Stefan Simchowitz Movies
A handful of zoo animals leave behind their well-protected environment for the streets of the big city in this computer-animated comedy. Sampson (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) is the king of a make-believe jungle far from the African plains -- he's a lion on display at a zoo in New York City's Central Park, and he lords it over the other animals, including Nigel (voice of Eddie Izzard), a testy koala bear; Larry, a dumb but well-meaning snake; ; Bridget (voice of Janeane Garofalo), a bright but cynical giraffe; and Benny (voice of Jim Belushi), a very New York-ish squirrel who is good friends with Sampson and is trying to romance Bridget without much success. The pride and joy of Sampson's life is his son, Ryan (voice of Greg Cipes), and he's devastated when one day Ryan is crated up and shipped back to Africa. Sampson is desperate to find his boy, and with the help of his pals he escapes the zoo and sets out on a daring mission to rescue Ryan, battling the unfamiliar terrain and Kazar, a wildebeest with a will to power and a passion for choreography (voice of William Shatner) along the way. The Wild was the first directorial credit for animator and special-effects artist Steve "Spaz" Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, (more)
Young adolescent Sam Franks (Lindley Joyner) spends his summers away from school with his physician father (Peter Curtin), whose schedule barely allows for quality father-son time. Therefore, Sam idles away most of his time with neighbor Maurie Lewis (Frank Gallacher) and Maurie's handicapped daughter Silvy (Brooke Harman), who also happens to be Sam's best friend. One night following a dance, Sam and Silvy kiss for the first time, and go down to the nearby river. As the two are lazily floating in the river and watching the night sky, Silvy disappears underwater and her body is never found. Several years afterwards, an adult Sam (Guy Pearce) -- who has gone on to become a psychiatry instructor -- journeys back to the same town for the funeral of his recently deceased father. While en route, Sam encounters Ruby (Helena Bonham Carter), a mysterious young woman he is forced to rescue from the same river that Silvy had disappeared in. After bringing Ruby to his father's house to calm her down after the incident, Sam begins to feel a strangely familiar comfortableness with her and the two begin to visit all of Sam's and Silvy's old stomping grounds. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, (more)
Starla Grady (Jane McGregor), the most popular girl at Splendona High School in Splendona, TX, is on top of the world. That is, at least, until foreign-exchange student Genevieve LePlouff (Piper Perabo) moves in with Starla's family. Starla's parents had hoped that Genevieve's tutoring would help raise Starla's French grade, which had dropped dangerously low. At first, like Starla's other followers, Genevieve seems in awe of her charmed existence. However, when Genevieve's story of misfortune and lost love is featured in the school newspaper, Starla feels the winds begin to change. Before she knows it, Genevieve has stolen all of her best friends, her boyfriend, her position on the cheerleading squad, and her status as the most popular girl in school. Starla, not one to go down without a fight, sets out to expose Genevieve as the lying backstabber she truly is. Slap Her...She's French is directed by veteran thirtysomething actress Melanie Mayron. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Piper Perabo, Jane McGregor, (more)
Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (Jared Leto), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film Pi. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, (more)
Writer Audrey Wells (The Truth About Cats and Dogs) makes her directing debut in Guinevere, which won the screenwriting award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where it made its world premiere. The film concerns Harper Sloane, a twenty-something upper class pre-law student who falls for Connie, a bohemian photographer 30 years her senior. Shy, waifish, and camera shy, Harper feels her life is mapped out for her, coming from a long line of successful, Harvard-educated lawyers living in San Francisco. At her older sister's wedding, Harper meets Connie, who photographs her privately. When he shows her the photos, Harper (whom Connie refers to only as Guinevere) is intrigued, and a passionate romance and sexual attraction begins. Harper moves in with Connie to become his student, against her mother's wishes. Harper also learns that she isn't Connie's first Guinevere; in fact, there have been a half-dozen others, all of whom have remained friends. As the relationship takes its ups and downs, Harper comes out of her shell to become a stronger woman, more in control of her life and destiny than she would have ever dreamed possible. As Connie slowly dies from poverty and alcoholism, all of his Guineveres, including Harper, come together to remember (and drink to) his work and his life. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, (more)
