Ann Dowd
- 2008
- PG13
A dysfunctional family from rural Virginia contends with conflict, ritual, and communication as the grown-up son who has moved away and kept his distance returns home to spend Thanksgiving weekend with the parents and siblings he once left behind in director Zackary Adler's offbeat comedy. When Brian Worthington (Shawn Hatosy) left home some years ago, he and his father Frank (Tom Bower) weren't exactly on the best of terms. Time doesn't necessarily heal all wounds, and when Frank lost the ability to connect with his maturing children, he began replacing them with pets that would never "grow up" and always remain loyal. Now that Brain has returned, it doesn't take him long to realize not much has changed: His mother Bottie (Ann Dowd) is still the glue that holds them together, his twenty-something brother Kenny (DJ Qualls) still hasn't struck out on his own, and his sister Erin (Cameron Richardson) is struggling to recover from a messy divorce while raising her young daughter Maddy (Georgia Mae Lively), who seems to possess an unusual wisdom for her age. As the big donkey basketball game draws near, Brian reconnects with pretty family friend Allison (Nikki Reid), and gets pressured into killing the one member of the family that his father seems to love more than his own flesh and blood - the family dog Argus. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Hatosy, D.J. Qualls, (more)
- 2007
A self-proclaimed artist and genius who has elevated his drab existence into a personal mythology organizes his final party, a living wake, in director Sol Tryon's absurdist black comedy. K. Roth Binew (Mike O'Connell) is about to live his last day. Abandoned by his father (Jim Gaffigan) as a young lad, Binew was raised by his nanny, Marla (Diane Kagan), and gradually grew to gain an appreciation for the arts. Though he would personally never complete a single work of art, he nevertheless considers himself an artist and has recently been told by his doctor that he will shortly expire of some mysterious, unnamed disease. Upon being informed of his dire situation, Binew boards his rickshaw and requests that his biographer and driver, Mills Joaquin (Jesse Eisenberg), transport him around town so that he may make his final arrangements. As the day wears on, Binew and Joaquin visit the local "liquirsmith" to procure spirits, arrange a Viking-style funeral for the eccentric "artist," and steal a goat for a personal picnic. Later, after Binew is attacked by his neighbor (Eddie Pepitone) and has his attempt to donate books at the local library refused, he hands out invitations to his final party. It is there that Binew will perform a short piece for his audience, and summarily drop dead on the spot. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike O'Connell, Jesse Eisenberg, (more)
The third and final entry into the popular series of Shiloh films, based on the writings of author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and detailing the captivating journeys of a young boy and his loyal canine companion, find a maturing Marty standing by his troubled neighbor Judd during the drunken townie's most desperate hour. A local man has gone missing, and when authorities find out that he was last seen fighting with Judd, who is already suspected in a series of thefts, they are quick to finger Marty's neighbor as the prime suspect in the unsolved mystery. Though local gossip quickly convicts the weary loner before his case ever even goes to trial, Marty, his father, and his understanding teacher are quick to point out that in the American justice system people are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Dolley, Scott Wilson, (more)
Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the non-fiction book Flags of Our Fathers concerns the lives of the men in the famous picture of soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima during that historic WWII battle. Battle scenes are intercut with footage of three of the soldiers - played by Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, and Adam Beach -- who survived the battle going on a goodwill tour of the United States in order to sell war bonds. Many evening they are forced to reenact their famous pose, something each of them finds more and more difficult to do as they suffer from survivor's guilt. Eastwood frames the story by having one of the men's grown son (Tom McCarthy) interview his father's old comrades in order to find out more about what happened to his father. Eastwood followed this film with Letters from Iwo Jima, a second film about the battle of Iwo Jima, but told from the Japanese perspective. Flags of Our Fathers was produced by Eastwood and Steven Spielberg. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, (more)
Celebrated and vilified in equal measure, the pinup goddess Bettie Page inspired a legion of followers -- and an indecency scandal -- by appearing in a series of nude, sado-masochistic, and/or revealing magazine spreads in the 1950s. An era later, writer/director Mary Harron casts a knowing eye upon the woman who indirectly gave birth to modern pornography in the biopic The Notorious Bettie Page. As a teen, Page (Gretchen Mol) is a smart, plucky girl with ambitions beyond her Tennessee roots. Suffering varying degrees of abuse from her father, her first husband, and suitors of dubious virtue, Page makes her way to New York City, where an amateur photographer discovers her lounging on the beach. It isn't long before images of the shapely brunette reach Irving and Paula Klaw (Chris Bauer and Lili Taylor), brother-and-sister entrepreneurs who publish illicit magazines dedicated primarily to men's fetishes. The casual nudist Page eventually finds herself acquiescing to their requests to don thigh-high boots, whips, and chains, which raise the ire of the smut-fearing senator Estes Kefauver (David Strathairn). The Notorious Bettie Page had its North American premiere at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gretchen Mol, Christopher Bauer, (more)
