Gift SubscriptionsTim Allen
Jesse Dylan's American Wedding rounds up the characters from the American Pie films for a trip to the altar. Jim (Jason Biggs) proposes to Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Hoping to make the wedding day as special as possible for his bride, Jim enlists the help of his friends Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and the always obnoxious Stifler (Seann William Scott) to help him convince a dressmaker to create the perfect gown, make a good impression on his future in-laws, and assist him in getting out of the embarrassing situations in which he so often seems to find himself. Stifler and Finch battle for the attention of Michelle's younger sister Cadence (January Jones), Jim's Grandmother objects to the wedding because Michelle is not Jewish, and Stiffler's poorly timed surprise bachelor party are just some of the obstacles that must be overcome before the happy event can transpire. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, (more)
Barry Sonnenfeld directs this kissing cousin of his own 1995 hit Get Shorty, a comic caper adapted by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone from the novel by newspaper humorist Dave Barry. When two New Jersey hitmen (Dennis Farina and Jack Kehler) show up in Miami to whack crooked businessman Arthur Herk (Stanley Tucci), they happen to creep into his backyard at the same time as Matt (Ben Foster), a high school kid with his own assassination plans. Only, Matt plans to use nothing heavier than a squirt gun on Jenny (Zooey Deschanel), Arthur's daughter, as part of a school-wide game of "killer." When the plans collide, mayhem ensues, and Matt's struggling ex-columnist dad (Tim Allen, loosely modeled on Barry), Arthur's bored wife (Rene Russo), and two confused police officers (Janeane Garofalo and Patrick Warburton) are also called to the scene. Shift to the next day and there's more craziness to follow. Two dimwitted petty criminals (Tom Sizemore and Johnny Knoxville) choose the exact moment Arthur is transacting a nuclear arms deal to hold up the dive bar where they're regulars, which is actually a front for the Russian mob. Soon the whole motley cast -- including an agreeable drifter (Jason Lee), a buxom maid (Sofia Vergara), and a pair of ruthless FBI agents (Heavy D and Omar Epps) -- are caught up in a hostage scenario in which the weapon accidentally gets brought aboard a hijacked plan. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Rene Russo, (more)
- 2000
- G
- AddBuzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Beginsto QueueAddBuzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Beginsto top of Queue
Buzz Lightyear, the plastic spaceman who helped conquer the toy box in the wildly popular Toy Story films, returns in this animated adventure. Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and his partner Agent Z (voice of Diedrich Bader) have devoted themselves to keeping Gamma Quadrant in Deep Space free of evildoers, but when Agent Z is lost in battle, Buzz is determined that from now on, he has to go it alone. However, after the evil Emperor Zurg (voice of Wayne Knight) kidnaps Buzz's allies, the LGM -- aka Little Green Men (voice of Patrick Warburton) -- Commander Nebula (voice of Adam Carolla) orders Buzz to bring along reinforcements as he flies into battle. With the help of female Space Ranger Mira Nova (voice of Nicole Sullivan), LGM-designed android XR (voice of Larry Miller), and janitor/aspiring Space Ranger Booster (voice of Stephen Furst), Buzz sets out to defeat Zurg's minions and bring back the LGM safe and sound. Unlike the first two Toy Story features, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins was created using traditional cel animation rather than digital computer animation techniques, though computer animation was used for the film's prologue. The film's theme song is sung by another noted space voyager, William Shatner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Wayne Knight, (more)
A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, (more)
Based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Christmas With the Kranks revolves around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank's (Tim Allen) decision to put their normally fanatical enthusiasm for the holidays aside for a tropical cruise. With their daughter in Peru with the Peace Corps, the Kranks believe it just isn't worth it; thus, no presents, Christmas trees, or decorations of any kind will adorn their house to the great consternation of their neighbor Vic (Dan Aykroyd). Just as it looks like Christmas will be successfully skipped, Blair (Julie Gonzalo) throws a major kink into her plans when she suddenly has a change of heart and announces she'll be coming home for Christmas after all. The film ran into troubles early on in production when Ben Affleck's similar sounding bomb Surviving Christmas won the race to the theaters, forcing the filmmakers to depart from the book title in favor of the catchy Kranks one. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, (more)
- 1996
Ten of America's most famous stand-up comics gather to let comedy fans take a peek behind the curtains as they discuss their experiences, influences, and how they got their big break in this release featuring Paul Reiser, Bill Mahr, Carol Liefer, Larry Miller, George Wallace, and more. Early performances by comics Andy Kauffman, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Jackie Vernon, and Richard Pryor are included to offer a look at stand up history in the making. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen presents snippets of the x-rated acts of a dozen stand-up comedians, filmed live on an evening in 1988 at New York's Minetta Lane Theater. Tim Allen and Chris Rock have since gone on to fame and fortune in TV and movies, and Jackie the Jokeman Martling is a member of radio star Howard Stern's troupe. The other performers, including Ben Creed, Thea Vidale, and John Fox, are likely to be unfamiliar to all but a handful of viewers. The film's producers maintain that these performers are legends on the regional comedy club circuit, but that the "adult" content of their material keeps them off cable comedy and talk shows. Based on what we see of their routines, it's obvious why. Not only is the humor almost entirely about sex, much of it seems intentionally calculated to offend. It should be reported that the audience eats it up. The film only has an 88 minute running time, so the comics rotate on and off stage at a rapid clip. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Rock, Jackie Martling, (more)
- 2009
An ex-con (Tim Allen) realizes that prison life is a lot less tough than the outside world in this comedy that finds the Home Improvement star in his feature-film-directing debut. Ray Liotta, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julie Bowen, and Kelsey Grammer co-star in the indie production, written by Judd Pillot and John Peaslee. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Ray Liotta, (more)
Devastated after being fired by director Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch sets out on a soul-searching journey to discover whether getting the axe was the best or worst thing ever to happen in her professional career. Anyone who has been in the workforce for an extended amount of time has likely been there -- one minute you've got a good-paying job that you love, and the next minute you're standing in the unemployment line. When Annabelle Gurwitch got fired by the legendary director of such classics as Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo, she thought her career was over. Upon turning to her many showbiz pals for advice, however, Gurwitch quickly discovered that she was not alone. In this documentary, Gurwitch enlists the aid of filmmakers Chris Bradley and Kyle La Brache in traveling the country to interview such celebrities as Tim Allen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, and Jeff Garlin to find out exactly how they dealt with the heavy hand of rejection. Additional interviews with GM workers in Lansing, MI, who were handed their pink slips offer some tales that are tragically comedic and others that seems to reinforce the old adage about one door closing and another door opening, while a visit to job fairs and "outplacement services" show just what the jobless endure on a day-to-day basis. Conversations with the downsizers as well as the downsized offer viewers a chance to explore the topic from both sides as host Gurwitch reminds viewers that sometimes the greatest success stories are born of failure. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Andy Borowitz, (more)
Plagued by debts, New Yorkers Brad (Tim Allen) and Caroline (Kirstie Alley) Sexton continue to live the high life while maintaining the deception of wealth. But then real estate developer Brad learns his accountant has balanced the books in his own favor, appropriated $5 million, and flown to South America -- after first devising a set-up in which only Brad and Caroline would be blamed by the IRS. With IRS agent Derek Lester (Larry Miller) on their tail, the Sextons escape from New York. They arrive at the Amish community of Intercourse, Pennsylvania, where they pose as the Missouri relatives of farmer Samuel Yoder (Jay O. Sanders). It's the perfect hiding place, but it requires Brad and Caroline to suppress their previous sophisticated lifestyle, as they attempt to adopt Amish attitudes and customs. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley, (more)
A team of intrepid adventurers travels through the outer reaches of the galaxy, each week finding excitement and adventure on Galaxy Quest! Or at least that's the way it was in the mid-1970s, when brave if reckless Captain Peter Quincy Taggart, lovely Lieutenant Tawny Madison, and inscrutable alien Dr. Lazarus were the leaders of an interstellar law enforcement team on the TV series of that name. Twenty years later, the show is still in reruns, and Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), and Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) prop up their sagging careers by making appearances at sci-fi conventions, where they grudgingly shake hands and give autographs for the show's socially inept following. However, it turns out that nerdy sci-fi fans aren't the only ones watching: somewhere in another solar system, a group of alien rebels living under a regime of violence and repression have picked up broadcasts of Galaxy Quest, and they aren't aware that it's fiction. They travel to Earth and encounter the Galaxy Quest cast, who figure that they're just another bunch of guys who like to dress funny. However, they soon realize that they're being hired not for another autograph-signing session but for a real-life outer space rescue mission. Galaxy Quest was directed by Dean Parisot, who had a background in TV directing before his theatrical debut with the dark comedy Home Fries. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
The first season of Home Improvement drew heavily upon the standup comedy routines of series co-creator Tim Allen, herein cast as Tim Taylor, star of the Detroit cable-TV series "Tool Time" -- sort of a low-rent version of Bob Vila's do-it-yourself opus This Old House (Vila in fact guest-starred on the episode titled "What About Bob"). Allen's humor relied upon barbed but affectionate digs at his wife and kids, and his ever-increasing ineptitude in dealing with the follies and foibles of everyday life. In Home Improvement, Tim Taylor was affirmatively master of his domain on "Tool Time" -- even though he relied a bit too extensively on his all-purpose solution to any mechanical problem, "More Power! More Power!" -- but at home he was all thumbs with the household appliances, and a stumbler-bumbler supreme when dealing with his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), and three sons, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (Taran Noah Smith). As for Jill, she spent much of season one fighting a losing battle to imbue her oafish husband with sensitivity and culture (specifically, trying to get him to accompany her to the opera), but loved him all the same. Jill also yearned to find a job of her own, finally landing a position on a high-profile magazine.
