David Thornton
A drug dealer moves on to bigger crimes in an effort to settle a score with disastrous results in this drama inspired by actual events. Though barely out of his teens, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) has already built a lucrative career for himself selling drugs -- he has his own home, a luxury car, and posse of friends who do double duty as his crew, including Elvis (Shawn Hatosy), Frankie (Justin Timberlake), and Tiko (Fernando Vargas). While life at Johnny's house is usually a constant party interrupted by occasional dope deals, Johnny has lost all of his patience with Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), a regular customer who has run up a large tab that he can't pay. Determined to clear Jake's account, Johnny and his boys plan to kidnap Jake and hold him for ransom, but when they happen upon his 15-year-old stepbrother, Zack (Anton Yelchin), they impulsively decide to take the youngster instead. Jake's father, Butch (David Thornton), and his stepmother, Olivia (Sharon Stone), are already furious with their junkie son when they learn about Zack's disappearance, and aren't sure what they should do. Meanwhile at Johnny's place, Frankie takes a liking to young Zack, who already admires his brother's high-flying lifestyle, and introduces the kid to the joys of grown-up partying, which he takes to with dangerous zeal. Also featuring Bruce Willis as Johnny's father, Alpha Dog was based on the real-life story of Jesse James Hollywood, who at the age of 21 became one of the youngest people to ever appear on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, (more)
A beautiful divorced young woman moves into a new apartment in New York City only to find out her upstairs neighbor is slowly driving her stark raving mad. Joyce Chandler (Trish Goff) is a successful newspaper copy editor that is still mourning the recent split from her husband when she moves into her swank Manhattan apartment building. Soon after, she begins to get annoyed with her upstairs neighbor Charlotte Bancroft's (Ally Sheedy) constant blaring of music and general stomping around. Despite repeated requests to soften the noise, the disturbances continue, and Joyce finds her grasp on reality threatened as she sinks deeper into insomnia and addiction. At her wits end, she pulls a desperate prank on Charlotte that leads to dire consequences for both of them. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trish Goff, Ally Sheedy, (more)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes, this adaptation of author Nicholas Sparks' bestselling novel revolves around Noah Calhoun's (James Garner) regular visits to a female patron (Gena Rowlands) of an area nursing home. Rather than bore her with the inanities of everyday life, Calhoun reads from an old, faded notebook containing the sweeping account of a young couple (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) whose love affair was tragically put to a halt after their separation in the midst of World War II. Seven years later, the couple was reunited, and, despite having taken radically different paths, they found themselves unable to resist the call of a second chance. The Notebook also features Joan Allen, Sam Shepard, and Kevin Connolly. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, (more)
- 2004
Independent filmmaker Douglas Buck wrote and directed this anthology of three short subjects, each of which takes an unflinching look at disturbing secrets lurking beneath the surfaces of several "ordinary" families. In Cutting Moments, a housewife (Nicca Ray) who has come to the end of her rope as she tries to reach out to her emotionally vacant husband (Gary Betsworth) reacts with a shocking act of self-inflicted violence, which soon spirals out of control. In Home, Betsworth stars as an emotionally abusive husband and father (himself the victim of a vindictive and unfeeling parent) whose random and persistent cruelty finally manifests itself in a shocking act of revenge when his wife (Christine Caleo) and daughter (Jayne Deely) take a stand and refuse to obey his commands. And Prologue concerns Billie Anders (Sally Conway), a 17-year-old girl who returns home after a year in a rehabilitation facility following an incident which cost her both hands and put her in a wheelchair. As Billie deals with the many ways in which her friends, her family, and her hometown have changed, she decides to confront the man whose actions caused her pain. The three films featured in Family Portraits were created over a span of seven years and were screened individually at a number of film festivals before being compiled for feature release both theatrically and on video. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
- R
