Opposition to the Academy’s plan to award eight Oscars prior to the live telecast continues to grow, with more than 350 new names — including more than a dozen Oscar-winning editors, cinematographers and production designers — added to the petition sent last week to Academy president David Rubin urging a reversal of the plan.
Among the industry professionals signing are Oscar-winning cinematographers John Seale (“The English Patient”), John Toll (“Braveheart”) and Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”), and Oscar-winning editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), Mikkel Neilsen (“The Sound of Metal”), Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) and Zach Staenberg (“The Matrix”).
Oscar-winning production designers Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther”), Barbara Ling (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Stockhausen (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) and David and Sandy Wasco (“La La Land”) also signed on.
Cinematography will be presented during the live show, but editing and production design are among the eight awards to be presented during the 4 p.
Among the industry professionals signing are Oscar-winning cinematographers John Seale (“The English Patient”), John Toll (“Braveheart”) and Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”), and Oscar-winning editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), Mikkel Neilsen (“The Sound of Metal”), Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) and Zach Staenberg (“The Matrix”).
Oscar-winning production designers Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther”), Barbara Ling (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Stockhausen (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) and David and Sandy Wasco (“La La Land”) also signed on.
Cinematography will be presented during the live show, but editing and production design are among the eight awards to be presented during the 4 p.
- 3/17/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
“
"Altman’S Downton Upstairs Abbey Downstairs”
By Raymond Benson
The magnificent Robert Altman whodunnit, Gosford Park, has received a top-class Blu-ray restoration and re-issue from Arrow Academy, and it is a gem.
Originally released in 2001, Gosford Park took its cue from the immensely popular BBC television series, Upstairs, Downstairs—about the dramas that exist in a stately British manor between the “upstairs” folk—the wealthy upper-class family that owns the property, and the “downstairs” people—the servants and staff who run the household. Throw in a dash of Agatha Christie, and a heaping helping of Robert Altman’s ensemble improvisatory magic, and you have the director’s only full-fledged British production. Interestingly, the screenwriter, Julian Fellowes (who won the Oscar for Original Screenplay) went on to create and write the next immensely popular BBC television series, Downton Abbey, which resembles Gosford Park in many ways.
Film historians will certainly recognize...
"Altman’S Downton Upstairs Abbey Downstairs”
By Raymond Benson
The magnificent Robert Altman whodunnit, Gosford Park, has received a top-class Blu-ray restoration and re-issue from Arrow Academy, and it is a gem.
Originally released in 2001, Gosford Park took its cue from the immensely popular BBC television series, Upstairs, Downstairs—about the dramas that exist in a stately British manor between the “upstairs” folk—the wealthy upper-class family that owns the property, and the “downstairs” people—the servants and staff who run the household. Throw in a dash of Agatha Christie, and a heaping helping of Robert Altman’s ensemble improvisatory magic, and you have the director’s only full-fledged British production. Interestingly, the screenwriter, Julian Fellowes (who won the Oscar for Original Screenplay) went on to create and write the next immensely popular BBC television series, Downton Abbey, which resembles Gosford Park in many ways.
Film historians will certainly recognize...
- 2/1/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
At least twenty fine actors and stars make Robert Altman’s period piece about a party in a big English country house into a gala occasion. The show is also a fascinating entree into a classed world of masters and servants. The drama of manners could also be described as a mystery who-dunnit. Either way, we’re floored by excellent work from a stellar cast.
Gosford Park
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy USA
2001 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 131 min. / Street Date , 2018 / Available from Arrow Video
Starring: Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance, Geraldine Somerville, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban, James Wilby, Claudie Blakley, Laurence Fox, Trent Ford, Ryan Phillippe, Stephen Fry, Ron Webster, Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Helen Mirren, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Richard E. Grant.
Cinematography: Andrew Dunn
Film Editor: Tim Squyres
Production Design: Stephen Altman
Original Music: Patrick Doyle
Written by Julian Fellowes,...
Gosford Park
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy USA
2001 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 131 min. / Street Date , 2018 / Available from Arrow Video
Starring: Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance, Geraldine Somerville, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban, James Wilby, Claudie Blakley, Laurence Fox, Trent Ford, Ryan Phillippe, Stephen Fry, Ron Webster, Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Helen Mirren, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Richard E. Grant.
Cinematography: Andrew Dunn
Film Editor: Tim Squyres
Production Design: Stephen Altman
Original Music: Patrick Doyle
Written by Julian Fellowes,...
- 12/1/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Robert Altman’s Gosford Park will be available on Blu-ray November 27th from Arrow Academy
Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.
In 2001, Robert Altman took the unexpected step into Agatha Christie territory with Gosford Park, a murder-mystery whodunit set in an English country house starring a host of British acting greats and with an Oscar-winning screenplay by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It would become a huge success with audiences and critics alike.
Set in 1932, the action unfolds during a weekend shooting party hosted by Sir William McArdle (Alan Bates), and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) at his estate, Gosford Park. Among the guests are friends, relatives, the actor and composer Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), and an American film producer (Bob Balaban). When Sir William is found murdered in the library, everyone and their servants becomes a suspect.
Also starring Charles Dance, Michael Gambon, Richard E. Grant,...
Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.
In 2001, Robert Altman took the unexpected step into Agatha Christie territory with Gosford Park, a murder-mystery whodunit set in an English country house starring a host of British acting greats and with an Oscar-winning screenplay by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It would become a huge success with audiences and critics alike.
Set in 1932, the action unfolds during a weekend shooting party hosted by Sir William McArdle (Alan Bates), and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) at his estate, Gosford Park. Among the guests are friends, relatives, the actor and composer Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), and an American film producer (Bob Balaban). When Sir William is found murdered in the library, everyone and their servants becomes a suspect.
Also starring Charles Dance, Michael Gambon, Richard E. Grant,...
- 11/21/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Success in the ’90s gave Robert Altman the opportunity to experiment once again. Several short stories by Raymond Carver interlock in a mosaic of Los Angeles populated by scores of actors in ensemble mode. Clocking in at three hours, Altman’s epic has all the time and space it needs.
Short Cuts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 265
1993 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 187 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 18, 2016 / 39.95
Starring Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore,
Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Margery Bond, Robert DoQui.
Cinematography Walt Lloyd
Production Designer Stephen Altman
Art Direction Jerry Fleming
Film Editors Suzy Elmiger, Geraldine Peroni
Original Music Gavin Friday, Mark Isham
Written by Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt from writings...
Short Cuts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 265
1993 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 187 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 18, 2016 / 39.95
Starring Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore,
Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Margery Bond, Robert DoQui.
Cinematography Walt Lloyd
Production Designer Stephen Altman
Art Direction Jerry Fleming
Film Editors Suzy Elmiger, Geraldine Peroni
Original Music Gavin Friday, Mark Isham
Written by Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt from writings...
- 12/10/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
On Friday, a New Jersey appeals court overturned the conviction of Dharun Ravi, People confirms. The court has also ordered a new trial for the former Rutgers University student - who was found guilty four years ago of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation after secretly filming roommate Tyler Clementi's romantic encounters with another man, days before Clementi killed himself. Attorneys for Ravi, who was found guilty in 2012, argued that a recent change in the state's bias law should nullify their client's conviction. His defense has long argued Ravi's actions did not play a role in Clementi's death. In its decision,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Chris Harris, @chrisharrisment
- PEOPLE.com
On Friday, a New Jersey appeals court overturned the conviction of Dharun Ravi, People confirms. The court has also ordered a new trial for the former Rutgers University student - who was found guilty four years ago of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation after secretly filming roommate Tyler Clementi's romantic encounters with another man, days before Clementi killed himself. Attorneys for Ravi, who was found guilty in 2012, argued that a recent change in the state's bias law should nullify their client's conviction. His defense has long argued Ravi's actions did not play a role in Clementi's death. In its decision,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Chris Harris, @chrisharrisment
- PEOPLE.com
Robert Altman's murder tale reeks of insider access and Hollywood hipster Bs; its main claim to greatness is its fifty-plus star cameos. It may no longer seem as smart as it looked in 1992, but they don't make 'em any slicker than this. The Player Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 812 1992 / Color /1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / Available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 24, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lyle Lovett. Cinematography Jean Lépine Original Music Thomas Newman Written by Michael Tolkin from his novel Produced by David Brown, Michael Tolkin, Nick Wechsler Directed by Robert Altman
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Robert Altman's filmography is undergoing what looks like a full retrospective through Criterion; even the 1975 title Nashville came out not long ago. This very successful later picture marks a revitalization of the director's career. It's sort of a Kafkaesque spin on Hail,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Robert Altman's filmography is undergoing what looks like a full retrospective through Criterion; even the 1975 title Nashville came out not long ago. This very successful later picture marks a revitalization of the director's career. It's sort of a Kafkaesque spin on Hail,...
- 5/31/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's new on Netflix and TV, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Finest Hours"
Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana lead a band of brothers on the high sea in this action thriller based on the true story of a 1952 U.S. Coast Guard rescue. Check it out on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, and On-Demand on May 24. There's a ton of great bonus footage including the new documentary "Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story"; "Brotherhood," with the cast members reflecting on the bonds they forged during the shoot; "Two Crews," with Chris Pine and Casey Affleck sharing insights into Bernie Webber and Ray Sybert; behind-the-scenes interviews with real U.S. Coast Guard members; and new deleted scenes.
Check out...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Finest Hours"
Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana lead a band of brothers on the high sea in this action thriller based on the true story of a 1952 U.S. Coast Guard rescue. Check it out on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, and On-Demand on May 24. There's a ton of great bonus footage including the new documentary "Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story"; "Brotherhood," with the cast members reflecting on the bonds they forged during the shoot; "Two Crews," with Chris Pine and Casey Affleck sharing insights into Bernie Webber and Ray Sybert; behind-the-scenes interviews with real U.S. Coast Guard members; and new deleted scenes.
Check out...
- 5/23/2016
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Stoney Lake Entertainment has announced that Left Behind, starring Oscar winner Nicolas Cage, will be released on October 3rd.
Directed by filmmaker Vic Armstrong (Thor, Amazing Spider-man, War Of The Worlds), the apocalyptic action-adventure also features Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Nicky Whelan, Lea Thompson and Jordin Sparks.
Left Behind follows Rayford Steele (Cage) who is piloting a commercial airliner just hours after the Rapture when millions of people around the globe simply vanish. Thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic, Rayford is faced with a damaged plane, terrified passengers, and a desperate desire to get back to his family. On the ground, his daughter, Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is among those left behind, forced to navigate a world of madness as she searches for her lost mother and brother.
