Paul D. Zimmerman Movies

Most people fall in love and then have a baby, but one woman finds herself reversing the process in this romantic comedy. Grace Rhodes (Lisa Eichhorn) is a businesswoman inching into her 40s who has reached most of her career goals, but she is having a little trouble with her biological clock, which has started ticking very, very loudly. Grace hasn't had much luck in finding Mr. Right, and her friend Elaine (Caroline Aaron), who manages the not inconsiderable feat of being even more cynical about such matters than Grace, assures her that the man of her dreams doesn't really exist. Elaine is the first to suggest to Grace that if she wants a child and can't find a man, perhaps she should consider visiting a sperm bank. In time, Grace warms to the idea and eventually chooses sample #247. Grace becomes pregnant, and is very happy...until she starts wondering what sort of man her child's father really is. With Elaine's help, Grace cracks into the sperm bank's records and learns that #247 belongs to Peter Kessler (Stanley Tucci), a gifted but lonely photographer with serious commitment issues. Elaine meets Peter at the gallery he runs, and before long, a cautious romance begins to blossom between them, but Elaine isn't sure if this relationship is destined to last -- or when or if she should tell Peter that she's carrying his child. A Modern Affair was produced, directed, and written by Vern Oakley; it was his first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Martin Scorsese's satirical comedy/drama caustically explores the lengths to which a nobody will go to be as famous as his idol. Practicing his patter in his basement with cardboard cut-outs of his favorite celebrities, mediocre aspiring comedian Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) believes that one appearance on the evening talk show of the Johnny Carson-esque Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) will be his ticket to stardom. After he helps Jerry escape the advances of amorous fan Masha (Sandra Bernhard), Rupert takes Jerry's patronizing brush-off as a true promise for an audition and begins haunting Jerry's office. Provoked by Masha's needling and a rejection from Jerry's smooth production exec Cathy Long (Shelley Hack), Rupert makes a disastrous trip to Jerry's country house with embarrassed date Rita (Diahnne Abbott), then hatches an even more outlandish scheme to get ahead. With Masha's help, Rupert kidnaps Jerry and demands as ransom the TV appearance that he believes will turn his fantasy into reality. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide