Jed Rhein Movies
This blend of sports and youthful romantic comedy is from director Michael Tollin, who previously produced the sports drama Varsity Blues (1999). Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Ryan Dunne, a ballplayer who's spending the summer as a pitcher for the famed, highly prestigious Cape Cod League, a non-professional farm team that has turned out numerous baseball legends. Ryan's under special pressure on a number of fronts. He's the first local boy to earn a slot in the league in years, and his blue-collar status earns him the enmity of a hot-shot college teammate, Eric Van Leemer (Corey Pearson). Although he's backed up by his best friend and team catcher Billy Brubaker (Matthew Lillard), Ryan adds more stress to his life by embarking on an affair with a beautiful, wealthy young Vassar graduate, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), who's spending the summer on the Cape with her parents. Tenley is facing her own crisis as her father (Bruce Davison) pressures her to move to San Francisco and work with her uncle, though she'd rather remain in the East and become an architect. Summer Catch is the third onscreen teaming of Prinze and Lillard, and also stars Brian Dennehy, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Gedrick, Fred Ward, and Brittany Murphy. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., Jessica Biel, (more)
This Big Apple-based romantic comedy charts the tumultuous relationship between liberal arts student and budding chef Al (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and his first girlfriend, Imogen (Julia Stiles), a self-possessed freshman who wants to become an artist. After meeting in a bar, the pair jump into a giddy, passionate affair that's grown-up enough to include face time between the young lovers and Al's DJ mom and TV-chef dad (Henry Winkler). After a summer abroad, however, Imogen feels like the relationship is robbing her of her youth, and the couple must struggle with romantic and domestic growing pains. Meanwhile, their wacky friends -- who include porn stars (Selma Blair and Zak Orth), stoners (Rosario Dawson), a mullet-haired lunkhead (Shawn Hatosy), and a Jim Morrison look-alike named Jim Morrison (Ashton Kutcher) -- provide laughs, advice, and sexual temptation. The debut film from writer/director Kris Isacsson, the teen-themed Down to You marked a change of pace for normally grown-up Miramax Films. In addition to a slew of recent rock and pop, the film prominently features music from such downtown New York fixtures of the past decade as Deee-Lite ("Groove is in the Heart") and Cibo Matto ("Moonchild"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., Joanna Adler, (more)
- 1999
The sometimes turbulent relationship between two brothers forms the basis for this coming-of-age drama. Curt Martin (Justin Urich) is a high school student who has a gift for music, but has grown up introspective and shy around girls, in contrast with his older and more popular brother, Andy (Eric Balfour). Andy encourages Curt to try out for the school play and, to his surprise, he wins the leading role -- only to discover his brother rigged the audition. Curt quits in anger, and instead signs on as the play's accompanying pianist, with Andy taking over the role Curt abandoned. Curt strikes up a friendship with Lisa, the play's female lead (Keili Lefkowitz), that soon blossoms into romance -- and inspires tension and jealousy between Andy and Curt. Writer and director Kurt Kuenne takes a new approach to an old theme in Scrapbook, which enlivens its tale of sibling rivalry with inventive photography and editing and strong performances from its youthful cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Urich, Eric Balfour, (more)
In this romantic comedy, LA stand-up comic Barry (Christopher Meloni) and dentist Robert (Timothy Busfield) are longtime buddies. Barry has a rocky relationship with feminist activist Thea (Janel Moloney) who begins to find his glib, one-liner approach to life annoying. She drifts off to campaign for candidate Jerry Brown. Meanwhile, Robert has a different kind of problem -- dealing with his lesbian wife (Allison Mackie). Comic Steve Landesberg portrays himself. Shown at the AFI/Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Meloni, Janel Moloney, (more)
- 1997
Kramer (Michael Richards) has a too-close encounter with the Van Buren Boys -- a life-threatening moment that Peterman (John O'Hurley) offers to purchase for his autobiography, which is being ghostwritten by Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) falls for a girl named Ellen (Christine Taylor), whom no one else warms up to. And George (Jason Alexander) may need a whole lot of aid and comfort after a contretemps involving the Susan Ross Foundation's first scholarship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
