Peter Tolan Movies
Rescue Me co-creator Peter Tolan makes his feature directorial debut with this comedy starring Matthew Broderick as a moderately successful television writer whose addiction to alcohol, gambling, and drugs make dealing with the latest family crisis especially difficult. Taylor Peters (Broderick) is the writer and producer of a low-rated television sitcom that gets repeatedly bashed by critics and fares only slightly better with the viewing public. His career thrown off the tracks years ago due to his penchant for compulsive gambling, heavy drinking, and frequent recreational drug use, Taylor struggles to keep his additions under control. Sure, he still plays the horses every now and then, but the less that his wife Lorraine (Maura Tierney) knows about that, the better. When Lorraine's sister discovers that her 20-year old daughter Amanda (Brittany Snow) has been working as a Las Vegas prostitute, she calls the family together for an emergency meeting. Later, during the ride home, Lorraine discovers Taylor's racing stubs stashed in the glove compartment and announces that she is filing for divorce. Desperate not to lose his wife, Taylor hatches an ingenious plan to win back her affections and prove he's a changed man: he'll travel to Las Vegas, locate Amanda, and take her to rehab in Malibu. It's a noble plan indeed, but can a man given to such vices truly exercise the Herculean restrain needed to avoid the blackjack tables and accomplish his noble mission while traveling through the sordid streets of a city built on the very foundation of temptation? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, (more)
A couple who live on different sides of the divide of life and death discover just how many boundaries love can cross in this romantic comic fantasy. Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon) is a hardworking and dedicated medical resident who, after 20 hours on duty, is heading home when she falls asleep at the wheel of her car and is involved in a fatal auto accident. Several weeks later, a man named David (Mark Ruffalo) takes over the lease on Elizabeth's apartment, but he discovers that she hasn't quite vacated the building. Elizabeth's body may be dead, but her spirit is still quite lively, and her ghost is insisting that the apartment is still hers...and that she wants him to move out. David brings in Darryl (Jon Heder), an eccentric man who claims to have psychic powers, to help sweep Elizabeth's spirit out of the apartment, but she refuses to budge, certain that she can't be completely dead, despite all evidence to the contrary. As Elizabeth and David try to share the flat, they discover that their differences aren't as great as they once imagined, and they become attracted to one another. But will Elizabeth's spirit stay in the land of the living long enough for their romance to go somewhere? Just Like Heaven marked Jon Heder's first feature film role after his breakthrough appearance in the independent hit Napoleon Dynamite. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
A man gets a very big surprise when he meets his prospective son-in-law in this comedy. Percy Jones (Bernie Mac) is the understandably proud father of Theresa (Zoe Saldana), a beautiful and intelligent young woman living in New York City. When Percy learns that his daughter is dating someone and things are getting serious, he decides to do some research, and learns that her beau is a solid businessman. Percy arranges to meet the young man, but is a bit taken aback when he comes face to face with Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) -- Percy and his wife are African-American, and Simon is very, but very Caucasian. When it becomes clear that Simon and Theresa's relationship is likely altar-bound, Percy finds himself suddenly full of misgivings about the young man, especially since Simon tends to get rather clumsy when he's nervous. Guess Who was loosely adapted from the 1967 hit Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, though the race of the prospective father and son have been swapped, and the original film's comic undercurrent has been pushed to the forefront. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
- 2004
Another contemporary "dramedy" series from the star/creator of The Job, Rescue Me revolved around the activities of a group of professional firefighters operating Engine 62 in a post-9/11 New York City. Denis Leary headed the cast as senior firefighter Tommy Gavin, who had allowed the pressures of his job to botch up his home life, separating him from his wife, Janet (Andrea Roth), and their three children. Even more disturbing was the fact that Tommy was constantly haunted by the ghosts of his dead comrades, and regularly carried on conversations with his deceased cousin, firefighter Jimmy Keefe (James McCaffrey). Nor was Tommy the only member of the Engine 62 team battling personal demons. Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee) was a compulsive gambler; handsome Sean Garrity (Steven Pasquale) was incapable of carrying on an intelligent conversation; and daredevil Franco Rivera (Daniel Sunjata) insisted upon living on the edge, both on and off the job, frequently with disastrous consequences. Meanwhile, Lt. Kenny "Lou" Shea (John Scurti) endeavored to channel his emotions and phobias into writing poems, and rookie Mike Silletti (Mike Lombardi) was kept busy trying to figure out what sort of practical joke would next be pulled on him by his sadistically prankish co-workers. The first season of Rescue Me was launched by the FX cable network on July 21, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Two buddies find themselves doing some very wrong things for perfectly right reasons in this broad comedy. John (Jason Lee) is a nice guy who is responsible and hardworking; his best friend Duff (Tom Green), however, is his polar opposite, a layabout who is constantly getting in some sort of trouble. John is very much in love with his longtime girlfriend Elaine (Leslie Mann), and wants to marry her, but true to form, he has pledged not to make the walk down the aisle until he has saved up to 30,000 dollars so they'll be able to afford a down payment on the house they've always wanted. After years of saving, John has finally put 30 grand in the bank, and has set the date with Elaine. However, as John's big day approaches, he gets word from his sister Patty (Megan Mullally) that her daughter Noreen (Tammy Blanchard) has been accepted into Harvard University -- and years ago, John promised her if she got into the prestigious college, he'd pay the tuition. Making good on John's pledge to his niece would leave him with a mere 121 dollars in the bank, but he doesn't have the heart to say no to Noreen, or tell Elaine of his dilemma. John does tell Duff about his problem, who comes up with a typically hare-brained solution -- turning to a life of crime for the next two weeks in order to steal another 30,000 dollars. Stealing Harvard costars Dennis Farina and Chris Penn; Bruce McCulloch, a member of the comedy series The Kids in the Hall, served as director. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Everyone's favorite neurotic mafia boss (with the possible exception of Tony Soprano) is out of prison and back on the couch in this sequel to the hit comedy Analyze This. Ever since he ended up behind bars, mob leader Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) has been in sad shape, alternately weeping like a child and singing favorite tunes from West Side Story. Fearful of his emotional stability, prison officials release Vitti into the custody of his psychiatrist, Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal), but this is far more responsibility than Sobel wants -- he's having troubles with his family after the recent death of his father, also an analyst, and has been overworked since taking over his late father's practice. Sobel becomes even more exasperated when he learns Vitti will be moving into his home, which is especially upsetting for Sobel's wife, Laura (Lisa Kudrow). As Sobel tries to get to the root of Vitti's problems -- which are very much real, even if he was faking his symptoms behind bars -- he tries to help Vitti find a straight job, which is hardly easy for a man of his temperament. And adding to all this confusion, several members of Vitti's old crew are after him, determined to insure that he doesn't pass along any incriminating information. Analyze That also features Cathy Moriarty-Gentile, Joseph Viterelli, and baseball legend Yogi Berra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, (more)
- 2002
Originally titled The Web, this hip, "inside" ABC sitcom was a savage spoof of the cutthroat world of prime-time network television. The "everyman" character in the proceedings was David Weiss (Ivan Sergei), a greenhorn junior executive with the fictional IBS network. It didn't take Weiss long to realize that he'd have to swim with sharks to survive in the TV biz, a lesson driven home hard each week by a variety of ruthless programmers, addle-pated execs, and other corporate types. In addition to taking much-needed swipes at such sacred cows as Political Correctness and Audience Demographics, the series also featured a number of celebrity cameos, with many of the Rich and Famous poking cruel fun at themselves. Created by Peter Tolan of The Job fame, ABC's Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) debuted March 27, 2002, fittingly in the Wednesday at 9:30 PM (8:30 Central) time slot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ivan Sergei
Studio mogul Joe Roth returns to his roots as a director with this romantic comedy co-written by Billy Crystal and starring Roth's longtime friend Julia Roberts. Crystal stars as Lee, a studio publicist desperately trying to keep several facts secret from reporters during a high-profile motion picture's press junket. Among the developments that Lee is trying to obscure from view: the film's eccentric director (Christopher Walken) has essentially hijacked the $87 million movie and isn't allowing anyone to view it. Also, the film's high-profile, real-life married co-stars Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) have acrimoniously split since filming (over Gwen's adulterous affair with Latin lover Hector (Hank Azaria). Lee has led the press to believe that reconciliation is imminent, when in fact Gwen hates Eddie more than ever. Lee's secret weapon in his campaign of misinformation is Gwen's long-abused sister Kiki (Julia Roberts), who works as the pampered star's personal assistant while secretly pining for Eddie, who might just notice Kiki now that she's lost 60 pounds. America's Sweethearts co-stars Alan Arkin, Seth Green, and Stanley Tucci. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, (more)
- 2001
