Tani Cohen Movies

Barry Goldwater was among the most controversial figures in American politics in the 1960s. A hard-line fiscal conservative and an outspoken supporter of the war in Vietnam, Goldwater was elected to the U.S. Congress as a senator from Arizona in 1952, and he helped galvanize the Republican party, leading the way for a bolder brand of conservative politics that many have cited as the first steps to the election of Ronald Reagan as president and the new wave of conservative thought that followed, despite Goldwater's own infamous defeat when he ran for president opposite Lyndon Johnson. However, while Goldwater was regarded as a spokesman of the far right, his political views were far broader than his reputation would suggest -- he frequently supported civil rights and environmental legislation in Congress, he was an outspoken opponent of the influence of Christian activists in politics, and his positions took an a more libertarian stance as the Republican party moved farther to the right in the 1980s. (He also once called Richard M. Nixon "the most dishonest individual I have ever met.") Goldwater also earned a reputation for his sharp sense of humor and his unflinching honesty. Barry Goldwater's granddaughter C.C. Goldwater produced the documentary Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater, in which home movies, archival interviews, newsreel footage, and conversations with Goldwater's friends, relatives, and colleagues come together to create a portrait of the public and private sides of this complicated man. Among those interviewed in the film are Walter Cronkite, Hillary Clinton, Helen Thomas, George Will, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ben Bradlee, Julian Bond, and Al Franken. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A troubled youth learns a valuable lesson about trust and knowledge in this fantasy drama. Ryan (Ryan Kelley) is a teenager who lacks the ability to speak. One day, Ryan falls off a bridge and he finds himself transported to a strange fantasy world where he encounters his Grandpa Randolph (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and a pretty girl named Melanie (Hayden Panettiere); together, Ryan and Melanie learn to help one another with their problems, and they both discover the wisdom they can gain from elders like Grandpa Randolph. The Dust Factory is the first directorial credit for Eric Small, who also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A man discovers his past hasn't just caught up with him -- it's taking him on a cross-country road trip in this edgy comedy. Level-headed Ben (Patrick Swayze) gives his less-than-stable girlfriend Lulu (Melanie Griffith) her walking papers and heads out to California, in hopes of breaking into the movie business as a screenwriter. Seventeen years later, Lulu checks out of a mental hospital and appears at Ben's doorstep in Los Angeles, claiming that she was pregnant at the time they broke up and that she was forced to put their child up for adoption; after all these years, Lulu has decided it's time they paid their son a visit. Lulu forces Ben to drive her to Wisconsin in search of their son, while Ben's wife Claire (Penelope Ann Miller) hops on a plane to Wisconsin in hopes of capturing Lulu upon arrival. Forever Lulu marked the directorial debut of screenwriter John Kaye, who also penned the original screenplay; the film was backed by Green Moon, the production company founded by leading lady Melanie Griffith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Writer Audrey Wells (The Truth About Cats and Dogs) makes her directing debut in Guinevere, which won the screenwriting award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where it made its world premiere. The film concerns Harper Sloane, a twenty-something upper class pre-law student who falls for Connie, a bohemian photographer 30 years her senior. Shy, waifish, and camera shy, Harper feels her life is mapped out for her, coming from a long line of successful, Harvard-educated lawyers living in San Francisco. At her older sister's wedding, Harper meets Connie, who photographs her privately. When he shows her the photos, Harper (whom Connie refers to only as Guinevere) is intrigued, and a passionate romance and sexual attraction begins. Harper moves in with Connie to become his student, against her mother's wishes. Harper also learns that she isn't Connie's first Guinevere; in fact, there have been a half-dozen others, all of whom have remained friends. As the relationship takes its ups and downs, Harper comes out of her shell to become a stronger woman, more in control of her life and destiny than she would have ever dreamed possible. As Connie slowly dies from poverty and alcoholism, all of his Guineveres, including Harper, come together to remember (and drink to) his work and his life. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide

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