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Holmes Osborne Movies

An accomplished character actor most readily at home playing average and undistinguished domestic types (particularly fathers and husbands), Holmes Osborne appeared in scattered projects very occasionally during the 1970s and '80s, but his career only took off at the tail end of the 1990s, culminating with a small role in Alexander Payne's critically worshipped high-school satire Election (1999) -- as the father of class jock Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) and "bad girl" Tammy Metzler (Jessica Campbell). Osborne went on to grace the casts of several key Hollywood and independent films during the next several years, including Donnie Darko (2001), Windtalkers (2002), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), in addition to scattered appearances on such television programs as Ally McBeal, The Drew Carey Show, and Invasion. In 2006, Osborne re-teamed with Darko director Richard Kelly for the filmmaker's epic-sized dystopian black comedy Southland Tales. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
2003  
 
Add A Carol Christmas to Queue Add A Carol Christmas to top of Queue  
It's yet another version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with a gender-bender twist. Tori Spelling stars as Carol Cummings, a fabulously wealthy and enormously successful TV talk show host -- and a first-class shrew. Caring little for anything but the money and the celebrity that her job accrues, Carol mercilessly bullies and harangues everyone with whom she works, from her ulcerated producer Jimmy Fields (Michael Landes) to her long-suffering personal assistant Roberta Timmons (Nina Siemaszko), a single mom who dares not risk losing her job -- especially with Christmas just a few days away. While feverishly putting together a Yuletide TV special, Carol is visited by the ghost of her Aunt Marla (Dinah Manoff), who in her time was an even more insufferable diva than her niece. Warning Carol to change her ways before it is too late, Aunt Marla further proclaims that Carol will that evening be visited by three spirits who will show her the error of her ways. From this point forward it's the same old story, though it's fun to watch Gary Coleman as the Ghost of Christmas Past (appropriately in the form of a washed-up sitcom star!) and especially William Shatner as a Dr. Phil-style Ghost of Christmas Present. Also, the film represents one of the few times that the Scrooge character has a living love interest -- namely, Jason Brooks as John, a well-known Good Samaritan who continues to pine for Carol even after she has decided that he's the proverbial millstone around her neck. A Carol Christmas was first telecast by cable's Hallmark Channel on December 7, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Tori SpellingDinah Manoff, (more)
 
2005  
PG13  
Add A Lot Like Love to Queue Add A Lot Like Love to top of Queue  
Two friends who've convinced themselves they would never make a good couple discover they might just be wrong in this romantic comedy. Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) and Emily (Amanda Peet) first met when they were college students sharing a flight from California to New York; Emily spontaneously seduced Oliver on the plane, and they spent the next few days together in the city. When they parted, however, Emily decided not to pursue a relationship with Oliver, even though he was obviously interested. Over the next several years, circumstances kept putting them in one another's paths, and over the years Oliver and Emily became close friends and confidantes. Both are still certain, though, that they're entirely wrong for each other on a romantic level. However, after nearly a decade, with both Oliver and Emily edging into their thirties, they begin to wonder if they've allowed a great opportunity to pass them by. A Lot Like Love also stars Kathryn Hahn, Ali Larter, and Kal Penn. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ashton KutcherAmanda Peet, (more)
 
1997  
R  
Add Affliction to Queue Add Affliction to top of Queue  
Nick Nolte and James Coburn deliver some of the finest work of their respective careers in this powerful but troubling adaptation of Russell Banks's novel. Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is the sheriff in a small New England town; it's a part-time job with few taxing responsibilities, and Wade fills his many free hours by swilling booze, smoking pot, and thinking back on his nightmarish childhood. Wade's father Glen (James Coburn) was by turns callous, distant, and abusive, and Wade has inherited his addiction to alcohol and inability to deal with others. Consequently, Wade's ex-wife (Mary Beth Hurt) despises him, his daughter is uncomfortable and frightened in his presence, and the only person who can reach him is his loving but long-suffering girlfriend Margie (Sissy Spacek). When a wealthy businessman is killed in a hunting accident, Wade suspects foul play and pursues the case with an obsession that puzzles all around him; meanwhile, Wade's mother dies and his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe), the only one in the family to escape Glen's abuse without crippling emotional scars, returns to pay his respects and is caught up once again in the damaged lives of his father and brother. James Coburn) won an Academy award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Affliction, while Nick Nolte was nominated for Best Actor (he lost to Roberto Benigni). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Nick NolteJames Coburn, (more)
 
