Martha Coolidge Movies
After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design and N.Y.U., filmmaker Martha Coolidge worked in Canadian television while making short films and documentaries. In 1975, she wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film, Not a Pretty Picture, focusing on the issue of high school date rape. It wasn't until 1983 that she would find her niche in comedies with the teen classic Valley Girl, starring a young Nicolas Cage. She stayed with teen movies for her next three projects: National Lampoon's Joy of Sex, Real Genius, and Plain Clothes. For the rest of the '80s, Coolidge directed several TV shows (including a few episodes of The Twilight Zone) and made-for-TV movies before making a comeback in 1991 with the coming-of-age drama Rambling Rose, winning her Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards. In 1992, she made the TNT movie Crazy in Love, featuring an all-star cast with Holly Hunter, Gena Rowlands, and Frances McDormand. She stayed with comedy dramas for her next two efforts: Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers and Angie, starring Geena Davis. The rest of the '90s she made several little-seen features, including the Jack Lemmon/ Walter Matthau comedy Out to Sea. Her television work was more successful, with an Emmy nomination for her biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and a Director's Guild award for a segment of the anthology If These Walls Could Talk 2 (the other segments were directed by Jane Anderson and Anne Heche). A longtime associate of the DGA, Coolidge became the group's first woman president in 2002. The next year, she made the romantic drama Aurora Island, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Kim Basinger. In 2004 Coolidge release The Prince & Me, a romance starring Julia Stiles as a young woman who falls in love with a royal. Two years later Coolidge directed the Duff sisters, Hilary and Haylie as spoiled sisters who lose their fortune, in Material Girls. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 1984
- R
The abysmal teen comedy Joy of Sex is stripped down to just sex in every line and in every joke except where other bodily functions come into play. Alan (Cameron Dye) lusts after Leslie (Michelle Meyrink), whose father is a phys ed instructor with the heart of an army drill sargent and no tolerance for Alan -- though Alan is willing to go through almost anything to win Leslie's interest. As this love quest is going on, an undercover agent is out to make a major drug bust at the high school where these teens endure classes -- and some kind of a nut is gluing up odd objects in strange places at school. The bad dialogue is unfortunately matched by continuity gaffs (someone at a motel knocks down the door of room 302 to barge in on a couple in room 319) and other problems, making this a sure loser compared to the book of the same name, which has nothing to do with this movie. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Dye, Michelle Meyrink, (more)
- 1984
In this contemporary comedy/drama, Anne (Laura Harrington) is a struggling photographer who decides to break up with her boyfriend Joey (Joe Mastroianni) to pursue other romantic opportunities. However, Anne's new-found freedom doesn't work out very well for her, and a new photographic project turns sour when a pimp she was secretly photographing discovers what she's doing and retaliates by trashing her apartment. The City Girl marked the feature debut of director Martha Coolidge, though the film was not released until after her second feature, Valley Girl, became a surprise hit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Harrington, Joe Mastroianni, (more)
A satiric romantic comedy, Martha Coolidge's Valley Girl is a testimony to the short-lived Southern California '80s craze. Julie (Deborah Foreman) is a good-natured teenager following a swarm of pastel pink valley girls, who utter "gag me" at every opportunity. To her friends' dismay , Julie breaks up with her egotistical boyfriend, Tommy (Michael Bowen), while shopping at the mall. All the valley kids go to a party that night, and Tommy immediately tries to bed one of Julie's friends. Randy (Nicolas Cage), a bad boy from Hollywood, shows up and crashes the party. Open-minded Julie flirts with him before he is literally thrown out, presumably just for looking different. Smitten with Julie, Randy sneaks back into the party to talk to her again. Julie drags a whimpering valley friend with her to spend the night cruising with Randy in Hollywood. After an extended courtship, Randy is in love with Julie, and she must choose between him and Tommy, who wants her back. Her friends refuse to accept Randy, who makes many exaggerated attempts to win back her love. Finally, after she has a heartfelt talk with her dad (Frederic Forrest), love triumphs at the prom. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, (more)
- 1974
This filmed record (it is not exactly a documentary) is an extraordinary homage to the filmmaker's roots, as personified by her 85-year-old grandmother, Mabel Tilton Coolidge. The grand old dame, born around 1889, is allowed to ramble, tell stories, sing, and just generally be herself. She is also shown doing chores and presiding over a family Thanksgiving dinner. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
