Reviews (3)

short use of good talent
i really must say that it was ok could've been better, alot better! if they only would've taken more time & care on the script. the casting was superb that's why it's a shame it falls soo short of greatest , a great idea just poorly excuted. jeff daniels & catherine o'hara are pefect in their roles but the script leaves little for them to do,the beginning is great but runs out of steam.

there are some funny moments that's about it. it's PG-13 for profanity.

Paydirt - VHS
It's a copy of mad mad mad mad world. Jeff Daniels strikes again, he is one of the funniest people on this planet, what would the world be whiteout him.

PAYDIRT - VHS
It's a copy of mad mad mad mad world. Jeff Daniels strikes again, he is one of the funniest people on this planet, what would the world be whiteout him. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

It's hard to know who thought it would be a good idea to make a live-action version of Disney's animated classic. The one bright notion anyone had was casting Glenn Close as Disney über-villainess Cruella de Vil; her flashing eyes and angular features are a perfect match and do credit to what is one of the most indelible animated characters Disney has ever created. The story remains essentially the same, focusing on Cruella's plot to kidnap the puppies of a young married couple (Jeff Daniels and Jolie Richardson) and make them into a coat. But the dreaded John Hughes, who wrote this script, fills it with sadistic slapstick and far too few genuine laughs. The human actors work hard, but to little avail; thankfully, there's a passel of puppies to regularly steal scenes when the going gets dreary--although there are only so many laughs to be had from inappropriate dog puddles. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Delightful story with puppies that will steal your heart
It was a stroke of genius for the legendary Disney Studio to decide to remake their classic 1961 animated feature "101 Dalmatians", as a live action feature. Never a great fan of remakes, I feel this story is a natural for a live action version and on first viewing it totally won me over. It has so much to offer viewers of all ages, whether it be its 99 gorgeous Dalmatian puppies that would melt the heart of any dog lover, a top class production with terrific sets, locations and stunts or a wonderfully wicked villianess in the incomparable Cruella De Vil played to perfection by gifted actress Glenn Close.

The film follows closely the original story and tells the tale of London couple Roger and Anita who meet through a Dalmatian dog mixup in a London Park and fall in love, marry and find themselves the happy "parents" of 15 beautiful Dalmatian puppies when their Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita begin a family of their own. Their happiness is short lived however when Anita's boss the dastardly Cruella De Vil spots the puppies and immediately makes plans to have the puppies kidnapped so that she can turn their pelts into the extravagant spotted fur coat she has always dreamed of having. What ensures is a comical tale full of laughs, great stunts and hilarious situations of the "boo the villian, cheer the dogs" variety. The Dalmatian parents, with the aid of many assorted members of the animal kingdom from woodpeckers, squirrels, and assorted sheep pigs, and dogs not only succeed in tracking down the missing puppies in their hideout but also outwit Cruella and her incompetent accomplices at every turn. The animals revenge on Cruella and her accomplices makes for most of the humour as they find themselves being dumped through falling roofs, landing in tubs of gooey molasses and being smelled out by skunks!

No expense was spared on this production and indeed all the live action characters bare an amazing resemblance to their cartoon counterparts. Gleen Close towers over the whole production in her performance as Disney Studios most famous villianess the totally over the top Cruella De Vil. Her makeup, hair styles and clothing is everything you would imagine Cruella to be. It is to the credit of Glenn Close that she succeeds totally in bringing to life such a well known and "loved" cartoon villianess. A supremely talented actress as seen in such diverse roles as those in "Fatal Attraction", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Meeting Venus", and "Paradise Road" among others, she is a total riot as the bizzare fashion designer with an extreme fur fetish. It is she who makes "101 Dalmatians" such memorable viewing and her encounters with the animals in the second half of the film will have you laughing for ages. The sight of Cruella rising out of the tub of molasses where she has been unceremoniously dumped by the animal brigade will bring fits of laughter to the viewer. The film also boasts the great talents of Jeff Daniels and the lovely Joely Richardson as Roger and Anita the loving couple drawn to each other by their fondness for Dalmatians, and the gifted Joan Plowright as Anita's former Nanny who finds herself performing the role again but this time for the 15 puppies in the house. Much of the comedy stems from the great playing by Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams as the wacky Jasper and Horace employed by Cruella who's job it is to steal the puppies for Cruella. They receive the main brunt of the animals "revenge" to great comic effect as does John Shrapnel in the role of the sinister scarred Skinner who is employed to turn the puppies coats into Cruella's new coat. The animal stunts performed in this film will have you gasping as the animals seem top take on human personalities of their own to brilliant effect. The location photography around London and in the snow scenes at Cruella's hideaway also create a very pleasing look to the film.

I never fail to watch "101 Dalmatians" without finding a smile appearing on my face. It is a totally delightful film that is just as much for adults as it is children which is a real credit to the Disney Studios. Glenn Close really makes the film a viewing experience with her over the top playing here but if you are in anyway a dog lover you can't help but be totally captivated by these delightful 101 spotted creatures charming the audience in "101 Dalmatians". Enjoy!

"101 Dalmatians"
Having watched both the live-action and the animated versions of "101 Dalmatians," I find the live-action version to be vastly superior. This updated classic has a fresh, fun storyline. The actors who play the characters seem perfectly suited for their roles. Glenn Close is particularly good as Cruella De Vil. The movie was filmed in England and each scene is beautifully crafted. The director has done a remarkable job of giving the dogs respected status as emotion-feeling, three dimensional characters without resorting to the silly and mundane method of giving them human voices. Being a dog trainer myself, the thing I most enjoy about the movie is the absolutely phenomenal job done by the dog handlers. Not only are the trained behaviors remarkable, but the handlers have elicited responses from the dogs that readily convey understandable "emotions" to the audience. The ONE glaring fault of this movie is the final scene where all of the dogs have been allowed to breed ad infinitum. I find that totally irresponsible and the reason this movie gets 4 stars instead of 5.

CORNY!
One of the WORST films by Disney is this "101 Dalmations", which is a live-action version of the original cartoon movie & is nowhere near as good. All it was is just a retelling of the story obviously, but very little excitement and fun, bad acting and cheesy, cheesy, cheesy special effects. (not to mention the jokes sucked!) It is also TOO short! They could've added in more and it would've been better but it all ended too soon. Disney is really going downhill with these sequels and remakes and I suggest that they STOP now!! How anybody could like this film is beyond me! This is the stupidest, crappiest movie remake ever! Save your money and buy the original cartoon version instead cause it's 100% better than this smelly pile of dog crap! Your kids will also like it more.

A dog's life
Don't expect this type of overacting Disney movie that can be a sweet movie. It was pretty funny. It will be better than the second movie 102 Dalmatians.

Calling all dogs, we must find the puppies!
We purchased the cartoon version at our first opportunity, and this has been a heavily watched movie by our kids, especially when they were pre-kindergarten. This is still my 6 year old daughters favorite movie and the family voted it #8 of 41. Not quite up to the production standards of other Disney movies, this one was popular with all 5 children and is very watchable with repeat viewings. It narrowly beat out Fox and the hound for the 8th spot.

Cruella De Vil sees the 15 puppies of Pongo and Perdita and decides that she needs to make a polka dot Dalmatian coat with their fur. Her henchmen kidnap 86 puppies from around London and with these 15 she has 101. Pongo and Perdita call upon their doggie friend to search for the lost pups in hopes of engineering a rescue.
We had a lot of fun by gathering the family together to rank the 41 Disney movies we have that include some cartoon work. All the kids, ages 6 to 27, participated along with mother and dad. Peter Pan is no Codfish, we rank it #2. Lion King was selected number 1 of the 41 as the family favorite, but narrowly. Peter Pan was 2. Pete's Dragon 3, Beauty & the beast 4, Sleeping Beauty 5, Snow White 6 and Robin hood 7. These 7 movies all received a 5 star rating from us and complete our magnificent 7. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Another Carroll Ballard Classic...Fly Away Home is stunning!
As a longtime admirer of Director Carroll Ballard, I was thrilled when the Special Edition of "Fly Away Home" was released on DVD. I wish Anchor Bay had done the same treatment to Never Cry Wolf. But this film is a classic for all ages. Its parallel story to the real life Bill Lishman is more than entertaining, it tugs at one's heart. And Anna Paquin is stunning as Amy as she is in every film.

