Reviews (168)

A socially conscious Trek movie
On the fourth installment in the Star Trek movie series, Kirk and company are flying their captured Klingon vessel back to Earth to face the punishment for their misdeeds. On the way though, fate intervenes in the form of an alien probe wreaking destruction upon Earth's oceans. With quick thinking, the crew figures out that it is attempting to speak to an extinct species of Whale, so they slingshot their crummy "Klingon fleatrap" around the sun and travel back in time to San Francisco circa 1986 to save the future.

The time travel cliche is done very well by the Star Trek crew, and although the movie is incredibly dated, it's still a very humerous film that takes a pressing social issue (mainly ecological conservation) and wraps it into an enjoyable sci-fi plot. One of the biggest strengths of the Star Trek series has always been its social conscious, and they deliver yet again with "The Voyage Home".

I'd like to stress again that this is a very lighthearted and humerous film that is saved by the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously. If nothing else, where else do you get to watch Spock develop a penchant for profanity? Add to that the usual interplay between him, Kirk, and McCoy, and you've got a winning movie that hard core Trek fans and casual moviegoers can enjoy.

EXCELLENT!
After the often overshadowed Star Trek III, producer Harve Bennett and returning director Leonard Nimoy wanted to make a light-hearted adventure with no deaths. That was understandable because III had the destruction of the Enterprise, the death of Kirk's son, and an overall serious revival adventure for Mr. Spock. After a script by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes (with Eddie Murphy originally supposed to have a role because he was a big Trek fan), Harve Bennett needed a rewrite. The man chosen: Nicholas Meyer, writer and director of Star Trek II.

What we have here is one of the magnum efforts in the series. Not only does it deliver solid laughs from start (ok, more so middle) to finish, it is also a grand adventure that Roddenberry probably loved. The relationships between the characters are fully exploited here and Nicholas Meyer even takes advantage of Spock's rebirth as humor. The laughs? Filled with classics like Scotty's "Hello computer" scene or the hospital chase scene, this film perfectly blends urban realities with the world of Star Trek in a similar way to Beverly Hills Cop's blending of action and comedy.

The only thing that flaws this film is Leonard Rosenman's somewhat lackluster score. The film manages to blend (or hide, depending on if you like the score or not) the music enough that you really don't notice it. I still would've preferred James Horner or Jerry Goldsmith, but I'm not complaining.

Hate Star Trek? Watch this film. Even if you hate Star Trek, this will keep you entertained. An excellent film in every sense of the word with great humor abounds. Some people may claim II or VI as the best, but this one's got its share of moments. If you're looking for great humor and a decent story (ok, it's corny... "save the whales", so what?), this one's for you.

classic star trek, with a twist
Another classic trek movie, this one from 1986, is awesome, and the most shocking thing about it is that it doesn't even take place in space, save for about 15 minutes! Instead it takes place in 1986, where the crew members go back in time to capture two whales to stop the destructive calls of an intergalactic whale species trying to contact the long-extinct whales. The whole plot sounds like it would suck beyond belief, but it comes close to being the best trek movie, and is one of my faves ever.

The awesomeness of the movie, unlike the rest of the series, comes not from suspense and action scenes, but the hilarious and often touching culture shock the crew faces in mid-80's San Fransisco. There is so much to laugh at: the crew earnestly walking along the SanFran streets, Sulu in his cape, Kirk in his red StarFleet uniform, and unforgettably, Spock in his monk robe with the belt tied around the tops of his pointy ears, making him look like an angry ninja master with a botched Botox job. Also hilarious is McCoy's disgust at how rudimentary 20th Century medical practices are/were. In a scene inside a hospital, he asks a woman what ails her, she responds she has kidney dialysis, and he's like, "What is this, the dark ages?! Swallow this, and call me if you have any problems." Several scenes later she is wheeled out claiming a miracle.

There is much more in the movie I won't spoil for you (or more like I'm too f*#&ing lazy to write any more), so turn the PC off and rent this great flick, also it's been on AMC recently, so try that too.

I agree with everybody.
I read a lot of these Amazon reviews on Star Trek IV, and oddly enough I can agree with almost all of them -- the 5 star as well as the 1 star.
I agree with the 5 star reviewers that this probably is the best Trek movie, that a lot of the humor is good, that the movie captures much of what was loved about the original series.
But I also agree with some of the 1 star reviews that the humor may be overdone and may wear thin on repeated viewings, that Catherine Hicks' character is overemphasized, that the environmental message is heavy-handed, that the aliens at Kirk's trial look ridiculous, etc.
But ultimately the question is this: If I stumble on this movie while channel-surfing, will I stop and watch it? Will I laugh, or at least smile, at the designated humorous moments? Answer to both questions: Yes. On balance, it remains an entertaining flick.

The Enterprise crew in the 1980's=AWSOME ADVENTURE!
O.K., first my one complaint-The plot where a mysterious, massive, invincible alien force that threatens the Earth was already done before. (Remember the first Star Trek film?) Otherwise, this is a wonderful addition to the Star Trek legacy. Just about everyone already knows the story, where the crew of the now destroyed Enterprise must pilot a captured Klingon Bird Of Prey back in time to the present day (well, 1986 WAS the present day when this came out,) to bring back some humpback whales. It seems to be a toss-up between which is the best Star Trek movie-this one, or part II. The second film, where Kirk and Khan have their last battle, has the most action, but this one has the most comedy, so they both have their strengths. Unless you absolutly hate Star Trek, check this one out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Adapted from Daniel Keyes's novel Flowers for Algernon, Charly must be viewedas a soap opera of and for its zeitgeist--the halcyon '60s, when "natural" wasnirvana, the air hummed with the mantra "Everybody's beautiful," and all illsstemmed from institutional monoliths such as Science, Government, Education,Religion. Accordingly, Charly (Cliff Robertson) is a 30-year-old retardate whosedoofussweetness makes him superior to most able-minded folk, whether they're thebigoted dolts he sweeps floors for or the ambitious scientists who see him asthe human equivalent of Algernon, a mouse they've surgically (butimpermanently) smartened up. Naturally, post-op Charly, sporting a geniusIQ, "sees things as they are." Trotted out as the neurosurgeons' posterboy, he stands up to the "learned" audience--shot as faceless, inhumaninterrogators. He's every '60s flower child, berating his "elders" forblighting their brave new world.

The one gift Charly gets out of becoming Brainiac is sex. In a lengthymontage resembling a retro TV commercial, he and his special-ed teacher(Claire Bloom, madonna with eternal Mona Lisa smile) romp through an Edenicoutdoors, their embraces hallowed by sunlight glinting through leaves,moonlight glinting on water, and sappy Ravi Shankar music. (Stylisticclichés also include embarrassing outbreaks of split screens and multiplesmall screens within the frame, notably when rebellious Charly turns biker.) Robertson's performance is well-meaning but hokey. Still, in thepenultimate moments when Charly begins to slide back into retardation, theactor achieves a genuine tragic gravity, and he became a surpriseOscar winner for his pains. --Kathleen Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Unintentionally comedic.
"Charly" is unfairly dramatized. Now, I undestand that the original is subtle and challenging stuff to film, but excuses do not make a good movie. When I go to see a film version of Keyes' masterpiece "Flowers for Algernon," I'm not really expecting a ludicrous romance armed with several barbs directed at intellectualism and pop-culture.

