Richard Edson Movies
Before making his film debut in Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Richard Edson was a musician. In 1981, he scored the movie Vortex. Since he started acting, he has worked steadily, in feature films ranging from Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) to Jungle Fever (1991) to Wedding Bell Blues (1993). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2009
- R
The city streets explode into violence when "The Man" kills Black Dynamite's (Michael Jai White) brother in this seamless recreation of the blaxploitation classics of the 1970s. He was the best agent that the CIA ever had, but these days Black Dynamite only answers to one boss -- himself. When "The Man" ices Black Dynamite's brother, starts pumping heroin into the local orphanage, and floods the ghetto with a secret weapon disguised as common malt liquor, the car chases, gunfights, and shirtless brawls that follow prove wild enough to make even Dolemite green with envy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Jai White, Kym E. Whitley, (more)
A grown man locked into an extended state of arrested adolescence returns to the nest while concocting a series of excuses as to why he cannot return to his wife and child in this existential comedy drama from filmmaker Azazel Jacobs. Mikey was preparing to board an airplane bound for California when he suddenly found himself fleeing from the airport and returning to the comfort of his parents' New York home. Even Mikey isn't sure exactly why he made the snap decision not to go home, all he knows is that he can't quite muster the courage to go back and assume the responsibilities of your typical family man. Of course, Mikey's doting mother is more than happy to enable her son's indecision -- and his father remains as emotionally distanced as ever -- but as time goes on, the grown-up man-child finds it increasingly difficult to make the choice between going back to reality, or drifting ever further into his second adolescence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Boren, Ken Jacobs, (more)
- 2006
Filmmaker David Scott Hay answers the New Visions Fellowship challenge to make the most out of a small budget, a single location, and no special effects with this inventive and twisting tale of three amiable misfit diner employees whose quest to gain footing over one and other in eventually thwarted by their own ineptitude. Alice's Diner is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, and though all appears well on the surface, unspoken tensions soon boil to the surface when the owner of the restaurant meets a grim fate at the celebratory shindig. Benno is an ex-con and part-time lover to the owner who served as second-in-command to the watchful Alice. Though juvenile delinquent Scotty initially entered the restaurant with the intentions of cleaning out the cash register, he later walked out as Benno's assistant when the sympathetic owner took pity on him. Lastly, Joe makes the deliveries for the diner while struggling through a bad marriage and awaiting the moment to make his big move. When the party takes a turn for the worse and the diner proves in need of a new owner, these three hapless souls will enter into what would be a cutthroat competition for ownership if only their figurative knives weren't so dull. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurtwood Smith, Richard Edson, (more)
An aspiring astronaut who was forced to forsake his dream of exploring space in order to save the family farm begins building his own personal rocket as a means of reaching the stars in this quirky rural drama starring Billy Bob Thornton. There once was a time when Charlie Farmer (Thornton) seemed like a shoo-in for NASA's esteemed astronaut training program. An Air Force pilot who held a degree in aerospace engineering, Charlie was well on his way to blasting off when a family crisis grounded his celestial aspirations. Of course, Charlie's feet may be firmly planted on terra firma these days, but his thoughts are constantly ascending into the clouds and beyond. It's been ten long years since the man who would navigate the stars began tending to the family farm, and during that time, Charlie has dedicated every moment of his spare time to building the rocket that will one day launch him into space. Though his devoted wife, Audie (Virginia Madsen), the pair's three children, Sunshine, Stanley, and Shepard, and even his father-in-law, Hal (Bruce Dern), all support Charlie in achieving his lifelong goal of becoming the nation's first independent astronaut, a last-minute hitch on the eve before the big launch unexpectedly stalls Charlie's countdown. It seems that Charlie's quest to obtain a substantial amount of high-grade rocket fuel has attracted the attention of not only the FBI, but the CIA, the FAA, and the United States military as well. Now, as the powers that be attempt to ground Charlie, citing concerns for civilian safety, a media frenzy descends upon the once-quiet farm as the reluctant renegade hero vows to show his children just how far one's courage and willingness to pursue one's own ideals can get a person when one refuses to give up hope. Northfork writing/directing duo Mark and Michael Polish team up to tell the tale of a man considered an oddity by his neighbors, a criminal by the government, and an inspiration by the media and the people. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, (more)
