The Big White (2005) - ★★★☆☆

It is, perhaps, a little-known fact that a movie only needs exactly one (1) ingredient to be a good movie. That ingredient is not a good director (what even is a director? The guy who clacks the black and white thing and shouts "action!"?). That ingredient is not beautiful cinematography (though The Big White has no shortage of that. I really liked the vast snowy landscapes and also the matching snowy whiteness of the insurance office, especially since it was snowing outside my window while I watched this movie and I guess that just felt serendipitous). That ingredient is not an incredible and talented cast—something I think everyone agree this movie has (Robin Williams, yes, but also this guy, who looks like Pete "Mad Men" Campbell, but isn't. I like him a lot and would like to see more of him!). That ingredient is not even—dare I say it?—Woody Harrelson. Many a movie, in fact, as this blog evidences, is very bad in spite of Woody's wonderful presence. Even if Woody Harrelson wears glasses in a movie (though it will indeed boost this critic's rating by at least one star), that is not a guarantee of a good movie.

No, the secret ingredient to a good movie is none of these things. If only it were that easy!

The secret ingredient, as you must well know by now, is, of course, Movie Magic.

Without movie magic, a movie can only ever be almost good. Without movie magic, a movie with a good director (who I presume would be particularly capable of making the black and white thing make an extra loud clack), a movie with striking cinematography, a movie with a charming a quirky cast, a movie with Woody Harrelson in it (not wearing glasses in this case, unfortunately)—a movie like this can never be good. Unfortunately, that is the case with The Big White. It's too bad, really—I wish I could be kinder here because I really did like it—but movie magic is movie magic; it can't be faked.