Bruce Beresford Movies
One of Australia's most popular and well-known directors, Bruce Beresford got his start producing short documentaries as the head of the British Film Institute Production Board from 1966 to 1970. After returning to Australia in 1971, he directed his first features, the rowdy Barry Crocker and Barry Humphries comedies The Adventures Of Barry McKenzie and Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, which he also co-scripted. Both films found great commercial success in Beresford's native country and helped to establish their director's reputation.Beresford began attracting international attention in the late 1970s and early '80s with the satire Don's Party, the period drama The Getting of Wisdom, and Breaker Morant, a bitter account of the Boer War. The latter film, which was screened in competition at the 1980 Cannes Festival, won a particular amount of acclaim and a number of honors, including the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film.
In 1983, Beresford began making films in the States with the admired drama of a country singer, Tender Mercies; following that success (he won a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his work), his track record proved decidedly erratic, from the silliness of King David (1985), to his well-received adaptation of Beth Henley's tragi-comedy Crimes of the Heart (1986) to the critically acclaimed popular drama Driving Miss Daisy.
In 1991, Beresford's The Black Robe, a drama revolving around one of the more tumultuous periods in Canadian history, scored him another critical victory. As with his work during the previous decade, however, Beresford's subsequent efforts were erratic: while Mister Johnson (1991) and Silent Fall (1994), met with some favorable--if limited--recognition, films like A Good Man in Africa (1994) and the Sharon Stone death row drama Last Dance (1996), proved to be failures. He bounced back in 1997 with Paradise Road, a World War II drama starring Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close, and Frances McDormand, and in 1999 he directed Double Jeopardy, a thriller starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. ~ Rovi
- 2011
- R
- Add Peace, Love & Misunderstanding to Queue Add Peace, Love & Misunderstanding to top of Queue
Director Bruce Beresford brings Jane Fonda back to the screen in this comedy-drama about a mother and daughter who have precious little in common. Diane (Catherine Keener) is a straight-laced Republican lawyer who lives in Manhattan with her teenage children Zoe (Elizabeth Olsen) and Jake (Nat Wolff). However, Diane's marriage to Mark (Kyle MacLachlan) has fallen apart, and after receiving the final divorce papers, she needs to get out of the city for a while. Diane and her kids head to upstate New York, where she's decided it's time they met her mother Grace (Jane Fonda). Unlike her daughter, Grace was and is a proud hippie, the unofficial leader of the town's countercultural community who supports herself by selling marijuana. Grace and Diane haven't spoken for nearly twenty years, and just as Grace hasn't changed a bit over the years, Diane hasn't found a way to forgive her for her failings as a parent. As mother and daughter get reacquainted, Zoe has her head turned by Cole (Chace Crawford), even though he's a butcher and she doesn't eat meat, and Jake falls for Tara (Marissa O'Donnell), who he meets at a coffee shop. And as Diane searches for common ground with Grace, she also finds time to be romanced by local musician Jude (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding received its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The true story of Li Cunxin and his journey from rural China to the bright lights of ballet stardom is brought to the screen in this biographical drama from director Bruce Beresford. In 1972, 11-year-old Li Cunxin (Huang Wenbin) is living with his parents, Niang (Joan Chen) and Dia (Wang Shuangbao), and six siblings while attending a tumbledown school in Shandog province. Li's life changes when representatives of Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy visit his school, and he is one of several students believed to have promise as a dancer. While life at the school is difficult for Li and many of the instructors are harsh and unforgiving, Chan (Zhang Su) takes the boy under his wing and grooms him into one of the school's star pupils. In 1981, Li (now played by Chi Cao) is chosen to travel to the United States as part of a student exchange with the Houston Ballet Company. Under the tutelage of Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood), the company's director, Li impresses his peers and is given a key role in a televised production of Die Fledermaus; despite an attack of stage fright, Li's performance is a triumph. As Li came to love life in the United States, he also falls for an attractive young dancer, Elizabeth (Amanda Schull), and when his time in America draws to a close, he makes the decision to leave his old life behind and pursue a life of personal and creative freedom in America. Also starring Kyle MacLachlan and Camilla Vergotis, Mao's Last Dancer received its world premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
