Elliot Abbott Movies
An angel wonders if love can be Heaven on Earth in this family-themed romantic fantasy. Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) is the pastor of a struggling Baptist church in a poor section of New York City. Biggs is devoted to serving his flock and his community, but things are not easy; membership is down, money is tight, the furnace is broken, and real estate mogul Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines) wants to buy the property and put up condominiums. The strain is taking its toll on Biggs' marriage to his childhood sweetheart Julia (Whitney Houston), and in a moment of desperation, he prays to the Lord for help. The prayer is answered in the form of Dudley (Denzel Washington), an angel sent to earth to assist Biggs. The preacher doesn't believe that Dudley is a divine being, but he'll take any help he can get, while Julia, who thinks that Dudley is just another community volunteer, welcomes him into their home. However, Dudley is sidetracked in his earthly mission when he finds himself falling in love with Julia. Leading lady Whitney Houston takes the opportunity to sing several gospel numbers along the way. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, (more)
Penny Marshall's feel-good comedy, invoking parts of Dead Poet's Society, Sister Act, and Private Benjamin, features Danny DeVito as Bill Rago, a divorced advertising man who is fired from his job. During an appointment at the unemployment office, a counselor finds him a job as a civilian instructor at the local Army base. At the base, he is assigned a group of eight army hardcases. Rago is supposed to increase this group's "basic comprehension." Sweating it out and unable to interest his students in anything, he finally latches onto Shakespeare. He turns the lecture into a master class on Hamlet with the students converting the Shakespeare tragedy into a rap musical. Looking askance at all this is drill sergeant Cass (Gregory Hines), who feels that the whole class is a waste of time. Finally winning the respect of his students, Rago now has to win the hearts and minds of the contemptuous Cass and his staff. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
Lots of guys used to dream about having a date with Marilyn Monroe, but three friends who are about to graduate from high school to go their separate ways try to make that fantasy a reality in this comedy, set in 1962. Roy (Jason Priestley), Ned (Gabriel Olds), and Scott (Jerry O'Connell) have been buddies since the age of six, when they were entered together in a Howdy Doody look-alike contest. With only a few weeks to go before they graduate from high school, Roy has impulsively joined the Army to get away from his abusive father, while Ned has discovered he's going to be a father, and Scott is still plagued by his pesky virginity. Wanting to enjoy their last few weeks of freedom, Roy "borrows" a wad of cash and a blue Galaxie 500 convertible from his former employers, repo men Arturo and Antonio Gallo (Kurt Fuller and Stephen Tobolowsky), and persuades his friends to join him as he heads to Hollywood. Roy wants to meet the woman of his dreams, Marilyn Monroe, whom he's learned is working on a new picture, Something's Got to Give. With the help of Roy's Uncle Harry (Joe Pantoliano), they locate Monroe's home and camp out at her gate, hoping to get a glimpse of the glamourous goddess. However, Roy breaks out a reefer to smoke while they attempt to stay up all night (tactical error number one: marijuana does not make you more alert!), and when she slips out without their noticing, the three end up on a mad chase to find Marilyn before she gets away. Meanwhile, the Gallo Brothers have noticed their car is gone, and they are determined to get it back, without much concern for the health or safety of the thief. Calendar Girl was Jason Priestley's first vehicle following his success on the television series Beverly Hills 90210. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Gabriel Olds, (more)
The All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943, when most of the men of baseball-playing age were far away in Europe and Asia fighting World War II. The league flourished until after World War II, when, with the men's return, the league was consigned to oblivion. Director Penny Marshall and screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel re-create the wartime era when women's baseball looked to stand a good chance of sweeping the country. The story begins as a candy-bar tycoon enlists agents to scour the country to find women who could play ball. In the backwoods of Oregon, two sisters -- Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) -- are discovered. Dottie can hit and catch, while Kit can throw a mean fastball. The girls come to Chicago to try out for the team with other prospects that include their soon-to-be-teammates Mae Mordabito (Madonna), Doris Murphy (Rosie O'Donnell), and Marla Hooch (Megan Cavanagh). The team's owner, Walter Harvey (Gary Marshall) needs someone to coach his team and he picks one-time home-run champion Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), who is now a broken-down alcoholic. After a few weeks of training, as Dugan sobers up, the team begins to show some promise. By the end of the season, the team has improved to the point where they are competing in the World Series (which is no big deal, since there are only four teams in the league). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, (more)
Based on a true story as related by neurologist Oliver Sacks, Awakenings stars Robin Williams as the Sacks counterpart, here named Dr. Malcolm Sayer. Something of a klutz and naif, Dr. Sayer takes a job at a Bronx psychiatric hospital in 1969. Here he's put in charge of several seemingly catatonic patients who, under Sayer's painstaking guidance, begin responding to certain stimulati. Apprised of the efficacy of a new drug called L-DOPA in treating degenerative-disease victims, Sayer is given permission to test the drug on one of his patients: Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro), who has not communicated with anyone since lapsing into catatonia as a child. Gradually, Lowe comes out of his shell, encouraging Sayers to administer L-DOPA to the other patients under his care. Julie Kavner and John Heard also star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, (more)
- 1990
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This 1991 Sam Kinison concert was taped live less than a year before Kinison died in a car accident. Here Kinison plays guitar with his backup band (led by guitarist Randy Hansen) and delivers his patented diatribes. In keeping with his celebration of sex, drugs, and rock & roll, Kinison's show includes a parade of leather-clad beauties, including his wife, Malika Souiri. This video is sold with two different sleeves: one with a simple picture of Kinison, and the other, known as the "Mature" sleeve, features Kinison as the central figure in a "Last Supper" scene, flanked by beautiful scantily clad women. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
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The late Sam Kinison was a comedian who observed no boundaries of good taste or political correctness, willing to hilariously rant and rave on any subject which struck his fancy, from sex, religion, and the institution of marriage to politics and starvation in the Third World. Sam Kinison: Breaking The Rules captures Kinison at his outrageous best on stage in a performance recorded for HBO in 1987; many fans regarded this special as the performance which helped Kinison break as a major comedy attraction, predating his successful string of comedy albums and his guest spot in the Rodney Dangerfield movie Back To School. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Famed performance artist Laurie Anderson both directed and starred in the 90-minute concert film Home of the Brave. While the film refuses to "explain" Anderson to those unfamiliar with her work, it serves as a valuable primer, encouraging the uninitiated to do their own further research. Anderson's non sequitur combinations of music and visuals can be very funny at times, but don't make the mistake of dismissing her as a mere court jester. The film's litmus test is its middle section; you'll either revere or despise Anderson after experiencing this lengthy segment. Among the peripheral personalities in Home of the Brave is legendary self-destructive novelist William Burroughs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurie Anderson, Joy Askew, (more)