"Flowers for Algernon" was about a mentally challenged man's exponential mental development after a surgical procedure, followed by his tragic decline. "Charly" is about a mentally challenged man's transformation into a suit-and-tie kinda guy, at which point his libido awakens and he strikes up an absurd relationship with his tutor. Then we get a minute's worth of footage of Charly growing forgetful and irritable, and then - bam! - he is again frolicking around with an IQ of 68, happy as a clam. Not only does this film provide us with a happy ending - it's the WRONG happy ending: read the book and you'll find a much better one at the end.

Of course, "Charly" isn't entirely bad. It just seems that way. Cliff Robertson's outstanding performance as the title character buoys the score a little. It also allow him to keep a straight face during an unintentionally comical scene in which a panel of scientists ask him existential questions and he gives snappy answers ("Standard of living?" "A TV in every room." "Education?" "A TV IN EVERY ROOM!") The scenes in which Charly goes through biker and disco dancer phases are also hilarious.

Seriously, though, the entire film creates an impression of wrongness and inappropriacy. Charly acts in realistic, sufficiently childlike ways, but the viewer never gains insight into his inner workings. The film is a character study narrated by minor and totally undeveloped characters. "Charly" also suffers from exceptional heavy-handedness. The scene is which Charly gropes Ms. Kinnian and she scrambles away from him, screaming "who could want you, you stupid moron!?" is a prime example. Another is his relationship with his co-workers. In the book they just joked about him. Here, they are genuinely malicious.

People who've read the literary work before seeing the film based on it are usually biased against the film. I am definitely a part of that crowd, so your opinion may be vastly different from mine. Nonethelss, the writer and director should have taken a hint when they had to resort to soap-opera contrivances to interest the viewer.

Robertson rivals dustin hoffmans performance in Rain Man
This movie is emotionally moving, stimulating, and thought prevoking. Share the joys and sadness of a handicapped man's journey from limited intelligence to genius status, then revert to his earlier levels. Share his joy and experiences of learning, loving, seeing hearing and touching. Share the sadness of his intellectual decline, and the gap his departure leaves for those touched by him.

A devestating performance by Robertson, servely underated by the critics.

Charly is a great Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a great movie even thought it didn't follow the book that good. I think that Cliff Robertson did a very good job at it, but it was funny when Charlie fell in love Mrs. Kinnian because he kinda attacked her. The motor cycle part wasn't in the book and Dr. Strauss wasn't a man in the Movie but Dr. Strauss was a man in the book. Whoever said that the movie was awful stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I recommend that people of all ages should read the book and watch the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charly is worth the money
This movie was based on the book called 'Flowers for Algernon'. You can look at the synopsis above, and that will save me from boring you with the details.

I will say this: I thought that the split screens were wonderful. Yes, the way that the period that was supposed to be Charly's adolescence and young adult phase was portrayed *was* a bit hokey, but what does one expect when viewing a movie made so long ago? It is a bit campy, but no matter. Personally, I thought that the split screen presentation of that period was refreshing after the 80's and 90's choreography I'd seen(I saw Charly first in '95).

I am not a typical female that gets all sappy during all 'chick flix', and I enjoy many movies that are considered 'guy films' (Quentin Tarantino, anyone?).

It could be said that the sixties were a more innocent time, or it could be said that these folk (both the author of 'Flowers for Algernon' and the makers of 'Charly') had little *truly significant* experience in personal relationships (i.e. close friendships) with retarded people. Whichever you choose, it goes without saying for those of us who do not lack such experience-that retarded people mature sexually, just as the rest of us do. It may take them a little while longer, but it is very probable that Charly would have had knowledge of at least one woman by the time he was 30 years old.

Aside from that, the film-in my opinion-is a wonderful story of a fragile, yet moral and responsible human being. Perhaps not as good as the book, but movies seldom are.

Charly was a disappointment to many when held up to the book, but by itself it's beautiful. Worth a rent, if not a buy, but I am going to buy it regardless.

If you are capable of forgiving the differences between the film and stage versions of 'The Killing of Sister George', you are capable of loving this movie to the point of making your friends nauseous. Give it a look.

A Great Movie
This movie is great. I have read the book and watched the movie and I loved them. They are both touching and sad at times.... any who it is great ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Three episodes from near the end of "I Dream of Jeannie"
The three episodes collected on "Jeannie's Seeing Stars" come from late in the run of the classic television sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie." By this point Jeannie (Barbara Eden) is married to her master, Major Anthony Nelson (Larry Hagman), with best friend Major Roger Healy (Bill Daily) still in on the secret, which is more than can be said for Dr. Alfred Bellows (Hayden Rorke). None of these episodes would really be considered classics, but they are all certainly representative of the show:

"The Biggest Star in Hollywood" (Episode #106) finds Tony heading for Hollywood, so Jeannie prepares a goodbye that shows up in a mirror. The producers of "Laugh-In" are impressed by the trick and just have to have her on the show. Seeing yet another opportunity to become rich and famous, Roger becomes the manager for the Princess Armena, and promises to have her on the show. "Laugh-In" regulars Arte Johnson, Judy Carne, and Gary Owens appear in this average outing.

"Help, Help, a Shark" (Episode #134) features Jim Backus as General Fitzhugh, the longtime rival of General Schaeffer (Vinton Hayworth), who are competing for a spot in the All-Military Pool Championships. When Tony ruins Schaeffer's big game his only chance to avoid being sent to the North Pole is to play Fitzhugh in a rematch. The good news is that with Jeannie on his side, Tony is sure to win. The bad news is that Fitzhugh refuses to play with a woman in the room. Of course a large part of the pleasure here is the guest appearance by Thurston Howell III himself, which makes this the best episode of this particular trio.

"My Master the Chili King" (Episode #139) has Arvel (Gabriel Dell), who is Tony's cousin (twice removed) showing up and convincing Jeannie to invest $1,000 in his great recipe for Texas chili. She buys his story that Tony has agreed to endorse the product and promptly blinks up cans with his picture on them and gets them on the shelves in every grocery store in the area. The only problem is that NASA does not let its astronauts endorse products. A solid outing as far as such things go, the episode also has Dick Van Patten as the clerk at the market.

As is usually the case, the big surprise is noting how good of a comic actor Larry Hagman was on this show, before he made his mark as J.R. Ewing on "Dallas." Just watch how many times he gets to do an over the top reaction to Jeannie's antics in "Help, Help, a Shark." Just do not look for Barbara Eden's navel, because although it did get seen a couple of times, these are not those episodes.

The Best TV Sitcom From The 60's
I love I Dream Of Jeannie.I watch I Dream Of Jeannie on TVLand.I like this first episode in Black & White is when Major Anthony Nelson found Jeannie on the beach.I like it when Jeannie turns into pink smoke to get into her bottle & to get out of her bottle.And also like it when Jeannie blink herself to make herself disappear.Barbara Eden did a good job playing both Jeannie & her sister.And Larry Hagman did a good job playing Major Anthony Nelson.

I Dream of I Dream Of Jeannie on Complete Season DVD Boxsets
I really like this! I Dream of Jeannie first appeared on TV the year that I was born and I'm not sure how many seasons this charming, funny classic had but I do remember watching the show when it went into syndicated reruns when I was a little girl and really enjoying it. Barbara Eden was really charming as the pretty and sweet but mischievous and fun loving Jeannie and a young Larry Hagman was really great too, he was handsome and funny as astronaut Anthony Nelson who rescued Jeannie from her bottle. Also good in this show are Bill Daley as Anthony's best-friend and fellow astronaut Roger Healey and the guy who played Doctor Bellows. (Sorry I can't think of his name right now but I think his first name was Hayden). I would love to see I Dream of Jeannie put on DVD in complete season boxsets!

Jeannie does it again!
In these episodes, Jeannie charms not only the viewers,but famous actors from the 60's,including stars from the hit shows, "Laugh-In"& ""Gilligan's Island." This is truly some of my favorite episodes! A must see! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You are invited to the wedding of Jeannie and Tony Nelson
If you do not know what episode you get with "I Dream of Jeannie: Jeannie Ties the Knot," then you must have given up on this classic Sixties sitcom before it went from black & white to color. The show debuted on September 18, 1965 when astronaut Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman) first landed his space capsule on a desert island and game across a bottle containing a 2,000-year-old genie named Jeannie (Barbara Eden). She promptly proclaimed him to be her master and went to work serving him faithfully and making his life a mess. Of course Jeannie was in love with Tony and while their relationship was platonic for the first couple of seasons, during which she sabotaged his dates, eventually they confessed their love for each other and on December 1, 1969, the two tied the knot in the two consecutive episodes collected on this videotape.

Episode #124 "The Wedding" starts with Jeannie so busy daydreaming about her wedding that she almost misses the real one. Meanwhile, Tony has his own problem. As a famous astronaut his wedding is news which means photographers will be taking pictures and it seems genies do not show up on film (although strangely enough the show has been preserved on videotape for us to view today). The big surprise, beyond the appearance of Tony's parents, is that this really is a rather touching little wedding and Jeannie's wedding gown is very nice. If you are a romantic this one might get to you, even if you are not a fan of the show. For fans of the show, this one has to be a keeper.

Episode #125, "My Sister the Home Wrecker" finds the honeymoon might be over quicker than anyone things because Jeannie's sister Jeannie (Barbara Eden in a dark wig) is in town to break up the happily married couple. Jeannie (dark hair) pretends to be Jeannie (blonde hair) and makes a move on Tony's fellow astronaut, the debonair Biff Jellico (Michael Ansara). This has Roger Healy (Bill Daily), Dr. Bellows (Hayden Rorke), and Amanda Bellows (Emmaline Henry) all in shock at Jeannie's public displays. But the great twist here is that Biff falls for Jeannie (dark hair) and comes clean to Tony. Television fans will also be pointing their fingers at Roger's girlfriend Cindy, who is played by Farrah Fawcett. So in addition to the wedding episode, "Jeannie Ties the Knot" has one of the better double Jeannie episodes making it one of the better vidoes available in the limited collection of "I Dream of Jeannie" tapes.

Here comes the bride!
Jeannie finally lands her master in this classic comedy!

'The Wedding' does not go smoothly as Jeannie cannot be photographed (she IS a genie, after all!) Anthony is not very impressed and nor is Bellows and his wife Amanda (Emmaline Henry).

'My Sister The Homewrecker' has Jeannie's evil twin try to break up the marriage, and she has a few crafty tricks up her sleeve!

It was the perfect end and beginning for a brilliant show .
I love this episode of Jeannie . It has been seen by millions of people around the world . I think that Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman did a great job of portraying their characters and making them seem real . . . ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Interesting movie with pretty cool effects
I found this one on Sci-fi one afternoon and it was intriguing enough to go through three different video stores to find it. Drew Barrymore does a pretty good job and the storyline, although kind of weird, can keep you enthralled until the end. Definitely a good buy at this price. My first online name was Doppelganger; That oughta show you how much I liked it :)!

An overall interesting movie
Drew delivers a very good, believable performance. Throughout the movie, she keeps us in suspense, wondering whether the doppelganger truly exists or she is suffering from MPD (multiple personality disorder). Her supporting cast members also perform well but she definitely stands above them. The movie is not an award-winner by any means but the acting is good and the story, which is very well written, covers a subject that is refreshingly different...there are not many movies out there on the supernatural element of doppelgangers.
Unfortunately, this movie has been overlooked by many. If you like suspense/horror movies, give this a try...you'll be pleasantly surprised.

DREW REALLY LOOKS LIKE HER MOM. 16th april 2004.
Drew barrymore plays holly gooding, she kills her mum at the very begginning [Her also real mum]. Holly has a double. A man dresses up exactly like her to get people to realise who she is killing when actually he is doing it. He tells her to murderer her mother. She is an evil within. Toward the end, her brother is killed and him dressed up is like her and people think she as done it. She as been made like she is because of him who is telling what to do. She knows that the murderer is back. At the end it shows her turning into blood, skeleton abit discusting. 2 skeletons of her 2 sides of her. One kills the murderer and never kills the man who is good. ACE,GORE AND TERRIFYING. My mum liked this film too i never thought so a bit rude in parts 18 rated.

doppelganger
its really a very nice movie and i want a sneak preview of it

Super-awful
It gets two stars for the unintentional comedy. Other than that, it's one of the worst of the ultra-cheesy, predictable, low-budget horror movies from the early nineties. The FX are funny at first, but then they just go on and on and on and the sucking takes over from the comedy. The acting is uniformly terrible, and one has to image that the typically enjoyable Barrymore is just glad to have this ridiculous part of her career well behind her. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

So Powerful, So Wonderful
I was warned before watching this movie that it would not be one of those 'sit in front of the television with a bowl of popcorn' movies. For half of the movie, I just sat there, my eyes glued to the screen, watching Diane Keaton in a simply wonderful and dramatic role.

Anna Dunlap (Keaton) is a newly divorced woman with an adorable six year old daughter. They have a wonderful relationship, and it is very evident when you sit down and watch them together. Enter Liam Neeson. He starts out as a person with whom you would not want to get to know, but after a few minutes, he reveals that he's just in a bad mood and he is actually quite nice. When he first meets Molly (the very adorable Asia Vieira), she is very shy towards him, but she learns to like him and you can see that there is a bond between them. When something happens (I don't want to say what), and Molly's father wants full-time custody of her, the movie becomes a full-blown drama. It is, I admit, hard to watch some of the courtroom scenes, but they are so powerful and they draw you into the story. In a way, I saw the end result coming, but not exactly like it did. It definitely showed finality in the family.

Keaton's performace, like I said above, was incredibly powerful and she does a wonderful job portraying Molly's mother. The main reason I bought this movie was because of Diane Keaton, since she is my favorite actress and this movie shows her in her best dramatic role, in my opinion. If only it had received higher reviews when it came out. But I go by what looks good to me, and to me, this looked good, mainly because of the cast and the story.