Helen (Kate Capshaw) runs a bookstore in Loblolly By The Sea, a small fishing community in New England where everyone seems to know everyone else's business. A 42-year-old single mother, she is emotionally distant and fearful of getting too close to anyone. George (Tom Selleck) has known Helen since they were schoolmates, and he's been in love with her for ages, but has always settled for just being her friend. Convinced she wasn't interested in him, he married another woman years ago. Helen also has another secret admirer, Johnny (Tom Everett Scott), who isn't at all put off by the fact that Helen is twice his age. Johnny, however, is currently occupied with Jennifer (Julianne Nicholson), a fellow student who also works at the bookstore and is crazy about him. Into this tangled web of unrequited love comes an amorous letter that Helen finds in the store one day. The letter bears no signature and no address; it's at once passionate and oblique, fervent and cryptic. It's very interesting stuff. So who wrote it? And to whom was the writer planning to send it? Before long, the letter has made its way through this circle, and everyone has an idea (or a hope) of who their secret love is, although no one knows for sure or just how to find out. The Love Letter marked the American debut of director Peter Ho-Sun Chan, who enjoyed success in Hong Kong with Comrades: Almost A Love Story and He's A Woman, She's A Man. The supporting cast includes Ellen DeGeneres, Blythe Danner, and Gloria Stuart. The Love Letter may be best remembered as the only major studio film to open the same week as Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Capshaw, Blythe Danner, (more)
Coming Soon is yet another youth comedy about the sexual misadventures of a group of high school students, but with a difference -- this time, it follows three teenage girls who are in search of sexual and romantic fulfillment. Nell (Tricia Vessey), Jenny (Gaby Hoffmann), and Stream (Bonnie Root) are three friends enrolled at a respected private school, busy finishing up their senior year and trying to get into good colleges. But academia is not the only thing occupying their minds, especially when Stream admits to her friends that she's never had an orgasm. Jenny and Nell quickly decide they must find Stream a boyfriend who can solve this problem once and for all. But neither of them has been doing much better; while both have had their share of significant others, none has been especially concerned their pleasure, leaving both young women unsatisfied. Stream's fling with big man on campus Chad (James Roday) deprives her of her virginity but leaves her no closer to her stated goal; however, she meets Henry (Ryan Reynolds), a guy who is too much the individual to fit in at school but seems interested in her; he is also, for a change, not obsessed with himself. The supporting cast includes Spalding Gray as a guidance counselor and Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow (reunited nearly 35 years after appearing together on TV's Peyton Place) as Stream's parents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tricia Vessey, Gaby Hoffmann, (more)
- 1998
- R
Young lovers and small-time New Orleans scammers Coco Chavez (Carla Gugino) and Junior Armstrong (Simon Baker-Denny) move up a few rungs when they kidnap wealthy computer mogul Ben Dyson (Greg Wise) in Sebastian Gutierrez's neo-noir. During the crime, Coco kills Dyson's girlfriend, Patty (Beverly Penberthy), wife of Senator Rupert Hornbeck (Hal Holbrook). Assigned to the case are FBI Agent Sadie Hawkins (Emma Thompson) and Police Lt. David Friedman (Alan Rickman). When Hornbeck threatens Friedman instead of assisting him, the detective suspects that this is no ordinary kidnapping for ransom, and he does his own investigation. A conscience-stricken Coco realizes that she may have been set up to kill Patty, and she, too, takes matters into her own hands. A fairly complex tale of betrayal and corruption, Judas Kiss also spoofs noir conventions -- for instance, agent Hawkins is reading Jim Thompson's crime novel The Killer Inside Me, and he discusses the writer's works with Friedman during lulls in the action. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Baker-Denny, Gil Bellows, (more)
A struggling filmmaker trying to climb the show business ladder befriends an actor who's heading down the same ladder at a furious pace in this dark comedy. George (Jamie Kennedy), an aspiring writer who does temp work to make ends meet, longs to break into show business where he can get to know his favorite stars. One night, George is invited to a party and he meets Kyle Carey (Loren Dean), one of his favorite actors. Kyle's star has fallen quite a bit in recent months, but George doesn't seem to be aware of this, and he's thrilled to be spending time with a genuine celebrity, even if Kyle only seems to call when he needs help with something. As George spends his evenings with Kyle and his girlfriend Iona (Carmen Electra), a model, he's convinced he's found the fast track to a career in Hollywood, until Kyle calls him one night asking a rather unexpected favor -- he's been fired from his latest picture and doesn't have a place to stay, so can he move in for a while? Starstruck, which was produced under the title Starf*cker, also stars Bridgette Wilson, Spencer Garrett, Clarence Williams III, and Marlo Thomas. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Kennedy, Loren Dean, (more)
