also surprisingly emotional and very original. Yes, an original zombie movie. Though it uses the running variety popularized by 28 Days Later, it stages most of the action on a train and uses the location to its full advantage. It’s pretty exhilarating.

Stealing Harvard (2003)

★★
Stealing Harvard starts out well enough before descending into a pathetic bore. Even then, the movie almost pulls it off. Jason Lee carries the film on his shoulders, turning in a sincere and amusing performance in a movie that doesn't give him much support. If there is any reason to see this mess, then it is Jason Lee. When left to do what he does best, Lee is engaging and funny, but when left to the requirements of this screenplay (which is most of the time), he is a victim of abuse.

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2004)

★★★½
With a title like Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, one might assume this is a downer of a movie, but in reality, it's engaging and challenging. This is a film that you shouldn't accept at face value. Doing so would result in disillusionment. Think hard about why Wilbur and Alice do what they do, and you'll see the redeeming factor in the movie's narrative.

Radio (2003)

★★
Before I discuss the plot of Radio, before I say anything about the acting or credibility, I want to talk about the score, which is among the most annoying and self-important I've ever heard. James Horner is a fine musician, but here, he employs a sickening soundtrack with female vocal overtones to highlight the noble simplicity of the movie's main character. He used music with better results in his vastly superior Titanic score.