Amazon.com

In this 1993 Disney adventure, Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Embry are two young survivors of an African massacre. She is the daughter of a game warden; he is a sulky teen visiting his dad. When poachers do in the adults, the kids hotfoot it across the Kalahari Desert, aided by Witherspoon's young bushman pal (Sarel Bok). They have to cross about 1,000 miles of forbidding territory, all the while chased by nogoodnik Jack Thompson. The kids face down danger, have a few excessively cute escapades, and learn about their capacity for survival--and goodness. The highlights of the film are the lush cinematography and exotic locales of Zimbabwe and Namibia. Though this is a Disney production, it is too violent and intense for young children. It is based on the books A Story Like the Wind and A Far Off Place, by Laurens Van der Post. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (43)

A Gem In All Respects
Mikael Salomon's "A Far Off Place" is a marvelous example of how skilled direction and production can turn a good story into a great film. Performances in the major roles are all excellent, and Ethan Embry's portrayal of the disgruntled, fish-out-of-water city boy forced into the wilds of Africa walks a delicate line (between authentic teenage muddle-headedness and just plain obnoxiousness) beautifully.

Critics may claim the film is a little two-dimensional, and in fairness, they are right. But by not trying to make the film too grand through obvious artifice, the good performances and great scenery let this film become memorable in a simple, direct way that's very much in harmony with the essence of the story: we don't always get to choose our circumstances, and how we react in those times may literally become a matter of life and death.

Two other minor themes help make this a favorite: the Reese Witherspoon character is a great role model for any young girl - sensitive and feminine without being a wimpy or dependent ingrate; and a rare and even-handed portrayal of the firearm as a tool - no better or worse than the purpose to which it is put by a human master.

Story of Courage, Hope and Love
A Far Off Place is the sequel to the bestseller by Laurens Van der Post, 'A Story Like The Wind'. Hunters Drift is a farm in Matabeleland (today part of Zimbabwe)

It is the home of Pierre Paul Joubert known affectionately by all who live there as 'Ouwa', where European, Matabele and Bushmen live in harmony with each other , and with the great flora and fauna of Africa.
This is before the forces of destruction and death, Marxist terrorists, massacre the whole population of Hunter's Drift , as they carve a path of blood through Southern Africa.
The only survivors are Ouwa's teenage son, Francois, Nonnie, the young daughter of a colonial governor and his Portuguese wife, both murdered by the terrorists and Francois' beloved hunting dog, Hintza. They are joined by a young Bushman, Xhabbo, and his wife, Nuin Tarra.

The four young people and brave dog , must pass through bush and desert , to safety , while pursued by the cold-blooded killers.

'A Far Off Place' is a heartwarming story of love hope and courage, and of survival against overwhelming odds. It is about the fine balance between all living creatures.
Not least it highlights the death and suffering caused so many times by those forces of evil that hide behind the slogans of revolution and 'Liberation'.

I loved this movie, it was great. And am thrilled . . .
I loved this movies and am thrilled about its release on dvd. Unfortunatley, as I have been noticing a lot lately, the cover advertises this as an "early" Reese Witherspoon film. Give me a break! All I see lately are DVDs being advertised for the people who star in them, as opposed to the film themsleves. An actor is important, but so is content, and in this case, so are the other two leads in this film, Sarel Bok and Ethan Randall/Embry. Being an early Reese film should not give her automatic top billing because she has become so popular lately. The original cover for the video release years ago was much better. Anyways, I've whined enough, the cover is just anoying, but the film is quite good and one of my favorites. Although reading some other reviews, it is sorely lacking from other perspectives. I bought the books for my neice, and I guess will have to get them for myself so i can draw a proper comparison between the two mediums. Good film, good acting, lack of reality not withstanding.

Warning! Spoiler: The irony of the Disney world view
Disney does it again! They manage to turn two beautiful, compelling books into a story of squabbling American adolescents. I find it supremely ironic that Disney felt it necessary to turn a murderous troop of Marxist guerrillas into a murderous, greedy mining agent - this from one of the most devouring, money-hungry corporations in the history of capitalism! Did they perhaps believe that depicting a troop of black soldiers ruthlessly slaughtering the boy's family wouldn't be as politically correct (or as comprehensible to a pre-teen or early teen audience) as showing a greedy white mining agent ruthlessly slaughtering the boy's family? Of course, Francois Joubert simply has to be transformed into the obnoxious Harry Winslow (to make the movie more appealing to an American audience). And must every story involving young people of opposite sexes be turned into a "Girls are stupid! - Boys are stupider! - I love you! - I love you too!" tale of teenage battle of the sexes turned to love? It's been many years since I read the novels, but I don't remember that particular twist to the story, perhaps because Van der Post wasn't necessarily writing for the 11-14-year-old American market. If you're at all disenchanted with the world as Mickey sees (and sanitizes) it, skip the movie and read the books ("A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far Off Place").

A great family film
I saw this movie about two years ago! it captured my heart and kept my attention the hole time! the characters are well made and you gotta love the little dog... i had never thought about looking here for this movie... "A far off place" is a must see for all! ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Profoundly moving journey to enlightenment
I wonder if this movie could be made today - after all, it doesn't have any computer-generated special effects, it demands the viewer's complete attention, and really needs to be seen more than once to appreciate fully the meaning of all of the scenes. Incredible too is that the writer (Bruce Joel Rubin) was working on the filming of this and his more popular movie "Ghost" at the same time. Director Adrian Lynne wisely avoided some of the more sacharrine touches that Rubin had in the original script (such as the view of "Heaven") and added many subtle disturbing elements of his own. The final result is a film that you will think about long after you see it, a man's journey through the bardo state to his final enlightenment. In a way, this is the cinematic equivalent of a Pettersson symphony - an emotional catharsis after the long, dark night of the soul. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry like a baby every time I watch it.

Comparisons with Bierce's "Occurrance at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Carnival of Souls" are inevitable and not out of place, but "Jacob's Ladder" has more layers than either of those and ambitiously takes on the psychological layers of one man's life, the tension between the comforts of home, wife and family and the unfufilled desires he harbors.

There are some violent scenes and very disturbing imagery throughout the movie; after all, it *is* about war, fear, and death. However, none of it is gratuitous, and the use of strobe lighting, quick cuts, and odd camera angles keep the viewer from being able to see anything definite. But don't say you weren't warned....

The DVD's documentary and deleted scenes, along with the director's commentary, will enable the first-time viewer to get a more complete idea of what is happening. I've watched this film at least a dozen times, and never fail to see something new in it each time. Sound and image quality are excellent.

This one isn't for casual viewing; it is *certainly* not a Saturday-night time killer, nor is it a "horror" movie in the standard sense of the term. Still, absolutley my highest recommendation.

Good movie... but oh so strange
This movie freaked me out the first time I saw it. I began to understand it better after the 2nd and 3rd watch. Tim Robbins is one of my favorite actors - and if he appeals to you, you MUST see this movie. Robbins' character (Jacob Singer) is a Vietnam vet who is suffering all kinds of post war problems... most of which came about from the army testing a powerful drug on him during war time in Vietnam. Is it real? Is he dreaming? It's hard to tell at times what's real & what's not. Those men in the car without faces - what did they really want? Good supporting roles by Danny Aiello (as Jacob's chiropractor) and Elizabeth Pena (as Jacob's girlfriend). Haunting, disturbing, violent, nightmarish, suspenseful and SURPRISING (at the end) are all choice words in describing this film. Outside of "The Shawshank Redemption", this is my favorite Tim Robbins film.

