“The Family Man” (2000) Theme: Christmas Director: Brett Ratner Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni Rating: (2.5/5)

Originality seems to be hard to find these days. How many “change of identity” films can you name? What about “ruthless career man sees the light?” (Two recent films that explore these themes readily come to mind — “Passion of Mind,” 2000, and “Sweet November,” 2001.) By now, you must have figured out what “The Family Man” is about: Jack (Cage) is a successful Wall Street executive who one day wakes up to a whole new life of family joy and is eventually forced to choose between the two lifestyles.

While you think you know how the movie is going to end, the script does provide a few surprises here and there. Its overall portrayal of happiness in Middle America is right on; the tone is both tender and mocking, yet decidedly short of new classics such as “American Beauty” (not that the two films warrant comparison on any other level). Cage is cast in a role that is a definite departure from both his recent action-driven work (e.g. “Gone in 60 Seconds,” 2000) and his acclaimed character acting (e.g. “Leaving Las Vegas,” 1992, for which he won an Oscar). Nonetheless, the actor still delivers all the intensity and turmoil we expect from him — and didn’t expect from this film. Think of “The Family Man” as a classic Christmas film gone Cage. –J.D-P

“200 Cigarettes” (1999) Theme: New Year’s Eve Director: Risa Bramon Garcia Starring: Martha Plimpton, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Rudd, Jay Mohr, Courtney Love, Ben Affleck, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci Rating: (3.0/5)

This is a hilarious ensemble cast production featuring too many well-known actors and comedians to name here. It’s nearly impossible to discuss the plot, as the film is composed of several different stories, all about couples or groups of friends making their way to a New Year’s Eve party in downtown New York on January 31, 1981. While the hostess (Martha Plimpton) spends most of the movie getting drunk to get over the fear that nobody is going to show up, most of the arriving guests’ stories revolve around (of course) romance and relationships, yet each is presented in a non-traditional, rather satirical way. The script is excellent, creating plausible yet funny situations and combining physical humor (like Kate Hudson’s naïve just-deflowered Cindy falling into a pile of dog poop and walking around with it on her back the entire film) with sharp, witty, and even enlightening dialogue (e.g., Paul Rudd’s character Kevin muses, “We use cigarettes as a shield against relating to each other”).

The feel of that decade permeates the film in every respect, from language to costumes and a rather excellent soundtrack, featuring 80s hits like “Pump it Up” (by Elvis Costello who also makes a cameo appearance in the film), “Our Lips are Sealed,” and “Rap Party.” After taking you through plenty of sex, booze, and, of course, cigarettes, the film manages to provide the typically 80s happy ending for just about everyone, including the viewer. –J.D-P

“The Associate” (1996) Theme: Winter Director: Donald Petrie Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne Wiest, Bebe Neuwirth, Tim Daly Rating: (2.0/5)

This adaptation of the 1979 French film “L’Associe” (whose main character was a male) may as well be called “Whoopi Does Wall Street.” The talented and hardworking investment counselor played by Goldberg is passed up for a promotion in favor of her conniving protégé (Tim Daly). She quits and sets out on her own, only to encounter blatant sexism, which leads her to the not-so-novel concept of inventing an imaginary male partner (think “Tootsie,” 1982). With the fake name of Robert Cutty on the letterhead, the firm quickly becomes the most sought after investment outfit, but Cutty is getting all the credit, and every rope has an end…

Goldberg is unsurprising. She delivers her trademark brand of humor, yet the repetitive nature of her long line of characters is getting a bit tiresome. The two more memorable performances are delivered by Dianne Wiest (as Goldberg’s humbly brilliant assistant) and Bebe Neuwirth, cast here as a comedic business version of a femme fatale. Although not precisely a holiday-themed flick, its happy tone, combined with the winter setting, make it a good holiday video rental for those who like Whoopi — as long as you are not expecting “Jumping Jack Flash” (1986) or “Burglar” (1987). –J.D-P

“Fargo” (1996) Theme: Winter Director: Joel Coen Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, John Carroll Lynch, Kristin Rudrud, Harve Presnell, Steve Park, Jose Feliciano Rating: (5.0/5)

OK, this is definitely not a holiday flick, but the amount of Minnesota snow in this smash hit always makes me think of winter, not to mention that renting “Fargo” would be time spent well during any season. This offbeat satirical crime drama has been well-publicized, so, keeping it brief: A man (Macy) hires two incompetent criminals to kidnap his wife so he could use the ransom to pay his debts. The kidnapping is botched, and the small town’s pregnant, always-eating cop (McDormand) has a double homicide on her hands.

