Amazon.com

Julia Ormond faced one of the great challenges of her career when she tried to re-create Audrey Hepburn's title role in the 1995 remake of 1954'sSabrina. Happily, Ormond performed admirably, and while she may not have the same gamine charm of Hepburn, she makes the role her own. In fact, her transformation from mousy girl to sophisticated young woman is actually more dramatic in this updated version. The basic plot is the same--chauffeur's daughter falls in love with the son of the rich household, only to be wooed away by the older brother for business purposes--but it has been entertainingly modernized: The head of the Larrabee household is the strong matriarch (Nancy Marchand); Sabrina goes to Paris to work with a photographer instead of going to cooking school (although that means the wonderful "new egg" scene of the original had to be ditched); David's (Greg Kinnear) character has been toned down and made more sympathetic; and Humphrey Bogart's revolutionary plastic has become the flattest TV screen ever made. Lauren Holly does a fine job playing Elizabeth Tyson, David's fiancée. If you watch this for its own worth--instead of comparing it to the original--this will prove to be a terrific lighthearted romantic comedy.--Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (93)

Julia Ormond shines in role played by Hepburn!
Being a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, I NEVER thought I would find the remake as entertaining as the original. But was I ever wrong!

Julia Ormond's transformation to the luminously beautiful "woman of the world" Sabrina, is every bit as believable as Hepburn's earlier transformation. Ormond's chemistry with Harrison Ford is far more believable and charming, as Linus tries to distract Sabrina from her obsessive fascination with his younger brother, David, now engaged to the daughter of a business associate.

Harrison Ford gives his portrayal of Linus the needed humanity that Bogart's portrayal lacked. Linus, in Ford's capable hands, revealed the weight of being the older, more responsible brother, in whom the family fortune rested. Yet, Linus yearned to fall in love, and until Sabrina's return from Paris, and their mock courtship, he didn't believe it could ever happen. I really believed he was falling in love with Ormond's Sabrina.

Ford's Linus seemed genuinely heartbroken when he admitted the truth about the Paris trip to Sabrina. He watched with dismay, as her heart broke, to realize he'd been playing her for a fool during their romance. That's why their reunion in Paris, at the end, was so satisfying!

Greg Kinear's David was also more humane and less calculating, than William Holden's in the original version. I felt David's anger at his brother's deceptive romance of Sabrina. And so his punching Linus was a more realistic response.

I highly recommend this movie to all romantics! It also makes a great date film. A great update of an earlier classic, this film may well become a classic in its own right.

Enjoyable, more meaningful/romantic version than original
If you look through the reviews for this version and those for the old B&W, you'll see that there is a little debate going on about which is better. Really, both films have their merits. The original was cute and unpretentious, presenting a fragile Audrey Hepburn in some fashionable clothing (including that absurd gown she dragged through the tennis court scene). But this recent version has the benefit of having a much more appealing hero. Harrison Ford, though he is awkward in romantic roles, is still a far better choice than the clumsy and unattractive Humphrey Bogart. Ford plays the lead, Linus Larrabee, the oldest of two brothers and the responsible (even greedy) one. Greg Kinnear gives a brilliant performance as the younger brother, David, a playboy with only women on his mind. Caught between the two is Sabrina, even more brilliantly played by Julia Ormond. Unlike Hepburn, who presented a shy and awkward Sabrina, Ormond plays the role with not just shyness or insecurity, but an underlying gentleness that fleshes out the character, making her very real and very appealing. Each scene, she delivers just the right amount of insecurity combined with the right amount of emotion, and each line is delivered perfectly. Yet you are never aware that she is acting. The interactions between Kinnear and Ormond have tremendous "chemistry", more so than those she has with Ford. But between Julia and Greg, or rather their characters, there is so much honesty and quite frankly such superb acting that what you are witnessing is not some celebrity actors playing themselves playing a role, but two true actors who make it all look natural. (I know, something Hollywood typically doesn't appreciate.) Their scenes bring a passion and a reality to the film that is rather inspiring -- I'd like to see these two paired again, this time as the lovers and not those who end up "just friends". The storyline is played gently, more for comedy than drama. This film owes a lot to its predecessor, but I have to vote that this is the better, more charming, more emotional and more natural version. The cast of supporting characters is marvelous and expert, including Nancy Marchand as the Larrabee matriarch, John Wood as Sabrina's sensible father, Angie Dickinson and Richard Crenna as the Tysons of Tyson Electronics and a billion dollar merger if David marries their daughter, a physician played by Lauren Holly. Dana Ivey is Mack, Linus' secretary, who has all the funny lines ("We were up to our arms in your underwear drawer. It was like touching the Shroud of Turin.")All the supporting cast do a wonderful job of, well, supporting the stars. The pace never lags, the fun and the drama don't stop. The DVD version has excellent sound and color picture. This is a good investment if you want to see a film that is adult, gently dramatic, clever, and pure pleasure.

My Favorite Movie, Bar None
This movie is wonderful. It takes an already-good plot and updates it -- an Ever After for our classic Cinderella story. The new Sabrina is more self-sufficient, worldly, and her relationship with Linus is much more mature than the variety of relationships portrayed in any movies from Hollywood's Golden Era. It's not that the first Sabrina isn't a wonderful classic, but while that one was classic for its fairy-tale quality, and cute scenes that could never be truly be duplicated, this one meets the demands of an audience who today, wants proof that these are actually two people in love. With Ormond's character, we, the audience, understand and participate in her transition from teenage infatuation to mature love. There are no petty emotional mind-games here, as are so common in Bogart-era romantic comedies.

In addition, the actors themselves add considerably to the movie's success. Kinnear's David matures as well, from playboy to partner, and it is easy to see that his relationship with his brother has played no small part in the formation of his playboy image. Additionally, many of his lines are priceless. Ormond delivers a few ringers as well, including my favorite, when she refers to Linus as "the only living heart donor."

And all this is without speaking of the music. The soundtrack is excellent. The score is classy for its infusion of jazz, yet made passionate by John Williams' unmistakable orchestration. Sting also contributes a haunting ballad. It all fits beautifully into the movie.

Everytime I watch the new Sabrina, it makes me cry. And I'm not the crying type. I highly recommend it -- not as a remake, but on its own merit.

Enjoy it without comparing it to the original
In addition to this movie I've also seen the older one starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and I found that both can be enjoyed almost as two different kinds of films. Though not without its moments of drama, the Bogart/Hepburn film was lighter, more sparkling and witty, but also a little more shallow. In that movie, I couldn't understand the attraction between Bogart and Hepburn; they never seem to connect across their age gap.

In this remake of Sabrina, Julia Ormond gives a performance that's more mature and has more depth. Once she goes to Paris and grows up, she truly grows up (unlike Hepburn, who is loveable but too childlike). The love that develops between her character and Harrison Ford's is more believable; the movie takes more time and trouble to develop a plausible relationship between the grown up chaffeur's daughter and the billionaire without a social life. In addition to that, it also has witty dialogue and funny moments, just like the original.

Genuinely terrible remake of movie classic
This is a simply awful remake of the 1950s original with Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Their roles are reprised by Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear.

Of the three leads, Greg Kinnear (David Larrabee) does the best job. I think he is a very underrated actor, especially after his excellent work in "As Good As It Gets". He even slightly resembles a young William Holden.

Harrison Ford does an adequate but uninspired job as Linus. Actually both Ford and Bogart were both too at least 20 years old to play Linus, who is supposed to be the older brother, not the father. This detracts a little from the romance, which is supposed to be May-September, not May-Decenber in character, but in the original film, Bogarts sheer charisma carried the day. Harrison Ford has many talents, but romance isn't one of them. He's a good performer in action flicks like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but he just has no chemistry here.