Simply a must-see
Being a tremendous fan of Diane Keaton's work, I rented this movie (I'm still... that this movie isn't sold anywhere), and it immediately rated as one of my top-ten favorite Keaton videos. It honestly is an enigma that this movie didn't get enough praise it deserves. Most of the scenes are incredibly sweet, warm, and intimate. That's what makes this movie so great. When Keaton's character, Anna, meets Liam Neeson's character, Leo, there's a unmistakable bond forming. I especially love the scene when Anna goes to Leo's apartment and Leo and Anna becomes one, dancing in front of Leo's sculpture, making shadows on the wall from the light shining on them from behind. This is an esoteric concept of first love. I really thought it was so sweet when Anna confessed to Leo that she thought she wasn't very good at sex, and he gently assures her that they can fix that. There's no judgment in that scene;it's obvious that Leo really loves Anna, and their love is vivid. Another favorite scene is when Anna and her daughter, Molly, are in the bathtub with Leo reading to them. This is truly intimate, and I just love the fact that they were so open-minded about being naked in front of Molly. There's just so much tenderness and love. It was, to me, beautiful. And yet another favorite scene is when Molly has a bad dream and goes into Anna's room while she and Leo are making love, and they comfort her until she falls asleep.There's another display of intimacy, about caring and love. The three of them together was absolutely wonderful. That is why I found it incredibly appalling that Anna's ex-husband, Brian, goes to court for something that happened between Molly and Leo that had absoluely no intention of happening. (I won't ruin the ending for you). But I found the ending truly sad and final. A soon-to-be family are wrenched apart by an innocent mistake. I felt bad, because I knew they could have had a wonderful life together. I also felt bad for Anna and Leo. I could really see their love shown for each other. They were so comfortable together; their feelings for each other were vivid and beautiful. This is a movie of non-judgment and unconditional love, and that's what makes it so special. I honestly don't understand why this movie was considered a failure. Keaton is at her best in this movie, and Neeson is simply wonderful. I consider myself as an efficient movie critic, and I know which movies are bad or good. This movie is a MUST-SEE!!! I acclaim Keaton especially for her wonderful work in this movie. 'The Good Mother' is proof that Keaton is one of the world's most rare and special actresses. If you're not suffering from brain deterioration, immediately rent this movie! You won't regret it.

tenderness
I saw this movie 2 years ago on TV and I was deeply moved by it. I'm looking everywhere to find this movie on video but I haven't found it yet. I also read the book, before I saw the film and I think it's the first time that I like more the film than the book of a same story. I must confess that since this film I became a fan of Liam Neeson. It's a film that sensitive people must see. The scene before the mirror has remained with me all along.

The Good Mother - A GREAT FILM ! Don't miss this one!
Am I glad I bought this video while it was available! I rented it on the strength of the unparalleled Diane Keaton's participation, and found it one of the most moving films I've experienced. It's surprising this movie hasn't received meaningful press, at time of issue or since. Keaton is at her usual gorgeous, inspired best as Anna, a suppressed free-spirit. A divorced anywoman, she is the unquestionably devoted, responsible mother to 6-year old Molly, played to completely natural, adorable perfection by young Asia Vieira. Molly is equally crazy about her mom - their bond is deep and true. Welcome Liam Neeson (I fell in love instantly) as Leo, a charming Irish sculptor, as the first real and passionate love relationship in Anna's life; the two become serious quickly, and life is wonderful. Anna's ex-husband Brian, having moved on in his own life with another woman, reacts the only way he knows how to a controversial "mistake" Leo makes while caring for Molly one day while Anna is at work. Brian sues for custody, and the situation evolves dramatically from there (don't want to give it away).

This is a heart-wrenching, unforgettable story which unleashes a wide range of powerful emotions thanks to totally believable performances by the entire cast under Leonard Nimoy's superb direction: Ralph Bellamy as Anna's grandfather, Teresa Wright as her grandmother, Katey Sagal as friend Ursula, and Jason Robards as her attorney. Leo's mistake and the ensuing results evoke thought-provoking debate. Highly recommended!

interesting and moving
this movie was very interesting. the end is kinda sad and you don't expect it, but still is very good. i'd recommend this movie to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Fun from start to finish
Freaky Friday is a hilarious film. It is filled with funny, quotable dialogue. The script is great, and what makes it all come together are the performances by it's stars. Jodie Foster is very good and entertaining as Annabel. Barbara Harris as Mrs. Andrews is so wonderful she steals the show. Her transformation into her teenage daughter trying to be a wife and mother is a blast. Barbara Harris has a wacky, rebelliousness that comes though in her performance. It's perfect. Her scenes with Boris (Annabel's teenage crush who lives across the street) and her son Ben, are especially funny.

The young Sparky Marcus as little Ben Andrews is adorable. His scene of confiding in his "mother" about his true feelings for sister Annabel is very touching. Marc McClure as Boris Harris (who makes a cameo appearance in 2003's Freaky Friday as Boris making a delivery) is great in his role as the allergy-prone object of Annabel's affections. Another standout character is Mrs. Schmauss the cleaning lady. Her interactions with "Mrs. Andrews" are side splitting.

The title song, "I'd Like To Be You For A Day", is really beautiful and compliments the sentiment in the film. Freaky Friday is a feel good film with a message that is obvious, but also has a subtle message throughout that reminds us not to take life too seriously. It seems to say "Enjoy the people you love, appreciate their individuality and struggles, and most of all, allow yourself to have fun on this crazy journey."

Original 1977 FREAKY FRIDAY Is The Best!
For a guy who likes Ingmar Bergman and other indy, artsy films, I guess it seems weird that I bought the DVD of the original FREAKY FRIDAY the minute it hit amazon. But, this film was made in the good old days of Disney, before they lost focus of their business and started behaving like most other monster corporations. This story has had at least 3 lives: the 2003 version (enjoyable), the 90's TV version (I never saw that one), and the one at hand. The original 1977 release gives us the unique pleasure of seeing two wonderful performers, Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, going through their paces in this mother-daughter-switch tale. Barbara Harris is one of the great performers who never quite made the level of fame she deserved. Whether in her Broadway turns in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and THE APPLE TREE, to several good films, she had an amazing ability to be vulnerable in one moment and seamlessly turn into a glamourous, gutsy bombshell in the next. And her voice! This film and, perhaps, Hitchcock's FAMILY PLOT are nice samplings of her skill. Add in the very young Jodie Foster and you can't lose. (The DVD has a nice on-screen commentary by Foster, which proves how spontaneously articulate she is. Too bad they didn't get Harris to discuss her part.) As an added benefit, the screenplay is by source book author, Mary Rodgers (Richard Rodgers' daughter and author-composer in her own right). For those who like THE GILMORE GIRLS, which is a tremendous and enjoyable example of an almost-impossibly-idealistic relationship between a mother and her daughter, this film will be a nice reality check. Here the mother and daughter can't relate to each other at all until they go through the fiery baptism of spending a day in each other's body. Ultimately, this film provides us with 90-plus minutes of enjoyment and humor in the hands of the very talented cast.

Extremly Funny!!!!!!!!
I like this one MUCH better than the remake! Although the remake was still good. It is MUCH closer to the book. It was also more funny and I thought that Jodie Foster did an excellent job as Annabel! MUCH better than Lindsey Lohan. I also thought that Barbara Harris did a great job as Ellen. The Remake is not close to the book at all. After you see the orginal one, you'll probaly think that the remake isn't as good!

The best nothing beats a classic!
I grew up with this movie. I think I saw it for the first time on the wonderful world of Disney. Either that or Mom got it for me at the library & even she likes it.
Jodi foster is both brilliant & lovable! She's believable and as the child her issues where at least believable & somebody I could sypathise with. As an adult in a childs body well hillarious! By the way Ben or Ape Face really showed talent. What happened to that kid? He was cute & delivered a preformance of giant perportion that added dynamic to both mother and daughter. Plus that ball game scene & his love & envy of his big sister. The kid had a real talent for delivering dialog, yet also proved though he first apears a little geek that he had a real little boys spirit.
The jokes where clean & in good taste. Yet timeless & funny. Nothing beats a great chase scene & that car chase was both exciting and funny.
I seached long & hard for a copy of the vhs but it'd been vaulted. just when I bought it used My VCR broke & I got a DVD player for my birthday. A week later the DVD came out. Purchase of that DVD is one of the first things I'll do with my next paycheck. It will be money well spent on a classic disney movie I could watch again & again.

