High gas prices? Ticket prices? Consumer alternatives? Or, could Hollywood's trouble be lousy movies?

Summer Fading, Hollywood Sees Fizzle - New York Times:

"At Universal, Mr. Shmuger said he intends to reassert 'time and care and passion' in movie production. Some of his own summer movies, he conceded, should never have been made.

"He declined to name them."

Attendance at theatres is expected to be down 11.5% this summer over last. Something is wrong and, finally a few folks in Tinseltown are beginning to wonder if there might be a role for quality in their product. It's about time.

Good movies do get made, of course, but they often come from unconventional sources. Mel Gibson's Passion is one example. Another is a wonderful little film which I watched on DVD last night - Because of Winn-Dixie.

Winn-Dixie, dog or movie, is a pure delight. By turns sad, sweet and funny, it ranks right up there with the best of Frank Capra in my opinion. The story is hardly unique - we often see troubled children who suffer for the sins of the adults around them. But the film has heart. It is never mean and always hope shines through. And, whether being sweet or not, the dialog of the children is very natural, not a lot of forced wise-cracking as one too often sees in films and television with child characters.

The cast is also wonderful. Jeff Daniels as the troubled preacher raising his daughter after his wife deserted them shows a man badly beaten but not yet down for the count. Veteran actresses Eva Marie Saint and Cicely Tyson are wonderful as always. And singer-guitarist Dave Mathews shows a remarkable talent for physical comedy. AnnaSophie Robb is a treasure as both the protagonist and narrator. And those dogs (four took turns playing the title role) are the best entertainment to come out of France since Maurice Chevalier.

Because of Winn-Dixie - *****
Buy it for your children, or the child in you.