Well I must admit, I was one of the naysayers about James Cameron's Titanic. I love his work, but there were so many things about this film that sounded like it was going to sink; least of which was the cost. You've heard all that stuff before.

You've also heard that Titanic has a great love story. I beg to differ. It's really a great coming-of-age story. Titanic is the remembrance of one of the last survivors of the doomed ship, about the man who changed her life.

Kate Winslet plays the young Rose DeWitt Bukater, a upper-crust woman who is to be married to another of the upper crust, not for love, but for what she has been told is her survival.

Rose feels trapped in her life; affluent as it may be, a cage is a cage. Rose meets Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Jack lives life on the edge. He sees every day as a gift, and doesn't worry about where the next meal will come from. This fearlessness has given Jack a life of travel and adventure that Rose envies. What is wonderful about the story is Rose's waking up to toss off her shackles and start living her life for the moment.

Oh yeah, and the ship sinks. Nice, but not great special effects. Many of the people on the deck of the Titanic are computer generated and you can tell. You do get the feeling that you are on that ship, and that's a plus, but don't go for the effects. Go for the story.

There are many great performances in Titanic. Look for Kathy Bates as the Unsinkable Molly Brown, Gloria Stuart as the Older Rose, and Billy Zane as the SOB Rose would be married to.

Editing is also a plus here. This film is over three hours long, but it is a fast three hours. Conrad Buff IV, James Cameron and Richard A. Harris should be nominated for Academy Awards in editing.

Titanic, a pleasant surprise.