A middle-aged man finds himself dealing with the divorce of his elderly parents as well as many years of emotional baggage in this poignant comedy drama. Ben (Paul Reiser) is a writer who is enjoying a quiet evening at home with his wife, Rachel (Elizabeth Perkins), when they receive an unexpected visitor, Ben's father, Sam (Peter Falk). As it happens, Sam has some surprising news -- his wife, Muriel (Olympia Dukakis), has left him, leaving behind a note saying she wants some time alone. While Ben gets in touch with his sisters, who immediately set out to track down Muriel, he is left to deal with Sam while he tries to figure out what has gone wrong. Eager to spend some time with his dad to talk things out, Ben invites Sam along for a trip upstate to look at some property he's interested in buying, and as the two men hit the road, they get a chance to get to know one another in a way Sam, a busy salesman, was unable to do when Ben was a boy. The Thing About My Folks was a pet project for Paul Reiser, who wrote the screenplay as well as playing the lead; he'd had the script in the works for 20 years, and always intended for Peter Falk to play the role of Sam. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, (more)
In the wake of his success on the hit NBC sitcom Scrubs, actor Zach Braff made his debut behind the camera writing, directing, and starring in this bittersweet romantic comedy. Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a young man who has just received word of his mother's passing. With this news, Andrew returns to the town in which he grew up, where he is greeted by his father, Gideon (Ian Holm), a psychiatrist. In addition to mourning the loss of his mother, Andrew is also attempting to adjust to life without the emotionally numbing antidepressants that he has recently opted to discontinue using. Gradually, with the absence of the pills, his reconnection with his past, and the introduction of Sam (Natalie Portman), a woman who would seem to have little in common with him, into his life, Andrew is able to see the potential for some positive changes. Also starring Jean Smart and Peter Sarsgaard, Garden State was once titled Large's Ark and premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, (more)
- 2004
It's Christmas time in the clinic, but there's no occasion for joy when Sister Mary Augustine is brought, apparently suffering from stigmata. Figuring that it is nothing more than an allergy, House treats the nun accordingly--and as a result she nearly suffocates. As the other nuns set up a prayer vigil (much to House's annoyance), the clues to solving this medical mystery are painstakingly pieced together, leading unexpectedly to an incident in the Sister's distant past. Elsewhere, a man in a Santa suit (Dakin Matthews) is suffering from an inflamed bowel, which can only be cured by smoking cigarettes. Ho ho ho! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
17-year-old Sarah Dardenne (Krystal Harris), lead singer of the girl group "The Jane Factor", has never seen eye-to-eye with her father Richard (Geoff Pierson), a tradition-bound music teacher who regards Jane's music as pure garbage. It soon develops that Sarah and Richard have at least one thing in common: both are heavy smokers. Thus, when Sarah is diagnosed with throat cancer, her mother Paula (Ann Dowd) holds Richard entirely responsible, and it looks as if their marriage is finished. It is up to the Angels to expunge the dark clouds of guilt and anger which continue to hover over the family even as Sarah is being wheeled into the O.R. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
From the same production team responsible for the highly regarded 2000 Judy Garland TV biopic comes this equally elaborate and very thorough (if not 100-percent accurate) filmed biography of Lucille Ball. Using the 1960 breakup of the marriage between Lucy and her husband/co-star Desi Arnaz, the film covers 40 years in the life of America's favorite redheaded gal, beginning with her early dramatic aspirations as an acting student (one of her fellow aspirants is Bette Davis) and her emergence as a platinum-blonde chorus girl in such film extravaganzas as Eddie Cantor's Roman Scandals. Once Hollywood is convinced of Lucy's fierce work ethic, and her willingness to do anything -- even allow herself to be caked in mud -- for the good of the picture, RKO Radio inaugurates a star build-up, though poor Lucy never quite gets beyond the B-list of leading ladies. In 1940, she falls madly in love with Desi Arnaz, a sexy Cuban bandleader and scion of an aristocratic family. Despite Desi's imperious nature, and his self-proclaimed "entitlement" to savor the favors of as many ladies as possible, Lucy and Desi are wed. Moving from RKO Radio to MGM during the war