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Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless director Amy Heckerling returns to her position behind the camera for the first time in six years with this romantic comedy contrasting the age disparity romance of an older divorcée with the spring butterflies that her daughter experiences upon falling in love for the very first time. An aging professional (Michelle Pfeiffer) with little luck in love has finally found a fitting companion in the form of a much younger man (Paul Rudd). As her relationship threatens to move beyond something simply physical, her adolescent daughter (Saoirse Ronan) begins to wonder if the strange tingling sensation that she feels when she's in the company of a handsome local boy could possibly be the thing grown-ups refer to as "love." Of course anything is possible when Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman) is up to her old mischief, and with higher powers at play there's no telling what will come of the relationships experienced by these two love-starved souls. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, (more)
Alex Holdridge's comedy In Search of a Midnight Kiss follows the plight of Wilson (Scoot McNairy), a 29-year-old man who has just suffered through the most miserable year of his life. A new arrival to the City of Angels, Wilson ends up alone and penniless as New Year's Eve rapidly approaches, and vows to lock his doors, pull his blinds, and climb into bed -- until best friend Jacob (Brian Matthew McGuire) talks him into posting a Craig's List personal ad. In seemingly no time at all, the message leads Wilson to Vivian (Sara Simmonds), a freewheeling young woman utterly determined to be with the "right" man at the stroke of midnight. She soon leads Wilson on an eventful and colorful trip through the nighttime streets of L.A. that he will never forget -- and that leads to a heartfelt emotional connection between the two. Anne Walker-McBay (Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused) executive produced; Holdridge authored the original script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, (more)
- 2002
Season ten of Frasier gets under way not long after Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) have eloped to Reno. Feeling guilty over leaving Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney) out of their wedding plans, the couple pretends to still be unhitched so that a more formal ceremony can take place in Seattle. What they hadn't counted on was the persistence of Daphne's mom, Gertrude (Millicent Martin), who demands a third ceremony at a place of her choosing; nor are they prepared for the return of Daphne's jilted ex-fiancé, Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek). ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Millicent Martin, Saul Rubinek, (more)
A psychiatrist confronts a new client whose problems may not be all in his head in this drama. Dr. Ty Adams (Michael Beach) is a well-known psychiatrist who has earned no small amount of controversy for his blunt and "anti-medicinal" approach to treatment. Adams is also dealing with some emotional problems of his own after the death of his wife and child. Parker (John C. McGinley), a documentary filmmaker, has arrived at the hospital where Adams works to make a movie about his work, just in time for Adams to start working with a new patient -- a mysterious and angry fellow known only as "The Man" -- who insists he is Satan (Eriq LaSalle). The new patient is not easily convinced that he's delusional, and as he becomes a greater disruptive force, Adams can't help but wonder if maybe the stranger is telling the truth. Crazy as Hell was directed by actor Eriq LaSalle, who plays the new patient and is best known for his work on the television series E.R.; it was his first theatrical feature, after helming the made-for-cable Rebound. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Beach, Eriq La Salle, (more)
- 2000
- PG13
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After making Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Clueless (1995), two of the definitive films about the joys and terrors of American high school, writer/director Amy Heckerling moves on to college with this bittersweet romantic comedy. Paul Tannek (Jason Biggs) is a bright but socially inept college freshman who has just arrived at NYU from the Midwest. Frumpy and studious, Paul has trouble meeting people, doesn't get along with his roommates, and most of his fellow students hardly acknowledge his existence. But Paul finds a soul mate in Dora Diamond (Mena Suvari), who has even more problems than he does: she's out of money, has nowhere to live, works a humiliating job as a waitress at a strip club, and has become involved with one of her professors, Edward Alcott (Greg Kinnear), whose callous treatment hardly boosts her shaky self-esteem. Dora gives Paul some advice on how to fit in with his roommates, and Paul lets her stay with him while she looks for work; when he becomes infatuated with her, he has to figure out how to win her away from Edward. Loser marked a reunion for Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari, who starred together in the hit teen comedy American Pie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, (more)
Jane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look at ultra-rich teenagers in a Beverly Hills high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne (Stacey Dash), both named after "great singers of the past that now do infomercials," are pampered upper-class girls who care less about getting good grades than wearing the right clothes and being as popular as possible. But Cher, who lives with her tough yet warm-hearted lawyer dad (Dan Hedaya) and hunky, sensitive stepbrother (Paul Rudd), also has an innate urge to help those less fortunate -- like the two introverted teachers she brings together ("negotiating" herself improved grades in the process) and new friend Tai (Brittany Murphy), who starts out a geek and ends up a Cher prodigy. Cher also possesses her own sensitive side, and she is looking for the perfect boyfriend, whom she ends up finding where she least expected. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, (more)