Shot mostly in and around Baton Rouge, La., Left Behind was produced by Paul Lalonde and Michael Walker and co-written by Paul Lalonde and John Patus.
Directed by filmmaker Vic Armstrong (Thor, Amazing Spider-man, War Of The Worlds), the apocalyptic action-adventure also features Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Nicky Whelan, Lea Thompson and Jordin Sparks.
Left Behind follows Rayford Steele (Cage) who is piloting a commercial airliner just hours after the Rapture when millions of people around the globe simply vanish. Thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic, Rayford is faced with a damaged plane, terrified passengers, and a desperate desire to get back to his family. On the ground, his daughter, Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is among those left behind, forced to navigate a world of madness as she searches for her lost mother and brother.
Shot mostly in and around Baton Rouge, La., Left Behind was produced by Paul Lalonde and Michael Walker and co-written by Paul Lalonde and John Patus.
- 3/30/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ravi could get up to 10 years in jail for spying on his roommate, Tyler Clementi.
By Gil Kaufman
Tyler Clementi
Photo: Facebook
A jury found former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi guilty of hate crimes and invasion of privacy on Friday (March 16), bringing to an end a case that helped spark a national debate on cyberbullying.
Ravi was accused of setting up a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, as Clementi engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with another man in the pair's Rutgers dorm room.
Clementi leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in New York three days after learning that Ravi viewed the encounter and, according to testimony, invited others to watch and discuss what he saw online. According to The New York Times, in addition to the hate crimes, the jury found Ravi guilty of tampering with evidence and witnesses because of his...
By Gil Kaufman
Tyler Clementi
Photo: Facebook
A jury found former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi guilty of hate crimes and invasion of privacy on Friday (March 16), bringing to an end a case that helped spark a national debate on cyberbullying.
Ravi was accused of setting up a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, as Clementi engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with another man in the pair's Rutgers dorm room.
Clementi leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in New York three days after learning that Ravi viewed the encounter and, according to testimony, invited others to watch and discuss what he saw online. According to The New York Times, in addition to the hate crimes, the jury found Ravi guilty of tampering with evidence and witnesses because of his...
- 3/16/2012
- MTV Music News
Janie Jones writer/director David M. Rosenthal
In David M. Rosenthal’s latest feature, Janie Jones, we meet Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), a petulant beer-guzzling indie rocker on the verge of being washed-up who is suddenly confronted with a reality beyond sound checks and publishing issues: he is abruptly introduced to the daughter he birthed 13 years prior, Janie Jones (Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin). The introduction is accompanied by abandonment by Janie’s mother (fellow Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue), a once groupie who is still hooked on that lifestyle’s accessories: mainly drugs and a bad choice in men. What follows is more than a look into the budding relationship between a father and daughter, we see Ethan recognizing his place in the world a little more clearly and a young girl discovering her talent has great value to many people.
Mr. Rosenthal wrote and directed this film which came out...
In David M. Rosenthal’s latest feature, Janie Jones, we meet Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), a petulant beer-guzzling indie rocker on the verge of being washed-up who is suddenly confronted with a reality beyond sound checks and publishing issues: he is abruptly introduced to the daughter he birthed 13 years prior, Janie Jones (Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin). The introduction is accompanied by abandonment by Janie’s mother (fellow Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue), a once groupie who is still hooked on that lifestyle’s accessories: mainly drugs and a bad choice in men. What follows is more than a look into the budding relationship between a father and daughter, we see Ethan recognizing his place in the world a little more clearly and a young girl discovering her talent has great value to many people.
Mr. Rosenthal wrote and directed this film which came out...
- 10/27/2011
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent
Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman refused to dismiss criminal charges against defendant Dharun Ravi in the Tyler Clementi case on Friday. Ravi stands accused of using a webcam to stream coverage of his Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi with another man last September. Clementi committed suicide last fall following the incident. "I'm finding there is testimony to support these charges," Judge Berman said during the hearing. Related: Tyler Clementi's Final DaysDefense attorney Steven Altman also asked the judge to make the prosecution give them the name of "M.B.," the man Clementi was with when Ravi allegedly spied on...
- 9/9/2011
- by Nicole Weisensee Egan
- PEOPLE.com
From the very beginning it seems Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi were not a roommate match made in heaven, according to court documents released Thursday. Having first checked out the other online, Ravi was alarmed when he saw a Facebook profile of someone with Tyler's first name who was "flamboyantly gay," the documents say. "Upon learning that his roommate was actually Tyler, the defendant commented that his real roommate was 'also gay but regular gay,' " according to a motion to dismiss all charges against Ravi filed Wednesday by his attorney, Steven Altman. In April a grand jury approved 15 charges against Ravi,...
- 8/13/2011
- by Nicole Weisensee Egan
- PEOPLE.com
Fourteen minutes after Tyler Clementi posted on his Facebook wall that he was jumping off the George Washington Bridge, he received a text message from his roommate. "I've known you were gay and I have no problem with it," Dharun Ravi wrote. "In fact, one of my closest friends is gay and he and I have a very open relationship. I just suspected you were shy about it which is why I never broached the topic." That text is among reams of texts and emails filed Thursday in court papers arguing for the dismissal of charges against Ravi connected to...
