Susan Sarandon Movies
Simply by growing old gracefully, actress Susan Sarandon has defied the rules of Hollywood stardom: Not only has her fame continued to increase as she enters middle age, but the quality of her films and her performances in them has improved as well. Ultimately, she has come to embody an all-too-rare movie type -- the strong and sexy older woman. Born Susan Tomaling on October 4, 1946, in New York City, she was the oldest of nine children. Even while attending the Catholic University of America, she did not study acting, and in fact expressed no interest in performing until after marrying actor Chris Sarandon. While accompanying her husband on an audition, Sarandon landed a pivotal role in the controversial 1970 feature Joe, and suddenly her own career as an actress was well underway. She soon became a regular on the daytime soap opera A World Apart and in 1972 appeared in the feature Mortadella.Lovin' Molly and The Front Page followed in 1974 before Sarandon earned cult immortality as Janet Weiss in 1975's camp classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the quintessential midnight movie of its era. After starring with Robert Redford in 1975's The Great Waldo Pepper, Sarandon struggled during the mid-'70s in a number of little-seen projects, including 1976's The Great Smokey Roadblock and 1978's Checkered Flag or Crash. Upon beginning a relationship with the famed filmmaker Louis Malle, however, her career took a turn for the better as she starred in the provocative Pretty Baby, portraying the prostitute mother of a 12-year-old Brooke Shields. Sarandon and Malle next teamed for 1980's superb Atlantic City, for which she earned her first Oscar nomination. After appearing in Paul Mazursky's Tempest, she then starred in Tony Scott's controversial 1983 horror film The Hunger, playing a scientist seduced by a vampire portrayed by Catherine Deneuve. The black comedy Compromising Positions followed in 1985, as did the TV miniseries Mussolini and I. Women of Valor, another mini, premiered a year later.
While Sarandon had enjoyed a prolific career virtually from the outset, stardom remained just beyond her grasp prior to the mid-'80s. First, a prominent appearance with Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1986 hit The Witches of Eastwick brought her considerable attention, and then in 1988 she delivered a breakthrough performance in Ron Shelton's hit baseball comedy Bull Durham, which finally made her a star, at the age of 40. More important, the film teamed her with co-star Tim Robbins, with whom she soon began a long-term offscreen relationship. After a starring role in the 1989 apartheid drama A Dry White Season, Sarandon teamed with Geena Davis for Thelma and Louise, a much-discussed distaff road movie which became among the year's biggest hits and won both actresses Oscar nominations. Sarandon was again nominated for 1992's Lorenzo's Oil and 1994's The Client before finally winning her first Academy Award for 1995's Dead Man Walking, a gut-wrenching examination of the death penalty, adapted and directed by Robbins. Now a fully established star, Sarandon had her choice of projects; she decided to lend her voice to Tim Burton's animated James and the Giant Peach (1996). Two years later, she was more visible with starring roles in the thriller Twilight (starring opposite Paul Newman and Gene Hackman) and Stepmom, a weepie co-starring Julia Roberts. The same year, she had a supporting role in the John Turturro film Illuminata.
Sarandon continued to stay busy in 1999, starring in Anywhere But Here, which featured her as Natalie Portman's mother, and Cradle Will Rock, Robbins' first directorial effort since Dead Man Walking. On television, Sarandon starred with Stephen Dorff in an adaptation of Anne Tyler's Earthly Possessions, and showed a keen sense of humor in her various appearances on SNL, Chappelle's Show, and Malcolm in the Middle. After starring alongside Goldie Hawn in The Banger Sisters, Sarandon could be seen in a variety of projects including Alfie (2004, Romance and Cigarettes (2005), and Elizabethtown (2006). In 2007, Sarandon joined Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg in The Lovely Bones, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel of the same name. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Susan Sarandon narrates this documentary about the inhabitants of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, a prison for women that houses female offenders ranging from minimum-security cases to women who have been sentenced to death and await execution. Director Laleh Khadivi interviews a number of inmates and captures a wide range of perspectives on how these women ended up behind bars, what their lives were like before they were incarcerated, how life in prison has affected them for good or ill, and how they cope with their present as they try to plan a better future. 900 Women was shown at the 2001 San Francisco Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon
The biggest babies in the entertainment business take their act to Europe in this sequel to the surprise-hit animated feature The Rugrats Movie. Chuckie (voice of Christine Cavanaugh) has been fretting over his father Chas (voice of Michael Bell) and his status as a single father, as he wants to have a mommy like all of his friends. Chas and his father Stu (voice of Jack Riley) were hired to create a bevy of electronic critters for the newly opened Euro-Reptarland theme park, but the robots are acting up, and park manager Coco La Bouche (Susan Sarandon) is hopping mad. So Stu and Chas are flown to Paris to do some repairs, with Chas bringing Chuckie and all his friends along. Their visit to the City of Lights proves to be one adventure after another, as Chuckie tries to find a suitable mother (with Coco leading the pack) and Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Dailey) somehow gets behind the wheel of the giant Reptar robot. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie features original songs from T-Boz from TLC, The Baha Men, and Mylene Farmer, while John Lithgow, Debbie Reynolds, and Mako contribute to the voice cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
- 2000
- Add This is What Democracy Looks Like to QueueAdd This is What Democracy Looks Like to top of Queue
In 1999, representatives from some of the world's largest and most powerful economic forces met in Seattle, WA, for the World Trade Organization summit. They were met by a diverse group of activists, ranging from youthful peace-punks to veteran trade union members, who intended to publicly air their concerns about issues of economic justice, Third World labor policies, and environmental safety that were being ignored by many of the WTO's affiliates. Police soon clashed with the protesters, the vast majority of which were gathered peacefully and had obtained permits for their gatherings. While Seattle authorities attempted to portray the protesters as a violent rabble in statements to the media, a number of activists armed with film and video cameras were on hand to document the protests, who then used the Internet and independent media outlets to bring their side of the story to the public. This Is What Democracy Looks Like was compiled by directors Jill Friedberg and Rick Rowley from material shot by more than a hundred "media activists" who captured a side of the WTO protests largely ignored by the mainstream news media. This Is What Democracy Looks Like is narrated by actress Susan Sarandon and Michael Franti, leader of the leftist hip-hop group Spearhead; radical rock band Rage Against the Machine also appears in the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Franti, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 2000
- R
This historical comedy-drama is based on the true story of Joe Gould, a bohemian eccentric who was a fixture in New York's Greenwich Village from his arrival in 1916 to his death in 1964. Gould, who claimed to be a graduate of Harvard, would cadge drinks and subsist on catsup as he regaled patrons of neighborhood saloons with stories, poems, opinions, and his imitation of a seagull. In a 1942 New Yorker profile by journalist Joseph Mitchell, Gould spoke of his life's work, a book entitled An Oral History of Our Times, which he claimed would be eleven times longer than the Bible, contain a variety of overheard conversations from throughout the years, and document the decline of 20th century culture. Mitchell kept tabs on Gould, and tried to introduce him to publishers who might put his work into print, but nothing ever came of it, and it wasn't until Gould's death that Mitchell discovered the surprising truth about his friend. Directed by Stanley Tucci, Joe Gould's Secret stars Tucci as Mitchell and Ian Holm as Gould; Hope Davis, Steve Martin, Susan Sarandon, and Patricia Clarkson highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Holm, Marc Alan Austen, (more)
This moving, finely-wrought portrayal of legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist was directed by his son Carl-Gustav Nykvist -- a noted filmmaker himself. Spanning from long forgotten kiddie flick in 1945 to Woody Allen's Celebrity (1997), Nykvist's career came to an abrupt end when he was diagnosed with a rare disorder that affects his speech. Though the film explores Nykvist's upbringing and turbulent private life (an ugly divorce, the suicide of one of his sons, an affair with Mia Farrow), the emotional heart of the film is his celebrated collaboration with auteur Ingmar Bergman, with whom Nykvist made some of his most enduring work, including Winter Light (1962) and Scenes from a Marriage (1973). As Bergman recalls his own career, he notes, "I don't miss making films, but I miss the collaboration with Sven." ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Bibi Andersson, (more)
- 2000
Meaning "a far, distant place" in the Inuit language, Iditarod is also the name of a 1,100 mile dogsled trek over the Alaskan tundra. Director Alice Dungan Bouvrie's documentary centers on the efforts of three competitors: Lynda Plettner, one of nine recorded women to participate in the 1998 competition; Mike Williams, a Yup'ik Eskimo who, having lost six brothers to the effects of alcohol, spends his excess energies promoting a message of sobriety; and Mike Nosko, who spent a decade preparing for the race. Bouvrie focuses on the small details of the race, such as how injured dogs are taken care of, as well as the motivations of the contenders. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Barbara Streisand produces this documentary look at four early cinematic female innovators -- Alice Guy, Lois Weber, Frances Marion, and Dorothy Arzner -- narrated by Shirley MacLaine, Susan Sarandon, Hilary Swank, and Minnie Driver, respectively. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand
Susan Sarandon stars in this made-for-cable-TV adaptation of Anne Tyler's novel about a housewife who thinks her life is going nowhere. However, she suddenly gets a lot more adventure than she bargained for when she's taken hostage during a bank robbery. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Stephen Dorff, (more)
The centuries-old, mysterious Geisha tradition has played a significant part in Japanese society and has long been been held in a place of honor. Geishas have been trained since childhood in music, dance, the arts, formal ceremonies, conversation, and various ways of bolstering and indulging "the male ego." A revered tradition involving women who are meticulously trained, expensively dressed, made up to appear as if they are wearing masks -and formally devoted to the idea that "Man has done no wrong, man can do no wrong" - may not easily be understood by many people in modern western society. This program, narrated by Susan Sarandon, gives viewers a look inside the tradition and sorts out some assumptions. Although hired to provide entertainment and company to men, a geisha (the word means "artist") is usually not a prostitute. A historical look is also taken at the impact of geisha's alliances with political figures, the tradition's struggle for survival through World War II and the cultural changes that followed it. Interviews with modern-day geisha and their clients are included. Commentary is also provided by authors Arthur Golden Memoirs of a Geisha and Liza Dalby (-Geisha. ~ Alice Duncan, All Movie Guide
The sometimes rocky relationship between art and politics in America in the 1930s -- as well as the gulf between the wealthy and the struggling -- sets the stage for Tim Robbins' ambitious comedy-drama Cradle Will Rock. Pulling together a variety of threads from actual events, Robbins examines the lives and ambitions of a variety of creative mavericks and figures of power. Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) and John Houseman (Cary Elwes) are working with Marc Bliztstein (Hank Azaria) to stage the latter's leftist musical "The Cradle Will Rock" for the WPA-funded Federal Theater Project. After Congress cuts funding for the embattled Federal Theater over the perceived leftist slant of their presentations, the project is canceled on the day of its premier. Welles and his cast respond by marching 21 blocks from the theater where the show was to open to another venue where, in deference to Actors Equity regulations, they perform the entire show from the audience. A member of Welles' cast, Aldo Silvano (John Turturro), is a dedicated actor from Italy who is trying to resolve his attitudes about his family, who loyally support Mussolini, to Silvano's disgust. Meanwhile, El Duce's former mistress, Margherita Sarfatti (Susan Sarandon), is consorting with industrial tycoon Gray Mathers (Philip Baker Hall) -- whose wife, Contesse LaGrange (Vanessa Redgrave) is a friend and supporter of Welles' project. Elsewhere, Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) has hired expatriot Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) to create a mural for his projected Rockefeller Center, but the two are soon locking horns over their different views on art, politics and the work at hand. And a ventriloquist fallen on hard times, Tommy Crickshaw (Bill Murray), finds himself trying to teach both comedy and speaking without lip movements to a pair of would-be performers at a WPA-backed vaudeville house. William Randolph Hearst (John Carpenter), Marion Davies (Gretchen Mol), Frida Kahlo (Corina Katt), and Olive Stanton (Emily Watson) are also woven into the tapestry of this historical epic, which premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hank Azaria, Rubén Blades, (more)
As with his earlier film The Joy Luck Club (1993), Chinese director Wayne Wang tackles mother-daughter relationships in this coming of age comedy-drama. Susan Sarandon stars as Adele August, a Bay City, Wisconsin, mother who longs for a more exciting and glamorous life in Beverly Hills, California. So she leaves her husband (Ray Baker) and packs her reluctant daughter Ann (Natalie Portman) into a gold Mercedes Benz, heading for L.A. When they arrive and move into an apartment they can't really afford, it becomes clear that Ann is the mature half of the duo, while Adele, a dreamer, is not firmly grounded in reality. Her plans include Ann's future career as an actress (a profession in which the girl has no interest) and landing a rich and handsome husband for herself, such as a dentist (Hart Bochner) who never calls Adele again after a one-night stand. When a family tragedy provokes a crisis between mother and daughter, the irresponsible Adele is forced to become a traditional mom for once. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, (more)
- 1999
This PBS documentary takes a look at the ancient art of fresco. Fresco is the classic art of painting on wet plaster. Narrators Susan Sarandon and Richard Kiley take viewers through its history and its modern-day revival. This video shows how this very old artistic style of painting is being reborn in the modern art world. The work of artist Mark Balma is also highlighted. Balma and a team of artists created a fresco at the University of St. Thomas. The video provides a first-hand look at the creative process, from ancient to modern times. ~ Beth Deki, All Movie Guide
