Description

Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway and Jerry Lewis star in the quirky and moving story of a family of dreamers in a small desert town. From the director of "When father was away on business" Year: 1993 Director: Emir Kusturica Starring:Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Encounter of a talented actor and a talented director
The video of this movie gave me a little disappointment because some scenes of the original version were cut on the video (119 min). That's why I gave 4 stars to this video. But the movie itself is great, and I'd like to give 5 stars to the film although I've never seen the director's cut (142 min). The movie was that impressive to me.

I am a big fan of Johnny Depp, but I don't think I am overestimating the movie just because I am his admirer. "Arizona Dream" is much more remarkable than any other movie in which Johnny appeared. Johnny, in this movie, shows a pure and innocent beauty as in "Edward Scissorhands," but this time Johnny's character (Axel) is a little more complex because he also shows strong passion for love and women like in "Don Juan DeMarco." This movie, although it has several layers of meaning, is about adolescence overall. Johnny did a dazzling performance by expressing skillfully cravings and sadness of youth at the same time. When Grace (Lili Taylor) committed suicide, Johnny, who just came to realize her attractiveness, got overwhelmed with sorrow in the rain. How sad and beautiful this scene was! (The scarlet hue and the background music of this scene added a surreal and quaint feeling to that beauty.) How pure and beautiful Johnny looked in that scene! This scene brings to my mind the scene from Kusturica's another film "Time of the Gypsies," in which the male protagonist cries out in grief the name of his dead lover. Both scenes are sad and beautiful at the same time.

Death, in "Arizona Dream," stands for nothing trivial. It's a kind of passage a youngster goes through to become an adult. It's not difficult to infer that experiencing death of close friends or family members leads to a maturer state of mentality. Suffering the death of his uncle (Leo) and girlfriend (Grace), Johnny gets to step into adulthood. The symbolic daydream at the end of the movie, related to halibut, reveals more clearly by actors' lines that Johnny has undergone a tumult of youth and now is about to enter upon a new stage of life.

Sex has a crucial meaning, too. When Johnny continues wild and liberal relations with a middle-aged woman Elaine (Faye Dunaway), it seems to have the meaning of youthful rash desire. But it is also an indicator which tells that Johnny is stepping toward adulthood; after this hectic and wild period, he comes to find new aspects of people around him and of the relationships with them. Being attracted sexually to an older person is a typical--at least common if not typical--experience in youth. As young people grow up, they begin to see objectively the older person they liked or loved. When Johnny says to Grace that her step-mother Elaine, whom he has loved with strong ardor, is now like a clown he can see through, and hints that he can recognize Grace's charm now, he displays a maturer insight into love and women.

In a sense, this movie has something in common with the Swedish film "All Things Fair," even though these two films are totally different in style and atmosphere. "All Things Fair," too, depicts a boy who gradually gets into the world of adults after going through war, brother's death, and sexual relations with a teacher. This boy, at the end of the movie, realizes the true aspect of the teacher and the pure beauty of a girl who is about his age and has been fond of him, like Axel (Johnny Depp) in "Arizona Dream" gets his mind to slide from Elaine to Grace.

Even so, they are very different. Unlike "All Things Fair," "Arizona Dream" has a far more melancholic feeling and is based on a far more tragic view of the world. Kusturica basically takes a pessimistic view of reality in many of his movies. But Kusturica's real talent lies not in his pessimistic world view but in his astonishing way of facing this tragic world. He never gets crushed with excessive grief; instead, he always sustains a sense of humor and breathes vivacity into his characters in a witty and humorous style. His movies often have some comical scenes like one in which Grace attempts suicide by hanging herself in "Arizona Dream." (This attempt fails, and she moves up and down in a funny manner with a long piece of cloth around her neck.) Kusturica's sense of humor seems to be more conspicuous in recent movies such as "Black Cat, White Cat," and movies in former years, like "Time of the Gypsies" and "Arizona Dream," have a strong feeling of sadness. And yet, "Arizona Dream," like other movies of Kusturica, has vital characters and thereby conveys the message that life is still beautiful and the world is still worth living in.

Although I focused on the development of a young man into adulthood, "Arizona Dream" never leaves a bitter aftertaste by implying that the young man has lost his purity of youth. The course of the development itself is expressed in such a way that viewers feel the irresistible beauty, and Johnny remains genuine until the end of the movie. The affair between Johnny and Faye Dunaway still makes viewers feel the exquisite afterglow regardless of Johnny's new relationship with Grace, and the relationship between Johnny and Grace and her sudden death caused by suicide give more strength to that exquisite afterglow along with a sad feeling. Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, and Lili Taylor show vivacious intensity all throughout the runtime, and especially Johnny is brilliant with the pristine beauty and with the natural performance of a complicated young man. Kusturica made one of the most unique and splendid films about adolescence with the gifted actors.

One of a kind!
Incredible story.Terrific cast (Johnny Depp,Faye Dunaway,Lili Taylor,Vincent Gallo and Jerry Lewis).Beautiful cinematography. Ethereal soundtrack by Goran Bregovic. Cinema with a capital C, at its best. Emir Kusturica and his unique style strike again with this amazing story of a young boy (Johnny Depp) "kidnapped" from NY by his cousin (Vincent Gallo) and taken to Arizona to be the best man at his uncle's wedding. Kusturika gives us, in this tragi-comedy, an interpretation of the meaning of life through the eyes of a young man in his early twenties. Kusturika himself said:"...This movie is about a young man who wanders into what is actually a hell that exists between two women, because of the tragedy in their lives...It could be that this movie is my reaction on how I see Western civilization. It comes from a kind of philosophy I've established after 35 years of living on this planet. I believe that human beings belong to nature not to civilisation. And I see man as being like a fish passing through a huge city. the fish doesn't understand anything about the city, he's just floating through it. What I'm trying to do, always, is to get people wondering." Well Mr Kusturika, Congratulations! you have succeeded! A must see, a must ownn! My favorite since it came out in France in the winter 1993. Let me know if you ever run in the States into an European copy of Arizona Dream. The movie has lost 4-5 incredible scenes(about 3-5 minutes each)on its way to the States.Why? WHY?

Poetic dream
I saw this movie few years back and wanted to see it again and finally found it on Region 2 DVD, in its full length version. The movie is dressed in Goran Bregovic's beautiful music, while the acting of Depp, Danaway and Lewis is captivating. It's not a movie for everyone, nor will all viewers understand what lies beneath the skin. I personally enjoyed every bit of the sweetness and sorrow, despair and hope that was artfully combined into this surreal blend of comedy and drama.

Surrial... as a dream... and the end of it -is up to you...
I loved " Forrest Gump " to . But if you watched " Arisona Dream " before it ... you noticed , that the feather trick was taken from it and used in " Forrest Gump ". But at same time they used a soundtrack in exellent way - it started as background , and when baloon blowes up ... it mooved to stereo , he listened to . He ? Jonny Depp , very important man , very important job - counting fish in N.Y. area ?! And I am not kidding , just loughing !
His brother showes up ... they have to go to Arizona- uncle getting merried on Polina Poriskova ( or whatever her name is , but you get the point ?! ). Mr. Depp doesn't fill like Arizona ... they walk to the bar ... shot and a beer... shot and a beer ... They are in Arizona in the morning . I have to warn you - movie is not for everyone ! If you don't like the begining ... you going to hate it . Turn it off , and watch something else , please .
For the rest of us...The flying fish at the end ... was one of the most unpredictable and most funny endings out of most of the films , which I watched in my life !

Emir Kusturica's Arizona Dream
Johnny Depp is a young man who comes to Arizona to be his uncle Jerry Lewis' best man in his wedding, and stays on to sell cars at the local family Cadillac dealership. There, Depp and buddy Vincent Gallo meet up with Lili Taylor and her weird stepmother Faye Dunaway. Taylor and Dunaway hate each other, living in a big house in the country and arguing continuously. Depp eventually falls for Dunaway, and is drawn into her weird little world, where she dreams of flying, and moving to Papua New Guinea.