FLY AWAY HOME is also an environmental manifesto because it calls attention to the need for less development and more care for our habitat. I've rarely seen any comments along these lines and if you watch the movie closely, you'll realize that this is a call for change in scraping the land off and piling up huge neighborhoods and industry. It is testimony to the need for conservation in all countries.

Finally, Fly Away Home is a family film that breaches the silliness that too many youth movies have evolved to. This movie treats younger viewers with intelligence, not like an etcha-sketch.

I believe anyone with heart and soul will enjoy this movie for it will touch both.

Great Family Movie with Stunning Cinematography
This film has much of what perfect family films should have. Anna Paquin gives a quietly perfect performance as a girl whose mother has died, leaving her to go live with her estranged, and somewhat strange, father. Jeff Daniels plays the free-spirit, gruff, eccentric, semi-recluse inventor who is Anna's father. The awkwardness upon her arrival is almost tangible. What saves her, and the father-daughter relationship, is an orphaned family of Canada geese. Anna's character finds them in a patch of woods being developed into a subdivision or commercial complex, they imprint on her (Conrad Lorenz, the ethologist who figured out imprinting, would love this movie), and she has to teach the goslings how to be geese.

The lessons go well until Fall, when it's time for the young but full-grown geese to start thinking about migrating. How does a pre-teen girl teach young geese how to fly? She gets her eccentric inventor of a father to . . . well, I won't give everything away. Let's just say that this story has its ups and downs, but has a happy, but realistic ending. In the meantime, the process of teaching the geese to fly in the film leads to some incredible cinemagraphic sequences. The viewers get a bird's-eye view of geese flying, and feels as if the geese are right next to them.

Is this a complex, mulit-layed film full of sophistication and sub-plots? No way! This is a straightforward film about bonding and love - father-daughter bonding and love, as well as human-animal bonding and and love. "Fly Away Home" is a great movie to have at home and pull out on a rainy day to watch with your kids, from about age four up.

This movie makes my dad cry
And it's not just him. This movie came up amongst my friends in college and every female in the room said that their father KEPT watching this movie and they ALWAYS cried. Sort of brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "empty nest."

This movie is about Anna, who, after her mother's death in a car crash (Anna was also in the car), is sent to live with her slightly eccentric inventor father in Canada. He means well, but he just makes absolutely no sense to Anna. It is an exagerated case of "my dad is so weird" that any teenager can identify with. Meanwhile, the idea of a teenage girl is so foreign to her dad that the more he tries to bond, the more she stomps away.

Into the story comes a band of orphaned Canadian geese that Anna nurtures. They imprint her as their mother, so she more or less trains them. The only problem is that they must fly south for the winter, and Anna is their only role model. Luckily, she has a dad who builds space shuttles for fun. Suddenly, he has a way to connect with her and she has a reason to trust him.

Though it sounds sort of hokey, this movie that never delves into complete pathos. Instead, it is frequently quite funny and always touching. If you are looking for a father's day present, this is ideal. Just make sure to keep some tissues handy.

The Birds
This drama about a father/daughter relationship showed some promise in the beginning with a couple of tense scenes, but unfortunately the movie became more and more predictable and uninteresting as it went along. The main plot is about a 13 year old girl (Anna Paquin) whose pets consist in a bunch of baby geese. Problem is, as the geese grow up they will have to find their own way and fly away, so the girl and her father (Jeff Daniels) try to help the birds and end up guiding them to a safe place. Basically a feel-good-movie, "Fly Away Home" lacks dramatic tension, surprising situations and a solid plot. As it is, this drama is just a piece of harmless fluff with some pretty images and lots of boring scenes that seem endless and repetitive. The acting is competent and Carroll Ballard`s direction is equally decent, but overall this cinematic experience is way too lifeless, patchy and predictable. Children may like it, though, still this is nothing more than a cliched and unconvincing family movie.

Well-intended but not very challenging.

Young girl and dad help young geese fly south for the winter
The story of "Fly Away Home" is fairly predictable, in that we know full well that young Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) is going to persuade her father, Thomas (Jeff Daniels), to come up with a way of teaching a flock of adopted goslings how to fly and get them to a winter refuge in North Carolina. But predictability is not always a deterrent to a film being enjoyable or even inspirational, and you have to pity someone who cannot enjoy watching a bunch of baby geese running after Anna Paquin, convinced that she is there mother and therefore responsible for imprinting on them what they need to learn to survive. Besides, for what is ostensibly a children's film this one opens with a rather shocking scene, where we see a fatal car accident during the open credits while listening to a gentle melody. If there is anything that indicates this is more than your usual predictable children's film, this would be it.

If there is a flaw in "Fly Away Home" it is that the relationship between daughter and father takes a back seat to the story of the geese, so that the pathos that exists there is almost lost in the flapping of wings (but there is a nice moment and a good line when the father tells his daughter why he know what she can do it). They two have been estranged by distance (he returned to Canada while his wife and daughter lived in New Zealand), and living together is not improving things. He is an eccentric artist and inventor who cannot figure out how to connect with a living human being until the geese that come between them bring them together.

Fortunately, dad is spared the role of being the villain, because there are land developers at both ends of the flight and a wild life officer who knows what the rulebook says about domesticated geese. But those are just minor hurdles to the idea of flying 600-miles in four days in an ultra-light plane for Amy to lead her geese to their promised (wet) land. Yes, the idea that the clock is ticking and that bulldozers are ready to roll in North Carolina is all a bit much, but then there are moments, like when the ultra-lights and geese fly through the skyscrapers of Baltimore than just about take your breath away.

I was not aware until after I watched the film that director Carroll Ballard and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel had previously collaborated on "The Black Stallion," but that certainly makes sense because both films are perfectly willing to let pictures exist without dialogue. The other commonality is that "Fly Away Home" is another film that adults can enjoy just as much as the kiddies. ... Read more

Reviews (347)

Good History, Good Film
Movies based on history fall into one of two categories. They're either wonderful stories that are flawed on facts (Braveheart, JFK, for example), or they're faithful to the facts but lack drama (The Battle of Britain, produced by Harry Saltzman in the late '60s). This film, written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, manages to be fairly accurate storytelling and compelling drama at the same time. That Maxwell's movie embodies these two qualities in an almost four-hour picture is no small feat either.

The movie recreates the pivotal battle of the Civil War, when General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia sought to destroy the Union forces under General George Meade at Gettysburg, a small town in Pennsylvania. Maxwell's towering achievement in this movie, besides the many well-staged battle scenes, is to highlight the personal, emotional anguish of the soldiers on both sides, some of whom had been quite close before the war began. Witness the scene in the tent of General James Longstreet (Tom Berenger) as General Lewis Armistead (Richard Jordan, in one of his last screen roles) speaks emotionally about his friend, General Hancock, who he knows is just over the ridge where they will attack the next day. Tears well up in Jordan's eyes as he recalls the deep affection that he developed for Hancock and his wife many years before.

Gettysburg is not a great movie, but it is a very good one, and well worth viewing for any American who is interested in the war that tore this nation asunder and, in some ways, made it more unified afterwards.

Absolutely excellent film making from a historical novel.
I am writing this review after my review of "Gods and General." I realized the measure of any subsequent movie would be "Gettysburg," and the problem is going to be that it is a hard act to follow. Gettysburg is everything a historical novel to movie should be. Start with a Pulitzer prize winning book, "Killer Angels." This is impeccable story telling. On the confederate side, Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee and Tom Berenger contributed career best performances and compelling chemistry. On the Union side, Jeff Daniels as Colonel Chamberlain, C. Thomas Howell as his brother and Lieutenant, and Kevin Conroy as the tough old Mick Sargeant /veteran, provide the compelling chemistry. Sam Elliot fits the part of a veteran cavalry General perfectly. In fact, I can't think of anyone that fits the part of acting from the saddle better.