years, Lucy becomes a redhead to take better advantage of the studio's Technicolor cameras, and also learns the rudiments of broad slapstick comedy from such masters as Buster Keaton and Red Skelton. Even so, she is considered washed-up in Hollywood by the end of the 1940s, and her union with the constitutionally faithless Arnaz is on the rocks. Coming to the rescue of both Lucy's career and marriage is a new medium called television: With Desi as her creative Svengali, Lucy scales the heights of superstardom as star of the top-rated weekly sitcom I Love Lucy. Alas, the more popular Lucy becomes, the more her marriage to Desi suffers, and the film is unsparing in showing how fame and fortune can be fatal to domestic happiness. In the title role, musical comedy actress Rachel York doesn't resemble the real Lucy all that much, though she gamely recreates such classic I Love Lucy moments as the "Vitameatavegamin" commercial and the grape-stomping orgy. Far better cast is Danny Pino as Desi Arnaz, depicted as an enigmatic blend of Latin charm, filmmaking genius, and sociopathic serial philandering. While the teleplay is an acceptable overview of the subject's life and career, there is little in the film that is not common knowledge to Lucy buffs, save for a re-enactment of the childhood tragedy which left the heroine a mass of insecurities, and Lucy's morbid fear of birds (yes, birds). The three-hour Lucy first aired on May 4, 2003, telecast by Lucy's old home network, CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachel York, Danny Pino, (more)
- 2001
Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the made-for-TV Oprah Winfrey Presents: Amy & Isabelle was based on the bestselling 1999 novel by Elizabeth Strout. The scene is the mining town of Shirley Falls, ME; the year is 1971. Seeking escape from the iron rule of her domineering, social-climbing single mother, Isabelle (Elisabeth Shue), shy teenager Amy (Hanna R. Hall) falls under the seductive spell of her new math teacher, Mr. Robertson (Martin Donovan). Meanwhile, Isabelle, who may not be as straight-laced as she appears, develops a yearning for her married boss, Avery Clark (James Rebhorn), who barely acknowledges the woman's resistance. The tensions between Amy and Isabelle, already heightened by their separate romantic travails, is exacerbated when the two women find themselves working together in the same accounting office. While the rest of the town buzzes with vicious gossip concerning the two heroines, the story takes on a disturbing new tangent when the body of a young girl is found stuffed into the trunk of an abandoned car. Also known as Amy & Isabelle, this film was first aired by ABC on March 4, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elisabeth Shue, Hanna R. Hall, (more)
- 2000
Written by the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, Baby was produced for the TNT cable service. Set in New England, this is the story of the Malones, a family nearly torn apart by the death of an infant son. While trying to cope with this tragedy, Lily and John Malone are surprised by the arrival of an abandoned baby girl, left on their doorstep. Though at first reluctant to welcome the child into their home, the Malones soon become inextricably attached to her -- no one more so than 12-year-old Larkin Malone who, in a pathetic effort to use the baby as a replacement for her lost little brother, hides the letter written by the child's now-repentant birth mother. Despite such lighthearted scenes as a drunken tap dance rendition of "Singin' In the Rain", Baby is rather heavy going for the most part, especially in the scenes with the family's dying grandmother. Co-produced by actress Glenn Close, Baby was first telecast on October 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, Keith Carradine, (more)
- 2000
Henry Simmons makes his first series appearance as Det. Baldwin Jones, the replacement for recently promoted James Martinez. A former hate-crimes officer, Jones finds that his training comes in handy as he and new partner Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) track down a perpetrator -- while Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel), skipper of the 15th precinct, broods over the fact that Jones was added to the squad without his approval. Elsewhere, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) discovers that a female cop who was murdered while off duty was having an affair with her partner, and Diane (Kim Delaney) agonizes over telling her partner, Jill (Andrea Thompson), that Jill's ex-husband, Don, a drug trafficker, has been reported killed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The adventures of a boy and his beagle continue in this sequel to 1997's Shiloh. Marty Preston (Zachary Browne, replacing Blake Heron, who played the role in the first film) is a well-meaning 12-year-old who adopts Shiloh, a beagle who was treated cruelly by his first master, a bitter alcoholic named Judd (Scott Wilson). However, when Judd is hurt in an auto accident, Marty realizes Judd may have lost one of the only friends he had, even if he did mistreat Shiloh. With help from his parents (Michael Moriarty and Ann Dowd), Marty tries to help Judd get back on his feet both physically and emotionally. Rod Steiger also joins the cast returning from the first film as the crusty but lovable Doc Wallace. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Scott Wilson, (more)
