Let It Ride (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)Let It Ride is one of those lost treasures. Dreyfus is at his comic best and David Johansen (Buster Poindexter), Teri Garr, Jennifer Tilly and the rest of the cast are excellent as well. FUNNY throughout. Leonard Maltin, what were you watching? Featuring some very true-to-the-track moments, this movie wins going away. (Based on the book "Good Vibes" by Jay Cronley...read it!)

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Jay Trotter has waited a lifetime for this day. He's got a hot tip on a horse everyone thinks is ready for the glue factory. But, as track aficionados say, "Even when you know, you never know." One thing you can be certain be sure of is that with Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Teri Garr and more, this is a winning comedy. So put it in your VCR and Let It Ride. Its characters give new meaning to "the odds." And its heart will touch everyone who's wondered: "If every dog has his day, why can't every person have one?"

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The Goodbye Girl (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1977, movie theater audiences were treated to what is probably Neil Simon's best writing with the film "The Goodbye Girl". Directed by Herbert Ross (1927-2001, who later directed "Steel Magnolias" in 1989), the film stars Richard Dreyfuss as the aspiring actor Elliot Garfield, Marsha Mason as former dancer Paula McFadden and Quinn Cummings as Paula's 10-year old daughter Lucy. The film begins with Paula and Lucy returning to their New York City apartment from a long day of shopping. They are preparing to move to California with Paula's boyfriend, Tony Deforest (not shown), who is another aspiring actor that just got an acting job in a Hollywood film. Upon getting home, Tony isn't there, but she finds a note that he left for her. The note is not what Paula wanted or expected to hear: Tony left without her and Lucy. Paula learns from building manager Mrs. Crosby (Theresa Merritt, 1924-1998) the next morning that loveable Tony did something else too: he sublet the apartment. Not having the money to move, Paula decides that she and Lucy will remain in the apartment. When the subletee arrives (Elliot), she reluctantly agrees to share the apartment with him. The resulting mutually antagonistic relationship slowly evolves into something quite different.
For his work in "The Goodbye Girl", Richard Dreyfuss won the much deserved Oscar for Best Actor. Marsha Mason was nominated for Best Actress and Quinn Cummings was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film itself was nominated for Best Picture and Neil Simon was nominated for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Some of the very memorable scenes in the film include Paula & Lucy's arrival home at the beginning of the film, Elliot's arrival, the living arrangements, Elliot's rehearsals, Paula's exercises, Lucy's stomachache, Elliot's alternate employment, the Chianti, the rooftop dinner, the carriage ride and the closing scenes. Other memorable characters include Elliot's off-Broadway director Mark (Paul Benedict, known for his portrayal of Harry Bentley in the 1975-1985 TV series "The Jeffersons") and Donna Douglas (Barbara Rhoades).
Overall, I rate the 1977 version of "The Goodbye Girl" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It's a wonderfully engaging film that continues to entertain to this day. The 2004 television remake that starred Jeff Daniels as Elliot and Patricia Heaton as Paula was not anywhere as good as the original.

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An over-the-hill Broadway chorus girl with a precocious nine-year-old daughter is forced to share her apartment with a young actor.Genre: Feature Film-ComedyRating: PGRelease Date: 18-JAN-2000Media Type: DVD

