Reviews (67)

Sarandon and Portman shines!!!
Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman are two very talented actress. They are the reason that makes me buy this DVD. And their performances are superb. However, the script is a little loose.
It is about a Mom Adele who is a little bit wild and crazy, who loves so much about her daughter and thinks her planning on her will simply be the best for her. While the daughter Ann has her own preferences, which makes her always wants to escape from her mom. What makes this simple story even more flat (unfortunate) is the script does not provide any chemistry and dynamics between these 2 characters. We know their conflicts, but sometimes, we see the daughter hates her mom, and suddenly, she is be-friending with her. Even both actress tries hard to make them 2 believable characters, still the story lacks certain sparkle to make this a 'real good' movie. Fortunately, the performance of Sarandon and Portman never disappoints you throughout the whole movie.
The ending concludes the movie very well:
Ann: "Even if you can't stand her (the Mom). Even if you hate her. Even if she's ruining your life. There's something about my mother. Some romance, some power. And when she dies, the world will be flat. Too simple, too fair... Too reasonable."

Sarandon in Fine Form Per Usual!
I was a bit leery of this movie when I ordered it because, frankly, I had never heard of it, but was not disappointed when it arrived and I watched it. I love Sarandon and would probably buy anything she was in, and I guess one of these days I will be disappointed in one of her movies. But it didn't happen with this one. The relationship between the mother and daughter is right on! Have you ever known of a teenage daughter who doesn't get irritated with her mother, and yes, even sometimes embarassed by her? And Susan's character does do a lot to try her staid daughter's patience! The beautiful Natalie Portman shows so much sensitivity in this role, as well. Coming of age and coping with all the teenage problems is hard enough but add a mother who is a bit flaky, and you have a big problem! Ann copes and does a fine job of handling things, although a few of life's problems almost get her down. This is the perfect film for mothers and teenage daughters to watch together. A mother's love never fails when push comes to shove, as Ann finds out.

Unlikeable
Unmemorable except for the fact that I remember it was depressing without being introspective, very meaningful, or even likeable.

best movie ever!!!!!
i loved this movie, it is my favorite movie and always will be. The only film i've ver cried in, and never forgot about from when i first saw it in theaters when i was 8. The plot in this movie is inspiring and unforgetable. The cast (sarandan,portman) were truly amazing and once again bringing mothers and daughters close. I would have to say portmans best performance ever with the lines she was given: "even if you hate her, you can't stand her,there's something about my mother, because when she dies the world will be flat".

JUST PLAIN OL' GOOD MOVIE
I like this movie a lot. However, I just don't get the point of the Mothers character. Yeah, she's a free-spirit with quirky tendencies, but they never really get to any point with why she acts like that, or if anything exciting will happen to her. For a moment I thought she was suffering depression in the scene where she just decides to vacuum rather than join her daughter (Portman) to a Christmas party. Besides that its a good movie. Lots of different scenes, which I like in all movies. Natalie Portman is a terrific actress and I will continue to collect all her great films like Beautiful Girls and Where The Heart Is. ... Read more

Description

One of Disney's most treasured animated classics comes to glorious life -- stunningly photographed on magnificent locations in India! Based on Rudyard Kipling's beloved short stories, this all-new adventure promises a journey beyond your wildest imagination! Raised by wild animals since childhood, Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) is eventually drawn away from the jungle by Kitty, the beautiful daughter of Major Brydon (Sam Neill). Mowgli soon faces a corrupt Captain Boone (Cary Elwes), who wants both Kitty's hand in marriage and a hand on the mythical treasures of Monkey City, a place only Mowgli can find. Loyal animal friends Bagheera, Baloo, and Grey Brother must help Mowgli survive the untamed peril. All of Kipling's memorable characters spring wonderfully to life in Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK, a bold, sweeping adventure brimming with treasures for the whole family! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nostalgic Simple Love Story
This movie is great - full of surprises and delightful scenes between a young British women and the rough jungle man she falls in love with. There are many funny scenes characteristic of traditional British humor, as well as witty dialogue and lovely scenary and costumes. This movie made me wish I were a kid again and could still get away with watching only Disney movies. Also, Jason Scott Lee is absolutely gorgeous!

