What Makes a Movie Great

I own In Her Shoes. It's not a movie I meant to own. I mean, I liked it when I saw it in the theatre, but most of the films I own are ones I loved when I was a teenager. But this flick I got as part of a 2 for $20 deal at a Blockbuster store.

Anywhoo, I watched it this afternoon because I was sick of watching the "Benson" marathon on TV Land. And it's a really good film. It's subtle and funny and touching. It's really well-written and excellently acted. I know this is true because Cameron Diaz is so not annoying in this film.

This film affects me on a really deep level. I'm not quite sure how or why, but I do know it's not for the obvious themes of the movie. But I was able to figure out one thing by watching the special features that come with the DVD.

What makes this such a good flick is what makes a strong play or a fascinating piece of writing: detail and specificity. Listening to Curtis Hanson talk about how he filmed Cameron Diaz early in the movie or how he shot a particular scene or even how the art on the walls of the apartment were chosen proved to me that he cared about being specific. Every detail was specific and consistent to the characters and to the story. He created a world that was complete and there was nothing superfluous to pull one out of the story.

So now I'm glad I own this movie.