Alan Arkin Movies
As a multi-talented film and stage performer with an intense comic flair, the diminutive and stocky Jewish-American character actor Alan Arkin built a career for himself out of playing slightly gruff and opinionated yet endearing eccentrics. Though not commonly recognized as such, Arkin's ability extends not only beyond the range of the comedic but far beyond the scope of acting. In addition to his before-the-camera work, Arkin is an accomplished theatrical and cinematic director, an author, and a gifted vocalist.Born March 26, 1934, to immigrant parents of Russian and German Hebrew descent, Arkin came of age in New York City, then attended Los Angeles City College in the early '50s and launched his entertainment career as a key member of the folk band the Tarriers, alongside Erik Darling, Carl Carlton, and Bob Carey. Unfortunately, the Tarriers never managed to find a musical foothold amid the 1960s folk boom -- which, despite the success of a European tour in 1957, encouraged Arkin to leave the group and carve out a niche for himself in another arena.
Arkin instead turned to stage comedy and joined Chicago's Second City troupe, then in its infancy. (It officially began in 1959.) From there, Arkin transitioned to Broadway roles, and won a Tony and critical raves for his debut, in Carl Reiner's autobiographical seriocomedy Enter Laughing (1963). He followed it up with the lead in Murray Schisgal's surrealistic character comedy Luv, and made his onscreen debut alongside friend and fellow actor Reiner, for Norman Jewison's frenetic social satire The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! The picture not only scored with the public and press (and received a Best Picture nod) but netted Arkin a nomination for Best Actor. He lost to Paul Scofield, for the latter's role as Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons.
Arkin evinced pronounced versatility by cutting dramatically against type for his next performance: that of Harry Roat, a psychopath who systematically psychologically tortures Audrey Hepburn, in Terence Young's Wait Until Dark (1967). A return to comedy with 1968's Inspector Clouseau (with Arkin in the Peter Sellers role) proved disastrous. Fortunately, Arkin took this as a cue, and shifted direction once again the following year, with his aforementioned portrayal of Singer in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter -- a gentle and beautiful adaptation of Carson McCullers' wonderful novel. For the effort, Arkin received a much-deserved sophomore Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, but lost to Charly's Cliff Robertson.
The '70s brought mixed prospects for Arkin. He debuted as a film director in 1971, with a screen adaptation of Jules Feiffer's jet-black comedy Little Murders -- a theatrical work that Arkin had previously directed, to rave reviews, off-Broadway. A foray into the subject of American apathy in the face of random violence as it escalated during the late '60s and early '70s, the film tells the story of a sociopathically aggressive woman (Marcia Rodd) who wheedles an apathetic photographer-cum-avant-garde filmmaker (Elliott Gould) into marriage. The film divided journalists sharply. Despite initial reservations and objections, the film aged well with time, and has received renewed critical attention in recent years.
Arkin's choice of projects over the remainder of the decade varied dramatically in quality -- from the dregs of Gene Saks' Neil Simon cinematization Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972) and the tasteless police comedy Freebie and the Bean (1974) to the finely wrought, overlooked comedy-mystery The Seven-Percent Solution (1976) and Arthur Hiller's sensational farce The In-Laws (1979). Alongside his film work during the '70s, Arkin authored two best-sellers: the children's book Tony's Hard Work Day (1972) and an exploration of yoga, Half Way Through the Door: An Actor's Journey Towards the Self (1975). In the late '70s, Arkin made a rare television appearance, delighting younger viewers with a wild and gothic starring role on an episode of Jim Henson's Muppet Show.
If the 1970s struck Arkin fans as something of a mixed bag, the actor's career choices suffered during the '80s, perhaps because of the paucity of solid comedic roles available in Hollywood during that decade. A brief list of Arkin's film credits during that period render it surprising that he could even sustain his own career throughout such poor choices: Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), Improper Channels (1981), Full Moon High (1982), Bad Medicine (1985), Big Trouble (1985), and Escape from Sobibor (1987).