True Horror is Psychological Horror
Deft director Adrian Lyne creates a world that draws you in
and horrifies you. Not because you know what you're seeing, but because you don't understand and want to so badly.
Tim Robbins does a masterful job as someone caught in situations he doesn't understand. Awful things begin to occur between him as he is swept between two lives, one with his ex-wife and (dead) son and another with the sexy Jesse, one of his co-workers at the post office. He feels trapped and is hunted by monstrous, malformed things he cannot fathom. This chilling film gave the creators of Silent Hill plenty of material to work with and combine with their own artistic visions.
Recommended for anyone who likes a good scare, and also wants a
film they can talk about with friends afterward.

THE ENIGMATIC PSYCHOLOGICAL RAVAGES OF WAR..
Jacob's Ladder is easily one of those underrated gems in the horror genre that aren't gory and don't feature a wisecracking slasher villain to appeal to the horror crowd, yet are surreal and disturbing enough to interest most mainstream audiences.

No doubt that Adrian Lynne has provided the inspiration for several films and music videos with its dark and extremely horrifying images of the rising paranoid insanity that appear in hallucinatory flashbacks at first.

As the story progresses the line between what is real in a war veteran's nightmares and what is not becomes blurred, both for the protagonist himself as well as for the audience, and in such a way that you cannot escape questioning yourself during and after the movie. Questions that do not necessarily lend themselves to easy answers. But the movie offers its own interpretations (in a somewhat watered down ending) while still allowing for the audience to draw its own conclusions.

Everything is right in this movie. The direction, acting and dialogue are intriguing. The plot is intricate but unfolds logically at a decent pace. The photography is atmospheric and and the special effects are understated yet effective. The character of the protagonist is developed immaculately, his anguish is almost palpable.

Unless you're super-squeamish, this is a fascinating movie. Especially if you have a taste for the ilk of Donnie Darko, Lost Highway, or pretty much anything by David Lynch.

Not even worth renting.
I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in the theatre when it came out. I used a lot of drugs back then, so that explains it. I just watched this again yesterday. Folks, I literally SUFFERED through "Jacob's Ladder" this time around. I couldn't wait for it to end. Tin Robbins is usually pretty good, but even he seems bored to death in his role. I would not recommend this film to anyone and I do not understand why it's gotten such high praise. ... Read more

Description

From M. Night Shyamalan, the writer/director of THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE, comes the story of the Hess family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who wake up one morning to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family are told extraterrestrials are responsible for the sign in their field.They watch, with growing dread, the news of crop circles being found all over the world. SIGNS is the emotional story of one family on one farm as they encounter the terrifying last moments of life as the world is being invaded. "It's easy for a filmmaker to blow up the world -- but what Shyamalan does is much riskier. He tries to blow our minds. I was engaged by every inch of SIGNS." - Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper. ... Read more

Reviews (1072)

6 Sure Signs Your Husband Falls Asleep Watching This DVD
1. It's a Sci-fi film set in ... Pennsylvania (now that's scary)
2. The real-life name of the writer/director tops the characters'
3. Featured is a set of poor motherless children (trite)
4. The top performances are given by the supporting cast
5. Your husband can legitimately call the DVD "X-files does Little House on the Prairie"
6. The requisite aliens are men in bumpy green bodysuits reminiscent of the shriveled pickles you left in the back of the fridge since that picnic, last July.

That being said, Signs is far from the worst Sci-fi movie I've ever seen and, if you liked it, this additional tidbit may come as consolation: I bought this DVD to share with my husband after seeing it in the theater - twice - without him.

Signs is the tale of Graham Hess, a farmer-preacher (is there a call for a lot of those in eastern PA?) whose faith has fallen following the death of his wife. Hess (Mel Gibson) wakes one day to discover a crop circle stamped in his field. The pets are acting up and Hess's son Morgan (Rory Calkin) has to impale the family German Shepard with a barbeque squewer to save little sister Bo (Abby Breslin). Add one Officer Caroline Paski (Cherry Jones, whose contribution to the film is as believable as it gets), and one Merrill Hess (Joaquin Phoenix, whose contribution isn't) - Graham's younger brother who has moved-in to help out after his sister-in-law's death - and we've set the scene.

Perhaps we should begin with the three elements that are truly on par in this film, since a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine ball go down. Before I was halfway through with my first viewing, I already had these elements pegged: cinematography, score, supporting cast. Now, if I were a reviewer worth my salt, I'd be telling you what recognition - if any - this film won in the awards circuit (in other words I'd be busy backing up my opinion with somebody else's). As it stands, I don't know. I don't base my movie watching on other people's reviews nor on the issuing of awards and nominations because I often don't agree. But if you want my word on the matter, read on.

James Newton Howard's score is one of a trio of elements, which help buoy Signs, keeping it from sinking into the murky waters of B-flick also-rans. It is just the kind of music I like to hear: music that I don't - at first. Good soundtracks do not distract viewers from the story matter they were designed to compliment. For instance, you should not be sitting in the movie theatre thinking, "Gee, that's great music; think I'll go buy the CD." What well-crafted and carefully conducted scores should do is help establish mood and draw you into the action. They should echo your feelings as you watch the film or - for those less emotionally astute - serve to clue-in the viewer on the intended tone of the scene. Howard's work does all this and more. More than one sf&f movie has been ruined by a poor score (Willow comes to mind), so the success of this leg of the tripod shoring up Signs is a crucial one.

The second excellent piece of work in the film is the cinematography...the filming itself. We're talking what's being framed in the shot, the lighting, the pacing and proper juxtaposition of close-up vs. longer view, the angles chosen, etc. Cinematography is not just the set - it's the wardrobe the set is sporting and the ability of the cinematographer to know well enough not to attire the set in grunge when the scene calls clearly for eveningwear. From the opening scene of the Hess's backyard as seen from a second-story bedroom window to the final shot in the film, I can find little fault with this element in Signs. Like the score, the visual interpretation of the story proves keen, compelling and apt.

The third leg of the tripod of virtues that redeems this film from its lesser qualities is the work of the supporting cast. Cherry Jones is down-home familiar as Officer Caroline Paski and my view - for those of you who know my former profession -- is not a product of personal bias. In fact, if anything, passing off as believable a woman police officer is a difficult task; it's too frequently abysmally done. Jones makes the grade and winds up one of the three actors I would like to see in another movie. The other two are Merritt Wever as Tracey Abernathy, the teenage drugstore clerk, and - interestingly enough - Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan. Who you say? That's M. Night Shyamalan: writer, producer & director of Signs (told'ja he had a great name) - cast as Ray, the affable fellow who, having fallen asleep at the wheel one night, swerved off a dark road and into Hess's wife who was out on a stroll.

So, with all these elements going for it, what, you ask, are the movie's lesser merits? Dismissable, if you don't mind stilted dialog, contrived plot lines and obvious give-aways (like Bo's obsession with water and its guaranteed link to story resolution). This is a movie that would have benefited by a cast of "unknowns," the renown of the leads doing little but getting in the way of the tale's veracity. It doesn't help that Gibson had never portrayed a father well (see - gag - The Patriot) nor that the other three are all riding the wake of their sibling's acting successes (in Hollywood, as in politics, I happen to hate familial dynasties).