The Taylor youngsters were typically mischievous and sometimes irksome but basically good kids, though youngest son Mark (age 6) tended to be victimized by the prankery of ten-year-old Brad and nine-year-old Randy. During the first season, Brad began squiring a classmate named Jennifer Sudarsky (Jessica Wesson), resulting in a variety of amusing and all-too-human "puppy love" situations. Also in the cast was Earl Hindman as the Taylors' philosophical, advice-dispensing neighbor Wilson, whose face was never clearly seen behind the backyard fence that separated the two neighbors' houses. Showing up on a recurring basis was Tim's long-suffering "Tool Time" assistant, Al Borland (Richard Karn), and the show's pulchritudinous "tool girl" Lisa (Pamela Anderson). Likewise making sporadic "Tool Time" appearances were Rock (Casey Sander), Peter (Mickey Jones), and Dwayne (Gary McGurk), the guys from K&B Construction. Initially telecast on ABC's Tuesday evening schedule, Home Improvement ended its first season as the nation's fifth highest-rated program. The series also earned an Emmy award for Achievement in Lighting Direction (the statuette went to director of photography Donald A. Morgan). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Taylor youngsters were typically mischievous and sometimes irksome but basically good kids, though youngest son Mark (age 6) tended to be victimized by the prankery of ten-year-old Brad and nine-year-old Randy. During the first season, Brad began squiring a classmate named Jennifer Sudarsky (Jessica Wesson), resulting in a variety of amusing and all-too-human "puppy love" situations. Also in the cast was Earl Hindman as the Taylors' philosophical, advice-dispensing neighbor Wilson, whose face was never clearly seen behind the backyard fence that separated the two neighbors' houses. Showing up on a recurring basis was Tim's long-suffering "Tool Time" assistant, Al Borland (Richard Karn), and the show's pulchritudinous "tool girl" Lisa (Pamela Anderson). Likewise making sporadic "Tool Time" appearances were Rock (Casey Sander), Peter (Mickey Jones), and Dwayne (Gary McGurk), the guys from K&B Construction. Initially telecast on ABC's Tuesday evening schedule, Home Improvement ended its first season as the nation's fifth highest-rated program. The series also earned an Emmy award for Achievement in Lighting Direction (the statuette went to director of photography Donald A. Morgan). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
Inasmuch as Home Improvement had closed out its first season as the nation's fifth highest-rated TV program, neither its producers nor the ABC network saw the need to make anything but superficial changes for the series' second season on the air. ABC moved the program from its Tuesday night slot to an even better Wednesday-night berth, while one of the recurring characters, long-suffering "Tool Time" assistant Al Borland (Richard Karn), was promoted to "series regular" status. Otherwise, things remained pretty much the same as they'd been during season one. Protagonist Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) was still a fount of wisdom and expertise on his Detroit-based "do it yourself" cable TV series, "Tool Time" but a momument to ineptitude and insensitivity in his own home. Tim's wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), now employed at a Detroit magazine, continued in her efforts to force culture and class upon her husband, all the while struggling to prevent him from "repairing" the household appliances. The Taylors' three sons -- eleven-year-old Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), ten-year-old Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and seven-year-old Mark (Taran Noah Smith) -- persisted in causing trouble for themselves and their parents, though it was clear that there was a lot of love and mutual respect in the family's household. Of the remaining characters, ubiquitous neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) continued to dispense advice and philosophy to Tim and his brood -- and also continued to remain a somewhat shadowy figure, never showing his face to anyone. Buxom "tool girl" Lisa (Pamela Anderson) was still a fixture of Tim's TV series, seldom saying much but certainly making a big impression whenever she wriggled into camera range. And in a new development, Maureen Binford (Vicki Lewis), ditzy daughter of "Tool Time"'s primary sponsor, became the series' producer, saddling Tim with all manners of idiotic format changes to boost his ratings. Moving from fifth to third place in the real-life ratings, Home Improvement was the second most popular sitcom of 1992-1993, beaten out only by another ABC offering, Roseanne. And for the second year in a row, an Emmy award was bestowed upon the series' director of photography, Donald A. Morgan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
