Forever Young

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="006dba33.gif"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9"><U>9</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All I Want"><U>All I Want</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ash Wednesday"><U>Ash Wednesday</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Avalon"><U>Avalon</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Black and White"><U>Black and White</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bobby"><U>Bobby</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Bumblebee Flies Anyway"><U>The Bumblebee Flies Anyway</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chain of Fools"><U>Chain of Fools</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Child in the Night"><U>Child in the Night</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day Zero"><U>Day Zero</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DayO"><U>Day-O</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deep Impact"><U>Deep Impact</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"><U>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Everything Is Illuminated"><U>Everything Is Illuminated</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Faculty"><U>The Faculty</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flipper"><U>Flipper</U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Forever Young</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Good Son"><U>The Good Son</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Green Street Hooligans"><U>Green Street Hooligans</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy Feet"><U>Happy Feet</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Huck Finn"><U>The Adventures of Huck Finn</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ice Storm"><U>The Ice Storm</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the "><U>The Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Ring</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lord of The Rings/The Two Towers"><U>The Lord of The Rings/The Two Towers</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lord of the Rings/The Return of the "><U>The Lord of the Rings/The Return of the King</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="North"><U>North</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oliver Twist"><U>Oliver Twist</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paradise"><U>Paradise</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paris je taime"><U>Paris je t'aime</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Radio Flyer"><U>Radio Flyer</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sin City"><U>Sin City</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spy Kids 3D"><U>Spy Kids 3D</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbeli"><U>The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Try Seventeen"><U>Try Seventeen</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The War"><U>The War</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Witness"><U>The Witness</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="006dba33.gif"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U><IMG SRC="021ef530.jpg" border=0 width="239" height="83" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>  |    <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U> </U></A><A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RE: 35 Elijah Wood Movies"><U><B>RE: 35 Elijah Wood Movies</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=370 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#A6CAF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   </div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Forever Young </B></I><B> [PG] [1992]</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="088fba70.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="167" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="08afba70.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="167" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <B>For more screencaps from this movie: </B><A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40."><U><B> </B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40."><U><B>A Face Even a Dead Guy Could Love</B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us/nonlotr/id40."><U><I><B>  </B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Overall movie:<FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> ***</B></FONT></div> <div> EJW content: It's Mel's movie, but it's Elijah as second-in-command who pulls off the comedy for Mel's dramatic "straight man."</div> <bR> <div> Hollywood has missed a rare opportunity in not casting Mel Gibson and Elijah Wood as biological father and son--how many genes can there <I>be </I>in the pool for those eyes? So, both "leading men" in this movie spend a fair amount of time in blue shirts (see first picture above). Mel becomes something of a surrogate father to Elijah's character, but the man needs the boy's help even more, as he's just awakened after being cryogenically frozen for over 50 years. Mom Jamie Lee Curtis gets involved and they all try to find the pieces that are left of Mel's life. Some things that seem predictable turn out not to be. Some things that seem predictable actually are. But true love triumphs in the end, so what else matters?</div> <bR> <div> Mel's the emotional center of the story and consistently makes us care about the man he's playing, beginning with the opening part of the movie that sets up his situation in 1939 and carrying it all the way through to the end. If you need an "angst-break" in your EJW viewing, this movie is a good choice, as Elijah plays a normal, happy 10 year old (who happens to accidentally wake up a "dead guy" and has to cope with the consequences), and does so with just the right touch of humor. According to reports, there was a lot of fun and friendship on this set, and it shows in the actors' easy naturalness with their roles and with each other. </div> <bR> <div> The only negative reaction I had was to the "Romeo and Juliet balcony scene." I realize it's supposed to be making a point about Mel's character, not Elijah's, but maybe the script could have had something a <I>little </I>more reasonable for a kid in 1992 (at least a newer song)? The situation just seemed unlikely and the acting unavoidably unnatural (for some reason, though, a lot of people pick this as their <I>favorite </I>scene in the movie--different strokes...). </div> <bR> <div> On the other hand, Elijah as a "smooth operator" wooing the same girl in the library is so dead-on quintessential 10-year-old boy I was rolling on the floor. This movie, along with<A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Huck Finn"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Huck Finn"><U><I>Huck Finn</I></U></A> and <A HREF="id13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Faculty"><U><I>The Faculty</I></U></A>, shows he can handle humor--when it's an integrated part of the story and character rather than added-on "skit comedy" (see <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="North"><U><I>North</I></U></A>).</div> <bR> <div> Elijah's character is instrumental during the movie's climax. The story sets up the necessary background for this, giving us a plausible explanation for the boy having the particular skills he needs. And his fear (during the feat) and satisfaction (afterward) are just right. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="253" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="121"><div> <I><B>Buy DVD</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="121"><div> <I><B>Buy VHS</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 75 ><NOBR><div>  <iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="120" height="240" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?o=1&l=as1&f=ifr&t=afewworabo-20&dev-t=D68HUNXKLHS4J&p=8&asins=0790731916&IS2=1&bg1=ffffff&fc1=000000&lc1=6373B5&IS2=1&lt1=_blank"><MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/afewworabo-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com"></iframe>  </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div>  <iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="120" height="240" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?o=1&l=as1&f=ifr&t=afewworabo-20&dev-t=D68HUNXKLHS4J&p=8&asins=6302765439&IS2=1&bg1=ffffff&fc1=000000&lc1=6373B5&IS2=1&lt1=_blank"><MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/afewworabo-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com"></iframe>  </div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id15_m.htm" TITLE="Forever Young"><U><B><IMG SRC="1647d3c0.jpg" border=0 width="125" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>