Thank you, Disney
At last, Disney DVD presents a fine, widescreen print of one of its '70's classics with an accompanying twenty-minute recollection by Jodie Foster of her formative years on the Disney lot. Although this DVD of the original "Freaky Friday" is not a special edition, it is exactly the kind of product we Disney fans and DVD purists have been begging for. Hopefully, good sales will lead to new widescreen releases of previously botched fullscreen DVDs of "Follow Me, Boys," "Son of Flubber," "The Gnome Mobile" and "Blackbeard's Ghost," among others.

One of the first of the popular body-switching genre, 1977's "Freaky Friday" is a fast-paced, perceptive comedy about a typical mother-and-daughter relationship and how the two react when they literally switch personalities for a day, with Foster's Annabel trapped in her mother's body, and Barbara Harris' Ellen going to junior high as Annabel. The complications are obvious but nonetheless funny and engaging, with Harris proving herself a skilled physical comedienne while skateboarding, playing baseball, and suffering through numerous pratfalls and humiliations. My only problem with Harris' performance is she seems to be playing Annabel too young--perhaps as a nine-year-old instead of a bright thirteen-year-old, so she's never entirely believable in the role. (Jamie Lee Curtis, on the other hand, nails the teenager-in-a-grownup-body role in the remake.) Foster, on the other hand, is just about perfect in her characterization of daughter/mother Annabel. Even in 1977 it was easy to see this phenomenal young talent was destined for great things as an actress. Indeed, "Freaky Friday" was part of an incredible string of top-notch performances Foster gave from 1973-1977 ("Tom Sawyer," "Echoes of a Summer," "Bugsy Malone," "Taxi Driver," "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" and "Candleshoe") that turned her into one of the finest (if not THE finest) child actresses of all time.

Rounding out the cast is a fine group of veteran actors: John Astin as Bill Andrews, Annabel's confused father; Patsy Kelly as the family's grumpy and unlikeable housekeeper; Dick Van Patten as Bill's boss; and Ruth Buzzi, in a funny cameo as a field hockey coach (her strategy: "Get Annabel Andrews and get her good!") Gary Nelson's direction is crisp, and the script by novelist Mary Rodgers perceptive for the time, although she was forced to change the plot somewhat to include that tired Disney '70's staple: a protracted slapstick car chase involving Ellen/Annabel outracing several police cars without facing any consequences whatsoever. Like most Disney films of the era, the production values are stellar and the film is colorful and reminiscent of a live-action cartoon. Even the opening cartoon-credit sequence is engaging.

Yes, there are some creepy sexual subtexts here (which Foster amusingly comments on in the documentary) involving Bill and neighbor-teen Boris (Marc McClure) both coming onto Ellen/Annabel, but they will go right over younger kids' heads and older kids will be as amused by it as their parents. Regardless, this is perfect family entertainment and will make a fine double-feature with the 2003 remake, which is equally good with its own merits. (I prefer Jamie Lee Curtis over Harris, and Foster over Lohan and think the remake is more successful in dealing with the sexual subtexts; i.e., the makers wisely scuttle the father's role and make Curtis a widow with a fiance played by Mark Harmon, which was the smartest of many changes made in the plot.)

So, once again, thank you, Disney, for a fine DVD of one of your best '70's films. Please, please, please follow this one up with more widescreen releases. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

ideal for study of the feminine mystique
The first five minutes alone of this movie provide fodder for discussion of historical attitudes toward women. Hope Lang arrives at an office building clutching a job listing for a secretary with the heading above "Help Wanted--Female". She discovers that all the women in the office are engaged, and the office supervisor herself is only working to save up for her wedding dress. Joan Crawford plays a bitter spinster who has chosen a career over marriage and now is having an unhappy affair with a married man, and taking out her resentment of her situation on the secretaries who work for her. Lang's roommates are coworkers who are also seeking love and aspire to little else, as their fates in the film reveal. The rest of the film is filled with male characters who regularly lecture women on the perils of careers, as well as the women's shortcomings as women. One editor at the office pinches and generally preys on all the young secretaries (we don't find out he's married until an offhand remark in the last reel), and the women's reaction to this then accepted form of sexual harassment is to laugh it off or put up with it as a normal working hazard. I recommend the film for anyone who wants to see the feminine mystique of the 1950s and 60s firsthand.

TRULY The Best of Everything!
This is one of the best soap-opera-type films in history. It brings us back to a time when women went on job interviews wearing little hats and white gloves--before the Equal Rights Ammendment and sexual harrassment lawsuits in the workplace.

The cast is phenomenal: Joan Crawford as the bitter career executive who missed out on a personal life; Stephen Boyd as the jaded, cynical, alcoholic editor geared to the "younger generation"; Robert Evans (in one of his few serious screen roles) as the sociopathic, rich playboy--and many others, all perfectly cast.

This is a fabulous movie about corporate 1950s New York City and one you'll want to watch over and over.

See Vanity Fair Magazine, March, 2004
All of the reviews submitted here really explore the main points of this excellent film. For a behind-the-scenes article on the making of the film, plus lots of juicy tidbits of life on the (freezing) set with Joan, you must read this article. Some interesting bits: As depicted in the book, there were originally five girls and their boyfriends. But when the film previewed before test audiences, many people did not care for two of the girls. So, most of their footage ended up on the cutting room floor. The bosses at Twentieth Century Fox knew Joan wouldn't accept a co-starring role, but producer, Jerry Wald, worked on her vanity and she agreed. But then... Lots of photos and a very well-written article. It begins on page 402.

The Best of Everything
Most of you hit the nail on the head with your reviews. It is a wonderful movie about "those" days back then. For those of you who thought otherwise, keep it in perspective. They don't make movies like this anymore. Too bad. My goodness, when I was in high school, I read the book and daydreamed constantly about what it would be like to work in the "big city". I wanted to be Caroline Bender (I guess I didn't know any better in 1959). The scenery, the clothing, the cars (that's what grabbed my brother-in-law) was (is) wonderful. I have read and re-read the book zillions of times, bought the VHS and can't wait for the DVD to come out (if it every does). The only part of the movie that I was disappointed in was the part that Martha Hyer had. In the book, there was much more of her character and "Sidney" and we got to know her better.

Subservient? Joan Crawford????
Okay, yes - women, both in and out of the workplace, were treated quite differently in 1959. But I hardly think anyone could categorize Amanda Farrow (Joan's character) as subservient. In fact, Amanda is pretty much a direct clone of the large-and-in-charge Joan who told the Pepsico board members "Don't f--k with me, fellas!" right around the time this film was shot.
This is a great period piece to watch today. I love the IBM blue that is omnipresent in the offices, the primitive electric typewriters, the office gossip, the "girls" with curlers in their hair, the look of NYC at that time - and let's not even start on the women's clothes (one word - gloves)!!
If only to honor the very recent passing of the ultra-glamorous Suzy Parker, this film needs to be released on DVD without delay!
Oh, just one other little thing - another reviewer claims that Shirley Jones has a small part in this picture. Sorry, but tain't so, kids. I can only think the reviewer has mistaken Martha Hyer, who plays Mrs. Lamont, for Ms. Jones (they do have a lot in common physically). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

i lived this
me and my friends started our own back yard wrestling event that included rock bands playing while we wrestled and we had 6 bands and a 5-6 hour show of hardcore + slap stick matches. we did all this with out even hearin about this film. we even called our eventt "Rock & Wrestling" it was a huge smash in our home town of iola and suronding area of bryan college staion tx

Best movie of the 80's
Non-stop action! Great casting! Wrestling fans everywhere will love this movie. WWF fans will like this as Roddy Piper puts in a great performance with the Tonga Kid. Even fans of the A-team will appreciate seeing Dirk Benedict again. Charles Nelson Reilly and Capt. Lou Albano are also very funny in this great comedy.

A guilty pleasure at best
"Body Slam" was released in 1987, and starred Dirk Benedict ("The A-Team", "Battlestar Galactica") and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper ("They Live".)

Back in the 80's when I was a HUGE wrestling fan, I stumbled across this movie and rented it in a second (me as a teen: "A movie ABOUT wrestling? I'm so gonna watch that!")

Benedict plays a down on his luck manager who, desperatly looking for a way back into the limelight, takes on a pro wrestler (Piper) as his new charge, but fails to realize how cut throat the business is.

Ok sure, "Body Slam" is no landmark cinematic achievement, but certainly it qualifies as a guilty pleasure. For an former (or current) wrestling fans, the film features quite a few appearances by some legends, including Bruno Sammartino, Capt. Lou Albano and Ric Flair.

I don't believe the film got a theatrical release (it just looks direct-to-video) and for years, I had no idea which studio owned the rights. Well, it was broadcast on Encore today and wouldn't ya know it, the MGM logo appeared at the end, so I think it's safe to assume it's an MGM title.

So if anyone from MGM ever reads this, maybe you guys can find a slot in 2004's schedule for a "Body Slam" DVD. Widescreen please!

If anyone would like to write MGM and ask for a release, here's their address;

MGM Home Entertainment2500 BroadwaySanta Monica, CA 90404-3061 ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Lesser Known Monroe Film Worth A Look
Robert Mitchum plays a practical, no-nonsense farmer recently reunited with his young son, Tommy Rettig. They rescue a young couple (Marilyn Monroe and Rory Calhoun) going on a raft down a river by their homestead, and that's where the trouble begins. Calhoun is out to make a gold claim, and he'll do anything, including stealing Mitchum's horse and gun, leaving Mitchum, Rettig, and even Monroe behind to face the Indians without any defence. So they must take to the raft to survive, and that's where the adventure begins. I liked this film a lot. Mitchum is his usual laconinc self, but it works really well with this character. Monroe gets to act in this film, and she does so very well, playing a saloon singer that wants to defend her man, despite what he has done to all of them. Young Rettig is good too, not cloying and irritating like so many child actors can be. The scenery is beautiful, the title song very effective, and although the direction of Otto Preminger isn't very fluid and sometimes the movie lumbers from one scene to another, the performances and relationships among the characters make up for it. Viewers will enjoy the trip down the River of No Return.

Marilyn Monroe and the Canadian Rockies!
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While this is certainly far from Marilyn Monroe's best performance, it is nonetheless an interesting film to watch.

Amazingly, the somewhat artificial beauty of Marilyn Monroe shown floating on a raft down the "river of no return" with a backdrop of the Canadian Rockies can capture one's imagination and make you forget what a truly awful film this is.

Marilyn steals your attention in every scene, and the sheer beauty of her presence more than makes up for the ridiculousness of the plot.

MM sings a couple of numbers in her dance-hall girl phase of the film, most notably, "I'm Gonna File My Claim", about a gold-digger during the gold rush days.

Any Marilyn fan would have to see this movie just for Marilyn's sake. Anyone else can probably skip it.

MMMmmmarvelous Marilyn!

Sometimes it's peaceful, sometimes wild and free
Marilyn Monroe described this movie as a grade-Z cowboy movie where the acting finished third to the scenery and Cinemascope. Okay, the Canadian Rockies and the rapids were utilized to its best for 1950's film-making, and MM's second film in Cinemascope must have made quite an impression in the theatres for the new aspect ratio.

It's 1875 in the wild Northwest. Matt Calder is reunited with his young son Mark in a saloon town and rather than go the usual route of prospecting, start a new life on a farm bordering the River of No Return. Their life is instantly disrupted by two events. One, gambler Harry Weston, who's one a gold claim under dubious circumstances, is eager to file the claim in Council City to prevent the loser from beating him to it. To that end, he steals Calder's horse and rifle, a capital offense in the codes of the West. Second, a group of Native Americans on the warpath descend on the farm. Both Calders and Kay, Weston's moll who stays behind to look after the injured Calder and his son, flee in time in the raft Weston and Kay arrived in.

From then on, it's a struggle to survive the rapids without any weapons, food, and constantly being drenched by that river whenever it's "wild and free." As Calder tells Kay, "The Indians call this the River of No Return. From here on, you'll find out why." He is so dead set on getting his hands on Weston, he'll risk anything, all the time looking after his two charges.

Conflicts arrive in many forms, the primary two are Kay's torn loyalties between Harry and Matt. She doesn't want Matt to kill Harry once the two meet up, and performs acts that range from desperate to being a seductive vamp, yet she realizes in their travails that he is thoughtful and unselfish, as demonstrated in the scene where he looks after her following her collapse from exhaustion. The other involves the circumstances where Matt had to leave young Mark in the saloon town for five years, and while it's justified, there is a certain amount of stigma in it.

Marilyn gets to sing four songs here, the acoustic guitar tune "One Silver Dollar" and the piano bar tune "I'm Gonna File My Claim", "Down In The Meadow", and one of the best songs she's ever sung, the title ballad. Her costumes aren't bad either, from the garish red dress she wears for the first song, the long green dress for the second tune, and the white blouse and anachronistic Levi's jeans she wears throughout the film. And this is the longest her hair has been in films, albeit it being a blonde wig, of course.

Despite the costumes, it's not a Western in the traditional sense of the word, but River Of No Return pales to others in the genre it's purported to be because it's more drama than action. Granted, this is not one of Marilyn's best films, nor is it that of Robert Mitchum's, Rory Calhoun's, or director Otto Preminger for that matter. Monroe would have to wait until The Seven Year Itch for her next biggest hit. However, both Mitchum and Monroe come off well despite the latter's dismissal of it.

Some of MARILYN'S best acting!! And MITCHUM's superb!
Marilyn doesn't play a dolly-girl in this film. She plays a very human female who has seen hardships and goes through many in the film, and takes it like a toughened woman. I've never seen her quite like this in any of her other films. I love all of her films, but this is a stand-out and unique. I wouldn't rate it as one of her best films, but she IS super in it. It's a Level 2 Marilyn film, not quite up there with How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, but still pretty darn good!
Robert Mitchum is, as always, superb, and there is a good chemistry between the two. A definite must on DVD for any Marilyn fan. If only somewhat interested get the VHS, but Marilyn fans and Western fans will want the Widescreen DVD.

Revenge and Redemption on a Raging River.
The movie: This is an entertaining movie. Although there are some minor flaws and improbabilities in the script, the film is an exciting blend of action and drama, as Marilyn tries to convince a vengeance-driven Mitchum to spare her boyfriend's life. Marilyn has 4 or 5 songs in the movie, and shows some real talent. This does not detract from the realism of the story, either, because her character plays songs for a living. The ending leaves something to be desired, however, because it never answers a question that the film has set up about Mitchum's character. Still, the movie is fun to watch, and the two leads keep things interesting.

