Cynthia Nixon
- 2008
Nearly a decade after impressing audiences at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival with their engaging coming of age story Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish, filmmakers Derick and Steven Martini return to deliver this period drama following two families whose lives are profoundly affected by complex relationships, real estate woes, and Lyme disease. Set on Long Island in the late 1970s, Lymelife opens to find a suburban community swept up in fear after local resident Charlie Bragg (Timothy Hutton) is diagnosed with Lyme disease. Charlie's tightly-wound neighbor Brenda Bartlett (Jill Hennseey) is determined not to let her gentle fifteen year old son Scott (Rory Culkin) suffer a similar fate, and has taken to duct-taping his cuffs to ensure that he remains Lyme disease-free. Meanwhile, as Charlie convalesces, his wife Melissa (Cynthia Nixon) goes to work for Brenda's philandering husband Mickey (Alec Baldwin), a respected real estate developer. All the while, Melissa remains clueless to the fact that she was hired more out of lust than as a friendly favor to a neighbor in need. For years, Scott has pined after Charlie and Brenda's daughter Adrianna (Emma Roberts), and strangely enough it seems that she's finally starting to return his affections. Tensions are running particularly high in the neighborhood lately, and when Scott's older brother Jimmy (Kieran Culkin) arrives home on leave from the army, his confrontations with his tempestuous father Mickey threaten to trigger repercussions that will affect the lives of everyone involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Rory Culkin, (more)
The hit cable series Sex and the City catwalks its way onto the big screen in this feature-film continuation that fans all over have been clamoring for. Sarah Jessica Parker returns once again as Carrie Bradshaw, the style-maven journalist whose romantic exploits were the key focus of the show. Also reprising their roles are Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, with the series' executive producer Michael Patrick King taking on writing and directing duties. Several years have passed since viewers last saw Carrie and company, though she's still involved with Mr. Big (Chris Noth) and completely consumed by her obsession for name-brand accessories. Meanwhile, Miranda is adjusting to married life and motherhood, Charlotte is still clinging to her dreams, and Samantha and handsome, steely eyed TV star Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis) are now living together out in L.A. Of course, when the girls all come together, it's just like old times. Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson co-stars as Carrie's assistant. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
A bored suburban husband finds his affair with a high-school babysitter fast snowballing out of control in this black comedy from first-time screenwriter/director David Ross. Shirley (Katherine Waterston) is a brainy honors student who is always thinking about the future, and works part-time as a babysitter in order to save up for college. Among Shirley's regular charges are spirited youngsters Adam and Mikey, the offspring of respected father Michael (John Leguizamo) and his pretty wife, Gail (Cynthia Nixon). Shirley has always had an innocent crush on Michael, but one night after her regular shift, things take a serious turn when the pair sneaks a furtive kiss. Lately Michael has become noticeably depressed by the suburban routine, longing for the days before family responsibility weighed him down and his wife turned into the typical minivan-driving soccer mom. Shirley's kiss makes Michael feel alive again, and as a result he gives her a substantial tip that night. Before long, however, a fleeting kiss has turned into a full-fledged affair, with Michael and Shirley using the babysitting shifts as cover. When Michael's married friends catch wind of his extramarital exploits, they, too, express the want for a babysitter who is willing to earn a healthy tip. Recognizing the potential for profit in such a situation, Shirley soon assumes the role of teenage madam -- matching up her high-school friends with otherwise upstanding men who have grown bored with married life. Of course, Shirley isn't above skimming a bit of the profits for her college fund, but then again it's only a matter of time before their carefully crafted cover is blown. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Katherine Waterston, (more)
Lynn Redgrave, Alan Cummings, Cynthia Nixon, and Tim Curry all lend their voices to this wide-eyed tale of adventure and awe in the exciting world of Tinseltown. Adapted from the popular series of children's books by Kay Thompson, Eloise in Hollywood finds everyone's favorite six-year old Plaza Hotel resident setting out on a mischievous adventure through the star-studded streets of Hollywood. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Matilyn Mouser, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
- 2005