Abruptly cut off from the family fortune by her millionaire tycoon father, a young girl used to the life of luxury sets out on a Bonnie and Clyde style crime spree with her ne'er do well boyfriend in this action film featuring Malcolm McDowell, Anne Archer, and Faye Dunaway. Patricia Barton (Amanda Brooks) was a self-centered heiress used to sailing the sea on her luxury yacht and making $20,000 bank withdrawals when daddy (McDowell) closed her account hoping that she'd learn the true value of a hard-earned dollar. But when even Patricia's sympathetic mother (Dunaway) proves incapable of convincing dad to reconsider, the newly broke debutante and her shiftless boyfriend Pauly (Thomas Ian Nicholas) attempt an ill-conceived bank robbery that quickly spirals out of control. Things only go from bad to worse after the desperate duo hijacks an ambulance carrying notorious drug dealer the Joker (Kurupt), backing the frightened fugitives into a corner and forcing Patricia to stand on her own for the first time in her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Brooks, Thomas Ian Nicholas, (more)
A washed-up actor finds an unlikely path back to the big screen in this offbeat family comedy. Bill Williams (Tom Arnold) is an actor whose career has gone into a severe tailspin ever since his brief fling with fame -- a supporting role in the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle True Lies. Sinking into a well of alcohol and depression, Williams unsuccessfully attempts suicide before his agent (Henry Winkler) tells him he's finally found a project for him. Aaron Roman (Eric Gores) is a teenager with cerebral palsy who loves action movies, especially True Lies. Aaron's father, Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna), is a very wealthy man -- so wealthy that, as a present for his son's 18th birthday, he's going to bankroll a professionally shot action movie which will star Aaron. Would Williams be willing to write and co-star in Aaron's birthday movie? Williams isn't so sure this is a great idea, even with a million-dollar payday, until he meets Aaron. Charmed by the kid's pluck and determination, Williams signs on for the world's most expensive home movie. Williams and producer Susan Mandeville (Linda Hamilton) hire Wayne's World director Penelope Spheeris to helm the project, and persuade bikini model Arielle Kebbel to appear as Aaron's love interest, but what started out as strictly a job-for-hire becomes something more as Williams and his fellow cast and crew members get to know their challenged young star. The Kid & I actually was written by co-star Tom Arnold, and Penelope Spheeris directed the film as well as playing herself. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Shaquille O'Neal also appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, (more)
Wim Wenders drama Land of Plenty stars John Diehl and Michelle Williams as two very different people who are brought together for an unconventional road trip. The film takes place after September 11, 2001, and the main characters are dealing with their grief in very different ways. Paul (Diehl) keeps his paranoid eye on the lookout for terrorists wherever he goes. His niece Lana, Williams) does charity work for the indigent. After a young Muslim is shot dead, the uncle and niece travel together - her to bring the body back to the family, he to wipe out the terrorists he is convinced the young man worked with. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Williams, John Diehl, (more)
The dejected habitués of a run-down New Jersey bar currently teetering on the brink of bankruptcy receive an encouraging boost of morale when a one-time drinking buddy about to get his big break in show-business returns to find the girl he once left behind as the popular stage drama comes to the screen in a film starring Kim Dickens, Debi Mazar, Nick Chinlund, and Paul Sorvino. A locals-only dive where whiskey flows free and evenings pass in a bitter, alcohol-fueled haze, Charlie's Bar and New Crystal Ballroom is a holding tank for lost souls and forgotten dreams. Despite the dreary nature of the place, however, things suddenly start to look up when one-time local Joey Parker returns to his old watering hole in search of the woman he once left behind. It seems that the celebrated crooner from Manhattan has recently been booked for his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and in order for his success to truly be complete Joey is convinced that he must first wed his long lost love. Now, as the dreams of the weary are re-awakened by the same winds that blew in the man determined to take hold of his fate, the regulars at Charlie's are about to find out why some dreamers are better left asleep. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Chinlund, Paul Sorvino, (more)
Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in the title roles, this kitschy tongue-in cheek action comedy is based on the popular 1970s cop show of the same name. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson) and Dave Starsky (Stiller) are a tough pair of plain-clothes cops who drive a red and white Ford Torino and solve cases with the assistance of their informant, Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). While investigating their latest case, the duo realize that the culprit is none other than Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), the criminal involved in their first bust. Starsky & Hutch also features appearance by Juliette Lewis, Will Ferrell, and Matt Walsh, who, along with Snoop Dogg and Vaughn, all had roles in director Todd Phillips' last film, Old School. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, (more)
- 2002
Directed by Raphae Nadjari, Apartment 5C follows several individuals trying to survive within the inner cities of New York. Nicky (Tinkerbell) and Uri (Ori Pfeffer), two Israelis with expired U.S. visas, are making ends meet by robbing local stores at gunpoint. The couple becomes a little overexcited with their gun in their Brooklyn apartment one evening, and Nicky is accidentally shot in the leg. Uri leaves in a panic, never to return. Luckily for Nicky, the building's maintenance person (Richard Epson) takes pity on her, and agrees to care for her while her leg heals. This leads to a relationship between the two; one which Harold's (Epson) wheelchair bound brother-in-law (Jeff Ware) doesn't approve of. Max (Ware) is determined to put a stop to the budding romance, which Nicky and Harold predictably do not take lightly, leading to a violent conclusion for the trio. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tinkerbell, Richard Edson, (more)
Writer and director John Sayles returns with another multi-layered look at an American community, subtly exploring how race, class, economics, and both national and regional history come together to shape people's lives. Plantation Island is a community on the coast of Florida; the island was once a notorious hotbed of segregationists, with most of the African-American population centered in the neighborhood of Lincoln Beach, while Delrona Beach is primarily home to white residents. Marly Temple (Edie Falco) is the sixth generation of her family to live in Delrona Beach, where she helps run a motel and cafe owned by her elderly and ill-tempered father (Ralph Waite) and drama instructor mother (Jane Alexander). Marly's former husband, Steve (Richard Edson), is a scruffy ne'er do well who's a sucker for get-rich-quick scams, while her current boyfriend, Scotty (Marc Blucas), is struggling to make something of himself as a golf pro. Meanwhile, Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) is an actress who is returning to Lincoln Beach for the first time since she was a teenager, hoping to introduce her new husband, Reggie (James McDaniel), to her mother, Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice). Desiree was the center of a minor local scandal when she became pregnant as a teenager and moved away. Eunice has never quite forgiven her, while Flash (Tom Wright), Desiree's high school boyfriend and the man responsible, hasn't seen her since. Eunice is looking after Terrell (Alex Lewis), a troubled youth recently found guilty of arson, and Desiree and Reggie soon find themselves bonding with the misguided youth. In time, Delrona Beach and Lincoln Beach are brought together by a common concern; Greg (Perry Lang) and Lester (Miguel Ferrer) are representatives from a nearby resort community looking to expand, with Plantation Island looking like their most likely target. As homeowners debate whether to sell or stay put, local government officials and the town's business community argue the merits and faults of the resort's expansion into Plantation Island. Meanwhile, Marly becomes romantically involved with Jack (Timothy Hutton), a landscape architect affiliated with the developers who seems to believe his work is doing more harm than good. Sunshine State also features Mary Steenburgen, Alan King, and Bill Cobbs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, (more)
- 2001
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Music video director Steven Hanft makes his feature debut with the digital video project Southlander, an absurd independent film starring various beloved indie pop musicians. Rory Cochrane stars as Chance, a musician who loses his extremely rare magical synthesizer which takes the form of a white 1969 Moletron keyboard. He looks for it by wandering around a de-glamorised Southern California with pal Rossangeles (co-writer Ross Harris from DJ Me DJ You and Sukia). They sometimes find clues in the local classified newspaper called the Southlander, which leads them to meet interesting folks.Their adventures eventually lead them to the home of former funk legend-turned-tennis player Mother Child (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs from Welcome Back Kotter) and his blonde girlfriend Snowbunny (Meghan Gallagher). Beth Orton stars as Chance's love interest Rocket and the leader of the band Future Pigeon. Beck plays Bek, his younger pre-stardom self, back when he was into drugs and recording music by himself in a shack. Also starring Ione Skye, Hank Williams III, Richard Edson, and Elliot Smith. Southlander was shown at the 2001 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rory Cochrane, Rossie Harris, (more)