Attempting to recover from a recent family trauma by escaping into the woods for a peaceful hiking trip, an ex-lawman and his young son stumble across a dangerous contract killer in director Bruce Beresford's forest-bound thriller. Ray Keene (John Cusack) has lost his wife, and now the grieving father is looking to reconnect with his young son (Jamie Anderson) with a much-needed hike into the wilderness. But Ray and his son aren't alone in nature, because high profile assassin Frank Cardin (Morgan Freeman) has ventured into nature with the malevolent intentions of fulfilling a contract to kill an extremely powerful businessman. When Frank's hit goes awry and he ends up in the custody of U.S. Marshalls, the situation quickly spins out of control as a small army of loyal mercenaries draw their guns in a violent attempt to free their notorious compatriot. Later stumbling upon the chaotic situation, Ray does his best to protect his son while ensuring that Frank doesn't escape justice. Though Frank's men aren't willing to let their boss go to prison without a fight, Ray vows to do the right thing as help suddenly comes from the most unlikely of places. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, John Cusack, (more)
Mental illness stretches a loving family to the breaking point in this independent drama. Chris Marino (Devon Gearhart) is a ten-year-old boy growing up in a small oceanside community in Florida. Chris's father John (Joe Pantoliano) is a construction worker who is struggling to hold the family together under difficult circumstances -- his wife and Chris' mother, Mary (Marcia Gay Harden), has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and while they've been pursuing a variety of treatment options, Mary's condition continues to slowly deteriorate as she hears phantom sounds, has hallucinations, and becomes increasingly paranoid. While Joe tries to explain Mary's disease to Chris, her actions have turned her into an increasingly frightening and embarrassing stranger to her son, and Mary is clearly aware of the toll her condition has taken on the family but cannot help herself. After a violent incident results in a call from the police, Mary enters a mental hospital, and as Joe begins to buckle under the pressure of his circumstances, he quits his job and devotes all his spare time to building a sailboat, a project that reminds him of better days for Mary and himself. Canvas was the first feature film from writer and director Joseph Greco, who drew inspiration from the story of his mother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was growing up. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joe Pantoliano, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
- 2004
Like so many other MTV series, Pimp My Ride bore a title that never would have gotten to first base in past television seasons. However, the subject matter was fairly benign despite the "P" word. The exotically yclept Xzibit served as host of the series, in which various automobiles that had seen better days -- or were butt-ugly to begin with -- were plucked off the streets of Southern California and "pimped," or reconditioned, to look like sleek, sassy luxury vehicles. These rebirths usually required not only a paint and tire job, but a total remake and an arsenal of cool accessories. Each half-hour episode opened with a lively hip-hop theme song composed by Jeff Cardoni ("So you wanna be a playa/But your wheels ain't fly/You gotta hit us up/To get a pimped out ride...") Xzibit would select the honored car of the week, which would then be placed in the expert hands of the mechanics and artisans of West Coast Customs, an establishment owned by Ryan Friedlinghaus. The series regulars included paint and body experts Aren, Ish, Jimmy, Buck, and 2Shae; suspension and body specialist Danny; wheels and tires maven Alex; electronics wiz Ryan; and accessories man Big Dane. Created by Bruce Beresford and Rick Hurvitz, Pimp My Ride debuted March 4, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
- Add And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself to Queue Add And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself to top of Queue
Antonio Banderas plays the title role in this cable-TV reenactment of a little-known chapter in the life of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The year is 1914: With Villa's war of rebellion against the Huerta forces going badly, he hits upon a brilliant method to finance his crusade. Actually, the idea is brought to him: American filmmakers D.W. Griffith (Colm Feore) and Harry Aiken (Jim Broadbent), then busy at work on The Birth of a Nation, approach Villa with a request that he sell them the movie rights to his revolution. Acting as Griffith and Aiken's representative, junior executive Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey) tags along with Villa as the rebel leader willingly "directs" the film of his campaign, even going so far as to delay mass executions until early morning so that the cameramen won't "lose the sun." Ultimately, Villa's dreams of cinematic glory are dashed when the American public, goaded on by certain special interest groups, turns against Pancho and his noble cause. By turns comic, tragic, gruesome, and ironic, And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself was first telecast by HBO on September 7, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Eion Bailey, (more)