2009  
PG13  
Add All About Steve to Queue Add All About Steve to top of Queue  
A brilliant crossword-puzzle designer travels across the country in hopes of convincing a CCN cameraman that the pair is meant to be together, only to find her quest taking an unexpected turn in this romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, andThomas Haden Church. Despite the fact that she has only gone on one short date with the man, a love-struck puzzle creator becomes enamored with a successful cameraman and follows him to a series of media events in hopes that the feeling is mutual. While she is saddened to discover that it is not, she soon becomes involved with a group of misfits who selflessly accept her at face value. First-time feature filmmaker Phil Traill directs a screenplay penned by License to Wed scribe Kim Barker. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sandra BullockBradley Cooper, (more)
 
1990  
 
First telecast October 21, 1990 on the Disney Channel cable service, Back to Hannibal: The Return of Huckleberry Finn is set 20 years after the Mark Twain novel. Tom Sawyer (Mitchell Anderson) is now a budding lawyer, while Huck Finn (Raphael Sbarge) is a reporter. They descend upon their old home town of Hannibal when their friend, ex-slave Jim Watson (Paul Winfield), is accused of murdering the husband of Tom's childhood sweetheart Becky Thatcher (Megan Follows). Roy Johansen's script even manages to haul in the King and the Duke (Joe Bova, Ned Beatty) from Huckleberry Finn. It's rather pointless, but it goes down easily enough. But, say: doesn't Back to Hannibal smell like a TV series pilot to you? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1999  
PG13  
Add Crazy in Alabama to Queue Add Crazy in Alabama to top of Queue  
Comedy and drama take turns in this period piece based on a novel by Mark Childress. Peejoe (Lucas Black), short for Peter Joseph, lives in a small Alabama town in 1965, at the height of the Civil Rights movement. He becomes involved with a group of black students protesting the town's racially segregated municipal swimming pool, leading to a protest that explodes into deadly violence. But Peejoe has gotten a crash course in standing your ground and following your own path from his free-spirited Aunt Lucille (Melanie Griffith), who has killed her abusive husband and is headed for Hollywood, where she's convinced that television stardom awaits her. Crazy in Alabama marked the directorial debut of actor Antonio Banderas; his supporting cast includes Cathy Moriarty, Elizabeth Perkins, Rod Steiger, Fannie Flagg, and Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Melanie GriffithDavid Morse, (more)
 
2001  
R  
Add Donnie Darko to Queue Add Donnie Darko to top of Queue  
Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a bright and charming high-school student who also has a dark and willfully eccentric side; he does little to mask his contempt for many of his peers and enjoys challenging the authority of the adults around him. Donnie is also visited on occasion by Frank, a monstrous six-foot rabbit that only Donnie can see who often urges him to perform dangerous and destructive pranks. Late one night, Frank leads Donnie out of his home to inform him that the world will come to an end in less than a month; moments later, the engine of a jet aircraft comes crashing through the ceiling of Donnie's room, making him think there might be something to Frank's prophesies after all. The rest of Donnie's world is only marginally less bizarre, as he finds himself dealing with his confused parents (Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osborne), his college-age sister (Maggie Gyllenhaal), his perplexed analyst (Katherine Ross), a rebellious English teacher (Drew Barrymore), a sleazy self-help expert (Patrick Swayze), and the new girl at school who is attracted by Donnie's quirks (Jena Malone). Donnie Darko was the first feature film from writer and director Richard Kelly; Drew Barrymore, who plays teacher Karen Pomeroy, also lent her support to the project as executive producer. A director's cut played in select theaters on a limited basis in the summer of 2004, featuring original music cues and trimmed scenes originally in Kelly's first cut of the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Jake GyllenhaalJena Malone, (more)
 
