1997 Nicolas Cage thriller / TUE 9-3-13 / In Valley of 2007 film / Suffix with road hip / Onionlike vegetables

Constructor: Dan Schoenholz

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME: We— Clues are all homophones of "We"; answers are all definitions of those clues

Word of the Day: "CON AIR" (43D: 1997 Nicolas Cage thriller) —

Con Air is an 1997 American action-thriller film directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, producer ofThe Rock. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Colm Meaney and John Malkovich. The film borrows its title from the nickname of the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System. While scanning a newspaper article, ScreenwriterScott Rosenberg first learned of the special program, then visited its Oklahoma City base "to get an eyewitness perspective of the incredible operation, which quickly formed the genesis for Con Air." (wikipedia)

This one not so great. Not a big fan of the definition-for-answer thing to begin with. Then there's the fill, which is just dead. Just .. lying there. Not interesting, well below average in overall quality. Exhibit A: -STERS. I don't really need other exhibits, I don't think. Plural suffixes are the lowest form of crossword life. The rest of the grid is mostly crosswords and yawning. Also, I don't say the initial consonant in "Whee!" the same as I do all the others. I'm very aitchy with 'whys' and 'wherefores' and 'whatnots.' I just noticed that ASST is sitting on top of ASSETS and now I'm a little sadder than I was ten seconds ago. It's like a little bad answer sitting atop a bloated version of The Same Bad Answer. ELAH? (15D: "In the Valley of ___" (2007 film)) Is that right? This just isn't working on any level. That "?" clue on AGEIST does not work at all (44D: Like the philosophy "Out with the old, in with the new"?). I mean, you have to lean on the "?" pretty hard, and even then, it's not funny, cute, clever. Just weird. I do like RANGY, though, I'll say that (10D: Long-limbed). I had LEGGY ... which I also like.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Wii (XBOX RIVAL)
• 23A: Oui (FRENCH FOR YES)
• 36A: We (PERSONAL PRONOUN)
• 46A: "Whee!" (CRY OF DELIGHT)
• 58A: Wee (MINIATURE)

Onward.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld