Adryenn Ashley Movies
- 1999
Director Christopher E. Brown's sophomore effort is an unrelentingly bleak depiction of the everyday life of the urban poor, reminiscent of John Cassavetes' early work. Ray (Wedrell James) is a recently unemployed auto mechanic, who -- despite his widely acknowledged skill -- cannot seem to find a job. His growing loss of faith and confidence starts to take its toll on his supportive wife Mary (Venieta Proter). Soon the combination of financial insecurity and emotional distance strains their formerly healthy marriage. These frustrations subtly affect their sullen teenage son, Chris (Khafre James), who in turn takes his anger out on his bashful younger sister, Miranda (Alyce James). Ray's attention seizes on a dilapidated truck, which he vows to fix. In an ill-conceived and ill-fated attempt to buy a missing part, Ray finds himself sucked into the presence of people even more desperate than himself. Metal was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wedrell James, Venieta Porter, (more)
Although "flub" is defined as "to make a mess of," the word "flubber" is a contraction from "flying rubber." In this remake of the 1961 comedy-fantasy The Absent Minded Professor, Robin Williams takes on the role created by Fred MacMurray and later executed by Harry Anderson on television, while the 1961 film's Flubber with anti-gravity properties has now been digitally reincarnated as a translucent green, pulsating, bouncing blob that loves to dance the mambo. Absent-minded college professor Philip Brainard (Williams), employed at a near-bankrupt university, creates the formula for Flubber, yet he can't remember to show up for his own wedding to university-President Sara Jean Reynolds (Marcia Gay Harden). His rival, Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald), plots to steal Sara and the Flubber from Brainard. Rich, corrupt businessman Chester Hoenicker (Raymond Barry) tries to force Brainard to pass his failing son Bennett (Wil Wheaton), but he soon takes an interest in Flubber after hearing about it from his flunkies (Clancy Brown, Ted Levine). After using Flubber to fly over clouds in his 1963 T-Bird, Brainard realizes Flubber can also improve the performance of the school's pathetic basketball team. Jodi Benson is the voice of Weebo, Brainard's talking, flying household robot, with a video display of Disney clips at odd moments. Many gags are embellishments from the 1961 film, with John Hughes (Home Alone) rewriting the original Bill Walsh screenplay (based on Samuel Taylor's short story, "A Situation of Gravity"). Though Walsh died in 1975, he received posthumous credit for this script. Filming began October 8,1996 in San Francisco. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
