Dechen Thurman Movies
Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang, (more)
William Shakespeare's classic tale is brought to the screen for the third time in ten years in this modernized interpretation. Writer/director Michael Almereyda updates the story to the present day, where Hamlet (Ethan Hawke) is a struggling filmmaker whose personal and familial trials are set against the machinations of a huge production firm called the Denmark Corporation. Joining Hamlet as he seeks revenge for the death of his father and the wedding of his mother to an enemy are Kyle MacLachlan as Claudius, Julia Stiles as Ophelia, Bill Murray as Polonius, Sam Shepard as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Diane Venora as Gertrude, Steve Zahn as Rosencrantz, and Dechen Thurman as Guildenstern. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
- 1999
This video presents a portrait of fiction writer Bret Easton Ellis, who was catapulted to notoriety with the publication of American Psycho. Ellis, who was born in 1964 in New York, rose to fame and fortune in his early twenties for this and other controversial works, vilified by many for their misogynistic and violent content. His defenders say the author's work is satirical in style, and realistic in its representation of pop culture of the 1980s. The film features an interview with Ellis, as well as comments from friends, relatives, and other artists. Also included are selected dramatizations from American Psycho and other books by the author. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
Bermuda-born Alison Swan, a NY documentary filmmaker, made her dramatic feature directorial debut with this comedy-drama, a low-budget look at racial identities. With divorced parents (white attorney father and black mother), Nia (Karyn Parsons) grew up in Westchester Country. Employed as an upwardly mobile advertising copywriter, she hangs out with both black and white friends. Irritated by an ad campaign to spur ghetto blacks to consume alcohol, she quits her job with plans to write a book. Stirring the racial mix, she sets out to find her own identity. Shown at the 1998 New York Women's Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karyn Parsons, Eric Thal, (more)