2005  
PG  
Add Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story to Queue Add Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story to top of Queue  
A man and his young daughter face almost impossible odds as they struggle to help an injured horse return to the racetrack in this family-friendly drama. Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) is a horse trainer whose career has gone into a bit of a slump, and after years as his own boss, he's signed on to work for Palmer (David Morse), a breeder whose wealth and success has given him a certain degree of arrogance. While Ben has learned to keep his mouth shut around his boss, he forgets himself when one of his favorite horses, Sonador, breaks its leg during an important race. Palmer insists that the horse should be put down on the spot, but Ben doesn't have the heart to kill the animal, especially since his young daughter, Cale (Dakota Fanning), is in the stands watching. Ben and Palmer have harsh words with one another, and Ben is fired, but is allowed to take Sonador with him when he leaves. Ben has a hard time convincing anyone that the injured horse has any potential, especially his father, Pop (Kris Kristofferson), a fellow trainer who rarely sees eye to eye with his son. But Cale loves the horse, and Ben believes that Sonador can make a comeback with the right care, and together with stable men Balon (Luis Guzman) and Manolin (Freddy Rodriguez), he sets out to put the filly on the road to recovery. As its subtitle suggests, Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story was based on the story of Mariah's Storm, a filly who broke a leg during a race in 1993, but a year later came back to win the Arlington Heights Oaks, and in 1995 won the Turfway Breeder's Cup. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Kurt RussellDakota Fanning, (more)
 
1998  
 
In a departure from ER's usual format, Greene (Anthony Edwards) heads to San Diego to look after his mother, Ruth (Bonnie Bartlett), whose behavior has become increasingly outlandish after an accident at home. Upon arrival, Greene argues with his taciturn father, David (John Cullum), over proper treatment of Ruth, a confrontation which dredges up unpleasant memories. Making a tense situation even more so is the unexpected appearance of Greene's erstwhile girlfriend Cynthia (Mariska Hargitay). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Bonnie Bartlett
 
1999  
R  
Add Election to Queue Add Election to top of Queue  
In this satirical comedy, a hotly contested high school election becomes a metaphor for the current state of American politics. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) is a popular and well-respected instructor at George Washington Carver High School in Omaha, Nebraska, but lately he's been unhappy in both his personal and professional life, and his anxieties finally come to a head with the school's student elections. Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) is running for student body president, and she certainly seems like the sort of girl who would win a high school election -- she's pretty, popular and takes part in all the right extra-curricular activities. In fact, she seems so perfect she's running unopposed, which offends McAllister's sense of democracy (not to mention the fact he doesn't like her very much). So Jim intervenes and persuades Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run against Tracy. Paul is not terribly bright and is entirely unqualified to be student president, but as a star of the school's football team (before a leg injury sidelined him), he's popular enough to at least give Tracy a run for her money. Just as the race begins to heat up, a spanner is truly thrown into the works when Paul's sister, Tammy (Jessica Campbell) announces she's also running for office. Publicly, Tammy's platform is that the student elections are ultimately pointless and if she's elected, she'll eliminate them altogether. Privately, Tammy is out for revenge against her brother; it seems Tammy is experimenting with her sexuality, and a recent fling with a bisexual classmate named Lisa (Frankie Ingrassia) ended when Lisa dumped her to start going out with Paul. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, Election was directed by Alexander Payne, who won enthusiastic reviews for his debut feature, Citizen Ruth; Payne also co-wrote the screenplay with Jim Taylor. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Matthew BroderickReese Witherspoon, (more)
 
2003  
 
Frasier's industrious co-workers insist that he help them build a house for Habitat for Humanity. They soon regret inviting Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) when he proves to be more hindrance than help -- and once the occupants of the house move in, he insists upon smothering them with unsolicited advice. In other developments, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) is forced to sub for Martin, who was slated to give a safety lecture at an elementary school; and Mrs. Moon (Millicent Martin) tries to punish daughter Daphne (Jane Leeves) for an imagined slight by taking a very public job. ~ Rovi

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Starring:
Millicent MartinMisha Henson, (more)
 
2007  
 
Add History's Heroes: Patrick Henry - Quest for Freedom to Queue Add History's Heroes: Patrick Henry - Quest for Freedom to top of Queue  
American Animation Studios presents a series of DVDs designed to teach history to youngsters aged eight to thirteen by transporting them back in time so they can experience some of the most remarkable moments in our nation's history firsthand. In addition to special appearances by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, American hero Patrick Henry delivers an impassioned plea for free speech that swayed the fate of an entire nation. With realistic 3D animation, a rousing musical score, and entertaining storytelling, this release is designed to make learning more fun than any history book on the shelves. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2003  
R  
Add Identity to Queue Add Identity to top of Queue  
Ten strangers are brought together during a weather emergency, only to discover a far greater danger awaits them in this suspense-drama. A sudden rainstorm in a remote desert town strands a disparate variety of people at a rundown motel. A convict sentenced to death, Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince), is stuck in transit with his lawyer (Alfred Molina). Ginny and Lou (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott) are a not-especially-happy pair of young marrieds on their honeymoon. Ed (John Cusack) is a bright and resourceful chauffeur working for actress Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay). George York (John C. McGinley) is a concerned husband trying to find help for his wife (Leila Kenzle, who was struck by Caroline's limo. Paris (Amanda Peet) is a prostitute who wants to move on to a better life. And Rhodes (Ray Liotta) is a police detective who has in his custody Robert Maine (Jake Busey), a dangerous and deranged criminal. As the rain pours down and motel manager Larry (John Hawkes) tries to care for his customers, one by one the unexpected guests begin losing their lives at the hands of a murderer. As the body count mounts, the stranded travelers struggle to find out who the killer is; however, they also learn each of them has a secret, and that their arrival at the motel has not been a matter of mere chance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
John CusackRay Liotta, (more)
 
