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This teen comedy from Disney is based on a popular novel by Meg Cabot and directed by Garry Marshall. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a teenage klutz who's openly mocked by the popular Lana Thomas (pop singer Mandy Moore). In fact, Mia's only friend at her exclusive prep school is the socially outcast Lilly (Heather Matarazzo). Mia's life takes a dramatic turn, however, when her mom announces that her late biological father was in actuality the crown prince of a small European nation, Genovia. Now Mia is the sole heir to the throne, and her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) wants to tutor the awkward teen in royal behavior. It's a daunting task given Mia's lax table manners, poise, and hair care, but the girl perseveres with some makeover help from her grandmother's security chief Hector Elizondo) and a style expert (Larry Miller). In the meantime, Mia's romantic affections are torn between the handsome, popular Josh (Erik Von Detten) and the more appropriate Michael (Robert Schwartzman), who also happens to be Lilly's brother. The Princess Diaries is the second film from Whitney Houston's production shingle after the television version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Friends inaugurates its second season as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) digests the news that Ross (David Schwimmer) has a crush on her -- only to spot Ross with his new girlfriend, Julie (Lauren Tom). Forced to choose between the two women in his life, Ross goes with Rachel, and not long afterward the couple consummate their romance -- smack dab in the museum where Ross works. Meanwhile, Ross' lesbian ex-wife, Carol (Jane Sibbett), who has recently given birth to son Ben, "marries" her female lover, (Jessica Hecht). In other affairs of the heart, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is reunited with her husband, Duncan (Steve Zahn), a gay Canadian who'd wed her to get a green card (needless to say, the marriage is quickly dispensed with); and Ross' sister, Monica (Courteney Cox), begins dating an old family friend, Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck). In a similar medical vein, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) thinks he's finally got his big showbiz break when he is cast as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives; alas, just as he has gotten used to his affluent new lifestyle, "Dr. Ramoray" is abruptly killed off. Joey also moves out of his apartment, whereupon his roommate, Chandler (Matthew Perry), takes in a new tenant, a truly bizarre character named Eddie (Adam Goldberg), who when Joey moves back in, steadfastly refuses to go away. Friends wrapped up its sophomore season as the third highest-rated program on American TV, outflanked only by ER and Seinfeld. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Screenwriter John Hamburg directs his second film (since his 1998 debut Safe Men) with the romantic comedy Along Came Polly. Ben Stiller plays Reuben Feffer, a professional risk assessor who never takes chances in any aspect of his life. When his new bride Lisa (Debra Messing) leaves him for a European scuba instructor named Claude (Hank Azaria), he finally decides to a risk of his own. At a party, he meets free-spirited Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), whom he remembers from his seventh-grade Model U.N. Unlike the control-freak Reuben, she's spent her life living on the edge. They reluctantly begin a romance and Polly introduces him to a new world of spicy food and suggestive dances. Along Came Polly also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Reuben's washed-up best friend Sandy Lyle and Alec Baldwin as the obnoxious insurance company boss Stan Indursky. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Moving from its Thursday-night slot to a more ratings-friendly Tuesday berth, the WB drama series Gilmore Girls began its second season with Lorelai Gilmore, single mother and manager of Independence Inn in the Connecticut town of Stars Hollow, accepting a proposal of marriage from Max Medina (Scott Cohen) -- who happened to be one of the teachers at Chilton Prep School, where Lorelai's 16-year-old daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), was currently enrolled. Within a few episodes, however, Lorelai had gotten cold feet and called off the wedding. Though her wealthy mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop), accused Lorelai (who'd had Rory out of wedlock) of being unable to make a lasting commitment to any man, the fact was that Lorelai was currently weighing the options between Rory's father, Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe), a former restless spirit who was now showing signs of developing a sense of responsibility and permanence, and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), the diamond-in-the-rough owner of the local diner. Of the large supporting cast, two recurring characters were elevated to "regular" status: Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki), erstwhile boyfriend of Rory Gilmore, and Paris Geller (Liza Weil), snooty editor of the Chilton student newspaper and Rory's principal campus nemesis (at least until they became friends during a crucial school election). Also added to the regular cast was Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano, the troublesome 17-year-old nephew of Luke Danes. By the end of season two, it appeared as though Rory was emulating the romantic travails of her mom, Lorelai, torn between the affections of Dean and Jess.