The Nobody's Fool (1994) team of Paul Newman, director Robert Benton, and scripter Richard Russo reassembled for this L.A. detective drama, beginning with a Puerto Vallarta prologue showing private eye Harry Ross (Newman) accidentally shot by 17-year-old Mel Ames (Reese Witherspoon) during his efforts to get her to return home. Two years later, the broke and divorced Ross lives in a garage apartment on the estate of Mel's parents, his movie-star friends Jack and Catherine Ames (Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon). The cancer-ridden Jack is not unaware that Harry is attracted to Catherine. Delivering a package for Jack, Harry encounters elderly Lester Ivar (M. Emmet Walsh), who shoots at Harry and then dies. Harry's curiosity is provoked when he discovers that Ivar was an investigator checking into the disappearance of Catherine's first husband, written off 20 years earlier as an unsolved case, but now reactivated as Harry's sleuth-work leads him on a trail of past crimes and cover-ups. The Ames residence is actually the former Cedric Gibbons-Delores Del Rio home, and a never-completed Frank Lloyd Wright house near Malibu served as the Ames' ranchhouse. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 1998
For this documentary on public behavior by men toward women and how women are affected by this, filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West shot on the streets of four cities (New Orleans, San Francisco, NYC, Chicago), interviewing 1,053 men. She edited that material down to the 53 subjects seen in this 71-minute film that intercuts black-and-white and color footage. Men caught looking, leering, whistling, or making sexist comments were approached by Hadleigh-West and asked to explain themselves. For an alternative point of view, five women discuss their fears, revealing clothing, street harassment, male attitudes, and reactions to male comments on their appearance. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Hadleigh-West
Mrs. Doubtfire director Chris Columbus continues to explore the family turmoil of divorce in the tearjerker Stepmom, a story that pits the birth mother against the new mother. Jackie (Susan Sarandon), a one-time book editor, is now the consummate soccer mom juggling the schedules of her two kids in her New York ranch outside of Manhattan. Her ex-husband Luke (Ed Harris), who gets weekend custody of the kids, is living in the city with a woman half his age named Isabel (Julia Roberts), a high-fashion photographer with a strong stylistic sense of "what's hot." Since Luke is always away at work, the burden of getting the kids ready for school when they are with their father falls on Isabel, and she just isn't the nurturing type. The story heats up, however, when Jackie learns that she has cancer. Facing the horrors of medical tests and chemotherapy, she realizes that, should something happen to her, her kids will be left with this irresponsible Isabel as their mother, especially after Luke proposes marriage to her. What ensues is part parenting lesson, part competitive parenting, but 100 percent family bonding, as Jackie must learn to allow Isabel to be part of her world and her family. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, (more)
Actor John Turturro, who made his directorial debut with the Cannes Camera d'Or winner Mac (1992), returned to directing with this period farce about a struggling, turn-of-the-century New York repertory company owned by Astergourd (Beverly D'Angelo) and Pallenchio (Donal McCann). Egotistical playwright Tuccio (Turturro) has written a new play, Illuminata, for the troupe's actress-manager Rachel (Katherine Borowitz), daughter of aging actor Flavio (Ben Gazzara), who's lost his memory. Tuccio would like to see Illuminata staged, but the owners feel the play is unfinished. Young Piero (Matthew Sussman) collapses while performing in Cavalleria Rusticana, and this provides the ambitious Tuccio with an opportunity to introduce his new work to audiences. Unfortunately, foppish critic Bevalaqua (Christopher Walken) is unimpressed and issues a vicious attack on the production -- while also making unsubtle overtures to company clown Marco (Bill Irwin). Diva Celimene (Susan Sarandon) seduces Tuccio with her promises to bring him worldwide fame and fortune. Other liaisons are played out with the juvenile leads (Rufus Sewell, Georgina Cates), a veteran clown (Leo Bassi), and a supporting actress (Aida Turturro). Shown in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, (more)
- 1997
Renowed scolar Joseph Campbell continues his exploration of mythology in part six of his Mythos series. This video discusses the mythologies and philosophies of the East. By examining acient texts and artifacts, Campbell creates a timeline, showing certain traditions and stories were passed through the many religions of India and then taken by the Buddhist teachers and passed through most of Asia. By examining these tradition, Campbell attempts to show the roots of the "inward path" tradition and how it differs from the religious traditions Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon hosts. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
As the final part of the Joseph Campbell's Mythos Series, this video sums up Campbell's exploration of the Eastern traditions by showing the many teachers of wisdom who have believed that god or enlightenment are not outside of a person, they are within; meaning every human is in essence a part of god. By comparing several different religious texts, Campbell also shows how this message can be seen in the Western traditions of Christianity and even in modern psychology. Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon narrates. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
As part seven of the Joseph Campbell's Mythos series, this video explains the history and origin of Buddhism. Through stories of Buddha's life and the teachings of other Buddhists, Campbell explains the basic philosophy of Buddhism and identifies its two branches, Theraveda (or Hinayana) and Mahayana. He also compares Buddhism to Taoism and Confucianism, and shows how these traditions became known to the West. Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon hosts. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Joseph Campbell stands as one of the giants of modern literature. Recognizing the universality in mythic themes around the world, Campbell collected those myths and made them accessible to readers in books such as The Power of Myth, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and The Masks of God. In this program, Campbell discusses the mythic theme of the spiritual quest in the Eastern religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, and the yogic tradition focus on knowing the eternal Self. The author relates some of the religious practices which were developed to get in touch with that Self at the center of one's being, removed from and far greater than the little self of the personal ego. Campbell shares from his vast knowledge of stories which illustrate this spiritual quest for the eternal Self. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1997
As part nine of the Joseph Campbell's Mythos series, this video investigates Kundalini Yoga. This spiritual practice focuses on the chakra, or energy centers in the human body. It is believed that if the energy of the chakras is balanced and alingned, a practitioner can transcend suffering. Campbell also compares this form of yoga to Western Psychology and Christianity, and how in essence, all of these philosophies and religions are acting as the same thing, a guide or a map through the human life-cycle. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The 70-year battle for women's suffrage is the subject of this gripping documentary. One Woman, One Vote documents the struggles both of the leaders and the women who fought along side them. From Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Alice Paul, this film follows the fight for equal rights. Though the U.S. called itself the world's greatest democracy, more than half of its citizens were denied the right to vote. And yet the struggle for equal suffrage split the movement apart, pitting those who were more militant in their approach against women with more conventional strategies of education and lobbying. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, this is a valuable look at an important chapter in American history. ~ Cara Saposnik, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1997, tells the story of the long and remarkable career of reporter and press critic George Seldes. Filmmaker Rick Goldsmith uses archival footage, still photos, and interviews with those who've known or have been influenced by Seldes (including Ralph Nader, Nat Hentoff, Victor Navasky, and Seldes' niece, actress Marian Seldes) to tell the story. Susan Sarandon provides the narration, while Ed Asner reads from Seldes' writings. Seldes himself provides a wealth of information and insight about his life for the film, made when the man was a remarkably lucid and energetic 98 years old. (The film wasn't completed and shown until 1996, a year after his death at the age of 104.) "There are powerful forces that don't want the facts," Seldes realized early on in his reporting career, and fought to expose the stories that needed to be told. Just after WWI, as a member of the Army press corps, he was nearly court-marshaled when he went to Berlin, against orders, and wrote about the suffering of the Germans. Throughout his career, he courted controversy by exposing the abuses of the Stalin regime, attacking Mussolini and predicting that fascism would lead to world war (at a time when others, including the New York Times, supported the fascist), and constantly decrying the influence of big money and big business on the American press. His own newsletter, In Fact, refused to accept advertising, and exposed the dangers of tobacco long before the mainstream media covered the story. The McCarthy era put an end to In Fact, but that didn't stop Seldes, who continued his writing. His appearance as a "witness" in Warren Beatty's Reds rekindled interest in his work. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon
- 1996
As part three of the Joseph Campbell's Mythos series, this video examines man's emergence from the animal world and entrance into cognition. Through examinations of cave paintings and several early myths, Campbell shows how the Goddess or woman was seen as the creative force behind the universe. This belief led to the creation of religions and practices centered on the female among early hunter-gatherer societies. Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon hosts. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
