Alexis Rhee
A meek and lovable milquetoast married to an overbearing, overweight tyrant finds his life turned upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams in this romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Eddie Griffin. His entire life, Norbit (Murphy) has been picked on and put down, and after being bullied into marrying the most obnoxious woman in town (also Murphy) it appears as if that's the way things will remain until the day he dies. Upon meeting the one woman who seems to accept him for who he is, Norbit is instilled with a newfound sense of hope for the future. In order to find true happiness, however, Norbit will first have to gather the courage to stand up to his monstrous spouse once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy
Diane Keaton stars as a unconditionally loving, but meddling, mother whose vain attempt to prevent her insecure youngest daughter from repeating the same mistakes that she made leads to a series of comic misunderstandings in director Michael Lehmann's affectionate family comedy. When it comes to the topic of motherhood, Daphne Wilder (Keaton) has seen it all. Her eldest daughter, Maggie (Lauren Graham), is a highly respected psychologist and her middle daughter, Mae (Piper Perabo), is both sexy and smart, but youngest Milly (Mandy Moore) just can't seem to get things right no matter how hard she tries. Recognizing that the romantic exploits of her charming-but-struggling youngest always seem to end in tears, concerned mother Daphne vows to find Millie the perfect man. Though she always means well, Daphne's misguided attempt to set her daughter up by placing a carefully worded personal ad proves once and for all that even the most well-intending of mothers can sometimes overstep their boundaries. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, (more)
- 2006
Chinese-American director Abraham Lim's ensemble comedy-drama The Achievers) hones in on five San Franciscan roommates in their mid-twenties, each one something of a misfit. The domino-like story commences when out-of-work resident and general ne'er-do-well Shingo (Akie Kotabe) forgets to pay the rent, spelling misery for everyone; this draws a notice-of-eviction (effective within one month) for all of the roommates. Shingo thus cooks up a plan to raise the monies by manufacturing thousands of Ecstasy pills, but that scheme turns into a debacle when another resident, the mousy Murphy (Dave Lee) mistakes them for allergy medication. Meanwhile, Ellen (Samantha Quan, the flat's third roommate, claims that she's attempting to save the day by arranging a new residence for everyone, but quietly plans to strike out on her own - realizing, on some level, that the end of her shaky interracial romance with a WASP (Troy Hauschild) and/or her tenuous office job, could spell personal misery. In another corner of the apartment sit. The picture's fourth and fifth roommates consist of Akira (Jennifer Willson), a young woman plagued by self-hatred who manifests it in a series of increasingly dangerous acts, and Indian-American technophile Trent (Bahldeep Parihar). Lim and Michael Golamco co-adapted Golamco's stage play of the same name. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Lee, Samantha Quan, (more)
- 2003
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) panics when Alex (Billy Burke) invites her on a fishing trip, compelling Rory (Alexis Bledel) to check out several books on fishing from the library -- and leading to a most unusual dry run for the occasion in the front yard. Meanwhile, Luke (Scott Patterson) and Taylor's (Michael Winters) quarrel over the construction of the soda shop necessitates a visit from Taylor's lawyer Nicole Leahy (Tricia O'Kelley), whose charms are certainly not lost on the normally tactiturn Luke. And in order to attend the prom with Dave (Adam Brody), Lane (Keiko Agena) must adhere to the highly restrictive stipulations (including no dancing!) set down by her ultraconservative mother, Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) are placed in an awkward position when they agree to attend three different Thanksgiving dinners -- and things get even more awkward when they also agree to show up at Emily and Richard's house. The only way out of this social dilemma is to actually consume four dinners within a 24-hour period, beginning with the deep-fried repast at the Kim household. Then it is off to the home of Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) and Jackson (Jackson Douglas), thence to Luke's diner. Finally the ladies arrive at the Elder Gilmores' house -- where Lorelai has a hissy fit upon discovering that Rory has applied to Yale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
