Bradley Mott Movies
A socially isolated IRS agent whose every move is documented by a disembodied female voice discovers that his life is the subject of a book currently being written by a best-selling author, whose creative block has stunted her repeated efforts to kill him off, in a quirky fantasy comedy written by Hollywood hot property Zach Helm and directed by Finding Neverland's Marc Forester. Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) lives a life of solitude. Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) can't seem to find a way to finish her latest book. Though Harold and Kay have never actually met, their fates are about to become intertwined in a most unusual manner. With her publishers growing increasingly impatient with her apparent inability to put the finishing touches on her latest novel, Kay is assigned a new assistant whose task it is to help provide the creative push needed to get her book finished and into the hands of her many eager fans. The subject of Kay's novel is a lonely and despairing IRS agent named Harold Crick, who believes that his life has lost any real meaning. As Kay continues to weave Harold's woeful tale without realizing that her protagonist is actually a living human being unable to concentrate on his life and career due to the constant interference of the narrator who inexplicably seems to anticipate his every move and read his every thought, her continued efforts to kill her perplexed subject finally provide him with the incentive needed to fully experience life by seeking out the source of the voice that plagues him. Penned by the screenwriter named by Variety magazine as one of the "Top Ten Writers to Watch" and who was also included in Esquire magazine's "Best and Brightest" list of 2004, Stranger Than Fiction features supporting performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, (more)
T.J. (Paul Gross) and Dex (Peter Berg) leave Detroit to wax up their skis and find an adventurous new life on the slopes of Aspen in this skiing drama. The two become instructors and take up residence in a mobile home, at first fulfilling their ultimate bachelor fantasy. But T.J. becomes torn between two women: a sugar mama who appeals to his materialistic side (Finola Hughes) and a local disc jockey closer to his own age, whom he actually loves (Teri Polo). Meanwhile, Dex's writing is not taking off like he'd hoped, and he becomes jealous of T.J.'s luck with women and effortless entrance into the glittery Aspen social network. Dex loses his job and tries to sell drugs to help make ends meet. The two sort out their various problems and their own fractious relationship against the backdrop of preparing for the big race, which provides Aspen Extreme its requisite quantity of skiing footage. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, Peter Berg, (more)
- 1991
The Applegates is the video title for the darkly satirical comedy Meet the Applegates. The titular family, for all intents and purposes human beings, are actually a clan of giant Brazilian Cocorada bugs. Paterfamilias Dick Applegate (Ed Begley Jr.) takes a job with an Ohio nuclear power plant, with the intention of triggering an explosion, thereby exterminating all humankind and allowing the bugs to live in safety. Alas, every one of the Applegates falls victim to assimilation: Dick becomes a typical suburban philanderer, his wife Jane (Stockard Channing) succumbs to the seductions of the credit card, and the Applegate kids transform into obnoxious mall-cruising teens. By the time the Applegates' Aunt Bea (Dabney Coleman) links up with them to supervise the nuclear explosion, the family considers Auntie a nuisance and plots a fitting demise for her. Director Michael Lehmann had previously skewered upper-middle class values in Heathers; completed in 1989, Meet the Applegates buzzed into local cineplexes in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Jr., Stockard Channing, (more)
- 1991
Whoever hit upon the idea that What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? would make a good TV movie remake forgot one essential fact. The original 1962 Baby Jane was at best a ludicrous melodrama, which only reached the level of art thanks to the bravura performances of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. This time around, real-life sisters Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave play, respectively, invalid former film star Blanche Hudson and her insanely jealous sister "Baby" Jane Hudson. As before, Jane launches a campaign of terror against her helpless sister, all the while planning her own show business comeback with a smarmy musician (John Glover). Part of the problem with this misfire remake, beyond its overall lack of tension, is the character makeup: With her head shaved, Vanessa looks more like Susan Powter than a former cinema queen, while Lynn, decked out in garish "little girl" makeup, resembles Bozo the Clown. The 1991 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane should be seen at least once just to satisfy the curiosity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
When her father cuts off all her credit cards, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is forced to move in with Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis)--who likewise quickly runs out of patience over Whitley's reckless spending. Elsewhere, Freddie (Cree Summer) tricks Kim (Charnele Brown) into taking a study break by attending a frat party, resulting in a slyly sadistic practical joke. And jealous Kinu (Alisa Gyse-Dickens) jumps to the obvious (and wrong) conclusion when she finds her boyfriend Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) embracing Whitley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Lawrence Kasdan and Frank Galati adapted their screenplay for The Accidental Tourist from Anne Tyler's novel. William Hurt plays Macon Leary, a well-known "travel advisor" headquartered in Baltimore. The tragic death of Leary's son causes him to withdraw from the world, which in turn prompts his wife (Kathleen Turner) to walk out on him. Recuperating from a broken leg, Leary moves in with his sister (Amy Wright) and brothers (Ed Begley Jr., David Ogden Stiers)-staid middle-aged intellectuals all. Discipline problems with his dead son's dog lead Leary to hire flaky professional dogwalker/trainer Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis, who won an Oscar for her performance). The only non-uptight person within shouting distance, Muriel begins to melt Leary's self-protective shell. Once his wife realizes that she has some competition, she makes moves to get him back. But he has by now become accustomed to Muriel's unfettered lifestyle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, (more)