- 2001
A pair of like-minded artists find their personal lives are suffering at the hands of their creative disappointments in this independent drama. Roper (Fred Parnes) is a documentary filmmaker who loves music and is obsessed with the blues; his latest project has been a film about veteran blues artists, but Roper's inability to find a distributor for the project is making him impossible to live with, which is straining his relationship with his girlfriend, Lily (Paulina Mielech), herself a musician, to the breaking point. Roper's anxieties are also putting a damper on his relationship with his young son, Augie (Anton Yelchin). Meanwhile, Roper's close friend and neighbor, Andy (Chris Rydell), has problems of his own; while Andy is a gifted sax player, he's stuck in a rut he can't seem to get out of, and after inheriting a nest egg from his grandmother, Andy prefers to smoke dope and hang out with his friend, Jeff (Mary Curry), rather than work on his music, which frustrates his girlfriend, Jamie (Heather Roop). Roper's dilemmas doubtlessly rang true for star and director Fred Parnes, who himself directed an acclaimed documentary on the celebrated R&B a cappella group the Persuasions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Curry, Michele Harris, (more)
- 2001
A man searching for the truth about his brother finds out more than he ever expected to learn in this semi-improvised independent drama. Abe Polonski (Richard Edson) works in his family's textile business alongside his brothers Ben (Jeff Ware) and Josh (Arnold Barkus). One day, Josh is shot to death while leaving the shop with Abe; while Ben warns him to stay out of it, Abe is determined to find out who killed his brother and why. The deeper Abe digs into his brother's life, though, the more unpleasant surprises he finds; it seems that Josh was involved in some serious financial double-dealings, and Jill (Meg Hartig), the woman he had been dating, is a prostitute. Abe talks to Jill, hoping to find out what his brother was trying to do, and he soon finds himself falling in love with her. Abe is determined to save Jill from a life on the streets, but he finds out the hard way that her pimp isn't willing to let her go. I Am Josh Polonski's Brother was shot in 15 days, using Super-8 film stock, and with much of the dialogue improvised on the spot by the cast; the film was the second feature for Raphael Nadjari, who also worked with Richard Edson on his first feature, The Shade. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Edson, Jeff Ware, (more)
Director Mike Figgis helmed this ground-breaking experimental feature, filmed with four synchronized digital video cameras in four separate locations. The story, outlined in advance but otherwise improvised, was enacted in a single continuous take, like a stage play, with the unedited images from all four locations presented on the screen at once. Figgis and his crew chose the best single run-through, and the result is the film's final release version. The story focuses on four main characters around the casting sessions for a film called Bitch of Louisiana to be directed by Lester Moore (Richard Edson): Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), the studio executive overseeing Moore's project; his wife Emma (Saffron Burrows); gangster Lauren Hathaway (Jeanne Tripplehorn); and her unfaithful lover Rose (Salma Hayek). These characters' paths cross as murder, infidelity, and dirty dealings are interrupted by an earthquake and its aftershocks. Time Code 2000 also features Kyle MacLachlan, Holly Hunter, Julian Sands, Steven Weber, Danny Huston, Viveka Davis, and Laurie Metcalf. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xander Berkeley, Golden Brooks, (more)
Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders returns to the screen with this loosely structured murder mystery. The Million Dollar Hotel unites Wender's obsession with cool music, lost souls, and American trash culture. Set in 2001, the film opens with Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) taking a flying leap off the roof of the Million Dollar Hotel, an ironically titled dive in the seedy section of L.A. Told in an extended flashback, Tom Tom recounts the murder investigation of a down-and-out artist and son of a media mogul, Izzy Goldkiss (Tim Roth), who also fell off the hotel. FBI special agent Skinner (none other than Mel Gibson), sporting a neck brace, looks into the death only to discover that the building is teeming with weirdos and losers. There is Vivien (Amanda Plummer), who claims to be the fiancée of the rock star; Geronimo (Jimmy Smits), a huckster trying to make a buck by selling Izzy's abstract painting; Eloise (Milla Jovovich), a burned out prostitute with a passion for intellectual literature; and Dixie (Peter Stormare), who swears up and down that he is the fifth Beatle. As the film progresses, Skinner proves to be just as much of a freak as the hotel tenets -- he was born with a third arm that was surgically removed from his back. Just as in his Until the End of the World (1991), Wenders features a fantastic soundtrack including songs from Bono, Daniel Lanois, and Brian Eno. The Million Dollar Hotel opened the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, (more)
