This huge 1993 hit for Robin Williams and director Chris Columbus (Home Alone), based on a novel called Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine, stars Williams as a loving but flaky father estranged from his frustrated wife (Sally Field). Devastated by a court order limiting his time with the children, Williams's character disguises himself as a warm, old British nanny who becomes the kids' best friend. As with Dustin Hoffman's performance in Tootsie, Williams's drag act--buried under layers of latex and padding--is the show, and everything and everyone else on screen serves his sometimes frantic role. Since that's the case, it's fortunate that Williams is Williams, and his performance is terribly funny at times and exceptionally believable in those scenes where his character misses his children. Playing Williams's brother, a professional makeup artist, Harvey Fierstein has a good support role in a bright sequence where he tries a number of feminine looks on Williams before settling on Mrs Doubtfire's visage. --Tom Keogh
What sounds like a high-concept romantic comedy pitch from hell--widower president falls for smart lobbyist while the world watches--is actually intelligent, charming, touching and quite funny. Granted, it's wish fulfilment all the way (when was the last time you saw a president who was truly presidential?) but in the capable hands of writer Aaron Sorkin (TV's Sports Night) and director Rob Reiner, TheAmerican President is incredibly enjoyable entertainment with quite a few ideas about both romance and the government. Michael Douglas stars as the president, who after three years in office starts thinking about the possibility of dating. When he auspiciously encounters cutthroat environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), sparks begin to crackle and the two begin a tentative but heartfelt romance. Of course, his job gets in the way--their first kiss is interrupted by a Libyan bombing--but darn it if these two kids aren't going to try and make it work! However, they hadn't counted on the president's Republican antagonist (Richard Dreyfuss), who starts carping about family values. The predictable plot--Douglas finally goes to bat for his lady and his country--is leavened by Sorkin's wonderful, snappy dialogue and a light touch from the usually subtle-as-a-sledgehammer Reiner. Both manage to create a believable White House-office atmosphere (with a crack staff including Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith and Samantha Mathis) as well as a plausible and funny dating scenario. The true success of the movie, though, rides squarely on Douglas and Bening; this is unequivocally Douglas's best comedic performance (ergo his best performance, period) and Bening, usually such a good bad girl, takes a standard career-woman role and fleshes it out magnificently. You can see in an instant why Douglas would fall for her. One of the best unsung romantic comedies of the 90s. --Mark Englehart
Jim Carrey is back in top form after his disastrous outing in The Cable Guy. As a lawyer who becomes physically unable to tell a lie for 24 hours after his son makes a magical birthday wish, Carrey learns a few brutal truths about the real meaning of life. There is very little plot, but Carrey's rubbery contortions and slapstick trickery provide just enough humour to keep you interested in this breezy bit of escapism. Not aided in Liar Liar by pets or animation, Carrey manages to do amazing and unique things with very simple props. He is also more in control of his acting than before. He is still over the top, but remains believable in some of the lower-energy scenes. An added plus is that the comedy is not as coarse as we've come to expect from him. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Readers of John Berendt's bestselling novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, were bound to be at least somewhat disappointed by this big-screen adaptation, but despite mixed reaction from critics and audiences, there's still plenty to admire about director Clint Eastwood's take on the material. Readers will surely miss the rich atmosphere and societal detail that Berendt brought to his "Savannah story," and the movie can only scratch the surface of Georgian history, tradition and wealthy decadence underlying Berendt's fact-based murder mystery. Still, Eastwood maintains an assured focus on the wonderful eccentrics of Savannah, most notably a gay Savannah antiques dealer (superbly played by Kevin Spacey), who may or may not have killed his friend and alleged lover (Jude Law). John Cusack plays the Town & Country journalist who arrives in Savannah to find much more than he bargained for--including the city's legendary drag queen Lady Chablis (playing "herself")--and John Lee Hancock's smoothly adapted screenplay succeeds in bringing Berendt's characters vividly to life with plenty of flavourful dialogue. --Jeff Shannon
Mrs Doubtfire: How far would an ordinary father go to spend more time with his children? Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is no ordinary father so when he learns his ex-wife (Sally Field) needs a housekeeper he applies for the job. With the perfect wig a little makeup and a dress for all occasions he becomes Mrs Doubtfire a devoted British housekeeper who is hired on the spot. Free to be the 'woman' he never knew he could be the disguised Daniel creates a whole new life with his entire family! Dunston Checks In: An orangutan called Dunston checks into a hotel which he proceeds to turn upside down. The manager's son Kyle is determined to help Dunston escape to a new life... Baby's Day Out: The Cotwell family arrange a family portrait only to discover that the photographers are kidnappers!