1988  
R  
Add Kansas to Queue Add Kansas to top of Queue  
A drifter becomes both a bank robber and a hero in this crime thriller. Andrew McCarthy stars as Wade Corey, who hitches a ride on a freight train already occupied by Doyle Kennedy (Matt Dillon), a charming ex-con who convinces Wade to accompany him to his hometown. Once there, Wade realizes too late that Doyle is intent on robbing the local bank. After they are separated following the crime, Wade hides the money. Happening upon a drowning in progress, he saves a young girl who just happens to be the daughter of the state governor, and he becomes an unlikely hero. Finding work at a nearby farm, the meandering Wade becomes a hired hand, falls for the beautiful daughter (Leslie Hope) of his boss, and dreads the return of Doyle, who is sure to come looking for his money. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Matt DillonAndrew McCarthy, (more)
 
2011  
PG13  
Add Larry Crowne to Queue Add Larry Crowne to top of Queue  
An amiable Navy veteran loses his comfortable job at a big-box store, enrolls in community college, and seeks to reinvent himself while falling for his apathetic speech professor in this romantic comedy re-teaming Academy Award-winning Charlie Wilson's War co-stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Larry Crowne (Hanks) has just been downsized. The unfortunate victim of a failing economy, Larry decides that his best option to avoid becoming idle is to take some classes at his local community college. In no time, Larry befriends a colorful group of moped-obsessed outcasts on the road to self-improvement, and begins working to sharpen his communication skills in a public speaking class taught by Mercedes Tainot (Roberts). Disenchanted with her job and bored in her marriage, Mercedes has begun to feel as if she's missing out on life. But whenever she's with Larry, all of her problems seem to disappear. Now, just as Larry and Mercedes are feeling as if their lives have been put on hold, they both discover that fate sometimes has a way of giving us exactly what we need, at precisely the right time. Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Pam Grier, and George Takei co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Tom HanksJulia Roberts, (more)
 
2001  
 
Add Living in Missouri to Queue Add Living in Missouri to top of Queue  
This independent comedy is the first feature directorial effort from filmmaker Shaun Peterson. The film follows the crumbling relationships of three childhood friends who find their lives complicated by the complexity of adulthood. After premiering at the Austin Film Festival, Living in Missouri was the recipient of accolades from several other fests, including the Best Feature Film prize at the Seattle Underground Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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Starring:
Ian McConnelChristina Puzzo, (more)
 
1987  
PG  
April (Michelle Meyrink) is a hot item who causes her boyfriends to spontaneously combust in the heat of passion in this low-budget comedy. Her childhood sweetheart Andy (William O'Leary) is the one who usually gets burned and doesn't believe the warning given by April's mom (Barbara Harris). The involuntary curse gives April several opportunities to burn up the big screen with a sizzling sample of laughs. Made in Lawrence, Kansas with an estimated production cost of a million dollars, this film marks the directorial debut for Chuck Martinez. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

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Starring:
Barbara HarrisMichelle Meyrink, (more)
 
2005  
 
Track the rise and fall of fictional action superstar Frank Sledge in this rapid-fire mockumentary featuring special appearances by Angelina Jolie, Carrie-Ann Moss, Hugo Weaving, Richard Lewis, Sean Young, Ernie Hudson, Kelly Hu, and more. Laugh along as filmmakers parody some of the most popular action films ever, and Hollywood's brightest stars reflect on the career of the ass-kicking icon who, despite all his power and influence, couldn't prevent his own career from going up in flames. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
David LeitchHolmes Osborne, (more)
 
2006  
R  
Add Southland Tales to Queue Add Southland Tales to top of Queue  
California is at the epicenter of a political and environmental disaster that threatens to destroy the world in this ambitious fusion of comedy, drama, dystopian science fiction, and music from writer and director Richard Kelly, his first film after gaining a cult following with Donnie Darko. In the year 2005, a nuclear attack wipes out part of the state of Texas, and three years later America is a virtual police state, with the government taking control of nearly every part of people's lives, supposedly for their own good. A German firm has found a way to generate energy using seawater, but both public and private concerns are desperate to prevent the new technology from being introduced in the gasoline-starved United States. A Marxist underground based on the West Coast is determined to bring down the federal government through violent revolution.