At an offtrack betting parlor, House (Hugh Laurie) meets Anica Jovanovich (Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City fame), whose caustic wit and alcoholic capacity nearly matches his own. After Anica suffers a seizure, House diagnoses pancreatic cancer, but she seems curiously unconcerned. As it turns out, Anica has a history of crying wolf about various medical ailments so that she can make herself feel important--but this time it may be the real thing. All this intrigue is played against an ongoing war of words between House and Foreman (Omar Epps), who is temporarily in charge of the clinic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A teenage boy makes the sort of wish you'd expect a teenage boy to make, and he might just get to live it out in this dark comedy. Dylan Jamieson (Michael Angarano) is a 16-year-old boy living in Pennsylvania who is being raised by his mother, Karen (Cynthia Nixon), on her own after the death of his father (played by Ethan Hawke). Karen and Dylan have received the news that the boy has contracted a rare form of cancer and isn't likely to live to see seventeen. Dylan has taken the news surprisingly well, facing his treatment with pointed good humor and spending much of his free time with his best buddies Slap (Gideon Glick) and Ricky (Matt Bush). Aware that the end is on the horizon, Karen contacts United Wish Givers, a group that arranges for ailing youngsters to enjoy a final adventure before they pass, and they set up a fishing trip for Dylan with a professional football star. However, Dylan comes up with a better idea with the help of Slap and Ricky, and on television, tells the group's representatives that what he really wants is a weekend-long date with Nikki Slater (Sunny Mabrey), a supermodel and world-class sex symbol. While the United Wish Givers are appalled and Karen isn't sure this is a good idea, Arlene (Gina Gershon), Nikki's agent, sees possibilities in this news -- Nikki has been on a bender of bad publicity recently, and granting a kid's last wish might be just the thing to help folks forget that she's been pushing rival models off runways. One Last Thing... was directed by Alex Steyermark, who worked with Gina Gershon on his previous film, Prey for Rock & Roll. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Nixon, Michael Angarano, (more)
The bittersweet pangs of first love among sixth graders sets the stage for this romantic comedy. Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) is an 11-year-old boy living on the more exclusive side of New York City; his parents, Adam (Bradley Whitford) and Leslie (Cynthia Nixon), are splitting up, and as their marriage slowly crumbles, they've both become increasingly protective of their son. While most of Gabe's friends are still firmly in the "girls are yucky" stage, Gabe has found his head turned by Rosemary (Charlie Ray), a cute girl in his karate class. Negotiating the tricky waters of impressing the opposite sex for the first time, Gabe works up the nerve to ask Rosemary out on a date, and in time the two begin spending their spare time together. But just when Gabe feels ready to tackle the next step and tell Rosemary that he's in love with her, he learns that she'll be spending the summer away at camp, meaning he'll have to spend his vacation pining for her. Meanwhile, as Gabe turns to Adam for advice, Adam begins taking another look at where his relationship with Leslie went sour. Little Manhattan was the first directorial effort for writer and producer Mark Levin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
In the tradition of Dore Schary's Sunrise at Campobello, the made-for-cable biopic Warm Springs focuses on one of the least publicized aspects in the life of America's most-publicized (and longest-serving) president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, here played brilliantly by British actor Kenneth Branagh. Like Sunrise, Warm Springs uses as its starting point the year 1921, when the 39-year-old Roosevelt was permanently paralyzed from the waist down by an attack of polio. But whereas the earlier film concentrated on FDR's battle to return to public life despite his handicap, this film zeroes in on Roosevelt's efforts to cure himself of his affliction. Having heard of the therapeutic value of the waters of Warm Springs in rural Georgia, Roosevelt makes a pilgrimage to the area, which is little more than a swamp surrounded by dilapidated shacks. Though he never experiences the "miracle" cure that he so desperately seeks, Roosevelt is instrumental in the conversion of Warm Springs from a backwater hellhole to a streamlined, efficiently managed polio-treatment center, a virtual mecca for hundreds of thousands of others who had been crippled by the debilitating illness. And in the process, he also brings hope, optimism, and racial enlightenment to the poverty-stricken, multiethnic citizens of Warm Springs. Even more significantly, FDR removes the stigma of polio from the public consciousness, forever abolishing the misguided notions that the disease adversely affected the brain, that