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Leaves of Grass (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Leaves of Grass isn't a movie that you can easily categorize. While it doesn't offer up laughs every few minutes, it's still a clever comedy in the vein of a Coen Brothers film. But you also can't quite call it a black comedy completely in the spirit of Burn After Reading or Fargo. It's equal parts crime drama, humor, romance and philosophy.
The film revolves around the intertwining lives of two identical twins, played by the incredibly talented Edward Norton. Ivy League philosophy professor Bill Kincaid is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown as part of a scheme cooked up by Mary Jane growing brother Brady. The first half hour of the film moves slowly but quickly gains momentum when the two siblings eventually cross paths.
The best part of this movie is easily watching Norton put on brilliant performances as both brothers. The supporting cast is top-notch as well, especially director Tim Blake Nelson in the role of Bolger, Brady's partner in crime. Nelson slips into the role effortlessly, which is no surprise considering he himself is a real-life Okie (a Jewish one at that, which influences a subplot of the movie). My only gripe with casting was Richard Dreyfuss as Jewish gangster Pug Rothbaum, with Dreyfuss giving one of the most bizarre attempts at a Southern accent in film.
I enjoyed the cinematography, Jeff Danna's work on the score, and the infusion of philosophy into the film. As a Southerner, I appreciated the fact that Brady's accent was no reflection on his intelligence. While not as well-read as his sibling, he still gets the occasional profound message across. The only real complaint I have about the film are the jarring scenes of violence. Considering it's not entirely a dark comedy, scenes that involved murders seemed extremely out of place in this movie.
Overall, watching Edward Norton effectively tackle two completely different roles was a real treat. If you enjoy a good drama or comedy that makes you think, definitely check this one out.

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My Life in Ruins (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Why are there so many critics in this world? This is a sweet, fun movie that opened up a chance for many to see places in Greece that can not be filmed for commercial reasons. Kudos to Nia for gaining approval to film in such fantastic places as Delphi, Olympia and at the Acropolis. This is the perfect movie for a light, summer night or for when you just need a "pick me up." See for yourself. Greece is a magical place and it was a delight to see it on the big screen. Nia is charming on and off screen and I think she is terrific. You go girl!

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Immerse yourself in this sunny, uplifting romantic comedy starring Oscar® nominee Nia Vardalos* (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Academy Award® winner Richard Dreyfuss. Vardalos delivers a charming performance as Georgia, a recently laid-off — though anything but laid-back — history professor-turned-travel guide to a motley crew of hilariously crass tourists. Georgia is fed up and ready to give up — until her new confidant Irv (Dreyfuss) opens her eyes and heart to a simple fact: There’s no finer way for a woman to find her kefi (a.k.a. mojo) than to lose herself in the arms of the “Greek god” (Alexis Georgoulis) who’s been hiding right under her nose!
Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital / French: Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed: English & French / Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1

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Always (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)Richard Dreyfuss is a pilot, and kind of a wild card when it comes to his fire fighter flying. This concerns the people around him, girlfriend Holly Hunter and best friend John Goodman, but Dreyfuss shruggs it off because this is what he does. Finally Hunter convinces him he should take a job in Flat Rock, Colorado training pilots to do what he does. Unfortunately he never makes it to Flat Rock, at least not in the flesh. Not trying to give too much away, Dreyfuss comes back as a sort of guardian angel, forced to deal with two things: his love for Hunter and his duty to a young pilot she falls for.
Always is a well made picture. From Spielberg we expect nothing less, though I think his name hinders this film**. The cinematography and the score are excellent as in all his films, as are the action sequences involving the planes. However, the acting is the strongest part of this film. This is the kind of role Dreyfuss shines in. His fusion of wit and sincere emotion is wonderfull and he delivers some difficult monologues which would seem trite is lesser hands. Holly Hunter and John Goodman are excellent as the people dealing with his loss. Also Audrey Hepburn makes her final screen appearance in two scenes as an angel (how fitting).
**I have this theory about Always. It was almost universally panned by critics, but I think the criticism is directed more at Spielberg than at the film. Certainly Spielberg has made better pictures, and perhaps this film was made on a grander scale than it needed to be, but I think if any other director had done this film it would not have received so much scrutiny. But, I also believe in the hands of a lesser director this movie would not be as good. Always combines action, humor, genuine sorrow, and happiness , and it combines them well, which is no small achievement. Spielberg made a good film, let it go.