Paul Mazursky directed this comedy, which blends a broad satire of the film industry with a thoughtful tale of a middle-aged man looking back on his life's failures. Harry Stone (Danny Aiello) is a film director who desperately needs a hit -- so desperately that he gets talked into directing an inane sci-fi film about a group of farm kids (led by Ally Sheedy) who grow an enormous pickle that they turn into a spaceship, allowing them to visit the planet Cleveland (ruled by Little Richard and his right hand man, Griffin Dunne) where everyone eats nothing but meat. Convinced that the film will flop, Harry is in a state of panic as he returns to New York with his Parisian girlfriend Francoise (Clotilde Courau), a mere 20 years his junior, and visits his ex-wife Ellen (Dyan Cannon); his mother Yetta (Shelley Winters); and his son Gregory (Chris Penn). Meanwhile Harry flashes back on his childhood and the film he could have made of it, and pitches his dream film (a historical epic about the life of Montezuma) to studio executives, who instead want him to make a movie kids can relate to. The Pickle was filmed in 1991, but only received a token theatrical release two years later. Actually, the sci-fi story with Little Richard as the undisputed ruler of Cleveland looks like it might have been an ideal vehicle for Edward D. Wood Jr.. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Dyan Cannon, (more)
- 1992
- PG
Taking its cues from the classic Some Like It Hot (1959) and the television series Bosom Buddies (1980-82), this comedy combines the teen campus and cross-dressing subgenres. Jonathan Silverman stars as college freshman Bobby, an eager if naïve student who intends, as a legacy, to pledge his father's fraternity. Forced to endure a series of humiliating initiations, Bobby learns that he must retrieve a painting from a sorority, Zeta Alpha Zeta, as his final rite of passage. Dressed in high heels and a wig and sporting a British accent, he pretends to be "Roberta," a hopeful female pledge. Once he meets the beautiful Diana (Alyssa Milano), however, Bobby decides to keep up his ruse and remain with Zeta Alpha Zeta, in an effort to become better acquainted with her. Although he struggles to maintain his fake identity, Bobby learns what women really think about men, using his newfound wisdom both to become a better man and to separate Diana from her loutish boyfriend. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Silverman, Alyssa Milano, (more)
- 1990
- R
In this horror film, a vamp masquerades as a fashion model and uses her feminine wiles to suck the souls and life from wimpy men. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isa Anderson, Karen Black, (more)
Amy Heckerling repeats the successful formula of Look Who's Talking in this sequel, with the addition of John Travolta singing "All Shook Up" to a group of nursery schoolers and Mel Brooks cast as the voice of a toilet. The film begins with James struggling to support his family. He stills wants to become an airline pilot, but in the meantime is driving a cab. His wife Molly (Kirstie Alley) is struggling too, as a busy accountant. The strain is showing on their marriage, but then Molly becomes pregnant again, giving birth to a daughter named Julie (voice of Roseanne Barr). When the new baby arrives back home, their son Mikey (voice of Bruce Willis) has to contend not only with the new intrusion but also with Mr. Potty (voice of Mel Brooks). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, (more)
Though its PG-13 rating is well earned, Look Who's Talking has some elements that might appeal to a family audience. Chief among them, of course, is the "talking baby" protagonist. The product of an extramarital affair, infant Mikey (played by several different babies, and given voice by Bruce Willis) is a cynical, sarcastic observer of his new world. Mikey's mother, Kirstie Alley, having been dumped by her married lover George Segal, searches high and low for a new father for her baby. Of course, the perfect daddy is right under her nose all the time: cab driver John Travolta, who was on the scene when she went into labor on the sidewalk. The best moments in Look Who's Talking include Ms. Alley's imaginary flights of fancy, and the misadventures of Mikey as he progresses from sperm to reluctant newborn (his violent vocal protests against being yanked from the womb are worth the admission price in themselves). Look Who's Talking has spawned two sequels, neither of which are as charming or disarming as the original. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1989
- R
A socially isolated and extremely shy Los Angeles painter finds his dream girl in the form of a struggling actress and finds himself at last finding the confidence to exhibit his work in this off-beat romantic comedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Intending to complete a master's thesis about the sexual relationships between men and women, sociology student Paul Barton sets off to capture examples on videotape. Paul's viewfinder takes him around campus and into rooms of a sleazified Hollywood motel to get first-hand study sessions. During his adventure, he meets and falls for fellow student Jeanne and begins a more personal exploration in the Love Zone. This comedy drama contains sex, nudity, and profanity. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Shellen, Marie Laurin, (more)
Adapted from Dennis Potter's landmark British TV miniseries and relocated to the United States during the Depression, Pennies from Heaven dramatizes how popular songs both shaped and reflected the thoughts of people living through economic (and emotional) hardship. Arthur Parker (Steve Martin) is a sheet music salesman who believes that he can spot a hit a mile away and wants to open his own store. But he can't get a bank loan and his wife Joan (Jessica Harper), who has savings left to her by her father, refuses to give him the money. Also, while Arthur has a fierce sexual appetite, Joan generally refuses his advances. While on the road, Arthur meets Eileen (Bernadette Peters), a shy schoolteacher as desperate for affection as Arthur is hungry for sex. They begin an affair, which leads to tragedy for both. Punctuating the drama of Pennies from Heaven are elaborate musical numbers in which the characters lip-synch to popular songs of the day, which at once lift their hopes and reflect their fears. Arthur's buoyant tap number to "My Baby Said Yes" and Eileen's saucy rendition of "Love is Good for Anything That Ails You" are reflections of their needs for money and love, and their pas de deux on "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is at once an escape and an acknowledgement of their hopelessness. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, (more)
- 1981
- PG
In this comedy, a hotel becomes a chaotic place during the 1938 filming of The Wizard of Oz, when it is inundated with groups of midgets, secret agents, and Nazi and Japanese spies. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, (more)
- 1980
- PG
Ever wonder what happens to your car when you give it to a parking lot attendant? Find out in this zany slapstick comedy set in an exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel. There the attendants gleefully smash and bash the expensive cars of patrons while trying to get them parked. The story really perks up when an enamored and fabulously wealthy sheik joins the attendants in hopes of attracting a certain beautiful woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
