The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 18, 2000, Page 8, Image 8
Ihe ©am rack
River
from page 7
lumbia and USC, so people (Jan find
opportunities they like,” Miller said.
If students are interested in serv
ing the elderly, children or the envi
ronment, the Office of Community
Service Programs can target those op
portunities, Miller said.
For Miller, the best part of River
Sweep was seeing the trash sorted in
to recyclable and non-recyclable.
“We were able to see how many
bottles and cans and everything that
just get thrown away. The people who
were at this event will learn how
better to be responsible to the envi
ronment,” Miller said. .
In addition, Michael Miller, part
of the University 101 department, ap
peared at River Sweep with a camera
man. Miller was working on a docu
mentary film on environmental
sustainability, which should be com
pleted in about a year.
Toby Housey, a business and dra
ma student, found himself in front of
the camera for an interview with Miller.
Housey was proud his volunteer ef
forts were recorded on film.
“I feel like my time has been used
so well,” Housey said. “Plus, I get to
put this down on my resume.”
Byron Anderson, a Midlands Tech
student who attended River Sweep with
his girlfriend, was volunteering for the
first time “to get the experience of
helping out the community,” he said.
“I hope people follow in our footsteps
and keep it going.”
Although River Sweep lasted on
ly four hours, freshman Zeynep Tanyel,
who attended the event for Universi
ty 101 course requirements, felt her
efforts made an impact.
“Everyone can do their little part,”
she said. “It’ll eventually make a dif
ference.”
The Office of Community Service
can be contacted at 777-5780 or via e
mail at service@gwm.sc.edu.
The spotlight desk can be reached at
gamecockspotlight@hotmaiLcom.
I
I
]
rsaBBBiH
| [2000 Fall Semester Faculty Seminar SeriesM
Tuesdays@6:30 p.m. College Pccm'ordmm^rs ^eanoJTelCllhuU
rreston College For more information, September 19
Seminar Room contact Patrick Pope Dr. Katherine Reynolds (
Sophomores & Juniors Consider Thi$ Equation!
The Goldwater Scholarship offers up to $7,500 to students involved in f
research, majoring in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering,
and planning on a career in research. Excellent SPA and a record of
research are essential. If interested, plan to attend: jv
Goldwater Scholarship Workshop £
Monday, September 18 at 4 p.m.
Gressette Room, 3rd Floor Harper College, Horseshoe r
For more information, call the Fellowships Office at 777-0958.
i-1
Thomas Cooper Library
Fall 2000 Tours
Discover the world of information available in the Library —take a
tour this fall! One-hour tours will be divided into two parts: a tour of
the building for the first half-hour, and a tour of the Electronic
Resources Network for the second half-hour. No sign-up necessary.
Just meet us in the lobby and learn what resources and services are i —
available to vou. 7
n
August 28th- September 28th
Tours
Monday: 11 am
Tuesday: 11 am & 5 pm
Wednesday: 2 pm & 7 pm
Thursday: 4 pm
The tour will last approximately one hour. The first part of the tour will j r
include many of the library departments, such as Reference, Science
Reference, Education, Cypvemment Documents, and the Circulation, j
The second part of the 'iour will focus on the electronic resources
available at.the Thomas Cooper Library. USCAN, Internet, and
( D-ROM databases will be demonstrated.
‘Nurse Betty’ puts viewers in deep coma
by Meredith Davis
The Gamecock
It’s always a shame to go to a
movie that breathes promise through
its star power, unique story line and
Hollywood buzz, only to end up feel
ing cheated and hopeless. “Nurse Bet
ty” is a disappointment for its failure
to live up to its own potential.
The story, which won the 2000
Cannes Best Screenplay Award, fo
cuses on Betty (Renee Zellweger), a
Midwestern housewife with a thank
less job, a horror of a husband and an
insane fixation on her one pleasure
in life, the fictional soap opera “A
Reason to Love.”
When she experiences a traumatic
event that mentally damages her, Bet
ty takes off to Hollywood in the hopes
of finding love with her favorite soap
star, character Dr. David Ravell (Greg
Kinnear).
In the mix of this brave adven
ture are two hit men, Charlie (Mor
gan Freeman) and Wesley (Chris
Rock). Their character portrayals are
neither follow-ups to nor typical of
their respective past films. Freeman
played a pensive man in both “The
Shawshank Redemption” and “Dri
ving Miss Daisy.” In “Betty,” he’s
abrasive and unconvincing.
Rock’s humor comes through
minimally in “Betty.” He took this
role seriously for the most part, and
did not monopolize the film’s best
parts, as he did successfully in “Dog
ma.” Rock’s acting was definitely a
bright spot, but he had nothing to do
and no one to support his role. Be
cause the story got so lost in itself,
everyone and everything became dull
and unbelievable.
While some
movies obviously
struggle, “Nurse
Betty” uses cheap
shots to grab the at
tention of its audi
ence. Yes, black hu
mor can be harsh,
but “Betty” has gory
moments that are
unneeded and of
fensive in itsfrivoli
ty. Director Neil
LaBute offended
in the acclaimed “In
the Company of
Men,” and he does
it again here.
While contro
versy can spice up
a film, LaBute’s
techniques fail to
reclaim the story’s
credibility, and in
stead makes a mockery out of an artis
tic endeavor.
Zellweger is the underdog in this
story of fantasy versus life, and it can
be assumed she plays her part how it
was written - the girl-next-door gets
caught up with a bad boy and has to
find her way to happiness through a
soap opera. Black comedies can be
the fruit of an awful movie season,
like “Welcome to the Dollhouse,”
“Faigo,” and “The House of Yes” have
proved, but unfortunately, “Nurse
Betty” does not carry the same ap
peal.
Missing from “Nurse Betty” was
that element that makes people take
humor at a serious level, which in
turn, makes a movie successful. In
“Nurse Betty,” Zellweger does not
possess that element. To her defense,
it’s really the movie’s fault: the act
ing as a whole is mismatched, the in
genious idea is plagued with a poor
play-by-play and the pieces are chop
py. She couldn’t have saved the
movie anyway.
Kinnear plays a small role which
makes him look more handsome than
ever, but he’s another one whose act
ing flops, most likely because he
memorized his script - that script
that has all those issues.
Although he is successful at be
ing both a charming soap star and
an egotistical opportunist, his per
formance can’t quite save the film
either. If anything, one of his scenes
is disturbing, like black comedies of
ten are, and could leave the viewer
stunned.
Because “A Reason to Love” is
the central theme in the movie, and
its presence is humorous and appre
ciated. Because of Betty’s endeavor
to find the hospital (sound stage) and
ex-fiance doctor (actor) to make her
life complete, one in 20 soap opera
fans might enjoy “Nurse Betty.”
And while the movie’s strength
is evident at times with cute quips
and different camera techniques, all
in all, “Nurse Betty” is a film that
could make Academy Awards fans
nauseated. Surely, thinking about the ..
hyped movies that have already come
out and bombed in 2000 will do the
trick.
_ ;■ <
The spotlight desk can be reached at
gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com.
t_—e——mess ■ ——em^^m——— me—
Special to The Gamecock |
Renee Zellweger portrays a housewife who loses touch with reality and begins a
search for her fictional love interest, Greg Kinnear, in “Nurse Betty.”
Movie Times
Carmike Wynnsong 10
5320 Forest Drive, 782-8100
Autumn in New York (PG-13) 2:00, 7:30
Bring It On (PG-13) 2:00,4:30, 7:15,9:30,11:45
Hie Cell (R) 12:45, 3:00,5:15,7:30,9:45,12:00
Boyote Ugly (PG-13) 1:30, 7:30
Bod’s Army (PG) 4:30,9:30
follow Man (R) 1:00,4:00, 7:00,9:30
forse Betty(R) 2:00,4:30, 7:15,9:30,11:45
icary Movie (R) 4:00,9:45
Ipace Cowboys (PG-13) 1:00,4:15, 7:00,9:30
’he Watcher (R) 1:30,4:00, 7:00,9:15,11:30
’he Way of the Gun (R) 1:00,4:00, 7:00,9:30
Vhat Lies Beneath (PG-13) 1:00,4:00,7:00,9:30
Columbia Mall Cinema 8
7201/802 Two Notch Road,
^88-7664
he Art of War (R) 1:15,4:40, 7:15,9:55
'ackstage (R) 9:45
ait (R) 1:45,4:30, 7:10,9:50
ring It On (PG-13) 1:00, 3:10,5:25, 7:40,10:05
urse Betty (R) 1:40,4:20, 7:25,10:00
utty Professor 2 (PG-13) 1:00,3:10,5:20,7:30
'riginal Kings of Comedy (R) 1:30,4:10, 7:00, 9:35
Turn It Up (R) 1:10,3:05,5:15,7:20,9:20
The Watcher (R) 1:15,3:25,5:35, 7:45, 10:10
Columbiana Grande Stadium
Cinemas
1250 Bower Parkway, 407-9898
The Art of War (R) 1:20,5:00, 7:25, 10:05
Bless the Child (R) 1:45,4:20, 7:20,9:40
Bring It On (PG-13) 3:15,5:30, 7:45, 10:00
The Cell (R) 1:45,4:25,7:10,9:50
Chicken Run (G) 2:15,4:10,6:15,9:00
Coyote Ugly (PG-13) 1:15,3:30,5:45,7:55, 10:05
Highlander: Endgame (R) 1:15, 3:30,5:30, 7:30, 9:35
Hollow Man (R) 1:25,4:15, 7:15,9:50
Nurse Betty (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:05,9:30
Saving Grace (R) 1:20,3:50,6:45,9:20
Scary Movie (R) 1:50,3:45,6:55,9:30
Space Cowboys (PG-13) 1:20,3:50,6:45,9:20
Thomas and The Magic Railroad (G) 2:00, 3:55, 7:00,
9:00
The Watcher (R) 1:45,4:00, 7:30,9:45
Dutch Square 14
800 Bush River Road, 750-3576
The Art of War (R) 1:40,4:10, 7:10,9:45
.—3 r
Bait (R) 1:10,4:00,7:00,9:30
Bring It On (PG-13) 2:10,4:30, 7:30,9:40,11:50 "
The Cell (R) 2:00,4:40,7:20,9:35
Highlander Endgame (R) 1:10, 3:20, 5:10,7:50,9:50, ***
11:50
Nurse Betty (R) 1:50,4:40, 7:00,9:30
Nutty Professor 2 (PG-13) 2:20,4:50, 7:50, 10:00
Original Kings of Comedy (R) 1:30,4:20, 7:00, 9:30
Saving Grace (R) 1:00,4:00, 7:15
Scary Movie (R) 1:40,4:50, 7:30,10:00, 12:00
Space Cowboys (PG-13) 1:30,4:20,7:10,9:50
Turn It Up (R) 1:00, 3:00,5:00, 7:40,9:35,
The Witcher (R) 1:15,3:20,5:30, 7:45,9:50
The Way of the Gun (R) 10:00
What Lies Beneath (PG-13) 1:10,4:10,7:00,9:40
Regal Cinema 7
Richland Mall Rooftop, 748-9044
The Art of War (R) 1:50,4:30, 7:10,10:00
Bait (R) 2:10,4:40, 7:15,9:50
Gladiator (R) 2:00,5:00,8:15
Highlander: Endgame (R) 2:20,4:50,7:40,9:55
Nutty Professor 2 (PG-13) 2:05,7:20
Original Kings of Comedy (R) 1:55,4:35, 7:10, 9:55
The Replacements (PG-13) 4:35,9:40 (
Saving Grace (R) 2:15,4:30,7:00,9:45
Turn It Up (R) 2:05
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