Superlative--Best movie of 1994
The only reason I am giving this film 5 stars is that I can not give it anything higher. This film is far and away one of my all time favorite movies. I must have seen it at least a dozen times in theatres. I stumbled on JB totally by accident. On Christmas day 1994 I went to see Interview with the Vampire. Only to find that it had been pulled. Not wanting to make my trip to the theatre a waste of time. I decided to watch the Jungle Book. I braced myself for a silly childrens film. Instead I found a moving story, fit for all ages, about pure love, racism and colonialism and adventure.

The Jungle Book is about Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) who, after a terrible mis-hap as a child, ends up growing up in the Jungle communicating with the animals. As an adult he becomes re-aquainted with his childhood sweetheart Kitty (Lena Heady) the daughter of a British officer(Sam Neal) in Victorian India and learns to become "civilized" again. Unfortunetly Mowgli crosses Kitty's then love interest (Cary Elwes). And a bunch of stuff happens which I will not go into for giving away the plot.

I will say this though this is really, really an amazing movie. The chemistry between Jason and Lena is unbelivable. It really is what love is all about. Not once do they utter the "L" word towards each other but in every scene they are together you can see the bond and affection they have for each other. Also (keeping in mind that this is a PG movie) It is so refreshing to see a couple in love without them getting physical. Cary Elwes as the movies villain is really effective and subtle. He really is slick and charming-a real cad.

I would strongly recommend this film to lovers of the above.
This film became such an obessession of mine that I wrote out the novelization just to get it out of my system. Get this movie, it is a descision that you will not regret!

Look out! This is not the movie and most reviews are wrong
This is a complete rip off and unworthy of a Disney label. Packaging totally deceptive. No Jungle book film and not even any clips. Yes there are a couple of songs of poor quality. Kids very frustrated and parents upset with Disney.

Note to Amazon - you have been deceived too - you need to change the editorial review as you are contributing to the deception.

This is not the movie.. the reviews are wrong
The packaging is a total misrepresentation.. and the reviews here are wrong as well. The reviews talk about the movie.. I made the mistake of reading these reviews and others and bought it because my son is in Spanish immersion and wanted some fun alternatives to his usual books/videos/music. There is so much wrong with this DVD, I don't know where to start. First, there is no chance of reading along.. the story goes so fast that any child will find it challenging to read AND listen to the words - let along if they are learning to read. In addition the story is completely abridged. And while the packaging says "games" there is ONE game.. a very simple game. Three barrels move around and you have to find Mowgli under the right one. My 4 year old could do it in seconds. That's all for games. The vocabulary section is laughable. The vocabulary ranges from incredibly simple words like "boy" to highly specific words like "lily-pad" and "column" and doesn't seem to bear sufficient relation to the vocabulary in the story - sure some of the words are from the story like "panther" but many many many words that appear frequently in the story do not appear in the vocabulary. The concept of this video seemed great but this is an absolute travesty of marketing and profiteering from the movie. I wish I had not recommended it to my son's grandmother to buy for Christmas.

Good old-fashioned Saturday matinee adventure film
Oh, this film could have been made for those Saturdays at the movies (25 cents to get in, popcorn with real butter, etc.) Jason Scott Lee is Tarzanly-gorgeous as the grown-up Mowgli, complete with animal sidekicks. The scene where he finds the monkey-king's treasure city is just wonderful.

This is not exactly kiddy-fare (little kiddy) for the opening scene where the tiger trashes the shikari camp are pretty scary--a flaming wagon-ride, and the tiger is pretty nasty. No gore, but still a bit much in my opinion for the early grade-schooler. Older kids and adults, however, will enjoy this worthy adventure film, with not only Jason Scott Lee, but Cary Elwes. Dramatic scenery, humor, adventure, what's not to like here? ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Zellweger Shines in Ethnic Drama; Divergent Viewpoints
...

A carefully and compellingly rendered drama of a contemporary woman's stirring discovery of self, "A Price Above Rubies" is set in the context of a Hasidic Jewish/American community. Beautifully photographed, this film's acting sparkles -- and renders a reasonably accurate portrait of an easily caricatured community.

Renee Zellweger establishes herself as a talent of unlimited possibilities. ...

The film's feminist perspective is gracefully realized without belittling all guys -- which greatly enhances the film's power! (And lowers my blood pressure!)

Production design is exceptional!

Those Orthodox Jewish critics who are angered by this film's portrayal of Jewish Orthodoxy might have us believe that the world of Orthodoxy is monolithically benign. It is not. ...

Traditional thought and practice -- orthodoxy in many settings -- has its beauties and strengths and -- like most things human-- it has its dark, shadow side as well. "A Price Above Rubies" depicts the delicate balance gone awry.

For a very different, also wonderful film which depcts both light and shadow sides of Ameriocan Jewish traditionalism, but less critically of Orthodoxy, try "The Chosen" (1982) (adapted from Chaim Potok's book), with Robby Benson (quite good in this film, to my surprise), Rod Steiger and Maximillian Schell -- available on VHS, not yet on DVD. For me "The Chosen" is a five star, among my all-time top 10 films!

Zellweger Shines in Ethnic Drama; Points of Comparison
REVISED from my earlier review:

A beautifully rendered drama of a contemprary woman's stirring discovery of self, "A Price Above Rubies" is set in the context of a Hasidic Jewish/American community. Beautifully photographed, this film's acting sparkles -- and renders a reasonably accurate portrait of an easily caricatured community. Renee Zellweger establishes herself as a talent of unlimited possibilities. (I wrote these words of promise when the film was 1st released, long before Renee's fame via the fluffy "The Diary of Bridget Jones" and the incredibly wonderful "Chicago"! Now I saw hor on the cover of Cosmo!) The film's feminist perspective is gracefully realized without belittling all guys -- which greatly enhances the film's power! Production design is exceptional!

Those Orthodox Jewish critics who are angered by this film might have us believe that the world of Orthodoxy is monolithic. It is not. In my own family and beyond, many people experience forms of Jewish Orthodoxy which are fulfilling and wonderfully peaceful. On the other hand, abusive conduct does creep in to parts of this world, as exemplified most vividly by the 1999 Amos Gitai film, Kadosh -- a terrifying portrait of the worst side of Orthodox Jewish patriarchy, which makes "A Price Above Rubies" seem like a fairy tale. In my own community, we have learned of an attempted horrific Orthodox shunning and boycotting of a wife and doctor after she reportedly sought a divorce alleging substantial physical abuse. (Who can say whether the woman's charges were true! The vengeful letter writing and attempted boycott are fact, however.)

Traditional thought and practice has its beauties and strengths and -- like most things human-- it has its dark, shadow side as well.

AN INTENSE TALE OF EMANCIPATION. NOT ABOUT RELIGION.
Beyond a touch of sensationalistic Hollywoodisation (over-simplifying the perceived orthodoxy of Jews) the movie is about a woman who is stifled in her relationship with a fanatically devout husband, and in that it etches an intermittently sharp portrait of a subculture caught between a rich historical legacy and a changing contemporary world.

To me, the movie was NOT about the Hasidic way of life. I could see this film holding just about as relevant even if I replaced the community potrayed in it with any other. It is about the marital suffering of two people who are very different in their moorings.

Renee Zellweger, the pivot, does a very convincing job of showing the desperation in a young woman's personal search, Sonia, who embarks on a search for not only herself but also her place in the world -- for the duration of the film Renee gave Sonia the precise dignity and emotion that the role deserved.

The supporting cast were strong, Juliana Margulies certainly showing that she's doesn't always play the 'nice girl'. Christopher Eccleston was convincingly wicked and Glenn Fitzgerald puts in a credible performance as Mendel, the husband, capturing the essence of the role commendably.

Bordering sometimes on being a chick-flick, the movie generally deals with feminine issues, and I would think that the emotional dominion would have it seldom appeal to a male audience. Which is quite evident in the other belittling reviews here.

I recommend this film highly, although it is an intense one and perhaps not for every Joe Blogg. Make sure you're in the mood.

Very high price of individual freedom
What a movie! At the end I had goosebumps and was trying hard to hold back the tears. What a fantastic performance by RZ!

The movie starts off as a slow-as-molasses slice-of-life story about an orthodox Jewish family in NYC. But it ends as the heroic struggle of a Jewish woman yearning to be free -- free of paternalistic controls, free to decide on her own fate, free to pursue beauty in life, a rebellious street-smart and hard-headed woman who wants to be free enough even to judge the wisdom of God, an ultimate heresy for the social milieu she was raised up in. She goes through hell, but at the end she hangs on to her dear freedom. And that has a "price well above rubies" and diamonds.

RZ is a star! She is burning with talent and heart.

Dark Side
Despite the Orthodox Jewish background this movie is really about a womens life and her ways of reaching what she has always wanted. See the movie with an open mind and all will be well. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Sarandon and Portman shines!!!
Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman are two very talented actress. They are the reason that makes me buy this DVD. And their performances are superb. However, the script is a little loose.
It is about a Mom Adele who is a little bit wild and crazy, who loves so much about her daughter and thinks her planning on her will simply be the best for her. While the daughter Ann has her own preferences, which makes her always wants to escape from her mom. What makes this simple story even more flat (unfortunate) is the script does not provide any chemistry and dynamics between these 2 characters. We know their conflicts, but sometimes, we see the daughter hates her mom, and suddenly, she is be-friending with her. Even both actress tries hard to make them 2 believable characters, still the story lacks certain sparkle to make this a 'real good' movie. Fortunately, the performance of Sarandon and Portman never disappoints you throughout the whole movie.
The ending concludes the movie very well:
Ann: "Even if you can't stand her (the Mom). Even if you hate her. Even if she's ruining your life. There's something about my mother. Some romance, some power. And when she dies, the world will be flat. Too simple, too fair... Too reasonable."

Sarandon in Fine Form Per Usual!
I was a bit leery of this movie when I ordered it because, frankly, I had never heard of it, but was not disappointed when it arrived and I watched it. I love Sarandon and would probably buy anything she was in, and I guess one of these days I will be disappointed in one of her movies. But it didn't happen with this one. The relationship between the mother and daughter is right on! Have you ever known of a teenage daughter who doesn't get irritated with her mother, and yes, even sometimes embarassed by her? And Susan's character does do a lot to try her staid daughter's patience! The beautiful Natalie Portman shows so much sensitivity in this role, as well. Coming of age and coping with all the teenage problems is hard enough but add a mother who is a bit flaky, and you have a big problem! Ann copes and does a fine job of handling things, although a few of life's problems almost get her down. This is the perfect film for mothers and teenage daughters to watch together. A mother's love never fails when push comes to shove, as Ann finds out.

Unlikeable
Unmemorable except for the fact that I remember it was depressing without being introspective, very meaningful, or even likeable.

best movie ever!!!!!
i loved this movie, it is my favorite movie and always will be. The only film i've ver cried in, and never forgot about from when i first saw it in theaters when i was 8. The plot in this movie is inspiring and unforgetable. The cast (sarandan,portman) were truly amazing and once again bringing mothers and daughters close. I would have to say portmans best performance ever with the lines she was given: "even if you hate her, you can't stand her,there's something about my mother, because when she dies the world will be flat".

JUST PLAIN OL' GOOD MOVIE
I like this movie a lot. However, I just don't get the point of the Mothers character. Yeah, she's a free-spirit with quirky tendencies, but they never really get to any point with why she acts like that, or if anything exciting will happen to her. For a moment I thought she was suffering depression in the scene where she just decides to vacuum rather than join her daughter (Portman) to a Christmas party. Besides that its a good movie. Lots of different scenes, which I like in all movies. Natalie Portman is a terrific actress and I will continue to collect all her great films like Beautiful Girls and Where The Heart Is. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Disney scrapped the songs and talking animals for its second version of Rudyard Kipling's classic novel, an old-fashioned boy's adventure that more resembles the classic Korda brothers' lush original than Disney's own animated musical. In this live-action version, Jason Scott Lee (the hunky star of Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) is the grown Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves and taught the ways of the jungle by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther. Fascinated by Englishwoman Lena Heady, whom he spots marching through the jungle on a safari, he follows her to the city. She teaches him the ways of polite society while a greedy British soldier (a sneering Cary Elwes) plots to discover the fabled lost city, where a fabulous fortune awaits. At this point the film becomes more Tarzan than Kipling. Lee's rippling form, back in the freedom of a loin cloth, is on display running through the jungle, swinging on vines, and going mano a mano with snooty Englisher Elwes. His charm and sex appeal has made this film a favorite of many adult women, but it is a family adventure, after all, with colorful locations, grand sets, and plenty of fun-loving animal moments. Sam Neill is his usual figure of moral strength as Heady's explorer father, and John Cleese imparts a little deadpan humor as the safari's absent-minded professor. Director Stephen Sommers went on to direct the 1999 action fantasy hit The Mummy. Ages 6 and up. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nostalgic Simple Love Story
This movie is great - full of surprises and delightful scenes between a young British women and the rough jungle man she falls in love with. There are many funny scenes characteristic of traditional British humor, as well as witty dialogue and lovely scenary and costumes. This movie made me wish I were a kid again and could still get away with watching only Disney movies. Also, Jason Scott Lee is absolutely gorgeous!

Superlative--Best movie of 1994
The only reason I am giving this film 5 stars is that I can not give it anything higher. This film is far and away one of my all time favorite movies. I must have seen it at least a dozen times in theatres. I stumbled on JB totally by accident. On Christmas day 1994 I went to see Interview with the Vampire. Only to find that it had been pulled. Not wanting to make my trip to the theatre a waste of time. I decided to watch the Jungle Book. I braced myself for a silly childrens film. Instead I found a moving story, fit for all ages, about pure love, racism and colonialism and adventure.

The Jungle Book is about Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) who, after a terrible mis-hap as a child, ends up growing up in the Jungle communicating with the animals. As an adult he becomes re-aquainted with his childhood sweetheart Kitty (Lena Heady) the daughter of a British officer(Sam Neal) in Victorian India and learns to become "civilized" again. Unfortunetly Mowgli crosses Kitty's then love interest (Cary Elwes). And a bunch of stuff happens which I will not go into for giving away the plot.

I will say this though this is really, really an amazing movie. The chemistry between Jason and Lena is unbelivable. It really is what love is all about. Not once do they utter the "L" word towards each other but in every scene they are together you can see the bond and affection they have for each other. Also (keeping in mind that this is a PG movie) It is so refreshing to see a couple in love without them getting physical. Cary Elwes as the movies villain is really effective and subtle. He really is slick and charming-a real cad.

I would strongly recommend this film to lovers of the above.
This film became such an obessession of mine that I wrote out the novelization just to get it out of my system. Get this movie, it is a descision that you will not regret!

Look out! This is not the movie and most reviews are wrong
This is a complete rip off and unworthy of a Disney label. Packaging totally deceptive. No Jungle book film and not even any clips. Yes there are a couple of songs of poor quality. Kids very frustrated and parents upset with Disney.

Note to Amazon - you have been deceived too - you need to change the editorial review as you are contributing to the deception.

This is not the movie.. the reviews are wrong
The packaging is a total misrepresentation.. and the reviews here are wrong as well. The reviews talk about the movie.. I made the mistake of reading these reviews and others and bought it because my son is in Spanish immersion and wanted some fun alternatives to his usual books/videos/music. There is so much wrong with this DVD, I don't know where to start. First, there is no chance of reading along.. the story goes so fast that any child will find it challenging to read AND listen to the words - let along if they are learning to read. In addition the story is completely abridged. And while the packaging says "games" there is ONE game.. a very simple game. Three barrels move around and you have to find Mowgli under the right one. My 4 year old could do it in seconds. That's all for games. The vocabulary section is laughable. The vocabulary ranges from incredibly simple words like "boy" to highly specific words like "lily-pad" and "column" and doesn't seem to bear sufficient relation to the vocabulary in the story - sure some of the words are from the story like "panther" but many many many words that appear frequently in the story do not appear in the vocabulary. The concept of this video seemed great but this is an absolute travesty of marketing and profiteering from the movie. I wish I had not recommended it to my son's grandmother to buy for Christmas.

Good old-fashioned Saturday matinee adventure film
Oh, this film could have been made for those Saturdays at the movies (25 cents to get in, popcorn with real butter, etc.) Jason Scott Lee is Tarzanly-gorgeous as the grown-up Mowgli, complete with animal sidekicks. The scene where he finds the monkey-king's treasure city is just wonderful.