The worst of the pack is Julia Ormond, an otherwise fine British actress ("Smilla's Sense of Snow"). She is everything wrong for Sabrina -- I can only think they picked her for her smooth voice and accent, which do superficially resemble Ms. Hepburn's. But Julia Ormond is too old to play Sabrina (she was in her thirties when it was filmed and Sabrina is supposed to be about 20!) and doesn't come across as an ingenue. She is just plain painful in the early scenes, where the costume/makeup people went into overtime making her a frump with mounds of frizzy hair. Later, she is "transformed" with a short haircut but unlike Audrey Hepburn -- one woman who was utterly enchanting and beautiful with very very short hair, a hard look to carry off -- Julia looks just awful. It's an unflattering cut and served only to make her look even more mature, rather than sophisticated and charming.

Much of the delightful, sparkling dialogue has been chopped out, towards what end I can't imagine. Also, instead of going to Paris and training as a chef (a very acceptable modern profession for a woman!), they have decided to make Sabrina a Vogue fashion photographer (despite no previous interest or background in photography OR fashion). Frankly, I think the writers were getting "Sabrina" mixed up with Audrey Hepburn's other great classic "Funny Face", where she plays a frump-become-fashion-model. There is no other believable explanation! This also ruins her Paris experience, which was handled so delightfully in the original. If that isn't bad enough, they have innocent little Sabrina having a love affair, a point which terribly muddles the whole idea that she is a naive virgin pining for David. OK, frankly, not many girls stay virgins that long these days, but Sabrina had a reason for doing so and the additional lover (who is quite attractive) really skews the storyline off course.

As a fashion buff, one of the great charms of the original film is the utterly exquisite, iconic fashions wore by Audrey Hepburn, who was not only one of the most beautiful actresses of her day but one of the most stylish women ever, period. (Both Edith Head and Herbert Givenchy designed her costumes.) Every outfit she wore in the original film is an absolute style classic. Some, like the dress she wears to the Larrabee's party after returning from Paris -- a white, strapless gown with black embroidery and a long swishy train -- are so absolutely breathtaking that the hairs on the back of your neck go up when you see her.

In contrast, the remake "Sabrina" has some of the lamest, plainest costumes I have ever seen. In the identical scene (the party), Sabrina wears a drab, dark green evening dress. Not that Julia Ormond isn't attractive, but there is nothing dramatic or stunning about her appearance that would make every head turn when she enters...it's even more lame when other characters, like Mrs. Larrabee (the late Nancy Marchand, in her last role) make comments about how ravishing she is.

Actually, while the filmmakers were "updating" Sabrina to be politically correct, I wonder why they didn't consider making Sabrina and her chaffeur father African American or Hispanic? Certainly that would reflect the reality in the 90s of what ethnic background servants to the very rich are likely to come from. (How often do you see a British chaffeur, really? Almost never! and why would Sabrina, who was raised in the US have a British accent anyways?) I think an interraccial romance would emphasize the cultural/economic differences between the Larrabees and the Fairchilds in a way that modern audiences could truly understand. BTW: I think Hallie Berry or Jennifer Lopez might have done very well in that kind of remake, and they each have a "star" quality that Ms.Ormond utterly lacks. Well, just my two cents.

At any rate, this is a lifeless, tired and completely unnecessary remake. Do yourself a BIG favor and rent the original with Hepburn and Bogart and try to forget that this bloated remake was ever made. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Good Watch!
I recommend this movie for its beautiful romantic story with historical backdrops (WWII, Japanese interns, etc), great chemistry between the 2 leads (Dennis Quaid and Tamlyn Tomita) and the lovely photography. Dennis Quaid looked so handsome and wholesome here (I don't understand - how could Meg?!)

Tamlyn Tomita shines here as well (she's also adorable in movies like "Karate Kid" and "The Joy Luck Club").

Romantic & Unforgetable
I really enjoyed this movie because it made me feel. It was romantic, tragic and educational. I don't know how accurate it is because I wasn't there and didn't live through it, but from what little I learned about it in high school it seemed accurate enough. It's not all about the camps we kept Japanese-Americans in. It's a love story. If you like love stories, you'll like this one.

Wish that there is a DVD on this movie!!!!
I'm sure that many people living in other parts of the world that couldn't play NTSC version would love to have a chance to see this great movie!

Come See the Paradise
Only the best movies deserve a five star rating. In my opinion this is a very good movie that most people will enjoy. Only wish that is were available on DVD.

A beautiful movie about America's tragic and shameful past!!
I cannot figure out for the life of me, why on earth, 20th Century Fox has not put this movie on DVD![.]??? Could it be, because it brings to light, a very shameful and repulsive event in America's tragic past? Or could it be because, Fox are anti-Asian? Hmmm....Hey, Fox, if you are listening, put this movie on DVD![.] Let America be reminded of how senseless we can be, how terrible we can be. Case in point, the two worthless G.I.s that were aquitted in Korea of running over two defenseless Korean girls when they were clearly guilty of negligence! But, hey, the US Army takes care of their own, don't they[.] Nice job you two, hopefully you will rot in hell... And we wonder why other countries hate us,...ha....get a clue![.] ... Read more

Description

A bittersweet look at first love through the eyes of Alice, a precocious 10-year-old.Set in 1961, the film compares Alice's prosaic life to that of her glamorous, "fast" 16-year-old neighbor Sheryl. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Romance steals
That Night has been my favorite movie ever since the day i saw it. Julliette Lewis puts on an amazing performance in this film about teen romance and the struggles of being a teenager. The movie takes place back in the 1950's which allows for some great music and amazing cars. Rick (a bowling alley manager) and Cheryl (a catholic girl who proves to be daddys little girl) fall in love and face many problems along their romance. A young girl called Allie (Dushuk) watches with bright eyes the ups and downs of Rick and Cheryl's realtionship and fights till the end for both of them. My favorite scene has to be dancing at the beach. And i will always remember allie saying: "I thought if either of my parents died, i'd die too....that if they stopped breathing they'd draw me back inside......like they once told me they kissed each other and breathed me into life...." Its SOOOOOOOOO worth the watch.

That Night is a treasure
Juliette Lewis is in one of her finer roles in this wonderful movie. Lewis plays a teenage catholic school girl who falls in love with a boy from the other side of the tracks. They meet in a bowling alley, which is the focal point in the movie. Lots of memorable performances, including C. Thomas Howell as Rick, the guy that Cheryl(Lewis) falls in love with, and the debut of Eliza Dushku, who would later be in the movie True Lies, playing a 10 year old girl witnessing the love between them. A great cast of characters, this movie delivers the goods and then some!

Love it Love it Love it!!!
I loved this movie. The first time I saw it was years ago and I was in the laundrymat when it came on the t.v. And the song!!! I found the song today at this site www.downloadmp3hits.com . I'm listening to it right now yay

Love this movie
I first wayched it at 11 years old. I couldn't find it again to rent until I was 16 ever since then I watch it every summer and when I rent it I watch it like 3 time in 2 days. I love the whole story, the movies great, and I cry every time at certain points. I agree with other reviewers "ruler of my heart" is the best song!!!!