In another amorous development, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Indepence Inn's ditzy chef, became engaged to local produce vendor Jackon Melville (Jackson Douglas), a relationship culminating in a wedding at season's end. Additionally, Rory's friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) began aggressively pursuing not only boys but also a career as a rock musician, much to the dismay of her staunchly traditional Korean parents. This was also the season in which Lorelai's father, Richard (Edward Herrmann), forced out of his high-paying job, established his own insurance consulting firm in Stars Hollow. In a similar vein, Lorelai began feeling professionally confined as the manager of an inn and began laying plans to purchase her own business, with (hopefully) Sookie as her partner. And finally, Christopher Hayden apparently took himself out of the running as Lorelai's beau when he took upon himself a young fiancée named Sherrie Tinsdale (Mädchen Amick). Even so, season two drew to a close with Sherrie dumping Christopher, who in turn ended up in bed with Lorelai -- but the future of this relationship was endangered by a startling phone call from Sherrie. As for Rory, she found herself in a passionate embrace with the redoubtable Jess not long after the two of them had been involved in a controversial car accident -- setting up a cliffhanger situation that would have to wait until the beginning of season three for resolution. While Gilmore Girls had still not cracked the Top 30 as far as ratings were concerned, the numbers the series posted were quite respectable by WB network standards. ~ All Movie Guide
In another amorous development, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Indepence Inn's ditzy chef, became engaged to local produce vendor Jackon Melville (Jackson Douglas), a relationship culminating in a wedding at season's end. Additionally, Rory's friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) began aggressively pursuing not only boys but also a career as a rock musician, much to the dismay of her staunchly traditional Korean parents. This was also the season in which Lorelai's father, Richard (Edward Herrmann), forced out of his high-paying job, established his own insurance consulting firm in Stars Hollow. In a similar vein, Lorelai began feeling professionally confined as the manager of an inn and began laying plans to purchase her own business, with (hopefully) Sookie as her partner. And finally, Christopher Hayden apparently took himself out of the running as Lorelai's beau when he took upon himself a young fiancée named Sherrie Tinsdale (Mädchen Amick). Even so, season two drew to a close with Sherrie dumping Christopher, who in turn ended up in bed with Lorelai -- but the future of this relationship was endangered by a startling phone call from Sherrie. As for Rory, she found herself in a passionate embrace with the redoubtable Jess not long after the two of them had been involved in a controversial car accident -- setting up a cliffhanger situation that would have to wait until the beginning of season three for resolution. While Gilmore Girls had still not cracked the Top 30 as far as ratings were concerned, the numbers the series posted were quite respectable by WB network standards. ~ All Movie Guide
Originally planned as a silly vehicle for Chris Farley, in the hands of director Ben Stiller and star Jim Carrey, The Cable Guy became an opportunity for Carrey to flex some of his darker comedic muscles as stalker Chip Douglas. Matthew Broderick plays Steven, an average Joe who is forlorn over his recent breakup with girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann). When he moves into a new apartment, Steven comes in contact with Chip, who shows up to hook up the cable. Before he knows it, and whether he likes it or not, Steven has a new best-friend in the obnoxious and clingy Chip. However, Steven soon learns that obnoxious is a walk in the park compared to Chip's behavior when Steven tells him he doesn't want to be his pal anymore. What's worse, no one -- including Robin or his family -- believes Steven when he accuses the seemingly harmless Chip of being a malevolent menace. George Segal and Jack Black also star along with Stiller, who plays twins loosely-based on the Menendez brothers. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
A cow learns to walk like a man, both literally and figuratively, in this computer-animated comedy written and directed by Steve Oedekerk, the creator of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Ben (voice of Sam Elliott) is a cow who for years has been the leader and sober voice of reason among the animals at a farm where the critters are a bit unusual -- they can walk on two legs, talk, swim, and act like humans, though they have the good sense to avoid doing these things while humans are around. Ben has long dreamed that his son Otis (voice of Kevin James) would someday take over his duties on the farm, but Otis is a carefree and irresponsible type who would rather party with his friends and hang out with his girlfriend, Daisy (voice of Courteney Cox). Ben and his friend Miles (voice of Danny Glover), a wise and patient mule, wonder if Otis will ever make anything of himself, while Dasiy's best friend, Bessy (voice of Wanda Sykes), is convinced she can do better. However, one night Otis decides to do something about an obnoxious kid who enjoys tipping his fellow cows, and for the first time in his life he gets a taste of leadership -- and he likes it. Barnyard also features the voice talents of Andie MacDowell, Maria Bamford, and Maurice LaMarche. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This film was one of the more mainstream offerings in the array of films that emphasized the overly hyped "Generation X" phenomenon, a list that ranges from Slacker to Singles and includes a host of other films. Winona Ryder stars as Lelaina, a recent college graduate. Out on her own and independent from her supportive, but out-of-touch parents, Lelaina faces the realities of careers and relationships. She can't stand her internship under a local television personality (John Mahoney), and she's forced to choose between Michael (Ben Stiller), a well-intentioned music-video network executive, and Troy (Ethan Hawke), a brooding, sensitive slacker. Meanwhile, she must also protect the artistic integrity of "Reality Bites," a video documentary that depicts the everyday lives of her friends (Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn). This 1994 release also marks the feature directorial debut of Ben Stiller. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
The plot of this Raymond Chandler-esque comedy crime caper from the Coen Brothers (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) pivots around a case of mistaken identity complicated by extortion, double-crosses, deception, embezzlement, sex, pot, and gallons of White Russians (made with fresh cream, please). In 1991, unemployed '60s refugee Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) grooves into his laid-back Los Angeles lifestyle. One of the laziest men in LA, he enjoys hanging with his bowling buddies, pompous security-store owner Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and mild-mannered ex-surfer Donny (Steve Buscemi). However, the Dude's life takes an alternate route the afternoon two goons break into his threadbare Venice, California, bungalow, rough him up, and urinate on his living room rug. Why? Because Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara) is owed money by the wife of a certain Jeff Lebowski. However, the goons grabbed the wrong Jeff Lebowski. With the right info, they would have invaded the home of philanthropic Pasadena millionaire Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston). The Dude looks up his wealthy namesake, manages to get a replacement for his rug, and meets the millionaire's sexy young wife Bunny (Tara Reid). Later, Jeffrey ("The Big") Lebowski calls in the Dude to deliver a $1 million ransom for the return of his kidnapped wife. Fine -- except that Walter intrudes and botches the ransom drop. As events unravel, the Dude gets caught up in the schemes of Lebowski's daughter, erotic artist Maude (Julianne Moore), encounters both cops and bad guys, and drifts through an elaborate bowling fantasy sequence titled Gutterballs. The soundtrack includes Bob Dylan, Yma Sumac, Moondog, Captain Beefheart, and the Sons of the Pioneers. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