Arkin did make two wonderful contributions to overlooked '80s comedies, however: 1980's Simon and 1985's Joshua Then and Now. In the first picture, directed by fellow Tarrier vocalist (and former Woody Allen co-scenarist) Marshall Brickman, Arkin plays Simon Mendelssohn, a college professor who falls prey to a nutty government think tank run by Max Wright and Austin Pendleton. Although the film remained an obscurity, Joshua delivers some of Arkin's most impressive onscreen work to date, and doubtless enabled him to pull from his own Jewish heritage in developing the character.
The public's decision to snub these two pictures may have foreshadowed Arkin's work in the '90s, when he appeared in several fine, but equally overlooked, efforts. These included: Havana (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), Indian Summer (1993), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), the aforementioned Mother Night (1996), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). He delivered a searing performance as the "loser" salesman who robs his company of much-sought-after leads, in James Foley's David Mamet cinematization Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and offered the only memorable contribution to Andrew Davis' fable Steal Big, Steal Little (1995), as "an opportunist who weighs in with the underdogs and learns the true meaning of decency and friendship...[striking] the perfect blend of cynicism, sincerity, and simpatico."
Arkin maintained a comparatively lower profile during the early years of the millennium, aside from outstanding contributions to the otherwise dull farce America's Sweethearts (2001), the gripping telemovie The Pentagon Papers (2003), and the historical biopic And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003). In early 2007, Arkin received his first Academy Award nod in 38 years: a Best Actor nomination that he subsequently won for his hilarious turn in the road comedy Little Miss Sunshine. In that movie, Arkin played the grandfather of an über-dysfunctional family, who is ejected from a nursing home for his freewheeling lifestyle. The character's passions include porn and heroin -- elements that, as used by the film's directors, enable Arkin to provide much of the film's fresh and inspired humor. The part earned him rave reviews, and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
He appeared in the dog film Marley & Me in 2008, and that same year reteamed with Steve Carell for the big-screen version of Get Smart. He was the executive producer and co-star of the shaggy-dog crime tale Thin Ice in 2010, and the next year he had a brief cameo as a studio tour guide in The Muppets, and appeared in The Change-Up. He had a major part in Ben Affleck's Argo, a thriller about agents attempting to save American hostages held by Iranians by pretending to be making a Hollywood blockbuster. His portrayal of a showbiz producer who helps pull of the scheme, Arkin captured another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Alan Arkin has married and divorced three times, to Jeremy Yaffe, to Barbara Dana, and to Suzanne Arkin. In addition to the legacy engendered by his own career resumé, Arkin has fathered something of an acting dynasty; his three sons, Adam, Matthew, and Tony, are all gifted and accomplished actors, with Adam Arkin (Northern Exposure, Chicago Hope) maintaining a somewhat higher profile than his brothers. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
An elderly community handyman and notorious curmudgeon effectively isolates himself from his friends and neighbors by suing his lifelong best friend over a minor transgression in director Neal Miller's character-driven comedy drama. Flagg Purdy (Alan Arkin) is a cantankerous old coot who prides himself on principle. Despite Flagg's gruff exterior, his longtime wife, Ada (Barbara Dana), still cherishes her husband, and knows that his heart has always been in the right place. The pair's six grown children know too that their father has always meant well, even in times when his questionable parenting skills may have fallen a little on the heavy-handed side. One day, while playing his weekly game of checkers with friend and neighbor Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), Flagg angrily accuses his nonplussed opponent of cheating. Though Gus is initially able to laugh off the accusation, the conflict soon escalates when Flagg storms into Gus' general store complaining that his friend's sheep have been relieving themselves a little too close to the well that supplies the Purdys' drinking water. When Gus retorts by pointing out that it is his well, and that the sheep are also his, the enraged Flagg responds by suing his neighbor. Though a surprise witness nets Flagg an unexpected win in the courtroom, the resulting effect that his litigious actions have on the family's already tenuous community relations soon leave his family in the lurch. Subsequently retiring to his "deathbed" and requesting the presence of his children before he bids the cruel and uncaring world a final farewell, Flagg is forced to consider that he may be more like his stubborn father than he would care to admit as, one by one, his offspring fail to bring their father back from the "brink." ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Austin Pendleton, (more)