Amazing Film!
I first saw this movie on TV 8 years ago and I have loved it ever since. Last year I finally bought the movie. This is the best movie I have ever seen, and I would recomend it to everyone. This film was very well done - five stars!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

With this powerful 1992 drama, director-producer George Miller (The RoadWarrior) proved that a movieabout a disease doesn't have to be a typical disease-of-the-week movie. Based onthe real-life case of the Odones family, the story concerns 5-year-old Lorenzo, suffering mightily from anapparently incurable and degenerative brain illness called A.L.D. His parents,an economist (Nick Nolte) and a linguist (Susan Sarandon), refuse to accept the received wisdom that there is no hope, and set about learningbiochemistry to pursue a cure on their own. The film becomes an intriguingscientific mystery mixed with a story of pain, grief, and the strain on the two adults. In other words, Lorenzo's Oil is similar to all thosemedical-mayhem TV flicks but with some key differences: a pair of greatactors in Sarandon and Nolte--who actually do some of the finest work oftheir careers here--and Miller's bold and typically inventive direction.Miller, a doctor himself, refuses to shirk from the chaos and horrors of achild's agony, and he makes us hear the death chains rattling behind images that would be purely sentimental in another director's hands. --TomKeogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Lorenzo's Oils
Lorenzo's Oil's is a remerkable movie. I had heard about this movie, and the desease the little boy, Lorenzo, is effected with before. When i saw this movie for the first time in 1996, i was overwelmed. The movie is excellent, The acting is wonderful, and overall, i think it was a great idea for the movie. i have seen Loreno's Oils so many times, that i have lost track, and have been so inspired and interested in it, that i have chosen to become a doctor because of it (I'm a highschool sophmore). Also, in my Anatomy class, we have to do a 7 page report on the topic that interests us the most, and of course i chose ALD, Lorenzo's desease, and will also be using clips from the movie as part of my presentation. If this movie can make someone actually WANT to write a 7 page research paper, it must be interesting. i sugest anybody interested in the feild of medicine, or any feild for that matter, watch this movie, just once. after that one time, you'll never be able to stop. I promise.

discriminate between science and voodoo science
This film is finely made, but that confirms me in the idea that scientific problems are very difficult to deal in the cinema. In this movie the medical statement are questioned. The most simple people could get the idea that physicians are mediocre or interested persons, and this is so in some cases, of course.
But there are much diseases so rare that were unknown and undetected owing to poor conditions of general health until practically 50 years ago when infantile rates of mortality were much higher than now, so mostly of these illness were simply ignored under a huge amount of deaths. The parents of Lorenzo love his son, but they -over all the mother- borders the thin frontier between reason and insanity. Of course nobody is exempt of this under extreme conditions, but she demands healing here and now when this is impossible. The doctors are seen under a potent magnifier lens, and I'm afraid at so close distance nobody is good looking. The physicians must treat not only Lorenzo, but also much other patients with another diseases, something that the family of these sick children are unable to understand, and so, this movie presents for me several questions: the barrier between perseverance and mental blockade, the necessity sometimes of resignation and the misjudgement and devaluation of the scientific method. Cinema has a big influence owing to his easy sentimental impact, but I think reality is hard and truly there are things out of reach of science of today and tomorrow no matter how much you love your family... or if not, we should to be gods, no vulgar human beings. Don't trust very much in miracles as the oil of Lorenzo. This film is good only if you see it only as it is: a fiction.

Excellent
Movie shows how desperate people can be for cures for their medically fragile children. This is a very realistic look at people and how they would react to this kind of crisis.

As a father of a child with autism, I have observed some of the same reactions in the autism community. GOTTA FIND A MIRACLE CURE....GOTTA FIND A MIRACLE CURE!!!!

Acting is excellent in this film...it never got the BIG attention it deserved.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Heart-wrenching, inspiring film
Real-life dramas always hold more weight with me, especially when they are crafted as well as "Lorenzo's Oil." The acting is superb and the drama unfolds very carefully and deliberately. I was immediately drawn in. Having known families torn apart by the illness of a child, for me this film captures the paralyzing grief and sense of helplessness that paralyzes a household, and yet this film gives hope when the family starts to fight back against the disease.

Like Augusto did encountering the disease, I discovered I had learned a great deal just watching the film. I wish more films could be as educational and entertaining at the same time -- a rare breed indeed!

If you haven't shed at least a few tears by the end of the film, I'm worried about you if you can get tear-free through the closing montage of boys who are alive and well because of Lorenzo's Oil. Everytime I see that part, I cry.

An Excellent Movie
There is nothing like a true story and great actors putting their all into a most powerful movie...This story, coupled with the Odone's website help you see the progression of Lorenzo. Unfortunately, Lornenzo's mother passed away but his father is still a force to be reckoned with today. ... Read more

Reviews (132)

A Must For King Fans; For The Others, Read On...
At the outset I'd like to say that King's fans are gonna love this one. It's a bit slow, long, but it's spooky, scary, terrifying, nightmarish, and it delivers an unforgettable message at the end. Vintage King.

Now, for the rest...

A weird guy shows up in an island in Maine (King's favorite State), and kills an old lady for no real reason. But he doesn't go away - he waits to get arrested. In this case, however, the real prisoners are the residents, some of whom are murdered in vicious ways by the stranger, with the help of his ominous-looking cane.

Colm Feore is terrific in the role of the evil man, while Tim Daly does a decent job as the town grocer and Constable. The really cool thing about this film is that you never notice the length (close to 4 hours!), as scene after scene captures your imagination and tortures your soul.

Small town mentalities and moralities are exposed for what they are - cheap, narrow, selfish, and deadly. Each character has (or has had) a past (or present) that they'd never like the world to ever know. But the stranger (the Legion) knows EVERYTHING about everyone.

As secrets come out, and as hidden conflicts are brought out into the open, one can see the characters change faces. When the main objective of the stranger is revealed by him during a town meeting during the course of the storm, it's time for soul-searching and morals-testing. None emerges unscathed, except Tim Daly and his wife, though in completely opposite ways.

The ending is definitely not satisfactory, and seems forced to deliver some sort of closure to the viewer.

In summary- Positive things:

1. Good, strong character development.

2. Powerful storyline.

3. Intelligent, relevant screenplay.

4. Good photography.

5. Excellent acting by most.

6. Wonderful music score.

Negative things:

1. Length (some people will definitely groan!)

2. Unsatisfactory ending.

3. Colm Feore is not used very well.

4. Slow beginning, with a few scenes of really bad dialogue delivery and acting.

Finally A King Film You Can Watch ...
...without wanting to smash your tv-set.

This movie had to be good, because Stephen King himself wrote the screenplay - which was an original screenplay and no adaptation from one of his story. King wrote this sinister little tale especially for ABC television and I have to admit, that beside the fact that it is a good story for a cold night, snow piling up outside, it is a very good mvie as well. I loved the actors, the filming and just every minute of the 4-hour mini-series. I even watched the whole thing just listening to Stephen King's commentary (although I skipped the parts director Craig Baxley commented) - the commentary was as good as the movie itself, because it was not some poor strawhat talking about something, but Stephen King doing what he can do best: not commenting, but telling. Stephen King gives very delightful inside-information on the making of the movie and talks about works related to this movie, how he came across the idea for the story (it was partly influenced by a play by Friedrich Dürenmatt King had a part in when being in High School), how he tried to work it out, stuff like that. So this is a very interesting bonus for every Stephen King fan: you get a very good movie and a very fine commentary by Stephen King, with all the information and all the amusing details 'n' extras.

Story's Rough Cut: Small town off the coast of Maine, Little Tall Island, the setting of "Dolores Claiborne" - "life on the island is different from the life on the mainland." Stranger makes the small township aware of his evil presence by murdering an old woman, Martha Clarendon, and therefore arrested - "because I choose," as the stranger, André Linoge, claims. Linoge knows all the dirty little secrets of the clean-shirted islanders and he wants what he inevites, unless he will not go away. What exactly Linoge wants, you have to find out for yourselves, sorry. It is worth finding out, believe me, just this one time! ;-)

Let me finish with a praise for the movie by some newspaper I do not remember, "it is a high-voltage, spine-tingling shocker, which has been called one of the best King films ever!" It sure is.

Don't waste your time
I really like Stephen King, but this has got to be one of his worst works ever. EVER. The plot is intruiging, but the movie is sooooo long. It's like, what, five hours? The movie pulls you in with an interesting begining, and keeps you watching with a so-so middle, but there is really no point. There is so much unneccesary information and there are so many pointless scenes. Yeah, like, seven people or so die, but there isn't really anything all too exciting about it. After a while, this movie becomes quite annoying, and you just want to see what the guy wants, and what he wants is rather idiotic, and is very anti-climactic. So, in my opinion, don't waste your time watching this.

"Gimme what I want and I'll go away."
Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away. Gimme what I want and I'll go away.

Was that annoying? Now you know how I felt going through this film.

He wants a kid. That's what he wants. He wants a kid. There, I just saved you three hours of agonizing torture.

Good movie, loses it at the end
I watched Storm of the Century yesterday, with low expectations. However, it did exceed them. At 4 1/2 hours long, you need to have a lot of patience with it. The movie maintained a good element of mystery, but about two hours in the movie you'll want it to speed up. It has its quick gasps and scares, and the usual King twistedness. The movie also made some good Roanoke references. The most dissapointing part of the movie was the end. The solution to the problem was the one you expected so, it lost the element of mystery towards the end. The movie is not really scary as you watching it, but in the dark, some scenes of it come back to you. I would see it if you have a decent amount of time on your hands and nothing else to do. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This imaginative summer comedy from director Barry Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty) is a lot of fun, largely on the strength of Will Smith's engaging performance as the rookie partner of a secret agent (Tommy Lee Jones) assigned to keep tabs on Earth-dwelling extraterrestrials. There's lots of comedy to spare in this bright film, some of the funniest stuff found in the margins of the major action. (A scene with Smith's character being trounced in the distance by a huge alien while Jones questions a witness is a riot.) The inventiveness never lets up, and the cast--including Vincent D'Onofrio doing frighteningly convincing work as an alien occupying a decaying human--hold up their end splendidly. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (194)

A thoroughly enjoyable ride
Loosely based from a 1990 comic book series, this 1997 blockbuster combined eye popping special effects, classic sci-fi fare, and off the wall comedy and featured Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent's J and K respectively. Both of whom are members of the MIB: a government organized secret group who keep the knowledge of extra terrestrial life under wraps while keeping the planet at peace. Director Barry Sonnenfeld handles the film very well and keeps it at a crowd pleasing speedy pace throughout most of it's running time. While it does start to lose steam towards it's climax, where Men in Black shines is with the casting: featuring Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn, Tony Shaloub, and Vincent D'Onofrio in lively roles, with D'Onofrio being his usual scene stealing self. This Deluxe Edition of the film seems like the umpteenth time MIB has been released on DVD; but out of all the previous editions this seems to offer the most bang for your buck.

Much more fun than I expected
After seeing the previews, I had no desire to see "Men in Black." It just looked silly and didn't make sense. I finally watched it only because my boyfriend had the tape in his collection and I was bored. Boy, did I misjudge this movie! It was ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!

Part of my problem with the previews is that I wasn't quite sure what the plot was about so let me start there. The "men in black" are part of a special super-secret immigration agency dealing with extraterrestrials. Unbeknownst to the general population, space aliens have been living amongst us for several decades. As long as they behave, they are welcome. If they misbehave, they may be deported or zapped with some pretty fancy weaponry.

Will Smith plays an ultra-hip New York police officer who comes to the agency's attention after chasing down a space alien. Tommy Lee Jones plays his very experienced, suave partner. Jones' dead serious interactions with the panoply of odd aliens is outrageous. And although I'm not a Will Smith fan, I have to admit that in MIB he's just just too cool for words!

MIB is definitely a must for the video library!

Different type of illegal aliens in New York
So much has been written about the brilliance of this gooey sci/fi comedy, that it would be redundant for me to tell you how great it is. But what I enjoyed most about "Men In Black" is that it is such a New York film.

When Will Smith is being oriented to his new job by Tommy Lee Jones, he's informed that many New Yorkers are disguised space aliens. "Like cab drivers?" Smith asks. "Not as many as you think," Jones responds.

The fact that the MIB have a car that can defy gravity is funny enough, but the fact that it needs such a vehicle to fight the perpetual traffic in the Midtown Tunnel is even funnier.

An alien disguised as a dog in an I LOVE NEW YORK tee-shirt is fairly funny. But when it speaks with a New Yawk accent as thick as Bugs Bunny's it makes it funnier.

When the edgar bug alien hauls a mideastern cab driver out of his cab, not funny. When he tosses his wooden-bead back massager at him, funny. But on top of that, when he throws the ubiquitous air freshner out, then its hysterical (without being racist).

The whole concept that the World's Fairgrounds in Queens is a hangar for spaceships is just brilliant. And I've always wondered what that structure at the head of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was!

Glimpses of the World Trade Center are a little bitter to take, even now. And there is that sense that this film is from an innocent pre 9/11 time but, really, the rest of the movie still rings true of the New York of today.

Good!!
I like this movie because it has a a lot of good scenes where you laugh, the situations are ludicrous just like the aliens. And what about the screen where you can see Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone or Oprah like aliens? And it's full of irony besides good special effects. If you want to have a good time buy this one. By the way, has anybody realized that the green baby alien, that Will Smith has in his arms, has the same face as Jedi Knight Kit Fisto?

Funny and witty!
This movie is a hilarious take on the whole concept of the Earth being populated by extra-terrestrial beings and two agents named Agent K and agent J are assigned on a mission to stop a menacing alien cockroach who is trying to gain a hold of an artifact.

Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are a really hilarious team and their acting is phenomenal! The special effects are also really cool and the alines are so funny.

Go and buy this DVD and get teh Deluxe Edition because it has so much cool stuff on it! Peace out! ... Read more

Reviews (93)

Julia Ormond shines in role played by Hepburn!
Being a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, I NEVER thought I would find the remake as entertaining as the original. But was I ever wrong!

Julia Ormond's transformation to the luminously beautiful "woman of the world" Sabrina, is every bit as believable as Hepburn's earlier transformation. Ormond's chemistry with Harrison Ford is far more believable and charming, as Linus tries to distract Sabrina from her obsessive fascination with his younger brother, David, now engaged to the daughter of a business associate.

Harrison Ford gives his portrayal of Linus the needed humanity that Bogart's portrayal lacked. Linus, in Ford's capable hands, revealed the weight of being the older, more responsible brother, in whom the family fortune rested. Yet, Linus yearned to fall in love, and until Sabrina's return from Paris, and their mock courtship, he didn't believe it could ever happen. I really believed he was falling in love with Ormond's Sabrina.

Ford's Linus seemed genuinely heartbroken when he admitted the truth about the Paris trip to Sabrina. He watched with dismay, as her heart broke, to realize he'd been playing her for a fool during their romance. That's why their reunion in Paris, at the end, was so satisfying!

Greg Kinear's David was also more humane and less calculating, than William Holden's in the original version. I felt David's anger at his brother's deceptive romance of Sabrina. And so his punching Linus was a more realistic response.

I highly recommend this movie to all romantics! It also makes a great date film. A great update of an earlier classic, this film may well become a classic in its own right.

Enjoyable, more meaningful/romantic version than original
If you look through the reviews for this version and those for the old B&W, you'll see that there is a little debate going on about which is better. Really, both films have their merits. The original was cute and unpretentious, presenting a fragile Audrey Hepburn in some fashionable clothing (including that absurd gown she dragged through the tennis court scene). But this recent version has the benefit of having a much more appealing hero. Harrison Ford, though he is awkward in romantic roles, is still a far better choice than the clumsy and unattractive Humphrey Bogart. Ford plays the lead, Linus Larrabee, the oldest of two brothers and the responsible (even greedy) one. Greg Kinnear gives a brilliant performance as the younger brother, David, a playboy with only women on his mind. Caught between the two is Sabrina, even more brilliantly played by Julia Ormond. Unlike Hepburn, who presented a shy and awkward Sabrina, Ormond plays the role with not just shyness or insecurity, but an underlying gentleness that fleshes out the character, making her very real and very appealing. Each scene, she delivers just the right amount of insecurity combined with the right amount of emotion, and each line is delivered perfectly. Yet you are never aware that she is acting. The interactions between Kinnear and Ormond have tremendous "chemistry", more so than those she has with Ford. But between Julia and Greg, or rather their characters, there is so much honesty and quite frankly such superb acting that what you are witnessing is not some celebrity actors playing themselves playing a role, but two true actors who make it all look natural. (I know, something Hollywood typically doesn't appreciate.) Their scenes bring a passion and a reality to the film that is rather inspiring -- I'd like to see these two paired again, this time as the lovers and not those who end up "just friends". The storyline is played gently, more for comedy than drama. This film owes a lot to its predecessor, but I have to vote that this is the better, more charming, more emotional and more natural version. The cast of supporting characters is marvelous and expert, including Nancy Marchand as the Larrabee matriarch, John Wood as Sabrina's sensible father, Angie Dickinson and Richard Crenna as the Tysons of Tyson Electronics and a billion dollar merger if David marries their daughter, a physician played by Lauren Holly. Dana Ivey is Mack, Linus' secretary, who has all the funny lines ("We were up to our arms in your underwear drawer. It was like touching the Shroud of Turin.")All the supporting cast do a wonderful job of, well, supporting the stars. The pace never lags, the fun and the drama don't stop. The DVD version has excellent sound and color picture. This is a good investment if you want to see a film that is adult, gently dramatic, clever, and pure pleasure.