Nevertheless, a few decent scenes emerge, including one between Graham and Merrill, with the children asleep on their laps, as they discuss the issue of faith in whispered tones. If I were to compare this film against other speculative fiction I've watched, I'd place it behind the DVD release of the Planet of the Apes Original TV Series, but significantly ahead of the Tim Burton version of Planet of the Apes. In the final analysis, Signs falls miserably behind Galaxy Quest, most Star Trek movies -- even behind Harry Potter fare -- yet lightyears ahead of trash like Independence Day and Armageddon. Pick your poison.

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs . . .
Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) lives on his Pennsylvania farm with his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and two children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). Six months ago, after losing his wife in a freak accident, Graham's entire believe system has changed and his loss of faith has caused him to leave the church. He now leads a simple life among simple folk and swears he'll never pray again.

The children are the first to discover the huge array of perfectly interlocking circles and lines carved into their cornfield. We, the audience, get an amazing bird's eye view of these 'crop circles' that take up at least the length of a football field. It is obvious that no man or machine could have bent the corn stalks down flat without breaking them. Graham and his family band together in a desperate attempt to discover the mystery behind this phenomena that has not only jolted the farmlands of Pennsylvania but has effected the entire planet.

This film pulls you to the edge of your seat early on and leaves you there the entire time. As the anticipation builds, the tension builds. Fortunately, there's plenty of, what other reviews have referred to as, 'comic relief.' Just when you think you're about to scream, something will make you laugh. There's a great sense of Alfred Hitchcock here, especially during the intro credits: the 'Psycho-ish' music accompanied by the quick, sudden appearance of credits in really huge type . . . ! Writer, director and producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable) also appears in the film. Only one speaking scene, but much more than a quick cameo. He plays a very key and memorable scene. Macaulay Culkin seems to have had some influence on younger brother Rory. Not only do they bare quite a resemblance in appearance and voice, but Rory has also proven to be quite the actor here. Abigail Breslin gives us an unforgettable performance like Drew Barrymore did in ET. And what can be said for Gibson and Phoenix? Wonderful yet different roles for both. Quiet, family oriented. Subtle? Is that the word Mel Gibson used? Yes, subtle.

This is an excellent thriller. You'll hold your breath, laugh, cry and jump off your seat, probably all within 2-minutes! Reality or hoax? Explore the real-life mysterious phenomena of crop signs and draw your own conclusions.

PS-According to Colin Andrews, founder of Circles Phenomenon Research International, around 10,500 crop circles have been reported since 1975. Roughly 80% have been proven to be manmade. The remaining 20% have not. They are real.

Great Story About Faith
I loved this movie, unlike my husband who thought it was a complete rip-off and waste of money. He is a sci-fi fan and wanted answers on where the alien invaders came from, what was their objective, how their technology worked, why the crop circles, etc. All very valid points, but I am still in love with this movie because I love character pieces. To me, this was an excellent character piece about a man who loses his faith and finds it again, and all the alien stuff was merely window dressing. You could have the same story of a minister losing his faith anywhere and I would still love it, but the alien invasion does gives the story extra zing.

One of the Best Movies Ever!
M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Some people think that this movie wasn't that good, but I know that they think this because it is not the action packed blowing-up-aliens-every-way-they-turn stuff that they're used to. Shyamalan is a very gifted screen writer and director, and this movie along with his others (Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, etc.) shows his immense talent and very great style. I think that "Signs" is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and I think it will always remain as that.

Not what I expected
I must confess I didn't really like "The Sixth Sense" very much, and I was very disapointed with "Unbreakable", so I wasn't quite sure whether I would like M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs". What I found in this movie was much different than what I was expecting, and if nothing else Shyamalan knows how to use the camera and did a masterful job in the product.

Signs stars Mel Gibson as an ex preacher who lost his faith after his wife's unfortunate death a few months earlier. He, his brother, and his two children live on a small farm in rural Pennsylvania. They awake right at the beggining to find a giant crop circle in thier corn field. This combined with strange animal behavior is a perplexing mystery, but the the family believes it to be a hoax untill crop circles begin showing up all over the world, followed by lights hovering over major world cities. Soon it becomes evident that they are witnessing actual ET activity. The alien visitors finally prove themselves to be hostile and the family must band together to survive the ordeal.

Not the most novel idea, I know, but what is original is the approach. Almost the entire movie takes place in the house or on the farm, and the movie is completely focused on the point of view of this family, rather than a world-wide scope. You sort of travel through the experience along-side the characters, hearing news of what's going on from the TV and when they dont know what's going on niether do you. This effectively delivers the feeling of wondering what is happening in the rest of the world. The whole premise here is similar to the original "night of the living dead" with the characters smack dab in the middle of some amazing events pent up in a house trying to survive and having no idea what's going on or why. This is the 100% antithesis of "independence day"... so dont expect to get lots of visual effects or see amazing scenes of spaceships landing in washington DC.

Through most of the movie you dont see any aliens, or only very slight glimpses at best, and the movie is a thriller deffinatley not an aciotn movie, nor much of a sci-fi work. Most of the time the movie works it's maghic by not showing you what's out there, but giving you a sense that it's there - a tactic under employed in today's effects ridden movies. To me the movie felt more like a comedy than anything else. "Signs" makes very effective use of light humor, and you'll laugh more than you will scream. Gibson does a great job and some great elements of humor were worked into various scenes.

The best part of "Signs" other than the humor however is the directorial work and great visual style of Shyamalan. I must give props here, because it is well deserved. The camera work is excellent, and whole movie is very well done. Also a lot of metaphorical details are interwoven into the plot and events, and one could argue that "signs" has less to do with aliens than it does the main character's struggle with his own faith and an over all exploration of the age old question 'does everything happen for a reason? or is it all just random"?

All these elements add up to make what would have otherwise been a poor movie at best into an entertaining, well done, movie with plenty of humor, some philosophical elements. The only flaws lie in the larger plot. The aliens are kind of dumb (strong enough to leap onto a 10 foot roof but not break down a door!). They have space ships capable of interstellar travel but instead of technologically advanced weapons they use hand to hand combat and organically ejected poison gas! (not kidding). There are moments in this movie where you will laugh not because of intended humor but in the rediculousness of what's happenening. You're telling me these people borded up thier whole house and just waited for the alien invasion without even having the foresight to grab some weapons? not even a shotgun or a knife or anything?! There are lots of moments like that. It helps if you view the movie lighlty as a comedy and pay more attention to the backstory of mel gibsons character.

All in all I have many complaints about this movie as far as the whole alien invasion plot goes, but there was enough stuff to like about it to just barely earn it a 4 stars. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Straight From the Heart
I LOVED THE MOVIE! I saw it last evening for the first time with my husband. Yes, he actually sat through it. It was wonderfully acted. A great love story from start to finish. Great acting by Andrew McCarthy and Teri Polo.

Straight From The Heart
Wonderfully tender, yet funny - cute but serious - everything it takes to make a movie enthusiastically wonderful to watch. Andrew McCarthy is my dream man and Teri Polo did a wonderful job as well. Super movie. Everyone should see it!!

Amazing
Andrew McCarthy has matured as an actor and he is still so gorgeous after all these years. This was such a great movie, and I am so glad that I bought it instead of just renting it. He is just so beautiful and still has some of the same acting characteristics that he had when he was in pretty in pink. It is a classic love story and I wouldn't have changed a scene in the entre movie...you should definitely buy it.

Absolutely Heartwarming
This movie is one of the best purchases that I have ever made. It's good to see Andrew McCarthy back in action again. Both he and Teri Polo are excellent in playing their roles. This movie has humour, sadness, thoughtfulness and romance. The scenery is breathtaking and the filming was excellent. BUY this movie, it's a keeper. I've had it 6 weeks and watched it 12 times.

