Recently, some film critics have noted a resurgence in "feel good films," the sort of fun, mindless entertainment that one watches when things are starting to get difficult in the real world.

Citing the inexplicable popularity of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, some suggest that the stalled economy has left moviegoers yearning for the kinds of films that will enable them to forget about the difficulties of everyday life.

Admittedly, there is a fair bit of evidence to back up this idea. The top ten movies over the past month or so have skewed heavily escapist, with goofy comedies, sex farces, children's films, and violent fantasy flicks all doing quite well. In fact, even the few movies set in the "real" world were either civics lessons that peaked around the time of the elections (Oliver Stone's W) or period pieces, like The Secret Life of Bees and Changeling. As far as contemporary America was concerned, it basically has served as the background for unrealistically redemptive, feel-good comedies (Soul Men, Role Models, Sex Drive) or romances (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Nights in Rodanthe).

One of Cape Cod's best known diners, the old Tinman -- a 1941 Sterling Steamliner -- was burnt down by a waitress's estranged husband in November, 2000. The diner's owner, Barbara Lind, had no insurance.

The Tinman had been a landmark of sorts, set back from Rte 28, one of the two highways that brings thousands of people onto Cape Cod. Its "Wizard of Oz" collection, which was everywhere the eye could see, made it a great place to bring children. With a diner comfort food menu that included classics like meat loaf, macaroni and cheese, liver and onions, Lind's diner was also a gathering place for military personnel.

The Tinman sat charred and desolate for awhile before it disappeared. Then, three years ago, a second diner, Wendell's Corner Snack Shop just two miles away, also shut down. You can guess the rest of the story: The 1927 Tierney diner reopens this weekend, renovated and repainted in pastels, as the new Tinman. How it happened is what makes the story.

When I was a kid, my favorite Wizard of Oz character was the Tin Man. The Lion was furry, but obnoxious, and the Scarecrow was nice, but a little too spastic. Toto was a yappy little dog and Dorothy was a girl and everyone else was just too damn weird looking. The Tin Man, though, was warm and caring, could blow steam out of his head, and made all kinds of fun sounds. He was just too damn cool.

I thought about the Tin Man recently because of some problems that Stryker Orthopaedics has been having with some of its replacement hips. Apparently, the company has a line of ceramic-lined hips that are guaranteed to last far longer than conventional plastic hips.

On the bright side, the hips have, thus far, lived up to their promise: in most cases, they are showing far less wear-and-tear than their plastic competitors. On the down side, 1-7% of these implants have developed an obnoxious squeak. Unlike the Tin Man, however, Stryker's customers can't get rid of their squeaks with a precise application of oil; they need to get their hips replaced again, a costly and intense surgical procedure with tons of potential complications.