My Favorite Movie, Bar None
This movie is wonderful. It takes an already-good plot and updates it -- an Ever After for our classic Cinderella story. The new Sabrina is more self-sufficient, worldly, and her relationship with Linus is much more mature than the variety of relationships portrayed in any movies from Hollywood's Golden Era. It's not that the first Sabrina isn't a wonderful classic, but while that one was classic for its fairy-tale quality, and cute scenes that could never be truly be duplicated, this one meets the demands of an audience who today, wants proof that these are actually two people in love. With Ormond's character, we, the audience, understand and participate in her transition from teenage infatuation to mature love. There are no petty emotional mind-games here, as are so common in Bogart-era romantic comedies.

In addition, the actors themselves add considerably to the movie's success. Kinnear's David matures as well, from playboy to partner, and it is easy to see that his relationship with his brother has played no small part in the formation of his playboy image. Additionally, many of his lines are priceless. Ormond delivers a few ringers as well, including my favorite, when she refers to Linus as "the only living heart donor."

And all this is without speaking of the music. The soundtrack is excellent. The score is classy for its infusion of jazz, yet made passionate by John Williams' unmistakable orchestration. Sting also contributes a haunting ballad. It all fits beautifully into the movie.

Everytime I watch the new Sabrina, it makes me cry. And I'm not the crying type. I highly recommend it -- not as a remake, but on its own merit.

Enjoy it without comparing it to the original
In addition to this movie I've also seen the older one starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and I found that both can be enjoyed almost as two different kinds of films. Though not without its moments of drama, the Bogart/Hepburn film was lighter, more sparkling and witty, but also a little more shallow. In that movie, I couldn't understand the attraction between Bogart and Hepburn; they never seem to connect across their age gap.

In this remake of Sabrina, Julia Ormond gives a performance that's more mature and has more depth. Once she goes to Paris and grows up, she truly grows up (unlike Hepburn, who is loveable but too childlike). The love that develops between her character and Harrison Ford's is more believable; the movie takes more time and trouble to develop a plausible relationship between the grown up chaffeur's daughter and the billionaire without a social life. In addition to that, it also has witty dialogue and funny moments, just like the original.

Genuinely terrible remake of movie classic
This is a simply awful remake of the 1950s original with Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Their roles are reprised by Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear.

Of the three leads, Greg Kinnear (David Larrabee) does the best job. I think he is a very underrated actor, especially after his excellent work in "As Good As It Gets". He even slightly resembles a young William Holden.

Harrison Ford does an adequate but uninspired job as Linus. Actually both Ford and Bogart were both too at least 20 years old to play Linus, who is supposed to be the older brother, not the father. This detracts a little from the romance, which is supposed to be May-September, not May-Decenber in character, but in the original film, Bogarts sheer charisma carried the day. Harrison Ford has many talents, but romance isn't one of them. He's a good performer in action flicks like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but he just has no chemistry here.

The worst of the pack is Julia Ormond, an otherwise fine British actress ("Smilla's Sense of Snow"). She is everything wrong for Sabrina -- I can only think they picked her for her smooth voice and accent, which do superficially resemble Ms. Hepburn's. But Julia Ormond is too old to play Sabrina (she was in her thirties when it was filmed and Sabrina is supposed to be about 20!) and doesn't come across as an ingenue. She is just plain painful in the early scenes, where the costume/makeup people went into overtime making her a frump with mounds of frizzy hair. Later, she is "transformed" with a short haircut but unlike Audrey Hepburn -- one woman who was utterly enchanting and beautiful with very very short hair, a hard look to carry off -- Julia looks just awful. It's an unflattering cut and served only to make her look even more mature, rather than sophisticated and charming.

Much of the delightful, sparkling dialogue has been chopped out, towards what end I can't imagine. Also, instead of going to Paris and training as a chef (a very acceptable modern profession for a woman!), they have decided to make Sabrina a Vogue fashion photographer (despite no previous interest or background in photography OR fashion). Frankly, I think the writers were getting "Sabrina" mixed up with Audrey Hepburn's other great classic "Funny Face", where she plays a frump-become-fashion-model. There is no other believable explanation! This also ruins her Paris experience, which was handled so delightfully in the original. If that isn't bad enough, they have innocent little Sabrina having a love affair, a point which terribly muddles the whole idea that she is a naive virgin pining for David. OK, frankly, not many girls stay virgins that long these days, but Sabrina had a reason for doing so and the additional lover (who is quite attractive) really skews the storyline off course.

As a fashion buff, one of the great charms of the original film is the utterly exquisite, iconic fashions wore by Audrey Hepburn, who was not only one of the most beautiful actresses of her day but one of the most stylish women ever, period. (Both Edith Head and Herbert Givenchy designed her costumes.) Every outfit she wore in the original film is an absolute style classic. Some, like the dress she wears to the Larrabee's party after returning from Paris -- a white, strapless gown with black embroidery and a long swishy train -- are so absolutely breathtaking that the hairs on the back of your neck go up when you see her.

In contrast, the remake "Sabrina" has some of the lamest, plainest costumes I have ever seen. In the identical scene (the party), Sabrina wears a drab, dark green evening dress. Not that Julia Ormond isn't attractive, but there is nothing dramatic or stunning about her appearance that would make every head turn when she enters...it's even more lame when other characters, like Mrs. Larrabee (the late Nancy Marchand, in her last role) make comments about how ravishing she is.

Actually, while the filmmakers were "updating" Sabrina to be politically correct, I wonder why they didn't consider making Sabrina and her chaffeur father African American or Hispanic? Certainly that would reflect the reality in the 90s of what ethnic background servants to the very rich are likely to come from. (How often do you see a British chaffeur, really? Almost never! and why would Sabrina, who was raised in the US have a British accent anyways?) I think an interraccial romance would emphasize the cultural/economic differences between the Larrabees and the Fairchilds in a way that modern audiences could truly understand. BTW: I think Hallie Berry or Jennifer Lopez might have done very well in that kind of remake, and they each have a "star" quality that Ms.Ormond utterly lacks. Well, just my two cents.

At any rate, this is a lifeless, tired and completely unnecessary remake. Do yourself a BIG favor and rent the original with Hepburn and Bogart and try to forget that this bloated remake was ever made. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

May be worth a look.
I have to admit I haven't actually seen this movie, but I've read something about it, and I just wanted to say that I believe this subtitled version must be the Hong Kong version that Jackie Chan made after James Glickenhouse was off the project. He reshot the actions scenes at the end, and I've heard that Jackie's version is far superior to the original American version that Leonard Maltin reviewed.