- 8/11/2011
- by Nicole Weisensee Egan
- PEOPLE.com
Lifetime Television earned a respectable 11 2010 Emmy Award nominations this morning. Their original film, "Georgia O.Keeffe" nabbed nine nods, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie and its star Joan Allen for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Lifetime.s popular unscripted series "Project Runway" was nominated for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, while its host Heidi Klum was nominated for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. Additional nominations for Georgia O.Keeffe include: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Bob Balaban); Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries of Movie (Stephen Altman, John Bucklin and Helen Britten); Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Michael Dennison and Frances Vega);...
- 7/8/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
A group of 13 creditors who together are owed millions of dollars by David Bergstein and some 75 corporate entities he controls worldwide, including Capitol Films and ThinkFilm, have filed lawsuits in federal court in Los Angeles to force an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the immediate appointment of a trustee to take charge of whatever assets and businesses remain.
The creditors want an injunction to halt the planned auction of rights to more than 800 movies, including "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Air I Breathe" and Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown," scheduled for Monday by a company apparently controlled by Ron Tutor, a construction executive who has been Bergstein's longtime "silent" partner in the movie business.
"Because Bergstein has demonstrated repeatedly that he is unfit and incompetent, it is imperative that the court immediately appoint a trustee," the creditors say in the suits filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
The creditors...
The creditors want an injunction to halt the planned auction of rights to more than 800 movies, including "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Air I Breathe" and Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown," scheduled for Monday by a company apparently controlled by Ron Tutor, a construction executive who has been Bergstein's longtime "silent" partner in the movie business.
"Because Bergstein has demonstrated repeatedly that he is unfit and incompetent, it is imperative that the court immediately appoint a trustee," the creditors say in the suits filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
The creditors...
- 3/18/2010
- by By Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Legendary director Robert Altman has died in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 81. The seven-time Oscar nominee, who picked up an honorary Academy Award earlier this year, passed away Monday night. No cause of death has yet been given. Born in Kansas City, Missouri on February 25, 1925, Altman had a successful career in television before his movie MASH became a box office phenomenon in 1970, spawning the long-running TV series of the same name. Throughout the 1970s, the prolific filmmaker delivered a string of critically acclaimed movies including McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye, California Split and Nashville. Altman's career waned in the 1980s, before re-surging in the early 1990s with the huge ensemble casts of The Player and Short Cuts, a style he pioneered with Nashville in 1975 and A Wedding three years later. The 2001 movie Gosford Park was both a critical and commercial success; his most recent film, A Prairie Home Companion, was released earlier this year. Altman made his London theatrical debut in early 2006, directing Arthur Miller's play Resurrection Blues at the Old Vic in London under artistic director Kevin Spacey. Altman once vowed he would work for the rest of his life: "Retirement? You're talking about death, right?" Twice divorced, Altman is survived by his third wife Kathryn Reed, who he married in 1959, and five children including his son Stephen Altman, who has worked as a production designer on many of his movies.
- 11/22/2006
- WENN
Opens
Friday, Jan. 30
Hollywood's rediscovery of novelist Elmore Leonard, a prime source for Westerns before he turned to tales of crime and bottom-feeding opportunists, has resulted in cinematic riches ranging from "52 Pick-Up" and "Get Shorty", to "Out of Sight" and "Jackie Brown".
"The Big Bounce", culled from his 1969 novel, will never join the ranks of great Leonard screen adaptations. It's too loose and casual, all too willing to trade the writer's trademark wit and literary mischief for slapstick comedy. While its theatrical career will be short, its shelf life in video/DVD should be better. Late at night, when one craves undemanding, forgettable amusement, "The Big Bounce" should provide enough bounce to entertain.
Jack Ryan, a migrant worker with a flexible sense of morality and a penchant for getting into trouble, drifted through several of Leonard Early's crime novels, usually set in Leonard's hometown of Detroit or parts of rural Michigan. George Armitage, who has directed movies set in Michigan ("Grosse Point Blank") and tropical climes ("Miami Blues"), clearly prefers the latter. He and writer Sebastian Gutierrez transpose the story from a Michigan resort town to the North Shore of Hawaii's Oahu. This adds surfing, exotic scenery and a tropical decadence one associates with Somerset Maugham's short stories set in the South Seas. However, this tourist destination lacks the ambiance of a backwater community, where corruption and venality can easily flourish.
Owen Wilson plays Jack, who in the movie's opening sequence cold-cocks his foreman (Vinnie Jones) on a construction job with a baseball bat. When he gets out of jail 30 days later, Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen), a flunky for the shady real estate developer Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise) who hired him, warns Jack to vanish from the island, advice Jack cheerfully ignores.
Surprisingly, a district judge (Morgan Freeman) offers Jack a job as caretaker for a seaside retreat he owns. As if this weren't enough of a lure to stay on, Jack spies Ray's mistress, Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster), a lithe, thrill-seeking beauty who specializes in breaking hearts and get-rich-quick schemes. Wisely, Jack doesn't trust her further than he can throw her. Unwisely, he is eager to gather her into his arms anyway.