A frustrated seminary student weighs the prospect of life as a family man against a future in the clergy after meeting a beautiful volunteer while conducting missionary work on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. Peter (Jacob Pitts) is just two years into his seminary studies when he begins to suspect that a life in the priesthood is not for him. Convinced by Father Tew (Frank Langella) to weight his options while accompanying devout classmate Gilbert (Matthew Carey) on a mission to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Peter discovers that his decision isn't going to be easy after at his destination and meeting impassioned volunteer Jill (Amy Acker). Jill is precisely the kind of girl Peter has always dreamt of, attractive and idealistic, while no-nonsense social justice advocate Father Behnke (Alan Arkin) encapsulates everything that the disillusioned seminary student wanted to be when he first began training to become a man of the cloth. Later, as the eccentric Father McIlhenny (Orson Bean) returns from performing missionary work overseas, Peter finds that the more he acts like a priest the more he entices the lovely Jill. As each character comes to a crucial crossroads in life, the decisions they make will set the course that ultimately guides them to true fulfillment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacob Pitts, Amy Acker, (more)
A businessman becomes the last line of defense for his family and his business in this thriller. Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) is an upper-echelon technology executive at Landrock Pacific Bank, a leading financial institution based in Seattle. Stanfield oversees security for Landrock, and has made sure that their online banking services are the best-protected in the world, and that the bank's data is safe from hackers and other intruders. However, Stanfield finds out the hard way that his system does indeed have a flaw when he's visited by Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), a cold and calculating man who has spent months learning everything there is know about Stanfield and his family. Cox's underlings have taken Stanfield's wife, Beth (Virginia Madsen), and their two children hostage, and they inform Jack that they will be released only when he uses his knowledge of the bank's security systems to deposit 100 million dollars in Cox's account in an offshore bank. Stanfield is deeply wary but willing to go along to ensure the safety of his family, but when he has reason to doubt that Cox and his cohorts will live up to their end of the bargain, he swings into action to exact justice against the criminals. Firewall also stars Alan Arkin, Robert Forster, and Mary Lynn Rajskub. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, (more)
Studio mogul Joe Roth returns to his roots as a director with this romantic comedy co-written by Billy Crystal and starring Roth's longtime friend Julia Roberts. Crystal stars as Lee, a studio publicist desperately trying to keep several facts secret from reporters during a high-profile motion picture's press junket. Among the developments that Lee is trying to obscure from view: the film's eccentric director (Christopher Walken) has essentially hijacked the $87 million movie and isn't allowing anyone to view it. Also, the film's high-profile, real-life married co-stars Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) have acrimoniously split since filming (over Gwen's adulterous affair with Latin lover Hector (Hank Azaria). Lee has led the press to believe that reconciliation is imminent, when in fact Gwen hates Eddie more than ever. Lee's secret weapon in his campaign of misinformation is Gwen's long-abused sister Kiki (Julia Roberts), who works as the pampered star's personal assistant while secretly pining for Eddie, who might just notice Kiki now that she's lost 60 pounds. America's Sweethearts co-stars Alan Arkin, Seth Green, and Stanley Tucci. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, (more)
This remake of the 1975 German film Jakob der Lügner stars Robin Williams in a dramatic role as a man who uses his active imagination to bring a ray of hope where hope was all but unknown. Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is the owner of a small café during the Nazi occupation of Poland; he has little money and is struggling to keep body and soul alive in the shadow of the Third Reich. One day, he overhears a radio broadcast, forbidden to Polish ears, that reports a major victory for Russian troops over the German army. Enthusiastic about this good news, Jakob begins spreading word of the Russian army's progress through the Polish ghetto. He notices that the story gives people hope and makes it easier for them to get through the day. So Jakob begins inventing stories and passing them along, creating fictional war reports that suggest that the occupation may soon be ending. However, when the occupation troops get wind of these stories, they become convinced that someone has communications equipment stashed away somewhere, and they're determined to find both the radio and its operator at all costs. Jakob the Liar was the first American feature for director Peter Kassovitz; the supporting cast includes Armin Mueller-Stahl, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, and Liev Schreiber. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Alan Arkin, (more)