Marion Crane is a Phoenix, Arizona working girl fed up with having to sneak away during lunch breaks to meet her lover, Sam Loomis, who cannot get married because most of his money goes towards alimony.
Experience a magical journey of discovery as three children race against time to stop a group of greedy Artic oil prospectors from accidently blowing up Santa Claus! The children's father Michael - also the prospector's head geologist - is under pressure from his boss to strike it big before Christmas. In a desperate bid to save his job he begins blasting with dynamite but unknowingly also starts to cause serious damage to North Pole City - the fantastical home of Santa Claus an
Ice Age Seemingly anti-social Manny a woolly mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano) acts as if he just wants to be left alone. When he meets Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo) a sloth the two become unlikely traveling companions. The plot thickens when the duo finds a human infant and decides to try to return the child to its herd. Manny slowly but surely reveals his heart of gold while Sid continues to provide comic relief. Diego (voiced by Denis Leary) a saber-tooth tiger with ulterior motives soon joins them in their search for the humans. Ultimately this group of misfits becomes its own herd learning about friendship and loyalty as they brave snow ice freezing temperatures predators hail and even boiling lava pits. All the while a saber-tooth squirrel Scrat provides comic relief as he valiantly struggles with an acorn. Chicken Run Trouble is brewing down on Mrs Tweedy's poultry farm: the chickens are revolting (yes that old chestnut) and clucky hen Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha) is planning her latest coop um coup. Getting one or two birds out of the farm is no problem whatsoever. Unfortunately Ginger plans to get everyone out at the same time and when one of the would-be escapees happens to be kind-hearted but bird-brained Babs (Jane Horrocks) Ginger is fighting a losing battle. Home Alone Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has become the man of the house overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he's not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in and Kevin's rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them! Mrs Doubtfire How far would an ordinary father go to spend more time with his children? Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is no ordinary father so when he learns his ex-wife (Sally Field) needs a housekeeper he applies for the job. With the perfect wig a little makeup and a dress for all occasions he becomes Mrs Doubtfire a devoted British housekeeper who is hired on the spot. James And The Giant Peach James Henry Trotter a lonely orphan is sent to live with horribly wicked Aunts Spiker and Sponge. He escapes his aunts by climbing inside a giant peach from were he embarks on a series of wildly imaginative adventures.
After eight years of top cybernetic research K-9000 a German Shepherd dog steals the show with his range of special powers as he teams with Detective Eddie Monroe and Dr Aja Turner in their fight against the evil Anton Zeiss.....
Before he dies Ed Reece has got some unfinished business... Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas gives a terrific performance as an eccentric old man determined to revisit some milestones from his past and reconcile with his feuding family in this superb drama. With a brilliant witty script from Oscar winning Ernest Thompson (On Golden Pond). 'The Lies Boys Tell' also stars Craig T Nelson (Poltergiest) and the veteren character actress Eileen Brennan (Private Benjamin).
Before he dies Ed Reece has got some unfinished business... Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas gives a terrific performance as an eccentric old man determined to revisit some milestones from his past and reconcile with his feuding family in this superb drama. With a brilliant witty script from Oscar winning Ernest Thompson (On Golden Pond). 'The Lies Boys Tell' also stars Craig T Nelson (Poltergiest) and the veteren character actress Eileen Brennan (Private Benjamin).
Once a year Tanner invites a small group of friends with whom he studied at Berkley to a social gathering known as the Osterman Weekend named after Bernard Osterman (Craig T. Nelson) at whose home the first such meeting took place. Shortly before the latest Osterman Weekend is due to happen the CIA convinces Tanner that one of his friends is a KGB operative involved in a conspiracy that threatens national security. He agrees to have his home wired with video and audio surveillance equipment in the hopes of uncovering the traitor. On arrival at Tanner's house the friends soon realise what's going on and the amiable tone of the weekend rapidly degenerates into a tense psychological battle of wits leading to an orgy of violence.
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