Denis Leary was both producer and star of the iconoclastic cop comedy The Job. Leary played NYPD detective Mike McNeil, whose fashion-plate sensibilites were compromised by his chronic self-abuse, which included drinking like a fish, downing all manner of barbituates, and shamelessly cheating on his estranged wife, Karen (Wendy Makkena). Nor was McNeil a pillar of virtue on the job, ruthlessly strongarming and even blackmailing perps into confessing their crimes and habitually undercutting his colleagues. Although McNeil knew that he had to stop carrying on and change his ways before it was too late for redemption, that didn't prevent him from falling back on his old bag of dirty tricks in every half-hour episode. Others in the cast included Bill Nunn as McNeil's chunky, henpecked partner, Terrence "Pip" Phillips; Karyn Parsons as our "hero"'s mistress, Toni; Keith David as McNeil's easily outraged superior, Lt. Williams; and Lenny Clarke, Diane Farr, Adam Ferrara, John Ortiz, and Julian Acosta as, respectively, Detectives Harrigan, Fendrich, Manetti, Sommariba, and Rodriguez. More fondly regarded by critics than by the public, The Job made the ABC network rounds from March 14, 2001, to April 24, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
How far will a man go to win the woman he loves? That's the devilish question behind this satirical romantic comedy. Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser), a low-level white-collar worker, has fallen in love with his co-worker Allison (Frances O'Connor), who barely knows he exists. Desperate to win her love, sad sack Elliot is approached by the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley), who offers him seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Elliot accepts, but none of his wishes works out quite the way that he had hoped; after transforming himself into a South American tycoon, a champion NBA basketball player, a famous author, the most sensitive man in the world, and even the president of the United States, Elliot discovers that the Devil has added a crucial loophole each time, and for all his troubles, Allison still isn't interested in him. Directed by Harold Ramis, Bedazzled was adapted from the 1968 cult movie of the same name written by and starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, (more)
Garry Shandling makes his big-screen debut as a leading man in this sci-fi romantic comedy. Harold (Shandling) is an alien from another galaxy sent to Earth on a vital mission: in order to ensure that his civilization will prevail, Harold must impregnate an Earth woman. But he discovers that this is more easily said than done, as he quickly gets a crash course in the arcane rituals of the human courtship process. What's worse, just when Harold thinks he's making progress in Earthbound seduction, he discovers that the males of his planet don't physically interface properly with women on Earth, so he is issued a variety of bizarre gadgets to complete his assignment. Mike Nichols directed What Planet Are You From?, which also features a top-notch supporting cast, including Annette Bening, John Goodman, Ben Kingsley, and Camryn Manheim. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Garry Shandling, Annette Bening, (more)
In the same year that a hit cable television series, The Sopranos, successfully mined the same premise, this comedy about a mobster seeking advice from a psychiatrist was a box office winner for director Harold Ramis. Billy Crystal stars as Dr. Ben Sobel, a New York shrink who's becoming a little bored with his upscale but neurotic clientele. Into Sobel's practice comes a guy with legitimate problems, Mafia kingpin Paul Viti (Robert DeNiro), a godfather who is being reduced to tears and panic attacks by stress and his guilt over his beloved father's assassination. Intimidated but also fascinated by Viti, Dr. Sobel becomes frustrated when his mob boss patient becomes a full-time occupation, as Viti summons the psychiatrist for his professional help at all hours and in all places, even including the doctor's Florida wedding to TV reporter Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow). In the meantime, a power struggle is brewing with Viti's long-time rival Primo Sidone (Chazz Palminteri), but Viti begins employing the feel-good self-help jargon and techniques he's learned from Dr. Sobel to keep his enemy off balance. Just as the therapist and his powerful patient are making breakthroughs, the FBI attempts to persuade Sobel that Viti is going to have him murdered, leading to a nearly lethal misunderstanding. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, (more)
- 1998
Desperate for an A-list guest as his final show draws ever closer, Larry (Garry Shandling) determines that he must overcome his discomfort with affectionate old friend David Duchovny in order to secure an appearance from the X-Files star. Meanwhile, Artie (Rip Torn) struggles to keep the emotional staff afloat in hopes of producing a memorable swan song for The Larry Sanders Show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
With Larry(Garry Shandling) struggling with his desire to ask out Gina Gershon and Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) hitting on the woman who performed his colonoscopy, it once again seems as if the cast of The Larry Sanders Show is feeling a bit lonely. Eager to date Gershon, Larry feels that it would be inappropriate to ask the comely actress on a date without the permission of her ex-boyfriend Jeff Goldblum. Meanwhile, Mary Lou (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is conflicted when it comes to vouching for her close friend Wendy's (Sarah Silverman) standup skills. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Feigning illness, Phil (Wallace Langham) jumps ship to write a sitcom pilot. Confident that his work is golden, the former head writer finds himself back at the bottom of the barrel when his writing doesn't gel with what star Dave Chappelle had in mind for the show. When Larry (Garry Shandling) gives Artie (Rip Torn) a rare and expensive pen as a gift, the grateful but absent-minded producer must find a replacement before Larry catches on that the pen is missing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