New Zealand screenwriter Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show) made his feature directorial debut with this science fiction drama, set in a future when one's life is determined by genetic engineering rather than education or experience. The wealthy can choose the genetic makeup of their descendants. People are designed to fit into whatever role is decided before birth. But what happens when someone desires another way of life? Citizens in this impersonal future-world are fashioned as perfect specimens, so those in the natural-born minority are viewed as inferior to the pre-planned perfect specimens (aka "Valids") who dominate. One of the natural-borns (aka "In-Valids"), Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), has several defects (poor vision, emotional problems, and short 30-year life expectancy), but he also develops a different outlook on his pre-ordained fate. He yearns to break free from society's constraints, and he dreams of a journey into space as a Gattaca Corp. navigator. To accomplish his goal, he enlists the aid of DNA broker German (Tony Shalhoub) and makes contact with Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), who was paralyzed in an accident and is willing to sell his superior genetic materials. Vincent assumes Jerome's identity and is scheduled for a flying mission. However, a week before his flight, a Gattaca mission director is murdered, and all members of the program are the suspects. Meanwhile, he develops a romantic interest in a beautiful Valid, Irene (Uma Thurman), prevented from going into space because of her heart defect. Tracked by a relentless investigator who is methodically jigsawing all the pieces together, Jerome finds his aspirations dissolving into stardust. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, (more)
Director Andrew Davis followed up the action blockbuster The Fugitive (1993) with this Capra-esque box office dud that nevertheless featured engaging dual performances by Andy Garcia. Garcia stars as Ruben and Robby, twin brothers who were raised separately and have become total opposites. Ruben has recently inherited a 40,000-acre Santa Barbara estate from his eccentric guardian, Mona (Holland Taylor). A friend to artisans and migrant workers, Ruben wants to transform the land into a commune, while the cold-hearted Robby wants to steal it from his brother, develop it and make millions. Muddying the waters are Lou (Alan Arkin), a quick-thinking ex-cop and pal of Ruben's who is able to manipulate the law to his own purposes, Eddie (Joe Pantoliano), a shark lawyer who plays both sides against the middle, and Ruben's ex-wife Laura (Rachel Ticotin). When each brother masquerades as the other for a time, however, some insights are gained by both. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Alan Arkin, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
- Add So I Married an Axe Murderer to Queue Add So I Married an Axe Murderer to top of Queue
Comic actor and former Saturday Night Live stock player Mike Myers attempted to transform himself from the goofy title character in Wayne's World (1992) (and its sequel) into a romantic leading man with this box office disappointment. Myers stars as Charlie Mackenzie, a San Francisco poet who meets the girl of his dreams, Harriet Michaels (Nancy Travis) when he stops to pick up some haggis for his parents at Meats of the World, a butcher shop where Harriet works. Although he's been neurotically commitment-phobic in the past (dumping one girlfriend because she "smelled like soup"), Charlie thinks Harriet could be the one. That is, until his mother May (Brenda Fricker) and cop best friend Tony (Anthony LaPaglia) begin to suspect that Harriet could be an axe-wielding serial killer who has butchered several husbands. Harriet's wacky sister Rose (Amanda Plummer) and her connection to several of the slayings make Charlie nervous, but he nevertheless pops the question, leading to an eventful honeymoon where all is revealed. Although So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) earned less than $12 million at the U.S. box office, Myers hit upon the Peter Sellers-inspired formula of playing various supporting characters with this film, portraying Charlie's amusingly paranoid father Stuart. The actor repeated the trick with greater success in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and its sequel. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, (more)
