Larry Brown Movies
Finding Neverland director Marc Forster adapts author Khaled Hosseini's critically acclaimed novel about two childhood best friends forever torn apart as their country is ravaged by endless war and bitter strife. As children, Amir (Khalid Abdalla) and Hassan were inseparable; their long days under azure Kabul skies often spent getting into innocent mischief or preparing for the highly anticipated kite-fighting tournament. When the day of the tournament arrives, however, a glorious victory is quickly offset by a timorous act of betrayal that ultimately serves as the catalyst for catastrophe. Not long after that fateful day, Amir moves away to America, leaving his old friend behind just as the ominous specter of war turns tragically tangible. Two decades later, Amir returns to Afghanistan to find his beloved homeland has now fallen under the iron-fisted rule of the Taliban. Still, all hope for redemption hasn't been lost just yet, because now that Amir stands face to face with the irrepressible secrets that he struggled so vigilantly to bury, he will receive one last chance to make peace with the past, and lay the groundwork for a brighter future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Khalid Abdalla, Homayoun Ershadi, (more)
This award-winning documentary reunites six Jewish friends who grew up in the same Brighton Beach neighborhood. The reunion brings forth nostalgic memories of the friends' carefree childhood days of the 1950s and their festive teen years during the '60s, but often grows dark and grim when talk of Vietnam, drugs, and broken dreams dominates the conversation. Still and all, the six renew their friendship during a therapeutic game of street basketball. The "characters" include Steve Satin, a former drug addict now working at a seafood restaurant; Larry Brown, a successful contractor; Brian Newmark and Bernie Bandman, both clinical psychologists; Bobby Feld, who has worked his entire adult life for American Express as a "purposeful underachiever"; Madelyn Ryderband, a singer and actress; and the group's "clown," Frankie Bass, who grew up to become a Philadelphia schoolteacher. Combining interviews, family photos, and archival news footage, The Boys of 2nd Street Park was first shown January 21, 2003, at the Sundance Film Festival and later made its TV bow on the Showtime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Actor Arliss Howard made his debut as a director with this emotional drama adapted from a handful of short stories by Larry Brown. Barlow (Arliss Howard) is a deeply troubled Vietnam veteran who has been chasing a career as a writer, with little success; when he isn't struggling with his typewriter, he's usually drinking, and his wild mood swings and alcoholic fits of rage have driven away his wife Marilyn (Debra Winger), who has taken their son Alan (Zach Moody) and daughter Alisha (Olivia Kersey) with her. Barlow would like to see his children, but Marilyn refuses to allow it until he catches up on his alimony and child support payments; one of Barlow's few loyal friends, Monroe (Paul LeMat), a buddy from his Army days, is able to get him work as a house painter. With steady paychecks, Barlow is finally able to clear his debts to Marilyn, but she refuses to acknowledge that he's made much progress in turning his life around, and he doesn't get much more emotional support from his ailing mother (Angie Dickinson) or his friend Velma (Rosanna Arquette). Big Bad Love marked the second screen pairing for husband-and-wife Arliss Howard and Debra Winger; it was also Winger's first screen appearance in six years. Acclaimed songwriter Tom Waits composed the film's original score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arliss Howard, Debra Winger, (more)
- 1997
Based in part on an actual incident, the independent drama 100 Proof records one especially bad day in the lives of Rae (Pamela Stewart) and Carla (Tara Bellando), two tough but misused women living in a small Kentucky town. Rae and Carla get by through a combination of low-paying jobs, petty theft, and occasional prostitution, and often resort to drugs and alcohol to blot out the misery of their lives. Over the course of 24 hours, the two women con Arco (Jack Stubblefield Johnson) and Sissy (Minnie Bates Yancey), an elderly couple they've been hired to look after, out of their pension check; have a run-in with Rae's father (Jim Varney), a sleazy and abusive man who tries to pimp his daughter to his friends; score cocaine from a ne'er-do-well at the local store; and sink into a depression fueled by drugs that eventually explodes into shocking violence. 100 Proof was the debut feature for writer/director Jeremy Horton, and received strong reviews for its grim but true-to-life atmosphere and the performances of Pamela Stewart and Tara Bellando. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Banned from participating in a radio sports quiz, Al (Ed O'Neill) feeds his answers to his coworker Griff (Harold Sylvester). As a result, Griff wins a trip to the 1996 Summer Olympics, as well as the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch from Chicago to Altanta. This sparks a huge fight between Al and Griff, which reaches its climax when the media shows up at the shoe store--and culminates in a spectacular "dousing." Several professional athletes make guest appearances as themselves, as do former Playboy centerfolds (Renee Tenison, Petra Verkiak and Victoria Fuller. Katey Sagal (Peggy) does not appear in this episode, which originally aired in tandem with the Season Ten finale "The Joke's On Al". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