- 1999
- AddNot for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthonyto QueueAddNot for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthonyto top of Queue
Upon finding a written biography of pioneering women's rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, film producers Paul Barnes and Ken Burns (director of "The Civil War") were shocked and outraged that her story -- which is also that of Stanton's longtime friend and political partner Susan B. Anthony -- had been almost entirely omitted from their history courses. So together they began work on Not For Ourselves Alone: the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a groundbreaking look at one of the greatest untold chapters in American history. Over a span of more than fifty years, Stanton and Anthony struggled ceaselessly to organize a movement for basic rights that would not be won until after their deaths. Their story is the story of freedom fighters everywhere, complete with tragedies, triumphs, and unconquerable hope -- but it is also the story of two passionate and talented women, whose close friendship sustained them in times of loneliness and despair. An unforgettably personal, inside look at the birth of the modern women's movement, this film is at once a study of where we have been and a profound reflection upon who and where we still are. Ideal for classroom and educational use. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Kellerman, Ronnie Gilbert, (more)
Bryan Singer directed this Brandon Boyce adaptation of Stephen King's novella about teenager Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro), who discovers Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander (Ian McKellen) living in his California hometown. Fascinated with Dussender's wartime atrocities, Bowden blackmails the former death-camp commandant by promising to keep his identity a secret in exchange for Holocaust horror tales, or, as Todd puts it, "everything they're afraid to show us in school." Dussander complies, and as the weeks pass, their tense confrontations become increasingly malevolent. This is the third film to derive from King's 1982 book of four novellas, Different Season. The others are Stand By Me (1986, from "The Body") and The Shawshank Redemption (1994, from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, leaving only one remaining unfilmed tale in the book ("The Breathing Method"). Signet felt King's "Apt Pupil" to be so intense and horrifying that editors asked him to leave it out of the 1983 paperback. A 1987 attempt to film "Apt Pupil" (with Rick Schroder and Nicol Williamson) ended when funding ran out. Shown at numerous 1998 film festivals (Venice, Toronto, Chicago, Sitges, Tokyo). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, (more)
Based on the Newberry Award-winning novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, this heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog reaches for greater significance and depth than the typical entry in the kids' movie genre. Blake Heron stars as Marty Preston, a kid who lives in a rural town with his mom and mailman dad (Michael Moriarty). One day, Marty finds an injured beagle that's run away from its abusive owner, a hunter named Judd Travers (Scott Wilson). Kindly neighbor Doc Wallace (Rod Steiger) tends to the dog's wounds, but Marty's father explains that they must return the beagle to its rightful owner. Travers continues to abuse the dog, and it runs away again, returning to Marty. The boy, who has named the puppy "Shiloh," attempts to hide the animal from his family in the woods, but a scrap with another stray dog leaves Shiloh hurt and in need of medical assistance once again. Now Marty's in deep trouble with his dad, until he comes up with a plan to buy Shiloh from the nocuous Travers. Shiloh inspired a sequel, Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season (1999). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Blake Heron, (more)
- 1996
Several people are senselessly murdered at a clothing store. Investigating detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) end up arresting James Smith (Denis O'Hare), a schizophrenic who hasn't been taking his medication. Unfortunately for the D.A.'s office, Smith turns out to be a lawyer -- and an unusually clever one, as he proves when he defends himself in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A teenage lesbian comes-of-age in this drama. Claude (Alison Folland) is a raw-boned girl graduating from high school. She spends all the time she can with her beautiful friend Ellen (Tara Subkoff). Ellen has lately gotten a new boyfriend, and has less time for their previous intimacy. Claude has a part-time job at a pizza joint in her multiracial neighborhood in New York City, and makes friends there, and in her neighborhood. Gay newcomer Luke, with whom she shares her dream of becoming a rock musician, is among her most recent acquaintances. Realizing finally that Ellen will not return her affections and that her own affections are lesbian in nature, she slowly develops the courage to act on her feelings, and she hesitantly goes to a lesbian bar, where she meets Lucy (Leisha Hailey), an older woman who can simultaneously offer her sexual guidance and help Claude with her musical aspirations. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Folland, Tara Subkoff, (more)
- 1995
Originally made for cable television, this biographical drama chronicles the life of Huey P. Long (John Goodman), whose corrupt political machine dominated Louisiana for years. The movie opens with a 1930's newsreel giving a report on Long's plan to a run for U.S. President while depicting him as a demagogue in the tradition of Hitler and Mussolini. Shortly after the newsreel, Long is gunned down by an assassin, and the story is told in flashbacks as he reflects on his rise from humble beginnings, to Governor of Louisiana, and on to U.S. Senator. Long's power in his home state eventually bordered on dictatorship, but he received widespread support from the poor and disenfranchised because of his populist programs, such as providing free schoolbooks and building rural roads. The film also shows the private man behind the public persona, including a poignant scene at a relative's funeral where Long's father reproaches him for lying about his family to garner votes. Goodman was Emmy-nominated for his performance. ~ All Movie Guide
Poor Max Grabelski doesn't have any luck at all. What little he had runs out when local racketeers set the bungling delivery man up to take the fall for their money-laundering schemes. Sure enough, when the government agents arrive, he is found holding a package filled with loot. Not only that, but the Feds think he is the one who killed a notorious gambler/con artist. Max flees and ends up being mistaken, by six Boy Scouts, for the veteran mountain guide who is supposed to take them into the wilderness for a weekend campout. This slapstick comedy chronicles his crazy adventures as the lifelong city dweller tries to survive in the rugged new environment after he leads the trusting troop down the wrong trail to Devil's Peak. Comic mayhem ensues, but in the end, the young men and their new leader learn valuable lessons about themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Stern, Jon Polito, (more)
Loosely based on a true story, this uneven romantic comedy depicts the unexpected way in which a winning lottery ticket unites a pair of strangers. Waitress Yvonne (Bridget Fonda) first meets police officer Charlie (Nicolas Cage) when he eats in her restaurant. Realizing that he doesn't have enough money to give her a tip, Charlie promises Yvonne to split any winnings from the lottery ticket he just bought. The skeptical Yvonne dismisses Charlie as just another cheapskate until he wins four million dollars and, much to Yvonne's surprise, decides to honor the agreement. His action becomes front page news and wins public acclaim, but it doesn't go over nearly so well with Charlie's wife Muriel (Rosie Perez), who has her own plans for the money. Muriel's shallow, greedy behavior disgusts Charlie, who finds himself spending more and more time with Yvonne, developing a friendship that threatens to blossom into something more. Jane Anderson's screenplay stresses the relationship between Charlie and Yvonne's characters over the situation's comic potential; this earnest tone will please romance fans but may disappoint viewers expecting the farcical comedy of writer/director Andrew Bergman's and Cage's previous effort, Honeymoon in Vegas. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, (more)
- 1994
A private adoption racket is exposed when a woman claims that she fainted in a taxi and awoke to find baby missing. In the course of their investigation, detective Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Logan (Chris Noth) encounter all manner of human anguish and desperation. Particularly compelling are Debra Elkins (Angie Phillips), the woman who insists that her child was stolen, and Dorothy Baxter (Ann Dowd), who wants a baby at any price -- and never mind the consequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
At the time of its release, Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia was the first big-budget Hollywood film to tackle the medical, political, and social issues of AIDS. Tom Hanks, in his first Academy Award-winning performance, plays Andrew Beckett, a talented lawyer at a stodgy Philadelphia law firm. The homosexual Andrew has contracted AIDS but fears informing his firm about the disease. The firm's senior partner, Charles Wheeler (Jason Robards), assigns Andrew a case involving their most important client. Andrew begins diligently working on the case, but soon the lesions associated with AIDS are visible on his face. Wheeler abruptly removes Andrew from the case and fires him from the firm. Andrew believes he has been fired because of his illness and plans to fight the firm in court. But because of the firm's reputation, no lawyer in Philadelphia will risk handling his case. In desperation, Andrew hires Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), a black lawyer who advertises on television, mainly handling personal injury cases. Miller dislikes homosexuals but agrees to take the case for the money and exposure. As Miller prepares for the courtroom battle against one of the law firm's key litigators, Belinda Conine (Mary Steenburgen), Miller begins to realize the discrimination practiced against Andrew is no different from the discrimination Miller himself has to battle against. The cast also includes Antonio Banderas as Andrew's partner, Joanne Woodward as Andrew's mother, and Stephanie Roth as Joe's wife. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, (more)