Writer/director Michele Maher makes her feature debut with the satirical black comedy Garmento. Set in the garment district in N.Y.C. during the early '90s, fashion rookie Grindy Malone (Katie MacNichol) gets a job as an assistant to Ronnie Grossman (David Thornton), executive for Poncho Ramirez Inc. She meets the other industry players, including haughty Franca Fortuna (Saundra Santiago), assistant Rimi Stone (Gretchen Cleevely), flamboyant Jasper Judson (Jason Butler Harner), and designer Poncho Ramirez (Juan Carlos Hernandez) himself. After the company loses money from a failed line of padded men's underwear, Grindy suggests they bring back their line of jeans from the '70s. Poncho Ramirez then merges with rival Romeo Jeans, headed by the corrupt Ira Gold (Jerry Grayson) and Louie Purdaro (Matt Servitto). The successful product becomes high in demand, leading to shady business dealings and an advertising controversy. Grindy quickly loses her innocence and becomes entrenched in the world of corporate greed. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katie MacNichol, David Thornton, (more)
- 2003
A woman living alone on an island must fight for her life in the directorial debut of filmmaker Elizabeth Dimon. Although reluctant to do so, island recluse Tess (Mirjana Jokovic) offers her home to Sam (David Thornton) and Nigel (Tomas Arana), a pair of tuxedo-suited (and blood-soaked) strangers who arrive via motorboat with an exotic animal in tow. Allowing them to heal their wounds but desperate to get them out of her home, Tess immediately hides her valuables and frequently makes for the cellar where she appears to speak with an unseen housemate. As the trio engage in a series of complex mind games, it becomes obvious to all that nobody is who anybody else thinks, and mysterious motivations drive Sam and Nigel to extreme measures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mirjana Jokovic, David Thornton, (more)
A national health care crisis in the United States yields this tense drama from screenwriter James Kearns and director Nick Cassavetes, who experienced a real-life dilemma with his daughter's congenital heart disease that mirrors the one in this film. Denzel Washington stars as John Q. Archibald, a factory worker facing financial hardship as a result of reduced hours in his workplace. When his young son, Michael (Daniel E. Smith), is stricken during a baseball game, John and his wife, Denise (Kimberly Elise), discover that their child is in need of an emergency heart transplant. Although the Archibalds have health insurance, they are informed by hospital administrator Rebecca Payne (Anne Heche) that their policy doesn't cover such an expensive procedure. Unable to raise the money himself, John persuades the hospital's compassionate cardiac surgeon, Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods), to waive his lofty fee, but is still left with too much of a financial burden to bear. With no recourse but to take his son home to die, John snaps and holds the staff and patients of the hospital's emergency room hostage at gunpoint. John is soon a media hero, the focus of intense news coverage, even as police chief Gus Monroe (Ray Liotta) and hostage negotiator Frank Grimes (Robert Duvall) try to resolve the situation before it leads to bloodshed. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, (more)
A man finds himself having to decide between one of two women -- not once, but twice -- in this independent drama. In 1993, Coles (Mark Ruffalo) is a film student at Sarah Lawrence where he meets two fellow undergrads, Thea (Kathleen Robertson) and Sam (Maya Stange). Coles and Sam come together and Thea fades out of the picture. In time, Sam tires of Coles' aimlessly hedonistic attitude, and they break up. Ten years later, Coles, after a failed career in feature films, is doing animation for an advertising agency and living with his girlfriend, Claire (Petra Wright); Thea helps run a successful restaurant with her husband, Miles (David Thornton); and Sam, smarting from a bad breakup, returns to New York after several years in London. Coles runs into Sam and discovers he still has strong feelings for her, but has to decide if they're strong enough to break off his relationship with Claire. XX/XY was the first feature film from writer/director Austin Chick. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, (more)
Guy Ritchie, best known for the tough-guy crime comedies Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, goes for a change of pace with this remake of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 comedy-drama, with his wife Madonna in tow. Amber Leighton (Madonna) is the wife of Dr. Anthony Leighton (Bruce Greenwood), the wealthy and successful head of a pharmaceutical company. While Amber seemingly leads a charmed life, it doesn't appear to make her very happy, and she often inflicts her typically foul mood on those around her, especially the hired help. Anthony decides to surprise Amber with a cruise from Italy to Greece, with four of their friends in tow, but Amber doesn't much care for the notion. Amber feels the yacht they've hired is far beneath her standards, and she makes Giuseppe (Adriano Giannini), the first mate of the crew, the primary target of her dissatisfaction. Giuseppe, an ardent leftist, feels nothing but contempt for Amber, but for the sake of his job he can't say a word in response to her attacks. One day, Amber declines an invitation to go diving with her friends, but later changes her mind, demanding that Giuseppe take her to the underwater caves. Giuseppe warns Amber that a storm is brewing, and his prediction proves to be right on the money; soon, Amber and Giuseppe are stranded on a desert island, and suddenly they discover the tables are turned. Giuseppe, a trained fisherman and outdoorsman, knows how to survive on the island, while Amber is utterly helpless, and he forces her to cower under his commands in order to survive; before long, their mutual antagonism has begun to turn into something approaching unfettered lust. Adriano Giannini, who plays Giuseppe, is the son of Giancarlo Giannini, who played the equivalent role in Wertmuller's original film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madonna, Adriano Giannini, (more)