THIS MOVIE'S NOT TRUE TO JACKIE CHAN'S LEGACY!
TWO COPS [JACKIE CHAN AND DANNY AIELLO] TRY TO BUST UP A MAJOR DRUG OPERATION. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT JACKIE CHAN TRYED TO BREAK INTO THE AMERICAN MARKET. AND LIKE THE FIRST TIME [HIS FIRST AMERICAN MOVIE WAS ''THE BIG BRAWL''], THIS FAILED AT BEING A HIT. BUT UNLIKE ''THE BIG BRAWL'', THIS MOVIE WAS PRETTY BORING, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT HAS SOME GOOD ACTION SCENES. BUT, JACKIE DOES BEHAVE REALLY REALLY DIFFERENT IN THIS MOVIE, AS OPPOSED TO SOME OF HIS OTHER MOVIES. IN THIS MOVIE, JACKIE DROPS THE F BOMB [SEVERAL TIMES AT THAT], JACKIE TREATS WOMEN WITH LITTLE RESPECT, AND HE'S REALLY QUICK TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE. WHAT RUINS THIS MOVIE IS THE FACT THAT JACKIE TRYS TO BE TOO SERIOUS AND THE FACT THAT JACKIE NEVER REALLY GETS A FAIR CHANCE TO FULLY SHOW OFF HIS AMAZING MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS. FANS OF JACKIE CHAN MIGHT WATCH THIS OUTTA CURIOSITY. BUT, IF YOU DO WATCH THIS, WAIT FOR IT TO COME ON TV OR RENT IT. BUT DON'T BUY THIS.

Excellent
I don't know what's wrong with these people this movie was one of Jackie's finest and I've seen all his movies. Sure maby the fighting seens were a little off but look at his movies from 1985 and bellow they were pretty odd like Big and Little Wong Tin Bar, Rumble in Hong Kong or The Fingers of Death. Come on you gotta admit there were some pretty good action sceens. The story made good sense and everything too.

A Chan movie controlled by others is not a jackie chan movie
This 2 star, fair, movie is missing much of what makes a Jackie chan movie so much fun. The producers substitute Jackies wit and humor with Sex, Gore and Cursing the universal method of spicing up a poorly written script and mediocre direction. This is not a family friendly movie. Near the beginning of the movie Jackie uses the F@#% word and my wife and looked at each other.. we couldn't recall a Chan movie using that kind of language.

I have read that Jackie himself was so disappointed with what Hollywood produced here, he went on the make the police Story trilogy, which culminates in SUPERCOP. The music is more like the 1970's era sounding like TJ Hooker and other cops TV shows. There are a lot of good Chan movie and I think you can skip this one.

Can't Blame Jackie!
I am a very big Jackie Chan Fan! I love all his work! Even this film. But I know, for a fact, its not a true Chan film at all.

First off, the character Chan protrays is not a Chan character at all. It is merely an obvious Hollywood executive's clithe creation, handed over to Jackie. The problem was that Jackie plays a tough, almost unemotional, badass cop! With a dirty tounge, and a mean spirit. Not Jackie! This character casually swears and treats woman with little respect. Not Jackie.

BUT! I will say this, seeing that kind of charater comming out of jackie was interesting to say the least. A part of me enjoyed it very much. It was strange to see, but its the only time you will, so enjoy it if you can.

As for the movie. Its just jammed ful of your typical 80's cop flick scenarios. Kidnapping, Drug rings, boat chase, bloody shoot outs. Oh, and even one of the villians turns out to be who you thought, was a good guy. The Shock!

But all that aside. It was only Jackies second attempt at American success. But since the film was done with out much free will to explore by Jackie, it was again, a failure. And he would be the first to admit that!

But one good, no, great thing came out of this film.

It was Jackies inspiration for what would be one of his greatest achievements, the Police Story series! ... Read more

Reviews (194)

A thoroughly enjoyable ride
Loosely based from a 1990 comic book series, this 1997 blockbuster combined eye popping special effects, classic sci-fi fare, and off the wall comedy and featured Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent's J and K respectively. Both of whom are members of the MIB: a government organized secret group who keep the knowledge of extra terrestrial life under wraps while keeping the planet at peace. Director Barry Sonnenfeld handles the film very well and keeps it at a crowd pleasing speedy pace throughout most of it's running time. While it does start to lose steam towards it's climax, where Men in Black shines is with the casting: featuring Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn, Tony Shaloub, and Vincent D'Onofrio in lively roles, with D'Onofrio being his usual scene stealing self. This Deluxe Edition of the film seems like the umpteenth time MIB has been released on DVD; but out of all the previous editions this seems to offer the most bang for your buck.

Much more fun than I expected
After seeing the previews, I had no desire to see "Men in Black." It just looked silly and didn't make sense. I finally watched it only because my boyfriend had the tape in his collection and I was bored. Boy, did I misjudge this movie! It was ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!

Part of my problem with the previews is that I wasn't quite sure what the plot was about so let me start there. The "men in black" are part of a special super-secret immigration agency dealing with extraterrestrials. Unbeknownst to the general population, space aliens have been living amongst us for several decades. As long as they behave, they are welcome. If they misbehave, they may be deported or zapped with some pretty fancy weaponry.

Will Smith plays an ultra-hip New York police officer who comes to the agency's attention after chasing down a space alien. Tommy Lee Jones plays his very experienced, suave partner. Jones' dead serious interactions with the panoply of odd aliens is outrageous. And although I'm not a Will Smith fan, I have to admit that in MIB he's just just too cool for words!

MIB is definitely a must for the video library!

Different type of illegal aliens in New York
So much has been written about the brilliance of this gooey sci/fi comedy, that it would be redundant for me to tell you how great it is. But what I enjoyed most about "Men In Black" is that it is such a New York film.

When Will Smith is being oriented to his new job by Tommy Lee Jones, he's informed that many New Yorkers are disguised space aliens. "Like cab drivers?" Smith asks. "Not as many as you think," Jones responds.

The fact that the MIB have a car that can defy gravity is funny enough, but the fact that it needs such a vehicle to fight the perpetual traffic in the Midtown Tunnel is even funnier.

An alien disguised as a dog in an I LOVE NEW YORK tee-shirt is fairly funny. But when it speaks with a New Yawk accent as thick as Bugs Bunny's it makes it funnier.

When the edgar bug alien hauls a mideastern cab driver out of his cab, not funny. When he tosses his wooden-bead back massager at him, funny. But on top of that, when he throws the ubiquitous air freshner out, then its hysterical (without being racist).

The whole concept that the World's Fairgrounds in Queens is a hangar for spaceships is just brilliant. And I've always wondered what that structure at the head of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was!

Glimpses of the World Trade Center are a little bitter to take, even now. And there is that sense that this film is from an innocent pre 9/11 time but, really, the rest of the movie still rings true of the New York of today.

Good!!
I like this movie because it has a a lot of good scenes where you laugh, the situations are ludicrous just like the aliens. And what about the screen where you can see Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone or Oprah like aliens? And it's full of irony besides good special effects. If you want to have a good time buy this one. By the way, has anybody realized that the green baby alien, that Will Smith has in his arms, has the same face as Jedi Knight Kit Fisto?

Funny and witty!
This movie is a hilarious take on the whole concept of the Earth being populated by extra-terrestrial beings and two agents named Agent K and agent J are assigned on a mission to stop a menacing alien cockroach who is trying to gain a hold of an artifact.

Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are a really hilarious team and their acting is phenomenal! The special effects are also really cool and the alines are so funny.

Go and buy this DVD and get teh Deluxe Edition because it has so much cool stuff on it! Peace out! ... Read more

Reviews (134)

"She said hi to me.That was cool.She didnt have to do that."
'A Simple Plan' is a great film. It isn't particularly original, and the plot has already been done to death. But the performances, and all the little touches, make this is truly superb film. Sam Raimi demonstrates that he is criminally under-worked as a director, having made his mark with the classic 'Evil Dead' trilogy and done little else since. With 'A Simple Plan' he shows his restrained side, so far unknown to movie-goers. Instead of focusing on zany, risky camera acrobatics, and gory slapstick, he focuses on the characters, and their respective lives of misery, in a bleak town. Pill Paxton, giving a more internal performance to his normal action-heroics, is the film's protagonist, and is the younger brother of Billy Bob Thornton, who suffers from learning difficulties, and has to say the least, very little in common with his brother. The plot revolves around the discovery of over $4 million in a crashed plane, and the agonised soul-searching about what to do with the money. Murder and betrayal ensue, punctuacted be a personality metamorphosis by Bridget Fonda (playing Paxton's pregnant wife). With most, genuinely touching dramas, you have to watch the whole thing, and get sucked in, in order to emotionally connect with the characters. But some of the final scenes with Billy Bob Thornton (especially the scene where he sets his brother straight about his only 'girlfriend') are simply magnificent. Just start watching at that point, and the tears will start to flow. Billy Bob Thornton is one of the best actors working in Hollywood today (along with Ed Norton). It is a monumental performance. I'm running out of complimentatry adjectives! Truly outstanding.