When Larry (Garry Shandling) announces that he won't be renewing his contract, the staff begins chomping at the bits to find new jobs. It appears as if Beverly (Penny Johnson), Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), and Artie (Rip Torn) all have prospects for the future, though unfortunately the same thing can't be said for our increasingly troubled host. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1997
While organizing a roast for Larry (Garry Shandling), Norman (David Paymer) invites Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, and Al Franken to take their best shot at the self-absorbed talk-show host. When Artie (Rip Torn) invites Carl Reiner to host instead of Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), the sensitive sidekick retaliates by practicing his heckler defense skills and inviting an unexpected guest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Fearful that he may not be able to overcome the temptation resulting from his "addiction" to upcoming guest Angie Dickinson, Artie (Rip Torn) asks Larry (Garry Shandling) to ensure that the two aren't left alone together. Despite Larry's best efforts, it isn't long before Artie leaves for an impromptu visit to Dickinson's Italian villa. Meanwhile, Larry's romance with Laura Leighton is somewhat dampened when he discovers that she, like the egocentric host, is obsessed with watching her own show. When Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) auditions for a voice role in Disney's Hercules, he discovers to his dismay that he has been cast as the village idiot instead of the eponymous hero. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this comedy, Russell P. Kramer (Jack Lemmon) and Matt Douglas (James Garner) are two former U.S. Presidents who sit on opposite sides of the political fence. Kramer is a stuffy Republican reluctant to part with a dollar, while Douglas is a left-leaning Democrat with an eye for the ladies. Douglas succeeded Kramer in office after a single term, while Douglas, after four years as chief executive, lost to his former running mate William Haney (Dan Aykroyd). When the facts about a bribery scheme in Haney's administration threaten to surface and destroy his reputation, the ruthless president tries to pin the responsibility on Kramer and Douglas -- and when the ex-presidents learn the truth about Haney's dealings, Haney tries to have them killed before they can talk. Kramer and Douglas soon find themselves on the run, disguising themselves as celebrity impersonators, hiding out in the woods with a homeless family, and marching in a Gay Pride parade in an effort to stay clear of Haney's goons while they bring the truth to the people. My Fellow Americans also features Lauren Bacall as Kramer's long-suffering wife and John Heard as Haney's intellectually-challenged vice president. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, James Garner, (more)
- 1996
After finding religion and inviting Rabbi Susan Klein (Amy Aquino) to the set, Beverly (Penny Johnson) becomes upset because her previous request to give her pastor a tour was rejected. Despite Artie's (Rip Torn) repeated pleas to Hank to keep his religious beliefs separated from the show, Hank rebels by donning his yarmulke on-air, upsetting the network brass who fear loss of sponsors. Despite the stress of this holy war, Larry (Garry Shandling) finds refuge on his new massage chair until it becomes apparent that he's not the only one enjoying it's relaxing effects. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
When Larry (Garry Shandling) catches wind that the network reps may be grooming guest host Jon Stewart to fill a more permanent position on the show, an embittered Larry will stop at nothing to see that Stewart's career on The Larry Sanders Show is put on ice. With sabotage on the brain, Larry schemes to steal Stewart's illustrious guests and replace them with Charles Nelson Reilly. Meanwhile, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) purchases an unreliable car from Elvis Costello, leaving the sidekick at odds with how to handle the situation. As the battle between the hosts pans out, Larry is somewhat disturbed at the affection showered upon him by David Duchovny, who seems to seek a bit more than Larry's friendship. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The Larry Sanders Show is celebrating its eighth anniversary, and guests k.d. lang, Pat O'Brien, Rosie O'Donnell, Mandy Patinkin, and Noah Wyle are booked for the big show. It seems that Murphy's Law is in full effect for the anniversary show, however, and in addition to O'Donnell's limo failing to arrive, it's revealed that lang and Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) have a background as feuding neighbors, while Patinkin and Wyle can't stop arguing over who has a better TV series. As if those factors weren't enough to make the anniversary show a stressful occasion, it seems as if Larry (Garry Shandling) has forgotten to take his usual bathroom break before the show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
