‘Bruce’ is mighty entertaining, ‘Spellbound’ is touching

Carrey all that matters in ‘Bruce Almighty’

It appears only a man as insane and unsatisfied as Bruce Nolan

would take on the all-powerful God.

Maybe it was because nothing went right. Maybe it was because he

had no control over what happened in his life. Or maybe it was

because he thought everything granted to him in this world was

unfair.

In the comedy “Bruce Almighty,” this man discovers what he truly

needs to be successful and happy in his life, which becomes a test

between emotion and unworldly strength.

As it begins, Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a regular reporter for a TV

station in Buffalo, N.Y. He’s one of those guys who tells the funny

jokes that make a news production more satisfying to watch.

But it always seems that he gets the stupid, morally degrading

assignments to follow up on, such as interviewing the local bakers

who broke the record for the largest cookie ever made.

One of his goals in this business was to be the head man on the TV

news, the anchor.

Finally, he gets his chance to prove himself while doing a piece

on the anniversary of Niagara Falls. He loses his self-restraint when

he learns that Evan Baxter, one of his rivals, accepts the job as

anchor while he is just about to perform his piece. As it happens,

Bruce is fired.

Here is where Bruce gets his powers. I am at a loss to understand

how he receives his powers; he just stands there while God (Morgan

Freeman) gives him a lecture.

In any event, Bruce becomes the recipient of these powers because

he claims that God makes bad decisions, and he feels he can do a

better job.

With these powers come responsibilities, but he doesn’t anticipate

that they would affect him as greatly they do. Because of the unknown

risks that he takes, he exposes himself to the chance of great

losses, these being his devoted girlfriend, Grace Connelly (Jennifer

Aniston), and his own inner strength.

This film was centered on the hysterics of Carrey. Not only is he

an outstanding comedian, but he conveys the passion of his character

very well.

It’s not as though the other characters in the movie didn’t make

an impression; their efforts just weren’t as measurable as that of

Carrey’s. To be honest, the title of this movie should be “The Jim

Carrey Show.”

In all fairness, the movie was very entertaining. The plot could

have been deeper, and the other characters could have had more

importance, but overall, it was a good show.

* SARA SALAM is a freshman at Corona del Mar High School.

‘Spellbound’ is letter perfect

It seems that smart kids are always getting short shrift in

movies. They’re portrayed as humorless nerds who are subjected to

ridicule or as potential psycho killers. Refreshingly, Jeffrey

Blitz’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Spellbound” portrays them as

neither.

This remarkable film lets us get “up close and personal” with

eight extremely bright kids of various ages and backgrounds who

competed in the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

A uniquely American ritual first held in 1925, the spelling bee

starts with 249 contestants. Over an intense two-day period, all but

one are eliminated. After seeing how hard these kids train and study

(some with almost military precision), it is hard to comprehend how

they can withstand the tremendous pressure with so much grace and

poise. As one parent wryly puts it, “it’s a different form of child

abuse.”

Director Blitz chose his eight subjects well. The filmmakers

obviously developed a great rapport with each child and family --

their candor about their feelings and ambitions is fascinating. Half

of the film is devoted to their stories, so that when we see them

reach the finals, we are rooting for every one of them to succeed.

And each one does, in his or her own way.

One story stands out. Angela Arenivar is from a tiny town in

Texas, where her father works as a ranch hand. Her father entered the

country illegally 20 years ago and still does not speak a word of

English. For the Arenivars, her academic excellence symbolizes all

the reasons her father came to America in the first place. The sight

of her father’s tears when she wins the qualifying regional

competition is truly a touching moment.

Through skillful editing, we see just how demanding the spelling

bee is. One mistake, and you’re out. There are no second chances. For

some of the kids, it’s a relief that the pressure is off and they can

get on with the rest of their lives. For others, the disappointment

comes not without some tears.

It’s great to see that, win or lose, the parents give their

children the wholehearted love and support they so richly deserve.

“Spellbound” is a terrific movie that I cannot recommend highly

enough. It has warmth, humor and nail-biting suspense. In these

troubled times, when the media is always focused on the negative, it

is heartening to see a reality-based film featuring intelligent

people who care about doing their best for themselves and for their

families. And that is truly the American dream.

* SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant

for a financial services company.