Straight from the Heart
One of the best movies I have ever owned. We watch it as a family all the time. Great stars/story/music etc. Thank you Hallmark Channel and Amazon for making it available to us. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values, but this confusing film chokes on its "surprise" ending. It owes much to Ambrose Bierce's haunting and more straightforward story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek." Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also explored the "other side" in Ghost and My Life, it ultimately feels like an exercise in self-indulgence. A spirited performance by Elizabeth Peña outshines Robbins, who is surprisingly lethargic. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Profoundly moving journey to enlightenment
I wonder if this movie could be made today - after all, it doesn't have any computer-generated special effects, it demands the viewer's complete attention, and really needs to be seen more than once to appreciate fully the meaning of all of the scenes. Incredible too is that the writer (Bruce Joel Rubin) was working on the filming of this and his more popular movie "Ghost" at the same time. Director Adrian Lynne wisely avoided some of the more sacharrine touches that Rubin had in the original script (such as the view of "Heaven") and added many subtle disturbing elements of his own. The final result is a film that you will think about long after you see it, a man's journey through the bardo state to his final enlightenment. In a way, this is the cinematic equivalent of a Pettersson symphony - an emotional catharsis after the long, dark night of the soul. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry like a baby every time I watch it.

Comparisons with Bierce's "Occurrance at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Carnival of Souls" are inevitable and not out of place, but "Jacob's Ladder" has more layers than either of those and ambitiously takes on the psychological layers of one man's life, the tension between the comforts of home, wife and family and the unfufilled desires he harbors.

There are some violent scenes and very disturbing imagery throughout the movie; after all, it *is* about war, fear, and death. However, none of it is gratuitous, and the use of strobe lighting, quick cuts, and odd camera angles keep the viewer from being able to see anything definite. But don't say you weren't warned....

The DVD's documentary and deleted scenes, along with the director's commentary, will enable the first-time viewer to get a more complete idea of what is happening. I've watched this film at least a dozen times, and never fail to see something new in it each time. Sound and image quality are excellent.

This one isn't for casual viewing; it is *certainly* not a Saturday-night time killer, nor is it a "horror" movie in the standard sense of the term. Still, absolutley my highest recommendation.

Good movie... but oh so strange
This movie freaked me out the first time I saw it. I began to understand it better after the 2nd and 3rd watch. Tim Robbins is one of my favorite actors - and if he appeals to you, you MUST see this movie. Robbins' character (Jacob Singer) is a Vietnam vet who is suffering all kinds of post war problems... most of which came about from the army testing a powerful drug on him during war time in Vietnam. Is it real? Is he dreaming? It's hard to tell at times what's real & what's not. Those men in the car without faces - what did they really want? Good supporting roles by Danny Aiello (as Jacob's chiropractor) and Elizabeth Pena (as Jacob's girlfriend). Haunting, disturbing, violent, nightmarish, suspenseful and SURPRISING (at the end) are all choice words in describing this film. Outside of "The Shawshank Redemption", this is my favorite Tim Robbins film.

True Horror is Psychological Horror
Deft director Adrian Lyne creates a world that draws you in
and horrifies you. Not because you know what you're seeing, but because you don't understand and want to so badly.
Tim Robbins does a masterful job as someone caught in situations he doesn't understand. Awful things begin to occur between him as he is swept between two lives, one with his ex-wife and (dead) son and another with the sexy Jesse, one of his co-workers at the post office. He feels trapped and is hunted by monstrous, malformed things he cannot fathom. This chilling film gave the creators of Silent Hill plenty of material to work with and combine with their own artistic visions.
Recommended for anyone who likes a good scare, and also wants a
film they can talk about with friends afterward.

THE ENIGMATIC PSYCHOLOGICAL RAVAGES OF WAR..
Jacob's Ladder is easily one of those underrated gems in the horror genre that aren't gory and don't feature a wisecracking slasher villain to appeal to the horror crowd, yet are surreal and disturbing enough to interest most mainstream audiences.

No doubt that Adrian Lynne has provided the inspiration for several films and music videos with its dark and extremely horrifying images of the rising paranoid insanity that appear in hallucinatory flashbacks at first.

As the story progresses the line between what is real in a war veteran's nightmares and what is not becomes blurred, both for the protagonist himself as well as for the audience, and in such a way that you cannot escape questioning yourself during and after the movie. Questions that do not necessarily lend themselves to easy answers. But the movie offers its own interpretations (in a somewhat watered down ending) while still allowing for the audience to draw its own conclusions.

Everything is right in this movie. The direction, acting and dialogue are intriguing. The plot is intricate but unfolds logically at a decent pace. The photography is atmospheric and and the special effects are understated yet effective. The character of the protagonist is developed immaculately, his anguish is almost palpable.

Unless you're super-squeamish, this is a fascinating movie. Especially if you have a taste for the ilk of Donnie Darko, Lost Highway, or pretty much anything by David Lynch.

Not even worth renting.
I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in the theatre when it came out. I used a lot of drugs back then, so that explains it. I just watched this again yesterday. Folks, I literally SUFFERED through "Jacob's Ladder" this time around. I couldn't wait for it to end. Tin Robbins is usually pretty good, but even he seems bored to death in his role. I would not recommend this film to anyone and I do not understand why it's gotten such high praise. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mixed up, that's for sure
You know it's going to be bad when the first scene features a woman jogging . . . to pompous trumpet music. It was just all wrong. The movie, based on Danielle Steel's book, does not do the great author justice. It's a fascinating story, if not deep. It's the story of three sisters who were separated in childhood and are now being reuinited. As in many Danielle Steel books, there are secrets and big surprises. There's emotional stuff for those who enjoy that, and even a little romance. But it has TV-Movie written all over it, and the movie just drags sometimes. The romance that occurs seems almost TOO unlikely. But other than that, it really is a fascinating story. Just a bad movie.

A viewer from NJ
The movie is about three girls who were seperated when they were little when there parents were killed. The lover of the mother had tried to keep them together but was unable to . The 2 youngest girls were adopted and raised with loving families while the oldest was abused and did not get as lucky. Some thirty years later the lover of the mother hired a P.I. to find the girls and reunite them. He does manage to do this and just in time because the baby girl was his daughter and he did not know. He was able to get to know her just in time because he was ill and did pass away. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Labor Pains Is Pretty Painful To Watch
Labor Pains while not a completely horrible movie, is pretty hard to watch. This movie does not have a good script and the acting certainly didn't add anything. There is very little character development, most of the characters never move beyond one dimensional, ... and completely unbelievable people. The acting in this movie is some of the worse I have ever seen, even the more famous actors like Mary Tyler Moore completely over act. This movie is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but I never laughed once. I wouldn't rent this movie, but if it is on TV and you are bored I would give it a try.