"The Big Bounce" doesn't play out in the manner of current caper films. Leonard stories pay more attention to character and milieu and less to building to a heart-pounding climax. Sometimes things don't happen
other times, characters change their minds or see a setup coming before getting trapped.
Armitage plays this one for laughs. Clearly lacking any conviction or much interest in these characters, the director lets his actors goof around in their roles. Wilson and Foster trade quips and dares, dress and undress -- preferably after sneaking into houses or boats they believe to be unoccupied -- but never take the story seriously. Freeman ambles through the movie, giving his scenes no more energy than they deserve.
Sheen and Jones have funny moments as the villain's dumb and dumber assistants. Bebe Neuwirth is an inspired choice to give sass to the cliche of the alcoholic, disillusioned wife of the nasty developer. Meanwhile, Sinise is barely in the movie. Harry Dean Stanton and Willie Nelson drop by to lend scrappy charm to a scene or two. And whenever the action grows stale, which is all too frequently, Armitage cuts to surfers riding giant waves at Waimea or Turtle Bay.
Island melodies waft through George S. Clinton's bouncy score. Cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball and designer Stephen Altman emphasize the vivid colors and luxurious abodes in the still relatively unspoiled surfers' paradise.
THE BIG BOUNCE
Warner Bros. Pictures
Shangri-La Entertainment presents a Material Films production
Credits:
Director: George Armitage
Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
Based on the novel by: Elmore Leonard
Producers: Steve Bing, Jorge Saralegui
Executive producers: Zane Weiner, Brent Armitage
Director of photography: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Production designer: Stephen Altman
Music: George S. Clinton
Costume designer: Betsy Cox
Editors: Brian Berdan, Barry Malkin.
Cast:
Jack Ryan: Owen Wilson
Walter Crewes: Morgan Freeman
Nancy Hayes: Sara Foster
Bob Jr.: Charlie Sheen
Ray Ritchie: Gary Sinise
Lou Harris: Vinnie Jones
Joe Lurie: Willie Nelson
Alison Ritchie: Bebe Neuwirth
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13 Kate Bosworth
Pete: Topher Grace
Tad Hamilton: Josh Duhamel
Richard Levy the Driven: Nathan Lane
Richard Levy the Shameless: Sean Hayes
Henry: Gary Cole
Cathy Feely: Ginnifer Goodwin
Angelica: Kathryn Hahn
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, Jan. 30
Hollywood's rediscovery of novelist Elmore Leonard, a prime source for Westerns before he turned to tales of crime and bottom-feeding opportunists, has resulted in cinematic riches ranging from "52 Pick-Up" and "Get Shorty", to "Out of Sight" and "Jackie Brown".
"The Big Bounce", culled from his 1969 novel, will never join the ranks of great Leonard screen adaptations. It's too loose and casual, all too willing to trade the writer's trademark wit and literary mischief for slapstick comedy. While its theatrical career will be short, its shelf life in video/DVD should be better. Late at night, when one craves undemanding, forgettable amusement, "The Big Bounce" should provide enough bounce to entertain.
Jack Ryan, a migrant worker with a flexible sense of morality and a penchant for getting into trouble, drifted through several of Leonard Early's crime novels, usually set in Leonard's hometown of Detroit or parts of rural Michigan. George Armitage, who has directed movies set in Michigan ("Grosse Point Blank") and tropical climes ("Miami Blues"), clearly prefers the latter. He and writer Sebastian Gutierrez transpose the story from a Michigan resort town to the North Shore of Hawaii's Oahu. This adds surfing, exotic scenery and a tropical decadence one associates with Somerset Maugham's short stories set in the South Seas. However, this tourist destination lacks the ambiance of a backwater community, where corruption and venality can easily flourish.
Owen Wilson plays Jack, who in the movie's opening sequence cold-cocks his foreman (Vinnie Jones) on a construction job with a baseball bat. When he gets out of jail 30 days later, Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen), a flunky for the shady real estate developer Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise) who hired him, warns Jack to vanish from the island, advice Jack cheerfully ignores.
Surprisingly, a district judge (Morgan Freeman) offers Jack a job as caretaker for a seaside retreat he owns. As if this weren't enough of a lure to stay on, Jack spies Ray's mistress, Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster), a lithe, thrill-seeking beauty who specializes in breaking hearts and get-rich-quick schemes. Wisely, Jack doesn't trust her further than he can throw her. Unwisely, he is eager to gather her into his arms anyway.
"The Big Bounce" doesn't play out in the manner of current caper films. Leonard stories pay more attention to character and milieu and less to building to a heart-pounding climax. Sometimes things don't happen
other times, characters change their minds or see a setup coming before getting trapped.
Armitage plays this one for laughs. Clearly lacking any conviction or much interest in these characters, the director lets his actors goof around in their roles. Wilson and Foster trade quips and dares, dress and undress -- preferably after sneaking into houses or boats they believe to be unoccupied -- but never take the story seriously. Freeman ambles through the movie, giving his scenes no more energy than they deserve.
Sheen and Jones have funny moments as the villain's dumb and dumber assistants. Bebe Neuwirth is an inspired choice to give sass to the cliche of the alcoholic, disillusioned wife of the nasty developer. Meanwhile, Sinise is barely in the movie. Harry Dean Stanton and Willie Nelson drop by to lend scrappy charm to a scene or two. And whenever the action grows stale, which is all too frequently, Armitage cuts to surfers riding giant waves at Waimea or Turtle Bay.
