Johnny Belinda (1948)

The intended "what's gonna happen" suspense is non-existent as you can see everything coming a mile away (e.g.: as soon as the girlfriend says "stay away from the dummy" you know he won't). The courtroom finale is ridiculous, complete with out-of-turn speech-making and a teary breakdown.

I'm not sure that Jane Wyman deserved to win best actress...but we know that Oscar loves handicaps, and that might have been what clinched it for her.

C

Office Space (1999)

Reminded me of the early '80s movies. It had me really giggling, though, especially for the first 40 minutes or so. The lead actor, Ron Livingston, is a winner -- a more appealing Brendan Fraser. The biggest problem, for me, was the Milton character. He had just a few too many weirdnesses. Couldn't he have had a normal voice? Or a bit less acne? Or be free of his stapler fixation? Pick at least one quirky character trait and excise it. As he was, I would have wanted to be rid of him too.

C+

Camille (1937)

Liked it. Liked Greta. Liked Robert. I’m all for the stories where sacrifices must be made and they don't wind up together and there's confusion and there's misunderstanding, but -- at the core -- there's love. This was one of those. And she winds up dead. Never a bad ending when that happens -- if you hated her, good! If you loved her, waaaah (but bravo for your unflinching choice).

B

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

I was a little worried at first, thought it might be too quirky for its own good, but it settled…more accurately, refused to settle…and is one of the funniest films I've seen. It’s much like Raising Arizona in its refusal to be standard.

I saw it with my sister who afterward said, "Who wouldn't like this?" At first, I was stumped by the question and then I realized that it's always difficult to fathom someone rejecting entertaining and original material, and yet it happens every day – most of the public seems to gravitate toward that which is big and predictable and just like every other blockbuster. Well this isn't “just like” anything. A few times during the film I had to just succumb to the giggles that had accumulated -- sometimes several minutes after the scene to which the laughter belonged occurred. This film deserves to be seen repeatedly.

A

A Touch of Class (1973)

The first hour or so was trite and self-congratulatory in its "aren't we grown-up about our adultery arrangement" story line which then devolved into a wannabe comedy resulting from their stupid web of deception. Surprisingly, the finish was strong and, although I never liked either of the principals (or any of the supporters, for that matter), the last scene was almost touching in its loneliness. Glenda Jackson was a solid Oscar choice for her acting – too bad the movie itself is kinda slimy.

C

I Am Sam (2001)

And I usually really like Sean Penn! The camera work made it almost impossible to watch without Dramamine handy. Halfway through, I leaned over to my friend and commented how impressed I was that they had obviously hired a completely retarded camera crew.

Premise of the story was ridiculous (now that the girl is smarter than you, she'll have to go) – and having the only "normal" person who's ever given Sam the time of day and who can act as a credible witness (Dianne Wiest) turn out to be an agoraphobic is a nasty trick. Can’t this guy catch ANY breaks?

Based on the trailers, before I actually saw the film, I told my sister that Penn just looks "too retarded." I stand by that early assessment and expand the judgment to encompass everyone connected to this mess. I wish that Oscar hadn't forced me to sit through more than the trailer.

D-