Annie’s Point (2004/Vivendi DVD) + A Dog
Year (2009/HBO DVD)
Picture:
C/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D/C Telefilms: C+
It is an
old TV movie tradition to take a likable actor and put them in a storyline that
shows off why we like them. This can get
corny, silly, be obvious and be somewhat entertaining, but that does not make
it great viewing. In the case of new
DVDs with Betty White and Jeff Bridges, it is not bad.
Before
her latest wave of revival and interest, White made Michael Switzer’s Annie’s Point in 2004, where she plays
a widow determined to finish one last wish from her late husband, something her
son (Richard Thomas of The Waltons)
would not want her to necessarily do.
When she brings his daughter (Amy Davidson) along, it can only get wackier. There are no surprises here, except that it
is more watchable than usual thanks to the cast, some energy and a teleplay
that is not as formulaic as expected.
White is
one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood history, a star of her own show
in the 1950s, royalty when she married longtime game show host Allen Ludden,
further cemented her reputation as one of the best character actors around ever
since, then had huge successes on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
Golden Girls and several of her own.
She’s still got it.
Jeff
Bridges has been acting for a long time and finally won an Oscar, but has been
a favorite and risk taker for a long time.
George LaVoo’s A Dog Year
(2010) has him play Jon Katz, a best-selling author in real life and how he
takes on a border collie with issues and tries to help him. What could have been boring and a dud is
interesting enough to see if you like the idea as Bridges plays the man as
troubled and continuously so, even when his potential new best friend shows
up. Always underrated and
underestimated, Bridges makes this into a reverse character study, even when
the telefilm wants to be sentimental.
Very interesting work.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on both are problematic with their share of softness
and motion blur, but Point has more
blur and it is the first time I can remember ever seeing such blur include
hints of color. Both are not badly shot,
but are far from the best telefilms on DVD.
Point has a Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo mix while Year has a Dolby
Digital 5.1 mix, yet they are on par with each other as the 5.1 soundfield is quiet
and limited. The only extras are on Dog, which only includes a behind the
scenes featurette.
- Nicholas Sheffo