If Stonewall Jackson had lived and had surrounded the federal troops at Chancellorsville, the war might have ended. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and withdrew from Gettysburg to high ground of his own choice, he might have won the battle and ended the war. This defensive style of fighting is why Lee earned the nickname "Gray Fox." Lee made the same mistake as Union General Burnside at Fredericksburg in advancing troops uphill against an entrenched enemy while taking canon fire on three sides. If General Meade had pursued Lee out of Gettysburg to where he was backed up against a storm swollen and impassable Potomac River, the war might have ended. Instead, war went on for more than two more years, and the death toll rose to over 615,000 Americans. This section of American history is critically important and what will be a set of three movies will serve a very commendable purpose.

Gettysburg-an exciting and dramatic review of the final days
I absolutely LOVE this movie. Based on the bestselling novel 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara, Gettysburg is an engaging and [MOSTLY accurate] retelling of the events surrounding what was probably the most major battle of the War of Northern Agression (no offense to anyone, I AM a southerner, but I harbor no serious prejudices toward anyone). Some minor details, such as Chamberlain's position during the battle are slightly off, but most of the historical action is dead on. Martin Sheen delivers an excellent performance as Gen. Robert E. Lee. Although this movie was released earlier, 'Gods and Generals' by Jeff Shaara (same name as the book, and Michael Shaara's son) precedes Gettysburg in historical order. Recommended to anyone interested in the American Civil War and history buffs alike.

Greatest Civil War Movie
Gettysburg is by far the best movie on the ACW ever made. I saw it in the theater as a kid and I am still impressed with it. It is much better than Gods and Generals and I think its better than Glory for the simple fact that it shows BOTH sides displaying their own feelings, emotions, and desires. I dont think Sheen was bad as Lee but at the same time I dont think Duvall had enough on screen time to properly compare him to Sheen's performance. Richard Jordan was superb in his performance as Armistead and it is a lasting tribute that his last movie before his death to a brain tumor was so powerful and emotional; sometimes I wonder if Jordan was thinking on his own death while filming those magnificent scenes for the movie.

And a little FYI to settle the harsh criticism of Maxwell picking Sheen as Lee: ROBERT DUVALL WAS MAXWELL'S FIRST CHOICE TO DO LEE IN GETTYSBURG BUT DUVALL WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME B/C HE WAS FILMING SOME OTHER MOVIE; SO MAXWELL WENT WITH A BACKUP CHOICE OF MARTIN SHEEN FOR LEE!!!

Gettysburg
I liked this movie very much, but yet I do believe that if it were made at the same time Gods and Generals was, it would have been a much better film. I thought that Sheen did a fair job at playing the great General Robert E. Lee, but he is no match for the outstanding performance of Robert Duvall. I like Tom Berenger as General Longstreet, who was also from my native state, South Carolina. Jeff Danials did a spectacular job in this film as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in Gettysburg as well in Gods and Generals. The effort these actors put in to this movie are so dramatic, it takes your breath away to see these men, in fact, you don't see Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, or Jeff Danials, you see Robert E. Lee, Jamse Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain. But I must say, if you are going to watch Gettysburg, you mite want to watch Gods and Generals first. ... Read more

Reviews (257)

Best (and funniesr) movie ever made!
I'll tell you, flat out, perfectly honest, i've seen this movie about.... oh, say 60, maybe 70 times, i can recite the whole movie from memory, and have noticed every single joke possibly concievable from this movie. SO whi is it, that every time I watch it, I crack up hysterically every 20 seconns? it because of the shear genius of Lloyd Christmas'(Carrey) utter stupidity, because of Harry Dunn's(Daniels) complete lack of any common sense. The movie isnt like other comedies, you know, the ones you buy, laugh at them once, watch it again, and say,"Why did I even think of buyin' this?" Well this movie, about two complete idiots, who have been best friends all their life, aqcuire a briefcase that was left in an air terminal by the prettiest woman Lloyd has ever seen. Now Lloyd and a reluctant Harry travel cross country, from Providence to Aspen, just to return the briefcase. Along the way, they'll unkowingly run into kidnappers, "laid back country folk" as Lloyd would say, and more than one police squad, just to return a briefcase that they dont even know whats in it, or the entire womans name! You have to see it!

It's supposed to be dumb, people!
I don't why many movie critics from the past and the present critically panned this film. It's freakin' hilarious! It paved the way for disgusting comedies like THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and SCARY MOVIE. By the way, the Farrelly brothers, who masterly directed this film, also did MARY.

Anyway, DUMB & DUMBER will leave in hesterics! Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are amazingly stupid as characters Lloyd and Harry. The two lovable losers from Rhode Island go cross country to Aspen, Colorado to return a loaded briefcase to a woman named Mary (Lauren Holly), whom Lloyd is in love with. But the two dimwits don't know that assassins are on theyre' tail to retrieve the briefcase! Ok, everyone know's the storyline, so let's talk about the humor in the film.

One of my favorite scenes in the film is when a cop pulls Harry and Lloyd for a speed ticket, and unknowingly drinks a beer bottle with Lloyd's yerin in it. Funny! And when the dipstick Harry sticks his tongue to a frozen pole (borrowed liberally from A CHRISTMAS STORY) and experiences horrible diahorea. Sounds crude, but it's movie magic at its best. Oh yeah, the scene where Lloyd accidently killing a endangered snow owl, and saying the line "Boy this party really died", is a classic Carrey moment.

If your a fan of Carrey and the Farrelly Brothers, or like disgusting comedies, or just simply a moron, you'll love this film! One of Carrey's best!

Hilariously funny comedy classic!
I was absolutely appalled at how horrible the prequel "When Harry Met Lloyd" was when released in 2003 so I went back to the original from 1994 and let me tell you, it is still a really funny and witful comedy classic.

Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are an amazing team starring as two really low-wealth bums in the run-down slums of the east coast rustbelt and when Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) is a taxi driver at the airport, an attractive woman (Lauren Holly) accidentally leaves behind an important suitcase with important material and now Harry along with his longtime dim-witted friend Harry Dunn try to compete to win her heart over and go all the way to Aspen, Colorado to return the suitcase to her but they are unaware that they are being persued by a criminal couple involved in a criminal crime ring.

This movie is just plain funny and while certainly not a masterpiece by any means, it is nonetheless a memorable movie by both of the lead actors and Daniels and Carrey are a wonderful comedy duo team and a pity taht Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen could not take notice of how well the former two did on this original movie.

This is a movie that warrants taking off the thinking cap for a while and get out the soda and popcorn and share a laugh with your friends.

Just hilarious!
By far Jim Carrey's best film he has ever done in his entire life. Even if you can't stand him, you can't help laughing in this. The film is about Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels, who is equally as funny). Lloyd is at his Limo driving job and he picks a woman up to take to the airport. But he falls deeply in love with her, and when he drops her off, she forgets to take her briefcase and Lloyd chases after her... but he just misses her (an excellent scene!). So, he doesn't know what to do with the case. He persuades his friend Harry to go out in their car to find her and give it back to her. Harry soon says: "ok" and they headto Aspen to return the case. But the case isn't what the seem it is to be, and they could be the wrong guys to have hold of it.

The film has just so many out-ragious scenes, including a scene in a restaurant were they fill this guys' bruger up with spicy peppers and he heats up when he takes a bite. The film does come to one of those endings were the villain shows up and it gets less funny and more serious.

So, right from the very minute this starts you'll be laughing. Any words that come out from Harry or Llyod's mouth is just so hilarious.

The Jim Carrey Show (guest-starring Jeff Daniels)
Harry and Lloyd (Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey) are bosom buddies and undoubtedly the two most stupid human beings on the face of the earth. They get involved in a kidnap-for-ransom scheme that prompts them to undertake a cross-country drive to Aspen, Colorado. Along the way, there are plenty of comic episodes.