Tim Taylor (Tim Allen), self-assured authority on all things mechanical while starring in his own cable-TV series "Tool Time," continues to be an all-thumbs prophet without honor in his own home as Home Improvement enters its third season. With Tim's on-air "Tool Girl" Lisa having left for greener pastures (much like the actress who played her, Pamela Anderson), Debbe Dunning joins the regular cast as new Tool Girl Heidi, every bit as voluptuous as her predecessor. In another season-three development, Tim's "Tool Time" helper, Al (Richard Karn), a lifelong bachelor, begins yearning for a wife and kids on the occasion of his 35th birthday, thus Tim's helpful missus, Jill (Patricia Richardson), fixes Al up with her friend Ilene Markham (Sherry Hursey) -- whereupon the overwhelmed Al proposes to Ilene during a "Tool Time" broadcast! Finally, Robert Picardo joins the cast as Tim's explosive new neighbor Joe Morton, as does Mariangela Pino as Joe's wife, Marie Morton. Even as Heidi, Ilene, and the Mortons come on board, another recurring character passes from the scene: Mr. Binford, Tim's boss, sponsor, and friend. The death of Binford culminates in a touching (but still very funny) episode in which Tim is afraid to cry upon hearing the news. For the third year in a row, the series' season finale finds Tim locked in deadly competition with rival do-it-yourself TV host Bob Vila, playing "himself" for the last time (on this show, at any rate!) in "The Great Race II." Also for the third year in a row, the series' lighting director, Donald A. Morgan, picked up an Emmy award. Home Improvement closed out season three as America's second most popular series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
Home Improvement enters its fourth season with do-it-yourself expert Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) continuing to hold court on the cable-TV show "Tool Time," but with his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), being laid off from her job. Jill subsequently decides to go back to college, opening a whole new realm of story possibilities as Tim begins to worry that his wife will become "too smart" for him (which, truth to tell, she's been all along!). In other developments, Blake Clark becomes a semi-regular in the role of Harry, a hardware-store owner whose heart attack at age 40 sets his contemporary Tim a-worrying about his own wellbeing. Eventually, Harry sells his store to Tim's TV assistant, Al (Richard Karn), who becomes so obsessive about his job that he nearly breaks up his engagement to Ilene Markham (Sherry Hursey). In previous years, Home Improvement's season finale would concern itself with the ongoing rivalry between Tim Taylor and real-life home-improvement expert Bob Vila. This year, however, the season's last episode involves Tim's always-heard, never-seen neighbor Wilson Wilson (Earl Hindman), who upon deciding to go on his first date in 20 years, falls into the clutches of irrepressible matchmaker Jill Taylor. Ranking number three in the Nielsen ratings throughout its fourth season, Home Improvement also brought home a fourth Emmy award for the series' lighting director, Donald A. Morgan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since do-it-yourselfer Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) hosted his first episode of cable TV's "Tool Time" in the opening season of Home Improvement. As the series enters its fifth season, Tim's son Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), ten years old when the series started, is just about to begin his first year in high school, where he is destined to excel as a hockey player (and also to lose his trademarked ponytail). Season five also introduces a new recurring character: Tim's new boss, Bud Harper (Charles Robinson), who takes an instant dislike to Tim's on-air assistant, Al (Richard Karn). Additionally, more screen time is allotted to Irene Markham (Sherry Hursey), Al's off-and-on fiancée. Down from third place in the 1994-1995 ratings, Home Improvement still closed at a strong seventh place at the climax of its fifth season. And, for the fifth year in a row, and Emmy award was bestowed upon the series' lighting director, Donald A. Morgan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
Beginning with the sixth season of Home Improvement, Tim Allen could not only be seen each and every week as Tim Taylor, affable host of the cable TV do-it-yourself series "Tool Time," but was also kept busy behind the scenes as one of Home Improvement's executive producers. One imagines that such a job requires a lot more skill than was exhibited by poor Tim Taylor whenever he tried (and failed) to fix some appliance or other in his own home, while wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) looked on in stoic silence (until she started complaining, that is). While Tim and Jill look none the worse for wear after being in the public eye for six years, their sons continue to grow apace: Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) is beginning his sophomore year in high school, Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is pursuing a very serious relationship with a socially conscious girl named Lauren (Courtney Peldon) (who, much to Tim's delight, is a car enthusiast!), and youngest son Mark (Taran Noah Smith) has developed a taste for "grunge" music. Speaking of developments, there are plenty of them this season, beginning with Tim's boss, Bud (Charles Robinson), breaking up with his wife. Also, the Taylor household is besieged by Jill's loony sisters, Linda (Carlene Watkins), Tracy (Maryedith Burrell), Carrie (Tudi Roche), and Delores (Shirley Prestia), on the occasion of their parents' 50th anniversary; "Tool Girl" Heidi (Debbe Dunning), pregnant for months and months, goes into labor during an awards ceremony; we find out that Tim's never-seen neighbor Wilson Wilson (Earl Hindman) is related to the Beach Boys (no kidding); and after three seasons of emotional hills and valleys, Tim's assistant, Al (Richard Karn), and his girlfriend, Ilene (Sherry Hursey), break off their engagement -- on the eve of their wedding. The season finale finds former Tool Girl Lisa (Pamela Anderson) making an encore appearance. For the first time in six years, Home Improvement's lighting director, Donald A. Morgan, did not win an Emmy award, though he'd make up for this lapse the following year. Home Improvement itself fared pretty well ratings-wise, ending up as the ninth top-rated show in America. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
"More power! More power!" And more laughs as Home Improvement launches its seventh season. As ever, Tim Allen stars as Tim Taylor, host of the popular cable-TV fix-it series "Tool Time," with Patricia Richardson as Tim's wife, Jill, and Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Taran Noah Smith as the Taylors' ever-growing sons Brad, Randy, and Mark. With this season, Debbe Dunning moves out of the "recurring" category to become a full-fledged regular in the role of Tim's TV "Tool Girl" Heidi. Episodes worth noting during season seven include "Losing My Religion," with Dan Aykroyd appearing as Father Mike Weber, the actor's character on the like-vintage sitcom Soul Man; "The Dating Game," in which Tim's assistant, Al (Richard Karn), must face the fact that his former fiancée, Ilene, has found someone else; "Bright Christmas," featuring Polly Holliday as Jill's flibbertigibbet mother; "An Older Woman," wherein son Brad may or may not be getting married to a college girl; and the season's next-to-last installment, "Tool-Thousand-One: A Space Odyssey," featuring guest appearances by real-life astronauts Ken Bowersox and Steve Hawley. Home Improvement tied with Frasier as America's tenth most popular series during the 1997-1998 season. Also, after missing out the previous year, lighting director Donald A. Morgan won his sixth Emmy award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
Home Improvement begins its eighth and final season with one fewer regular than in previous seasons. Jonathan Taylor-Thomas, who since the series' debut had been seen as Randy Taylor, the middle child of cable-TV star Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) and his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), had decided to briefly quit acting to devote himself to his college studies. Thus, it was explained on the series that Randy had left home in the company of his socially conscious girlfriend, Lauren, to go to Costa Rica in hopes of rescuing the rain forest. However, Brad's brothers, Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Mark (Taran Noah Smith), remained in the family fold. The series' final episode is truly one for the ages. After yet another fight with his sponsor, Binford Tools, Tim quits his TV show "Tool Time" cold, and prepares to move to faraway Bloomington with wife Jill, who has landed a job at a medical clinic. Since they cannot bear to leave their old house behind, the only solution is to take it with them -- which they do! Elsewhere, Tim's assistant, Al (Richard Karn), heartbroken since the breakup of his engagement to Ilene Markham, finds a happily-ever-after in the arms of his new bride, the pleasantly plump Trudy (Megan Cavanagh). And, in a moment the world has been waiting for, we finally get to see the complete face of Tim's philosophical neighbor, Wilson Wilson (Earl Hindman)! Finally, the terminal season of Home Improvement won an Emmy award for the series' lighting director Donald A. Morgan -- his seventh such Emmy in eight years! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, (more)
- 1999