it could be spread merely by physical contact, or that it represented celestial "punishment" of the victim (it is noted, however, that Roosevelt was always careful never to reveal the true extent of his immobility nor his atrophied legs in public, feeling that it might diminish the nation's image of an "invulnerable" Commander in Chief). Also in the cast are Cynthia Nixon as Roosevelt's devoted wife, Eleanor; Jane Alexander (who'd previously played Eleanor Roosevelt in two TV miniseries) as his over-protective mother Sara; David Paymer as his crusty chief aide Louis Howe; Kathy Bates as his no-nonsense physical therapist Helena Mahoney; and Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless, the man in charge of Warm Springs. Originally telecast by HBO on April 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon, (more)
- 2003
The sixth and final season of the HBO series Sex and the City aired in two different installments, spread months apart from each other. This three-disc set contains the last episodes in the history of the series -- including the series finale, in which our protagonist finally decided her romantic future (but in a city other than the one viewers might have expected). Each episode is presented in a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original broadcast aspect ratio. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
The cynical son of an upper-class New York family bedeviled by booze, pills and mental illness strikes out on his own in this caustic, darkly comic drama. Igby Slocomb (Kieran Culkin) and his older brother, Oliver (Ryan Phillippe), are are in the process of killing their mother, Mimi (Susan Sarandon). Flashbacks delineate Igby's troubled childhood: Speed-freak Mimi and her depressed husband, Jason (Bill Pullman), snipe at each other endlessly until Jason attempts suicide before Igby's very eyes and takes up residence in a mental hospital. Igby grows into a rebellious youth, gets kicked out of several boarding schools and ends up in a hellish military academy. After one failed escape attempt, he heads to New York City and hides out in the apartment of Rachel (Amanda Peet), the heroin-addled mistress of his godfather, D.H. (Jeff Goldblum). Oliver locates the young scoundrel and informs him that Mimi is suffering from cancer. Unperturbed, Igby continues his slacker existence -- and his romance with Sookie (Claire Danes), a hipper-than-thou undergraduate who finds herself torn between Igby and Oliver. As Igby gets drawn further into the mind games and hypocrisy of the adult world, his already jaded outlook grows even darker. He takes to dealing smack and hanging out with a cross-dressing performance "artist" (Jared Harris). Ultimately, though, Mimi's impending death draws him back into the family fold for unexpected revelations and realizations. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Burr Steers, Igby Goes Down features Rory Culkin, Kieran's brother, as the young Igby. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kieran Culkin, Susan Sarandon, (more)
The abbreviated fifth season of HBO's acclaimed series about the sometimes funny and sometimes frustrating side of love and sex gets a polished presentation for its release on DVD. Sex and the City: The Complete Fifth Season has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio and the audio has been mastered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Surround. The dialogue is in English, with optional subtitles in Spanish and closed captions in English. Bonus material in this set includes audio commentaries from series creator Michael Patrick King, previews for each episode, cast and crew biographies, a behind-the-scenes look at producing season five, and an interactive trivia quiz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
The complete fourth season of HBO's comedy Sex and the City arrives on DVD with this multi-disc set. Each episode is presented in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1. English and Spanish soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, making it difficult to recommend this set to anyone other than a fan of the show. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
The third season of HBO's wildly popular mating-ritual sitcom is finally available for repeat airings with this comprehensive three-disc set. Sex and the City: Season 3 catches up with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) as they navigate their way through affairs, relationships, and breakups with suitors including nature boy Aidan (John Corbett), arrested adolescent Steve (David Eigenberg), uptight WASP Trey (Kyle MacLachlan), and unreliable perma-bachelor Mr. Big (Chris Noth). The set covers episodes 31 through 48, including "Where There's Smoke" through "Cock a Doodle Do!" ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
- 2000
