Reviews (5)

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas....
....without watching this episode of one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Northern Exposure. Christmas in Cicely, Alaska as experienced by the quirky, lovable characters of the town. This episode is filled to the brim with the spirit of the season, along with the not-so-spirit-filled attitudes that often go along with the season; in short - real-life! I've always been impressed with the way all the loose ends of the various plot lines are all resolved in the end - usually with only a musical score playing as we watch the characters go about the business of life. This episode is no different. I admit to getting choked up over Joel's gift to Maggie and Holland's gift to Shelly. Watch it and you'll see what I mean!

One of the Greatest TV shows ever!
"Northern Exposure" really is one of the best TV shows ever written. The show centers upon the real lives of an eclectic group of people living in a tiny Alaskan town. They all WANT to be there with the exception of Dr. Fleishman, a displaced New Yorker, who has alot to learn about life and living in Alaska. A must see for someone looking for more than just "fluff" and canned laughter. The location filming is an added plus to this wonderfully written and performed Emmy-award winning show. I lived in Alaska and the people who are there are truly special as this show most accurately captures.

A beautifully written episode, exquisitely performed!
This is probably my favorite episode of the entire wonderful "Northern Exposure" series. Everyone tries to deal with the holidays in their own ways...and to help their friends and loved ones through them. Maurice is surprised by a visit from the Korean son he didn't know he had; Maggie complains about having to go home for the holidays, but then is disappointed to learn that her parents don't want her to come; Joel seems even farther away from home than usual; Marilyn dances the ceremony of the raven; and to top it all off, Holling (John Cullum) sings the "Ave Maria" for a homesick Shelly. A beautiful episode that will linger in your heart!

VERY GOOD!
I loved this video is a video I have not seen before.. watched it and I just loved it.I am avid northern exposure fan... there not airing this on a&e so just bought it.. don't regret a penny of it

The best TV series holiday episode ever
As far as I am concerned, this "Northern Exposure" episode embodies the true holiday spirit, whatever one's religious or spiritual beliefs might be. The characters demonstrate how they truly care for each other and respect each other's traditions and beliefs. After I watch "Seoul Mates," I wipe away a tear and wish that real life could more often reflect this ideal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The absolute best western of modern times!
This western is for all who love the mistyque and folklore of the old west and of gambling. A must have if you love Kenny Rodgers or even if you don't, this movie will surprise you. It's Great! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Mothers and Other MONSTERS!
I have all 110 episodes recorded off the tv of Northern Exposure but this one was particularly relatable for any woman or man who still feels the need to "please" their parent who makes them CRAZY! Maggie's mom comes to Cicely and Maggie isn't happy with her overly critical parent. I love the scene at the beginning when the mother, played by Bibi Besch, comes into Maggie's cabin the first time and rearranged the flowers that Maggie had put out! My mom does that ALL the time and I have learned to go with it and change it later. Accidently, Mrs. O'Connell burns down Mags house and she wanders about homeless. Chris, seeking to fling a cow in one of his existential insights of angst, asks to use Mags piano after Ed tells him that a cow was flung by Monty Python. Chris uses a trepuche, a midevel catapult to FLING the burned out thing bringing a fantastic show for the people of Cicely and a cathartic closure to Maggie. Outsome footage of the "fling" in slow motion! "It's not the thing you fling, it's the fling itself",declares Chris. This episode reminded me to finish what you start and that endurance in the face of a tragedy is the key to surviving the wilds of Alaska. A GREAT episode! A+++

Brilliant script in a beautiful town
This is my all time favorite episode of Northern Exposure. Chris and Maggie each deal with their own struggles and it is handled in a realistic way. The piano fling is the cherry on top of this brilliant episode.

"It's not what you fling; it's the fling itself"
Beautiful quote from Chris-in-the-morning. This episode is considered the best by most of the actors. (stated in "The NX Book") As it is also a very popular episode with us fans. In it, Chris introduces `The fling`, and Maggie's mom visits...and...burns down her house......A must see for any NX new-comers! END ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Drama!!
John Ritter stars in this nice drama as a 29year old man falling in love with a 43 year old woman.It's a must see!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great set of Northern Exposure
For fans or even casual watchers of Northern Exposure, these are two must-see episodes. The series pilot introduces the plot and characters, and "Cicely" is, in my humble opinion, the greatest episode of the series. The first episode I ever saw was "Cicely", and I loved it. The unique humor I found to be very engaging, and the ensemble cast is terrific. You don't need to be familiar with the show or its characters to appreciate the quality of this extremely witty and very well done portrait of Cicely's colorful past. When the town doctor hits a 108 year old man with his car, and the man spins a tremendous yarn of the town's early development while being treated, the unfolding tale twists and turns with many delightful surprises. For any fan of Northern Exposure, these two episodes are mandatory viewing, and for those new to Northern Exposure, they are an excellent introduction, embodying the wit, intelligence, ambience, and color of the outstanding television series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Thought-provoking "coming-of-age" movie
Although the emphasis is on Marita Lorenz and Fidel Castro, their ill-fated affair, and the implementation of "la revolución", this movie is a well-written example of interwoven sub-plots of "event" and "character study". The script-writer has artfully woven together the historical backdrop of Cuba from the very early days of Castro's revolution, U.S. involvement on the island (reflective also of CIA activities in other parts of Latin America), glimpses into the various American anti-Castro activities, the tragic naïvité of a teenager rather uninstructed by both of her professionally very busy parents in the art of sound judgment, the dangers of lacking one's own cohesive belief system, the ease of falling prey to the cult of personality, and the painful process of coming of age in a harsh and complex world.

Marita's journey begins as a naïve 19-year-old idealistic dreamer. When she meets Fidel Castro, she has never thought through the concepts of rule of law, peaceful transitions of government, economic justice as opposed to systematized revenge, or true reform versus manipulative takeover in pursuit of totalitarian self-interest. She _wants to_ believe his promises of loosening the grip of terror "when Cuba is fixed..." but becomes gradually disillusioned with the capricious arrests and brutal removals of residents from their Havana homes on no grounds other than rumored suspicion of anti-Castro sentiments. Her inner struggle between her attraction to him, her hopeful wish that in time conditions might indeed improve on the island she has come to love, her own initially immature understanding of freedom and allegiance to one's country, and her painful growth toward coming to understand the components of true liberty are skilfully interwoven and portrayed with sensitivity.

Her inner journey is paced slowly enough to take the viewer into the mind of a young, hopeful, romantic idealist who gradually comes to see through the hypocrisy of endless promises -- her journey also provides a symbolic walk through the gradual disillusionment throughout the island with those same promises that never come to fruition.

Filmed in part in beautiful Old Havana and interspersed with hauntingly lyrical Cuban music -- even someone unfamiliar with Cuba would be touched by the beauty of the place and perhaps gain a sense of why (despite the tragic results of the revolution) Marita had such a lasting affection for the island, her Cuba Linda...

which part is fiction ?
what the movie portrays is shadow function of the US Govt. The best scene in the movie is when Castro offers his own gun to his 'little assassin'.

In the end, can't resist the temptation to know further, whether her son is really alive and became a doctor.

Based on a true story.
The movie begins with the caption "Based on a true story". However, it is very difficult to figure out which parts are true and which parts are fiction.

Here is a brief synopsis of this movie. The movie takes place in post revolution Cuba, at a time when Americans are allowed to enter Havana, the Casinos are fully operational, and the Cuban army is infiltrated with a few CIA agents. Anwar is the 19 years old daughter of a divorced couple,lives with her father who is the captain of a Cruise ship. Her mother is a CIA agent. The cruise ship comes to Cuba, and Castro wants to visit the ship because he's never seen anyhting so big. The daughter of the captain allows them to visit the ship once Castro(Mantegna) and his entourage disarm themselves. Within a few hours they fall in love and kiss on the deck. Anwar returns back to the US, and one day when she is home alone Castro's advisor stops by and tells her that there is a private jet waiting for her. She takes off and flies to Cuba to be with Castro, eventually she gets pregnant, and during the last few days of her pregnancy she faints and wakes up in the US and "unpregnant" accompanied by her mother and FBI agents. FBI an CIA agents convice her that Castro had the pregnancy terminated, and killed the unborn baby.

With vengeance in her heart, she joins a boot camp to receive training as a killer. She flies to Cuba with intentions of posioning Castro. However, the poison pills melts in her make-up bag, Castro understands what she is trying to do, and gives her his side arm, and calls her "My Little Assasin". But she is unable to kill him and returns back to the US, where she gets a slap on her face for not being able to complete the mission.

Eventually she finds out that her son is alive and is a medical student in Cuba. She buys a Levis Jean and goes to Cuba to see Castro and her son.

The movie portrays US government as the evil empire and Castro as the good guy. I guess you have to watch it on your own to find out which parts of this story are based on truth. Good Luck, your sentence will be about 90 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Shakespeare's Version vs. the Movie
I recently watched this movie, and I can say that I wasn't overly impressed. I am a big fan of Shakespeare's work, and I don't think that The Tempest he wrote was made to have a setting like the 1800's. It is absurd that someone could take one of Shakespeare's masterpieces, and turn it into a movie about a plantation owner during the civil war. If the movie had not been "based" on the original Tempest, then it might have been ok. Shakespeare's version had meaning, and a theme behind every scene, which I believe the movie lacks. Prospero was a very powerful, and exquisite character in the original, and in the movie he is pathetically portrayed by Peter Fonda, who I believe has limited acting abilities. The original also had creative characters, like Calliban and Ariel, who were the devil's son and one of Prospero's spirits. The original Tempest was like no other, and it had it's own style. I just don't think that that particular work of art should have been transformed into a typical civil war movie, with no originality.

Not Shakespeare
Despite the title, this film contains none of Shakespeare's language except random words like "daughter," "the," and "and."

For NON-Shakespeare buffs, I'd say it's a decent tale, setting the play's retold events in the American Civil War. It's a good combination, since we understand the emotions of the tale better in a known context, while the story shows us a different angle on the war. Overall, though, the combination doesn't quite jell.

Some things work very well. The portrayal of Ariel as a black slave is meant to set viewers on edge, especially since Prospero (I'm sorry, that's Gideon Prosper) refuses to set him free for most of the film--one of the clearer signs that Prosper is not just a wronged hero but a driven man who hurts others with his singlemindedness. Judging by other review comments, the director succeeded in making his point.

However, Ariel sounds and acts so clearly like a modern urban black man that it's hard to feel he was raised a slave and a member of a very different culture.

Peter Fonda does a good overall job with Prosper, but the director (and/or scriptwriter) doesn't convince us either why Prosper took up Voudun in the first place or why he gave it up in the end, which limits our understanding of the character.

But the loss of Shakespeare's language, in exchange for modern clarity of a tale that doesn't make that much sense without it, adds up to a film I certainly don't plan to keep.

This Film Insults My Intelligence
I was, no, I am deeply disappointed in this film. Who said that just because a movie is "made for TV" it is allowed to completely eliminate all acting skill, story line, and meaningful plot elements? This film is a hodgepodge of ideas taken from the story, trying desperately to cling together to form a plot. I have read The Tempest, it was good. I watched this movie, it was not. The only way that this movie could redeem itself would be if it were on Mystery Science Theatre 3000. It takes chutzpah to put your name on a film like this. Peter Fonda should run for president with nerves like that.

The Tempest is Trash
The movie The Tempest with Peter Fonda completely failed to display the quality and meaning of Shakespeare's play. The whole mystical feel of Shakespeare's play was lost. The setting of the story made no sense. The actors were terrible and the civil war did not fit in. All in all I wouldn't ever recomend this movie to anyone. To put anyone through that torture is cruel and unusually punishment. If you want a good and meaningfull story read Shakespeare's play.

My Review
I thought that the movie overall was okay. I didn't like how they used slaves in it. I wish they would have encorporated more of what Shakespeare had said in the movie. I thought that the movie left out a lot of parts from the play that I would have liked to see. I thought the movie was much easier to understand and it would have been good to have watched it before I read the play. I feel that most movies based on a book never portray all that is in the book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Very Good Movie
This was a really great movie. Going into it I thought it might be aimed at a younger audience, but that wasn't the case at all, as there was some profanity and adult subject matter. At one part in the movie the 13 year old brain damaged son gets a hard on watching Pepper (Yasmine Bleeth) while having his feet massaged by his doting mother, much to everyone's embarrassment. The entire cast was excellent, Kevin Zegers in particular. Zegers was the movies principle character, and he played the part out beautifully. It reminded me of a similiar role that Leonardo DiCaprio played in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, in that he was so convincing in the role you actually believed he was brain damaged just as DiCaprio pulled off his role as a retarded boy.
There were a few bonuses such as commentary and such, and the movie really is a must see (and own in my opinion.)

Odd Film, but Well-Done
I happened upon this film one evening while surfing the channels and could not stop watching it. The first thing that grabbed me was that it is very odd. A mentally challenged boy plays with a toy plane that seems to summon a flying and flamboyant couple to crash into the roof of the boy's unhappy household. At first, I could not tell if this film was a drama or comedy. The heated and serious subject matter of the two parents still burdened with guilt over their son's debilitating accident makes me lean to the former that has some lighter moments thrown in (the funny comments of Yasmine Bleeth's character, an airhead with plenty of wisdom). The couple who crash in (outgoing and sometimes silly) help the parents recapture their magic and prompt them to deal with their guilt. They also seem to fortell a brighter future for the family which has me believe this crazy couple were unorthodox "saints" or "angels" of sort (the film never clears this up). Still, a major outburst is needed before peace can be had in this household. An often suspenseful film that is beautifully acted.

Excellent film/Highly Recommended
A small plane crashes onto the roof of a house.
A family torn apart by a tragedy involving there young son(Played by the talented Kevin Zegers)is on the verge of a Divorce until the strange Man and woman in the plane come into there lives and turn things around.
Christopher Looyd and Jasmine Bleeth are great as the soon to be married couple and John Ritter is great as the bitter husband and father of his brain damaged young son.
The film has a good underlying message that Love and a positive

attitude to traumatic events will conquer all.
Very good cast and a film well worth seeing

Interesting and worth a look
A good cast makes this strange little movie watchable and enjoyable. A pilot crashes his plane through the roof of a house occupied by a couple who are both sick of each other. John Ritter and Christopher Loyd are both terrific. This movie is a refreshing change of pace from the normal Hollywood formula films. It's worth seeing for that reason alone. Some will find it too slow but it really is unique. If only there weren't so many unanswered questions at the end. Who was Christopher Loyd supposed to be? Was he a con man? Was he a bum? Then how could he afford to charter his own plane? Why did he lie about owning an insurance company? John Ritter is perfect as a frustrated father/husband. He's kind of a jerk yet you really feel for him and care what happens during this night of strange events. This is kind of like watching a play. Definitely worth a look.

