Larry David Movies

In this skewed, unreal view of a woman's choice in men, almost nothing is believable. Amy (Lucie Arnaz) is a savvy, well-educated lawyer in Santa Fe who divorces her husband, an exec in the banking business, to become involved with Will (Craig Wasson) a street musician with the same iron-clad brain as her ex when it comes to women. The musician is regularly picked up by the police for his loitering, though he seems never to fully realize why they are doing this to him. Amy drops him at last, and when she finds out she is pregnant, she goes to the hospital to have an abortion -- and is introduced to a Boris Karloff-type doctor. Before anything further happens, Will comes along and forcibly carries her off to a remote, run-down building in a ghost town where he ties her to a bed intending to keep her there until she has the baby. Hard to believe, but things only get worse from here. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The famous "show about nothing," NBC's Seinfeld is regarded by many fans as the best network sitcom of the 1990s; some go farther than that, hailing it as the best sitcom ever. The series grew from the free-association monologues of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who in partnership with producer Larry David launched the program in a limited-run format beginning May 31, 1990. Slowly but surely, the series developed a rabid fan following, and by the time the 1993-1994 season rolled around, Seinfeld was America's third most popular program, reaching the number one slot the following year and never dropping below second place for the duration of its run. The eponymous star played "himself," a young, unmarried comedian named Jerry Seinfeld who lived in a medium-sized apartment (well stocked with breakfast cereals) in midtown Manhattan. However, we seldom saw Jerry at work. Most of the time, he hung out with his three best friends: the obnoxiously neurotic and self-absorbed George Costanza (Jason Alexander), who lived with his parents, Estelle and Frank (Estelle Harris, Jerry Stiller), who was for several years employed in the office of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (who never appeared on-camera), and who spent much of his spare time kvetching over his miserable love life; Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), wild-eyed, wild-haired entrepreneur, whose many get-rich-quick schemes had a tendency to backfire disastrously; and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Jerry's onetime girlfriend, who worked in the publishing industry and was ever on the lookout for a male companion who was truly "sponge-worthy."

A number of memorable supporting characters wandered through the series, including Jerry's acerbic uncle Leo (Len Lesser); his overbearing parents, Helen (Liz Sheridan) and Morty (played first by Phil Bruns, then by Barney Martin); corpulent bête noire, Newman the mail carrier (Wayne Knight); Elaine's lapdog boyfriend David Puddy (Patrick Warburton), her ubiquitous stalker Crazy Joe (Peter Crombie), and her eccentric employer J. Peterman (John O'Hurley); George's fiancée, Susan Biddle Ross (Heidi Swedberg), who in one of the series' most perverse comic twists died on the eve of the marriage after licking too many cheap wedding-invitation envelopes; Kramer's Cochranesque attorney, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris), and his little-person crony Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn); and ulcerated NBC network executive Russell Dalrimple (Bob Balaban), to whom Jerry pitched his series proposal concerning (you guessed it!) a "show about nothing."

It is doubtful that any one sitcom has ever yielded as many memorable catchphrases as Seinfeld. Even non-devotees of the series cannot help but smile knowingly at the invocation of such bon mots as "Not that there's anything wrong with that," "It rhymes with a female body part," "Maybe the dingo ate your baby," "They're real -- and they're spectacular," and the deathless "Are you master of your own domain?" Even those episodes that did not bring forth the above-mentioned catchphrases are forever etched in the collective consciousness of the American viewing public: who could forget the plot convolutions connected with "The Bubble Boy," "The Soup Nazi," "The Puffy Shirt," "The Pez Dispenser," and the classic "backwards" episode, "The Betrayal"? Seinfeld's final first-run episode, telecast May 14, 1998, was the ne plus ultra in the "show about nothing" genre, in which the entire cast faced a stiff jail turn for literally doing nothing -- that is, they neglected to go to the aid of a mugging victim, and in consequence were charged with "criminal indifference"! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the infamous seventh-season finale of Seinfeld, George's fiancée, Susan (Heidi Swedberg), makes the fatal error of licking all the cheap envelopes George (Jason Alexander) has purchased for their wedding invitations. As if that's all that happens! Elsewhere, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) thinks he's in love with his female counterpart, Jeannie Steinman (Janeane Garofalo); Kramer (Michael Richards) hopes to earn a quick hundred bucks by getting a bank clerk not to say hello; and look, it's an unbilled Carol Leifer (but not the real George Steinbrenner). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first half of Seinfeld's controversial series finale, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) receives word that NBC is very interested in his concept of a sitcom "about nothing."Almost immediately, Jerry and George (Jason Alexander) draw up plans to move to California -- but not before taking fiendish delight in refusing to take Newman (Wayne Knight) along. Things come to a head in a private jet, as Jerry, George, Kramer (Michael Richards), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are forced down in Latham, MA...and then.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Seinfeld producer/creator Larry David has often claimed that the character of George Costanza, the abrasive, neurotic, spectacularly luckless Seinfeld supporting player so brilliantly played by Jason Alexander, was based on David himself. Small wonder, then, that most of the plotlines of the self-deprecating, reality-based sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm have a distinctly Costanzan flavor -- with Larry David, in the role of former standup comic-turned-TV executive Larry David, a dictionary definition of the phrase "his own worst enemy." A spinoff of the 1999 HBO "mockumentary" special of the same name, the weekly 30-minute Curb Your Enthusiasm is filmed in cinéma vérité fashion, with much of dialogue ad-libbed (though the premise of each episode has been carefully worked out in advance).

Larry David portrays himself as the archetypal Hollywood wheeler-dealer, forever promoting "can't miss" TV and film projects, and using (and sometimes abusing) his myriad of showbiz celebrity connections -- among them Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner, Shaquille O'Neal, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Wanda Sykes, and Mel Brooks, not to mention a generous supply of former Seinfeld stars -- to further advance his already super-successful career. And yet, no matter how high he climbs, David is a slave to his own foibles, phobias, and neuroses, perpetually opening mouth and inserting foot, making as many enemies as friends in high places and never relaxing long enough to enjoy or appreciate what he has accomplished. In typical Seinfeld fashion, our hero manages to make a sizable and often insurmountable mountain out of the tiniest and least significant of molehills. While the plotlines of the first two ten-episode HBO seasons were relatively self-contained, season three was held together with the through-line of Larry opening a Planet Hollywood-style restaurant, while the focus of season four was the rather improbable premise that Larry had been offered the starring role in Mel Brooks' smash Broadway musical The Producers. Also appearing on Curb Your Enthusiasm are Cheryl Hines as Larry's spouse, Cheryl; David's longtime production associate Jeff Garlin as Jeff Greene; and Susie Essman as Jeff's wife, Susie. The series is very much an HBO production with an unending stream of hilarious profanities and sexual situations (though the series' funniest running gag is probably the cleanest: Larry David's constitutional inability to figure out the basic protocol of tipping the help). ~ All Movie Guide

Former Seinfeld producer and co-creator Larry David continues to get into outrageous cinéma vérité misadventures as Curb Your Enthusiasm enters its second season. Things get off to a miserable start when Larry and his wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), move into a luxurious seaside chateau -- which unfortunately possesses a disturbing sound. In the season's remaining nine episodes, Larry's associate, Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), simultaneously breaks up with his wife and convinces all of LA that Larry has a "kink" obsession; another crisis involving a bracelet (not unlike the one which wended its way through season one) segues into a bitter object lesson concerning "Trick or Treat"; Larry suspects an HBO executive of being a shrimp thief; Larry and Richard Lewis are disillusioned by their psychiatrist; a 5000-dollar acupuncture bill sets off a chain reaction of comic disaster; Larry "scalps" a doll belonging to a network bigwig; he accidentally trips Shaquille O'Neal during a crucial Lakers game; nearly scuttles a baptism; and alienates the staff of a Chinese restaurant. Appearing as themselves during season two of Curb Your Enthusiasm are former Seinfeld regulars Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rob Reiner, Ed Asner, and Brad Hall. ~ All Movie Guide

The ten episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm's fourth season are largely motivated by the improbable premise of Mel Brooks offering Seinfeld creator Larry David the opportunity to star in Brooks' smash Broadway musical The Producers. Somehow this setup results in a blood feud between Larry and Ben Stiller (a case of adding injury to insult). Other mishaps during this season include a politically incorrect confrontation with a group of handicapped workers, a world-class crisis involving name tags, a set-to with David Schwimmer over cashews and raisins, an attempt to skirt the traffic laws and to provide medical marijuana for Larry's dad, and the near-death of the best friend of Larry's associate, Jeff (Jeff Garlin). The season comes to a riotous conclusion with a special one-hour episode built around Larry's opening night on Broadway. Events crucial to the outcome include a benighted tryst with The Producers co-star Cady Huffman and the ultimate revelation of Mel Brooks' ulterior motives for casting Larry in the first place. Suffice to say that the dialogue sounds awfully familiar in this climactic episode, which also features cameos by Brooks' actress wife Anne Bancroft and a certain comic named Jerry Seinfeld ~ All Movie Guide