One man takes on the Irish family law system and the Catholic Church in a bid to be reunited with his children in this drama, based on a true story. In 1953, Desmond Doyle (Pierce Brosnan) was a house painter and decorator who, despite a strong work ethic, had a hard time holding on to steady work. Desmond's wife had grown tired of her marriage and her husband's financial problems, and one day walked away from her home, leaving Desmond to raise their three children on his own. While Desmond struggles to keep body and soul together for his children, his sporadic employment eventually attracts the attention of the law, and a court order sends his two sons and young daughter to separate Catholic orphanages until Desmond can prove he's capable of properly supporting them. However, Desmond discovers merely getting work is not enough to bring his children back to him, and when he learns that his daughter, Evelyn (Sophie Vavasseur), is having a rough time of it at the hands of several stern nuns, he becomes determined to win their custody in a court of law. Through Bernadette (Julianna Margulies), a barmaid who has caught his eye, Desmond meets Michael Beattie (Stephen Rea), a lawyer and Bernadette's brother. While Michael doesn't believe Desmond's case can be won in an Irish court, his partner Nick Barron (Aidan Quinn), an expatriate American who lost custody of his own children in a divorce proceeding, is eager to help, and they agree to take the case. However, they both realize they're fighting an uphill battle, and so they persuade Thomas Connolly (Alan Bates), a former football star who became one of Ireland's most respected barristers, to lend his knowledge and prestige to the case. Leading man Bronson also served a co-producer for Evelyn; Bruce Beresford directed, who previously collaborated with Pierce Brosnan on Mister Johnson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Aidan Quinn, (more)
Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) delivers this fact-based drama about one of the most fascinating private lives of the 20th century. Alma Schindler (Sarah Wynter) was one of the most renowned young beauties in turn-of-the-century Vienna, sought after as a romantic conquest by some of the most famous men in the city, including the artist Gustav Klimt (August Schmolzer). She is won, however, by the most challenging and enigmatic artistic figure of them all, composer/conductor Gustav Mahler (Jonathan Pryce). His one demand is that she give up her own aspirations as a composer, which she has nursed for years. She agrees, and their marriage proves to be a devoted yet loveless union, producing two children but leaving Alma bereft of affection. She suppresses her frustrations as her husband's star rises, sublimating her ambitions completely. His career advances yield extraordinary music but equally notable controversies, and the marriage is riven by stress. When their oldest daughter dies, Alma's health is broken. While convalescing at a sanitarium, she meets another patient, Walter Gropius (Simon Verhoeven). He is gentle and attentive, and they begin an affair, which her husband accidentally learns of later. Their marriage survives, but Mahler also knows that he is a doomed man because of a damaged heart. After his death, Alma Mahler marries Gropius, an ambitious young architect with revolutionary ideas. Their marriage lasts but a few years, for Alma is drawn to another man, the artist Oskar Kokoschka (Vincent Perez). Kokoschka is young, iconoclastic, and daring -- all of the things that the career- and status-oriented Gropius isn't. Their affair yields a renowned painting of Alma that Kokoschka calls Bride of the Wind, a depiction of their passion amid a storm-swept background. They also conceive a child that Alma decides not to carry to term. She returns to Gropius for a time, while Kokoschka sells the painting for enough money to buy a commission in the army, and he is reported killed in action during World War I. Finally, after leaving Gropius, Alma meets a gifted author, Franz Werfel (Gregor Seberg), whom she marries. Her past catches up with her in an odd way, however, when Kokoschka returns, having survived the war and captivity -- he is still obsessed with Alma, to the point that he walks around Vienna in the company of a life-size doll of her, which he destroys in a fit of anger one night at a party. Meanwhile, in Alma's life with Franz Werfel, she finally finds peace and fulfillment, even as a composer -- the movie ends with a 1925 recital at which soprano Frances Alda (Renee Fleming) performed Alma Mahler Werfel's songs. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sarah Wynter, Jonathan Pryce, (more)