Mike Binder wrote and directed this reunion story in The Big Chill vein about of group of ex-campers, now in their twenties, who return to their old summer camp to get together again. Alan Arkin plays Uncle Lou, the old camp counselor and resident sage at Canadian summer camp Tamakwa. Leading a group of contemporary youngsters wearing Walkmans on their heads to glory in the beauty of a majestic moose in the Canadian Northwoods, he realizes that the children of today are not the way children were in ancient times before 1993, so he decides to close up shop and shut down Camp Tamkwa for good. But before he does he invites a group of campers from the camp's golden age -- men and women now in their twenties -- an assortment of veteran campers who return to reflect on the past and sort out their troubles. The campers include Beth (Diane Lane), a woman who is adjusting to her husband's accidental death; Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins), a single woman looking forward to renewing her relationship with fellow camper Matthew (Vincent Spano); Kelly (Julie Warner), Matthew's wife, feeling insecure because she knows Matthew is unhappy in the marriage; and Jamie (Matt Craven), a swinging bachelor with an eye for younger women. Rounding out the pack is Jack (Bill Paxton), who as a boy was kicked out of the camp for a mysterious reason. When he shows up at the camp, the rest of the campers are stunned. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Matt Craven, (more)
Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands opens as an eccentric inventor (Vincent Price) lovingly assembles a synthetic youth named Edward (Johnny Depp). Edward has all the essential ingredients for today's standard body, with the exception of a pair of hands. For what is initially thought to be a temporary period, he is fitted with long, scissor-like extremities that, while able to trim a mean hedge, are hardly conducive to day-to-day life. When the kindly inventor dies, however, Edward is left lonely and cursed with some very heavy metal for hands. He is eventually taken in by Peg Boggs (Dianne Weist), an Avon lady who takes pity on him after seeing his bleak existence. Edward, in spite of his inherent ability to slay anyone he comes across, is a gentle soul whose only wish is to be loved. His impromptu family has, at best, a limited understanding of Edward, but he finds himself drawn to Peg's weary but sympathetic daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder), who is dating Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), the neighborhood bully. Meanwhile, Edward finds himself a local celebrity after the town realizes that his talents include creative hedge trimming and an unrivaled ability to cut hair. His so-called friends are proven fair-weather when Edward is accused of a crime, after which his only supporters are Peg and Kim. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, (more)
- 1990
- PG13
Three rebellious bickersome brothers reunite to drive their father's title car from their Detroit homes to Florida. The auto is to be a gift to celebrate their mother's birthday party. Along the way, their adventures are punctuated by pop tunes from 1963 that include "Louie, Louie," a song that inspires a hilarious debate as the three attempt to fathom the song's meaning. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross, (more)
- 1985
- PG13
A couple of med-school wannabes (Steve Guttenburg and Julie Hagerty) can't get admitted to any U.S. medical schools so they end up in a small Central American school run by a dictator director (Alan Arkin). When the students become aware of the medical needs of the local peasants, they swipe drugs and pills from their college lab and set up an underground clinic to serve the needy. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Alan Arkin, (more)
When an evil oil man discovers black gold beneath Muppet Theater, Kermit recruits a Muppet super-fan and his two best friends to help gather up the gang for a telethon that will save the venue from being razed and replaced with a giant oil pump. Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) never met an oil field he couldn't suck dry. So when Tex discovers a bountiful reservoir right underneath Muppet Theater, he begins drawing up plans to claim the land and start drilling. Little does Tex realize that devoted Muppets fan Walter is currently in Los Angeles with his best friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams), and that he's not about to let one man's greed spoil a good thing for everyone. With Kermit by their side, Walter, Gary, and Mary hatch a plan to put on a big telethon that will help them raise the ten million dollars needed to keep Muppet Theater standing. But rounding up the gang won't be easy, because these days Miss Piggy's got a posh job at Vogue Paris; Fozzie has landed a gig at a Reno casino; Gonzo has become the owner of a successful plumbing company; and Animal is dealing with anger management issues in a Santa Barbara clinic. With the drilling deadline fast drawing near and Tex wringing his hands in anticipation, the gang races to put on the performance of a lifetime and save Muppet Theater from certain destruction. Directed by James Bobin and written by Segel and Nicholas Stoller, The Muppets Movie features cameos by Zach Galifianakis, Billy Crystal, Jack Black, Alan Arkin, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Segel, Amy Adams, (more)