Refreshingly semi-conservative!
This is an off-the-wall movie about a young woman (Kyra Sedgwick) who gets pregnant by her boyfriend (Rob Morrow), then breaks up with him because he fears commitment. She doesn't bother to tell anyone but her best friend (Lela Rochon) about the little bun she has in the oven. She considers abortion, but (thankfully) not for very long. She finally decides to give the baby up for adoption after its birth (maybe...). She goes into labor maybe 20 minutes into the movie, and leaves everything up to her best friend, who calls the baby's father and her parents, who all converge at the hospital for a hilarious "family reunion". I'm not going to give the ending away...and I'm not going to say that this is the greatest, funniest movie I've ever seen. In my opinion, it's a worthwhile rental. Keep in mind that it's not all that true-to-life; for instance when the doctor asks her how far apart her contractions are, she replies with a big smile and, "you know I've really lost track". YEAH, right! Not only that, but she finds the time somewhere in all of this while she's at the hospital (even though she went into labor at a restaurant and wasn't carrying any visible bags) to slip her huge pregnant self into a clingy red dress, complete with slits up the sides. Isn't that just all the rage in every maternity wing for laboring women??? If you can get past these few little quirks, you might find this movie enjoyable. One of the funniest aspects of the movie was that all of the older married couples seemed to still be quite...active. It has an R rating for some language and a few fairly explicit sex scenes, so it's definitely not a family movie, but it could have been a lot worse. As a young single woman, I get tired of renting movies targeted towards me that are filled with all sorts of propaganda promoting abortion, homosexuality, and/or other things I'm not involved with and don't really want shoved down my throat at every opportunity. It was nice to see a new movie come out that actually promoted marriage and parenthood. ... Read more

Description

Fed up with her step-parents, a teenager splits during the family vacation. Starring Griffin Dunne and Hillary Wolf. Directed by Joan Micklin Silver. Year: 1992 Director: Joan Micklin Silver Starring:Griffin Dunne, Dan Futterman, Patricia Kalember ... Read more

Reviews (12)

eleven year olds opinion
Big girls don't cry is a grate movie that I can relate to.my family is sorta like that. The charecter who plays Laura, reminds me of myself. any way this movie is a funny,somewhat toughing and you can really put your self in Lauras shoes.What Im trynig to say is the carecters are esay follow along with.The movie semed like it was one adveter after another.if I a could rate this move it would deffently be a ten.

great movie, bad title
this movie IS one of the best ones i have ever come across. The opening two minutes will have you laughing like crazy AND trying to keep up with Laura's family. I feel the title of this movie ("Big Girls Don't Cry...They get even") was just plain not right for this movie.Don't let the title scare you away. Note: the original title was "Stepkids", but it was changed at the last minute.

"I know what you are thinking. We are the brady bunch from hell."

A Meaningful Sojourn
In this engaging serio-comedy, an intelligent-looking Hillary Wolf plays 13-year-old Laura Chartoff, the frustrated daughter of two self-absorbed much-married parents (Griffin Dunne and Margaret Whitton) who currently resides with her mother, stepfather(David Straithairn), and half-siblings,the military school student, Kurt, child prodigy Sam, and the overindulged beauty queen, Corrine (Trenton Tigen, Ben Savage, and Jenny Lewis) in a Beverly Hills mansion.
The story begins with Laura introducing her family situation via home video and narration of the events depicted in the video, and then deals with Laura's daily home situation, in which she laments the loss of her father's companionship. Currently, her artist father lives with his spacey girlfriend(Adrienne Shelley)who is pregnant with his twins, after being kicked out of the house for his affair by his schoolteacher wife, Barbara (Patrica Kalember) with whom he has a beautiful redhaired three-year-old(Jessica Seeley) who, like Laura, has also learned not to rely on him.
While Laura's mother and stepfather are out one evening, she gets a welcome respite from her lonely situation by the return of her estranged stepbrother Josh (Dan Futterman), with whom she'd had a good relationship. A series of incidents resulting from Josh's return leads to the breakage of Mrs. Powers' good china, and Laura's being blamed for it.
Hurt and sent over the edge, Laura decides to run off with Josh, who finds her in the back of his pick-up truck the next day.
The action then moves to the beautiful Yosemite Valley where Josh works at a camp resort. When the Powers family, who are irritated by Laura's waylaying their trip to Hawaii by her behavior,arrive at the camp to bring her home, Laura feels that Josh has reneged on his promise not to call her stepfather, and runs away again. Summoned by young Sam, David Chartoff and Shelley, arrive as well, as do Barbara and little Jessie.The decision to stay and find Laura is made only because the boy-crazy and shallow Corrine sees a hunk emerging from the lake and is prompted to make a phony speech about not abandoning her in her hour of need.
As the family gradually learn to put aside their differences for the sake of finding Laura, and seek the help of a seen-it-all before Sherriff and his ditzy assistant, Laura encounters a large conventional family, led by Josh Mostel. She spends time with them, but I found her glib attitude towards them to be a realistic one, taken by many children of divorced parents, and was glad to see a movie that dealt with that.
The trip to Yosemite turns out to be more meaningful than any planned trip to Hawaii would have been because the adults learn to resolve their long-held grievances, and decisions about whether or not to end certain relationships are made. As they wait for Laura, who encounters a group of hoodlums and displays her own tough side as a result of that encounter, relationships between the parents and children strenghthen. Along the way the snotty Corrine is humbled as well.
After an incident that finally brings her to tears, Laura returns to Josh's cabin to find something very special and priceless waiting for her, and she is finally given the answers about her family history that she had yearned for.In running away, she has brought her estranged family together, and she learns to value them as much as they do her.

Insist Upon Yourself
It's a shame that Hillary Wolf gave up acting for Judo because she is such a spectacular actress, but Hollywood can be rough and I can't help but understand.

This movie hit's close to home for those with or without a step family. You can relate to Laura Chartoff (Hillary) on some level in any part of the movie. Whether it's after her step sister Corrine (Jenny Lewis) states that she is "So drab" and she looks in the mirror and says "My body just hangs there like a boy, not even a good-looking boy. I wouldn't go out with a boy that looked like me that's the sad thing." or the way her step father Keith (David Strathairn) blames her for everything that goes wrong. There is also her father (The great actor and director Griffin Dunne) who has been married more times then he can soberly remember, his last wife (Patricia Kalember from "Sisters") left him with his three year old daughter Jessie (Jessica Seely) because he had an affair where the girl(Adrienne Shelley) became pregnant with twins or her mother (Margaret Whitton) who now treats Corrine like her real daughter in effect neglecting her REAL daughter in the process. Laura also has a half brother brainiac Sam (Ben Savage way before "Boy Meets World")

After being blamed for her stepbrothers breaking of her mothers China Laura runs away with her other stepbrother, whom she thinks of as her real brother and who has left the family he despises, Josh (Dan Futterman)to the mountains the day before the rest of the family is scheduled to go to Hawaii. This causes the entire family, stepmothers brothers and all to come together in the mountains to search for the run away who eventually runs away from Josh after he called her mother and stepfather on her.

Laura finds herself on her own forcing the rest of her family to stay together in one small cabin while the police look for the missing girl, which in effect causes the estranged family members to grow closer and learn to love one another again. Being on her own Laura discovers who she is and that she really does need all whacky members of her family.

This movie is good for families and more and I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks their family is dysfunctional; which is practically every family on the planet.

This movie is so great!
I am proud to be a college student who adores "Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even." I definitely have to disagree with those who spoke against the title...it is my favorite part of the movie! You should buy this movie, and watch it over and over again! When you are stressed out over life, it will make everything better with its incredible realism and lessons on modern American family structures and the effect of divorce on children in our society. This movie is the key to a better world! I can watch it a million times and never tire of it, and normally I only like to see movies once or maybe twice. I can't believe that the Oscars did not recognize the beauty and superb acting present in this instant classic. ... Read more

Description

An anthology of three Stephen King short stories, connected by a supernatural stray cat who wanders through each tale. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great horror trilogy from the master of terror!
Stephen King ( whom wrote the screenplay for this movie) brings you three terrifying tales of horror done in the "Creepshow" style as told from the eyes of a traveling stray cat. The first story " Quitters Inc." is about a family man ( James Woods) who just can't stop smoking as he signs up for a program called "Quitters Inc." which secretly monitors his smoking habit, the next tale is in Atlantic city called " The Ledge" which a tennis player makes a bet with a boss to walk a hotel ledge. Then finally our title cat in " The General" must protect a young girl ( Drew Barrymore)from an evil goblin who wants her soul.