- 2002
A rock singer dies of an apparent drug overdose. The detectives and lawyers determined that what appears to be an accident is actually murder, possibly perpetrated by a disenchanted cohort of the deceased. Further complicating the case is the omnipresence of detective-turned-bestselling novelist Mike Foster (Tony Lo Bianco), who is hard at work on a tell-all book about the dead woman's former husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Following in the vein of (Roger Dodger and In the Company of Men), director Brent Huff presents a crash course on the relationship between sexual and corporate power plays in The 100 Mile Rule. The infamous rule states that one is well within his rights to sexually indulge himself with someone other than his wife or girlfriend, provided that he is more than 100 miles away from home. This so-called rule becomes a topic of hot debate when a couple of Detroit salesmen must attend a business trip. Jerry (David Thornton) is a vocal supporter of the rule, although most of his attempts to utilize it are met with contempt and disregard. Bobby (Jake Weber), however, is a family man who staunchly resists joining his friends in their visits to various escort services, strip joints, and porn shops. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Bobby falters and allows himself a sexual encounter with Monica (Maria Bello), a beautiful cocktail waitress. It turns out, however, that Monica demands payment for her services, and she has videotaped Bobby in bed with her. Although Jerry admits he orchestrated the entire thing due to a high-profile customer he had lost to Bobby, the two salesmen end up seeking advice from their senior manager Howard (Michael McKean), who has seen it all before. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Weber, Maria Bello, (more)
The death of a beloved pet sends the once-happy relationship of a New York couple spiraling into disaster in this black comedy that finds Cop Land and Rounders producer Christopher Goode stepping into the director's chair. Tom and Perri seem to have the perfect relationship, but their love sours when Tom's pet golden retriever is run over by a car and Tom blames Perri for the dog's sudden death. As Tom's obsession with finding the driver of the car becomes all-consuming, Perri's inability to understand her boyfriend's vengeful mindset finds the pair slowly drifting apart. When Tom disappears, Perri finds solace in the arms of a college student whose intentions may be less than honorable. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Sisto, Paige Turco, (more)
John Gallagher directs this film about magic and the mystery of love. Frank and Maggie (Ben Gazzara and Rita Moreno) have been married longer than either of them can remember. In an effort to revive the spark in their relationship, Maggie persuades Frank to visit their old cabin up in the Catskills. There they find themselves in a time warp that allows them to meet their younger selves. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, (more)
- 2000
A wealthy patroness of the arts is found murdered in her apartment, her hands severed from her body. The subsequent investigation turns up evidence that the motive for the murder may have been a painting, which bears a startling resemblance to the scene of the crime. Chief among the suspects is the victim's newest protégé -- who has a history of violence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A comic fable centered around the lives of contemporary Catholic monks, A Question of Faith (once called Blessed Art Thou) follows Brother Anselm (M.E. Hackett), who suddenly finds himself pregnant. Living in a rural California monastery, Anselm believes the miracle was created out of a visit from Gabriel. The decades-old wisdom and beliefs of the order are tested as reactions to the events are a mix of sympathetic and hostile and the brothers find themselves at odds. The monks, both young and old, find that the line between reason and faith becomes blurred and their ancient traditions begin to crumble as the unexplainable miracle begins to change their perception of reality and themselves. Adapted from a short story by Tim Disney, great-nephew of Walt, the film also features Paul Guilfoyle, Naveen Andrews, and Daniel von Bargen. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Naveen Andrews, Jorge Cervera, Jr., (more)
- 1998
- R