Although Jeff Daniels is great, Jim Carrey really carries this movie. He is absolutely incredible. I suppose that every generation needs its own Jerry Lewis, but Carrey out-Jerry-Lewises the original. His energy, flexibility, and unerring instinct for the madcap are quite amazing, and I think that future generations will remember him as a great comedian. Check out the fight scene in the restaurant, for example, and notice how many long, unbroken shots comprise it. This film is lowbrow to be sure, but it cracks me up every time. What more can you really ask from a comedy? ... Read more

Description

A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how campaigns unfolded from Manassas to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film Gettysburg explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home. ... Read more

Reviews (586)

Severely Underrated
Apparently, all it takes to be a film critic these days is a combination of the right political views on the right issues and a fourth grade education. This would explain why "Gods and Generals" -- an excellent film -- was a box office flop. The critics killed it before it had a chance. Smug remarks by less-than-intelligent reviewers like "this is a film that would make Trent Lott proud" gave potential viewers a bad opinion of the movie before they'd even seen it. And what was it that the critics didn't like? One reviewer said it was too much like a history lesson!! Pardon me, but how could one make a movie about the Civil War and NOT include historical data? This just goes to show how averse a large portion of the American people are to thinking. But enough of this. Onto the film itself. Mr. Maxwell does an admirable job of cramming the first two years of the Civil War into a three hour movie. The film's star, Stephen Lang gives a performance worthy of an Academy Award as Stonewall Jackson. Since the Confederate forces were dominant in the first half of the war, the film focuses on them more than their blundering Union counterparts. This was percieved as Neo-Confederate propaganda by the critics, which of course is not true. And, due to the fact that most of the people in the 1860's were Christians, the movie delves into the religious side of the conflict which nearly sent the snide reviewers into an epileptic fit. The battle scenes were nearly flawless (the only thing missing was the gore and blood) and very exciting to watch. The only scene I could have done without is the infamous "Hail Caesar" scene that semmed to last a half hour. Overall this is a great film about great men who stood against tyranny and died to preserve freedom. If only this generation could understand that. I eagerly await "The Last Full Measure".

War interrupts Stonewall Jackson's prayers
A couple of years back, a spectacular war epic had the Japanese launching a sneak attack on a love triangle and PEARL HARBOR just happened to get caught in the collateral damage. In GODS AND GENERALS, several Civil War battles serve to interrupt the idyllic home life and prayers of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

There's a core of usefulness to this film, which is its reputedly and apparently accurate rendering - such as they are - of the battles of First Bull Run (1861), Fredericksburg (1862) and Chancellorsville (1863). For the historical knowledge to be gained, I would rather that today's young generation watch this than the steady diet of silly, albeit spectacular, fairy tales served up on the Silver Screen. Unfortunately, the combat footage is interspersed with too much overwritten and pretentious dialogue played to the tune of an overly melodramatic soundtrack. And since they're almost carnage-free compared to such recent war epics as SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BAND OF BROTHERS, the battle sequences have been criticized as glossing over the horrors of war. But how else does the studio get the film a PG-13 rating that will allow younger audiences in to see it? To be sure, its 3 hour and 40 minute run time could have been slashed by an hour, at least. GODS AND GENERALS makes GETTYSBURG (1993) seem like a great film in comparison.

Stephen Lang (General Pickett in GETTYSBURG) does a creditable job as the screenwriter's vision of Jackson, though I'm not convinced that this and the "real" Stonewall resemble each other. Unfortunately, much of the General's career and reputation was established by his brilliant Shenandoah Valley campaign of early 1862, events outside the scope of this epic. From reading, my impression of Jackson is that he was an austere, aloof, brilliant and eccentric commander who drove his men to the breaking point, and won their devotion in the process. The Jackson played by Lang comes across as almost warm and fuzzy. I don't know which version is more accurate, but this relatively pallid cinematic one isn't what I expected.

Robert Duvall plays General Robert E. Lee in GODS AND GENERALS, and his rendition is much more robust and believable than Martin Sheen's in GETTYSBURG. Jeff Daniels, a little chunkier and nearly a decade older, pretty much reprises the Joshua Chamberlain character of the 20th Maine Regiment, although he occasionally falls victim to windy monologs about the sanctity of the Union and the evils of slavery. In GODS AND GENERALS, unfortunately, there's no Little Round Top to valiantly defend to the last minie ball. The best Chamberlain can do is get pinned down by Confederate fire below Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg

Civil war buffs such as myself will certainly enjoy this film while fidgeting between battles. First Bull Run comes across rather stiff and awkward, but the troops are fully into it by Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. It also helps if the viewer has some pre-knowledge of the battlefields and the locations of the opposing lines because there's too little elucidation provided by the on-screen tacticians. Those who've seen GETTYSBURG will recognize many of the actors who reprise their roles from the earlier sequel.

See GODS AND GENERALS and appreciate it for what it's worth. But don't expect a profoundly moving or satisfying experience.

I keep wanting to like this movie, but....
Glory was a great civil war film, it had characters with character, it had a story with a story, it had a believable premise. But, this movie I don't know what this movie was all about. The acting was like a cross between stage acting and politicians trying to act emotional about their causes on a debate stage. And to have it centered in the 19th Century south in this format is like having the cast of the Andy Griffith Show deliver their lines with Shakespearean drama, it just doesn't work. I really don't think General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson would be proud to be remember for his endless droning philosophy on lemonade.

This movie has been playing endlessly on cable for the last few months, and I admit I keep getting drawn into watching it, and if you turn the sound down it's not so bad as a silent movie, but the dialog is, well it's what it is. I could care less about the message personally. The facts about the motivation of the Confederacy are so muddled due to southern pride and political correctness I really don't expect a movie to portray them accurately.

Glory did at least make an effort not to sugar coat the reality of the time to a degree. You can't be politically correct about a time that just plain wasn't politically correct, and unfortunately in the times we live in this means that our history is being rewritten all around to either exaggerate the "bad" guys or glorify the "good" guys in whatever perspective the author seems to think those "guys" are. The simple fact is that 19th century America was a terribly racially divided place and it went much further than skin color and the South.

I guess I keep watching it trying to figure out how someone could bankroll so much effort in costuming and location shoots and battle scenes and all and wonder if they actually watched it before they released it. Does the director of this movie actually have conversations like this? I think the real problem with this movie is that it tries to hard to be politically correct, and that the Author, the Director, the Producer, the Editor, or someone feels that you can't portray the glorious careers of men who don't fit into the political correctness mold of the modern day. This is a serious disservice to historical fact.

So much preaching you can skip church for a year!
Save your $ and just watch the excellent "Gettysburg" again. This one is simply terrible, almost painful to watch. If this was an accurate portrayal of Gen. Jackson, then I'm amazed that his troops waited until after Chancellorsville to shoot him. Returning actors are ten years older than in "Gettysburg" while playing in action that happened months+ before. The only positive was Robert Duvall as an excellent Gen. Lee.

candy for the history buff
I like to study history, and the civil war is one of my favorite points in American History. Mainly because it was so controversial, the reasons, the bad guys, the death toll, etc..... It was one of the bloodiest battles in our history, not because both sides were american, but because of the percentage of dead per battle, sometimes reaching 30%.

I do believe that the South got a raw deal for a long time. They weren't blameless, but they also weren't the evil group of racists that were potrayed. Plus this delves into the fact that the war wasn't about slavery until the later stages, something the North didn't even want. But that is all up for debate in another forum.

This movie is well filmed, the characters feel more three dimensional and close to their real life counterparts, and the recreation of some of the battles are done in an almost loving fashion done by those who spend their pasttime recreating major events. It shows two major early battles where the confederacy won stunning victories causing heavy losses for the Union. The battle of Fredericksburg cost over 17,000 troops on the side of the Union.

The main complaint from people who like this movie was that it left a lot out, there were a lot of smaller battles that where, but it would have added another 2 hours easily to the already 4 hour movie. Maybe we can hope for a special edition some day.