Buscemi, one of the kidnappers, follows his signature as the resident raving lunatic. Macy delivers an incredible performance, yet everyone is overshadowed by Frances McDormand, deservedly honored with an Oscar for her turn as Marge the cop. Overall, “Fargo” is a rare gem of a film. Rent it, holidays or not. –J.D-P

“While You Were Sleeping” (1995) Theme: Christmas Director: Jon Turteltaub Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher Rating: (3.0/5)

The story is rather simple: One girl, two guys, and a little twist (one of them is in a coma). Lucy (Bullock), a lonely subway token clerk, has a crush on a sharply dressed commuter, Peter (Gallagher). One day, Peter is mugged and ends up unconscious on the subway tracks. Lucy heroically pushes him out of the way of a coming train and proceeds to take him to a hospital, where he falls into a coma and she is mistaken for the sleeping man’s fiancee. As Lucy meets and gets close to various members of Peter’s family, she realizes how much is missing in the life she shares only with her cat. Still, she tries to set the record straight, but for one hilarious reason or another, nobody is listening. To add to this unwitting deception, sparks begin to fly between Lucy and Peter’s brother Jack (Pullman). The question is, what will happen when Peter wakes up?

Although Sandra Bullock has been wearing me out with substandard productions (e.g., “Miss Congeniality,” 2000), “While You Were Sleeping” is among the best comedies in which she had an opportunity to star, perhaps because she didn’t have to carry it alone. In addition, the script is terrific, offering a feel-good — but not entirely predictable — plot and crafting realistic and likable characters who, for once, are not totally dysfunctional, despite a few eccentricities. Combined with an excellent cast, the well-written dialogue and distinct family theme of this romantic comedy create the right mood for holiday viewing. –J.D-P

“Trapped in Paradise” (1994) Theme: Christmas Director: George Gallo Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jon Lovitz, Dana Carvey, Madchen Amick Rating: (4.0/5)

Only one of the three Firpo brothers, Bill (Cage), has managed to live with any degree of normalcy. Unfortunately, his thieving brothers Alvin and Dave (Carvey, Lovitz) keep dragging him into their criminal endeavors. One Christmas Eve, these three New Yorkers come to a small town called Paradise and rob a bank, spending the rest of the film trying to get out of town before a big snowstorm — while the inherent goodness of the townsfolk is nudging at the brothers’ collective consciousness.

The main premise of this film is somewhat reminiscent of my favorite holiday comedy, “The Ref,”* starring Denis Leary** and released the same year; however, “The Ref” borders on social satire, while “Trapped in Paradise” does equally well with a much more straightforward, light comedy formula. After all, what can you expect from a film that stars three people famous for their individual brands of on-screen insanity? Cage’s usual overdramatized intensity works just as well in a comedic setting, and here, it is supported by two of the best contemporary funny men, Carvey and Lovitz, both hailing from the institution that is Saturday Night Live. Give these three any decent script, and the result would undoubtedly be urinary mirth — and that’s precisely the effect of “Trapped in Paradise.” –J.D-P

“Son-In-Law” (1993) Theme: Thanksgiving Director: Steve Rash Starring: Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Cindy Pickett Rating: (3.0/5)

The early 90s gave us an almost inexplicable phenomenon of Pauly Shore. Some hate him, and that would include most critics. But think about this: Shore is definitely unlike Adam Sandler and Mike Myers, who perfected their craft and gained a following on television (Saturday Night Live) before venturing to — and remaining on — the big screen. Shore, on the other hand, had no such opportunity, yet he coined a unique style of comedy and created a string of hilarious movies which did quite well despite poor reviews. Although he can be accused of lack of staying power, the fact remains: To this day, Shore has a following, myself included.