Taylor has her own set of mental quirks- she worships turtles and wants to kill herself so she can come back as one. Gallo fancies himself a serious actor, one good scene has him recreate the cropduster scene from "North by Northwest," on stage at a local talent contest. Paulina Porizkova is given nothing to do as Lewis' very young fiancee.

We have all these weird characters in a weird little comedy. There are funny scenes. Taylor tries to hang herself with pantyhose from a second floor balcony, and bungees up and down as Depp tries to save her. Depp, Taylor, Dunaway, and Gallo play a hilarious game of footsie at a dinner table. Taylor, depressed over her suicide attempt, begins wandering around the house playing the accordian. Depp and Dunaway begin building flying machines, trying to fulfill Dunaway's girlhood dream. The screen fills with weird special effects and tons of magical realist images. The eskimo prologue; a fish that swims in the sky; really interesting stuff.

About halfway through the film, everything takes an ugly turn. Depp and Taylor play a game of Russian Roulette. Lewis overdoses on pills, he is guilt-ridden because he drove the car in the accident that killed Depp's parents. Eventually, not a whole lot of plot happens. Instead, the film becomes obsessed with suicide, wallowing in the characters' unhappiness to the point that I may remove the COMEDY sticker from the video case and write MANIC DEPRESSIVE on it.

The cast, especially Taylor, is good, too good. I felt like they really understood their respective characters and the director's overall vision. Too bad they did not let the viewer in on it. I felt undermined by the cast and crew, and could not wait for the film to end.

The final scene, on the tundra, has Depp and Lewis talking to each other in Eskimo native language while ice fishing. A confusing ending to a confused film. I do not recommend this one.

This is rated (R) for physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, strong profanity, sexual content, sexual references, and adult situations. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The press kit's historical notes should be standard issue for anyone who sees Alan Rudolph's (The Moderns, Choose Me) look at the famous intellectuals who dotted New York's finest hour in the 1920s. If you only know the names of Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, et al. in passing, this movie will hardly generate more study. These writers and thinkers, most famous for having lunch daily at the Algonquin Hotel, seem as weightless and thin as the fictional ones in The Moderns. Most luminous is Mrs. Parker (Jennifer Jason Leigh), whose passion for unhappiness is rarely interrupted. Leigh, in a performance that viewers seem to love or loathe, swirls "witty" dialogue with pure force and must be praised for keeping your interest in a life that was so dreary. The chief problem is not the performances (Campbell Scott is quite fun in a change-of-pace role); it's that the movie comes off as a taped show on stage: the characters are not real andit's all dress-up. Rudolph illustrates his main character's writing (donefar too seldom in writers' bios) by having Leigh speak Parker's poetrydirectly into the camera. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (21)

If One Has To Be A Voyeur, This Is The Way To Go
I won't argue with the reviewer who maintained that this film portrayed the players of the Algonquin circle in a stagy and unrealistic manner. It gives me smug satisfaction knowing the obvious hole in this criticism is that these ingredients can make a film great if done right. And done right it was in Mrs. Parker and The Vicious Circle. Each time I see this film, I experience the joy of watching the lives of luminous people through a peephole, a delicious voyeuristic journey into the unknowable literary past.

The thing about Jennifer Jason Leigh and her interpretation of Dorothy Parker's manner of speech? Did you ever sit through hours of Julia Child's famous cooking show and take note of the distinctive speech of this remarkable lady, also from New England? If Jennifer Jason Leigh were ever to star in a biography of Julia Child, she would either have to learn the idiosyncracies of Ms. Child's speech or not play the part.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is brilliant and almost became Dorothy Parker in the black and white scene where she recites a poem about all the things she shouldn't do and how she doesn't, after all, give a damn. That short scene was acting at the highest possible level achievement. Ms. Leigh recited the poem in characteristic Dorothy Parker style and conveyed the essence of the poem and the poet exclusively with her eyes.

I am proud that this pinnacle of dramatic performance was given by an American actor. So often, with all of the puerile bilge that pumps out of the filmmaking industry in this country, we forget that we have stunning talent to show the world.

Alan Rudollph temporarily back in form!
During the mid-eighties, Alan Rudolph was one of the enfants-terrible of filmmaking, along with John Hughes, Barry Levinson, Lucas and Spielberg. Then, for some reason, we lost him. After finishing off a trilogy that featured Keith Carradine and Genevieve Bujold, Rudolph proceeded to make ill-advised movies like "Made In Heaven", losing MY interest almost immediately. You'll remember, if you saw it, that this film featured Timothy Hutton and his then-wife, Debra Winger. Winger played God, if you can believe that.

Anyway, with "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle", Herr Rudolph is back in form, going back to his "The Moderns" era, the 20s, but this time, taking a bead on the PSEUDO-bohemian life in flapper era New York, specifically the goings-on amongst the habitués of the Algonquin Round Table and various Condé Nast and New Yorker Magazine writers and editors.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is good as the acerbic Ms. Parker, but I can't help thinking that the somewhat well-known standup comic, Margaret Smith, would not have been a better choice. She has the mien, NATURAL speech pattern and delivery you would expect Dorothy Parker to have had, and her act consists of just the type of bromides and anecdotes you'd expect to come out of that droll lady's mouth. Leigh is just too cute and cuddly to portray such an acid-tongued, distaff reprobate!

However, some of the other actors portraying Algonquin luminaries were picked MUCH more carefully, specifically the two doing Alexander Wolcott and George S. Kauffmann. It is, however, almost disturbing that Campbell Scott, parlaying the famous Robert Benchley, bares not a WHIT of resemblance to HIS target, either in manner or appearance!

However, true to Rudolph form, the era is reproduced flawlessly, from the costuming to the set design and art direction. The writing is witty, esp. for the background male members of the Round Table. However, as good as Leigh is, you get the feeling that she is either trying to hard in the role of Parker, or is just about to nod off, her reading is so lethargic.

Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Jennifer Jason Leigh, I just think that the inimitable Ms. Margaret Smith would have been a much better choice.

Nonetheless, this is Rudolph again at his best....putting the microscope to an artistic microcosm and recreating the setting faithfully. Unlike any other director...Alan Rudolph is the undeniable KING of mood!

You could do much worse than rent or buy this highly atmospheric movie about a woman who is too often ignored in the world of cinema.

Mrs Parker vicious wit rules, okay!
The biting and caustic wit of Mrs Parker is bought superbly to life by the versatile actress Jennifer Jason Leigh who plays the brittle writer, critic and sometimes playwright to vulnerable perfection.

This is not an easy film to watch and I can understand why some people found it hard to get into. I mean the 1920s were supposedly a time of fun, jazz, speak easy booze and laughter all around, the Great War was over and life was back to normal.

However watching the desperation of Mrs Parker's generation, the bright young things drink themselves silly, take drugs and lash out at each other in a perpetual game of verbal cat-o-nine-tails makes you realise that perhaps everything was not as "normal" as most people hoped.

The film jumps back and forth through Mrs Parker's life, some of the best scenes are in black and white, and we are treated to subtle barbs, cruel wit and tasty treats in the guise of a crackingly good cast, with Mathew Broderick doing himself proud as the sweet talking but brutal rouge who abandons his pregnant lover (Mrs Parker), Andrew McCarthy as Mrs Parker's husband Eddie, fresh from war and addicted to morphine.

All in all this is a deliciously complex film that will you need to see more than once, well worth an evening in with a box of pop-corn and a friend to share the sarcasm, and the very satirical humour that runs through the film from beginning to end.

Could have been a great movie
I love the subject, I love Dorothy Parker, I adore Robert Benchley, I am really into the Algonquins at present. I've watched this film several times, but to no avail. If only I were not hearing-impaired, I might have understood more of what JJ Leigh is saying. As it is, I haven't a clue 93.7% of the time. I suppose closed-captioning would help, but for that I will need a newer television set. Did she have to be quite that slurry? The Benchley is well portrayed, but a bit too ideally. One is not prepared, from Campbell Scott's wholesome portrayal, for his cerebral hemorrhage from alcoholism as I was just turning one month old not far away. The sad fact is, Benchely was a teetotaler and pressed into drinking by his social set and film role stereotype. Anyone who has seen the real Benchley of the late thirties and early forties can see what it did to him.

Three stars, mostly for the other Algonquins.

this movie disrespects parker but still survives
Jennifer Jason Leigh is not the reason to watch this film. She shows no range in it what so ever. If you watch the black and white parts in the movie and the color parts of the movie, you'll see no change in Jennifer Jason Leigh's way of portraying Dorothy Parker. She's a depressed woman all the way threw, never light or happy. I thought the color sequence was supposed to be about Dorothy being a funny and witty writer with a personality that overshadowed her writing. At the table with her friends, she says nothing. As usual, Jennifer Jason Leigh slurs her words all the way threw the film. I think Jennifer Jason Leigh goes to work drunk because she did the same voice in "Dolores Claiborn" and "Hudsucker Proxy". She slurs her words in every movie except perhaps "Fast times at Ridgemount High" so don't say that the way she talked was a way of her trying to become Dorothy Parker. It wasn't, it was probably just a bad effect for all the boozing and pill popping Leigh has done in real life. Sorry to disappoint. What saves the film is Campbell Scott, who shows depth. He loves Dorothy and it shows but he respects her friendship too much to change it to romantic one because he perhaps he wants to look after her like a father does or perhaps because he's afraid of losing her friendship. He's the only person on this film who is amusing and brightens the entire film whenever he is in the scene. He outshines Dorothy and runs circles around her, she is certainly not the life of any party as she mopes around, slurring her words, acting like a old bag lady when she was supposed to be a engaging young woman with talent. The only time Dorothy is semi worth watching is when she is with Benchley. It is really sickening that Dorothy Parker was slandered by this film like this. The way they portray her husband, Alan in a black and white sequence is also sickening. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

If aliens came down to earth to see if humanity was worth saving,showing them Short Cuts, Robert Altman's bluesy riff on life in L.A. in the '90s,would not be a good idea. Based on the stories of Raymond Carver (adapted by Altman and Frank Barhydt), this ambitious film is a devilishvalentine to living in L.A., where happiness comes at a premium. There are at least eight separate stories that crisscross, most about people who choose not to relate to the lives they are living. Seemingly by design, none of the stories (nor the performances for that matter) have more impact than the others--this is a true mosaic film. The most representative plot deals with a group of friends (Buck Henry, Fred Ward, and Huey Lewis) who decide to keep fishing even after discovering a body in the river. The story works as a morose comedy and a flag holder for the movie: the inability to take the correct action. Others would rather talk about seeing Alex Trebek than discuss their faltering relationships. A huge and talented cast twists in the wind, bumping into moments of truth, sex, and passion. Some even come out all right in the end. The accidental nature of life--a common theme in many Altman films--has never been so maddeningly persistent, or absorbing. The score by Mark Isham with songs sung by Annie Ross (also a cast member) fuels the moodiness, as does theopening number in which Medfly helicopters spray the town to the tune "Prisoner of Life." Delivering the film a year after his biggest hit in two decades, The Player, Altman proved his artistic tenacity as an aged artist with the heart of a new filmmaker: he's not afraid of risking it all. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Loved it!
I saw this movie when it first came out and found it SO engrossing! While long, the film keeps your attention the whole time, and I thought every plot line was totally intriguing. I recently saw "Magnolia" and felt disappointed that it wasn't as good as "Short Cuts", although the potential was there. Jennifer Jason Leigh's character sticks in my mind, particularly when she's doing phone sex while diapering her baby! It was absurdly dark scenes like that which made me think Altman had a great knack for observing human nature. I thought the whole cast was excellent and I loved the way the stories intertwined. To the reviewer who thought the earthquake was out of place, I think they misunderstood the whole device as a way of tying everyone together - 'we're all in the same boat' so to speak. I left feeling better about this whacky, often tragic world we live in. It makes you think a lot about how we relate to those around us, whether we ever meet the people we interact with on a daily basis or not. Brilliant!

okay
Minus the critical acclaim, buzz, influence over films like Magnolia, Short Cuts, on its own, is a mediocre movie. Despite the best efforts of around a dozen talented actors and a director who obviously knows his stuff, Robert Altman, this movie is an exercise in redundancy and misery. Many of the stories fail to make a worthy case as to why they need to be told in a movie.

However, Short Cuts has a few scenes so brilliant and affecting that they are worth the rental (or purchase price) alone.

The intersecting storylines tell a story about a group of fishermen who discover a dead body, a grieving family (Andie MacDowell), a married couple with skeletons in the closet (Julianne Moore and Matthew Modine) a drunkard and his waitress girlfriend (Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin), a depressed cellist (Lori Singer) a philandering cop with a wife and family back home (Tim Robbins and Madeleine Stowe) and a sketchy make-up artist and his girlfriend (Robert Downey Jr. and Lily Taylor).

The incredible number of stories and stars may seem mind-boggling, but it's the least of the film's problems. In fact the strong acting and richness of the collective stories are the film's high point.

All the actors are great in one way or another, but Julianne Moore's performance is stunning. Jack Lemmon is similarly incredible. These two have to be seen to be believed.

However, with so many stories, all of them won't measure up to high quality. Short Cuts main problem is that a whole lot don't measure up.

By the way, there's a lot of nudity in this film, profanity, sex, and overall depressing material.

AN ACRID BUT INTRIGUING BANQUET OF CLIPS FROM EVERYDAY LIVES
Altman's singature classic with twenty two characters and ten nearly distinct tales. Imagine the ingenuity required to interweave all of that into a seamless whole, but Altman manages the feat deliciously.

While the individual threads may coax discussion, it is their blending that enables a variety of perspectives. Most of them are poignant, for instance the life of a pool cleaner and his wife who vocalizes orgasms on the phone in her job as a tele-sex worker while changing her kids' diapers. Or the life of a couple whose son has been in a tragic accident that brings their lives to an abrupt halt. Etc.

Be warned, many of these vignettes, while very tautly scripted and cleverly screenplayed, remain "unresolved," which may not work for some viewers. Personally I feel that films like this are more genuine reflections of the world in which we live: people often don't change, questions are frequently left unanswered, and unbecoming things do happen every day.

It's a pure pleasure to find a movie that weaves such a deep and intelligent tapestry of human lives, with all their idiosynchratic travails and triumphs. An absolute gem for you to own, not just rent.

why is 'short cuts' not out on DVD?
the greatest masterpiece of the '90s is STILL not out on DVD. filmmaking like this doesn't come along often enough.

Altman's finest hour? (or 3 and a half)
I think this ties nashville as his greatest work. i was blown away and cannot wait to own the DVD. 3 plus hours just fly by with excellent performances all around, and wonderful music courtesy of annie ross, the ow note quintet and all other contributors. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1993 film by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers) is slowly building a reputation as a minor highlight of '90s movies. Based on a true story, Rudy stars Sean Astin as Rudy Ruettiger, a blue-collar kid whose father (Ned Beatty) worships Notre Dame football but who would never dare to dream that any of his sons could be a part of the team. The film is entirely about Ruettiger's ceaseless if sometimes wavering commitment toward that goal, despite tremendous obstacles in physical stature, education requirements, the dismissiveness of coaches, poverty, his father's envy, and endless delays of one kind or another. This is the sort of film that looks back on a life and says the battle was its own reward, not the glory. Astin is very moving as a boy who becomes a man and watches his world change, often in unexpected ways, through painful determination. Great support from Beatty, Lili Taylor as a hometown girl, and Robert Prosky and Charles S. Dutton as two valuable mentors. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (120)

Rocky meets Rockne
Attention all cynics...

I'm bored with the Rocky story and all its progeny. I can't stand strained Jerry Goldsmith musical scoring. I'm not even really a football fan, and don't 'get' the whole Notre Dame mystique. And I've always thought Sean Astin to be the dullest of actors. So why, then, does the climax of 'Rudy' consistently set my tear ducts flowing, and produce a lump in my throat the size of a football?

Because it just throws obstacle after obstacle at this kid. Because it is all so improbable, and true. Because we see a series of stoic, hardened men (including characters played by Ned Beatty, Robert Prosky, Jason Miller, Chelcie Ross, and especially Charles S. Dutton -- all great) turned into enthusiastic innocents by this one boy. Because it just takes so damn long to get to the conclusion, that all that emotion has to go somewhere, doesn't it? And because Sean Astin actually does a credible job making you believe that his short, pudgy, untalented, unathletic, dyslexic yet determined Rudy could pull the whole thing off. This is not a great movie, but it does accomplish its goal. It does move you.

Also, check out the pre-"Swingers" Vince Vaughn and (an enormous) Jon Favreau.

The only football movie for your collection
"Rudy" is uplifting in its own sappy, goofy way, and it's impossible not to cheer. It's the true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, an unremarkable student and football player from 1970s working-class Chicago with the very remarkable dream of playing football for the University of Notre Dame. He overcomes everything you can think of--poverty, doubtful parents, bad grades, friend's death, height deficiency, girlfriends, learning disability--to accomplish his goal, and believe it or not, the movie is every bit as inspiring as it claims to be.

The ending is predictable (with the truth being stretched by more than those few seconds) but doesn't detract from his struggle to land in the House that Rock built. Its charm comes from a great ensemble cast that delivers solid performances throughout. Sean Astin does well as the pint-size player, allowing his character to be more than the typical wholesome underdog. Rudy's frustrations with his family, school, and football all resonate clearly on screen, in effect making his triumph all the more powerful. Ned Beatty as the father powers the familial tensions that drive Rudy to succeed while Jon Favreau's D-Bob, Rudy's loyal bud, lends a gentle touch of humor. His two mentors, played by Charles Dutton and Robert Prosky, add strong doses of determination and prayer, respectively. Director David Anspaugh wisely capitalizes on Notre Dame's beautiful campus by using the scenery to frame the luckless student's persistence and desire. A moving score by Jerry Goldsmith coupled with Notre Dame chants and fight songs balance the emotional visuals.

There are many elements that will appeal to an audience of any age including relationships within the family, overcoming obstacles, self-motivation, etc. As an ND student, I admit my bias, but in fairness to the movie, "Rudy" will capture your heart; be assured, this film survives multiple viewings.

Generally Irresistible But Occasionally Manipulative
My Four Star rating reflects both overall enjoyment while seeing the film (Five Stars) and occasional irritation with director Anspaugh's manipulative strategies insofar as emotions are concerned (Three Stars). The dramatic impact of Rudy Ruettiger's struggles to suit up for, if not play in a Notre Dame football game is diminished by such manipulation. That said, Sean Astin is wholly credible as Rudy. Other noteworthy performances are provided by Ned Beatty (Rudy's father, Daniel), Charles S. Dutton (Fortune), Robert Prosky (Father Cavenaugh), Jon Favreau (D-Bob), Lili Taylor (Sherry), and Scott Benjaminson (Frank). Both the "Real Rudy" and the "Reel Rudy" faced two significant barriers to being admitted to Notre Dame and then playing in a varsity football game: weak grades and diminutive size. Eventually, through tenacious study while enrolled at nearby Holy Cross College, both Rudys are finally admitted to Notre Dame; through rigorous training, both then became fit enough to be selected to play on the practice (i.e. fodder) squad. And finally, both play (the "Real Rudy" for 27 seconds) in the last home game against Georgia Tech in 1975.

Others have their own reasons for liking this film so much. Here are three of mine. First, the casting of Astin in the lead role. His performance is endearing, to be sure, but also convincing. Hence my discomfort with Anspaugh's use of gimmicks when none is necessary. Second, the exteriors shot on the Notre Dame campus which is especially lovely during each of the four seasons. I really did feel as if I were tagging along with Rudy as he attends classes, works for Fortune as a member of the stadium's groundskeeping crew, and then participates in especially brutal team practices. Third and finally, I enjoyed observing what seems to be a totally authentic respect for Rudy among the team's starters both on offense and defense. That respect was earned day in and day out, brutal practice after brutal practice, as Rudy and his battered companions helped to prepare the team for its next game. It is worth noting that Rudy Ruettiger was the only player ever to be carried off the field at Notre Dame stadium. The filmmakers recreated the scene with real fans during a break in the 1992 Boston College game. Some 60,000 fans stood and cheered as actor Sean Astin was carried off the field.

Those who enjoyed this film should also check out The Natural (1984), Hoosiers (1986), Babe (1995), Remember the Titans (2000), and Miracle (2004).
___________________________________________________________________________________

Those who are curious about the "real" and "reel" Rudy Ruettiger are encouraged to visit http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/rudy.php. Here are brief excerpts:

Q: Was the groundskeeper played by Charles S. Dutton a real character?

A: Rudy answered no to this question himself during an interview with the Pigskin Post by saying the following, "He was a composite, but that was reality. And that's what happened in my life...all through my life. I would encounter people like that and they would help me get through the tough times through their wisdom and their encouragement."

Q: Was there actually a priest who helped Rudy get into Holy Cross Junior College?

A: In the same Pigskin Post interview as above, Rudy replied to this question by saying, "There were several who played important roles, but, again, you can't develop them all in one two-hour movie."

Q: Did Rudy really sleep in the maintenance room of the football stadium?

A: Rudy actually slept in a room in the basketball arena. The school had the room there for someone to stay during off-hours for insurance reasons.

Q: Was coach Dan Devine really that cold-hearted against dressing Rudy for the last home game of Rudy's college career?

A: In Devine's autobiography, Simply Devine, he writes that it was his idea to dress Rudy for the final game of his college career and also to play him. Devine says that the screenwriter, Angelo Pizzo, told him that the plot would only work if Devine became the heavy. He agreed in order to help out Rudy, someone whom he calls a friend. "I didn't realize I would be such a heavy," he writes.

Drivel!
Woo hoo! So he wanted to play football for Notre Lame, and he waited and tried really really hard and he cried about it and he walked on to the team and he cried some more. Whoopdee freakin doo! A lot of people want to play college football really bad, but that doesn't mean we make a movie about all of them! Typical job of everyone sucking up to the Domers. Save your money and buy a copy of a movie with a plot that requires more than 6 seconds of rational thought.

A thoroughly enjoyable crowd pleaser
I have seen critics dismissed this movie as highly predictable and manipulative. And they are probably right. But it doesn't mean it can't be a highly enjoyable film. You can't help feel happy for the guy when predictably he achieves his dream.

The film score by Jerry Goldsmith is simply outstanding too. And Sean Astin, as usual, is terrific as Rudy. ... Read more

Description

This witty and mystical film follows a young Japanese executive who is forced to perform a traditional memorial ceremony in Iceland. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Very novel and entertaining
'One man's journey in a foreign land' is a cliche'd plot line but this storyline is more than a little different. Underlying the basic premise is the synthesis and comparison of two very similar cultures: Two modern island nations, with seperate but similar mythologies, strange native customs and both in love with American Culture.

A Japanese businesman passes up his vacation in Hawii so he can travel to Iceland in order to perform a ceremony for his dead parents. While in Iceland he learns he has a long journey in front of him and along the way he meets a cast of increasingly strange characters. Often 'caught in the wrong place at the wrong time' he is forced more and more out of his way, giving him the chance to see more and more of this Iceland, not so unlike his native Japan.

As simple as the plot structure is it's wonderfully novel in its details. Its a fun ride from beginning to end and there's no film I've seen quite like it.

A stranger in a strange land
In Cold Fever the Japanese businessman comes to Iceland to say goodbye to his parents, so they can rest in peace. A stranger in a strange land he meets all kind of people. Criticized by some icelanders as showing the wrong portrait of Icelandic people. Perhaps right, but films don't always have to reflect reallity. Anyway, good story, good film. Other notable work by Fridriksson: Börn Náttúrunnar(Children of Nature), Djöflaeyjan(Devils Island).

A journey to a place that's not on any map
It has been seven years since Atushi Hirata's parents died in an accident in Iceland. Hirata is now a successful young executive who has been instrumental in making a good profit for his company. He's ready to take a golfing holiday in Hawaii, but is compelled by obligation to perform the memorial rites for his dead parents by some river near Staadelfyr. Once he does so, according to his grandfather, their spirits can rest in peace. Hirata, like his late father, isn't exactly a spiritual person, but he decides to get this over with, and as Hirata hates the cold weather in Tokyo, he definitely won't be thrilled to spend three weeks in Iceland, a land of snow, cold, and sheep.

His impressions of the country go from "very cold" to "strange," but he does meet some interesting people and is reminded time and again of the way people look at death and God. Among the warmest and most positive is Laura, someone who's a "funeral collector," going to funerals, taking photos, notes, and taping the music, and she is moved by the singing and the candles. She finds death as something joyous, the end of life on earth being the beginning of a beautiful new life. She is for his family obligation, saying "how else would we learn to grieve?"

The other is an old man in his sixties who becomes his guide, a Virgil to his Dante, and given the bleak cold of Iceland, the analogy is kind of appropriate. And for Hirata, Iceland might as well be the innermost core of hell. Another mythology analogy is the bridge Hirata has to cross and the river where the rites are performed, the bridge symbolizing the journey from the living to the dead, and the river akin to the River Styx, the river of the dead.

Most of the people he meets are kind and help him out, as when his car's spare tire goes kaput. He also has a supernatural encounter with a mysterious woman who helps him when his car motor gets frozen, and that is quite a surprising scene. His worst experience comes from picking up Jack and Jill, a married American hitchhiking duo. Jack is coarse, brusque and extraverted, and Jill who complains a lot, but things get uglier as time goes on. The one thing Jack says that relates to Hirata's quest is when he thinks Iceland is God's country, quiet, the endless wastes of snow. Definitely a contrast from the noisy, neon-lit, crowded, smog-ridden streets of Tokyo.

The concept of a hero's journey is played out here. He's initially a creature of the soulless corporation, where tradition is seen as superstition and bad for business. Yet as his father tells him in a videogram they sent, success is important, but that, and any distance should not weaken the bond between parents and children. And thus does Hirata bridge that distance, having never done anything for his parents when they were alive.

Note: when Hirata shows his guide the implements for the memorial rites, he holds up something called senko, whose equivalent in English he doesn't know. Well, senko are incense rods. Also, let me break down the word Hirata uses for "hangover," futsukayoi: futsuka means second day, yoi means inebriation.

A wonderful movie that examines spiritual renewal in a person. Hirata's cold fever eventually breaks, and as he says at the end of the movie, "sometimes, a journey can take you to a place that's not on any map."

winter wonderland
I traveled to Iceland this past March, and watching Cold Fever made me positively nostolgic for its wintry landscape and sense of mysticism which this film so gorgeously captured. The landscape seemed to function as the main character in the film, unyielding and rich with stories and secrets. I particularly enjoyed the array of bizarro characters in Cold Fever - the funeral collector, the sock puppet wielding Americans, the Icelandic cowboys and caroling truckers - peppering the film's themes of alienation and ritual with wonderful humor. Anyone who has been to Iceland can attest to its power and eccentricities. From the moment that Atsushi arrived at the Reykjavik airport and took the flybus to the Blue Lagoon, it was as if I was there all over again. I recommend Cold Fever to film lovers everywhere, and especially to those of you who dream of going to Iceland.

SEARCHING FOR ONESELF
A young Japanese businessman must travel to Iceland, where his parents lived and then died, to perform a ritual for their burial. The film chronicles his confusing trek through Iceland where he gets drunk on a uniquely Icelandic alcohol and picks up hitchhikers (played by the excellent Fisher Stevens and Lili Taylor) who ultimately steal his car. An interesting and different concept which is good simply for its different approach. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Pompous, fitfully interesting vamp psychodrama
One of Abel Ferrara's interesting failures -- a philosophical art-house vampire movie, shot in stark b&w, with Lili Taylor as a philosophy student who gets bitten by Annabella Sciorra and tailspins into the madness of hunger. How could it miss? Well, there's a reason that "Bad Lieutenant" is Ferrara's best film: It wasn't written by Nicholas St. John, whose scripts for Ferrara have been pretentious at best, ham-handed at worst. This one is both. When we're not watching the humorless Taylor shooting up blood or blathering about deep stuff, we're wincing at death-camp footage. One can almost justify the images of real-life atrocity as Ferrara's usual outrageousness, but after a while the gallery of Holocaust horror just seems like a cheap, unearned way for St. John to beef up his themes of collective guilt and evil in modern society. Taylor is compelling, Ken Kelsch's photography is riveting, and Christopher Walken is amusing in a small role as some sort of vicious vamp guru.

You'll watch it more than once
The Addiction is an artsy vampire movie that strays from what most movie goers see in vampire films. It is shot entirely in black and white-which adds to the dark setting. Vampirism is portrayed in much the same way as drug addiction here.

Lili Taylor turns in an excellent performance as Kathleen, a philosophy student who is plunged into the dark world of the vampire. As she is transformed gradually in the movie the fact that she is a philosophy student plays a large role. She is forced to reconcile her new life with the existentialism that is the focus of her studies. As she becomes more sure of herself in her new life, an elder vampire Peina (played by the creepy Christopher Walken) throws a wrench in the works. Lili Taylor's voice is marvelous in the dark settings where her character contemplates her new existence with philosophy. Where will her journey into darkness take her...?

This movie is well written, visually appealing, and the main charcters are deep. You will want to watch it more than once to be sure.

Interesting, But Not Too Addictive
Abel Ferrara gave a shot at the vampire genre and the result is "The Addiction", an interesting but flawed movie that fails to convice. Lili Taylor plays a NY philosophy student who gets bitten by a vampire woman. That experience will change her life and the way she views the world, offering new perspectives and goals. While this is a somewhat promising idea, the plot never sems to surprise all that much, so it gets a point where it keeps repeating and moving nowhere new.
The movie touches a few points like existencialism, fate, guilt, sin, faith, nihlism and of course addiction, but the development could be better and it ends up seeming like unfullfilled potential. Still there are some intriguing elements, like the black and white cinematography, the moody atmosphere and some compelling, well written dialogue. But even considering these good ingredients, the movie doesn`t step above average material. "The Addiction" just lacks bite.

Sorry but doesn't miss something somewhere ?!!!!
I will not say that Abel Ferrara is not creative in his own way to make movies. This work proves that there is someone behind the camera full of ideas and a great thinker, No doubt about it. The problem is just the story.It could have been a great one but dunno what happened. It becomes easily boring and it's a pity. Acting is okay. Walken's got a little role in it, 10 minutes maximum.If you are curious about Abel Ferrara, well It's still worth few bux.

Movie About Sin Nature
I really enjoyed this movie. It's set in a very intellectual environment, with a dark side. When the main character becomes bitten by a vampire she gets pulled into the life of a vampire, a very addicted one. She's addicted to the life-style of a vampire but hates it. The movie is about her struggle with her sinfull life-style.
It's not a movie comparing vampirism to aids and drugs so much, but rather to human sin nature. Sin nature as presented in the movie though, is as addictive as drugs and contagious and incurable as aids. The movie did an excellent job of displaying the nature of sin to the audience. Notice first that the sin had to be chosen, victims were never forced. After they chose sin, they became addicted and couldn't, by their own means, be released from their addicted lifestyle. In this movie, it's not until you are saved can you finally find release from sin. Her nature had to be changed, not her environment, not her psyche. I think the theme of the movie is embodied in the quote from R.C. Sproul(A famous calvinist minister and speaker) at the end of the film, "We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners." It was a movie about human nature, and the anatomy of sin the Biblical idea of sin (intended or not). Vampire stories in general are a study of sin. Concider their hate for all things Christian, the love of death and destruction, their opposite lifestyle(sleeping upside down, night dwellers ect) So I found this movie a great one to add to the list of vampire movies that I love!
I highly recomend this movie. You'll have a lot of fun examining it and picking out the details that hold the secrets to the overall meaning of the film. Very philosophical! ... Read more

Reviews (324)

This HAUNTING is a flop
Being a fan of horror movies and having never seen the original 1963 film, I found myself eager to catch this remake, which looked interesting from the theatrical trailer. However, I could have never been more mistaken. THE HAUNTING, with its expensive special effects and large budget, looks more like a 'tamed' episode from TV's Goosebumps than an actual feature film. What's worse is that this incredibly dull chiller lacks what many of these types of films require to work...chills! Infact, the only scary thing about this flick is how DreamWorks managed to green-light this expensive dud into production. The paper-thin plot finds a psychological researcher tricking a group of people to staying a night at a haunted mansion in hopes of studying them and their reactions. While the cast seems promising, they are surprisingly wasted...Neeson especially, with Catherine Zeta Jones offering a pretty face to look at, but nothing more. And surprisingly, I never thought that director Jan DeBont could top the horrendous Speed 2: Cruise Control, but once again I was wrong. All in all, THE HAUNTING was one of 1999's biggest Hollywood disappointments and, in my opinion, I would seriously consider that you walk passed this one at the video store. DROUGH!

Not frightening, not anything
There are 2 good things in this movie-

(1) Bruce Dern, who plays the groundskeeper and who, in about 3 lines and 20 seconds, out-acts everyone else in the film, even though they get hours. Bruce Dern should have been the star of this film. He's got more talent in his left nostril than the rest of the cast have in their whole bodies. He's of the old school like Donald Sutherland, and he is squandered in this film. The director is like a prospector who puts the mud in his pocket and leaves the gold behind.

(2) The mansion itself, which is extraordinarily beautiful, but probably only a bunch of sets. Still, it's lovely.

Nothing else in this movie is remotely interesting or frightening. The screenplay reads as if it were written by a junior high student.

Artistic Masterpiece
Whether this movie was true enough to the book or not, I don't know. What I do know is that it's awesome and very well-made. The actors did a great job, the special effects were wonderful, and the creepy-yet gothicly beautiful house-simply couldn't have been better. I'm not sorry I watched it. It's worth every minute and every penny.

IF IT AIN'T BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT
"The Haunting" with Julie Harris was so good--even better for its black and white medium, which enhances the sense of the macabre and general off-kilterness of the set. Why don't they remake "The Wizard Of Oz?" Now, there's a picture that could be made MUCH pertier with modern cinematography. The cheap set and old theatre-style acting throw a damper on what's still is a great universal story.

Beware of Evil Capitalists (and ghost movies about them)
Some day Lili Taylor will land that role in a film which will show the world what a high-calibre actress she really is. THE HAUNTING is not that film. What a thankless part for Ms. Lili. What a thankless film. The scariest thing about this movie must have been the bill for the c.g.i. effects that the studio received. I mean, the movie had a moment or two of tension, but on the whole, I was bored.

There was nothing new here: the fury of an evil, dead capitalist and the pain inflicted on his mostly children workers--and his family--just can't seem to get out of the house. So! The evil men do does live on! How original! I'm reaching for sarcasm which is never pretty, so I will end here. This movie was the pits. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This unbearable quartet of stories was written and directed by hot filmmakers Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), and Alexandre Rockwell (In the Soup), which only proves that even the smart guys can really blow it sometimes. The anthology is linked by the hotel in which all the events are taking place, and by Tim Roth as a bellboy flitting from scene to scene. Nobody overcomes the insufferable air of self-congratulation that permeates this exercise in forced hipness. With Bruce Willis, Madonna, Lili Taylor, Ione Skye, Jennifer Beals, and Antonio Banderas. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (92)

All in all, pretty lousy
Only the most die-hard Tim Roth fans will want to sit through this whole movie. Too bad the last two segments (I think they're the last two, anyway) are the only ones even remotely worth watching; that means you have to sit through the first two to get to them. Thank God for fast-forward!
The one with Madonna in it is about witches, and the only thing you can say about it is that it makes witches look like the most boring possible subject matter in the universe. Plus it stars Madonna. 'Nuff said.
Then there's one about a wife and her husband, with one of them tied to a chair or something. This one was so bad, I can't even remember anything else about it. And I only watched it three days ago! What does that tell you?
Thankfully, just when you're begging for someone to shut it off, along comes the third segment, a hilarious little film about two naughty children and the bellhop (Roth, who appears in each segment) who is bribed to keep an eye on them. When the source of the mysterious odor in the room is discovered, Roth's reaction almost justifies the whole movie's existence. I was still laughing hours later.
The last segment, by spoiled Hollywood wonderchild Quentin Tarantino, is okay. It has his trademark crackling dialogue (of course), and Q.T. has some fun with his own image. But too bad the entire segment itself is just one long, sick, unfunny joke.
Making this movie was not a very good idea, and the results were predictably foul. Even the always-enjoyable Roth seems out of place and you kind of feel sorry for him. But at least the "Misbehavers" segment, all by itself, redeems the experience. Almost.

Definitely not for everyone
If you are a hardcore Tarrantino fan, you'll probably like this. If you are a reserved, serious person, you probably won't. Pretty simple huh? Maybe not...

I'll break it down room by room. The first room is sort of just to give us the happy "Ted scored" feeling. Sometimes I'd really rather fast forward through this, as the script is sort of silly in this room. But overall, I've seen a lot worse, and remember, we're not taking this film seriously right?

The second room is the mistaken identity room that really shows off Tim Roth's ability to act. I have read other reviews that say he is horrible in this. I disagree completely. You can see every emotion the character feels pass across his face, which makes it very humorous. Jennifer Beals does a good job in this section, but like a lot of dialogue in Tarrantino films, you get the strict, rigid scripted feeling. In other words, the actors spit out this long line of gibberish that noone would really say in real life. People have to take the time to come up with these types of speeches.

The third room is probably the best, if not a little bit disturbing. I think everyone did a good job in this section, especially Tim Roth when he was aggravated by the children.

The fourth room seems to be plagued by bad acting. In my opinion, only Willis and Roth do a good job. Tarrantino is frightfully bad in his dialogue, and that scripted feeling comes back stronger than ever. Meanwhile, you'd be hard pressed to believe that anyone besides Willis is drunk. I think it was a bad case of overacting on the part of the others. Overall, its still worth watching, and the movie is great if for no other reason than Tim Roth (who is terrific in everything he is in -- See The Muskateer, as his acting is the only thing making the movie worthwhile).

Pulp Fiction(downtoned) + Kill Bill(downtoned)=Four Rooms
i love this movie i thought it was quite enjoyable.Tim Roth cracks me up when i watched this(his performance reminded me a lot of charlie chaplin) especially when he just walks and talks its quite strange but it was a great movie that i think any tarintino viewer would enjoy.

Not bad, and stop blaming Madonna!
With 4 directors and a cast of over 20 actors {all talented}, this movie was bound to flop. Antonio Banderez makes a great appearance and Madonna and Quentin Terentino {and} Bruce Willis were good too. The script seems confusing, the directors all have completely different views and styles, so it's confusing. But it is still funny, the bellhopper was excellent, really funny guy. Madonna, who was only in the first fifteen minutes, was blamed for the badness of the movie, stop hating just because she's one of the only people in this movie who don't cuss up a storm and stay fresh and to the point! And as for Quentin, it was a nice cameo, but you're a lot better behind the camera...

rather keep your good money
The more this Tarantino guy attempts to be sophisticated, the worse he fails. This inexplicably overrated, clumsy effort is even worse than Pulp Fiction. Packed with violence and poor taste, it sticks out like a sore thumb for its total lack of talent, humour, ideas. The film equivalent of a crapburger with 200 chili peppers (expired, too), it lets the amazingly childish ego of its director transpire from its every pore. And I don't tolerate such yobbo in my private living room. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anne Frank: The Whole Story delivers exactly what it promises: the incredibly moving complete story of Anne Frank, going beyond what the Jewish teenage girl wrote in her widely read diary. Anne, along with her family and friends of her family, hid in a secret annex behind her father's office in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of Holland. She dutifully kept a diary, which became a worldwide bestseller when her father published it in the 1950s. The story has been adapted for television and movies before, but this version, which played on ABC television, moves beyond what Anne wrote, meeting up with the Frank family before Anne receives her diary, and following her past the diary's last entries into Auschwitz and Birkenau. Hannah Taylor Gordon is a superb Anne, bringing to life the multifaceted girl, in turns intelligent, dreamy, creative, spoiled, and bratty, a girl like any other except that Anne is a Jew in Nazi-occupied Holland. The only one who outshines Gordon is Ben Kingsley as Anne's father, Otto Frank. His quiet performance is extraordinarily powerful; as he watches his family slip away, it is impossible not to feel his grief. This brave film is difficult in parts to watch--the concentration camp scenes are brutal--but this is a remarkable adaptation of Anne's life, and it is a film to be shared and discussed and remembered. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (76)