This movie is very pro southern, so if your views tend to favor the union, this is probably not for you. If you don't love history or recreations of battles, especially ones using Napoleonic Tactics and weapons, it probably also is not for you. It is like marzipan, not a lot of people like it, but those that do, love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There are some filmmaking teams that invariably bring out the best in each other, and that's definitely the case with director Carroll Ballard and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel.They previously collaborated on The Black Stallion and Never Cry Wolf, and Fly Away Home is their third family film that deserves to be called a classic. Inspired by Bill Lishman's autobiography, the movie tells the story of a 13-year-old girl (Anna Paquin) who goes to live with her estranged, eccentric father (Jeff Daniels) following the death of her mother. At first she's withdrawn and reclusive, but finds renewed happiness when she adopts an orphaned flock of baby geese and, later, teaches them to migrate using an ultralight. Sensitively directed and stunningly photographed, the movie has flying sequences that are nothing short of astonishing, and Daniels and Paquin (Oscar winner for The Piano) make a delightful father-daughter duo. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Another Carroll Ballard Classic...Fly Away Home is stunning!
As a longtime admirer of Director Carroll Ballard, I was thrilled when the Special Edition of "Fly Away Home" was released on DVD. I wish Anchor Bay had done the same treatment to Never Cry Wolf. But this film is a classic for all ages. Its parallel story to the real life Bill Lishman is more than entertaining, it tugs at one's heart. And Anna Paquin is stunning as Amy as she is in every film.

FLY AWAY HOME is also an environmental manifesto because it calls attention to the need for less development and more care for our habitat. I've rarely seen any comments along these lines and if you watch the movie closely, you'll realize that this is a call for change in scraping the land off and piling up huge neighborhoods and industry. It is testimony to the need for conservation in all countries.

Finally, Fly Away Home is a family film that breaches the silliness that too many youth movies have evolved to. This movie treats younger viewers with intelligence, not like an etcha-sketch.

I believe anyone with heart and soul will enjoy this movie for it will touch both.

Great Family Movie with Stunning Cinematography
This film has much of what perfect family films should have. Anna Paquin gives a quietly perfect performance as a girl whose mother has died, leaving her to go live with her estranged, and somewhat strange, father. Jeff Daniels plays the free-spirit, gruff, eccentric, semi-recluse inventor who is Anna's father. The awkwardness upon her arrival is almost tangible. What saves her, and the father-daughter relationship, is an orphaned family of Canada geese. Anna's character finds them in a patch of woods being developed into a subdivision or commercial complex, they imprint on her (Conrad Lorenz, the ethologist who figured out imprinting, would love this movie), and she has to teach the goslings how to be geese.

The lessons go well until Fall, when it's time for the young but full-grown geese to start thinking about migrating. How does a pre-teen girl teach young geese how to fly? She gets her eccentric inventor of a father to . . . well, I won't give everything away. Let's just say that this story has its ups and downs, but has a happy, but realistic ending. In the meantime, the process of teaching the geese to fly in the film leads to some incredible cinemagraphic sequences. The viewers get a bird's-eye view of geese flying, and feels as if the geese are right next to them.

Is this a complex, mulit-layed film full of sophistication and sub-plots? No way! This is a straightforward film about bonding and love - father-daughter bonding and love, as well as human-animal bonding and and love. "Fly Away Home" is a great movie to have at home and pull out on a rainy day to watch with your kids, from about age four up.

This movie makes my dad cry
And it's not just him. This movie came up amongst my friends in college and every female in the room said that their father KEPT watching this movie and they ALWAYS cried. Sort of brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "empty nest."

This movie is about Anna, who, after her mother's death in a car crash (Anna was also in the car), is sent to live with her slightly eccentric inventor father in Canada. He means well, but he just makes absolutely no sense to Anna. It is an exagerated case of "my dad is so weird" that any teenager can identify with. Meanwhile, the idea of a teenage girl is so foreign to her dad that the more he tries to bond, the more she stomps away.

Into the story comes a band of orphaned Canadian geese that Anna nurtures. They imprint her as their mother, so she more or less trains them. The only problem is that they must fly south for the winter, and Anna is their only role model. Luckily, she has a dad who builds space shuttles for fun. Suddenly, he has a way to connect with her and she has a reason to trust him.

Though it sounds sort of hokey, this movie that never delves into complete pathos. Instead, it is frequently quite funny and always touching. If you are looking for a father's day present, this is ideal. Just make sure to keep some tissues handy.

The Birds
This drama about a father/daughter relationship showed some promise in the beginning with a couple of tense scenes, but unfortunately the movie became more and more predictable and uninteresting as it went along. The main plot is about a 13 year old girl (Anna Paquin) whose pets consist in a bunch of baby geese. Problem is, as the geese grow up they will have to find their own way and fly away, so the girl and her father (Jeff Daniels) try to help the birds and end up guiding them to a safe place. Basically a feel-good-movie, "Fly Away Home" lacks dramatic tension, surprising situations and a solid plot. As it is, this drama is just a piece of harmless fluff with some pretty images and lots of boring scenes that seem endless and repetitive. The acting is competent and Carroll Ballard`s direction is equally decent, but overall this cinematic experience is way too lifeless, patchy and predictable. Children may like it, though, still this is nothing more than a cliched and unconvincing family movie.

Well-intended but not very challenging.

Young girl and dad help young geese fly south for the winter
The story of "Fly Away Home" is fairly predictable, in that we know full well that young Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) is going to persuade her father, Thomas (Jeff Daniels), to come up with a way of teaching a flock of adopted goslings how to fly and get them to a winter refuge in North Carolina. But predictability is not always a deterrent to a film being enjoyable or even inspirational, and you have to pity someone who cannot enjoy watching a bunch of baby geese running after Anna Paquin, convinced that she is there mother and therefore responsible for imprinting on them what they need to learn to survive. Besides, for what is ostensibly a children's film this one opens with a rather shocking scene, where we see a fatal car accident during the open credits while listening to a gentle melody. If there is anything that indicates this is more than your usual predictable children's film, this would be it.

If there is a flaw in "Fly Away Home" it is that the relationship between daughter and father takes a back seat to the story of the geese, so that the pathos that exists there is almost lost in the flapping of wings (but there is a nice moment and a good line when the father tells his daughter why he know what she can do it). They two have been estranged by distance (he returned to Canada while his wife and daughter lived in New Zealand), and living together is not improving things. He is an eccentric artist and inventor who cannot figure out how to connect with a living human being until the geese that come between them bring them together.

Fortunately, dad is spared the role of being the villain, because there are land developers at both ends of the flight and a wild life officer who knows what the rulebook says about domesticated geese. But those are just minor hurdles to the idea of flying 600-miles in four days in an ultra-light plane for Amy to lead her geese to their promised (wet) land. Yes, the idea that the clock is ticking and that bulldozers are ready to roll in North Carolina is all a bit much, but then there are moments, like when the ultra-lights and geese fly through the skyscrapers of Baltimore than just about take your breath away.

I was not aware until after I watched the film that director Carroll Ballard and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel had previously collaborated on "The Black Stallion," but that certainly makes sense because both films are perfectly willing to let pictures exist without dialogue. The other commonality is that "Fly Away Home" is another film that adults can enjoy just as much as the kiddies. ... Read more

Description

After Hoffa, only one man was big enough to control The Teamsters and run the most corrupt union in America. Playing the FBI on one side and the mob on the other, Jackie Presser soon wipes out his rivals. Now he's got powerful friends - but he's also making powerful enemies. Based on a true story. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Best of Chris Farley blasts through 68 minutes of the wildly hilarious characters the comic actor created while with Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. Farley was a comedic gem--not only because he created such bizarre, repulsively funny characters, such as Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker, or Lori Davis, cosmetics infomercial queen, but because he lived completely inside the character, delivering lines with whatever fury, stupidity, hypertension, insecurity, or femininity the situation demanded. Clearly, Farley loved making people laugh and he wasn't afraid to use his big bulk to do it, whether it entailed stripping as a Chippendale's dancer, belly flopping on coffee tables, rolling around on a couch as Tom Arnold, or punching his forehead in dismay on the "Chris Farley Show." What's great about this collection is all of those characters appear; what's disappointing is that some don't linger long enough, while others appear a bit too long. The cafeteria-lady number could've been cut short in lieu of a longer Tom Arnold segment, or Herlihy Boy could've been removed altogether in favor of complete "Chris Farley Show" segments. Still, if you forgot how side-splitting Farley's portrayal of Dom DeLuise or the French-fry-stuffing Gap girl was, this video will happily jog your memory.--Karen Karleski ... Read more

Reviews (50)

A Comic Legacy.
Though some may disagree, Chris Farley was a comic genius (if you don't believe me just watch TOMMY BOY). The characters he played were often loud, but rarely offensive and usually hilarious (compare that to the last five or six years of SNL; there is a huge difference). In part, his humoring was so appealing because Chris looked just like a normal guy and he loved making people laugh.

This collection of SNL sketches and skits is a fitting tribute to Farley. The DVD includes "Andrew Giuliani"; "Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker"; "Chippendales"; "Superfans-Jordan"; snippets of "The Chris Farley Show"; a physical comedy montage; and "Lunchlady". There are a few omissions from the Chris Farley repertoire. However, most of the best ones are here. My only complaint is that there should have been more of certain characters (why wasn't there more "Tom Foley" sketches?).

A wonderful DVD that any Chris Farley fan will welcome, and that non-fans can at least watch to appreciate the humor of Chris Farley.

I miss this big guy...
I've found that most people either totally love Chris Farley or, when you bring him up, make a face and say, "I never really thought he was funny." If you are in the first, and don't own this video yet, RUN don't walk to the shopping cart and buy one. When they ran it the first time on TV, it wasn't long after Farley's death, and I was still sad about it. After the sober opening by Tim Meadows, however, I started laughing pretty much non-stop till it was over. His better-known routines are on here, such as Bennet Brower, Matt Foley, and the Chippendale's dancer, which are all hilarious. But there's also quite a few skits that I never saw, and we watched pretty much every week when he was in the cast. My only complaint is that it isn't longer, and some funny skits, they only show snippets of, like him playing Alan Hale, and the skit with Sandler where Michael Keaton was the host and Sandler plays his cranky grandmother whom he has to watch for 20 minutes. (if you want to see the whole skit, which is one of the funniest things I've ever seen them do, then buy the Best of Adam Sandler as well, because it the whole skit, plus some other great Farley stuff not on this tape is on there). The only noticeable (if you're a Farley fan) omission is a skit called "The Relapse Guy" where he plays a guy who goes to rehab then gets wasted again over and over (it's way funnier than it sounds, trust me). I think they thought it was a little too close to home (though they did leave in the Ditka stuff with him faking a heart attack-that kind of made me wince). Every time I see this, several things happen-- I get sad that he wasn't around long enough to make more movies with Spade, or even by himself, because (this sounds corny) he had so much to give. I also get pi$$ed off at him for not taking better care of himself and dying. I also usually laugh so hard I fall off the couch. No matter how bad of a day I had, I can watch almost any of the skits on here and get cheered up instantly. He was a guy who could just say one line that you would think no-one could say and make it funny, and make you fall down laughing just the way he says it. His costars really had a hard time keeping character, which shows even more in the dress rehersal 'blooper' clips they show. Watch David Spade and Christina Appelgate during the Matt FOley thing- they both have to turn away from the camera to hide their faces because they can't keep a straight face, and when he starts in with the "I bet you're asking yourself 'hey Matt, how do we get back on the right track?' " you can see their shoulders shaking they are laughing so hard. Sandler can't keep a straight face when he's doing the "Lunchlady" song with him, either. Come to think of it, I have no clue how anyone on stage with him could ever keep a straight face. If you were bummed out when he died, get ready to get teary (though you'll already have tears running down your face from laughing) when he sings, "so long, farewell" as Matt Foley at the end, sitting on Phil Hartman's lap (I could watch this without tearing up until Hartman was killed, now I can't see the clip without getting choked up). But even if you do get emotional, keep watching, because after the credits they stick on the one thing I'd been hoping for the whole time-a quick clip of Farley as "Sandman" on "Nat X". What a waste- I hope whereever he is he knows how happy he made people during the short time he was around (and how happy he is still making those of us who thought he was funny).

Classic Physical Comedy
In his short tenure on this earth, Chris Farley provided us with some of the funniest moments in "Saturday Night Live" history. Heavily inspired by John Belushi (not just in his comedy but his dangerous lifestyle), he suddenly became the show's most talented physical comedians, bringing the pratfall back to households.

5 years of classic comedy has been put on this dvd. Farley created for himslef a variety of classic charcaters for himself, including Matt Foley (who lives in a van down by the river!!!), Todd O'Connor of "Superfans" and Barney The Chippendale Auditioner. All of these classic characters are here. Also, there's his "exciting" impression of Laurie Davis in the "Focus On Beauty" sketch. There are several montages that just to show how funny he was: one where he's in drag, a montage of his talk show, one showcasing his physical comedy, an impressions montage, and one featuring outtakes from Dress Rehersal.

Overall, very good. My one complaint may seem odd. There's not enough sketches featruing Adam Sandler! I know that the focus is supposed to be on Farley, but he and Adam shared so many great skecthes together, and they obviosuly bought out the best of each other. The ones with him are good, but it would have been better if "Zagat's" and "Gap Girls" (both featured briefly in the "Drag Montage) were on here. But still, it's an excellent dvd.

Strong start... poor finish
I dunno what it is, but I've always enjoyed Chris Farley's "loud-obnoxious-fat-guy-falling-down-and-breaking-stuff" routine that he did in the handful of movies he starred in prior to his untimely demise. Keeping this in mind during my last visit to the local Hollywood video, I decided to check out this collection of SNL sketches that he starred in, just to see if I had a possible "keeper" to place alongside 'Tommy Boy' and 'Beverly Hills Ninja'. As soon as I got home I threw this into the player, pressed 'play', and relaxed to what was hopefully gonna be a good show. Which it was... at first. After gettin' past the way-too-love-fest-y "in memoriam" intro by Tim Meadows (jeez, whatever happened to that guy, anyway?) I found myself yukkin' it up over the opening sketch of the titular star playing then-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani's (Kevin Nealon) obnoxiously hyper son. After that, he showed his range by playing... an obnoxiously hyper motivational speaker who tries to set a couple kids straight with his bellowing "living in a van down by the river" spiel. Then there's the so-wrong-to-laugh-at-but-I'm-laughing-anyway alternative lifestyle-themed beer commercial with Adam Sandler, followed by the infamous 'Chippendale try-out' with Patrick Swayze... which I consider to be Farley's greatest SNL piece. Oh man, was that sketch a hoot! A very disturbing hoot, but a hoot all the same!

Unfortunately, after this initial volley of sketches and commercial parodies, things really go downhill. Save for his 'quotation-finger'- laden commentary on one Weekend Update segment, I hardly uttered a chuckle the rest of the way. I never did find any of those 'Da Bearsss' sketches all that amusing, and the one they show here with guest star Michael Jordan is no exception. And the string of stammer-laden 'Chris Farley Show' bits with Jeff Daniels, Martin Scorsese, and Paul McCartney were downright tedious. And it didn't help that two of the pieces centered more around Adam Sandler (his retarded 'Lunch Lady Land' tune, and the just-plain-lame 'Herlihy Boy House-Sitting Service' piece), while Farley basically acts as a sideline character for Sandler to play off of. Speakin' of Adam Sandler: his inexplicable success with those lame movies he does is proof positive to me that there is no God. No Supreme Being who truly cares for His creations would have let this unfunny yutz become such a profit-generating force in Hollywood while allowing Chris Farley to shuffle off this mortal coil from a coke overdose...

Needless to say, I'm definitely NOT gonna add this one to my personal video collection. It was hardly worth the rental fee I plopped down for it, let alone what they're askin' for it to own! Guess I'll just hafta settle for another viewing of 'Black Sheep' to get my Farley fix...