Entertaining and well-made collection of comic-book stories with Hitchcock-esque and Twilight Zone-esque tones to them. Good acting and some good special effects for it's time especially the goblin make this worth watching.

Highly recommended if you enjoy the works of Stephen King, Creepshow 1 & 2 and Tales from The Darkside: The Movie.

P.S.: Look for cameo's by Stephen King's other famous characters like " Cujo" and "Christine".

Entertaining Film.
This tells, three stories from the Point of View of a Cat. A Man (James Woods) try to give up smoking by going to a successful Company named Quitters, Inc by being stalked by a Business Man (Alan King) by making him trying to quit smoking. A Crazed Millionaire (Kenneth McMillian) pushed a Tennis Pro (Robert Hays) by making him walking all around the Buliding from a Ledge. The Cat is trying to protect a little girl (Drew Barrymore) by a Monster Troll by stealing Kids Breath and Murdering them.

Directed by Lewis Teague (Alligator, Cujo, Navy Seals) made a fun, entertaining, dark humor, tongue in cheek horror film that becomes a Cult Classic. This wasn`t a huge hit in theaters back in 1985. There`s amusing Performances by Woods, King & McMillian. DVD`s has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD`s Extras are the Original Theatrical Trailer and an Audio Commentary by the Director. There`s an amusing trivia that never make it in the final cut:The Original Opening, when a little girl (Barrymore again) dies in her sleep, murder by a Monster Troll and the mother (Patti LaPone) thinking that the Cat has murder her daughter. Trying to take the law in her hands by taking a Machine Gun and trying to kill the Cat. Watch for James Rebhorn, Mike Starr & Charles S. Dutton in Cameos. Screenplay by Novelist:Stephen King (Maximum Overdrive, Sleepalkers, Silver Bullet). Joe Dunton Camera Widescreen (J-D-C Scope). Grade:A-.

Mostly a comedy, but definitely not a horror.
I think it is odd that people view this movie as a horror and then get upset by it. The movie cannot be completely categorized in any one genre since each story attempts to create a different mood. The only pervasive style, however, is dark comedy.

The first segment is nothing but humor, with a slight touch of morbid moments. A good example of the type of humor that's in this story is when James Woods' character has tried to quit smoking and he goes to a party. The room is completely smoke-filled and everybody offers him a cigarette every three seconds. Soon, he starts to hallucinate--and sees a giant pack of cigarettes walking around and taunting him. Obviously, this isn't horror.

The second segment is the most serious of all three. It is supposed to be a suspense story, and it is mostly successful. I've always enjoyed it, but given that it is surrounded by much campier material, it seems out of place here.

The third segment is an adventure story. It could, because of the presence of the troll, be considered a horror by some viewers, but it is incredibly silly. It's the story of a cat fighting out a duel with a little monster, replete with Howie-Mandel-esque voice-overs. It alternates quickly between humor and adventure, but it is not scary unless you are a small child.

The movie suffers only for two reasons: one is that some special effects shots have suffered greatly (although quite a few are still amazing). The other is that whenever the movie does try to be serious, it never works as well as it should. It's like watching a clown do a routine with seltzer water, and then trying to recite a soliloquy from "Hamlet" without changing his make-up. By the time the movie does reach its more serious moments, you'll already be in a laughing mood.

one of my own favorite Stephen King's
It saddens me that this film was not a box office success. It's one that I can wath over and over again, and will always have fond memories of. The framing device is a stray tom cat that is visited twice, in some of the more surreal moments of the film, by the spirit of a young girl, (8-year-old Drew Barrymore,) who is, in fact, still alive. (Perhaps she visits the cat while asleep, in her dreams.) The first two stories a non-horror, non- supernatural, (unless you count the scenes where the girl appears,) cliff hanger stories, in the vein of REAR WINDOW and NORTH BY NORTHWEST. The first is about a company that helps smokers quit, no matter what the cost. The second is about an ex- tennis pro who, after being caught trying to run off with a mob boss' wife, is forced to walk a five inch ledge at the top of a twenty-story building. The last segment is the horrific supernatural tale, when the cat finds the girl, Amanda, just in time, as a miniture troll is about to sneak into her room and suck her life force while she's asleep. However, this isn't really any scaryier than GREMLINS, and it might help to watch it as more of a comedy during the scenes with the troll. Still, a film not to be missed.

Is this meant to be funny?
This is NOT horror, and the effects are tacky. But it's still an average film. Cat's Eye tells the story of a tortoise-shell cat, who seems to be able to save everybody from monsters and other scary things.

The first tale is quite creepy, and is a bout a man who tries to give up smoking. The Quit Smoking company try sinister methods to try and get the man to quit.

The second part is the main NON HORROR film. It's about a man who is forced to walk around a ledge on the top of a tall hotel. An average thriller, but not scary.

The third is where the supernatural comes into it, but the monster has little bells on it's head and is about ten centimetres tall, so this is the worst story of the lot. In places, it's funny, but is it meant to be?

There are better films out there, but watch this if you have nothing better to do. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before his movie career completely tanked, Chevy Chase made one of thefew films that gave him a chance to display his comic versatility: 1985's Fletch, the Michael Ritchie-directed comedy about an investigative reporter who specializes in going undercover on big stories. Lightning, however, didn't strike twice when Ritchie and Chase went back to Gregory MacDonald's novels for a second helping. This sequel features Chase once again as Fletch, super-reporter, who heads from L.A. to the South, where he supposedly has inherited an estate. Before long, he's become involved in a murder plot and is trying to stay out of the killer's sights himself. The material is considerably weaker, revealing Chase's shortcomings as an ad lib comic. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Amother Excellent Chevy Chase Movie!
This, to me, is by far much funnier than the first Fletch movie. Irwin Fletcher, investigative reporter, is back in the sequel to the original film, 'Fletch'. This time, he's quitting his job as a distant relative has died and left him a mansion. He arrives to find he's in the middle of murder plots and dodging bullets.

Chase dons lots of disguises in this film, as he did in the first, but these disguises are more numerous, and funnier than before. There is some adult humor, as is the norm with Chevy Chase movies, but not a lot of it. This is a must have for Chase fans, or comedy fans in general.

More Fletch but Less Script.
This is a fun movie if you a)love Fletch; b) love Chevy Chase; and c) use the dull moments to use the restroom and replenish your snacks. Fletch fans will love the new characters that reporter Irwin F. Fletcher creates for his new setting. The basic story line is interesting and the cast features a ton of talent and well known actors. However, it moves a little slow and doesn't grab your attention like the original.

On what seems like as stroke of luck, Fletch ends up inheriting a mansion in Louisiana and quits his job to settle in. Things don't turn out as expected and Fletch turns to his investigative reporter tactics to get to the bottom of it.