It's hearts in the right place.
Stars Christopher Lloyd, Yasmine Bleeth, John Ritter, JoBeth Williams, Kevin Zeger. There are some film's whose heart's are in the right places but just don't have enough ooomph to rise above the ordinary. This is such a film. What sounds like a B-monster movie is actually a comedy/drama about a group of people who do some self-discovering and resolve some issues over one fateful night. Ritter, Williams and Zeger, make up an Unhappy family,whose day to day live seems to be keeping their "special" son, Andy, happy and functioning. Mother is a bit too obsessive with taking care of her boy, whilst Dad is just plain unhappy. Then one day, when Andy make believes he crashes his toy plane into his toy house, a real plane crashes into their roof, and out comes an odder than odd couple (Lloyd, Ritter) on their way to Vegas for Valentines Day. What ends up happening is the Guests end up staying around for a while, and also bring a bit of magic and life back into the household and help with Andy too. The film's got some good messages in it, but it is a bit odd. As for plot holes, there are aplenty. At the start when Andy seems to make his toy plane crash, resulting in the plane crashing for real, we assume he must have some kind of magical power. We never learn anymore about it though. As for Lloyd's shady insurance agent, we never quite work out whether or not he is the shonky con-man Ritter suspects he is. Anyway for what it's worth, this will fill an afternoon in.**3/4 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Thought-provoking "coming-of-age" movie
Although the emphasis is on Marita Lorenz and Fidel Castro, their ill-fated affair, and the implementation of "la revolución", this movie is a well-written example of interwoven sub-plots of "event" and "character study". The script-writer has artfully woven together the historical backdrop of Cuba from the very early days of Castro's revolution, U.S. involvement on the island (reflective also of CIA activities in other parts of Latin America), glimpses into the various American anti-Castro activities, the tragic naïvité of a teenager rather uninstructed by both of her professionally very busy parents in the art of sound judgment, the dangers of lacking one's own cohesive belief system, the ease of falling prey to the cult of personality, and the painful process of coming of age in a harsh and complex world.

Marita's journey begins as a naïve 19-year-old idealistic dreamer. When she meets Fidel Castro, she has never thought through the concepts of rule of law, peaceful transitions of government, economic justice as opposed to systematized revenge, or true reform versus manipulative takeover in pursuit of totalitarian self-interest. She _wants to_ believe his promises of loosening the grip of terror "when Cuba is fixed..." but becomes gradually disillusioned with the capricious arrests and brutal removals of residents from their Havana homes on no grounds other than rumored suspicion of anti-Castro sentiments. Her inner struggle between her attraction to him, her hopeful wish that in time conditions might indeed improve on the island she has come to love, her own initially immature understanding of freedom and allegiance to one's country, and her painful growth toward coming to understand the components of true liberty are skilfully interwoven and portrayed with sensitivity.

Her inner journey is paced slowly enough to take the viewer into the mind of a young, hopeful, romantic idealist who gradually comes to see through the hypocrisy of endless promises -- her journey also provides a symbolic walk through the gradual disillusionment throughout the island with those same promises that never come to fruition.

Filmed in part in beautiful Old Havana and interspersed with hauntingly lyrical Cuban music -- even someone unfamiliar with Cuba would be touched by the beauty of the place and perhaps gain a sense of why (despite the tragic results of the revolution) Marita had such a lasting affection for the island, her Cuba Linda...

which part is fiction ?
what the movie portrays is shadow function of the US Govt. The best scene in the movie is when Castro offers his own gun to his 'little assassin'.

In the end, can't resist the temptation to know further, whether her son is really alive and became a doctor.

Based on a true story.
The movie begins with the caption "Based on a true story". However, it is very difficult to figure out which parts are true and which parts are fiction.

Here is a brief synopsis of this movie. The movie takes place in post revolution Cuba, at a time when Americans are allowed to enter Havana, the Casinos are fully operational, and the Cuban army is infiltrated with a few CIA agents. Anwar is the 19 years old daughter of a divorced couple,lives with her father who is the captain of a Cruise ship. Her mother is a CIA agent. The cruise ship comes to Cuba, and Castro wants to visit the ship because he's never seen anyhting so big. The daughter of the captain allows them to visit the ship once Castro(Mantegna) and his entourage disarm themselves. Within a few hours they fall in love and kiss on the deck. Anwar returns back to the US, and one day when she is home alone Castro's advisor stops by and tells her that there is a private jet waiting for her. She takes off and flies to Cuba to be with Castro, eventually she gets pregnant, and during the last few days of her pregnancy she faints and wakes up in the US and "unpregnant" accompanied by her mother and FBI agents. FBI an CIA agents convice her that Castro had the pregnancy terminated, and killed the unborn baby.

With vengeance in her heart, she joins a boot camp to receive training as a killer. She flies to Cuba with intentions of posioning Castro. However, the poison pills melts in her make-up bag, Castro understands what she is trying to do, and gives her his side arm, and calls her "My Little Assasin". But she is unable to kill him and returns back to the US, where she gets a slap on her face for not being able to complete the mission.

Eventually she finds out that her son is alive and is a medical student in Cuba. She buys a Levis Jean and goes to Cuba to see Castro and her son.