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American Graffiti (Collector's Edition) (High School Reunion Collection) (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Where were you in `62?"
I wasn't around in `62 -- I was born in `63, as a matter of fact, and I was 10 when George Lucas' American Graffiti was released. I wasn't really aware of either George Lucas or American Graffiti in 1973, although four years later I would know Lucas from his next -- and most popular -- film, Star Wars. I did not go to the movies much in 1973, but I saw this wonderful film when it was broadcast by ABC some years later. (ABC, capitalizing on its "hot" new sitcom, Three's Company, shamelessly promoted it as "starring Suzanne Somers." In fact, Suzanne is not even billed with the eight "stars.")
If film and television historians have it right, though, American Graffiti was the catalyst for the 1950s Nostalgia fad that begat TV's Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and the blessedly short-lived Joanie Loves Chachi (not to mention Sha Na Na and Broadway`s Grease). And it isn't terribly surprising that Happy Days and its spin-offs owe their inspiration -- if not their very existence -- to Lucas' first major culturally significant film. Happy Days starred Ron Howard, who (as Ronny Howard) had second billing in Graffiti, while Laverne and Shirley costar Cindy Williams was the female lead.
American Graffiti is a bittersweet yet comedic look at what the DVD publicity blurb says was "America's last age of innocence." In the summer of `62, JFK was in the White House, the Beatles were still unknown in this side of the Atlantic, and drive in diners and movie palaces were very popular. There was no Internet or even Studio 54 just yet, so kids went cruising, looking for girls to pick up or rivals to race in their souped-up hot rods. (Lucas, in the Making Of documentary on the 25th Anniversary DVD, says his intent in making American Graffiti was to document cruising as a socio-cultural phenomenon that died in the more turbulent half of the 1960s.)
The movie's structure -- commonplace now but it was revolutionary at the time -- intertwines several plots involving a group of recently graduated Southern California high school seniors on their last night before going to college. Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) is fretting about going to college in the East with his friend Steve (Howard). Wracked with indecision, he spends his last night in town searching for The Blonde in the White Thunderbird (Suzanne Somers in her first, albeit small, role). His misadventures cause him to step out of character, especially when he crosses paths with The Pharohs, the local gang of miscreants.
Curt's sister Laurie (Williams) must not only cope with her brother's last minute bout with "cold feet" but with the fear of losing Steve. In what may be a typical situation for couples who are "steady" but are going to be separated by circumstances, she's devastated by Steve's suggestion that they "see other people" while they are in school. "I can't expect you to be a monk," Laurie says with false bravado, but in "The Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" sequence, it is obvious that she is hurt and angry.
The other two subplots of this wonderful film center on Toad (Charlie Martin Smith) and John (Paul Le Mat). Toad is the car-crazy, girl-deprived nerd that we either knew in school or that we recognize in ourselves. His attempts to impress the lovely Debbie (Candy Clark) are hilarious -- rivaled only by a similarly themed scene in Summer of '42 -- only to discover that Debbie likes him for who he really is. John, on the other hand, is the Han Solo of this bunch, the high school dropout who loves fast cars and even faster women. He, too, discovers a tender side as he is saddled with 12-year-old Carol (a pre-One Day at a Time Mackenzie Phillips). Not only must he learn patience while driving around with Carol, but also he is being challenged as the top drag racer by Bob Falfa (played by the man who would be Han Solo, Harrison Ford).
All these stories will converge in a climactic, winner take all race, and several Lucas touchstones will resurface in his later Star Wars series -- the choice to either take or reject a certain path, the relationship between men and their machines, and the quest for either love or adventure.
Serving as a unifying thread to all these subplots is Wolfman Jack, mostly heard on the radio but seen briefly in a Yoda/Ben Kenobi style of mentor for restless Curt.
Lucas uses music here very effectively. Each song (and there are over 40 here, ranging from Rock Around the Clock to The Great Pretender) was chosen to provide emotional context, not just period atmosphere. He envisioned American Graffiti as a musical "with no singing or dancing."
This film is fun to watch and definitely deserves having been votes as one of the American Film Institute's top 100 Films of All Time. Watch it with a friend or alone, and if you were of age in the 1960s, answer the movie's famous log line: "Where were you in `62?"