Produced in the run-up to Sydney's 2000 Olympic Games, this film is an unapologetic publicity piece for one of the world's most beautiful cities. A sharp Englishwoman (Lucy Bell) returns to Australia seeking her family's history. Along the way she meets her Great Aunt Claire, who tells her about the first inhabitants of Sydney, and Malcolm, an archeologist who eventually falls for her. Shot in the giant Imax format, this film features breathtaking images of the city, making Sydney look like a fine place for the whole family to visit. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Mercurio, Mitch Mathews, (more)
In this thriller, Ashley Judd plays Elizabeth Parsons, who is convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to a long stretch in prison. After Elizabeth has spent six years behind bars, it turns out that her husband is still alive: he faked his own death as part of an insurance scam, and Elizabeth is soon released. However, Elizabeth's feelings for her husband can hardly be described as warm, and she wants custody of her son. Elizabeth's parole officer (Tommy Lee Jones) wonders if she might try to make his murder a real thing after all, especially since the law states a person cannot be convicted of the same crime twice. Double Jeopardy was directed by Bruce Beresford, from a screenplay by Douglas S. Cook and David Weisberg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Ashley Judd, (more)
Based on the testimony of survivors, this historical drama recounts the WWII heroism of female prisoners of war. (Glenn Close) stars as Adrienne Partiger, a society doyenne who flees Singapore with other expatriate women, mostly the wives of servicemen, when Japanese forces invade in 1942. When their gunboat is sunk in an air attack, the survivors wash ashore on Japanese-held Sumatra. The women are interned in a grim POW camp where punishments for even minor infractions are extreme. With the help of a missionary (Pauline Collins), Partiger corrals the women, including a tough American (Julianna Margulies), an Australian nurse (Cate Blanchett) and a young wife (Jennifer Ehle) into a musical group. Since singing is not allowed, the a cappella chorus dubs itself "a vocal orchestra" and is tolerated -- if barely -- by their Japanese captors. Though living conditions are squalid, food is scarce, and a thin sliver of soap inspires a shower brawl, the music keeps spirits uplifted and a Jewish-German doctor (Frances McDormand) provides some medical aid. Writer-director Bruce Beresford interviewed real-life participants in similar POW musical groups. Some provided, from memory, sheet music of the pieces they performed, which were used in the film. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Pauline Collins, (more)
The relationship between an unproven lawyer and the female convict he attempts to save from execution is detailed in this death-row drama. Sharon Stone plays against type as Cindy Liggett, convicted of murder at the age of 19, who has spent over a decade in prison awaiting execution. Having resigned herself to her eventual death, she cares little when her case falls into the hands of newly appointed clemency board attorney Rick Hayes (Rob Morrow). Hayes devotes himself to her case, however, and uncovers several inconsistencies regarding her earlier trial. Seeing a chance to save Liggett's life, Hayes fights for a stay of execution but finds himself facing opposition from powerful political figures and even Liggett herself. Largely ignored at the box office, the film suffered in comparison to Dead Man Walking (1995), the Academy Award-winning drama whose treatment of the death penalty theme may still have been fresh in the minds of audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Rob Morrow, (more)
This by-the-numbers psychodrama about a child psychologist trying to discern the truth behind a pair of murders stars Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Jake Rainer, a child psychologist living in an upscale community. Rainer retired when a patient committed suicide, but the local sheriff (J.T. Walsh) calls him to the scene of a double murder. In a lavish home, Rainer meets Tim Warden (Ben Faulkner) and his sister Sylvie (Liv Tyler, in her feature film debut), whose parents have been brutally slain. Sylvie hid in a closet and didn't see the killer, but Tim, who is autistic and cannot communicate, witnessed the crime. Rainer starts the complicated process of reaching Tim through gentle psychological techniques based on his theory that autistics think in sequences, while a colleague (John Lithgow) simply wants to drug the child into revealing the killer's identity. The real-life son of child psychologists who worked with autistic children, Silent Fall screenwriter Akiva Goldsman had better success with his first film, an adaptation of The Client (1994), a drama with a similar plot and themes. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, John Lithgow, (more)
- 1994
- R