The movie portrays US government as the evil empire and Castro as the good guy. I guess you have to watch it on your own to find out which parts of this story are based on truth. Good Luck, your sentence will be about 90 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Very Good Movie
This was a really great movie. Going into it I thought it might be aimed at a younger audience, but that wasn't the case at all, as there was some profanity and adult subject matter. At one part in the movie the 13 year old brain damaged son gets a hard on watching Pepper (Yasmine Bleeth) while having his feet massaged by his doting mother, much to everyone's embarrassment. The entire cast was excellent, Kevin Zegers in particular. Zegers was the movies principle character, and he played the part out beautifully. It reminded me of a similiar role that Leonardo DiCaprio played in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, in that he was so convincing in the role you actually believed he was brain damaged just as DiCaprio pulled off his role as a retarded boy.
There were a few bonuses such as commentary and such, and the movie really is a must see (and own in my opinion.)

Odd Film, but Well-Done
I happened upon this film one evening while surfing the channels and could not stop watching it. The first thing that grabbed me was that it is very odd. A mentally challenged boy plays with a toy plane that seems to summon a flying and flamboyant couple to crash into the roof of the boy's unhappy household. At first, I could not tell if this film was a drama or comedy. The heated and serious subject matter of the two parents still burdened with guilt over their son's debilitating accident makes me lean to the former that has some lighter moments thrown in (the funny comments of Yasmine Bleeth's character, an airhead with plenty of wisdom). The couple who crash in (outgoing and sometimes silly) help the parents recapture their magic and prompt them to deal with their guilt. They also seem to fortell a brighter future for the family which has me believe this crazy couple were unorthodox "saints" or "angels" of sort (the film never clears this up). Still, a major outburst is needed before peace can be had in this household. An often suspenseful film that is beautifully acted.

Excellent film/Highly Recommended
A small plane crashes onto the roof of a house.
A family torn apart by a tragedy involving there young son(Played by the talented Kevin Zegers)is on the verge of a Divorce until the strange Man and woman in the plane come into there lives and turn things around.
Christopher Looyd and Jasmine Bleeth are great as the soon to be married couple and John Ritter is great as the bitter husband and father of his brain damaged young son.
The film has a good underlying message that Love and a positive

attitude to traumatic events will conquer all.
Very good cast and a film well worth seeing

Interesting and worth a look
A good cast makes this strange little movie watchable and enjoyable. A pilot crashes his plane through the roof of a house occupied by a couple who are both sick of each other. John Ritter and Christopher Loyd are both terrific. This movie is a refreshing change of pace from the normal Hollywood formula films. It's worth seeing for that reason alone. Some will find it too slow but it really is unique. If only there weren't so many unanswered questions at the end. Who was Christopher Loyd supposed to be? Was he a con man? Was he a bum? Then how could he afford to charter his own plane? Why did he lie about owning an insurance company? John Ritter is perfect as a frustrated father/husband. He's kind of a jerk yet you really feel for him and care what happens during this night of strange events. This is kind of like watching a play. Definitely worth a look.

It's hearts in the right place.
Stars Christopher Lloyd, Yasmine Bleeth, John Ritter, JoBeth Williams, Kevin Zeger. There are some film's whose heart's are in the right places but just don't have enough ooomph to rise above the ordinary. This is such a film. What sounds like a B-monster movie is actually a comedy/drama about a group of people who do some self-discovering and resolve some issues over one fateful night. Ritter, Williams and Zeger, make up an Unhappy family,whose day to day live seems to be keeping their "special" son, Andy, happy and functioning. Mother is a bit too obsessive with taking care of her boy, whilst Dad is just plain unhappy. Then one day, when Andy make believes he crashes his toy plane into his toy house, a real plane crashes into their roof, and out comes an odder than odd couple (Lloyd, Ritter) on their way to Vegas for Valentines Day. What ends up happening is the Guests end up staying around for a while, and also bring a bit of magic and life back into the household and help with Andy too. The film's got some good messages in it, but it is a bit odd. As for plot holes, there are aplenty. At the start when Andy seems to make his toy plane crash, resulting in the plane crashing for real, we assume he must have some kind of magical power. We never learn anymore about it though. As for Lloyd's shady insurance agent, we never quite work out whether or not he is the shonky con-man Ritter suspects he is. Anyway for what it's worth, this will fill an afternoon in.**3/4 ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Very Good Movie
This was a really great movie. Going into it I thought it might be aimed at a younger audience, but that wasn't the case at all, as there was some profanity and adult subject matter. At one part in the movie the 13 year old brain damaged son gets a hard on watching Pepper (Yasmine Bleeth) while having his feet massaged by his doting mother, much to everyone's embarrassment. The entire cast was excellent, Kevin Zegers in particular. Zegers was the movies principle character, and he played the part out beautifully. It reminded me of a similiar role that Leonardo DiCaprio played in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, in that he was so convincing in the role you actually believed he was brain damaged just as DiCaprio pulled off his role as a retarded boy.
There were a few bonuses such as commentary and such, and the movie really is a must see (and own in my opinion.)