The DVD: This is the perfect DVD to use with a home theater. It has surround sound (the best I've encountered), and a whopping 2.55:1 widescreen transfer. (In case you didn't know, that means that the widescreen picture is 2.55 times wider than it is high.) The film has panoramic shots of some genuinely breathtaking locations. Perhaps the DVD's biggest fault is the way that the restoration inexplicably CUTS OUT whenever there is a fade-out or fade-in! You'll be watching a scene, and then suddenly, without warning, the restoration will blink out, leaving you with a washed-out-looking unrestored image. Then the picture will fade out, and you will see a fade-in on a new unrestored scene. About 1 or 2 seconds after this fade-in, the screen will blink, and the picture will look pretty good again. This is awkward, and interrupts the flow of the movie. I can't believe that the manufacturer is unable to fix those brief segments.

Overall, this is a fun piece of 1950s Americana. "River of No Return" is far better than 90 percent of the new movies being made today, and I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Helena Bonham Carter is amazing in her film debut
As is noted elsewhere, there is some artistic license taken with the actual story of Lady Jane Grey. Most notably, Lady Jane and Guildford Dudley were not in love by any documents of the era, which renders the whole "love story" of this film invalid.

But as a simple period piece I really love this movie, and here's why:
1. Helena Bonham Carter gives a truly astonishing performance in her first movie. This film began a string of "period costume drama" performances for the actress that have since been surplanted with modern roles such as "Fight Club" and "Planet of the Apes". Her language - both spoken and simple gestures - are so expressive and she portrays a young woman who is well educated and full of passion.
2. The central conflict at the end of the film comes in her unwillingness to give up her religious beliefs. She is a protestant and her cousin, Queen Mary, is a staunch Catholic. Mary wants to make up for a lifetime of slights and abuses given to her Mother, Catherine of Aragon, whom Henry VIII divorced when Mary was unable to bear a male heir to Henry. The real Lady Jane was not only a protestant, but carried on correspondence with the great protestant minds of her day including John Calvin. It is not often that any popular form of entertainment is made depicting a person willing to die for their religious beliefs. I am not advocating protestantism, per se, only admiring this film's willingness to demonstrate a strong faith which doesn't involve religious fanaticism.
3. The real Guildford Dudley wasn't the love of Lady Jane, but Cary Elwes' performance here stands up well next to Bonham Carter's superlative one. I suspect this role may have led to his being cast in "The Princess Bride".

Pretty much no extras on this DVD, but this is a truly fine film (albeit historically misleading), and it's not one of those $30 DVD's either.

Fine movie about a very tragic young life
Helena Bonham Carter does a superb job portraying one of the most tragic characters in history, Lady Jane Grey, otherwise known as "the Nine Days Queen". Her soft innocence and vulnerability are convincing and heart rendering. You also get to see a very very young Cary Elwes providing a fine supporting role as her doomed husband and Patrick Stewart (way before his Star Trek days) giving an equally fine performance as her scheming father.

The story itself would make for a great Shakesparean tragedy if history hadn't written it first. I was quite moved at the cruel twists of fate that were handed out to this young girl. It is also a testament to the cruelty of parents to their children in sixteenth century England. This was commonplace at these times, even if one was of royal blood as Jane was.

The moving and historically accurate execution scene, in which the blindfolded Jane cannot find the block to rest her neck is quite heart wrenching. You want her to survive the circumstances that her family placed her in, and the wretchedness of her miserable upbringing. However, life is not a fairy tale, even for princesses; this is a profound example of the misery that many Tudor woman, including Elizabeth I, went through. I subtract one star for some of the historical inaccuracies, but overall it is a wonderful and moving film. It also makes you grateful that you did not live in those precarious times.

A historical tragedy turned into more of a fictional romance
One of the most interesting instances of genetic and gender in the history of Western Civilization is found with the death of King Edward VI of England at the age of 15 in 1553. Too young to leave heirs, his older half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth Tudor were both considered illegitimate because of the martial history of their father Henry VIII. Going through the Tudor family the only other potential claimants, Mary of Scotland and Lady Jane Grey, were also female. It seemed that God that determined that a woman would sit on the throne of England and the political question was who that woman would be. The one with the best claim was Mary Tudor, but she was a devout Catholic and the creation of the Anglican Church had created a religious schism in England that would turn ugly with her on the throne.

Lady Jane first became connected with the English crown as a potential mate for young Edward, who was more interested in Mary of Scotland or another foreign princess. Jane was supposedly betrothed to the duke of Somerset's son, Lord Hertford, but was then informed by her parents that she was to wed Guildford Dudley, the youngest son of the duke of Northumberland. Handsome and only one year her senior, Jane did not like him and refused the marriage until her mother literally beat her into submission. The couple were married in May of 1553 and lived apart, although the marriage was consummated the following month at the expressed command of Northumberland. Jane was then informed that she had been named Edward's heir three days before the king's death. Northumberland kept Edward's death a secret in order to stop Mary Tudor from claiming the crown and made a speech announcing Jane was the new queen. Forced to accept the title, Jane dismissed the idea that her husband would be made king. When Northumberland went forth with his army to meet that of Mary, who was marching on London, the royal council declared Mary queen and Jane's own father signed the declaration. On November 13 Jane and Guildford we tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Jane believed the Queen would pardon her, but the revolt against Mary by Sir Thomas Wyatt in February 1554 hardened her heart against her enemies. Within days Guildford was executed, with Jane being beheaded on February 11th.

None of this historical information consistutes a spoiler because anyone familiar with the kings and queens of England knows that there was never a Queen Jane and even those unfamiliar with the specifics of English history will be aware early on that this is going to be a tragic tale. Even so, the 1986 film "Lady Jane" from director Trevor Nunn would more properly be considered a historical romance, with the emphasis more on the romance than the history as the marriage between Jane (Helena Bonham Carter) and Guilford (Cary Elwes) is turned into a tragic love story. Jane is presented as an intellectual (you would like to see her and Elizabeth Tudor have a conversation), and given a sense of nobility in that she and her husband apparently intend to rule in their own names, not only because it will thwart the plans of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (John Wood), but also because it is the right thing to do. In bed they tend to talk about their idealistic plans, such as not branding men or sending them into slavery because they are starving.

This new version of Lady Jane's marriage and her new found political ambitions work to add to the tragedy of her execution at the hands of Bloody Mary, even though her being an unwilling pawn in the machinations of some one else's power games makes her enough of a tragic figure. You have to appreciate the irony that these two privileged children of the British class system were idealistic friends of the common folk. The cast features the standard collection of British character actors, with Michael Hordern as Doctor Feckenham, Mary's teacher, Jane Lapotaire as Princess Mary, Joss Ackland as Sir John Bridges, and Sara Kestleman as Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk and Jane's mother. For me the low moment in the film is when Jane is betrayed by her father, especially since Patrick Stewart plays Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk. Of course, both Bonham Carter and Elwes have gone on to much better films, although I was surprised that she made this after "A Room With a View," one of those much better films. "Lady Jane" runs a bit long, especially given that Jane's "reign" only lasted nine days, and while the fictional romance has its moments I would hope that one day the bleak reality of what happened to this young girl becomes the subject of another film.