Based on a novel by William Boyd (who also wrote the film's screenplay), this darkly witty drama explores the political, social, and sexual gamesmanship of a group of British and African politicians. Morgan Leafy (Colin Friels) is a British diplomat who, for the past three years, has been assigned to the British High Commission of Ninjana, an African nation slowly divesting itself of colonial rule. Leafy is an arrogant and frequently confused alcoholic romantically involved with an African woman named Hazel (Jackie Mofokeng). Arthur Fanshawe (John Lithgow), a new High Commission appointee who wants nothing more than to be promoted and moved out of Africa, brings some interesting news to Leafy: massive reserves of oil have been discovered in Ninjana, and if the British want to reap the full profits of this windfall, they will want to stay on the good side of Sam Adekunle (Louis Gossett Jr.), who in all likelihood will be the next president of Ninjana. However, something of a diplomatic crisis has come up; a native woman was struck by lightning in the courtyard of the High Commission's compound, and the locals insist that she cannot be moved until certain time-honored rituals have been performed. At a loss for advice, Leafy turns to Dr. Alex Murray (Sean Connery), a Scottish doctor who has been in Africa for 23 years and is one of the few people equally at ease with both the British colonials and the natives. However, Leafy doesn't seem so eager to seek out assistance in his romantic problems; while he's involved with Hazel, Leafy also finds himself dallying with Adekunle's wife Celia (Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) and Fanshawe's wife Chloe (Diana Rigg). By the way, don't bother looking for Ninjana on a map -- it doesn't really exist. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Friels, Joanne Whalley, (more)
- 1994
- R
Based on the award-winning play by Sam Shepard, this drama offers an unblinking look at a family desperately clinging to the last threads of the American dream. Weston Tate (James Woods) is an alcoholic Viet Nam veteran struggling to hold on to the family's farm; he often brags about his grand plans for the place, but in truth the land is just one step away from foreclosure. His wife Ella (Kathy Bates) is determined to hold her family together, though she often dreams of running away and isn't above sleeping with corrupt land developer Taylor (Randy Quaid) if it will help keep the farm in her family's hands. Their son Wesely (Henry Thomas) has the soul of a poet and dreams of a better life, while his sister Emma (Kristin Fiorella) has inherited her mother's strength, but also her mother's burden in holding the Tates together. Noted filmmaker Bruce Beresford adapted Shepard's play for the screen and served as executive producer; Michael McClary directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Woods, Kathy Bates, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
The final installment of what might be called Bruce Beresford's southern trilogy (the other films being Crimes of the Heart and Driving Miss Daisy) examines a disintegrating Southern family. The Odom family live in an elegant mansion, where Warren (Albert Finney) is retired and spends the days puttering around the house. One day, his daughter, a high school honor student named Lucille (Kathryn Erbe) finds a letter written by her mother Helen (Jill Clayburgh) declaring her intentions of leaving the family. Quickly re-writing the letter to remove the harsh words, she finishes it just in time for Warren to read it. Warren is crestfallen at the news of Helen's departure, telling her, "Lucille, I feel knocked off my perch about this." Warren descents into a depression as she and Warren await the return of Helen. After it becomes apparent Helen is not returning, Lucille drops out of high school to care for the home and her father, while Warren strikes up a relationship with available widow Vera Delmage (Piper Laurie). But then Lucille's no-nonsense older sister, Rae (Suzy Amis) arrives with her husband Billy McQueen (Kyle MacLachlan). Rae is pregnant and announces her intention of staying for awhile. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Jill Clayburgh, (more)
Adapted by Brian Moore from his own novel, The Black Robe is a sprawling recreation of a turbelent period in Canadian history. In 1634, Jesuit missionary Father Laforgue (Lothair Bluteau) arrives in the New World, hoping to convert the Huron Indian tribe to Catholicism-and, incidentally, to expedite the French colonization of Quebec. Laforgue is regarded with a combination of warmth and wariness by the natives, who refer to Laforgue and his fellow priests as "black robes". Offering his services as both guide and friend is Algonquin chief Chomina (August Schellenberg). The by-the-book Laforgue does little to endear himself to the Indians-one of whom, a holy man, labels the priest as a demon who will bring nothing but death and destruction. The one who suffers most is Chomina, the man who most desires peaceful coexistence. In an ironic coda, we learn that the "black robes" have set into motion the fall of the Hurons, simply by imposing their Christian values upon them. Black Robe has been compared to Dances with Wolves, but the films do not share the same philosophy: while the idealistic hero of Wolves strives to understand and appreciate his new Indian comrades, the pious protagonist of Black Robe has only conversion in mind. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, (more)
Director Bruce Beresford followed up his Academy Award-winning Driving Miss Daisy with another meditation on race, Mister Johnson. Set in West Africa in 1923, Johnson (Maynard Eziashi), the clerk of British administrator Harry Rudbeck (Pierce Brosnan), attempts everything within his power to ingratiate himself into white society. Johnson hatches a plan to juggle the books so that Rudbeck will have the capital necessary to achieve his ultimate dream of a "great northern road," but when his scheme is uncovered, he is fired. After finding another job with a shopkeeper named Gollop (Edward Woodward), he is again fired for his "creative" financing skills; however, Rudbeck hires him back to oversee the road construction project. When funds are cut off, Johnson convinces workers to do their jobs for free to ensure the project's completion. Once again, he is caught embezzling, and once again, he is let go; in a fit of desperation, he robs and kills Gollup. After confessing to the crime, he begs Rudbeck to kill him, sparing him the humiliation of public execution. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maynard Eziashi, Pierce Brosnan, (more)
In Paul Verhoeven's wild sci-fi action movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a 21st-century construction worker who discovers that his entire memory of the past derives from a memory chip implanted in his brain. Schwarzenegger learns that he's actually a secret agent who had become a threat to the government, so those in power planted the chip and invented a domestic lifestyle for him. Once he has realized his true identity, he travels to Mars to piece together the rest of his identity, as well as to find the man responsible for his implanted memory. Verhoeven has created a fast, furious action film with Total Recall, filled with impressive stunts and (literally) eye-popping visuals. Though the film bears only a passing resemblance to the Philip K. Dick short story it was based on ("We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), the movie is an entertaining, if very violent, ride. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, (more)
- 1990
This drama focuses on the efforts of an African clerk who bypasses the correct channels to assist his road building English boss. ~ All Movie Guide
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Alfred Uhry, Driving Miss Daisy affectionately covers the 25-year relationship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron (Jessica Tandy) and her equally indomitable Black chauffeur, Hoke (Morgan Freeman). Both employer and employee are outsiders, Hoke because of the color of his skin, Miss Daisy because she is Jewish in a WASP-dominated society. At the same time, Hoke cannot fathom Miss Daisy's cloistered inability to grasp the social changes that are sweeping the South in the 1960s. Nor can Miss Daisy understand why Hoke's "people" are so indignant. It is only when Hoke is retired and Miss Daisy is confined to a home for the elderly that the two fully realize that they've been friends and kindred spirits all along. The supporting cast includes Esther Rolle as Miss Daisy's housekeeper and Dan Aykroyd as Miss Daisy's son, Boolie (reportedly, playwright Uhry based the character upon himself). Driving Miss Daisy won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Best Screenplay (Uhry), and Best Makeup (Manlio Rochetti). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, (more)
A frustrated writer helps save a woman being railroaded by the law -- or is she? -- in this comic mystery with romantic overtones. Phil Blackwood (Tom Selleck) is a best-selling mystery novelist who has run into a bad case of writer's block. Hoping to find inspiration for his next book, Phil goes to the city courthouse and witnesses the arraignment of Nina Ionescu (Paulina Porizkova), a beautiful Romanian immigrant who is accused of killing a man with a pair of scissors. For Phil, it's love at first sight, and after sneaking into jail disguised as a priest, he makes her an offer. Phil offers to let her stay at his house, and he provides her with an alibi -- she can claim that she couldn't have committed the crime, because she was with him at the time of the attack. Nina agrees, but after Phil encounters a handful of dangerous foreign agents, Nina's acrobatic parents, and a highly suspicious district attorney, he begins to wonder if Nina might have committed the murder after all. Her Alibi also features William Daniels as Sam, and James Farentino as Frank Polito; the song "Falling In Love" was written and recorded for the film by Randy Newman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, (more)
An international collection of well-known directors contributed to this compilation film, each fashioning a short film inspired by an aria from a famous opera. The approaches vary broadly, from the playful abstraction of Jean-Luc Godard's segment, which illustrates Armide with exercising body-builders, to the more literal approach of Franc Roddam, who transports Tristan und Isolde's story to modern-day Las Vegas. A particular stand-out is Julian Temple's take on Rigoletto, which recasts Verdi as the accompaniment to a contemporary Southern California sex farce. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Theresa Russell, Nicola Swain, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.