The queen of diaries
I've studied Anne Frank for a long time but this is what started me to take an interist in Anne Frank. The movie starts from where the nazis take over amsterdam to where otto finds the diary. I never thought that there was so much more to her story then what I already knew. Hannah Taylor Gordon looks exactly like Anne, they couldn't have gotten a better actor if they tried, not to mention someone who writes just like her. Jessica manley did a great job as Margot bu she was kinda of short to be Margot, and hopefully, Margot would have changed her mind about moving to palistien after all the suicide explosions they've been doing to the isralis lately. Ben kingsley looked exactly like otto frank and if I didn't know it was him, I'd say it was Otto Frank. Brenda Blythen loked alot like Mrs. Van Pels and was funny too. Joachim Krol looked a little like r. van pels except the real Mr. v.p. looked alot older. Jan niklas looked a little like Mr. Pfeffer but like Mr. v.p. Mr. p looked alot older. Lili Taylor looked kinda like Miep and sounded austrian just like the real Miep. Rob Das looked alot like Jan gies and was real good at his part. Tatjuna blacher looked a little like Edith and was bossy with anne just like anne discribed her in her diary. It was such a touching movie and I recommend this to anyone who's a big fan of anne frank.

Anne Frank A Truly Touching Miniseries
Anne Frank: The Whole Story is a movie that goes beyond what almost all Holocaust stories do. It is touching to the human spirit and how Anne's soul never gave up until the very end. Hannah Taylor Gordon, who was in Jakob the Liar, turns in a superb performance as the Anne Frank. She is able to show us how Anne reacted to everyday life and the inevitable death of her sister, Margot. Ben Kingsley is amazing as Otto Frank, a quiet subdued man who loved his family and was the only one to survive.
The most extraordinary part of this miniseries is the fact that the story keeps on going after they are taking to the Nazi concentration camp. We are seeing the unthinkable horrors and how fortunate we are to have not been a Jew prisoner in that camp. The pain and suffering of Anne and Margot is so well brought up that we feel sorry for these girls with dreams of the future. It is no wonder that this earned an Emmy nomination.

Superb - only the English language detracts from the realism
I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of reviewers that this is the best account of Anne's life ever made - and one of the best holocaust movies ever made as well.

The acting is top-notch and Hannah Taylor Gordon is a real find -it is amazing how she is able to bring Anne's character to life.

The only thing that could theoretically be improved upon is to do the movie in the language(s) used in the real events - that is, mostly Dutch. As a Dutchman, I may seem prejudiced in favour of my own language but that's not it.

Dutch movies that portray 'international' events or persons almost always use the appropriate language(s) even if that results in a multilingual movie. To me, the story becomes less believable if Dutch and German characters are speaking English to each other, or if they have an unconvincing accent.
The same thing bugged me when I watched "The Discovery Of Heaven", which is also mostly set in the Netherlands.

Anyway, this is all hypothetical because: a) I see that a movie in Dutch would probably not be competitive internationally so it could never be made with a similar budget; and b) that would mean that the great cast used in this movie wouldn't have been in it.

So I'm not really complaining; even if some aspect could theoretically be improved upon (at least according to my personal taste and preferences), it remains, in practice, one of the best ever made in its genre, and a must see for anyone seriously interested in that horrible episode in human history.

Anne Frank - The whole story is wonderful!!!!!
Just like the book in all the ways it explains all the details. This is as close to the book as you can get. The book was just like I visualised it on the DVD. Its a must see!!!!

Great movie!
This movie really put things into perspective. It was very moving and entertaining. I enjoyed it and this movie inspired me to do some reserch on the holocaust and anne frank, and through the movie and the research i have learned a great deal more of this horrible period of time. I enjoyed it and i think many more people will too. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Seven years after he earned his first screen credit as the writer of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, former Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe made his directorial debut with this acclaimed romantic comedy starring John Cusack and Ione Skye as unlikely lovers on the cusp of adulthood. The casting is perfect, and Crowe's rookie direction is appropriately unobtrusive, no doubt influenced by his actor-loving, Oscar®-winning mentor, James L. Brooks. But the real strength of Crowe's work is his exceptional writing, his timely grasp of contemporary rhythms and language (he's frequently called "the voice of a generation"), and the rich humor and depth of his fully developed characters. In Say Anything... Cusack and Skye play recent high school graduates enjoying one final summer before leaping into a lifetime of adult responsibilities. Lloyd (Cusack) is an aspiring kickboxer with no definite plans; Diane (Skye) is a valedictorian with intentions to further her education in Europe. Together they find unlikely bliss, but there's also turbulence when Diane's father (John Mahoney)--who only wants what's best for his daughter--is charged with fraud and tax evasion. Favoring strong performances over obtrusive visual style, Crowe focuses on his unique characters and the ambitions and fears that define them; the movie's a treasure trove of quiet, often humorous revelations of personality. Lili Taylor and Eric Stoltz score high marks for memorable supporting roles, and Cusack's own sister Joan is perfect in scenes with her onscreen and offscreen brother. A rare romantic comedy that's as funny as it is dramatically honest, Say Anything... marked the arrival of a gifted writer-director who followed up with the underrated Singles before scoring his first box-office smash with Jerry Maguire. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (182)

Cameron Crowe's Masterpiece
I don't know if it's just me, but writer/director Cameron Crowe always seems to hit the mark. Whether it be his first effort at writing a Script (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), his second directorial effort (Singles), and the absolutely fabulous Jerry Maguire and this year's sure fire Best Picture, Almost Famous.

Unlike most films, which begin with a screenplay, producer, James L. Brooks asked Cameron Crowe to write the story in prose first. The result was a 90-page novella that became the outline for the film, and from which Crowe wrote the final screenplay.

This movie stars John Cusack (who must have been about 19) as Lloyd Dobler, an eternal optimist who seeks to capture the heart of Diane Court (Ione Skye). He surprises just about everyone-including himself-when she returns the sentiment. But Diane's over possessive, divorced Dad (John Mahoney) doesn't approve and it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.

This is my favourite movie by Cameron Crowe. As with all his movies, the dialogue is true to life and flows. Every aspect of this film borders on unbelievable brilliance. John Cusack is terrific as Lloyd Dobler, the sweetest guy in the whole world. He's one of those guys that girls would love to have, but one of those guys that guys would love to be. The situations are true to life situations teens would absolutely be put in (I love watching Lloyd make his first phone call to Diane -- it reminded me of me) Ione Skye is also great as the object of Lloyd's affection torn between her love for her father and her love for Lloyd.

Besides being Cameron Crowe's best film, this movie also sports the greatest love scene of all time (I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it), and can give inspiration to any guy who has ever wanted a girl as much as Lloyd. Guaranteed though, after seeing this particular scene, be prepared to fall in love with Peter Gabriel's Song "In Your Eyes".

If you haven't read through all of this (if you got bored, I don't blame you), just read this last paragraph. This is a terrific movie. One that you can watch over and over again without getting tired of it. If you haven't seen it, you are indeed missing out. Roger Ebert declared it one of the best films of the year in 1989.

- "We just don't want to see you get hurt" "I wanna get hurt"

John Cusack's 2nd Best Movie of All Time
There is no denying that "Say Anything" is quite simply one of the best films of all time!

HOWEVER...John Cusack's best role will always be that of Walter Gibson in "The Sure Thing".... which needs to be released on DVD IMMEDIATELY.

"Say Anything" is a different film than "The Sure Thing." It is in a class all by itself. It is quite simply marvelous, poignant and forever endearing. It deserves so much more than 5 starts! 10 stars for this beautiful film.

What can be said about this film that hasn't already been said? It is the perfect love story. Lloyd meets girl. Lloyd falls in love with girl. Girl's father objects to Lloyd. Lloyd loses girl. Lloyd wins her back. True love reigns.

