Movie: You've Got Mail

1/3/10- "Sleepless in Seattle part 2, not as good as the first."

Today was my last day of vacation before getting back to it tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting back to work, but will miss the days of just going to the beach, reading a book and watching some TV. After watching a little football this afternoon I flipped the channel to E! to see that "You've Got Mail" was just starting. Now, there is something about catching the start of a movie on TV. Sure, you've got 200 dvds with far superior films 20 feet away, but you'll go ahead and watch this.

"You've Got Mail" is a film built on a formula and titled after an AOL trademark. (Remember AOL, it was the only way to get on the internet when you first started going on the internet.) {If you say, "What about Prodigy?" you're identifying yourself as being old and nerdy.} The movie is really based on the success of "Sleepless in Seattle", a good little movie in my opinion. 2 problems with this follow up explain why this movie fell short.

1. You've got the two people together the whole movie: Okay remember "Jaws", how you didn't get a chance to see shark until the end? It's the same thing with Sleepless in Seattle. You fall in love with the individuals separately and revel in the idea of them being together. You really theorize what their interaction together would be like, your imagination wrote the relationship. Remember "Jaws 2", where you saw the whole shark the whole time? I didn't think you'd remember that and that's a reason why "You've Got Mail" is forgettable.

2. An Endearing Tragedy vs. Corporate Greed: "Sleepless in Seattle" starts with the main character's wife dying, going right after your heart strings and showing the guys ability to love. This appeals to a persons desire to help the hurting. (i.e. "Mommy, I found this puppy, can he live with us?" / "Mommy, I'm dating this convict, can he live with us?") If it were not for this tragedy, we couldn't have the romance. It brings the Characters together. What brings the characters together in "You've Got Mail"? The fact that Tom Hanks character wants to move into her neighborhood with his giant book store. What redeems his character and makes him love-able? It's certainly not the Godfather quotes he makes all the time. Sure he's witty and still Tom Hanks, so that makes it bearable. What about the fact that Tom Hanks character is dating a horrible woman. Not a hapless nerd, like Bill Pulman's character in Sleepless. The characters don't come across as people ready to love each other. They spend most of the movie being negative to each other and that is what you walk away with.

This movie is sending a message to girls that they should just settle for that guy they already know but would never think about dating because he's probably the guy of your dreams. I know some of you are going to argue that this isn't a sequel and its just a good movie on its own. Well, I know it's saturday night and you're by yourself so you're a little bias. Put the half empty bottle of merlot and the completely empty carton of Ben & Jerry's to the side. Think about it. This movie is garbage. You  like the idea of romance, you like the two actors that play the main characters, you romanticize New York; that's all. The movie didn't win you over, the idea of the movie did.

I hate to be a downer in the New Year, but I'm keeping it real in 2010!