Odd Film, but Well-Done
I happened upon this film one evening while surfing the channels and could not stop watching it. The first thing that grabbed me was that it is very odd. A mentally challenged boy plays with a toy plane that seems to summon a flying and flamboyant couple to crash into the roof of the boy's unhappy household. At first, I could not tell if this film was a drama or comedy. The heated and serious subject matter of the two parents still burdened with guilt over their son's debilitating accident makes me lean to the former that has some lighter moments thrown in (the funny comments of Yasmine Bleeth's character, an airhead with plenty of wisdom). The couple who crash in (outgoing and sometimes silly) help the parents recapture their magic and prompt them to deal with their guilt. They also seem to fortell a brighter future for the family which has me believe this crazy couple were unorthodox "saints" or "angels" of sort (the film never clears this up). Still, a major outburst is needed before peace can be had in this household. An often suspenseful film that is beautifully acted.

Excellent film/Highly Recommended
A small plane crashes onto the roof of a house.
A family torn apart by a tragedy involving there young son(Played by the talented Kevin Zegers)is on the verge of a Divorce until the strange Man and woman in the plane come into there lives and turn things around.
Christopher Looyd and Jasmine Bleeth are great as the soon to be married couple and John Ritter is great as the bitter husband and father of his brain damaged young son.
The film has a good underlying message that Love and a positive

attitude to traumatic events will conquer all.
Very good cast and a film well worth seeing

Interesting and worth a look
A good cast makes this strange little movie watchable and enjoyable. A pilot crashes his plane through the roof of a house occupied by a couple who are both sick of each other. John Ritter and Christopher Loyd are both terrific. This movie is a refreshing change of pace from the normal Hollywood formula films. It's worth seeing for that reason alone. Some will find it too slow but it really is unique. If only there weren't so many unanswered questions at the end. Who was Christopher Loyd supposed to be? Was he a con man? Was he a bum? Then how could he afford to charter his own plane? Why did he lie about owning an insurance company? John Ritter is perfect as a frustrated father/husband. He's kind of a jerk yet you really feel for him and care what happens during this night of strange events. This is kind of like watching a play. Definitely worth a look.

It's hearts in the right place.
Stars Christopher Lloyd, Yasmine Bleeth, John Ritter, JoBeth Williams, Kevin Zeger. There are some film's whose heart's are in the right places but just don't have enough ooomph to rise above the ordinary. This is such a film. What sounds like a B-monster movie is actually a comedy/drama about a group of people who do some self-discovering and resolve some issues over one fateful night. Ritter, Williams and Zeger, make up an Unhappy family,whose day to day live seems to be keeping their "special" son, Andy, happy and functioning. Mother is a bit too obsessive with taking care of her boy, whilst Dad is just plain unhappy. Then one day, when Andy make believes he crashes his toy plane into his toy house, a real plane crashes into their roof, and out comes an odder than odd couple (Lloyd, Ritter) on their way to Vegas for Valentines Day. What ends up happening is the Guests end up staying around for a while, and also bring a bit of magic and life back into the household and help with Andy too. The film's got some good messages in it, but it is a bit odd. As for plot holes, there are aplenty. At the start when Andy seems to make his toy plane crash, resulting in the plane crashing for real, we assume he must have some kind of magical power. We never learn anymore about it though. As for Lloyd's shady insurance agent, we never quite work out whether or not he is the shonky con-man Ritter suspects he is. Anyway for what it's worth, this will fill an afternoon in.**3/4 ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Better Than The Book
As far as TV movies go, "Killing Mr. Griffin" is a pretty good teen-oriented suspense film and a definite improvement on the 1978 book Lois Duncan wrote. In the book, there's no main character to empathize with, but in the movie, Susan McConnell (played by Amy Jo Johnson) is the leading protagonist, who is targeted by a group of popular classmates and asked to assist them in a senior prank played on Mr. Griffin (Jay Thomas), the harsh English teacher at Del Norte High School. Things go wrong, though, when Mr. Griffin accidentally dies on them due to his heart condition, and now all six teens must try and cover up his death.

Most of the book's characters are the same in the movie, except for Tori and Bree (Mindy Spence and Jennifer Hammon), who are kind of a combination of Betsy Cline, the cheerleader in the book. Tori is probably the closest thing to Betsy, though--she's basically a blonde rah-rah. But in the movie, Tori is Mark Kinney's (Scott Bairstow) girlfriend, whereas in the book, Mark was pretty much a loner. He's also much more popular and charismatic in the movie--and not all that bad-looking either. ;)

The remaining two guys, Dave Ruggles (Mario Lopez) and Jeff Garrett (Chris Young), act as Mark's sidekicks, but Dave is more in the spotlight than Jeff, because he's the one to lure Susan into their kidnapping scheme. Michelle Williams from "Dawson's Creek" even makes a few appearances as Susan's close friend, Maya (another made-up character for the movie).

If you've read "Killing Mr. Griffin" by Lois Duncan, then you might want to give this movie a try. In my opinion, it's much better than the book. It's more organized plot wise, has good character development and a somewhat better ending. Rated PG-13 for some violence and sensuality.