In this fantasy set in the Old West, Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts) is an outlaw on the run from police after a bank robbery. Britton and his gang wind up in a small town called Refuge, where things are rather unusual -- outlaws are warmly welcomed and offered free food and lodging but warned not to swear, and none of the residents carry guns, including Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepard). Britton and his gang notice that Sheriff Forrest bears a striking resemblance to the famous gunfighter Wild Bill Hickock, who died some years ago. Elsewhere in Refuge, Britton's gang meets dead ringers for such late, great outlaws as Doc Holliday (Randy Quaid), Billy the Kid (Donnie Wahlberg), and Jesse James (J.D. Souther). Britton learns that Refuge is actually Purgatory, where the gunfighters are stranded between Heaven and Hell, hoping to hoping to find a redemptive grace that will bring them salvation as they struggle not to backslide into final damnation. Soon Britton's gang becomes restless, and the men of Refuge may have to return to their guns if they are to protect the town. Produced for the TNT cable network, Purgatory also features Peter Stormare, Brad Rowe, and Richard Edson. The film is also available on home video in a Spanish subtitled edition. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Two self-styled criminal masterminds find themselves in a turf battle neither much cares about in this underworld story that balances comedy against drama. Alec Baldwin plays Mackin, a career thief who picks his jobs shrewdly and carefully, and prefers to spend his downtime with his collection of rare jazz LP's and looking after his dog. Pointy (Michael Jai White) is a young upstart gangster trying to develop a taste for refinement and the good life. When Pointy sets up Mackin, Mackin is forced to retaliate, and before long both men and their associates are in the middle of a war neither is especially interested in winning, which begins to escalate in comic fashion. The skirmish eventually attracts the attention of a female cop (Rebecca De Mornay) who's become interested in Mackin's method of operation. Thick As Thieves received its world premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Andre Braugher, (more)
Writer Paul Auster made his solo directorial debut with this romantic drama about an affair between a middle-aged musician and an aspiring actress. Hit by a stray bullet during a nightclub shooting, jazz saxophonist Izzy Maurer (Harvey Keitel) can no longer play, and he falls into a depression. His ex-wife Hannah (Gina Gershon), now attached to producer Philip Kleinman (Mandy Patinkin), turns up unexpectedly to take care of Izzy. Izzy meets Kleinman, and he also has an encounter with actress-director Catherine Moore (Vanessa Redgrave), who's planning a production of Pandora's Box. Walking around Lower Manhattan, Izzy finds a man's body with a phone number and a stone that emits a blue light with healing properties. When he phones the number, he speaks with actress Celia (Mira Sorvino), who just happens to be listening to his music. They fall in love, and Celia gets Izzy a job as a busboy at the restaurant where she works. Both are fired when he goes into a jealous rage over the attention she receives from one of her customers. After Celia leaves to act in a film in Ireland, anthropologist Dr. Van Hom (Willem Dafoe) turns up, searching for the healing stone. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, (more)
- 1998
- NR
The first film of New York-based French director Raphael Nadjari is an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's The Gentle Creature, which had also inspired Une Femme douce of Robert Bresson. The Shade is a drama about a mysterious woman and a pawnbroker who meet in New York. The film begins with Simon, who is alone in his apartment with the corpse of his wife, Anna, who has just committed suicide. In his grief, he remembers the first time he met her, a year ago when she walked into his pawnbroker's shop in Spanish Harlem. Mysterious Anna, who seems to come from nowhere, impresses solitary Simon with her sad beauty, and he proposes to her on their first night out. The Shade is a love story with great psychological insight. 52nd Cannes Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Edson, Lorie Marino, (more)
- 1997