This DVD is PACKED. Worth every cent you will pay should you wish to own a classic gem. There is commentary by director Cameron Crowe, John Cusack, & Ione Skye!! (Right there, worth the price!) There are so many behind the scenes stories and anecdotes to be listened to here. There are theatrical and television trailers, 10 deleted scenes, 13 extended scenes & 5 alternate scenes with commentary!! What more could you want?!

DO NOT miss out on owning this DVD. If you've by some chance never seen "Say Anything" do yourself a favor and do so right away! You're truly missing out.

SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT.... No matter how many times I have seen this masterpiece, I still get choked up when Lloyd tells Diane, "You've just described every success story." And then we wait for the "ding" along with them.

And then... the "ding." CUT TO BLACK. (Gets me every time.)

I love this movie. Absolutely love it.

SOMEWHAT SIMPLISTIC BUT CHARMING TEEN ROMANCE DRAMA..
Whether it is young John Cusack's skittering sense of comic timing, Yione Skye's riveting beauty (no idea why she hasn't been in other known films!), or the sweet but memorably amusing moments littered throughout this film, there is something very charming about this candypop romance from the 80s.

A dorky but confident guy falls head over heels in love with the school's super brainy girl. Things happen, ups and downs ensue, all leading to an ending that is so satisfying, so overwhelmingly right, that immediately we fall back into step.

My minor grouse with the story was how conveniently the solid parental characterization of the girl's father turns out to be such a snake. One wonders if teenagers may not pick up from this the tired and rather sad message that parents are not to be trusted, no matter how sincere.

But that doesn't detract Say Anything from being a hot recommendation from me, particularly if you have a thing for lovey-dovey light dramas. It generally maintains an intelligent and realistic contour, which is more than one can say for most romantic comedies being made today.

A Modern Romance Classic
It's so pertinent for our times. I think almost anyone can relate something similar in their lives to the scenes in this movie. That's why it's so appealing. In a world where not every guy gets the girl, this is the stuff of dreams...and for a little while, somebody out there who is watching it gets to live that dream.

Teen Charmer
A teen movie of the late 80's, I found this charmer, "Say Anything." John Cusak is the quirky misfit teen in love with the unattainable. The unattainable is the senior class brain, Ione Skye. Ione has a wonderful smile, which she uses to disarm. Her acting skills are limited however, so Cusak's antics move the story to the opposites-attract finale. John Mahoney, the dad in "Frazer" on TV, plays Ione's businessman, father in deep soup with the IRS. He wants her to go to England on a scholarship. She is wooed, charmed, and then makes it with shiftless Cusak. I must say that Mahoney is believable in a complicated character, both loving father and a secret embezzler. Ordinarily in these teen operas, parents are total dotes. There is the obligatory teen beer-bash, but this one is fairly realistic with kids that actually like each other, as opposed to bashes where kids are trying to be too cool. Nice little date flick for teens. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Altman's much-anticipated broadside at the world of fashion is a disappointment. The film's crazy-quilt Nashville-like narrative structure and ensemble casting (Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, Lauren Bacall, Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren) are a thing to behold, but the story's many interlocking pieces lack overall depth and resonating emotion. There is a grand, satiric statement about fashion and society at the end of the film, and there are hints of an aging, nostalgic filmmaker's skepticism about our postmodern world of short-lived attachments and meanings. But watching this film is a long, long uphill climb, with a lot of thin air to endure before arriving at a destination. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The whole is worth less than the sum of its parts
Whilst Prêt A Porter might be taken as a sly dig at the Paris fashion industry, its appeal is probably limited to those it satirises, that is the designers, models, buyers, journalists, and other hangers-on.

Someone close to the world of these famous designers with their peculiar costumes and logos might get every one of the jokes, references, and even know that some of the real-life people the characters are based on.

The problem is that this world is an exclusive one. Whilst This Is Spinal Tap and The Blues Brothers satirised an industry and an art form known to many, the Paris fashion scene is available only a select few. For an object lesson in how to spoof the fashion business without alienating the general public, see Absolutely Fabulous.

The impressive roster of actors in the film (Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Richard Grant, and Julia Roberts to name but four) and the directorial talents of Robert Altman are really wasted on a movie that is of such limited appeal.

Not Classic Altman But Far From Awful
Most critics harped on this movie's lack of "depth" when it originally came out. My question is, how would a comedy with "depth" about the fashion industry play? I'm sure it would be much more unwatchable than the witty display Altman puts on here. Yes, there's too many characters and yes, Altman glides over everything without much development but he directs with a sense a fun and keeps the whole thing smooth and amusing. He's much less judgmental about the fashion industry than a director in his seventies might be: in a movie fillled with star performers and designers, everyone is depicted and even photographed is a very democratic manner even if they're all made out to be slightly ridiculous. Only Sophia Loren is really given the "star" treatment in her appearances and even that is done mainly as parody (she begins the movie in a frumpy bathrobe and glasses-who else but Altman would have the nerve to commit such a breach? ) It's arguable that the movie is a little trite-but then so is the fashion industry. I think people were disappointed in this movie primarilybecause Altman didn't stage a fashion show, he only covers one. Altman does here what he's always done well: shown off the farcial elements of American social and political institutions. As for Leonard Maltin, I'm sure his mind is numb after a lifetime of overpraising movies much worse than this one.

A wonderful evocation of Parisian fashionistas
This is one of my favourite films.

Many of the critics of this movie missed the point. This movie is not about plot or characters. Robert Altman does what movies are for; he takes us to another place.

What Altman does is give us a vivid impression of the incestuous whirl of the fashion world. His world is populated by both real designers (as ever spotting them is half the fun). and wonderful performances such as Richard E. Grant as a male Vivienne Westwood.

The movie also effectively transports us to Paris. And yes, Paris really is covered in "Dog Poop" (they were Paris jokes, not Poop jokes).

I think that many of the jokes about Paris, may have gone over the heads of US movie critics who have not set foot outside LA and New York.

One of the reviews of this movie described the fashion shows as "pointless". They were pointless in the same way a Monet is pointless; they were in the movie because they are beautiful.

To summarise, if you love Paris and you love fashion, you will love this. The closing credits of a montage of Issey Miyake and other fashion shows set to Grace Jones' "La Vie En Rose" is worth the price of admission alone.

As Inspector Clouseau might've said, "eet ees a bheumb"
You know you're in trouble when the camera pulls in for a lingering close-up of dog poop. Then we see someone step in the poop. Hardy-har-har, Bob Altman, are we supposed to split our sides laffin' at this here real sophisticated-like "comedy"?

An earlier reviewer asked if anyone knew why Danny Aiello ends up in drag. Well, I'll tell you why. Altman needed someone to utterly humiliate, and poor Aiello (a wonderful actor savagely mistreated here) gets saddled with the, um, "honors." As do Forest Whitaker and Linda Hunt.

In fact, trashing actors known for their sensitive portrayals in other (and better) films is the closest thing that Ready to Wear has to a plot. The degrading scene between Hunt and Stephen Rea left me feeling contaminated. If the editor Hunt portrays had been a glamorpuss type, then the bit about getting on her knees and pricking her fingers on rose thorns that Rea tosses at her might have been barely amusing. But Linda Hunt is so delicate that you feel protective of her; the physical contrast between her and the strapping Mr. Rea makes this sequence play like an excerpt from a training film for joining the Nazi party. It's disgusting. In its own repellent way, it's nearly as horrific as the dreaded coke bottle in the face nightmare from Altman's The Long Goodbye.

The only performers who transcend this deeply unfunny unforgivable fiasco are Anouk Aimee and Julia Roberts. Aimee alone is treated with dignity; she brings a real poignancy to her role as a successful businesswoman who's being sold up the river. Bob does his best to desecrate Julia but she outfoxes him with her devastating smile. Although her role isn't much, she manages to keep her footing as almost everyone else gets lost in the mudslide.

Or is dog poop??

Not What I hoped for.
I really had hoped this movie would be better. There really wasn't too much of a plot. There certainly are cute elements.
As always Tim Robbins and Julia Roberts were adorable. Otherwise
I can't really say a whole lot for the movie--Sorry:( ... Read more