Thoroughly depressing.
A SIMPLE PLAN is a film that -aside from the change in climate- reminds me of the Coen brothers BLOOD SIMPLE in a number of ways. Both films contain a relatively simple story line, complex, tortured characters, and...simple plans that go wrong. Here, we have two brothers, played wonderfully by Bill 'game over man!' Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton is the rather dim-witted one. They stumble across a stash of money in northern Minnesota I believe and that's where the trouble begins. I have to give kudos to Director Sam Raimi's steady hand, and the Oscar-caliber performances of the leading men. Thornton in particular, is amazing. Filmed around the winter bliss of Ashland, Wisconsin, this film is bleak and unremittingly grim. While I can recommend it as a powerful story, my caveat is that by the end you will probably be feeling disturbed and uneasy. At the time I watched it with a friend he told me afterwards that it was the most depressing film he had ever seen. I won't go that far, but it's a definite downer.

As far as the DVD goes, it looks and sounds good, so if you are just looking for a good transfer you should be pleased. You also get a trailer, but really, this film should have more included in this age of digital media. When we only had magnetic VHS tape to work with -and all of its time constraints- I can understand only making a trailer available. But now we should expect more from the bloated film studios of Hollywood.

Not such a simple plot
Brilliantly acted by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton in particular, this is a gut wrenching film about greed in its saddest presentation.

The moral center of the story is Bill Paxton's character, Hank Mitchell. When he, his out-of-luck brother, Jacob, played by Thornton and his brother's loser of a friend, Lou, stumble onto $4.4 million dollars, his first instinct is to call the police and turn the money in. Who knows where the money is from? But the serpent of Eden is in this story and sinks its fangs into every character, and even a man wit a good heart like Bill Paxton eventually bites from the proverbial apple. He agrees to hold on to the money, just until the thaw, until the plane is found, and then see if anyone comes looking for the money. All swear to secrecy, to not even tell their wives. When Hank arrives home, he asks his wife what she would do if she found a large sum of money. Her response is similar to his - call the police. Regardless of where the money came from, to keep it is tantamount to stealing. But when he dumps the money on the table, showing her that his questioning isn't hypothetical, the moviegoer can see the change in her eyes; can see the proverbial serpent crawling up her leg as clearly as if it actually were. She moves easily and comfortably from a person of strong moral character, like her husband, to a person eventually consumed with avarice.

Simple in its presentation, it's really a complex story. We learn that Lou is more of a brother to Jacob than Hank is, and we can certainly see that in the character's physical presentation. Paxton looks too clean cut for this small town - certainly too proper to be working in a feed mill. Jacob, in stark contrast, is right where he belongs. He has greasy hair, no job prospects, no girlfriend, no wife - not even a decent pair of glasses (he could have used a visit from Hermione to mend the broken center). Lou is the town drunk and proud of it, and although he has a wife, it is a relationship with very little substance. Not one of love, but of comfort. In a telling scene of distance, although it is a scene of remarkable and surprising subtlety, Jacob pokes fun at the way his brother drinks his whiskey. It's not the way that other men in this small town would drink their whiskey. In truth, Hank's mannerisms in this respect are somewhat effete.

With every moral dilemma presented to them, they all sink deeper and deeper into the serpent's grip. To say more would be to give away one of the more tragic endings since Romeo and Juliet (don't laugh, I'm serious), and not an ending that you see coming from a mile away.

Devastating portrait of how greed ruins men's souls
Before watching A SIMPLE PLAN, I saw THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, John Huston's 1948 classic that also tackled the same subject as this film. Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) allowed greed to get the best of him, and it destroyed him. But Huston wrapped this little tragedy in the adventure genre, and while it was indeed a thrilling adventure, Dobbs' downfall in Huston's film doesn't seem (on a visceral level, at least) quite as tragic as what happens to the major characters in Sam Raimi's film.

The major difference that perhaps makes A SIMPLE PLAN more powerful as an examination of greed than SIERRA MADRE is this: Huston's main characters went looking for riches in a land known to be full of 'em, so they didn't have to necessarily worry about being caught stealing anything---Dobbs & Co. only had to worry about other people trying to steal their gold. Hank (Bill Paxton), Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and Lou (Brent Briscoe) accidentally find $4.4 million in unmarked American currency in a downed plane in a quiet, snowy Minnesota town, and the moment they decide to steal the money for themselves (and that is basically what they decide to do, although they certainly try to convince themselves that it's not stealing) is the moment that changes all of their lives forever.

In SIERRA MADRE, Walter Huston's character talked early in the film about how he's seen money destroy men's souls. That is exactly what happens to the characters in A SIMPLE PLAN. It leads Hank to coldblooded murder, it leads Hank's wife (Bridget Fonda) to become a modern version of Lady Macbeth, and it drives Jacob to despair. In one key moment, Jacob confesses to Hank that he "feels evil," and that just about sums up the movie's theme succinctly.

While Huston's film also worked as a grand adventure tale, Raimi's film is more in the bleak, film noir style of the Coen Brothers' FARGO, right down to its Minnesota setting and constantly falling snow. It sometimes feels like a suspense-thriller (especially towards the end), but there are no stylish, bombastic action scenes here in the manner of Raimi's earlier films---just a lot of quietly devastating moments and flashes of quick but shocking violence. It's the emotional violence done to these characters, though, that reverberates throughout the whole film.

The performances are all powerfully convincing across the board, and while some might take issue with the plausibility of some of the plot twists in the film's later moments (I can't believe that no one actually bothered to ask to see that person's badge just to make sure he was who he said he was), that is hardly enough to detract from the tragic cumulative impact of this film. Highly recommended.

Brilliant script
A simple plan is above all a deep study if the iiner demons of the human being in the present.
Three men suddenly find 4,4 millions dollars in the bag inside a crashed plane. That fact becomes as smart device for developing the hidden greed, the loss of trust , and the awake of old apparently forgotten past in the childhood of these two brothers.
The script counts with a well supported cast. Paxton has never been so credible in his role; and Bridget Fonda too as his analytical lovely wife, who will be the power behind the throne.
Be warning with four notorius mistakes with the edition: The first three are linked by the same mistake; you see the microphone in the superior level of the frame, and I will tell you the sequences.
The first one; when Lou inquires for his money in the lobby of Paxton; the second is in the hospital when Paxton is with Fonda with their baby , the third is when the police inquires to Thornton about the stranger death of Lou and his wife; and the four mistake is very fast , it is when the two brothers are with Lou in his home. The camera makes a close up to Thornton and he suddenly looks at the camera, by a very brief instant!
The basic aspect of this film would seem turn around this question: what would you do set in such conditions? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

My dad the actor
My dad was in this movie. He an a friend fishing at the time this movie was filmed and the producers asked if he wanted to be in the movie. They used my dad, his truck (an old toyota pickup) and his friend in a background scene. I think my dad and his friend were cut out but the truck still remains. It will be nice to finally see the movie after hearing about it. It was previously titled "Blue Moon Over Troubled Water" so we could not find the film. This will make a nice Christmas present for my dad.

full moon in blue water
I thought the movie was excellent. I had a close association with Gene Hackmans character, he plays a very believable role as an ex merchant marine trying to deal with life after the dissappearance of his wife. The combination of Hackman, Garr, and Burgess Merideth was very appealing.There is a real feeling for the characters as the movie evolves. The man who does the odd jobs around the restaurant is very funny. Two thumbs up.