This comedy pivoting around a Los Angeles home-security business was adapted by director Evan Dunsky from a play by Keith Reddin. Heinrich Grigoris (Stanley Tucci) welcomes new employee Tommy Hudler (David Arquette) to Grigoris Security. During his first day on the job, Tommy sells a system and then goes to bed with his customer, single mother Gale Ancona (Kate Capshaw). When Tommy introduces her to his parents, he finds they don't approve of his seeing an older woman. As he learns more about the home-security business, he discovers Grigoris profits from breaking into houses equipped with his system. Thus, Tommy suspects Heinrich when Gale and her son Howard (Ryan Reynolds) are murdered. Shown at the 1997 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Arquette, Stanley Tucci, (more)
A wealthy young man wants to wed a painfully ordinary girl, and a few hours with his family will convince anyone why he's doing so in this black comedy. Marty Pascal (Josh Hamilton) is engaged to marry Lesly (Tori Spelling), a dizzy blonde he met when she was working at a doughnut shop, and he bravely decides that it's time she met his family, so he brings her along for Thanksgiving dinner at his mother's house in West Virginia. Bravery is necessary because the Pascals are not an especially healthy or wholesome family. Mother (Genevieve Bujold) explains her philosophy about parenting like so: "You raise cattle; children just happen." In this environment, where refusing your child anything is all but unknown, her youngest son Anthony (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) has grown up to be an overanxious virgin eager to seduce Lesly while Marty's not paying attention. And Marty's twin sister Jackie (Parker Posey), malignily obsessed with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, often re-enacts the murder of JFK using spaghetti sauce for blood (when she can't get ahold of real bullets) and enjoys incestuously seducing Marty (which hardly bothers Mother, who notes that "Jackie's hand was holding Marty's penis when they came out the womb"). The House of Yes was based on the play by Wendy MacLeod; first time director Mark S. Waters (brother of screenwriter Daniel Waters) also adapted the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, (more)
A handful of friends find their love lives criss-crossing unexpectedly in this comedy set in San Francisco. Adam (Josh Charles) is a struggling artist who makes ends meet by driving a cab. Adam can't stop thinking about his ex-girlfriend Kate (Joanna Going) ever since she left him for Anne (JoBeth Williams), a lesbian art instructor with a knack for seducing other women. Meanwhile, Adam's current flame, Nina (Annabella Sciorra), is fooling around on the side with Kevin (Jon Bon Jovi), a bartender who is also Adam's best friend. Not wanting to limit his options, Kevin also takes an interest in Rebecca (Penelope Ann Miller), a new barmaid he's working with. Rebecca, on the other hand, has been approached by Anne, but while Rebecca is interested, she's new to lesbian love and isn't very comfortable yet with other women (or her own body). Little City was the debut feature film for former TV writer Roberto Benabib. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Two male hustlers with different ideals and goals struggle through a tough night in this gritty drama. It's Christmas Eve on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, and John (David Arquette), a male prostitute who works the streets, is desperate. John's birthday is Dec. 25, and he had hoped to spend the day at a fine hotel, ordering room service and feeling like a big shot for a change. To this end, John had lifted $300 from Jimmy The Warlock (Terrence DaShon Howard), a drug dealer, but the night before, John's lucky sneakers were stolen, with his bankroll inside. Now John is back working the streets in hopes that he can raise enough money for a hotel room and to pay back Jimmy. Also working that night is Donner (Lukas Haas), a young hustler who is infatuated with John. While Donner acknowledges his homosexuality, John stubbornly contends that despite his occupation, he's really straight, and he has a girlfriend Mikki (Alanna Ubach), though they spend most of their time arguing. While John can only look to his immediate needs, Donner thinks that they should leave Los Angeles and head to Branson, Missouri, where he's convinced that they can get jobs as lifeguards at Camelot, a theme park. As the night wears on, John and Donner meet several fellow street people, including Crazy Eli (Christopher Gartin) and Homeless John (Keith David), and scare up a few customers, ranging from a harmless closeted businessman (Elliott Gould) to others looking for violent, dangerous sex. Johns was the first feature film for former TV documentary director Scott Silver. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lukas Haas, David Arquette, (more)
