David Thwaites Movies
- 2010
Darren Aronofsky follows up his indie hit The Wrestler with this supernatural drama focusing on a feud between two ballerinas (Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis), in which one may be a figment of the other's imagination. Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey, and Vincent Cassel co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mila Kunis
- 2009
Hairspray's Adam Shankman takes the field in this adaptation of John Grisham's novel surrounding a former NFL player's second life as a quarterback in an Italian pro league. J. Mills Goodloe adapts the script for the big screen in this Phoenix Pictures/Offspring Entertainment co-production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 2009
The Fountain director Darren Aranofsky takes the helm for this psychological thriller detailing the averse relationship between a veteran dancer and a fierce rival. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An engaged young couple finds their lifetime of happiness unexpectedly compromised by a pushy minister who insists they successfully complete his comprehensive marriage-prep course before exchanging wedding vows in a matrimonial comedy starring John Krasinski, Mandy Moore, and Robin Williams. Sadie Jones (Moore) has always longed to marry the man of her dreams in her family church. Though she found her lifetime companion in Ben Murphy (Krasinski), Sadie is distressed to learn that St. Augustine's has only one wedding slot available over the next two years. While Sadie and Ben do qualify for the slot, charismatic St. Augustine's minister Reverend Frank (Williams) won't wed the couple until they agree to attend his two-week prenuptial course. Now, as their wedding date draws near, Sadie and Ben must attend every one of Reverend Frank's exhausting classes and complete a series of rigorous homework assignments designed specifically to test their dedication to one another and ensure that their union will have a sound foundation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, (more)
The true story of the woman who created some of the most beloved characters in children's literature comes to the screen in this drama leavened with elements of comedy and romance. Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) is a imaginative but gently eccentric woman living in the socially and intellectually confining circumstances of Victorian England. Potter's wealthy parents are eager for her to marry a successful man and settle down, but she has ideas of her own, and has been writing and illustrating a series of stories for children centered around a character she calls Peter Rabbit. Potter's efforts to find a publisher for her stories prove difficult, but in time she finds a firm who agrees to give her book a chance, and Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) is put in charge of the project. While Warne is new to the publishing game, he believes Potter has great talent and potential, and throws himself into the work with enthusiasm. A strong personal bond grows between Potter and Warne, and in time he asks her to marry him; however, Beatrix's parents do not approve of Norman, and she is forced to choose between her mother and father and the man she loves. Norman's sister Mille (Emily Watson) urges Beatrix to follow her heart, and she accepts Norman's proposal, but fate has other plans. Miss Potter was directed by Chris Noonan, who created an international sensation with his first feature film, Babe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, (more)
The legacy of a populist Southern politician whose lofty ambitions for the future leave him open to corruption and scandal is detailed as author Robert Penn Warren's thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long comes to the screen -- again -- this time courtesy of director and screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Willie Stark (Sean Penn) is a man of the people, and for the people; at least that's what he tells the people. Propelled into a race for governor by opposing forces looking to split the "hick vote," Stark is convinced by a handler -- as well as by young journalist Jack Burden (Jude Law) -- to not kowtow to the powers that be. His rhetoric grows fiery, and he makes his way into office on a not-so-solid foundation of social-service promises. When idealism gives way to the harsh realities of the time, however, the fast-talking politico is quick to discover just how far one can fall when ambition and power lead to a betrayal of one's original motivations. Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins round out an all-star cast in this second version of Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 novel; the first won a parade of Oscars after its release in 1949. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
When an American socialite's husband dies, she is faced with running the business the two have successfully created--a vast jewelry empire--together with staving off the petty jealousies and rivalries she has with her siblings. Of course, there is also romance off in the wings, or it wouldn't be a Danielle Steel novel, would it? ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- Add The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair to QueueAdd The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair to top of Queue
A mission of mercy sends two children to a magical world in another dimension in this made-for-TV fantasy adventure for the family. Eustace (David Thwaites) and Jill (Camilla Power) are two misfit schoolchildren who discover that a garden shed on the school's grounds is actually a gateway to the magical land of Narnia. Eustance had visited Narnia years before, and is troubled to discover King Caspian (Geoffrey Russell) has aged considerably. Caspian is troubled by the disappearance of his son, Prince Rilian (Richard Henders), who had been kidnapped years earlier. With the help of the King's helper Puddlegum (Tom Baker) and the enchanted lion Aslan (voice of Alisa Berk), Eustace and Jill set out to find the lost prince and reunite him with his father. Produced by the BBC (where it originally aired as a mini-series), The Silver Chair was based on The Chronicles Of Narnia stories by C.S. Lewis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