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston go to the dogs with Marley & Me, a tale of a couple embarking on the adventure of marriage, career, family, and the world's worst dog. At least that's how writer and newlywed John comes to describe his blonde lab, Marley, when he takes the puppy home and finds that the fluff-ball has an uncanny ability to eat and/or destroy just about anything. As years go by, John and his wife, Jennifer, contemplate having babies and moving across the country, while Marley grows into 100 lbs. of funny, wild, completely untrainable canine companionship -- as well as one of the most important people in the family. Marley & Me is based on the best-selling autobiographical book by columnist John Grogan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
Barry B. Benson (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) is your average honeybee. Despite having recently received his diploma from bee college and being virtually guaranteed a bright future in honey, Barry feels he has the skills to pursue a number of different career paths and resents the fact that his employment opportunities are strictly limited to producing the sweet nectar. Upon breaking away from the hive and developing a friendship with an insect-loving New York florist (voice of Renée Zellweger), Barry makes the shocking discovery that human beings eat honey in mass quantities. Having finally found his calling in life, the infuriated Barry decides to sue the human race for stealing all of the honey that his fellow bees work so hard to produce. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, (more)
A group of disparate characters look for understanding and compassion in the midst of a lonely holiday season in this comedy drama. Rose (Susan Sarandon) is a middle-aged divorcée whose mother is in the hospital with an advanced case of Alzheimer's disease; while Rose wants one more chance to tell her mother that she loves her, the woman doesn't even know who she is anymore. Mike (Paul Walker) is a police officer who has become the obsessive focus of an elderly waiter, Artie (Alan Arkin), who is convinced Mike is the reincarnation of his late wife. Meanwhile, Mike is engaged to marry the beautiful Nina (Penélope Cruz), but he's so consumed with jealousy and suspicion that she's not sure if she can go through with the wedding. And Jules (Marcus Thomas) is a street hustler who has only one fond memory of Christmas -- ending up in an emergency room, where the staff was holding a party. Jules wants to relive the experience, and is even willing to injure himself to do so. Noel was the first directorial effort from actor and playwright Chazz Palminteri. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penélope Cruz, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 1994
- PG
A boy divorces his parents in this comic fantasy for the family. North (Elijah Wood) is the sort of kid most parents dream of -- he's bright, well-behaved, a good student, and a great baseball player. But North's Mom and Dad (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander) are so busy with their lives and careers that they barely have time for him. A man dressed as the Easter Bunny (Bruce Willis) who serves as North's conscience and advisor suggests to him that if he's not happy with his parents, maybe he could do better elsewhere. North hires a lawyer, Arthur Belt (Jon Lovitz), who presents his case to Judge Buckle (Alan Arkin); the judge declares North a free agent, and he gives North two months to find new parents, otherwise he'll be sent to the orphans' home. North finds himself travelling the globe auditioning prospective parents, while a boy named Winchell (Matthew McCurley) thinks that North's legal victory could be the first step in kids taking over the world. North's would-be parents include Kathy Bates, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McIntire, and Kelly McGillis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, (more)
After getting his start as a visual effects artist on the original Star Wars trilogy, Spielberg protege Joe Johnston found success as a director with his debut film, the blockbuster family adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. For his sophomore outing, Johnston helmed this action-adventurer, set in 1930s Hollywood and in the spirit of old pulp comics and adventure serials, and co-adapted from the David Stevens graphic novel by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. Bill Campbell stars as Cliff Secord, an eager young pilot who finds himself in possession of a secret jet-pack that gives him the ability to fly. Cliff soon learns that screen-star Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) will stop at nothing to get his hands on the rocket pack so he can give it to the Nazis. As The Rocketeer and with a little help from his mechanic friend played by Alan Arkin, it's up to Cliff to elude Sinclair, defeat the Nazis, and save his girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly). ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
During WWII, Sobibor was a notorious Nazi death camp. This gripping, fact-based drama chronicles the courage of an inmate who managed the largest escape from such a place. Thanks to him, over 300 prisoners were freed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1983
- PG
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This patchy, uneven combination of fantasy and musical comedy is hilarious in parts and embarrassing in others, though the premise has great potential in itself -- a screwball Captain Invincible is out to save the world from his nemesis, Mr. Midnight, the white supremacist. Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin) is wallowing in his cups in the Australian outback when he receives an unusual call from the American President asking for his help. Unusual because the Captain had no choice but to go into exile after Joseph McCarthy's Un-American Activities Committee became suspicious of his red cape, and he has never been sober enough to recover from the shock. This history is given in a mock newsreel at the beginning of the film. But now Mr. Midnight is threatening to dismember New York City by convincing all the ethnic groups to live along the seashore. Once they are situated on beachfront property, he will blast out a crack in the earth behind them, cut their connection to the mainland, and send them drifting off into the Atlantic. It seems the dastardly Midnight has stolen the ultra-secret hypno-ray and can slice off New Jersey whenever he wants. Weakened by depression and alcohol, Captain Invincible is nursed back to full throttle by Patty Patria (Kate Fitzpatrick) and is soon ready to zoom over Sydney to the far side of the globe -- after practicing in harness in front of rear-projected scenes. Meanwhile, Mr. Midnight and his sidekick are all set to defend their turf, and their ability to slice it up -- though the (American) patriotic sentimentality that prevails in the end, after several other songs have come and gone, is summarized in a rendition of "God Bless America" that conflicts with the opening scenes and may leave foreign audiences cold. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Christopher Lee, (more)
- 1982
- PG
This oddball werewolf outing from hit-and-miss genre auteur Larry Cohen details the comic misadventures of Tony Walker (Adam Arkin, son of Alan), a former high-school jock who is transformed into a werewolf during a family visit to Transylvania. Cursed with immortality, Tony is able to return to his old school stomping ground twenty years later and pass himself off as his own son. The outcome proves more disconcerting for Tony than for his unsuspecting friends, to whom the passing years have been less than kind. Ed McMahon co-stars as Tony's dad. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Arkin, Roz Kelly, (more)
- 1981
- PG
Alan Arkin plays a hapless architect named Jeffrey Martley, separated from his sprightly writer wife Diana (Mariette Hartley) and his wise-beyond-her-years five-year-old daughter Nancy (Sarah Stevens). When Nancy is injured in Jeffrey's camper, she is taken to the hospital where a misunderstanding leads doctors to believe she is the victim of child abuse. An imperious social worker, Gloria Washburn (Monica Parker), compiles a computer dossier on Jeffrey, and Nancy is taken away from him and put in an orphanage. When Diana finds out the situation, she gets back together with Jeffrey in order to try to get their daughter out of the orphanage. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Mariette Hartley, (more)
- 1981
- PG
A former baseball player (Alan Arkin) has descended into alcoholism, and meets up with a has-been entertainer (Carol Burnett) when both spot a briefcase containing secret documents. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, (more)
- 1980
- PG
In this far-out comedy that slams it to academia, television, and the military, Simon (Alan Arkin) is a puffed-up professor who is boondoggled by a group of geniuses in a think tank. Becker (Austin Pendleton) leads the wacked-out thinkers as they invent off-the-wall games to keep themselves amused instead of solving global problems in ecology or whatever. They manage to convince Simon he is really a space alien, but then Simon gets away from them and takes refuge in a strange commune headed up by a former television executive (Adolph Green) whose bible is TV Guide. Simon's life does not get any easier since he is being hunted by the army with orders to shoot on sight. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Austin Pendleton, (more)
Dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) is a respectable man. He has a daughter who is about to marry the son of a very suspicious character, Vince Ricardo (Peter Falk). They are practically relatives already, the wedding is so near. Certainly, Sheldon already despises Vince as if he were already a well-known relative. Nontheless, Vince calls on Sheldon and convinces him to go with him on a series of wild and hilarious adventures, claiming all the while that he is a CIA agent, and that what he is doing is in the national interest. Sheldon follows Vince to a South American country ruled by a very odd man, General Garcia (Richard Libertini), who talks to his hand (which talks back). It seems that the dictator is involved in a scheme to counterfeit and undermine U.S. currency. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
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