The series finale of Home Improvement brought along with it several defining moments in the life of handyman Tim "The Toolman" Taylor (Michigan native Tim Allen), as well as to those of his family and mysterious neighbor, Wilson Wilson (Earl Hindman). Perhaps most notably, Tim (Allen) bids goodbye to his long-running show, Tool Time, despite a tempting financial offer from Morgan (Danny Zorn), who wants the show to continue. Meanwhile, Jill (Patricia Richardson) must decide whether or not to accept a job in Indiana, and Tim's long-time Tool Time partner, Al (Richard Karn), prepares for his wedding. In a momentous event, Tim and Wilson, whose face has always been hidden by the fence separating their neighboring homes, agree to take down the fence in order to provide more room for Al's wedding. Harry (Blake Clark) and Dolores (Shirley Prestia) make an appearance at the wedding, while Marty (William O'Leary), Benny Jim Labriola, and Jeff (Thom Sharp) take bets on the outcome. Eventually, Jill decides to accept the job offer, and Tim takes on what will be the biggest feat in home improvement of his lifetime when he decides to physically transport the house from Michigan to Indiana. Guest appearances include John "Juke" Logan and Mario Andretti as themselves. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Following their television series Home Improvement and the features The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), the actor/director team of Tim Allen and John Pasquin collaborate once again on this high-concept comedy. Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a nice guy video specialist for a Minneapolis pharmaceutical company who's plodding through both his thankless job and an unhappy divorce from his ex-wife Callie (Kelly Lynch). When Joe brings his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere) to the office with him on Take Our Kids to Work Day, he's humiliated in a spat with company bully Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) over a parking space. It's the last straw for the mild-mannered Joe, who challenges McKinney to a rematch, hires a has-been action movie star (Jim Belushi) to instruct him in martial arts, and pays a stylist to make over his wardrobe and hair. As Joe's image improves and the big day approaches, he finds his new self-respecting stance has positive effects in both the workplace, as he lands a long-overdue promotion, and in his romantic life, as both Callie and a cute "wellness coordinator" (Julie Bowen) start warming up to him. The levelheaded Natalie, however, seems to prefer the previously non-confrontational dad she already loved. Joe Somebody (2001) is the feature debut of screenwriter John Scott Shepherd, who actually worked as a corporate filmmaker in Minneapolis. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, (more)
A man finds the son he never knew he had, and a boy discovers a city he never knew existed, in this comedy. Michael Cromwell (Tim Allen) is a commodities broker who deals in coffee beans; while on a trip to Brazil, Michael is abandoned by his wife, Patricia (JoBeth Williams), an anthropologist who decides to stay behind to study the indigenous tribespeople of the area. Fourteen years later, Michael has decided to marry his new girlfriend, Charlotte (Lolita Davidovich), but since he never formally divorced Patricia, he must go to Brazil, find her, and get her to sign a divorce agreement. Once he arrives, he discovers that there's a bit of a complication -- Patricia was pregnant at the time she left Michael, and she is now the mother of a 13-year-old son, Mimi-Siku (Sam Huntington). Mimi-Siku is about to undergo the manhood rituals of the tribe that adopted Patricia and himself, and when the leader discovers that the boy's father has arrived, he insists that Mimi-Siku should return to the "Stone Island" of Manhattan to get to know his dad. Arriving in New York City with a loincloth and a blowgun, Mimi-Siku has a lot to learn about living in contemporary America. Charlotte is not too happy about discovering that she's about to be a stepmother, while Richard (Martin Short), Michael's business partner, wishes the boy wouldn't eat the tropical fish from his aquarium. Jungle 2 Jungle is an Americanized remake of the French comedy Un Indien Dans la Ville. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Martin Short, (more)
- 2001
This first installment to the popular Laughing Out Loud series offers viewers the experience of attending a standup comedy club from the comfort of home. This production features a variety of comedians performing some of their funniest bits; among those included are Carrot Top, Louie Anderson, Diane Ford, Richard Belzer, Cheech Marin, Caroline Rhea, Bobby Collins, Tim Allen, Richard Lewis, and Jim Carrey. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 2000
- AddNBA: Live 2001 - The Music Videosto QueueAddNBA: Live 2001 - The Music Videosto top of Queue
For basketball fans that love to tape games so they can relive spectacular free throws and other big moments, videos like this one are a must. Some of the NBA's top superstars appear on screen, while the background music features such groups as Beastie Boys, Mary J. Blige, Shaggy, and others. The video is hosted by several people, including the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett and Grammy-winning producer Jimmy Jam. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