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Mr. Holland's Opus (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Recent showing of "Music of My Heart" starring Merryl Strepp as a substitute teacher striving to sustain a violin program for low-income kids in New York City reminds me of this all-time favorite classic released back in 1996. The bottom line is love.
Situated in Oregon in the fall of 1964, Glen Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) took up a job as a high school music teacher as his wife became pregant. Holland, now shouldered with added responsibility as a soon-to-be father, a composer, and a teacher, faced the immediate challenge of working with a diverse group of students: the naturally talented, the rebellious, and the physically impaired.
This is a movie about love and love of music. Glenn Holland is the central figure who strives to love his students and family through his devotion to music. Born deaf-toned, the dream of teaching his own son to become an eminent violinist inevitably bursts with much frustration. Glenn Holland is not perfect; in fact, interactions with his students through failures and triumphs gradually refine him to be a loving and well-respected man. Love propels him to reconcile his frustration for his son and breaks the ice in his relationship with his wife.
For over 30 years, this young composer has taught generations of students not only about music, but love, respect, faith, and confidence. The final reunion of his students features orchestration of "American Symphony" to pay the highest tribute to this self-sacrificing teacher.
This is a movie that will move every soul and make everyone's tears roll down the cheek. It's all about love, and love moves. After 4 years since I first watched the premiere, it still touches my heart and brings tears to my eyes when I see it again on my flight to Asia.

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Acclaimed star Richard Dreyfuss gives the performance of a lifetime (1995 Academy Award(R)-nominee, Best Actor -- MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS) in this uplifting hit cheered by audiences everywhere! Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a passionate musician who dreams of composing one truly memorable piece of music. But reality intrudes when he reluctantly accepts a "day job" as a high school music teacher to support his family. In time, however, Mr. Holland realizes that his real passion is teaching, and his legacy is the generations of young people he inspires. Also featuring Glenne Headly (BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS) and Olympia Dukakis (MAFIA!) -- you're sure to find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining ... and unforgettable!

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Tin Man (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are expecting ruby slippers and a cackling green lady, you are in for an awakening of your own. Growing up with singing munchkins, I realized, hey, I am a grownup. And SciFi seemed to realize it too with a magnificent departure from the 1939 MGM film to a brilliant, futuristic, decadent, and sometimes apocalyptic telling. The reinventions of characters and fantastical sets soon transport you from the familiar to a place you find yourself hard to take your eyes off of-- from phosphorous-glowing trees, desolate paths, Metropolitan-like art deco palaces, and underworlds unlike anything and then again reminiscent of a certain alphabet city pre-Rudy.
The story itself is not for the kiddies. Mine were told continuously to leave the room, go play, and find something else to do. But the grown up fairy tale is long overdue. The story actually had twists, turns, and menacing meaning-- much more substance and meaning than the trifles the network and cable gurus seem to thrust down our throats.
I honestly cannot wait until the DVD comes out to feast my peepers on the rich masterpiece SciFi laid out for the holidays. (A much better smorgasborg than the Cheeto-fare of Lifetime).
And for just desserts-- SciFi scored an incredible coup with incredibly gifted actors perfectly tailored for each role-- most notably Alan Cumming for Glitch, Neal McDonough as the titular Tin Man, and the remarkable "evil" Azkadelia played by Kathleen Robertson.
Evil no longer is a personality trait to just carry a plot, but in this series, actually has a real beginning, reason to exist, and a true part in throughout the series up to the climatic end. This series is like a force of nature that I found myself carried away in-- somewhat like DG.

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A tent-pole miniseries release from RHI Entertainment and SCI FI Channel, Tin Man is a modern science fiction update of L. Frank Baum’s timeless "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." When a sorceress named Azkadellia scorches the once-beautiful land of OZ into a desolate wasteland, the only hope lies in an "outsider" named DG, a young Midwestern woman, whose troubling dreams have summoned her to the doomed paradise.D.G. embarks on a journey to find the great mystic man to save the O.Z. and on her way she befriends a scarecrow named Glitch, a tin cop named Cain, and gentle manimal named Raw. Journey beyond the yellow brick road withTin Man, now on DVD for the first time in this 2-Disc Collector's Edition with amazing bonus features and collectible packaging.

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