Lynette Howell Movies
- 2009
- R
Tragedy opens the wounds a family has long struggled to ignore in this powerful emotional drama. Bennett Brewster (Aaron Johnson) was a bright, handsome and talented young man who was suddenly killed in an auto accident late one night while driving home with Rose (Carey Mulligan), a girl who has been a close friend for years but had only recently become romantically involved with him. Bennett's death devastates his family; his mother Grace (Susan Sarandon) is overcome with grief and can't stop wondering what his final minutes must have been like, father Allan (Pierce Brosnan) is forced to turn away from his mistress (Jennifer Ehle) and try to comfort a woman he no longer certain he loves, and brother Ryan (Johnny Simmons) mourns Bennett while becoming painfully aware that he will never live up to his late brother's example in the eyes of his parents. As grief slowly brings the family's emotional troubles to the surface, two unwelcome characters come into the picture -- Rose, who has discovered she's pregnant with Bennett's child, and the truck driver (Michael Shannon) who unwittingly took Bennett's life. The first feature film from writer and director Shana Feste, The Greatest received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 2007
First-time feature filmmaker Mark Heller follows a fun-loving American and his jocular British pal on a trip to Morocco that soon gives way to paranoia, fear, and the frightening effects of the globalized economy. Adventuresome backpackers Luke (Stephen Dorff) and Adam (Neil Jackson) are living it up in Morocco, their days filled with good food and their nights punctuated by endless parties. The trip seems to be the perfect means for Luke to move past the recent death of his girlfriend, and before long he even connects with a beautiful local named Zahara (Sarai Givaty). Despite their undeniable attraction to one another, Luke and Zahara are careful to keep their distance in public in order to respect the local customs. Later, the three new friends decide to take a two-day trip to an ancient mud house in the scenic Atlas Mountains in order to get better acquainted and take in some sights that most tourists never see. When Luke learns that there are a series of underground tunnels that connect all of the huts in the region, his curiosity gets the best of him and he soon descends into the darkness to explore. But there's more to this story than Luke knows, and somewhere deep in these winding and pitch-black passageways awaits an evil the likes of which this naïve American has never imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Neil Jackson, (more)
Felicity Huffman, Elle Fanning, and Patricia Clarkson star in director/screenwriter Daniel Barnz's illuminating tale of parenting and growth concerning an exceptional young girl whose troubling retreat into fantasy draws the concern of both her dejected mother and her unusually perceptive drama teacher. Phoebe (Fanning) is a talented young student who longs to take part in the school production of Alice in Wonderland, but whose bizarre behavior sets her well apart from her carefree classmates. Her mother (Huffman) is an aspiring academic who is beginning to feel like she has not only failed in her professional career, but as a parent as well. Though Phoebe's gifted drama teacher (Clarkson) has no doubts about the young girl's talent and capacity for learning, the frustration of seeing such a promising student slowly slip ever further away from reality soon becomes a growing concern both at home and at school. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, (more)
An inner-city teacher struggling with addiction forms an unlikely bond with a young student who catches him in a compromising position in director Ryan Fleck's feature-length adaptation of his own award-winning short film Gowanus, Brooklyn. Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) leads a secret life that the majority of his students will never know. When Dunne's drug-soaked nightlife begins to bleed over into his daytime hours and troubled student Drey (Shareeka Epps) makes a startling discovery, the tenuous bond that forms between the pair soon leads to a warm friendship that could either lead them down a dangerous path or provide the human companionship needed to see things from a fresh perspective and start life anew. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, (more)
A frightened and irresponsible girl and an emotionally conflicted woman are brought together under tragic circumstances in this independent drama. Stephanie Daley (Amber Tamblyn) is a 16-year-old girl who while on a school-sponsored ski trip collapses in a puddle of blood; a medical examination reveals that Stephanie has recently given birth, and in a nearby bathroom a newborn child is found dead, flushed down a toilet with its mouth stuffed with toilet paper. While Stephanie insists the child was stillborn and she had no idea she was pregnant, she is charged with killing the infant, and court-appointed psychologist Lydie Crane (Tilda Swinton) is assigned to interview the teenager. Lydie has her own issues with possible parenthood; she's been struggling to have a child after a recent stillbirth, and the matter is taking a toll on her marriage, with her husband, Paul (Timothy Hutton), seeking solace in the arms of another woman. As Stephanie shares with Lydie her feelings about her relationship with her parents, how she lost her virginity, and her growing conviction that God gave her a child as a form of punishment, Lydie finds herself dealing with her own feelings about the child she lost. Meanwhile, Right to Life and Pro-Choice groups threaten to turn Stephanie's trial into a media circus. Stephanie Daley premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tilda Swinton, Amber Tamblyn, (more)
