Matt Blumm Movies
This two-part HBO miniseries is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo. Having long since sacrificed youthful ideals and values to remain in his New England hometown for the sake of his family, middle-aged Miles Roby (Ed Harris) finds his "secure" little world disintegrating when his wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), divorces him. Equally vexing is the emotional and financial pressure exerted by domineering town matriarch Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), who owns (among other things) the Empire Grill, the little diner that Ed has run for several years. As he reflects on what he considers to be a wasted life, Ed flashes back to memories of his curmudgeonly father, Max (Paul Newman, who also executive-produced the miniseries); his long-dead mother, Grace (Robin Wright Penn); his scapegrace brother, David (Aidan Quinn); his blossoming daughter "Tick" (Danielle Panabaker); and Francine's late husband, C.B. Whiting (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Also tied in with Miles' reminiscences is the spectacular saga of the rise and fall of Empire Falls, a once-prosperous mill town that has fallen into disrepair -- as have the town's once-rigid and inviolate social barriers. Despite the initial bleakness of Miles' plight, and the revelation of innumerable family skeletons as the plot progresses, the story is ultimately both heartwarming and life-affirming. Filmed on location in Maine, Empire Falls originally aired on May 28 and 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Danielle Panabaker, (more)
- 1999
Jerri's (Amy Sedaris) desperate bid to become homecoming queen yields predictably disastrous results in this episode of Comedy Central's Strangers With Candy. Encouraged by Orlando (Orlando Pabotoy) to nominate herself as homecoming queen, Jerri's hopes are quickly dashed when Mr. Noblot (Stephen Colbert) intercepts the note detailing her intentions and relays to Jerri that "You're only as ugly as we think you are." After dumping the current ballots in the trash, Jerri's realization that she must run against somebody is satisfied when she chooses unattractive do-gooder Becky Ann Bedecker (Rebecca Rich) as her opponent. Following a lecture by Mr. Jellineck (Paul Dinello) on the importance on the "inner beauty" category, Jerri rushes home to discover that even her own brother Derrick is planning on voting for Becky, despite her homeliness. Attempting to win over the hearts of her classmates by volunteering to entertain a handicapped young boy with a chicken and a weasel, the pantomime act quickly turns into a horrific, blood-soaked nightmare, leaving Becky to come to the boy's rescue. Recalling Coach Wolf's (Sarah Thyre) advice to "help others by talking about yourself," Jerri's speech at the homecoming assembly vividly recalls her life as a runaway and elicits a standing ovation from the sympathetic crowd. Despite her moving speech, Principal Blackman (Greg Hollimon) decides to give the homecoming queen crown to Derrick's girlfriend Yasmine (Sabine Singh) anyway, despite the fact that she never even entered the competition. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, (more)
- 1999
When a racial epithet is spray-painted on the wall of Flatpoint High Scholl, Paul Cotton (Jared Ryan) is the only witness and everyone wants to know who did it. As Mr. Jellineck (Paul Dinello) attempts to recover from the trauma and Principal Blackman (Greg Hollimon) discusses the incident in the shower with Mr. Noblot (Stephen Colbert) and Coach Wolf (Sarah Thyre), Jerri attempts to grill Paul for information by offering to get closer with him after school. Jealous of the attention that Paul is receiving from Jerri, Orlando (Orlando Abdo Pabotoy) starts a rumor that Paul is racist. Later, as Jerri shows Paul her Liberty Bell genital piercing, a can of spray-paint falls out of her backpack, making Jerri the prime suspect. In a last bid to force Paul to admit to spray-painting the graffiti, Principal Blackman and former grief counselor Percy Kittens (Tim Meadows) show him an anti-racism video that they made featuring Principal Blackman dressed as a squirrel. Confounded after seemingly seeing cans of black spray-paint everywhere, Paul is unable to finger Jerri as the culprit though Jerri quickly jumps to Paul's defense by taking the blame. Responding that she simply doesn't like black people when asked why she would do such a thing, Paul reveals himself as a black person himself (due to a recessive gene) despite his outwardly white appearance. In the end, Jerri realizes that she does indeed like black people; it's just that it took a white one for her to realize it. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, (more)