In the culture clash that is “Son-In-Law,” Pauly Shore gives a trademark performance as Crawl, predictably the class clown, but this time in college (where he is spending a lot longer than the required four years). This campus party grandmaster meets first-year student Rebecca (Gugino), a country girl lost in the bustle of college life in Los Angeles. With Crawl’s “guidance,” straightlaced Rebecca adjusts rather quickly, starting with a makeover. Soon, Thanksgiving comes about, and Rebecca invites Crawl to her Midwestern farm home, where her new look and his very presence are a surprise, to put it mildly, to Rebecca’s parents and boyfriend. The situation gets more complicated when Rebecca, in order to ward off her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, tells everyone she and Crawl are engaged.

The rest of the movie is a combination of “Pauly on a farm” and “Pauly in high school.” Aside from Shore’s antics, “Son-In-Law” presents a chance to see the talented Carla Gugino before she got big (e.g. “Snake Eyes,” 1998; “Judas Kiss,” 1999; “The One,” 2001; and both “Spy Kids” movies, 2001 and 2002). Incidentally, “Son-In-Law” was a financial hit and remains a top-selling Pauly Shore video title, superseded only by “Encino Man” (1992) and closely followed by “Bio-Dome” (1995). –J.D-P

“Scent of a Woman” (1992) Theme: Thanksgiving Director: Martin Brest Starring: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, Gabrielle Anwar Rating: (4.5/5)

Prep-school scholarship student Charlie (O’Donnell) needs to make some cash over the Thanksgiving holiday, so he agrees to look after Frank (Pacino), a retired lieutenant colonel who also happens to be blind. That’s not the only issue; Frank initially comes across as an insufferable, abusive bully. To Charlie’s surprise, Frank’s got big plans: He’s already booked a flight to New York, reserved a hotel, and rented a limo, leaving his young companion no choice in the matter.

The unlikely pair has many an adventure over the weekend — imagine a blind man driving a Ferrari or dancing the now-famous tango number with the beautiful Gabrielle Anwar — but the focus of the film is on the relationship between the two man. What starts as a turbulent and condescending struggle soon turns into a touching friendship: Frank’s unique view of the world teaches Charlie to see things differently; Charlie helps Frank overcome the bitterness of his existence.

Unusual and heartfelt, the film is a study in contrasts — between the two lead characters, moments of uproarious laughter and heartbreaking sorrow, and inner beauty with the worst of human emotions. It’s not a surprise that “Scent of a Woman” was nominated for Best Picture at the 1992 Academy Awards, and Al Pacino took home the Best Actor Oscar. Martin Brest and Bo Goldman were also nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (the 1992 film is another take on the Italian novel by Giovanni Arpino and a 1974 film by the same name, “Profumo di donna”). “Scent of a Woman” also swept the drama category of that year’s Golden Globes, winning Best Actor, Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Film. Even the then-newcomer O’Donnell was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a role that paved the way for what seemed to be a promising career. While I am the first to suggest not following industry insiders’ opinions blindly, in this case, all the hullabaloo is beyond well-deserved. –J.D-P

“Home Alone” (1990) Theme: Christmas Director: Chris Columbus Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern Rating: (4.0/5)

“Home Alone” is highly likely the most publicized Christmas movie of the 90s, so keeping it brief: A family sets off to France, accidentally leaving behind eight-year-old Kevin McAllister (Culkin, catapulted to super-stardom by his performance here). Kevin figures out how to do things for himself and is having a darn good time — up until Harry and Marv (Pesci, Stern), two burglars systematically robbing every house in the neighborhood, get to the McAllister residence. The oddball pair is in for a surprise when Kevin ingeniously defends his home in this fall-off-your-seat hilarity.