Put it this way, if you've seen Fletch and can recite every line of the movie (like me and a half dozen of my closest friends), you will want to see this one, too. You will probably like it after having seen it a few times. But if you're new to Fletch or Chevy Chase, stick with the first Fletch movie, the first Vacation movie, the first Caddyshack movie (notice a trend here?), Three Amigos!, Spies Like Us, Funny Farm, The Groove Tube, Foul Play and reruns of Saturday Night Live from the 70s

A fun sitcom

Director: Michael Ritchie
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: May 4, 1999

Cast:

Chevy Chase ... Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher
Hal Holbrook ... Ham Johnson
Julianne Phillips ... Becky Culpepper
R. Lee Ermey ... Jimmy Lee Farnsworth
Richard Libertini ... Frank
Randall 'Tex' Cobb ... Ben Dover
Cleavon Little ... Calculus
George Wyner ... Gillet
Patricia Kalember ... Amanda Ray Ross
Geoffrey Lewis ... KKK Leader
Richard Belzer ... Phil
Phil Hartman ... Bly Manager
Titos Vandis ... Uncle Kakakis
Don Hood ... Tom Barbour
Dennis Burkley ... Joe Jack
Noelle Beck ... Betty Dilworth
William Traylor ... Mr. Underhill
Barney D. Arceneaux ... Party Guest
Roy Babich ... Klansman
Mary Battilana ... Bly Assistant
Don Brockett ... Sheriff
Walter Charles ... Tony
Robert M. Dawson ... Tour Guide
Darren Dublin ... Ancient Copy Boy
R. Bruce Elliott ... Info Technician
Patrick Farrelly ... O'Reilly
Grace Gaynor ... Mrs. Underhill
Richmond Harrison ... T'boo Ted
Catherine Hearne ... Lyda Perl
Charlie Holliday ... Security Guard
Christian Kauffmann ... Bruce
Matthew Kimbrough ... Bly Guard
Johnny Kline ... Usher
Clarence M. Landry ... Damon Feather
Marcella Lowery ... Selma
Jordan Lund ... Deputy Sheriff
Tom McCleister ... Klansman #2
Patricia G. McConnell ... Deputy's Wife
Dick McGarvin ... Announcer
Keith Mills ... Church Elder
Michael P. Moran ... Morgue Attendant
Louis M. Rapaport ... Walter Bob Buggem
Constance Shulman ... Cindy Mae
Robert Silver ... Kakakis Brother
Ebbe Roe Smith ... Jim Bob
R. David Smith ... Gordon Joe
John Wylie ... Accountant

Amusing film about an attempt by nefarious forces to buy ancestral land bequeathed to Fletch (Chevy Chase) by his late aunt. Chase is his usual hilarious self. The plot is a bit confused, but becomes clear as the story develops. The background scenery of the old south, with its ivy covered mansions, Spanish moss covered trees and swamp is reminiscent of Georgia around the Okefenokee swamp, but without the alligators and cottonmouth moccasins (although reference is made to the latter.)

This is a fun film to spend an evening with. Some allusions to sexual miscopnduct in a jailhouse scene by Chase and Tex Cobb (Ben Dover), but nothing too raunchy. It will pass for an over 13 auduence, I think.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance

and other books

... And A Franchise Dies
An absolutely horribly film that should never have been made, FLETCH LIVES tries to capitalize on the comic genius of the masterful Chevy Chase ... but this story about little more than cookie-cutter real estate scams ends up being written on paper that would've better served the bottom lining of a bird cage. Even Chase's talents can't lift this dull bomb out of the stink pile.

With all of the other options available from Fletch creator Gregory McDonald, how could this have happened to what could've been one of the greatest comedy franchises in cinema history?

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then, be aghast.

Hilarious Movie
Director Michael Ritchie and Chevy Chase team up once again for FLETCH LIVES, with Chase reprising the role of Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, newspaper journalist and master of disguise. When his recently deceased aunt bequeaths her decrepit manor to him, Fletch travels down south to rural Louisiana. Initially, things go well, especially when he hooks up with a flirtatious southern belle. But when he wakes up the morning after, he's shocked to find that she has been murdered. In order to catch the killers and clear himself, the intrepid, chameleon-like Fletch must infiltrate the congregation of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey), a greedy local preacher who wants to gain control of Fletch's land in order to build a Bible-themed amusement park. Written by Leon Capetanos, FLETCH LIVES crackles with the same blend of rapid-fire dialogue and visual jokes as the original, making it a solid sequel that works on its own terms. By thrusting the big city character into a shady small Southern community, Chase is given an entirely new field on which to play. It's this contrast--especially between himself and R. Lee Ermey--that provides the film with its loudest laughs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Enlightening and Inspirational for Woman
This movie, although, the title is kind of funky, is actually quite enlightening, interesting and fun to watch and inspirational to woman who may find themselves in this position. I thought the story laid out really well, the acting was excellent and the moral of the story strong and important. I've seen it several times and it is still interesting to watch again. Highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

eleven year olds opinion
Big girls don't cry is a grate movie that I can relate to.my family is sorta like that. The charecter who plays Laura, reminds me of myself. any way this movie is a funny,somewhat toughing and you can really put your self in Lauras shoes.What Im trynig to say is the carecters are esay follow along with.The movie semed like it was one adveter after another.if I a could rate this move it would deffently be a ten.

great movie, bad title
this movie IS one of the best ones i have ever come across. The opening two minutes will have you laughing like crazy AND trying to keep up with Laura's family. I feel the title of this movie ("Big Girls Don't Cry...They get even") was just plain not right for this movie.Don't let the title scare you away. Note: the original title was "Stepkids", but it was changed at the last minute.

"I know what you are thinking. We are the brady bunch from hell."

A Meaningful Sojourn
In this engaging serio-comedy, an intelligent-looking Hillary Wolf plays 13-year-old Laura Chartoff, the frustrated daughter of two self-absorbed much-married parents (Griffin Dunne and Margaret Whitton) who currently resides with her mother, stepfather(David Straithairn), and half-siblings,the military school student, Kurt, child prodigy Sam, and the overindulged beauty queen, Corrine (Trenton Tigen, Ben Savage, and Jenny Lewis) in a Beverly Hills mansion.
The story begins with Laura introducing her family situation via home video and narration of the events depicted in the video, and then deals with Laura's daily home situation, in which she laments the loss of her father's companionship. Currently, her artist father lives with his spacey girlfriend(Adrienne Shelley)who is pregnant with his twins, after being kicked out of the house for his affair by his schoolteacher wife, Barbara (Patrica Kalember) with whom he has a beautiful redhaired three-year-old(Jessica Seeley) who, like Laura, has also learned not to rely on him.
While Laura's mother and stepfather are out one evening, she gets a welcome respite from her lonely situation by the return of her estranged stepbrother Josh (Dan Futterman), with whom she'd had a good relationship. A series of incidents resulting from Josh's return leads to the breakage of Mrs. Powers' good china, and Laura's being blamed for it.
Hurt and sent over the edge, Laura decides to run off with Josh, who finds her in the back of his pick-up truck the next day.
The action then moves to the beautiful Yosemite Valley where Josh works at a camp resort. When the Powers family, who are irritated by Laura's waylaying their trip to Hawaii by her behavior,arrive at the camp to bring her home, Laura feels that Josh has reneged on his promise not to call her stepfather, and runs away again. Summoned by young Sam, David Chartoff and Shelley, arrive as well, as do Barbara and little Jessie.The decision to stay and find Laura is made only because the boy-crazy and shallow Corrine sees a hunk emerging from the lake and is prompted to make a phony speech about not abandoning her in her hour of need.
As the family gradually learn to put aside their differences for the sake of finding Laura, and seek the help of a seen-it-all before Sherriff and his ditzy assistant, Laura encounters a large conventional family, led by Josh Mostel. She spends time with them, but I found her glib attitude towards them to be a realistic one, taken by many children of divorced parents, and was glad to see a movie that dealt with that.
The trip to Yosemite turns out to be more meaningful than any planned trip to Hawaii would have been because the adults learn to resolve their long-held grievances, and decisions about whether or not to end certain relationships are made. As they wait for Laura, who encounters a group of hoodlums and displays her own tough side as a result of that encounter, relationships between the parents and children strenghthen. Along the way the snotty Corrine is humbled as well.
After an incident that finally brings her to tears, Laura returns to Josh's cabin to find something very special and priceless waiting for her, and she is finally given the answers about her family history that she had yearned for.In running away, she has brought her estranged family together, and she learns to value them as much as they do her.