Larry (Larry David) is struggling to learn his dance steps for The Producers when the rehearsal pianist, Michael (Patrick Kerr), shows up. Michael turns out to be the blind gentleman whom Larry and Richard Lewis helped move back in the first season's "The Bracelet." Michael introduces Larry to his girlfriend, Rhonda (Jackie Hoffman), who has apparently told Michael that she's a model. It's up to Larry, of course, to break the bad news to Michael. Ben Stiller invites everyone to his birthday party, where Larry goes on a spree. He doesn't bring a gift, just because Stiller had said, "No gifts." He insults the glittery sports jerseys that Susie (Susie Essman) has designed. He uses an obscenity while playing "telephone" with a group of kids. He doesn't sing "Happy Birthday" to Stiller with the rest of the group because he doesn't like the song, and to top things off, he accidentally stabs Stiller in the eye with an hors d'oeuvres skewer while giving Jeff (Jeff Garlin) a golf tip. Larry also fails when Richard Lewis asks him to convince Kim (Sarah Ann Morris), the aspiring actress daughter of an old friend, that she doesn't need breast implants. This episode features appearances by Christine Taylor and Cady Huffman. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) organizes a going-away party for a New York-bound Vince; Drama auditions for a TV show; Eric is fed up with some of his responsibilities. Larry David and Scarlett Johansson appear as themselves. ~ Joe Friedrich, All Movie Guide

When Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) asks Larry (Larry David) to get a present for Betty Dusenberry's (Eliza Coyle) baby shower, Larry wonders if he should also get a present for the surrogate mother (Elizabeth Beckwith). Cheryl is in a frisky mood, but Larry is still healing from being bitten by Oscar. The next day, Larry visits his doctor (Jack Gallagher) to take his required physical for The Producers, but his heart rate spikes when Renee (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) comes in, and the doctor won't sign the necessary forms unless Larry agrees to wear a heart holster for a day. Larry's friend Richard Lewis is actually dating Renee, and confides to Larry that because Renee is black, and has presumably dated black men, he feels insecure about the size of his "equipment." The two wonder if it's really a myth. Later, Wanda (Wanda Sykes) catches Larry mistaking a black man for a valet, and attempts to figure out his logic: "Anytime I see a black man in a tie and a suit, I automatically think, 'You must park cars for a living.'" Larry also creates problems at the baby shower, inadvertently convincing the surrogate to keep her baby. He continues to alienate his Producers co-star, David Schwimmer, and he uses his apparent heart problem to his advantage when he encounters a potentially violent case of road rage. Mel Brooks and Muggsy Bogues make guest appearances. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Preparations are in full swing for Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) and Larry (Larry David) to renew their marriage vows for their tenth anniversary. After Anna (Gina Gershon), the sexy Chasidic woman who runs the Laundromat, flirts with Larry, he visits his rabbi (Barry Gordon) and expresses his qualms about taking Cheryl up on her offer to let him sleep with another woman as her tenth anniversary present. The rabbi finds a biblical parallel, and suggests that Larry accept the generous gift. He also asks Larry if he can invite a "survivor" to their rehearsal dinner. Larry assents, and then decides to invite Solly (Allan Rich), a friend of his father's (Shelley Berman) who survived the Holocaust. But the rabbi's friend turns out to be Colby Donaldson, from TV's Survivor, leading to an embarrassing argument at the dinner table about who the "real" survivor is. Cheryl and Larry get into a tiff about their vows when Larry learns that Cheryl expects them to spend eternity together. He had expected to be single again, what with the whole "Till death do us part," thing. "This is continuing into the afterlife?" he asks her, dismayed. On a more upbeat note, Anna agrees to meet Larry at a motel for an extramarital tryst to fulfill Cheryl's gift, but Larry is confused when Jeff (Jeff Garlin) suggests he bring a sheet with him. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

During rehearsals with David Schwimmer for The Producers, Larry (Larry David) finds out that Schwimmer's father runs the Health-Glo mixed nut company. Larry has some ideas for the company, but Schwimmer advises him to "stay in your element." Later, Larry goes out to get some snacks with Steve (Patrick Bristow), the choreographer, and comes across some Health-Glo cashew-raisin packages that are pretty skimpy with the cashews. Naturally, he has to say something to Schwimmer about it. When Larry describes an attractive woman as "fierce," Jeff (Jeff Garlin) suggests that Larry has been spending so much time working on the show that he's turned into Steve, the gay choreographer. Larry's dirty locker, his mistaking a Norwegian club employee, Sven (Erik Stolhanske) for a Swede, and some truly questionable behavior at Leo Funkhouser's funeral combine to get him and Jeff ousted from their country club. Larry and Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) pretend to be right-wing Republican WASPs in order to get into a new country club, with Larry claiming that his hobbies are sailing and polo. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide