Ray Toler Movies
- 2000
In this sequel to the 1997 comedy The Brat (a major hit in its native Russia), Chechen war veteran-turned-gangster Danila (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.) meets up with a few of his Army buddies while appearing on a TV chat show about the conflict. One of Danila's pals mentions that his brother, who has moved to the United States and is enjoying a career as a hockey player, is having a cash-flow problem, and wants to know if Danila can help him. Danila promises to see what he can do, but when he gets back to his friend, Danila discovers he's been killed under mysterious circumstances. Convinced something fishy is going on, Danila and his brother Victor (Victor Sukhorukov) head to Chicago to find his friend's brother in hopes of finding out the truth; however, they quickly make a mess of things. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Bodrov Jr., Viktor Sukhorukov, (more)
- 1997
Discovering that Carla (Lisa Nicole Carson) is pregnant, Benton (Eriq La Salle) has trouble concentrating on the job, and as a result is chewed out by Carter (Noah Wyle). Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Weaver (Laura Innes) agree to disagree while escorting three interns around the ER. And after taking special interest in a police sergeant (Kevin Tighe) who is hiding the seriousness of his illness from his superiors, a distracted Carol (Julianna Margulies) goes public about her fatal mistake on the night of the nurse's walkout -- and is promptly suspended from her job. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A feminist farm belt version of William Shakespeare's King Lear, this film is based on Jane Smiley's novel about an aging farmer and his three daughters. The Lear-like farmer, Larry Cook (Jason Robards), decides to divide up his thousand-acre farm among his three daughters, but he disinherits his youngest, Caroline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an attorney, when she expresses hesitancy. The other sisters, Ginny (Jessica Lange) and Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer), take up the offer, even though they were sexually abused by their father as children. They also take up romantically with the hippie son of a neighboring farmer, Jess Clark (Colin Firth), after their own drunken, demented father moves out to live with Clark's father Harold (Pat Hingle). When Rose's husband Peter (Kevin Anderson) learns of her betrayal, he gets drunk, crashes his truck, and dies. Ginny's husband Ty (Keith Carradine) enlists Caroline's help and sues Ginny and Rose on behalf of their father, whom he feels has been treated badly by the daughters. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, (more)
Dolly Parton and James Woods as the screen's hottest new romantic team? That's only one of several casting surprises in this romantic comedy. Shirlee Kenyon (Dolly Parton) has had enough of life in her small Arkansas town, not to mention her small-minded Arkansas boyfriend Steve (Michael Madsen). So she decides to head for the big city of Chicago, where she applies for a job as a receptionist at a talk radio station. However, she arrives at the studios just as the staff are frantically searching for the psychiatrist hired to host a call-in show for people seeking advice with their personal problems. Shirlee is put on the air by mistake, and, while she lacks a degree in psychology, she has common sense to spare, and her no-nonsense advice makes the show a hit. Soon "Doctor Shirlee" is the talk of the town, but reporter Jack Russell (James Woods) senses that she might not be all she's supposed to be. Jack does some investigating and finds out the truth about Shirlee, but by this time the two have met and he's fallen in love with her. Will Jack obey his responsibilities as a journalist, or follow his heart? Straight Talk's supporting cast includes filmmaker John Sayles, monologist Spalding Gray, actor and producer Griffin Dunne, and future Lois Lane Teri Hatcher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton, James Woods, (more)
Home Alone is the highly successful and beloved family comedy about a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left behind when his family takes off for a vacation in France over the holiday season. Once he realizes they've left him "home alone," he learns to fend for himself and, eventually has to protect his house against two bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) who are planning to rob every house in Kevin's suburban Chicago neighborhood. Though the film's slapstick ending may be somewhat violent, Culkin's charming presence helped the film become one of the most successful ever at the time of its release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, (more)
