Sylvia Syms Movies

Boy A director John Crowley followed up that award-winning film festival favorite with this eerie yet eloquent drama concerning a young boy fascinated by death due to the fact that he lives in the hospice home for the elderly that's owned by his parents. Perhaps due to the morose surroundings in which he was raised, wide-eyed Edward (Son of Rambow star Bill Milner) possesses both an acute sense of death and an obsessive desire to find out what happens after we pass on from this life. These interests are most noticeably evident in Edward's ongoing fascination with the paranormal, an obsession that his overworked parents merely tolerate as the curious boy makes his way around the hospice with a tape recorder determined to better understand the concept of mortality. Suddenly, into Edward's world rolls embittered, burned-out ex-magician Clarence (Michael Caine) -- who makes no attempts to hide the fact that he's not in the hospice by his own free will. Clarence has long since ceased to practice his trade, and no longer possesses the ability to recognize anything positive in either his surroundings or the people who inhabit them. He's irascible, ornery, and indignant, and he's just barely able to tolerate the young boy who's so interested in the one topic that plagues his thoughts most -- death. Before long, however, these two outsiders discover that their mutual need to make sense of the world means they have more in common than initial appearances would suggest. Soon embarking on a series of comic misadventures that help them both to better understand the many mysteries of life, Edward and Clarence form an unlikely bond that provides them both with the comfort they so desperately need during this uncertain stage in each of their lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

First telecast in the U.K. on February 17, 2002, the five-part British miniseries The Jury probes the workings of justice from the viewpoint of the 12 men and women chosen to determine the fate of a Sikh teenager, accused of murdering a white classmate with a ceremonial sword. This racially volatile situation is first placed in the hands of renowned attorney George Cording (Derek Jacobi), who is defending young Duvinder Singh (Sonnell Dadral), and relentless crown prosecutor Gerald Lewis (Antony Sher), better known as "The Bastard of the Bailey." But as mentioned, the focus is on the jurors, as diverse a group as one is ever likely to meet. Among the selected dozen are Rose (Helen McCrory), an unhappily married beautician; Johnnie (Gerard Butler), a recovering alcoholic; Marcia (Nina Sosanya), a single mother who tends to allow herself to be intimidated into making snap judgments; Peter (Michael Maloney), a brusque self-made businessman; Charles (Stuart Bunce), a Catholic seminarian uncertain of his calling; Elsie (Sylvia Syms), a lonely old widow; and Jeremy (Nicholas Farrell), a chronic gambler. How will the jurors' personalities affect the outcome of the case -- or, for that matter, the dissemination of facts? For its United States premiere on April 6, 2003, The Jury was beamed out by PBS as part of the Masterpiece Theatre anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this British-French co-production, assistant bank manager Alex (Richard E. Grant), a part-time theater instructor, decides to contact the original cast of a Twelfth Night production he directed years previously in a small English village. Alex plans to restage the production, and old romances are rekindled in the process. Shown at the 1997 Edinburgh and La Baule film festivals. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This British romantic comedy from director and star Martin Clunes concerns Neil Price (Clunes), a meek toy demonstrator who becomes engaged to Hilary (Sarah Winman), a beautiful girl from a prosperous family. At his wild bachelor party, Neil consumes a spiked drink and passes out. When he awakens, he is nude on a Scottish island beach, with only three days to make it back to London in time for his wedding. Along the route, Neil has a series of adventures and meets a variety of eccentric characters, including a sexually-depraved Welsh salesman, Graham (Griff Rhys Jones). and a medical researcher, Carmen Svennipeg (Anna Chancellor), who assists Neil in his quest to get back home. Back in London, however, it unfolds that Neil's best friend Gary (Michael Praed) is the party responsible for slipping Neil the drugged elixir and depositing the poor groom on the remote beach. It seems that Gary has designs on Hilary and her money, and he's got three days to make his plan work. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Kewpie-doll voiced Melanie Griffith does a sexed-up Nancy Drew turn in David Seltzer's adaptation of Susan Issacs' novel Shining Through. Set during World war II, Griffith plays Linda Voss, a spunky New York girl who applies for a job with international lawyer Ed Leland (Michael Douglas). Ed hires her immediately when he finds out that she speaks German fluently. The reason Ed is so interested in Linda's language skills is because Ed is an undercover OSS officer who needs a German translator. Their business relationship translates into love, but when America enters the war, Ed abandons his law practice to become a full-time spy. Utilizing Linda's charms, she travels to Berlin and infiltrates the Nazis as a domestic to try to discover information about "a bomb that can fly by itself." But Linda has personal as well as patriotic motives for agreeing to go undercover, since she has Jewish relatives in Berlin and wants to find out their whereabouts. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

