Stephanie Berry Movies
A tortured man finds himself caught in a middle-ground between hallucination and reality in this supernatural thriller, scripted by Bruce Joel Rubin of Ghost (1990) and My Life (1993).
Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what happened to him in Southeast Asia or to free himself from his anxieties over the recent tragic death of his young son (Macaulay Culkin). Though well educated, Jacob works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and has become romantically involved with one of his co-workers, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena), after divorcing his wife. Soon, Jacob's tenuous hold on reality starts to slip as horrifying events befall him; he is nearly run over by a subway train, pursued by faceless demons in cars, and spots reptilian tails and horns protruding from the bodies of those he encounters. Jacob also suffers severe panic attacks related to the chaos that may be reality, or may exist only in his mind. He seeks counsel from Louis (Danny Aiello), a kindly chiropractor, as his ex-wife Sarah (Patricia Kalember), fellow Vietnam vet Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and enigmatic stranger Michael (Matt Craven) all try to help the tortured soul. Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames and Eriq LaSalle highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what happened to him in Southeast Asia or to free himself from his anxieties over the recent tragic death of his young son (Macaulay Culkin). Though well educated, Jacob works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and has become romantically involved with one of his co-workers, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena), after divorcing his wife. Soon, Jacob's tenuous hold on reality starts to slip as horrifying events befall him; he is nearly run over by a subway train, pursued by faceless demons in cars, and spots reptilian tails and horns protruding from the bodies of those he encounters. Jacob also suffers severe panic attacks related to the chaos that may be reality, or may exist only in his mind. He seeks counsel from Louis (Danny Aiello), a kindly chiropractor, as his ex-wife Sarah (Patricia Kalember), fellow Vietnam vet Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and enigmatic stranger Michael (Matt Craven) all try to help the tortured soul. Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames and Eriq LaSalle highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, (more)
- 1990
In a fictionalized replay of the Bernhard Goetz incident, former dancer Laura di Biasi (Cynthia Nixon), a white woman, is arrested after shooting two black youths on a subway. Di Biasi claims that she was acting in self defense, but Assistant D.A. Robinette (Richard Brooks), himself an African-American, suspects that the woman had a hidden agenda. This not only leads to a racially charged murder trial, but also considerable friction between Robinette and his partner Stone (Michael Moriarty). (Trivia note: Guest star Cynthia Nixon and Law & Order regular Chris Noth later starred together on the HBO sitcom Sex and the City.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
- Add The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love to QueueAdd The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love to top of Queue
This endearing romantic comedy about two high school girls, blue collar tomboy Randy (Laurel Holloman) and privileged, popular Evie (Nicole Ari Parker), was the first mainstream success for director Maria Maggenti, who chronicles the odd couple's relationship from tentative first steps to full-blossoming romance. Cast almost entirely with newcomers, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love brings Randy's family (a lesbian aunt and an assortment of current and past partners), Evie's well-heeled and overprotective mother (Stephanie Barry), and a collection of friends, enemies, one ex-boyfriend (Andrew Wright), and one unsatisfactory affair (Maggie Moore) into the mix, balancing the excitement and passion of adolescent romance with the pitfalls of social and familial rejection. Maintains a light and quirky tone throughout, reminiscent in many ways of the teen comedies of John Hughes. ~ Genevieve Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurel Holloman, Nicole Ari Parker, (more)
- 1996
Five years after a series of murders committed by the same person, a copycat serial killer seems to be at large. Assistant D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston), who handled the original case, agrees to investigate the more recent spate of murders. This brings McCoy back into contact with Diana Hawthorne (Laila Robins), his former legal partner and lover -- a woman who possesses information which may very well destroy McCoy's career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
When one of their friends commits suicide, three young women learn to stand up for themselves and strike back against male-dominated society in this drama. Patti (Lili Taylor), Emma (Anna Grace), Angela (Bruklin Harris), and Nikki (Aunjanue Ellis) are four teenage girls who attend the same high school in inner-city New York. Patti is an unwed mother struggling to complete her education as she deals with her irresponsible boyfriend, while the other three are good students going on to college after completing their final year of high school. One day, seemingly without warning, Nikki kills herself. Struggling for clues to explain the tragedy, the other three girls discover her diary and learn that she had been raped while serving an internship at a magazine. As the girls compare notes, they realize that they've all been treated badly by men; Emma was also raped, and Patti sardonically says that if rape is having sex when you don't really want to, then she's been raped by practically every guy she's ever gone out with. Eventually, the three decide that it's time to stand up for themselves and retaliate against the men who have wronged them; they begin by vandalizing the car of Emma's attacker and then formulate a plan to punish the man who raped Nikki. Screenwriter Denise Casano and writer/director Jim McKay developed much of their screenplay through improvisations with the four leading actresses, giving the film's dialogue a natural rhythm and feel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lili Taylor, Anna Grace, (more)
- 1998
The investigation following the stabbing of a female police officer could result in either the re-election or defeat of D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill). Meanwhile, Briscoe's (Jerry Orbach) troubled daughter Cathy (Jennifer Bill) is arrested for drug dealing, and his partner Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) is wounded in the line of duty. Robert Vaughn and Charles Grodin make return appearances as, respectively, vindictive millionaire Carl Anderton and politically ambitious judge Gary Feldman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A non-narrative comedy that explores issues of race in contemporary America, A Day in Black and White concerns two friends who are students, identified only as Black Man and White Man. Black Man has to deliver a speech in class on race relations, and the two begin to discuss both the speech and the larger ideas involved; and, as one might expect, they have decidedly different views on the subject. As the pair go through their day, the argument continues and others add their opinions on everything from popular culture and professional sports to the O.J. Simpson case. The debut film from writer and director Desmond Hall, A Day in Black and White was shown at the 1999 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harold Perrineau, Jr., Anthony de Sando, (more)
- 2000
A certain high-profile murder which peripherally involved a well-connected political family was the obvious inspiration for this episode. Under orders from their higher-ups, Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) reopen a 20-year-old murder investigation. The principal suspect at the time was the spoiled teenaged son of a powerful U.S. ambassador (Remak Ramsay). The question: Considering the age of the suspect when the killing occurred, should he be tried in juvenile court even though he is now well into adulthood? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Mad Matthewz makes his feature debut as a writer/director with Men Without Jobs. Ish (Ishmael Butler, formerly of the jazz-influenced rap group Digable Planets) and Oz (Bonz Malone of Slam) are roommates scrounging by in Brooklyn, barely scraping the rent together each month, and ignoring their bills. They spend their days hanging out, smoking, drinking, and playing video games. Ish wants to make it in the music biz, while Oz watches daytime cooking shows and puts his culinary skills to work impressing the grandmother of his young daughter, in hopes that his little girl will eventually come to live with him. Occasionally they visit their favorite record store, where Ish plans to buy rare R&B records when he gets some money, and peppers the proprietor with potential band names. Their pal Junie (Andre Royo of HBO's The Wire) frequently pops by, begging to be in their as yet unformed band, bragging about his beats, and lying about meetings with famous producers. Ish makes regular visits to his parents' house, but only when they aren't home. He raids the fridge and borrows his dad's (Reg E. Cathey) old records. One day, Ish meets Veronica (Anita Kopacz), a pretty young woman who shares his interest in graffiti and music. Veronica encourages Ish's creative ambitions, but his reluctance to take the next step -- to actually follow through on his dreams -- threatens their relationship. Oz, meanwhile, gambles his way into trouble with some local thugs. When he goes on the run, Ish and Veronica decide to go with him. Men Without Jobs had its world premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ishmael Butler, Bonz Malone, (more)
A mysterious, mind-altering epidemic has infected humankind, and when a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist discovers that the outbreak seems to be extraterrestrial in origin, she struggles to save her son from infection in this sci-fi thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, and directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment). The space shuttle has crashed, and investigators assigned to explore the wreckage have found something unimaginable in the debris -- something from the deepest reaches of outer space. Everyone who comes into contact with it soon begins to transform in ways that can't be explained by modern science. While their physical appearance remains completely unaltered, their emotions seem to be drained and their actions become strangely inhuman. The only people who know the truth about this extraterrestrial epidemic are Washington, D.C. psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Kidman) and her longtime friend Dr. Ben Driscoll (Craig). It seems that the alien virus attacks people in their sleep, and by the time they awaken, the transformation has already taken place. The contagion is spreading rapidly, and as more people fall victim to its eerie effects by the hour, it becomes impossible to differentiate the infected from those who can still be trusted. When Carol realizes that her young son may hold the only hope for saving the human race, she struggles to remain awake long enough to find the boy and prevent planet Earth from becoming host to a terrifying new breed of extraterrestrials. Based on the book The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, The Invasion was written by David Kajganich and co-stars Jeffrey Wright and Jeremy Northam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, (more)
Carol Fuchs adapts writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck's screenplay for the 2001 romantic drama Mostly Martha for this Scott Hicks directed remake starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Patricia Clarkson. Kate Armstrong (Jones) is the master chef who is equally intense both in and out of the kitchen. Though Kate's "Type A" personality serves her well when whipping up meals in the trendy Manhattan eatery where she has made a name for herself, it threatens to sink her when she is named as the guardian of her nine-year-old niece Zoe (Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin). To complicate matters, an impetuous new sous chef named Nick Palmer (Eckhart) has recently joined the kitchen staff and his freewheeling personality seems to stand in direct opposition to Kate's unwavering perfectionism. Yet, despite the fact that they couldn't be more different on the surface, there's no denying the strong attraction between Kate and Nick. As the rivalry between the competitive cooks gradually gives way to romance, the lessons learned by compromising in the kitchen reveal to Kate the importance of learning to openly express herself in order to truly connect with Zoe and find romance with the good-natured Nick. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, (more)
