Rated D #7 - The Adjustment Bureau

• In the Spring Spirit of melting snow, longer days, and Opening Day, I thought we should all take a look at some trivia those movies that celebrate America's Favorite Pasttime. For those of you in the south, snow is frozen form of water that falls from the sky and makes us in the north want to irrationally punch you:


• Field of Dreams: In the novel, Ray actually goes searching for J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye), not fictional author Terrance Mann.


• A League of Their Own: All of the bruises and injuries that the girls receive during the movie were real, as few stunt doubles were used.


• The Sandlot: According to Mythbusters, you cannot actually hit the skin off of a baseball.


• Major League: Charlie Sheen was actually a pretty good, high school pitcher who could throw in the high 80s....


• Major League 2: A subplot was deleted from the film where Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn is disqualified for using the performance enhancing drug "Charlie Sheen" which reportedly makes you throw a ball so fast it will melt you face off.


• Anywho... This weekend I saw a movie called "The Adjustment Bureau". SPOILER ALERT: After a meeting "the bureau" that controls our fate and destiny, a young senator must fight to be with the woman he loves after being told that it can never be.


• It's a sci-fi film wrapped in a romance wrapped in a suspense thriller and it's all good. Based on the short story "The Adjustment Team" by Philip K. Dick (whose other stories were made into movies such as Minority Report, Blade Runner, and Total Recall), this film takes the audience on a fun ride exploring the idea of fate and chance, free-will and predetermination, and love and life. Unlike many thrillers, the movie allows the audience to get really involved with the story by perfectly balancing our time with main characters and the antagonists rather than keeping us in the dark until the last fifteen minutes like many of today's films. Though the ending definitely leaves you wanting a little more, lots of good dialogue, great storytelling, and its uplifting feel make up for that for sure.


• To Tie It Back To The Fitness...


• Setting goals to reach for one's self, no matter how big or small, can really mean the difference between keeping our spirits high or succumbing to complacency. And though we can all set any goal we'd like to, one of the most effective ways to achieve it is to figure out why you want it so bad. Even when we do things for others, it's often essential to find a reason for yourself in order to succeed.


• "Maybe someday we won't have to write the plan for you." - Anthony Mackie as Harry Mitchell


• Technically Speaking...


• A movie like this could easily turn into a frustratingly confusing mess, but a steady handed director along with great performances from Matt Damon and his costars, Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Charlie Wilson's War) and John Slattery (TV's Mad Men), keep it safe from becoming a nightmare. Blunt's personality is instantly irresistable while Slattery keeps you rooting against him/wanting to hang out with him at the bar at the same time. Though it could, it doesn't drown in special effects, a quality that keeps the audience from feeling too far removed to empathize with the characters. For me, though, it is the original spin on a pretty simple idea that really makes this film stand out. If you can "suspend your disbelief" for the 1:45 minutes, you'll have a good time.


• Review - I give it 8 Men in Hats out of 10


• Still Haven't Seen it?


• Easy A - A very smart teen comedy that borrows a lot from "The Scarlet Letter". The acting is actually quite good, especially from leading lady, Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland). The dialogue smoothly transitions from funny to serious and never spins out of control.


• Next Time on Rated D:


• Red Riding Hood: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, and A Member of Team Jacob.


• Gorilla Man