As another installment of Whit Stillman's trilogy, The Last Days of Disco fits chronologically between Metropolitan (1990) and Barcelona (1994), with several cameos overlapping and linking the films. During "the very early 1980s," friends gather at a popular Manhattan disco club reminiscent of Studio 54, where getting past the velvet ropes and inside was the first step. Edgy ad-exec Jimmy (Mackenzie Astin) can sometimes get his clients in with the help of the club's womanizing assistant manager, his pal Des (Chris Eigeman), who lets them enter via the rear door. Beautiful brunette Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and her former college classmate Alice (Chloe Sevigny) move about the club during the 24-minute opening club sequence. Attorney Tom (Robert Sean Leonard) takes an interest in calm, reserved Alice. Both Alice and the opinionated, assertive Charlotte hold day jobs as entry-level editorial associates at a small book publisher. With Holly (Tara Subkoff) as a third roommate, the trio rents a railroad flat in the Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood. Charlotte throws dinner parties in an effort to solidify a social circle as an alternative to "the ferocious pairing off" around her. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chloë Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, (more)
- 1998
- PG13
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Jonathan Darby made his directorial debut with this thriller, set in Kentucky (but filmed in Orange County, VA). Jackson Baring (Johnathon Schaech) wants his girlfriend, Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow), to meet his mother, Martha (Jessica Lange), so he brings her home for Christmas to Kilronan, their sumptuous Kentucky estate and horse farm. Later, after Helen gets pregnant, they marry and return to Kilronan to have the baby, but Martha aggressively intrudes and manipulates, telling obstetrician Dr. Hill (Hal Holbrook) how to deal with the birth and forbidding Helen from seeing Jackson's invalid granny, Alice (Nina Foch). After learning some of Martha's past history from Alice, Helen soon decides she must make an escape from her demented mother-in-law. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, (more)
South Korean-born Wonsuk Chin, a NYC resident for eight years, made his directorial debut with this hip comedy, shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. With numerous cinematic references and allusions (Bergman, Godard, Woo, Hartley), the tale begins with a black-and-white silent sequence depicting Death chasing a young man through Old Baghdad. The setting shifts to present-day New York, where a Japanese man, Kenji (Takeshi Kaneshiro of Chungking Express) is seen abed in a sparsely furnished apartment. Kinji goes to a local cafe where he chats with several others: Italian friend Fabrizio (Michael Imperioli) who proclaims, "Lubitsch is the god!"; a literary wit, Balzac Man (Jeffrey Wright); and an enigmatic German woman, Pola (Geno Lechner), who hints at a possible sexual liaison with Kinji. Death (Mira Sorvino) drifts about, assuming various forms -- disco gal, Japanese geisha, Chinese woman, devil with a red dress on, and a French-accented figure dressed as a man. The sad and lonely Death informs Kenji that she has no choice in determining her victims, and he also learns from her that he has only 12 hours left to live. She suggests that he make the most of his remaining minutes, so he sets forth on a series of brief adventures. At the cafe, he chides famous artist John Sage (Ben Gazzara) for being involved with a decades-younger girlfriend, the beautiful Korean Anouk (Hye Soo Kim). Sage invites Kenji to dinner at their home, and Death invites herself. Kenji makes the proposal that since he's due to die, he could be allowed sex with Anouk as a final act. This request isn't well received by anyone present, leaving Kenji to his own devices as the darkness closes in. Mira Sorvino wears a virtual fashion show of colorful costumes in this movie, which also provided her with the opportunity to speak Chinese onscreen for the first time. Sorvino majored in Asian studies at Harvard and lived for eight months (1988-89) in Beijing, where she studied Chinese, taught English, and viewed a variety of Chinese films. Too Tired to Die and The Replacement Killers both brought her several steps closer to her announced goal of making a film in Mandarin and working with a Chinese director. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Takeshi Kaneshiro, Mira Sorvino, (more)
Lisa Cholodenko wrote and directed this lesbian-themed drama, winner of the 1998 Sundance Film Festival's Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Ambitious photography magazine associate editor Syd (Radha Mitchell) has a ho-hum relationship with James (Gabriel Mann). Investigating a ceiling leak, she enters the apartment of her neighbor, retired photographer Lucy Berliner (Ally Sheedy), who lives with former Fassbinder actress Greta (Patricia Clarkson), a heroin addict. The friendship between the worldly Lucy and the naive, insecure Syd ripens into an affair, one destined to change the lives of both women. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell, (more)
For the third film in this series, Alex D. Linz replaced Macaulay Culkin as the central figure. Four industrial spies acquire a missile guidance-system computer chip and smuggle it through an airport inside a remote-controlled toy car. Because of baggage confusion, grouchy Mrs. Hess (Marian Seldes) gets the car. She gives it to her neighbor, eight-year-old Alex (Linz), just before the spies turn up. The spies rent a house in order to burglarize each house in the neighborhood until they locate the car. Home alone with the chicken pox, Alex calls 911 each time he spots a theft in progress, but the spies always manage to elude the police -- while Alex is accused of making prank calls. The spies finally turn their attentions toward Alex, unaware that he has rigged devices to cleverly booby-trap his entire house. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex D. Linz, Olek Krupa, (more)
Photographer Cindy Sherman, who often uses motifs from exploitation films in her work, pays witty tribute to slasher films in this satiric horror-comedy. Dorine Douglas (Carol Kane) has spent 16 years at the bottom of the totem pole as a copy editor for Constant Consumer magazine when, due to budget cuts, she's downsized into a contract employee and forced to work out of her home. Dorine isn't at all happy about this, and when she's called back into the office to help obnoxious writer Gary (David Thornton) fix a glitch in his computer, she's not at all upset when he's accidentally electrocuted. Dorine brings Gary's corpse home to join her in front of the TV. When pushy publisher Virginia (Barbara Sukowa) orders Dorine and overly ambitious Kim (Molly Ringwald) to salvage Gary's story from his notes, Dorine snaps, and soon Gary has some company in Dorine's increasingly crowded home office. Office Killer also stars Jeanne Tripplehorn and Michael Imperioli as more of Dorine's co-workers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald, (more)
- 1996
- R
David (Dan Futterman) is a language expert who knows how to say "I Love You" in fifteen different languages. But he can't seem to bring himself to say it in plain English to his girlfriend of the past two years, Kathy (Susan Floyd), and that's putting their relationship in jeopardy in the romantic drama Breathing Room. Kathy and David have been having a hard time deciding if they should break up or try to work things out between them when, as he joins Kathy for Thanksgiving dinner with her family, she discovers David has applied for a job teaching English at a school in Vietnam. Careerwise, it would be a significant step for David, but Kathy is a bit miffed that he never saw fit to mention it to her before. Meanwhile, Kathy has her own professional dilemmas to deal with as she tries to kick-start her career as an animator. Eventually they decide to take a break from each other until Christmas, with no clear idea of just what they'll do after that. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Floyd, Dan Futterman, (more)
The great overlooked actress Gena Rowlands was cast in the starring role of Mildred in this film directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes. Rowlands appeared in several of John Cassavetes's remarkable films, notably A Woman Under the Influence. Mildred is a wealthy widow who lives with her daughter Ann Mary Margaret (Moira Kelly), who is constantly angry with her. Ann Mary moves out, and the void in Mildred's life is soon filled when she takes over babysitting J.J. (Jake Lloyd, the future young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace). J.J. is the son of neighbor Monica (Marisa Tomei), who needs someone to watch him because she has taken a job after being abandoned by her abusive husband Frankie (David Sherrill). Mildred becomes J.J.'s surrogate mother, doting on him. One night, Monica takes Mildred to a local bar, where they meet a Canadian trucker named Big Tommy (Gerard Depardieu). Big Tommy turns out to be a sweet guy with a yen for older women, and a romance begins between the two of them. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Marisa Tomei, (more)
This vanity project from writer, director, and star Eric Schaeffer is a romantic comedy about a pair of New Yorkers with a suicide pact. Joe MacGonaughgill (Schaeffer) is a painter and teacher who has been spying for years on Jane (Elle Macpherson), the gorgeous woman who lives across the alley, where she can be secretly observed undressing. Joe lives with Lucy Ackerman (Sarah Jessica Parker), a psychotherapist who's also his best friend. Suffering from her own relationship troubles with her boyfriend Dick (William Sage), Lucy is reminded of a long-ago pact she made with Joe: if neither is involved in a serious relationship by her rapidly approaching 30th birthday, they will commit suicide by jumping together off the Brooklyn Bridge. Then Jane comes to a show of Joe's artwork and he musters up the courage to ask her out, while Lucy begins dating Bwick Elias (Ben Stiller), an oddball artist who paints with his body parts. Only after Jane and Bwick turn out to be major disappointments do Joe and Lucy realize that they're perfect together -- and not in the platonic sense. Struggling independent filmmaker Schaeffer convinced Parker to take the female lead in If Lucy Fell when she hailed the cab he was driving. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Eric Schaeffer, (more)
