Chip Hourihan Movies
A handful of New Yorkers with little in common cross one another's paths as they try to sort out their romantic and emotional troubles in this comedy drama from writer and director Eric Schaeffer. Sam Blue (Eric Schaeffer) is a single father who is raising a ten-year-old son, Rocky (Christopher Kovaleski), on his own. Rocky was conceived using an egg Sam purchased on the Internet; after being left at the altar by his fiancée, Sam isn't sure he can stand the pain of another romance, though Rocky wishes he could have a mom. Herb Schweitzer (Alan King) is an elderly man with a sour personality who has pledged to honor the memory of a deceased friend by walking from his apartment to a beach in Manhattan. However, the trip will cover many miles, and these days Herb can barely shuffle to the end of the block. Jody Buller (Jill Sobule) is an eccentric street musician who was given a pacemaker for her weak heart as a child. Jody is convinced this means a broken heart would be fatal, despite her doctor's efforts to convince her otherwise. Malissa Zubach (Elizabeth Reaser) is a young woman who dreams of traveling to other lands, but is stuck in a trailer home caring for her dying mother. Hoping to get a sense of the outside world, Malissa persuades pen pals across the globe to record audio tapes in public places so she can hear the places she wants to see. And John McCabe (Charles Parnell) is a man still struggling to come to terms with the collapse of his marriage, brought on by his own infidelity. Mind the Gap received its world premiere at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Award for Narrative Feature. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan King, Elizabeth Reaser, (more)
Three friends wrestle with issues of love and trust in director Joshua Cary's bittersweet look at the mysterious mating habits of the modern day male. Jeff and his girlfriend Abby may be involved in an open relationship, but these days it seems as if Abby is the only one taking advantage of that curious relationship clause. Fed up with his girlfriend's constant infidelity and shocked to discover that his mother has been cheating on his father, Jeff finds his day going from bad to worse when his good friend Flint - who just dumped his girlfriend due to her newfound penchant for granny panties - shows up looking for a place to stay. Later, after vowing to avoid the dating scene, Flint falls for the beautiful Sophie. Trouble arises, however, when Jeff learns a secret about Sophie's past that could prevent her and Flint's relationship from going to the next level. Meanwhile, wannabe psychic Gray becomes threatened by his girlfriend Reed's recent success in the art community. Of course each of these three friends have a wealth of valuable advice to dole out when pondering the lives of others, but what happens when the lonely urban soul is finally forced to make their own choices in love? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Cary, Brian Fenkart, (more)
A man who has developed an unhealthy obsession with a former lover becomes the focus of someone with evil on their mind in this independent thriller. Jeffrey (Daniel Sauli) is an architect who is sharing a flat in New York City with his friend Nicki (Heather Alicia Simms). One day, Jeffrey picks up a handsome man named Rene (Julien Lucas), but after spending the afternoon making love, they're interrupted by Nicki, and with the mood broken, Rene announces he wasn't interested in anything more than a one night stand. Jeffrey can't get his mind off Rene, and when he sees him on the street one day, he follows him. After discovering where Rene lives, Jeffrey learns that one of the apartments in his building has recently become vacant, and he decides to move in. While Nicki and Rene are both outraged by Jeffrey's behavior, which borders on stalking, Jeffrey soon discovers he has more to worry about than what his friends think of him. The previous tenant of Jeffrey's flat has gone missing, leaving his belongings behind, and after a hysterical visit from the missing man's lover, Jeffrey begins to wonder why landlady Gladys (Patti D'Arbanville) was so eager to have him move in right away -- and why she stops by so often. You Belong To Me was the first feature film from writer and director Sam Zalutsky. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patti D'Arbanville, Daniel Sauli, (more)
A desperate single mother living in upstate New York resorts to smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States as a means of making ends meet in first-time feature director/screenwriter Courtney Hunt's emotionally wrenching drama, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Ray Eddy is in an impossible position; it's two days before Christmas and her husband has suddenly disappeared with all of the family savings. Now, as the newly single mother of two realizes the futility of attempting to cover the house payments on her meager Yankee One Dollar Store wages, her children are forced to exist on a nutritionally devoid diet of popcorn and Tang. Deciding that her only hope for survival is to find a man who will support her and her children, Ray sets out to find a husband but instead makes the acquaintance of street-smart Mohawk Lila Littlewolf. Lila, too, has been struggling to keep her head above water amidst economic despair, and has recently stumbled across a rather unconventional solution to her dire financial situation. Lately, Lila has been earning a living by smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S., but her tribal elders vehemently disapprove of the scheme and have recently attempted to stop it by forbidding the local auto dealers from selling her a car. As fate would have it, Ray's Dodge Spirit may just be the only thing the destitute mother can count on anymore, and as this unlikely pair gas up the tank for a daring dash across the iced-over St. Lawrence River, their fates become forever intertwined in ways that neither could have ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, (more)