In the conclusion of the three-part story "Ghost Light," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) have arrived at Ace's ancestral home, Gabriel Chase, in 1883. Hoping to discover the source of Ace's nightmares, the Doctor at first concludes that the house is haunted by traditional ghosts. He quickly changes his mind when he is confronted with a spectral light, a pantry full of radioactive silverware, a Neanderthal house servant -- and a spaceship in the cellar. Written by Marc Platt, "Ghost Light, Episode 2" originally aired on October 18, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Since its London and Broadway stage debut, playwright Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine has proven an excellent showcase for any number of talented actresses (Loretta Swit won the 1989 Sarah Siddons Award for her work in the Chicago production). In the film version of Shirley Valentine, Pauline Collins re-creates the role that had previously brought her theatrical fame and a Tony Award. Spending the bulk of the film speaking directly to the audience, the titular Shirley (Collins), a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, reveals her innermost thoughts and fears in a manner that is both insouciant and poignant. Once an incorrigible anti-establishment rebel, Shirley now chafes under the plodding insensitivity of her husband, Joe (Bernard Hill). Her life enters a new and exciting phase when, after her best friend, Jane (Alison Steadman), wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece, Shirley is given the opportunity to travel to faraway places without her husband. Shirley Valentine represents the second felicitous collaboration between playwright Willy Russell and director Lewis Gilbert; the first was Educating Rita (1983). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Joan Hickson stars as Miss Jane Marple in this made-for-TV adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery tales. An odd advertisement appears in the Chipping Cleghorne Gazette, which announces that a murder will take place on October 5 at 7 p.m. at a cottage in Little Paddocks. While the neighbors and assembled curiosity seekers who show up are expecting some sort of a stunt, it turns out the advertiser was good to their word, and three shots ring out, leaving a man dead. So who is the killer, and why did they commit such a bizarre crime? Could it be retiree Mrs. Blacklock (Ursula Howells), her cousins Julia (Samantha Bond) or Patrick (Simon Shepherd), her close friend Miss Bunner (Renee Asherson), or gardener Mrs. Haymes (Nicola King), all of whom happened to be living at the scene of the crime? ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The rise of teen culture in 1950s Britain provides the backdrop for Julien Temple's unconventional rock musical Absolute Beginners. The film centers on Colin, an 18-year-old with a talent for photography and a fondness for the neon nightlife of British jazz clubs. He also is in love with Crepe Suzette, an impulsive, ambitious young beauty who abandons him after attracting the attention of a powerful fashion designer. Depressed and aimless, Colin turns for help to a flashy ad executive (David Bowie) who promises to make him a star photographer. The former lovers take parallel paths to success, capitalizing on the youth mania gripping the nation. The film's nostalgic yet gently satirical look at teen culture is tempered by a recognition of the era's social tension, particularly a disturbing rise in racism. Despite these serious undertones, however, the film tells its story with a colorful vibrancy reminiscent of both MTV and old Hollywood musicals, filled with such show-stopping numbers as a memorable sequence in which Bowie dances on a giant typewriter. Critical reception was mixed, with some hailing the film's spectacular cinematography and ambitious scope, while others found the mixture of tones and style too inconsistent. The film also drew lukewarm response at the box office, with the memorable soundtrack receiving more attention than the film itself. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Retrograde even at the time of its 1980 release, this filmed version of the mid-'70s play by the same title stars Tom Smothers as Timothy Westerby, the bumbling father of the bride, and his imaginary dance partner, Polly (Twiggy). Events of the chaotic wedding day are told in flashback as Westerby is shown sweating over an advertising assignment from a bra company and hoping that a photo of Polly from the bygone '20s will inspire him. Instead, Westerby bangs into a door and Polly comes fuzzily to life, but only he can see her, causing all sorts of havoc at the wedding and among the guests. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Blake Edwards's stylish direction bolsters this Cold War romance starring Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. Andrews plays Judith Farrow, a British civil service functionary who meets dashing Russian agent Feodor Sverdlov (Omar Sharif) under the romantic skies of the Caribbean. The Caribbean breezes work their magic and soon Judith is head-over-heels in love with Feodor. Feodor then tries to enlist Judith to become an agent for the Soviet Union. But after Judith is warned by the British government to stay away from him, Feodor decides that he'd rather have her than the Soviet Union. However, a kink is thrown into their love affair when an undercover Russian secret agent, posing as a British agent, decides to eradicate the two lovers. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

With a storyline evocative of the previous year's smash gay-themed The Boys in the Band, this drama centers on a varied group of homosexuals who meet in a New York bar on a Christmas Eve to talk about their lives, their travails, and relationships. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi