Cathy Yuspa Movies
- 2006
Based on the BBC comedy series The Worst Week of My Life, Big Day was described by parent network ABC as "24 Meets Father of the Bride." The entire series took place on a single day, upon which occurred the wedding of Danny (Josh Cooke) and Alice (Marla Sokoloff). Each half-hour episode depicted the many crises and calamities surrounding such prenuptial rituals as securing the venue, choosing the right wedding gown, stage-managing the reception, and so on. Aiding, abetting, and sometimes impeding the bride and groom were Alice's mom, Jane (Wendie Malick), and dad, Steve (Kurt Fuller), and such assorted friends and relatives as Becca (Miriam Shor), Skobo (Stephen Rannazzisi), and Lorna (Stephnie Weir). Whereas the original British version stretched out the wedding over a period of nine episodes, the American Big Day was storyboarded for 22 separate installments -- a formidable creative task indeed for executive producers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, whose previous screenwriting credits included What Women Want and 13 Going on 30. Intended to debut in January 2007 as a mid-season replacement, Big Day was moved forward to a premiere date of November 28, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marla Sokoloff, Josh Cooke, (more)
- 2006
When an optimistic pair of newlyweds moves next door to a long-married couple whose honeymoon has long since ended, it turns out that both couples may have something to learn in this Fox sitcom starring Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, Eddie Kay Thomas, and Kat Foster. Cynical couple Eddie (Garrett) and Joy Stark (Fisher) have been married for 9000 days and counting, and idealistic young couple Jeff (Thomas) Steph (Foster) Woodcock have only just exchanged their vows. Over the years, high school history teacher Eddie has grown disillusioned by marriage. Eddie views his union primarily as a means of having someone to drive you to the hospital when things go bad, but idealistic new high school assistant principal Jeff doesn't share this view. Jeff longs to build the groundwork for a happy, lasting marriage, and it seems that he and Steph have gotten off to a solid start together. When Jeff sets about purchasing a new pool table for the dining room and Eddie's sardonic comments about the endeavor prove uncannily prophetic for Eddie, the neighbors who couldn't be more different on the surface slowly begin to find a common ground. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The weekly Fox sitcom 'Til Death was fashioned as a vehicle for towering (6'8") comic actor Brad Garrett, who had just come off a long and successful run as a supporting player on Everybody Loves Raymond. Garrett was cast as Eddie Stamm, a cynical, know-it-all schoolteacher who had been married for 25 turbulent years to wife Joy (Joely Fisher). The humor arose from the contrast between the combative Stamms and their young neighbors, billing-and-cooing newlyweds Jeff and Steph Woodcock (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster), who at the outset of the series had been married a whole 12 days. In some cases, the marital crisis of the week was augmented with interviews showing real-life couples discussing love and marriage. Created by the husband-and-wife team of Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, both alumni of the Everybody Loves Raymond lookalike The King of Queens, 'Til Death joined the Fox lineup on September 7, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The weekly Fox sitcom 'Til Death was fashioned as a vehicle for towering (6'8") comic actor Brad Garrett, who had just come off a long and successful run as a supporting player on Everybody Loves Raymond. Garrett was cast as Eddie Stark, a cynical, know-it-all schoolteacher who had been married for 25 turbulent years to wife Joy (Joely Fisher). The humor arose from the contrast between the combative Starks and their young neighbors, billing-and-cooing newlyweds Jeff and Steph Woodcock (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster), who at the outset of the series had been married a whole 12 days. In some cases, the marital crisis of the week was augmented with interviews showing real-life couples discussing love and marriage. Created by the husband-and-wife team of Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, both alumni of the Everybody Loves Raymond lookalike The King of Queens, 'Til Death joined the Fox lineup on September 7, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Thirteen-year-old Jenna (Shana Dowdeswell) has had enough with the trials of adolescence. In addition to being saddled with a devoted-but-nerdy best friend, Matt (Sean Marquette), she falls victim to one of the dangers of playing Seven Minutes in Heaven with the coolest kids in school: being stranded without a willing make-out partner. Humiliated, Jenna buries herself in the aformentioned make-out closet, wishing she could skip the whole adolescence bit and move straight into adulthood, and miraculously wakes just weeks away from her 30th birthday. Of course, a lot has changed since going to bed the night before, not the least of which being an impressive set of womanly curves. The new, older Jenna (Jennifer Garner) is a successful magazine editor with friends in high places and a lion's share of potential suitors -- including a hockey-playing boyfriend and a swarthy married man. The problem is that her mind hasn't matured with her body; Jenna not only finds living on her own more terrifying than cool, but is quick to dismiss any male over the age of 14 as "gross." Half excited, half mortified, Jenna seeks out Matt (Mark Ruffalo), whom she learns she had spurned as a teenager in an effort to join the popular crowd. Gary Winick directed, from a script by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa; Gina Matthews produced. Choreographer Michael Peters - who died in 1994 - received posthumous credit, as his choreography from the Michael Jackson Thriller video is used in one scene. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
A man finds himself getting an unexpected crash course in the psychology of contemporary women in this romantic comedy. Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a successful advertising executive living in Chicago who has long fancied himself a ladies' man, though he has precious little understanding of women beyond figuring out how to seduce them. One day, Nick receives a substantial electric shock in an accident in his bathroom; while he's not seriously injured, when he comes to, he discovers something remarkable has happened -- he can suddenly hear what women are thinking. At first, Nick finds himself learning all sorts of things he didn't want to know, but he also realizes how this can be used to his advantage -- especially after his old boss, Dan Wanamaker (Alan Alda) is replaced by a woman, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt). But Nick begins to feel differently about his unusual gift when he discovers Darcy is infatuated with him, and he finds himself falling for her. What Women Want also features Bette Midler as Nick's analyst, Delta Burke and Valerie Perrine as two of his co-workers, and Marisa Tomei as one of Nick's significant others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, (more)
