Matt Weinberg Movies
Ten years after The Lion King shot to the top at the box office and first introduced the characters of Simba (Matthew Broderick) and his pals Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Disney presented this retelling of the Academy Award-winning animated musical. Switching the perspective to that of meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, The Lion King 1 1/2 puts a new spin on the events of the original film. This time around, the comic duo are conveniently at the center of much of the story. Along with returning cast members Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin, The Simpsons' Julie Kavner and Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller lend their voices to newcomer characters Timon's Mom and Timon's Uncle Max, respectively. The straight-to-video film also features the never-before-heard song "That's All I Need." ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, (more)
- 2003
Originally titled Brave New World, the weekly, half-hour seriocomedy The O'Keefes was based in part on the real-life experiences of Mark O'Keefe, who also co-produced the series. Judge Reinhold and Kirsten Nelson starred as Harry and Ellen O'Keefe, a brilliant and eccentric couple who elected to home-school their three children, sheltering the kids from such insignificant distractions as TV, contemporary music, and other forms of popular culture. Though the O'Keefes were affectionate and well-intentioned, the kids -- Lauren (Tania Raymonde), Danny (Joseph Cross), and Mark (Matt Weinberg) -- eventually yearned to lead normal lives. Under protest, Harry enrolled his youngsters in public school, whereupon the erudite but unworldly O'Keefe progeny found that they may have been conversant in several languages, but "teentalk" wasn't one of them. The O'Keefes debuted May 22, 2003, on the WB network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Kirsten Nelson, (more)
An old man and a young boy teach one another some lessons about magic and friendship in this adventure-comedy for all ages. Max (Matt Weinberg) is a fourth grader who has been having a tough time lately; his parents have died, and he's become the target of bullies at school. One night, not long before Halloween, Max and some friend at school are passing by a big house in the neighborhood that's said to be haunted, and they dare one another to find out who or what is inside. It turns out the spooky mansion is home to The Great Zamboni (Ben Kingsley), a once-famous magician who retired from the stage after he made his wife disappear during his act...and couldn't make her come back again. While Zamboni at first announces he'd rather be left alone, in time he and Max become friends, and with Zamboni's magical skills, Max learns how to stand up for himself, and together they foil a group of criminals. Spooky House also features Mercedes Ruehl; the film won the "Best of the Fest" and Children's Jury Award prizes at the 1999 Chicago International Children's Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Mercedes Ruehl, (more)
A carefree young woman wakes up to discover her greatest nightmare is a reality -- she's become trapped in the body of Rob Schneider -- in this shape-shifting comedy. Jessica (Rachel McAdams) is a beautiful teenager whose life would be the envy of any high school student -- she's head of the cheerleading squad, her boyfriend, Billy (Matthew Lawrence), is the quarterback of the football team, and she's pretty and popular enough to get nearly anyone to do what she wants. However, Jessica is soon to find out how the other half lives, in more ways than she counted upon; she shoplifts a pair of earrings from an shop specializing in African curios run by Mambuza (Angie Stone), unaware that they carry the curse of Princess Nawa. Thanks to the curse, the next morning Jessica awakes to find that her spirit has entered the body of Clive (Rob Schneider), a sweaty and hirsute small-time crook. As Jessica tries to figure out how she can return to her old body, she has to lead the cheerleading squad to victory and attend her senior prom while looking like a less-than-handsome 30-year-old man. Billy is understandably puzzled by the changes in Jessica, while her best friend, April (Anna Faris), finds her feelings about Jessica change a bit once she volunteers to be her prom date. The Hot Chick is the first theatrical feature for director Tom Brady; Brady co-wrote an earlier Schneider vehicle, The Animal, and was on the writing staff for his television series Men Behaving Badly. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Schneider, Anna Faris, (more)
- 2002
Abby (Maura Tierney) "celebrates" her birthday with one setback after another, beginning with an ominous run-in with her quarreling new neighbors, Brian (Matthew Settle) and Joyce (Christina Hendricks). Kovac (Goran Visnjic) prepares to go to Bosnia as part of the Doctors Without Borders program. Carter (Noah Wyle) continues to have issues with his estranged mother (Mary McDonnell). Chen (Ming-Na) claims to have evidence of Weaver's negligence, while Sandy (Lisa Vidal) is not happy that Weaver (Laura Innes) is reluctant to "out" herself. And Greene (Anthony Edwards) makes an unpleasant discovery in the room of his daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Young Mickey Dempsey (Matt Weinberg) is in complete denial over his mother's death. Worried about Mickey's mental health, his older brother Ryan (Tony Denman) asks the help of actor Guy Garfield (Lee Horsley), who plays a Heavenly dogooder on the popular TV series "The Avenging Angel." Alas, Garfield is far from an angel in real life: In fact, he plans to exploit his "generosity" toward Mickey for publicity purposes, then drop the kid like a hot potato once he's outlived his usefulness. As Garfield's temporary assistant, Monica (Roma Downey) is determined to do right by Mickey even if her boss won't...and along the way, even the odious Mr. Garfield learns some hard lessons about genuine spirituality. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Adapted from the stage comedy by Wendy Wasserstein, the made-for-cable An American Daughter was clearly inspired by the "Nannygate" imbroglio surrounding President Bill Clinton's political appointees Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood. Christine Lahti stars as Lyssa Dent Hughes, the daughter of a prominent U.S. Senator and a descendent of no less than Ulysses S. Grant. Just when it seems as if Hughes' appointment to the office of U.S. Surgeon General is a done deal, her husband Walter (Tom Skerritt) accidentally reveals a skeleton in Lyssa's closet: It seems that, years earlier, she'd had the temerity to ignore a summons for jury duty. This, coupled with several newly exposed inconsistencies concerning Lyssa's "official" biography, seriously jeopardize her political future, leaving her at the mercy of the horrible juggernaut of peer persecution and public opinion. Highlights of this timely tome include a brief spoof of the daytime TV interview series The View. Produced just in time to cash in on the upcoming presidential elections (not to mention the myriad of scandals attending the Clinton administration), An American Daughter (aka Trial by Media) made its Lifetime Network bow on June 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christine Lahti, Tom Skerritt, (more)
- 1999
During her first day at Ralph Lauren, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) realizes that all the important business decisions are made by her smoking co-workers outside the building. To impress her new boss, Rachel feigns a tobacco habit -- with unexpected results. Meanwhile, Joey tries to use Ross' son Ben's commercial audition to promote his own career. And Monica (Courteney Cox) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) clash over their preparations for Rachel's surprise party, resulting in a surplus of cups and ice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