A somewhat dark teen flick
With lots of star power (Scott Bairstow, Amy Jo Johnson, Michelle Williams, and more), Killing Mr. Griffin occasionally hits home because it contains realistic elements of teenage life--at any rate, the life of an awkward, smart, unpopular teenage girl, Susan, who is dying to be popular. Amy Jo Johnson plays this part well. After her teacher, Mr. Griffin, humilates her in class, Susan agrees to be part of a prank that is operated by some of the popular kids, including the guy she has a crush on. The kids want to humilate Mr. Griffin, like he humiliates his students. But the prank goes horribly wrong, and the students spend the rest of the movie living with the consequences of having to keep a terrible secret. Susan is especially haunted by what has happened. Her friend Maya (Michelle Williams) and her family suspect she is hiding something, and Susan is conflicted between doing the right thing and keeping her "good girl" image. It's a bit scary at times. Sometimes even a little *too* dark and edgy. It isn't the best film out there, but it is an interesting story and features talented actors, which more than make up for the dreariness of the plot.

Great page-to-screen adaptation
Lois Duncan's Killing Mr. Griffin was an interesting novel in its own right, but this made for television movie manages to improve on the original. Amy Jo Johnson, the pretty young actress many may recognize as the former Pink Power Ranger, stars as Susan McConnell. Susan is a good student, yet she is shy and awkward around the popular crowd. She is especially shy around Dave (former "Saved by the Bell" player Mario Lopez), the handsome jock she has a crush on. Mark, the leader of the group Dave hangs with, is bent on becoming student body president and the most popular guy in high school. After being humiliated by Mr. Griffin, the notoriously strict English teacher, Mark develops a plan to get revenge. They will kidnap Mr. Griffin as a prank to humiliate him as he has humiliated students. Susan is unwittingly sucked into the plan by her feelings for Dave and her desire to become popular. Dave is pressured into using Susan's obvious feelings for him to a nasty advantage. The plan to kidnap Griffin goes almost as planned...but then he dies unexpectedly, and things spin out of control. The climax of the film is better than that in the novel, with just enough suspense to keep viewers hooked. Overall, this movie was excellent, and serves as a grim reminder of what peer pressure is capable of. The only qualm I had was that it was not a theatrical release. Highly recommended.

Would you go as far as murder for payback?
Killing Mr. Griffin could as well be true. A lot of people would go through anything just to fit in. But could you lose everything you know and understand in the process? An understandable movie about Responsibility, and Mistrust in the way of fitting in.

Mr. Griffin is a strict teacher. Maybe too strict. Five seniors at the school Mr. Griffin teaches at think so. When revenge is the first thought that comes to mind, Mark, David, Jeff, Bree, and Tori set out to find a way to get back at Mr. Griffin for what he's done, but no one is volunteering for bait. When Susan McConnell is put under the spotlight for what seems a harmless prank, she decides to go for it. Besides she gets a couple of satisfactions to go with it. One, she gets to fit in. Two, she can get Mr. Griffin back at embarrasing her in class, and Three, she can hang out with David, the guy she has a crush on. When Susan sees what doesn't seem like an inoccent prank, she goes to where they have left poor Mr. Griffin tied up, and hostage. But Mr. Griffin isn't moving. He isn't even breathing. He's dead. After trying to figure out what happened to Mr. Griffin, the six are faced up against the biggest decision of their lives. Tell what happened, or keep it a secret.

An amazing story. The characters may have been mixed up a little bit, but it still made a great story. Lois Duncan did well with the book, but I think the movie was better. In the book you weren't as sorry for Mr. Griffin as you were watching the movie. Jay Thomas gave an awesome portrayal of the overlystrict Mr. Griffin. I think they kind of mixed Susan and her friend Maya up on accident. Susan was supposed to be the loner with glasses, and not exactly attractive. But Susan was very attractive in this movie. It was kind of hard to believe she couldn't get a boyfriend. Like someone said before, Tori and Bree were a split up of Betsie in the book, but I don't think Betsie was exactly that "I'm so cool" kind of girl in the book. The boys were portrayed great. Snobbish, not exactly serious.

A great movie to the book which I also recommend. This time I recommend the movie first. Than read the book. Either way, Mr. Griffin will die twice. 5 stars without a doubt.

UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
This NBC-TV movie surprised me. Writers Kathleen Rowell and Michael Angeli are very adept in creating both scenes and dialogue that seems realistic: the mousy girl who wants to be popular; the teens who find themselves Svengalied by a handsome rich boy; how a boy interferes in the relationship between two blossoming young women. And some really credible performances, mainly from Amy Jo Johnson, Scott Bairstow, and Mario Lopez.
Jay Thomas Mr. Griffin is a difficult character to empathize with, but in view of what teachers have to put up with in school, one can understand his cynicism. However, one cant' excuse his cruely in humiliating students in front of their classmates. He is also an extremist. But...he doesn't deserve what happens to him.
Bairstow as Mark gives us a teen of arrogant self-delusion; a narcisstic liar; and an obviously psychotic personality. Johnson and Michelle Williams are great in showing the special bond between two good friends.
There's not a lot of action in the movie, but it really doesn't need it; the key here is what happens when people's lives aren't important to the callow youths who can't accept the responsibility of their acts.
A sharp, tidy thriller. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Child's Play 3 - Not A Bad Sequel
Child's Play 3 came out in 1991, exactly one year after the last sequel, Part II. Reviewers despised it, of course, because they hate everything. This, overall, is not a bad sequel. Yes, it is my least favorite of the series, but can be enjoyable.