Island melodies waft through George S. Clinton's bouncy score. Cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball and designer Stephen Altman emphasize the vivid colors and luxurious abodes in the still relatively unspoiled surfers' paradise.
THE BIG BOUNCE
Warner Bros. Pictures
Shangri-La Entertainment presents a Material Films production
Credits:
Director: George Armitage
Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
Based on the novel by: Elmore Leonard
Producers: Steve Bing, Jorge Saralegui
Executive producers: Zane Weiner, Brent Armitage
Director of photography: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Production designer: Stephen Altman
Music: George S. Clinton
Costume designer: Betsy Cox
Editors: Brian Berdan, Barry Malkin.
Cast:
Jack Ryan: Owen Wilson
Walter Crewes: Morgan Freeman
Nancy Hayes: Sara Foster
Bob Jr.: Charlie Sheen
Ray Ritchie: Gary Sinise
Lou Harris: Vinnie Jones
Joe Lurie: Willie Nelson
Alison Ritchie: Bebe Neuwirth
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13 Kate Bosworth
Pete: Topher Grace
Tad Hamilton: Josh Duhamel
Richard Levy the Driven: Nathan Lane
Richard Levy the Shameless: Sean Hayes
Henry: Gary Cole
Cathy Feely: Ginnifer Goodwin
Angelica: Kathryn Hahn
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Opens
Friday, Jan. 30
Hollywood's rediscovery of novelist Elmore Leonard, a prime source for Westerns before he turned to tales of crime and bottom-feeding opportunists, has resulted in cinematic riches ranging from "52 Pick-Up" and "Get Shorty", to "Out of Sight" and "Jackie Brown".
"The Big Bounce", culled from his 1969 novel, will never join the ranks of great Leonard screen adaptations. It's too loose and casual, all too willing to trade the writer's trademark wit and literary mischief for slapstick comedy. While its theatrical career will be short, its shelf life in video/DVD should be better. Late at night, when one craves undemanding, forgettable amusement, "The Big Bounce" should provide enough bounce to entertain.
Jack Ryan, a migrant worker with a flexible sense of morality and a penchant for getting into trouble, drifted through several of Leonard Early's crime novels, usually set in Leonard's hometown of Detroit or parts of rural Michigan. George Armitage, who has directed movies set in Michigan ("Grosse Point Blank") and tropical climes ("Miami Blues"), clearly prefers the latter. He and writer Sebastian Gutierrez transpose the story from a Michigan resort town to the North Shore of Hawaii's Oahu. This adds surfing, exotic scenery and a tropical decadence one associates with Somerset Maugham's short stories set in the South Seas. However, this tourist destination lacks the ambiance of a backwater community, where corruption and venality can easily flourish.
Owen Wilson plays Jack, who in the movie's opening sequence cold-cocks his foreman (Vinnie Jones) on a construction job with a baseball bat. When he gets out of jail 30 days later, Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen), a flunky for the shady real estate developer Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise) who hired him, warns Jack to vanish from the island, advice Jack cheerfully ignores.
Surprisingly, a district judge (Morgan Freeman) offers Jack a job as caretaker for a seaside retreat he owns. As if this weren't enough of a lure to stay on, Jack spies Ray's mistress, Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster), a lithe, thrill-seeking beauty who specializes in breaking hearts and get-rich-quick schemes. Wisely, Jack doesn't trust her further than he can throw her. Unwisely, he is eager to gather her into his arms anyway.
"The Big Bounce" doesn't play out in the manner of current caper films. Leonard stories pay more attention to character and milieu and less to building to a heart-pounding climax. Sometimes things don't happen
other times, characters change their minds or see a setup coming before getting trapped.
Armitage plays this one for laughs. Clearly lacking any conviction or much interest in these characters, the director lets his actors goof around in their roles. Wilson and Foster trade quips and dares, dress and undress -- preferably after sneaking into houses or boats they believe to be unoccupied -- but never take the story seriously. Freeman ambles through the movie, giving his scenes no more energy than they deserve.
Sheen and Jones have funny moments as the villain's dumb and dumber assistants. Bebe Neuwirth is an inspired choice to give sass to the cliche of the alcoholic, disillusioned wife of the nasty developer. Meanwhile, Sinise is barely in the movie. Harry Dean Stanton and Willie Nelson drop by to lend scrappy charm to a scene or two. And whenever the action grows stale, which is all too frequently, Armitage cuts to surfers riding giant waves at Waimea or Turtle Bay.
Island melodies waft through George S. Clinton's bouncy score. Cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball and designer Stephen Altman emphasize the vivid colors and luxurious abodes in the still relatively unspoiled surfers' paradise.
THE BIG BOUNCE
Warner Bros. Pictures
Shangri-La Entertainment presents a Material Films production
Credits:
Director: George Armitage
Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
Based on the novel by: Elmore Leonard
Producers: Steve Bing, Jorge Saralegui
Executive producers: Zane Weiner, Brent Armitage
Director of photography: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Production designer: Stephen Altman
Music: George S. Clinton
Costume designer: Betsy Cox
Editors: Brian Berdan, Barry Malkin.