'Late

chris farley funny goodness
I can't believe anyone doesn't know about the where he's talking to the news guy dennis miller or kevin that one guy that does the weekend update. He forms his fingers into quotation mark things and says funny stuff on his imperfect things about him. like i'm not that attractive and "i dont wash regularly"its really funny and how come know one says anything about it. Your only cool if you write a review about this skit so every review writer who wrote one your not cool enough to write about chris farley. I think its the funniest skit and its not my fault that all of you people suck ass. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Everything clicked in this 1994 action hit, from the premise (a city bus has to keep moving at 50 mph or blow up) to the two leads (the usually inscrutable Keanu Reeves and the cute-as-a-button Sandra Bullock) to the villain (Dennis Hopper in psycho mode) to the director (Jan De Bont, who made this film hit the ground running with an edge-of-your-seat opening sequence on a broken elevator). This is the sort of movie that becomes a prototype for a thousand lesser films (including De Bont's lousy sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control), but Speed really is a one-of-a-kind experience almost anyone can enjoy. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (177)

Top Notch Action Film
"Die Hard" was the prototype for the 90s action film and "Speed" remains one of the best reworkings of it. It delivers enough non-stop action and thrills to satisfy even the most-demanding action fans.

Keanu Reeves (who'd have believed it before "The Matrix"?) stars as Jack Traven, LAPD SWAT commando. Traven and his partner Harry (Jeff Daniels) battle one-thumbed mad bomber Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) throughout nearly two hours of wall-to-wall testosterone and mayhem.

The script by virgin screenwriter Graham Yost delivers not one, but three thrilling disaster stories, accomplishing that rare Hollywood miracle of actually giving the audience more than they expected.

Reeves gives a surprisingly good performance, showing uncharacteristic confidence and ease. Daniels is largely wasted and Hopper gives his stock crazed villain performance--and once again I loved it. The always delightful Sandra Bullock, co-starring as Reeve's love interest, is excellent, giving just the right touch to her scenes.

"Speed" was a remarkable directorial debut for veteran cinematographer Jan De Bont. He obviously learned a great deal while lensing pictures for Paul Verhoeven ("Basic Instinct") and John McTiernan ("The Hunt for Red October.") The action sequences and stunts in this film are as good as any you'll see. This is one movie that really delivers.

Pop Quiz Hotshot!
Remember that Simpsons episode where Homer loops a videotape of him and the guys working while they goof off "I saw this in a movie where there was a bus and it had to keep it's SPEED above 50 and if it's SPEED dropped, the bus would explode! I think it was called: The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down!" Even Homer realises the cleverness of Jan De Bont's tautly-directed action thriller.

Starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels, Speed is one of those rare films that comes along every now and then that proves to be better than standard fare. Essentially one big extended action scene, the film's frenetic pace makes up for the frequent plot holes. The action never lets up, creating suspense- filled set-pieces and audience excitement. The premise of a bomb on a bus that wil explode if the speed goes below 50 makes for one far-fetched but fun thrill ride.

Keanu is the quintessential gum-chewing cool guy action hero Jack Traven who, along with Annie Porter (Bullock) tries not to get blown up by a bomb that retired cop Howard Payne (Hopper) has set on the bus to get money. The entire principal cast are great, especially Hopper, whose character is reminiscent of his crazy bad guy in Red Rock West (1992). With lines like "Poor people are crazy Jack, I'm eccentric", Hopper manages to give a good performance during his rather short screen time. Plus the added quality of the always-good Daniels is first-rate. And Keanu, now best known for The Matrix, is equally cool here.

Jan DeBont's direction makes the film a taut, entertaining action ride, and surprisingly, Bullock manages to change from nervy bus passenger to a strong character by the film's conclusion. And the pulse-driven score creates even more tension and excitement. But the film is not perfect, it's predictable at times and things get rather tedious at the end, with yet another gasping of "The track's not finished!" Minor quibbles aside, the action is impressive, and Jan DeBont's visual stylishness gives a really eye-catching look. This action-fest is one of the best.

The DVD extras are amazing, with commentaries from De Bont and the crew, extended scenes, Easter Eggs (DVD Credits, Airline Version of Bus Crash), "Inside Speed Featurettes on the location, stunts and visual effects", production Design, the original Screenplay, action Sequence Featurettes on the "Bus Jump" and "Metro Rail Crash", Multi-Angle Shots with Audio, Multi-Stream Storyboards, an interview Archive with Keanu Reeves and the cast, trailers, 11 TV Spots and production notes. Impressive stuff!

I keep coming back
SPEED has been one of the handful of movies made in the last ten years that I keep coming back to again and again when I need an action fix. I think it's partly because its premise is so impossibly simple: there's a bomb on a bus that will go boom if the bus goes below 50 miles per hour. That's it. I also think it's also because for all the noise and action, it really doesn't take itself too seriously. Everyone, even the usually sulking Jeff Daniels, appears to be having a good time. And, of course, it doesn't hurt to have the maniacal Dennis Hopper performing opposite Keanu Reeves who is properly underplaying his role as HERO.

SPEED, I admit, is a no-brainer. But if I wanted to watch something cerebral and intellectual, there are plenty of others to choose from. I mean, from which to choose.

An exciting rollercoaster ride
This film is a terrific action adventure with an appealing hero and heroine, great stunts and special effects and a psycho villain who isn't as smart as he thinks he is. The movie races along through three tense episodes involving patrons on a high-rise elevator, passengers caught on a runaway city bus and a rapid transit train coursing through the dark tunnels of the under-construction Los Angeles subway system. Good-guy Jack Traven [Keanu Reeves] gets a great assist from feisty Annie Porter [Sandra Bullock] as she guides the bus on a wild ride on LA's freeways and busy streets while crazed extortionist Howard Payne [Dennis Hopper] does his best to make sure his diabolical plan doesn't fail. Even if the picture seems to borrow elements from some popular action films, this movie is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish and fans of exciting train action sequences will really enjoy the film's endgame which is a climactic struggle between good and evil.

Lift,bus,train. 16th april 2004.
A great film for the actions. It starts off in a lift that breaks down, then it goes onto a bus that once it reaches 50mile an hour, it can't go below that speed cos there is a bomb on the bus. Then in the end, the last 2 that are on the train find a way to get off, but they can't. Superb film even if you don't like any action films and shooting films. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fantastical writer Gary Ross (Big, Dave) makes anauspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two '90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of Pleasantville, a Leave It to Beaver-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop, and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H. Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive Pleasantville devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes football stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with--gasp!--rock & roll, free thinking, and soul-changing Technicolor. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), Pleasantville is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious color. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloreds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast--especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever--will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome, and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (312)

A Well-Made Liberal Satire of the 1950's
If you enjoy "serious" films that offer a great deal of social satire and commentary, then you'll probably like "Pleasantville" - but only if you agree with filmmaker Gary Ross's point of view. On the surface "Pleasantville" is a gentle comedy-fantasy film in which two modern teenagers (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) are magically transported to the world of a classic black-and-white television show from the fifties. As with "Leave It to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best", the town of Pleasantville and its' residents are basically perfect - everyone is friendly, the high-school basketball team never misses a shot, the library is full of books with no words (thus no chance to be "disturbed" by "liberal" ideas), and no one seems to know anything about sex. Naturally, these two teens from the nineties immediately begin to disrupt things. Witherspoon's character immediately dislikes the goody-goody attitude, social conformity, and sexual restrictions of the town, and she soon begins "converting" the town's teenagers to her way of living. She starts her crusade by sleeping with the star of the basketball team - whereupon he goes from black-and-white to color and starts missing his shots in basketball. She also tells her fifties-style mother (Joan Allen) about sex, which prompts her to realize how unhappy she is with her Dagwood Bumstead hubby (William H. Macy) and to start a love affair with the local soda jerk (Jeff Daniels). Maguire's character at first disagrees with his sister - he initially enjoys the "simpler" values and lifestyle in Pleasantville - but he eventually comes around to his sister's viewpoint and decides that the town needs to shed its old-fashioned values and innocence. As the people of Pleasantville begin to have sex, read books, and experience "real" emotions, they change into color. However, some of Pleasantville's residents - the older white male elite - don't like the changes and try to force everyone who has become "colored" to change back to black-and-white. This leads to a showdown between the newly "colored" liberated folk and the black-and-white Old Guard in the town's Perry Mason-style courtroom, where Maguire's character prevails over the angry town leaders. Although this movie is beautifully filmed and the acting is good, I thought that the film's creator, Gary Ross, was far too heavy-handed with his symbolism - the film comes across as preachy, especially at the end. Ross is a liberal Democrat (I'm not just saying that, he's made other films such as "Dave" in which the heroes are always liberals and the bad guys are always conservatives). Basically, this film is an unintended parody of how sixties-style liberals see the 1950's - the people in Pleasantville are conformist, emotionally dead, and "unfulfilled". However, when these modern "liberated" teens get to Pleasantville, they teach everyone how to "fulfill" their potential, usually by having sex, breaking the rules, and opposing the conservative white bullies who run the town (any similarities to modern politics IS intended). As a creative comedy-fantasy movie, "Pleasantville" is a "pleasant" and charming, if rather slow-moving film, but as a social satire it's too heavy-handed, preachy and superficial to be really effective.