In this midst of this chaos, we follow a number of stories that continually return to three principle characters. Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock) is an actor famous for his role in action films; he's trying to secure financing for a new project, but reality keeps mirroring the events in his script and he struggles to hold on to his identity following a bout with amnesia. Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a porn star who is reinventing herself as a television pundit offering her views on politics, contemporary culture, and teenage sex. And Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott) is an L.A. police officer whose identity has mysteriously split in two, and he struggles to track down his other half. Featuring a massive supporting cast which includes Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Smith, Amy Poehler, and Justin Timberlake, Southland Tales received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival; director Kelly also created an accompanying series of three graphic novels that chart these events and characters prior to this story. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Dwayne JohnsonSeann William Scott, (more)
 
2009  
PG13  
Add The Box to Queue Add The Box to top of Queue  
Screen siren Cameron Diaz and former X-Man James Marsden star in the supernatural horror picture The Box (2008), directed by Donnie Darko cult fave Richard Kelly. The film's premise involves a strange and ominous box granted to a young couple by a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella). They are informed that pressing various buttons on the box will grant them riches while killing a person unknown to them in the process. Executive produced by Ted Hamm, the film was adapted by Kelly from Richard Matheson's 1970 short story Button, Button. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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Starring:
Cameron DiazJames Marsden, (more)
 
2004  
 
Originally telecast in tandem with "The Passion of the Wick", this aptly titled episode marks the series finale of The Drew Carey Show. At virtually the same moment that she agrees to marry Drew (Drew Carey), Kellie (Cynthia Watros) goes into labor. Racing against time so that Kellie's son won't be born a bastard, Drew hastily arranges a hospital-room wedding, then seeks high and low for a priest to perform the ceremony. Unfortunately, the only priest available is currently administering the Last Rites to a dying patient--and he isn't about to be distracted by anything as mundane as marriage until the aforementioned patient expires! In the tradition of Seinfeld, this climactic episode goes full circle by repeating the final gag of the very first episode--just before the "fourth wall" is smashed for the umpteenth time, and the Drew Carey Show cast streams out of the studio to greet their many fans. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1976  
R  
In this low-budget exploitation outing, a trio of curvy young woman, fresh out of reform school, go to college to participate in an experiment and end up having loads of erotic fun. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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2002  
 
Brooding over his best friend's suicide, 15-year-old Scott Hardwick (Dan Byrd) clambers onto a high-rise ledge and threatens to jump. Scott's plight is cruelly exploited by radio "shock jock" Buzz Wescott (Dan Byrd), who hopes to parlay this tragedy-in-the-making into a lucrative national radio hookup. Posing as one of the detectives on the scene, Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) is already aware that Scott needs her help...but it takes quite a while to realize that Buzz is also a lost soul in need of salvation. This episode was directed by series regular John Dye (Andrew). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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2001  
R  
Add Waking Up in Reno to Queue Add Waking Up in Reno to top of Queue  
Country singer Dwight Yoakam is a co-producer of this Miramax comedy about marital infidelity among the Southern redneck set. Auto dealer Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife, Darlene (Natasha Richardson), are best friends with good-natured Roy (Patrick Swayze) and his spitfire wife, Candy (Charlize Theron), who's ovulating and trying to become pregnant. When the quartet of Arkansas natives decides to take an SUV cross-country to a monster truck show in Reno, NV, an alarming secret is revealed: Lonnie Earl and Candy have been having an affair. The revelation comes as a shock to the guileless Roy and much put-upon Darlene, who absconds with her husband's credit cards for a spending spree that includes designer boutiques and a Tony Orlando concert. Meanwhile, Candy's quest to have a baby takes on a new dimension in light of her extracurricular activities with Lonnie Earl. Waking Up in Reno (2002) is based on a script by longtime screenwriting partners/actors Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser, who also play supporting roles in the film. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Billy Bob ThorntonCharlize Theron, (more)