Cast:
Jack Ryan: Owen Wilson
Walter Crewes: Morgan Freeman
Nancy Hayes: Sara Foster
Bob Jr.: Charlie Sheen
Ray Ritchie: Gary Sinise
Lou Harris: Vinnie Jones
Joe Lurie: Willie Nelson
Alison Ritchie: Bebe Neuwirth
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13 Kate Bosworth
Pete: Topher Grace
Tad Hamilton: Josh Duhamel
Richard Levy the Driven: Nathan Lane
Richard Levy the Shameless: Sean Hayes
Henry: Gary Cole
Cathy Feely: Ginnifer Goodwin
Angelica: Kathryn Hahn
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, Jan. 30
Hollywood's rediscovery of novelist Elmore Leonard, a prime source for Westerns before he turned to tales of crime and bottom-feeding opportunists, has resulted in cinematic riches ranging from "52 Pick-Up" and "Get Shorty", to "Out of Sight" and "Jackie Brown".
"The Big Bounce", culled from his 1969 novel, will never join the ranks of great Leonard screen adaptations. It's too loose and casual, all too willing to trade the writer's trademark wit and literary mischief for slapstick comedy. While its theatrical career will be short, its shelf life in video/DVD should be better. Late at night, when one craves undemanding, forgettable amusement, "The Big Bounce" should provide enough bounce to entertain.
Jack Ryan, a migrant worker with a flexible sense of morality and a penchant for getting into trouble, drifted through several of Leonard Early's crime novels, usually set in Leonard's hometown of Detroit or parts of rural Michigan. George Armitage, who has directed movies set in Michigan ("Grosse Point Blank") and tropical climes ("Miami Blues"), clearly prefers the latter. He and writer Sebastian Gutierrez transpose the story from a Michigan resort town to the North Shore of Hawaii's Oahu. This adds surfing, exotic scenery and a tropical decadence one associates with Somerset Maugham's short stories set in the South Seas. However, this tourist destination lacks the ambiance of a backwater community, where corruption and venality can easily flourish.
Owen Wilson plays Jack, who in the movie's opening sequence cold-cocks his foreman (Vinnie Jones) on a construction job with a baseball bat. When he gets out of jail 30 days later, Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen), a flunky for the shady real estate developer Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise) who hired him, warns Jack to vanish from the island, advice Jack cheerfully ignores.
Surprisingly, a district judge (Morgan Freeman) offers Jack a job as caretaker for a seaside retreat he owns. As if this weren't enough of a lure to stay on, Jack spies Ray's mistress, Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster), a lithe, thrill-seeking beauty who specializes in breaking hearts and get-rich-quick schemes. Wisely, Jack doesn't trust her further than he can throw her. Unwisely, he is eager to gather her into his arms anyway.
"The Big Bounce" doesn't play out in the manner of current caper films. Leonard stories pay more attention to character and milieu and less to building to a heart-pounding climax. Sometimes things don't happen
other times, characters change their minds or see a setup coming before getting trapped.
Armitage plays this one for laughs. Clearly lacking any conviction or much interest in these characters, the director lets his actors goof around in their roles. Wilson and Foster trade quips and dares, dress and undress -- preferably after sneaking into houses or boats they believe to be unoccupied -- but never take the story seriously. Freeman ambles through the movie, giving his scenes no more energy than they deserve.
Sheen and Jones have funny moments as the villain's dumb and dumber assistants. Bebe Neuwirth is an inspired choice to give sass to the cliche of the alcoholic, disillusioned wife of the nasty developer. Meanwhile, Sinise is barely in the movie. Harry Dean Stanton and Willie Nelson drop by to lend scrappy charm to a scene or two. And whenever the action grows stale, which is all too frequently, Armitage cuts to surfers riding giant waves at Waimea or Turtle Bay.
Island melodies waft through George S. Clinton's bouncy score. Cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball and designer Stephen Altman emphasize the vivid colors and luxurious abodes in the still relatively unspoiled surfers' paradise.
THE BIG BOUNCE
Warner Bros. Pictures
Shangri-La Entertainment presents a Material Films production
Credits:
Director: George Armitage
Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
Based on the novel by: Elmore Leonard
Producers: Steve Bing, Jorge Saralegui
Executive producers: Zane Weiner, Brent Armitage
Director of photography: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Production designer: Stephen Altman
Music: George S. Clinton
Costume designer: Betsy Cox
Editors: Brian Berdan, Barry Malkin.
Cast:
Jack Ryan: Owen Wilson
Walter Crewes: Morgan Freeman
Nancy Hayes: Sara Foster
Bob Jr.: Charlie Sheen
Ray Ritchie: Gary Sinise
Lou Harris: Vinnie Jones
Joe Lurie: Willie Nelson
Alison Ritchie: Bebe Neuwirth
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13 Kate Bosworth
Pete: Topher Grace
Tad Hamilton: Josh Duhamel
Richard Levy the Driven: Nathan Lane
Richard Levy the Shameless: Sean Hayes
Henry: Gary Cole
Cathy Feely: Ginnifer Goodwin
Angelica: Kathryn Hahn
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 1/30/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If this one had its title flip-flopped to "Fortune Cookie", its pleasing message to Sundance Film Festivalgoers might be that this festival is going to be a good one. The opening night film at this year's event, "Cookie's Fortune" is a down-home delight, a Southern-stirred fixing of small-town foibles, troubles and domestic drama. Cagily directed by Robert Altman, the film should similarly tantalize select-site audiences and win critical praises.