Frances Sternhagen makes her first appearance as Carter's enormously wealthy grandmother, Millicent, whom Carol (Julianna Margulies) approaches for a contribution toward her new free clinic. Meanwhile, Carter (Noah Wyle) tries to hide his silver-spoon upbringing from class-envious Del Amico (Maria Bello). Back at the ER, budget cuts imposed by the management group Syngergix force Weaver (Laura Innes) to lay off several staffers -- including Jeanie (Gloria Reuben). Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Corday (Alex Kingston) have a tense argument over procedure. And Ross (George Clooney) gets some very bad news. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This unusual comedy-drama, set in an experimental psychiatric institute, is a departure for genre director Philippe Mora, whose usual oeuvre is science fiction, horror, and low-budget action films. Rene Auberjonois stars as Dr. Sam Cohen, director of the Temporal Displacement Foundation. Cohen's highly-offbeat but well-funded mission is to treat psychotic patients whose particular dysfunction is the belief that they are famous historical figures, with the chief therapy being psychodrama, the reenactment of passages from that figure's life. Although he has some patients who believe themselves to be artists or religious icons (Mick Fleetwood as Pablo Picasso and Jesse Grey Walken as Jesus Christ), Cohen's star patient (Angus MacFadyen) believes himself to be Adolf Hitler. The clever, mentally ill genius has inexorably drawn several fellow patients into his delusion, including Tessa (T.C. Warner), who now believes herself to be Eva Braun. Enacting the part of Hitler's father, Cohen hopes for a breakthrough with the group. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- R
Pulp fiction writer Jim Thompson's novels have been adapted into noirish movies such as The Grifters and this one, directed by Michael Oblowitz. This unusual dark tragedy is narrated by Marty (Billy Zane), a successful investigative reporter who is unhappy with his shy and sick wife. As children, Marty and his twin sister Carol (Gina Gershon) saw their father and his mistress murdered in their home. Their mother (Rue McClanahan) took the children on the road, and they had a tumultuous childhood before finally settling in a small town in California. Marty and Carol had an incestuous relationship, and now they resume it after Marty leaves his wife and job to visit his sister and mother. Carol has been divorced and has become a cheap hooker. Marty soon hooks up with a classy, highly professional policewoman, Lois Archer (Sheryl Lee), who has a secret need to treated abusively, and they spend decadent weekends together at a beach cottage that Lois and her husband own. Marty and Carol plot to get the cabin for themselves after Carol poisons a couple of gangsters who are horning in on her prostitution business. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Gina Gershon, (more)
- 1996
- R
Three women who share a house are all about to turn 30. Tentative, mousy Micki (Julie Warner) has just had her fiancée, Jeff (Joseph Urla), break off their wedding plans because she's not passionate enough for him. Beautiful Tanya (Paulina Porizkova) is pregnant and has lost her job as a sales clerk, but her boyfriend Tom (Richard Edson) isn't ready to marry and raise a child. Jasmine (Illeana Douglas), who loves being single and dating bad boys, is tired of her family's pressure to marry. She proposes that all three get married, notify their families, then divorce. They go to Las Vegas to pursue the scheme. Micki hooks up with a dreamy cowboy, Cary (John Corbett), who instructs her in the art of passion. Tanya lures an older fellow, divorced businessman Oliver (Charles Martin Smith), planning to trick him into thinking that he's responsible for her pregnancy. Jasmine falls for Oliver's younger friend Matt (Jonathan Penner), who turns her on despite being a nice guy. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Illeana Douglas, Paulina Porizkova, (more)
Filmed in St. Helens, Oregon, this comedy-drama centers on highly educated Anne, a young woman forced by circumstance to work in a photographic equipment store. Poor Anne goes into a terrible funk after her lover, a foreign correspondent assigned to Eastern Europe, dumps her via telephone. This, on top her general disillusionment with her current life, drives Anne to attempt suicide. She wasn't terribly serious about it an survives. Realizing she needs help, Anne calls a suicide hot-line and begins talking to Don, a slightly older fellow with few goals and aspirations who works in real estate for his father. Don has worked the Hope Line for many years and nothing really surprises or even interests him anymore, but when Anne calls, something about her touches him. He inadvertently learns her identity and launches a tentative romance with her, even though she doesn't know exactly who he is. Meanwhile Anne makes a maudlin series of video-tapes to send to her lover in hopes of explaining herself to him. Unbeknownst to her, the videos are grabbed and kept by Paul, the delivery boy who has a secret crush upon her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lili Taylor, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