The lingering illness and death of his beloved wife has left young Appalachian farmer Grins Jenkins (Scott Bakula) a melancholy shell of his ebullient former self. As Christmas approaches, Jenkins can find no discernable reason for going on with his own life. But Grins' four spunky and resourceful children not about to let their father wither and die of a broken heartt. Based on a novel by Collin Wilcox Patton and Gary Carden, and filmed on location in Alberta, Papa's Angel was broadcast by CBS on December 3 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon guest stars as Melina Richardson, a disillusioned, dispirited woman who is drawn to the Golden Path Insitute, a religious cult led by one Brother John (played by a decidedly cast-against-type Montel Williams). Sensing that the cult's purpose is far from altruistic, Monica (Roma Downey) endeavors to redirect Melina to God. But she'd better hurry: In apparently emulation of other cultists like Jim Jones, Brother John is drawing up plans to "save" his flock by leading them to commit mass suicide on 9/9/1999! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When Frank Sinatra sang "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, it's up to you, New York!" he probably didn't have the same odds in mind that line up against Henry and Nancy Clark in The Out-Of-Towners. Henry (Steve Martin) is an advertising man from Ohio who runs his life on an exacting schedule. His wife Nancy (Goldie Hawn) feels the spark has gone out of their lives together. After 24 years of marriage, their children are grown and nothing is tying them to their old home, so they decide to take a stab at relocating to New York City. Henry arranges a job interview in the Big Apple, they schedule a flight into Manhattan, and from that point on, anything that can go wrong does go wrong. Henry and Nancy's flight is delayed, their luggage is lost, their hotel reservations are cancelled, they're accosted by muggers, the cab they're riding in gets in a wreck, Henry is accidentally drugged and Nancy ends up in a group therapy meeting for sex addicts. The Out-Of-Towners is an updated remake of the 1970 comedy scripted by Neil Simon; the original version starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as the hapless Midwesterners. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, (more)
Sex and the City: The Complete Second Season is a DVD collection similar to the first-season package, though it's super-sized in comparison, beating the first edition by six episodes. The 18 episodes of season two are split across three discs here, with six episodes per disc. The discs show more grain than most DVD releases, especially in particularly colorful parts of the picture, but the grain seems slightly contained compared to the first season, making it less of a distraction. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Sound is excellent. The discs are easy to navigate via the "Episode Selection" on each screen. Unfortunately, as with the season one discs, selecting an episode leads to an unavoidable story synopsis. Unless a viewer wants to know what's going to happen in an episode before watching it, it's best to quickly press "Play" twice in a row to select an episode. Each episode-summary screen gives access to a 30- to 40-second episode preview. The episode previews can also be selected on all three discs via the handy "Season Index," which lists all 18 episodes. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
Andy Dick and Cynthia Nixon star in the romantic comedy Advice from a Caterpillar as best friends who become two points in a love triangle when they each become attracted to the same man. Their feelings make a mess of their once strong friendship, as well as their opinions of themselves. Jon Tenney and Timpothy Olyphant round out the cast. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Nixon
HBO brings the first season of their hugely successful series Sex and the City to DVD in a double-disc package that includes bonuses such as a short making-of featurette, cast and crew biographies, and website access. Though the network's willingness to bring the show out on home video so soon after its debut is admirable, a few frustrating problems plague the set. First of all, the video transfer leaves something to be desired: slight but noticeable grain pops up occasionally, particularly during daytime scenes. The discs' menus are also somewhat clumsy and not easily navigable, and though the set's clear packaging is pretty, it offers little information about the discs inside. However, these are fairly minor complaints that shouldn't stop the series' fans from enjoying this set -- the show's sharp dialogue and performances still shine. While more substantial extras would have been welcome, such as commentary from the show's directors or stars, Sex and the City: The Complete First Season is a step in the right direction from HBO to get their series on DVD. With any luck, the upcoming Sopranos set will benefit from the experience the network gained from this package, and will hopefully pave the way for The Larry Sanders Show, Arli$$, and Mr. Show sets in the not too distant future. ~ Heather Phares, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
- 1998
