A movie to the max! (Mary-Kate And Ashley - Billboard Dad (DVD))

Member Name: AmyAmy

Product:	Mary-Kate And Ashley - Billboard Dad (DVD)
Date:	22/03/09 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great story, great cast

Disadvantages: not for all

Everybody has an addiction, right? Well let's just say over the past many years, I have had my fair share, and others, of addictions and obsessions! In fairness, they all generally relate to the media, which is the key thing in my life! One that lasted for quite a few years was my obsession with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

The Olsens are twins, fraternal, though often said as being identical because they look so alike! The Californian twins were born in 1986, and made their first television break in 1987, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on 'Full House'. Since then they've had just short of twenty films and shows, as well as a successful fashion and beauty line. And let's not forget their range of toys and games (gosh, I loved my playstation games!) Now, nearly twenty three years later the girls have come so far, and seen each other through thick and thin!

Now I say I am not obsessed any more, though I do seem a little hypocritical, considering I just bought all eleven of their DVDs this month (with the exception of It Takes Two!). I decided to start watching them in alphabetical order, which meant starting with Billboard Dad. This film was made in 1998, when the girls were just twelve! It seems so long ago now, and indeed I could not fully remember the story. So for that reason, I could not wait to sit down and watch! But what was all the excitement about?

Billboard Dad is set in Los Angeles. It is the story of two little girls, called Tess and Emily, and their Dad, Max. Having lost their mum not too long ago, their Dad had seemed quite down, so the girls decide to paint a billboard advert for him (think 'Personals' to the max!), but behind his back. When women start to write to him he is quite shocked, unaware of his giant publicity. But when he realises what has happened, he soon comes round to the idea, if not only for his girls. Can he find somebody who can make him happy, or will the huge billboard be a figure of bad memory?

When I first started watching this film now, I wasn't sure what to expect. I recall liking it all those years ago, and I could remember parts of it, but nothing was too certain. Though I am pleased to say that it was a definite success. Although I felt the ending was slightly predictable, it was hardly a let down so it was all good! Apart from its unique plot, one thing that made the film so entertaining was its fantastic script, which was written by Maria Jacquemetton. There are some definite memorable quotes in this film...

At the beginning there is a narration from Emily, saying how she and her sister are quite the opposite. After rambling on about how one likes this colour and the other likes the next, the same with sports, school etc, they get do boys. And to quote Emily, "Tess likes boys, and I like boys". Now I don't know if it was meant to be, but I felt there was a dramatic pause after the first part, ready for the "...and I like boys." Now haven just listened to the contrasts, I did expect this to say something else!

That's not the only funny part though! I think I find the Olsen's quite associated with their random humour. So when Tess can't find the whisk to make scrambled eggs, Emily turns all melodramatic, "What, we've lost the whisk? Oh no,no, no, no!". Turns out Emily didn't even know what a whisk was, which made it so more unbearably funny!

Being a double act, a lot of the funny lines come from the twins combined. There was one that stood out for me especially, when they were talking about a new guy. Tess starts off the build-up with, "There's something fishy about that guy!". That may all seen fair enough, but when Emily follows with, "Fishy? All you need is mayonnaise and you've got tuna salad!", I nearly fell off my seat! The Olsen twins really do amuse me!

Now its not just the script that is wonderful, but of course the acting to. Now I will not lie, the Olsens are not the worlds greatest actors, however they certainly brighten up the screen! One thing I enjoy is the mystery of their double act. Being twins, it can be quite a challenge to tell them apart. Now I am getting quite used to being able to identify them but even still it can be quite amusing to try and work out which is which! They are quite talented too, I wont deny that. I can't really compare them to anybody, but I can definitely say they are the best double-act twins ever (!), and would give any Parent Trap film with their makeshift twins a run for its money! Max is played by Tom Amandes, which I had not heard of before. Though I must say he is too quite a talented actor, and I would certainly watch a film with his name in the credits!

The cover of the DVD is quite attractive too, certain to draw your attention! In the background there is a beautiful golden glow from the horizon, with the twins in front, smiling joyfully. Above them there is a billboard. On this the title and girls' names can be seen, easy to read in fun blue lettering, mounted on the white background. It all looks so...innocent!

Billboard Dad has a certificate of PG. I feel this is definitely a reasonable certificate! The Olsen films to begin with were aimed at a younger audience, suitably because they too were quite young! However it definitely appeals to the older fans too! It lasts for an hour and a half, which is a good length for a film. I also found that the time passed by quite quickly, which can only be good! There are, unfortunately, no Extras on the DVD, however I would have liked some bloopers!

I paid just £3 for my DVD in HMV, which is a heavenly price! They might have well given it away! I would have paid more for this DVD, as it is really truly amazing, so it is definitely worth a buy if you get the chance!

© Amy 2009

Summary: /