A Deep DVD For A Deep Movie
Pleasantville is a fantastic film experience, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A true, striking, and original masterpiece; Pleasantville is a must for any movie fan. What makes the film such a joy is how it exists on so many levels; almost anyone can find something to like here. It's at times a simple fantasy, others a biting satire, and even others an account of our history and change as people. Pleasantville is purely original and very well-structured. It deals with mature themes and if you're someone who likes to analyze films, then this is a great choice. The DVD warrants a purchase, even if you already own the VHS version (as I do), one of the few DVD's that does. Do yourself a favor and listen to writer-director Gary Ross's commentary-it's dynamite, even if you generally do not like commentaries. It's incredibly enlightening and adds much to the film's depth. Ross cleary illustates all of the overlapping themes and symbolism, and adds a personal touch to the movie's meaning. (The unintended rip-offs of The Shawshank Redemption and Citizen Kane are particularly interesting). The film has a bright, crisp transfer and excellent sound. The only way to enjoy Pleasantville (other than the theater) is on DVD. Newman's music is magical, also. There's a neat (oh, I'm talking like a 50's person now) behind the scenes documentary on the film's jaw-dropping special effects. The included Fiona Apple music video is pretty neat and directed by P.T. Anderson. (Anderson fans take note: watch for Anderson regular John C. Reilly at the video's end.) Overall, a DVD to buy: one of '98's best films with tons of extras to boot. Swell.

Deep in the extreme!
Who says Hollywood can't make a movie that is both smart and entertaining? Pleasantville is proof that it can. Here is a movie that is an enjoyable escapist entertainment. But it is also a religious allegory similar to The Truman Show, depicting the fall of man and loss of innocence in a variety of forms.

I don't want to connect the dots for you because you need to watch this movie closely and think about its meanings. When is it that people begin to take on color? What causes it for some doesn't cause it for everyone. It is a commentary on everything from the Civil Rights and Women's Liberation movements to Christianity, Genesis and the fall of man. And all of it is dressed up in a clever conceit about the good old days of black and white sitcoms.

Along with The Truman Show, this is one of Hollywood's greatest productions of the decade. One day people will appreciate it for the masterwork that it is.

An unusual 'feel good' film.
I'm not really sure why I like this film....and that's one of the things I like! Weird.

Background - The hit 50's television show 'Pleasantville' is having an all night marathon. David Wagner (Tobey Maguire) intends to watch every episode. His sister Jennifer Wagner (Reese Witherspoon) intends to watch a concert with a new boy-toy. The two fight and are somehow transported inside the black and white show.

Story - The town of Pleasantville is a typical utopian vision from the 1950's. Everyone has a white picket fence, and the boys play basketball for the school team. When David's sister begins messing around with the balance in the town, things start to go awry. The normally black and white town begins to become 'in living color'.

While many in the town fight the change to color, some accept it willingly. They want to change, and grow. The town begins to tear itself apart as the grey people and the colored people begin to fight. It harkens back to the 50's and 60's era with black and white race relations.

This is a good film that unfortunately, didn't get a any decent advertising when it was released. I think it's a bit of a cult classic that way. Most of the people who've seen it did so because of word of mouth. So take it from me, you should get this one.

Is order an illusion? Is chaos the norm?
This is a question that ran through my mind while watching Pleasantville starring Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer/Mary Sue Parker, and Tobey Maguire as David/Bud Parker.

Pleasantville follows two teenage siblings as they are transported to a world that is "pleasant" every moment of every day. Being thrust into another reality wherein which the norm is "perfection," Jennifer and David must pose as Bud and Mary Sue, children in a black and white television series set in a small town, until David can contact the television repair man, played by Don Knotts, who is responsible for their nether world experience.

As they realize they are captive until contact can be reestablished, they begin interacting with members of the town in an effort to not throw off their "entire existence," in effect acting out the episodes David has memorized. However, given that Jennifer is not pleased by having to be held hostage by such a boring place, she chooses to engage in a little paradigm shifting/deviant behavior.

Interactions by David and Jennifer with the citizens cause them to begin seeing the world in very different terms; namely that of color. The result being a blossoming red rose, the first color in Pleasantville, symbolizing the awakening/unfolding consciousness of the community; and a pink bubblegum bubble, which symbolizes an expanding of consciousness. As this awakening occurs, the yearning for knowledge produces an infectious need to consume mass amounts of information among the newly colored. For instance, in one scene, upon discovering the joy of reading, the children and young-adults begin visiting the local library to absorb information on a consistent basis.

As the town's "colored" residents move beyond the bonds of social control, their appetite for information re: what else is "out there" becomes the most important endeavor. When this newfound information and freedom are incorporated into their daily lives, there begins the need to find balance in this "brave new world." Yet, before this level can be attained in Pleasantville, the residents must undergo many tense moments in an effort to understand what is happening in their little town.

In a meeting being held in the Town Hall, the Mayor says, "we have to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant." With that, he and his staff institute a Code of conduct. According to these "codes" which simultaneously focus on social control and "reintegrative shaming," a concept by Braithwaite, we see how the town's leaders seek to regain control over and in their Pleasantville. Of their codes, three stand out for me:

1.) The area commonly known as Lovers Lane as well as the Pleasantville Public Library shall be closed until further notice.

2.) The only permissible paint colors shall be black, white, or gray, despite the recent availability of certain alternatives.

3.) All elementary and high school curriculums shall teach the non-changes view of history emphasizing continuity over alteration.

The above samples of the "Codes of Conduct" are an instance of direct social control by the town's leaders. As one would expect, they also hold the potential of creating a sub-culture, which only serves to compound "deviant behavior."

In other subtle, but equally poignant, moments/scenes the element of shame/deviance is also revealed. For instance, when Bud and Mary Sue's mother discovers the joy of phalangeal and labial interaction, she becomes "colored," which suggests she has done something impure to become so. Due to the stigma attached to her "deviant behavior" which produced the coloring, she sought to hide her shame from not only her husband, but the larger community as well. It is not until she encounters Bill Johnson, artist and soda fountain owner, played by Jeff Daniels, that she reveals her color without shame.

In an effort to illustrate that being different is not inherently a bad thing, Bud/David engages in a little demonstration to prove to the Mayor that all have the potential to be different or "deviant" and hence also possess the ability to move beyond their accepted reality in constructing a new reality that incorporates and legitimates newfound experiences. Once made valid in the new social structure, the potential to evolve beyond recent revelations once thought to be a hindrance are not only probable, but are duly beneficial. His point crystallized, the town emerges into a new world with possibilities unbounded.

Concluding Thoughts

Everyone is on a journey to find enlightenment and balance in their reality, social control notwithstanding; a reality that encompasses and celebrates diversity as an asset as opposed to being a liability. Given that the potential to realize immeasurable possibilities lie within the core of our being, it is imperative that we begin embracing new thoughts of not only ourselves, but others as well. Upon comprehending the methods involved in the creation of a new and different reality, based on an awareness of a collective sub-conscious resting just below the level of conscious activity, a new reality will emerge; one rooted in the incontrovertible fact that the only constant is consistent change. Given so, I must say Pleasantville is a wonderful movie that provokes thought beyond being mere entertainment, for it reaches into the ever-illusive realm of edutainment, but with lots of laughs. Great movie!

Note: the above is part of a work presented in a course on Deviant Behavior and Social Control. ...