Undelivered
While Helena Carter is terrific in her role as Lady Jane (Queen Jane for 9 days), the movie as a whole falls short because it doesn't present the sequence of events convincingly. The build-up to Lady Jane's crowning moment is rather lame and a little confusing, and the nine days of her "reign" are not documented well. There's also too much of a love story, with her persistence in her faith more like a sideshow or afterthought. Overall it's still an enjoyable experience, if it does frustrate the viewer a little.

"Blue Lagoon" goes Renaissance
It's a shame that the interesting and relatively untapped story of Lady Jane got this sugary sweet treatment. It alternates between nubile pulp romance and engrossing costume drama. So when it's good, it's very good...and when it's corny, it's ridiculous (even the score is over the top). Excellent supporting cast. DVD offers no compelling special features...it would have been nice to have some extra Tudor treat in there! ... Read more

Description

Music-based romantic drama about the late singer/songwriter Frankie Lymon, who was responsible for many hit records but whose self-destructive life ended early, with many relationships left unresolved.three women, each claiming to be his wife, each with ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Entertaining delight!
The filmmakers know you've heard this tale before - true life chronicle of a young singing star's rise and tragic fall - and so they wisely downplay the standard bio trappings and instead focus on a raucously entertaining ride through Frankie Lymon's woman troubles. The smart screenplay revolves around the court battle of Lymon's three wives (yes, three!) over song royalties, leading to vivid (and often humorously contradictory) flashbacks of their lives with the singer. Larenz Tate is magnetic playing the many different sides of the ever-changing lead character, but the film ultimately belongs to Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox and Lela Rochon as the wives. Each is allowed to shine as the trio portrays 30 years of changes in the women's lives, with Fox drop-dead hilarious as the most outrageous of the three. There's beautifully detailed '60s-era cinematography, sets, costuming and musical numbers, plus a side-splitting turn by Miguel Nunez as a young Little Richard. Major issues (such as '60s race relations) are barely glanced at, but what this film lacks in depth, it makes up for ten-fold in entertainment value. A winner!

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I may be in the minority, because...
I really didn't care for this movie very much. It told you virtually nothing about young Frankie Lymon's career with the Teenagers, and the focus was on his three wives fighting over whom was most entitled to the small fortune he left behind when he died at age 26 of a heroin overdose in 1968. Instead of a true biography of this young man's tragic story, we got this.

"Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" never really gives you the reason why Lymon (played by the talented actor Larenz Tate) was so very important in the history of R&B/rock and roll. Ignoring the fact that he was the first teenaged idol of rock and roll (like the little Michael Jackson of his era) and was an influence on other groups that would come after his, in this film Frankie was overwhelmingly portrayed as nothing more than some '50s rock music has-been who was a bigamist and a drug addict. On top of that, the three actresses who played his wives (Halle Berry, Lela Rochon, Vivica A. Fox) got more screen time than Larenz Tate did, and was billed over him. Excuse me, but wasn't this film supposed to be Frankie's story? I was not interested in seeing a movie about his wives.

Tate did his best, and I had no problem with the rest of the cast...but the script was just not worthy of his talents. I gave it three stars for the musical performances, but I feel the definitive movie about Frankie's life has yet to be made.

Love is Blind and So Are the Women!
The title fits the movie's subject because these women were foolish to falll in love with him. Despite his early career in music and rise to fame, he was on a path to destruction, which he could have controlled. Frankie Lymon, lead singer for the group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, had the voice that made girls across America scream. But watching the movie, he was also selfish because he used his own members, who were also his friends to pursue a solo career; which was never achieved. He married Zora Taylor, a member of The Platters, Elizabeth Waters, and Emira Eagle; none of whom he divorced.
The movie got me to wonder if any of these women could see below the surface of this man. Why did they allow him to descend into drugs and self-loathing? If one really loves someone, they would either help them through or send them packing. It was obvious that he had them on a string. All three of them had to go to court to prove they were legally married to him and collect money from his estate. Unfortunately, the music industry wasn't as legally together as it is now. Therefore, any claim to what he sang is out of their reach.
Lymon's music still lives on as a reminder of the "good old days" when music wasn't sexually explicit and musicians could actually sing.

Frankie Lymon for Beginners
I never knew much about Frankie Lymon until I watched this movie. He was one of my father's favorites. This movie, while it did not cover everything and sometimes it was historically inaccurate, it gave a good review of Frankie's rise and fall as a doo-wop star. The acting by Halle Berry, Lorenz Tate, Vivica Fox, and Leah Rochon was superb!

Fools in Love-Great Acting
Didn't know much about Frankie, except that he was a bigamist. The acting is great! It is worth having in your library. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

If You Liked "Three Coins" and "Three Wives"...
...you'll probably like "A Woman's World", because it is similar to those two movies.

Like "Three Coins in the Fountain", we have three sets of romances, although this time the folks are all already married: Lauren Bacall and Fred MacMurray, Van Heflin and Arlene Dahl, June Allyson and Cornel Wilde. All three men have been invited out to New York to be scrutinized by Clifton Webb, who is going to promote one of these guys to the Number Two position at the auto company he runs. Along the way, folks fall in and out of love all over again while trying to figure out whether or not they really want this job in exciting New York after all. It would mean changes to your life, you know!

Like "A Letter to Three Wives", we have a suspenseful climax: Who is going to get the big job after all? And the movie has a twist to the ending, just like "Three Wives". Unlike "Three Wives", we get to see about an equal amount of each couple, so we can get to like/dislike either or both partners. In "Three Wives", the husband of Jeanne Crain is not in it enough to make an impression.

Of course, seeing my fav, Clifton Webb, is always a joy, though I wish he could have been in even more of the movie! The Bacall/MacMurray sequences are the best, as is the storyline of that bit; I found June Allyson's character overdone. Still and all, a good entrant to the Lush Life movie set.

Enter into this World--it'll transport you for more than a little while.

GREAT 50s MOVIE
AN ENJOYABLE EXAMPLE OF A BYGONE ERA IN MOVIES. THE CHARACTERS WERE REAL AND WOULD COMPARE WITH PEOPLE OF TODAY. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE LACK OF BLATANT SEX. THE WHOLE FAMILY COULD ENJOY THIS MOVIE. GREAT PERFORMANCES BY SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS STARS OF THE GOLDEN ERA OF HOLLYWOOD.

Very sophisticated comedy
Fox lit up the screen with star power for this production. Fortunately, it has a script to match. Surprisingly suspenseful, the movie also has a large helping of chic comedy as three couples do what it takes to prove they are the right couple to fill the position of general manager for a prestigous auto manufacturer. Lauren Bacall is at her best sparring with workaholic husband Fred MacMurray and the calculating competitor Arlene Dahl. June Allyson and Cornel Wilde shine as the midwest couple a bit out of step with New York society. The plot may seem a bit dated when contrasted with the current state of business politics. Great fun just the same.

All-Star Cast, But Something's Missing
Intriguing and innovative plot involves the president of a large corporation seeking the perfect man for the No.2 job in his company by examining not only the candidates, but their wives as well. Starring Lauren Bacall, Arlene Dahl and June Allyson as the wives and Cornel Wilde, Van Heflin and Fred MacMurray as the husbands, not to mention Clifton Webb as the wealthy corporate magnate, the film should have had no problem scoring big. But something is missing. The plot is absorbing enough - who will finally be offered the big position? But there should be more zing, more sizzle, among these acting greats that just doesn't, for some reason, come off. One is left with the feeling that all these Hollywood big names had gathered for nothing but a grade B film that wouldn't be remembered. And it hasn't been. Too bad - it was a great idea. ... Read more