Tom Sadoski Movies
A circle of friends who met in college struggle to come to terms with their successes, their failures, and their ambitions as they approach their 30th birthdays in this independent drama. Yuppie Julie (Nicole Bilderback) has been scaling the corporate ladder with skill and enthusiasm since graduation, and her longtime boyfriend and husband-to-be, Andrew (Ryan Locke), wants to take what he's learned from his years as a businessman and apply it to a new firm he plans to launch. However, Andrew is lured away from his plans by fast-talking financier Louie (Terry Serpico), who takes advantage of Andrew's workaholic nature and causes a rift between him and Julie. Julie's brother Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) hasn't had much success with long-term relationships until he meets Robert (Bill Sage), a handsome and charming academic. However, Tony is troubled by the fact Robert is almost two decades older than he is, and has been diagnosed as HIV-positive. Ben (Colin Fickes) is overweight, painfully shy and lonely, and is hoping that Andrew will give him a job with his new company that will take him out of his rut. And Felix (Thomas Sadoski) is embarking on a tentative romance with Lucy (Cordelia Reynolds), but that, like everything else in his life, is compromised by his ongoing addiction to heroin. The New Twenty was the first feature from writer and director Chris Mason Johnson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Bilderback, Colin Fickes, (more)
An alcoholic must choose between love, life, and the bottle in this independent comedy drama. Tulley (Anthony LaPaglia) is a self-described "drinker with a writing problem," who after publishing a handful of well-respected short stories, began work on a novel. The novel, however, turned out to be a harder task than Tulley imagined, and he opted to take a job as an advertising copywriter, where he earns a good living but makes scant use of his talent. Tulley has also fallen into a habit of heavy drinking, as his best friend, Levine (Eric Stoltz), looks on with bemused concern. One night at a bar, Tulley meets Natalie (Caroleen Feeney), a teacher who doesn't much care for children, and what starts as a one-night stand turns into a love affair. As Natalie gets to know Tulley better, she discovers the talent lurking behind his alcoholic defenses, and encourages him to devote himself to literature again. However, as they fall deeper in love, Tulley discovers he has a larger problem than his novel to deal with -- he's been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and won't have long to live if he can't change his ways. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony LaPaglia, Eric Stoltz, (more)
After making Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Clueless (1995), two of the definitive films about the joys and terrors of American high school, writer/director Amy Heckerling moves on to college with this bittersweet romantic comedy. Paul Tannek (Jason Biggs) is a bright but socially inept college freshman who has just arrived at NYU from the Midwest. Frumpy and studious, Paul has trouble meeting people, doesn't get along with his roommates, and most of his fellow students hardly acknowledge his existence. But Paul finds a soul mate in Dora Diamond (Mena Suvari), who has even more problems than he does: she's out of money, has nowhere to live, works a humiliating job as a waitress at a strip club, and has become involved with one of her professors, Edward Alcott (Greg Kinnear), whose callous treatment hardly boosts her shaky self-esteem. Dora gives Paul some advice on how to fit in with his roommates, and Paul lets her stay with him while she looks for work; when he becomes infatuated with her, he has to figure out how to win her away from Edward. Loser marked a reunion for Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari, who starred together in the hit teen comedy American Pie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, (more)