Andy Barclay (Justin Whalin this time) has been sent to military school, where everybody decides that he can get some good discipline and forget all the mayhem that the killer doll, Chucky, has done through his life.

Meanwhile, the Good Guy Doll company decide to make Chucky again. They think that they should try and forget what has been said about before and make everyone like Chucky again. This leads to our deranged, homicidal doll coming back to life and trying to find Barclay. Chucky travels to the military school and finds a new boy who he could transfer his soul into. Andy finds out and tries to stop him, while everybody else thinks he's crazy. Chucky begins his rampage, while Andy desperately tries to help Chucky's target.

This movie is not scary at all. I don't think any of the Chucky movies are, except for Part I. That was a bit creepy, because we didn't exactly know who Chucky was. In this one, Chucky just kills people and makes jokes about how he did it. Don't come looking for a scary movie!

The acting in this movie is okay. Justin Whalin plays a believable Andy, but he didn't really act like the little Andy we used to know. That's okay though. The rest of the cast were your stereo-typical characters. There was the tough girl who likes Andy, his nerdy friend, his soldier enemy, and many more predictable characters.

Overall, this movie deserves a rental. You might want to stay away from this if you hate Chucky movies, because that's what it is. It is also not for little children. Chucky cusses pervasively and kills a lot of people in gory ways.

RATED R for very strong violence/gore, language, and some disturbing images.

Classic
The reason I'm giving this movie 5 stars is because it is a pure classic in my life. This was the only chucky movie I ever saw as a kid. I recorded it on a tape from usa. And yes, of course. It scared the hell out of me. And I love it. The movie is starring: Justin Whalin as ANDY. No Alex Vincet. (didn't you get enough of him in 1 and 2?)It was funny, Justin Whalin also came out on a disney movie too, called: "Susie Q". So everytime I would see that, I would say "Hey! He's from the chucky movie!" About the movie, he finds andy in a military camp, at he's 16, but instead he tries to hunt down another kid, Tyler. And kills eveyone who gets in his way, Andy tries to stop him. And lots of guns are used too. And the movie end up at a fair. Out of all the chucky movies, CHILD'S PLAY 3. Chucky is deffinetly at his evilist! Except the tv version held chucky back, it was edited for gore, languege, an for its runnig time. But finnaly on dvd! YES!!! First in line!!!

Easily the best
This is very simply and easily the best of the Chucky three. I mean, the SFX are much better, the setting unforgettable. Yes, there are elements to this one I don't like - Chucky's ressurection is fairly mediocre; just like CP 2 really, except we don't see many workers. The opener is slow, what with the swirling goop and credits -- it's rather boring, you should Fast Foward. I have the DVD but I assume its the same deal as the VHS.
The movie is eerier than the others with much more "is he coming" types-of-feelings to it. The acting is fairly good - better than the second but not like the first - with Justin Whalin and Perry Reeves doing stellar. Perry does the best, she's extremely convincing.
The climaxing ten minutes in the funhouse Roller Coaster comprise the best ending I've ever seen in a movie to date. The CP 2 climax in the factory was horrible compared to this, and it was on its own stellar. This scene is just so great. Chucky's death probably could've been executed better. The good news is, unlike the first film, he dosen't come back eighty times, only once.

Lets Play hide the Soul
Very good. This series is so unlike a lot of the horror series...it actualy has GOOD sequals!!!

Andy is shipped off to a Military school and Chucky follows him there but ends up in the hands of a little boy who befriends him. CHucky tries to act good around the little boy while at the same time tries to kill andy.

I love this movie. The death scenes are very good and eyecatching and chucky is ruthless in his attempt to kill everyone. A lot of the deaths are awesome! My favorite is where he replaces paint balls with bullets..

This is the last of the series that is any good and worth seeing...

HOW COULD YOU RATE THESE MOVIES?
NONE OF THE CHILD PLAY MOVIES SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.THATS WHY SOME PEOPLE GIVE IT BAD REVIEWS. DO PEOPLE REALY EXPECT A CHILDS PLAY MOVIE TO BE OSCAR MATERIAL???? I AM GIVING THIS MOVIE 5 STARS JUST TO PISS OFF ALL THE CRITICS WHO HAVE TO BASH EVERY MOVIE BC THEY DON'T HAVE A LIFE. IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE THE FIRST ONE THEN WHY DID YOU WATCH THE OTHER FILMS? I BET YOU THESE CRITICS ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER FAN CLUB, AND ARE ALSO OVER 30 STILL LIVING WITH MOMMY. IF YOU WANT A ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MOVIE, THEN GO WATCH FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH MOMMY....DON'T F@!k WITH THE CHUCK!!! ... Read more