This comedy drama series, adapted from the book by New York columnist Candace Bushnell, centers around four single women who carve to the core of the Big Apple. Bushnell called the casting of this series "brilliant." Newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) labels herself a "sexual anthropologist." She researches sexual politics for her racy column via info and input from her thirtysomething friends: PR executive Samantha (Kim Cattrall of Creature), art dealer Charlotte (Kristin Davis of Melrose Place), and lawyer Miranda (Cynthia Nixon of Marvin's Room). Carrie both observes and participates in the routines and rituals rampant during Manhattan dating and mating. Women who approach sexual activity in a noncommittal manner are the theme of the pilot episode, directed by Susan Seidelman. Alison Maclean (HBO's Subway Stories) directed the second episode, "Models and Mortals," in which Carrie studies the power possessed by beautiful models and the experiences of both men and women who date only members of the fashion world. Documenting the sex lives of "modelizers," "toxic bachelors," and the like, Bradshaw has various encounters with the wealthy and powerful Mr. Big (Chris Noth of Law & Order), representing the type of man who flirts yet never dates. Other male types delineated here are Artist Guy, Groovy Guy, and Mr. Marvelous. Executive producer and creator Darren Star filmed with locations stretching the Big Apple strata from the chic to the seedy, from halfway habitable hovels to upscale restaurants and glamorous nightclubs. The series premiered June 6, 1998, on HBO and concluded its run after six seasons on February 22, 2004. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
- 1997
Three decades worth of Top-40 singles are featured on the soundtrack of this romantic comedy-drama about marriage (i.e., the "M" word) in the Big Apple. Smooth-talker Nick (Andrew Heckler) makes a move when Sarah (Marnie Pomerantz) begins to harbor doubts about her impending marriage to her longtime boyfriend Jake (Wolfgang Bodison). Her friends Nicole (Christine Tucci) and Cara (Cynthia Nixon) also have romantic problems. Shown at the 1997 Hollywood Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Nixon, Christine Tucci, (more)
- 1996
In this comedy drama, a winning lottery ticket gives four aspiring actors the chance of a lifetime. The quartet is first seen commiserating over the failure of their latest off-Broadway production in the Cottonwood Diner in Greenwich Village. To ease the sting of a scathing review, the four buy a lottery ticket and promise that they will use the wealth to make a film. Sure enough, they win $3 million. After viewing many popular hit movies including The Godfather, Rocky and When Harry Met Sally, they set to penning a highly derivative script. Trouble comes when one of them, a compulsive gambler, backs out and uses his share to bet the ponies. The remaining trio then bring in a new partner, the daughter of famed vaudevillian Danny Rose. After that they convince a relative to manage them and head off to solicit a hot young director. More trouble comes when the Screenwriter's Guild tries to sue them for plagiarism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Two sisters try to set their familial differences aside -- one in hopes of saving her own life -- in this drama with comic accents. Bessie (Diane Keaton) has lived in Florida for the past 20 years, where she's been caring for her chronically ill father Marvin (Hume Cronyn) and her Aunt Ruth (Gwen Verdon), who does not seem well aquatinted with reality. While Bessie's life has not been easy, she feels that it's rewarding in its way, and she's come to love her father very much. However, when Bessie is diagnosed with cancer, she's told that the only treatment likely to save her would be a bone marrow transplant from a close relative -- which leads Bessie to contact her sister Lee (Meryl Streep) for the first time since their father fell ill. Bessie and Lee have a number of issues with each other that they've never resolved, many concerning their responses to Marvin's illness (Bessie rushed to his side, while Lee preferred to stay away), and Lee's own life has been difficult. She's gotten herself out of a bad marriage, has only recently started supporting herself as a beautician, and has to raise two kids on her own. Ten-year-old Charlie (Hal Scardino) tries to simply ignore the chaos going on all round him, while Hank (Leonardo DiCaprio), a troubled 17-year-old, was recently institutionalized after burning down the family's home. As the straight-laced Bessie and the earthy Lee reestablish contact after two decades, they discover just how much emotional ground they have to cover before they can meet on common ground. Robert De Niro appears in a supporting role as Dr. Wally, Bessie's physician. Marvin's Room was based on the stage drama by Scott McPherson, which opened in 1990; McPherson himself was critically ill at the time -- he died two years later from complications relating to AIDS. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, (more)