This is not exactly kiddy-fare (little kiddy) for the opening scene where the tiger trashes the shikari camp are pretty scary--a flaming wagon-ride, and the tiger is pretty nasty. No gore, but still a bit much in my opinion for the early grade-schooler. Older kids and adults, however, will enjoy this worthy adventure film, with not only Jason Scott Lee, but Cary Elwes. Dramatic scenery, humor, adventure, what's not to like here? ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nostalgic Simple Love Story
This movie is great - full of surprises and delightful scenes between a young British women and the rough jungle man she falls in love with. There are many funny scenes characteristic of traditional British humor, as well as witty dialogue and lovely scenary and costumes. This movie made me wish I were a kid again and could still get away with watching only Disney movies. Also, Jason Scott Lee is absolutely gorgeous!

Superlative--Best movie of 1994
The only reason I am giving this film 5 stars is that I can not give it anything higher. This film is far and away one of my all time favorite movies. I must have seen it at least a dozen times in theatres. I stumbled on JB totally by accident. On Christmas day 1994 I went to see Interview with the Vampire. Only to find that it had been pulled. Not wanting to make my trip to the theatre a waste of time. I decided to watch the Jungle Book. I braced myself for a silly childrens film. Instead I found a moving story, fit for all ages, about pure love, racism and colonialism and adventure.

The Jungle Book is about Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) who, after a terrible mis-hap as a child, ends up growing up in the Jungle communicating with the animals. As an adult he becomes re-aquainted with his childhood sweetheart Kitty (Lena Heady) the daughter of a British officer(Sam Neal) in Victorian India and learns to become "civilized" again. Unfortunetly Mowgli crosses Kitty's then love interest (Cary Elwes). And a bunch of stuff happens which I will not go into for giving away the plot.

I will say this though this is really, really an amazing movie. The chemistry between Jason and Lena is unbelivable. It really is what love is all about. Not once do they utter the "L" word towards each other but in every scene they are together you can see the bond and affection they have for each other. Also (keeping in mind that this is a PG movie) It is so refreshing to see a couple in love without them getting physical. Cary Elwes as the movies villain is really effective and subtle. He really is slick and charming-a real cad.

I would strongly recommend this film to lovers of the above.
This film became such an obessession of mine that I wrote out the novelization just to get it out of my system. Get this movie, it is a descision that you will not regret!

Look out! This is not the movie and most reviews are wrong
This is a complete rip off and unworthy of a Disney label. Packaging totally deceptive. No Jungle book film and not even any clips. Yes there are a couple of songs of poor quality. Kids very frustrated and parents upset with Disney.

Note to Amazon - you have been deceived too - you need to change the editorial review as you are contributing to the deception.

This is not the movie.. the reviews are wrong
The packaging is a total misrepresentation.. and the reviews here are wrong as well. The reviews talk about the movie.. I made the mistake of reading these reviews and others and bought it because my son is in Spanish immersion and wanted some fun alternatives to his usual books/videos/music. There is so much wrong with this DVD, I don't know where to start. First, there is no chance of reading along.. the story goes so fast that any child will find it challenging to read AND listen to the words - let along if they are learning to read. In addition the story is completely abridged. And while the packaging says "games" there is ONE game.. a very simple game. Three barrels move around and you have to find Mowgli under the right one. My 4 year old could do it in seconds. That's all for games. The vocabulary section is laughable. The vocabulary ranges from incredibly simple words like "boy" to highly specific words like "lily-pad" and "column" and doesn't seem to bear sufficient relation to the vocabulary in the story - sure some of the words are from the story like "panther" but many many many words that appear frequently in the story do not appear in the vocabulary. The concept of this video seemed great but this is an absolute travesty of marketing and profiteering from the movie. I wish I had not recommended it to my son's grandmother to buy for Christmas.

Good old-fashioned Saturday matinee adventure film
Oh, this film could have been made for those Saturdays at the movies (25 cents to get in, popcorn with real butter, etc.) Jason Scott Lee is Tarzanly-gorgeous as the grown-up Mowgli, complete with animal sidekicks. The scene where he finds the monkey-king's treasure city is just wonderful.