Insist Upon Yourself
It's a shame that Hillary Wolf gave up acting for Judo because she is such a spectacular actress, but Hollywood can be rough and I can't help but understand.

This movie hit's close to home for those with or without a step family. You can relate to Laura Chartoff (Hillary) on some level in any part of the movie. Whether it's after her step sister Corrine (Jenny Lewis) states that she is "So drab" and she looks in the mirror and says "My body just hangs there like a boy, not even a good-looking boy. I wouldn't go out with a boy that looked like me that's the sad thing." or the way her step father Keith (David Strathairn) blames her for everything that goes wrong. There is also her father (The great actor and director Griffin Dunne) who has been married more times then he can soberly remember, his last wife (Patricia Kalember from "Sisters") left him with his three year old daughter Jessie (Jessica Seely) because he had an affair where the girl(Adrienne Shelley) became pregnant with twins or her mother (Margaret Whitton) who now treats Corrine like her real daughter in effect neglecting her REAL daughter in the process. Laura also has a half brother brainiac Sam (Ben Savage way before "Boy Meets World")

After being blamed for her stepbrothers breaking of her mothers China Laura runs away with her other stepbrother, whom she thinks of as her real brother and who has left the family he despises, Josh (Dan Futterman)to the mountains the day before the rest of the family is scheduled to go to Hawaii. This causes the entire family, stepmothers brothers and all to come together in the mountains to search for the run away who eventually runs away from Josh after he called her mother and stepfather on her.

Laura finds herself on her own forcing the rest of her family to stay together in one small cabin while the police look for the missing girl, which in effect causes the estranged family members to grow closer and learn to love one another again. Being on her own Laura discovers who she is and that she really does need all whacky members of her family.

This movie is good for families and more and I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks their family is dysfunctional; which is practically every family on the planet.

This movie is so great!
I am proud to be a college student who adores "Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even." I definitely have to disagree with those who spoke against the title...it is my favorite part of the movie! You should buy this movie, and watch it over and over again! When you are stressed out over life, it will make everything better with its incredible realism and lessons on modern American family structures and the effect of divorce on children in our society. This movie is the key to a better world! I can watch it a million times and never tire of it, and normally I only like to see movies once or maybe twice. I can't believe that the Oscars did not recognize the beauty and superb acting present in this instant classic. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

As good as the first Fletch
Some people lump this movie in with Caddyshack Part 2 and Ghostbusters 2 as horrible sequels to classic movies- but I couldn't disagree more. I absolutely LOVE Fletch Lives, and I sometimes laugh just THINKING about some of the scenes. The "Bug-Busters" scene, the Klan rally, and the Claude Henry Smoot scenes are the best. DEFINATELY watch Fletch Lives, then watch it again. As with some of the better comedies it only gets better the second, third, and 4th times you see it.

Fletch is Back and it's GREAT!!!!
Starting off in a mafia-controlled seafood restaurant, we find Fletch in drag and the object of desire of a near-sighted Greek man. And he doesn't even get reimbursed for the leg waxing ... it's all automatically deducted from his paycheck by computer ... ah, those undocumented expenses ...

Inheriting a Louisiana mansion, Fletch flies down next to an obnoxious but friendly nasal-surgery candidate. Yet another classic dream sequence, and this one is not to be missed. As "Old White Joe", Fletch fantasizes that his ex-wife's lawyer, his boss and Betty, the cute gal from the office, all fall at his feet. The imagery from Disney's "Song of the South" is pure genius and you might notice "Ted Underhill" making a cameo appearance at the end of the dream sequence (there must have been 300 extras here or a *whole* lot of CGI ... check out the *very end* of the dream sequence closely).

I love it. Again beautiful women involved here including the lovely Julianne Phillips. This is Cleavon Little's best work since "Blazing Saddles" (though he was great in the early 1970's "Vanishing Point"). Randall "Tex" Cobb never fails to amuse especially with his "Ben Dover" appearance as a *faux* zooerastia-obsessed transvestite necrophiliac (get a dictionary!). Now this movie doesn't bash Christians, in fact there are some accurately quoted Bible verses. But it does lampoon some who misuse Christianity for money solely.

Phil Hartman is here as a Bly Bio Chem manager. Richard Libertini is back and a little goosey it appears. Hal Holbrook is here as the vengeful attorney / land owner. And the great Geoffrey Lewis who never fails to deliver an interesting, if not xenophobic and myopic, character, is here. Little is "Calculus Entropy" causing Chase to introduce himself as "Geometry Fletch" and the real-estate attorney as "Miss Trigonometry Ross". As Billy Gene King of Bug Busters, Fletch investigates Miss Ross's house for "Reticularious Marios Cuomos" (approximately!). Dangerous African Flesh-Eating Termites, not only do they cause the walls in Miss Ross's house to be deplaning to an alarming degree but they jump into the ear of the sheriff's deputy. Fortunately, Fletch gives him sound advice on how to get those termites out. Too funny! Besides, how many movies have the terms "carpetbagger", "toxic waste" and "The (Rolling) Stones" in them? ...

On one of my trips to Universal Studios in the early '90's, I saw the Ark they used for "Fletch Lives" as well as the street scene they used for the "flood". We were on the tour "tram" so we couldn't get out but we did get to experience a flood. Cool!

It's not funny...
One of Mr. Chase's not so funny films with recycled jokes and a rather poor story. Why Hal Holbrook, a good actor, wanted to do this movie, who knows?!

Great Movie - waiting for it to be released on DVD
A great movie - I just would like to see it come out on DVD!

I LOVE THIS MOVIE
This movie rocks. It is so funny and cackles with hilarious dialogue is it a shame that the critics were beastly to it. Chevy Chase, once again, nails the role of Fletch and only he can deliver the deadpan sarcasm in a way no other actor can.

The plot may be a little weak but it works. Fletch quits his job as an investigative reporter after he inherits a plantation mansion in Louisiana. But he stumbles upon a mystery and does his best to unravel it.

His disguises will make you grin from ear to ear (Claude Henry Smoot steals the show) and they way he comes out with the most ridiculous of things when he's talking to people makes you wonder why they ever believe it. As Peter Lemonjello, Fletch tells a studio camera operator that his house is on fire. The guy believes him!

I do wish that they had used more of the Bibleland sets as it seems so much for so little screen time but the presence of R. Lee Ermey as the eccentric TV Evangelist makes up for it. There are also Still Pictures over the end credits that hint at deleted scenes. Lets hope that a future DVD release will feature these as well as the film in 1.85:1 anamorphic with Dolby 5.1 sound. It would be best for Harold Faltermeyers score, which is actually very cool, to get modern day sound.

And to any of you who are puzzled why Mr. Underhill is credited in the cast of characters but not actually in the film, he IS. Look closely at the Zipedee Doo-Dah sequence and you can see him as one of the dancers. ... Read more