Jim Burnstein Movies
Prolific French filmmaker Yves Simoneau directs Sam Shepard and Frank Whaley in a sports drama detailing the remarkable racing career of the horse many believe to be the finest thoroughbred filly ever to run the tracks. In her first ten runs Ruffian was unbeaten, and continued to break longstanding records with every stride. But some careers are like shooting stars, and in just her second season racing Ruffian suffered a career-ending injury. On July 6, 1975, race fans gathered at the Belmont and in front of their televisions eager to witness the prized racehorse's eleventh official race. Billed as the "Battle of the Sexes," this landmark run pitted Ruffian against Kentucky Derby top colt Foolish Paradise. As the race got underway Ruffian was running at her best, but disaster would strike just short of the one-mile marker. It was there that Ruffian would take a brutal tumble that would effectively end both her racing career, and her life. Yet despite her tragic end, Ruffian's inspirational story lives on in this drama that shows why she was the only horse ever to be buried at the Belmont. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Shepard, Frank Whaley, (more)
- 2004
This made-for-cable "dramedy" represents a change of pace for comedian George Lopez), here cast as a nasty, vituperative Chicago radio "shock jock" sportscaster named Henry Ramiro. Although his show is Number One in the ratings, Henry has managed to alienate everyone around him with his relentless verbal assaults--and when we say "everyone", we also mean his long-suffering wife Diana (Lisa Vidal) and his insecure daughter Olivia (Bianca Collins). This is the status quo until 15-year-old Grant Michael (James Kirk), whose life-threatening illness has not dampened his zest for living and his relentless good cheer, shames Henry into being a nice guy for one whole day. Not surprisingly, Henry's ratings immediately tank--but he manages to learn a valuable lesson (with a few detours along the way) just in time for Christmas. Naughty or Nice was produced by the Hallmark corporation and telecast by the ABC network on December 11, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Everybody's favorite underdog youth hockey team hits the ice for a third adventure in D3: The Mighty Ducks. This time out, the Ducks' improbable success under lawyer-turned-hockey player Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) has earned the group of misfits a certain degree of fame, and the entire team is given scholarships to attend Eden Hall Academy, an upscale private school with a rich and snobbish student body. The Ducks are dismayed to discover that they have a new coach, Ted Orion (Jeffrey Nordling), and they soon learn that, as freshmen, they get precious little respect from the Varsity team, and the team's melting-pot lineup makes them stick out like a sore thumb in the white, upper-class surroundings of Eden Hall. However, by the film's final reel, the Ducks will have taught their fellow classmates a lesson about teamwork and overcoming adversity. This proved to be the last film in the Mighty Ducks series, but it was followed by an animated television series that improbably turned the team into hockey stars from another dimension. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilio Estevez, Jeffrey Nordling, (more)
Penny Marshall's feel-good comedy, invoking parts of Dead Poet's Society, Sister Act, and Private Benjamin, features Danny DeVito as Bill Rago, a divorced advertising man who is fired from his job. During an appointment at the unemployment office, a counselor finds him a job as a civilian instructor at the local Army base. At the base, he is assigned a group of eight army hardcases. Rago is supposed to increase this group's "basic comprehension." Sweating it out and unable to interest his students in anything, he finally latches onto Shakespeare. He turns the lecture into a master class on Hamlet with the students converting the Shakespeare tragedy into a rap musical. Looking askance at all this is drill sergeant Cass (Gregory Hines), who feels that the whole class is a waste of time. Finally winning the respect of his students, Rago now has to win the hearts and minds of the contemptuous Cass and his staff. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, (more)