This is not exactly kiddy-fare (little kiddy) for the opening scene where the tiger trashes the shikari camp are pretty scary--a flaming wagon-ride, and the tiger is pretty nasty. No gore, but still a bit much in my opinion for the early grade-schooler. Older kids and adults, however, will enjoy this worthy adventure film, with not only Jason Scott Lee, but Cary Elwes. Dramatic scenery, humor, adventure, what's not to like here? ... Read more

Description

Krutin Patel's award-winning film ABCD ("American Born Confused Desi") is the story of an Indian family living in suburban New Jersey.Madhur Jaffrey (Cotton Mary) stars as Anju, a widow tugging on tradition and reluctant to accept the mores of North American society. Her main goal in life is to see her two children get married to respectable Indian partners.Raj (Faran Tahir) and Nina (Sheetal Sheth) are polar opposites; Raj is the "good son," engaged to a devoted and traditional Indian girl; and Nina is the wild child, rebelling against her mother and all aspects of Indian custom, including only sleeping with white men.Both of their lives change dramatically when they find themselves attracted to the person who they least expected.With a mix of humor and poignancy, Patel presents a compelling look at the emotional consequences of growing up without a firm cultural identity. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This Film Received Great Reviews
"Reminiscent of early films by Wayne Wang and Ang Lee..."ABCD" is the groundbreaker...a wryly observant comic drama... a film that reminds us that our country is less of a cultural melting pot than a crazily tossed salad." -Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

"Stunning...extraordinary. [A] funny touching and haunting film." -Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Magazine

"Witty, smart, intelligent, superbly acted and passionately told." -Harry Knowles, Aint It Cool News

"Possesses exceptional depth and perception. Well-paced and graceful...brought alive by stellar performances." -Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

"A real treat...SEE this motion picture...a total delight." -Aint-It-Cool-News

"Sensitively acted." -Stephen Holden, The New York Times

"About as honest a finale as you'll ever see in a movie about relationships." -Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News

"Affectionate and Affecting. That I found myself yelling out loud at a character about to get engaged to someone unworthy is a sign of how psychologically involved I'd become with Patel's characters." -Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Enquirer

"ABCD is an engaging bittersweet tale...It's compassionate, funny and honest." -Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

"ABCD is a marvel to watch; it breaks ground." -Harvey S Karten, Compuserve

"The acting in the film is very accomplished as is the direction - specially in scenes that call for either highly charged emotional moments or subtle, understated ones...you could swear that this wasn't acting, that it was really happening." -P. Sebastian, The Deccan Herald

"This is a deeply layered, multi-textured piece that continually weaves a meaningful theme which, although easy to follow, is quite complex...ABCD is a finely crafted, wonderfully paced, beautifully written and perfectly directed film...This is American filmmaking at its finest. Final Grade A+ " -Lodger, filethirteen

"An honest ending that, despite obvious opportunities to do so, refuses to give in to cheap sentiments....A smart, finely crafted debut that recalls the early work of Wayne Wang, Ang Lee, and Mike Leigh." -Jody Seaborn, Austin American Statesman

"ABCD is a triumph for the independent filmmaker that echoes the fact that independent film is the source of renew and evolution for film making." -Vin Geer, Desiclub

"The dialogue is so strong and colorful, so real, the actors molded to fit their characters skins so adeptly that one could feel like a voyeur at times, peering guiltily through the window into this family's private lives." - Kalyani Giri, The Indo-American News

"A touching, honest feature film." -Anika Van Wyk, Calgary Sun

"ABCD is full of intimate touches...offering a refreshing alternative to the slick fare on art house screens lately." -John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

"A surprising, even unsettling conclusion that offers no easy answers, ABCD makes much of its complicated and culturally rich material." -Kimberly Jones, The Austin Chronicle

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL
One more movie about immigrant troubles, and the agony of "culture clash"... told from the point of view of a second-generation immigrant. By this point it's just gotten boring. Guys, GET OVER IT. There's really no need to be that confused about your identity you know. You have a choice: Be Indian, Be American. Better yet, you could actually choose the good parts of both cultures and combine them...but no, this movie choses instead to be a rant against India. Very well, whatever makes you happy....but as a movie it just sucks. Oh and a correction is necessary - in one scene, the lead actress and her boyfriend are at an Indian wedding. The lead actress makes a comment about how in Indian culture, the bride leaves her family "forever" and becomes a part of the groom's family... they way she puts it, it's like the bride will never see her family again, and this is a part of Indian culture. Absolute hogwash. Two people getting married are two people getting married, not the bride marrying into the groom's family and forgetting her own. The director of this movie needs to get their facts straight. Avoid this one like the plague. ... Read more