Under-rated gem
I was glad to see this finally come out in DVD. It's an artful, subtle little meditation on life that somehow manages to keep you laughing. Masterson's directing is pretty understated here, Hackman gives a very good performance, and the script has true meat and depth. Highly recommended.

An overlooked treasure.
Full Moon In Blue Water, which was totally overlooked when it was released in 1988, was obviously a film before its time. The acting by the four stars (Hackman, Meredith, Garr and, especially, Koteas) is wonderful. The script, while keeping an overall comic tone, deals with subjects far deeper. The story is a marvelous one - a tale of displaced people who come together to form an eccentric, but loving family. Very highly recommended!

A Meditation On the Way Life Often Works
The loss of a loved one, especially a spouse or a child, can be devastating on the one left behind; and without some kind of closure, that same love, combined with the loss, can lead to an unhealthy obsession in which the object of that devotion can emerge as something so perfect that none among the living could ever hope to measure up to it. And it's just such a situation that is explored by director Peter Masterson in "Full Moon In Blue Water," the story of a man who, even after many months, cannot come to terms with the loss of his wife, and has, by clinging so vehemently to her memory, effectively removed himself from the world of the living, despite the efforts of others who are close to him and depend upon him, including the woman who would love him-- if only he would give her the chance.

Floyd (Gene Hackman) is the owner of the Blue Water Grill, situated on the coast of the Texas Gulf in the small town of Blue Water. He's made a living at it since ending a stint as a merchant marine, and it's pretty much all he knows. And for a time, when he shared it all with his beloved Dorothy (Becky Ann Baker), it was the perfect life. But it all ended when Dorothy disappeared one day out on the gulf, and was presumed drowned; a tragedy from which Floyd has never recovered. Now he spends his days watching home movies of his wife, reliving the moments they shared, which become even more perfect with every day that passes, and with each additional viewing. He's let his business slide, and doesn't realize-- or perhaps just doesn't care-- what a dangerous, downward spiral he's on.

Floyd may be content wallowing in his discontent and misery, but there are those who need him and love him, and refuse to give up on him: His invalid father-in-law, The General (Burgess Meredith), would be lost without Floyd, as would Jimmy (Elias Koteas), the simpleton Floyd provides with a living by employing him for odd jobs around the restaurant, and as a companion for The General. But most especially, there's Louise (Teri Garr), a woman who cares deeply for Floyd, but just can't get through to him-- she simply can't live up to the image of perfection Floyd holds in his mind of Dorothy. But there's something else troubling Louise, too. She knows that real estate broker Charlie O'Donnell (Kevin Cooney) has made an offer to buy Floyd's place, and for a sum that's half of what it's worth. And in his diminished mental state, Floyd may be about to make one of the biggest mistakes of his life; Louise, however, is determined to avert it from happening. If only she can get through to Floyd in time; if only she can break through that wall of Dorothy's memory.

Masterson delivers his story in a straightforward manner, without attempting any frills, tricks or exaggerations in an effort to heighten the drama. He simply gives you a story that is what it is; a look at the twists and turns life can take, and how when something happens to one it affects, not only that person, but those around him, and in turn, those around them. Subtly, but very definitely, it underscores the symbiotic nature of mankind and succinctly drives home the point that, indeed, no man is an island. As this film so aptly demonstrates, whether we choose to believe it or not, there is no such thing as absolute autonomy. Somewhere along the line, directly or indirectly, the behavior of one is going to have an effect on someone else. It's the underlying message of this film, and it's presented quite effectively by Masterson, although his approach is a bit too academic, perhaps. Human emotion forms the core of the story, and yet the film is not as emotionally involving as it could-- or should-- be. Masterson manages to maintain interest, but without that hook that would have really engaged his audience. Still, it's a good job, the film is well delivered and offers a satisfying experience, albeit one that could have been much more.

As Floyd, Hackman gives a solid performance, creating a character that is believable and real. He gets neither too maudlin nor morbid with his portrayal, even in the depths of his depression, which tells us something about who Floyd really is: a guy who feels deeply, but is capable of bouncing back. Hackman makes him someone with whom you can empathize, but without getting too close. Everyone will be able to relate to Floyd on some level, inasmuch as loss is something we all have to deal with at one time or another, though that sense of identity is more of an inherent aspect of the story rather than due to anything that Hackman brings to it. It's Hackman's expertise, however, that maintains the film's credibility and makes that sense of identity accessible. And that's why Hackman's a star; he makes what he does convincing, as he does here, with a performance that is, in it's simplicity, natural and affecting.

Teri Garr is effective, as well, turning in a sympathetic performance through which she successfully conveys, not only her love and concern for Floyd, but her frustrations in coping with the intangible and impenetrable image of Dorothy that Floyd has created in his mind. Garr is entirely convincing as Louise, lending her a blue-collar charm that she sells with her natural, charismatic screen presence.

It's the supporting efforts by Koteas and Meredith that really makes this film click, however. Koteas finds just the right tone and shadings to make the hapless Jimmy convincing, and Meredith is a delight as the lovable old curmudgeon embraced by Floyd, in that he is his last link to Dorothy. "Full Moon In Blue Water," then, is a meditation on life; and one that's definitely worth a look. ... Read more

Reviews (194)

A thoroughly enjoyable ride
Loosely based from a 1990 comic book series, this 1997 blockbuster combined eye popping special effects, classic sci-fi fare, and off the wall comedy and featured Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent's J and K respectively. Both of whom are members of the MIB: a government organized secret group who keep the knowledge of extra terrestrial life under wraps while keeping the planet at peace. Director Barry Sonnenfeld handles the film very well and keeps it at a crowd pleasing speedy pace throughout most of it's running time. While it does start to lose steam towards it's climax, where Men in Black shines is with the casting: featuring Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn, Tony Shaloub, and Vincent D'Onofrio in lively roles, with D'Onofrio being his usual scene stealing self. This Deluxe Edition of the film seems like the umpteenth time MIB has been released on DVD; but out of all the previous editions this seems to offer the most bang for your buck.

Much more fun than I expected
After seeing the previews, I had no desire to see "Men in Black." It just looked silly and didn't make sense. I finally watched it only because my boyfriend had the tape in his collection and I was bored. Boy, did I misjudge this movie! It was ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!

Part of my problem with the previews is that I wasn't quite sure what the plot was about so let me start there. The "men in black" are part of a special super-secret immigration agency dealing with extraterrestrials. Unbeknownst to the general population, space aliens have been living amongst us for several decades. As long as they behave, they are welcome. If they misbehave, they may be deported or zapped with some pretty fancy weaponry.

Will Smith plays an ultra-hip New York police officer who comes to the agency's attention after chasing down a space alien. Tommy Lee Jones plays his very experienced, suave partner. Jones' dead serious interactions with the panoply of odd aliens is outrageous. And although I'm not a Will Smith fan, I have to admit that in MIB he's just just too cool for words!

MIB is definitely a must for the video library!

Different type of illegal aliens in New York
So much has been written about the brilliance of this gooey sci/fi comedy, that it would be redundant for me to tell you how great it is. But what I enjoyed most about "Men In Black" is that it is such a New York film.

When Will Smith is being oriented to his new job by Tommy Lee Jones, he's informed that many New Yorkers are disguised space aliens. "Like cab drivers?" Smith asks. "Not as many as you think," Jones responds.

The fact that the MIB have a car that can defy gravity is funny enough, but the fact that it needs such a vehicle to fight the perpetual traffic in the Midtown Tunnel is even funnier.

An alien disguised as a dog in an I LOVE NEW YORK tee-shirt is fairly funny. But when it speaks with a New Yawk accent as thick as Bugs Bunny's it makes it funnier.

When the edgar bug alien hauls a mideastern cab driver out of his cab, not funny. When he tosses his wooden-bead back massager at him, funny. But on top of that, when he throws the ubiquitous air freshner out, then its hysterical (without being racist).

Th