The film’s success is due in no small part to the fact that it was written and produced by John Huges,* the famed director of 80s teen films such as “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” and the bible that is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” If you haven’t seen “Home Alone” yet, it’s a must — as far as comedies or holiday films are concerned. I should, however, caution you about its seemingly never-ending sequels: The second (“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” 1992) was barely bearable, and the rest should be ignored completely. –J.D-P

“Die Hard” (1988) Theme: Christmas Director: John McTiernan Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia Rating: (4.5/5)

Arguably the original terrorist film, “Die Hard” is a story of John McClaine (Willis), a cop trying to reconcile with his estranged wife Holly (Bedelia) on the day of her company’s Christmas party. Unfortunately, Hans Gruber (Rickman) also has plans for the day: Accompanied by a group of merciless thugs, Hans takes over the building where Holly works, holding all Christmas party attendees hostage to extort millions of dollars from her company. However, Hans didn’t count on the one-man-army that is John McClaine.

“Die Hard” effectively created a new action film genre, as well as new types of both the protagonist and hero. Hans is nothing more than a glorified thief; for him, terrorism is a way to make a living as opposed to the previously popular protagonist’s crusade for a cause. John, while effective in kicking lots of ass, is not the self-possessed Bond-like character; rather, he’s sensitive, clumsy, somewhat disillusioned… in short, human. These formulas have been repeated time and time again in the following years, making “Die Hard” notable for a lot more than just being a great action flick — and that it is. In spades. Even the film’s three sequels range from great to decent. –J.D-P

“Gremlins” (1984) Theme: Christmas Director: Joe Dante Starring: Zach Galligan, Hoyt Axton, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, Judge Reinhold Rating: (3.5/5)

Almost twenty years later, practically nobody remembers that everything in this horror comedy starts with a Christmas gift: Rand (Axton) presents his son Billy (Galligan) with a tiny furry animal with big ears. The little thing comes with instructions: No sunlight, no water, and no food after midnight. As all children eventually do, Billy breaks the rules — to see his small town overrun by a herd of horrific little green monsters that keep multiplying by the minute.

Although we have since seen plenty of imaginary creatures brought to life with the help of technology, “Gremlins” deserves its place among the best horror/sci-fi films of the late 20th century — for originality, terrific visual effects (in context of the year of its release), and strong performances by Galligan and Cates. As to Christmas, this one is certainly an unexpected gift. –J.D-P

“Trading Places” (1983) Theme: Winter holidays Director: John Landis Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Jamie Lee Curtis, Denholm Elliott Rating: (4.5/5)

“Trading Places” is high on the list of my favorite films of all time, due to its ingenious plot, star-studded cast that delivers, and overall entertainment value. In a nutshell, the film revolves around the old nature/nurture debate: Wall Street millionaire brothers Randolph and Mortimer (Ameche, Bellamy) make a bet and use two socially opposite men as their ginnea pigs. With little effort (money has that effect, doesn’t it?), the lives of successful commodities broker Louis Winthorpe III (Aykroyd) and bum Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy) are swapped.

Louis ends up on the street, at the mercy of a hooker with a heart of gold (Curtis). Billy Ray gets to play broker and live in Louis’s lavish residence, complete with a butler (Elliott). However, it doesn’t take the two patsies too long to figure out who’s playing God. Ahh, sweet revenge…

The film is expertly shot, contrasting the most beautiful of upscale New York living with the hideousness of its more obscure streets. Still, what I must praise the most are individual performances. Aykroyd and Murphy are a dynamic duo with unexpected chemistry; the two really take the script for a ride. Brit import Denholm Elliott effectively steals every scene in a role that won this accomplished actor his first British Academy Award. Jaime Lee Curtis’s work on this film was also honored with the Best Supporting Actress Award from the same institution. Aykroyd and Murphy (for whom it was only a second movie), however, were robbed. Yet I am certain that the royalties both actors receive every time this movie airs on television — which is constantly, especially during the holidays — more than make up for lack of industry accolades. –J.D-P