Sleepy has always been a misnomer when describing towns of the Deep South, for there's always something stirring beneath the placid, friendly surface. In this Mississippi-set yarn, there's not a lot happening in Holly Springs: Oh, there's the Church play coming up under the thumb of culture-vulture Camille (Glenn Close), and the town's bad girl (Liv Tyler) has come home to gut fish for the local fishmonger, but there's not much that would attract the attention of the law-abidin'/church-goin'/townfolk. Sure, Willis (Charles S. Dutton) still likes to take a nip or two, but he doesn't harm anyone, and the law enforcement troupe is, well, straight out of Mayberry, with a pragmatic sheriff (Ned Beatty) and his hyperactive subordinate (Chris O'Donnell).
As we said, there's not much going on -- on the surface. It's to retain this facade at all costs that sets forth the dramatic fixings as social-minded Camille finds that her aged aunt -- an old woman who yearned to join her husband in heaven -- has taken her life. Oh, the social approbation that could follow, Camille fears. So, in a fit befitting her highly dramatic approach to life, Camille swallows the suicide note and makes things look like murder.
The story simmers for a while in screenwriter Anne Rapp's folksy cauldron, all percolating around the sound dictum, "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Playfully combining humor, intrigue and a penetrating insight into social mores, "Cookie's Fortune" is a free-flowing, organically grown amusement. Credit Altman's wry and affectionate direction for the film's tangy flavors.
The cast is well-chosen, highlighted by Close's well considered performance as the tightly strung Camille and Dutton's jocular turn as the avuncular Willis. Beatty's grainy, good-ol'-boy performance hits all the right chords, and Donald Moffat adds a nifty patrician air to his role as the town lawyer.
Technical contributions are smart and expertly woven in this textured delight. In particular, Stephen Altman's atmospheric production design clues us to the mixed layers of this smartly scoped, Americana drama.
COOKIE'S FORTUNE
October Films
Producers: Robert Altman, Etchie Stroh
Director: Robert Altman
Screenwriter: Anne Rapp
Executive producer: Willi Baer
Director of photography: Toyomichi Kurita
Editor: Abraham Lim
Music: Dave Stewart
Costume designer: Dona Granata
Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Camille Dixon: Glenn Close
Cora Duvall: Julianne Moore
Emma Duvall: Liv Tyler
Jason Brown: Chris O'Donnell
Willis Richland : Charles S. Dutton
Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt: Patricia Neal
Lester Boyle: Ned Beatty
Otis Tucker: Courtney B. Vance
Jack Palmer: Donald Moffat
Manny Hood: Lyle Lovett
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Sleepy has always been a misnomer when describing towns of the Deep South, for there's always something stirring beneath the placid, friendly surface. In this Mississippi-set yarn, there's not a lot happening in Holly Springs: Oh, there's the Church play coming up under the thumb of culture-vulture Camille (Glenn Close), and the town's bad girl (Liv Tyler) has come home to gut fish for the local fishmonger, but there's not much that would attract the attention of the law-abidin'/church-goin'/townfolk. Sure, Willis (Charles S. Dutton) still likes to take a nip or two, but he doesn't harm anyone, and the law enforcement troupe is, well, straight out of Mayberry, with a pragmatic sheriff (Ned Beatty) and his hyperactive subordinate (Chris O'Donnell).
As we said, there's not much going on -- on the surface. It's to retain this facade at all costs that sets forth the dramatic fixings as social-minded Camille finds that her aged aunt -- an old woman who yearned to join her husband in heaven -- has taken her life. Oh, the social approbation that could follow, Camille fears. So, in a fit befitting her highly dramatic approach to life, Camille swallows the suicide note and makes things look like murder.
The story simmers for a while in screenwriter Anne Rapp's folksy cauldron, all percolating around the sound dictum, "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Playfully combining humor, intrigue and a penetrating insight into social mores, "Cookie's Fortune" is a free-flowing, organically grown amusement. Credit Altman's wry and affectionate direction for the film's tangy flavors.
The cast is well-chosen, highlighted by Close's well considered performance as the tightly strung Camille and Dutton's jocular turn as the avuncular Willis. Beatty's grainy, good-ol'-boy performance hits all the right chords, and Donald Moffat adds a nifty patrician air to his role as the town lawyer.
Technical contributions are smart and expertly woven in this textured delight. In particular, Stephen Altman's atmospheric production design clues us to the mixed layers of this smartly scoped, Americana drama.
COOKIE'S FORTUNE
October Films
Producers: Robert Altman, Etchie Stroh
Director: Robert Altman
Screenwriter: Anne Rapp
Executive producer: Willi Baer
Director of photography: Toyomichi Kurita
Editor: Abraham Lim
Music: Dave Stewart
Costume designer: Dona Granata
Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Camille Dixon: Glenn Close
Cora Duvall: Julianne Moore
Emma Duvall: Liv Tyler
Jason Brown: Chris O'Donnell
Willis Richland : Charles S. Dutton
Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt: Patricia Neal
Lester Boyle: Ned Beatty
Otis Tucker: Courtney B. Vance
Jack Palmer: Donald Moffat
Manny Hood: Lyle Lovett
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 1/21/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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