 American Beauty 1999  R, 120 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards, Barry Del Sherman, Amber Smith, Joel McCrary, Erin Cathryn Strubbe, Matthew Kimbrough
Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) have grown apart over their years of marriage when Lester falls head-over-heels for their daughter Jane's (Thora Birch) best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Carolyn, meanwhile, begins an affair with successful realtor Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher), and Jane becomes chummy with her neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley). Their tangled lives all come together one stormy night amidst bizarre misunderstandings. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, five of which captured Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor (Spacey), and Director. Other nominations included Bening for Best Actress.
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Away We Go 2009  R, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara, Samantha Pryor, Paul Schneider, Jim Gaffigan, Carmen Ejogo, Chris Messina, Josh Hamilton, Melanie Lynskey, Conor Carroll, Bailey Harkins
An unmarried couple, Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), are expecting their first baby, and they travel through the United States and Montreal looking for the perfect place to settle down. Along the way, they experience many misadventures when they visit friends and family hoping to find people like themselves with whom they can enjoy raising their child.
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Big Night 1996 R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci
Cast: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Rossellini, Ian Holm, Minnie Driver, Campbell Scott, Allison Janney
Set in the 1950s, this is the story of Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and his brother Secundo (Stanley Tucci) who run an Italian restaurant, the Paradise. When the owner (Ian Holm) of the much more successful nightspot across the street talks the brothers into preparing one superb meal in return for which he supplies the means (Louis Prima) to save the Paradise, the "Big Night" is on in this story about how food connects us to each other–and to ourselves.
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The Chumscrubber 2005  R, 107 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Arie Posin
Cast: Jamie Bell, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, William Fichtner, John Heard, Lauren Holly, Jason Isaacs, Allison Janney, Carrie-Anne Moss, Rita Wilson, Camilla Belle, Justin Chatwin
Life in the Southern California town of Hillside may appear peaceful, but underneath lives are crumbling. As in the case of video game Chumscrubber who walks around carrying his head in his hands, Hillside residents often do not have their heads screwed on right when it comes to raising their children and communicating with neighbors. When Dean's (Jamie Bell) friend commits suicide, Dean is bullied to locate his missing drugs and hand them over. The ploy fails, and a kidnapping is opted for, but the wrong child is kidnapped. Left to solve the problem are parents who appear incapable of dealing with the situation, and the Chumscrubber comes to the fore.
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 Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999 PG-13, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Michael Patrick Jann
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, Sam McMurray, Mindy Sterling, Will Sasso, Brittany Murphy, Matt Malloy, Amy Adams, Laurie A. Sinclair, Shannon Nelson, Alexandra Holden, Sarah Stewart
When Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) enters the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Miss Teen Princess beauty contest in Mt. Rose, Minnesota, her alcoholic mother, Annette (Ellen Barkin), stops at nothing to ensure that her daughter wins the title. But, first, she must get past the former winner, Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley), whose own daughter, Becky (Denise Richards), also seeks the beauty prize.
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 Finding Nemo 2003  G, 101 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Adventure / Comedy
Director: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Austin Pendleton, Stephen Root, Geoffrey Rush, Vicki Lewis, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton
After boy clownfish Nemo (Alexander Gould) disobeys his father (Albert Brooks) by leaving the security of their reef, a scuba diver captures him. This act sets off the ensuing search, which develops into a very funny, animated adventure film. The film received a Best Animated Film Oscar.
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First Do No Harm 1997 PG-13, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jim Abrahams
Cast: Meryl Streep, Fred Ward, Seth Adkins, Allison Janney, Oni Faida Lampley, Michael Yarmush, Margo Martindale, Leo Burmester, Tom Butler, Mairon Bennett
This made-for-TV film is about parents Lori (Meryl Streep) and Robbie (Seth Adkins) Reimuller watching as their epileptic son grows weaker, and doctors try different drugs to control his seizures.
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A Girl Thing 2001 TV, 200 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Lee Rose
Cast: Stockard Channing, Elle Macpherson, Kate Capshaw, Allison Janney, Glenne Headly, Rebecca De Mornay, Mia Farrow, Linda Hamilton, Irma P. Hall, Camryn Manheim
Psychiatrist Dr. Beth Noonan (Stockard Channing) has her hands full with her female patients' problems, even though she has enough problems of her own. The four patients' stories are separate "episodes" in this made-for-cable-TV comedy/drama.
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Hairspray 2007  PG, 117 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Drama
Director: Adam Shankman
Cast: John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Elijah Kelley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, Taylor Parks, Jerry Stiller, Paul Dooley
Nikki Blonsky makes her film debut as tubby teen Tracy Turnblad who, with her best friend Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), dreams of singing and dancing on a local TV show in Baltimore, "The Corny Collins (James Marsden) Show." Tracy wins the audition, but her overprotective stay-at-home mother Edna (John Travolta, in drag in a fat suit) is afraid that Tracy will be picked on for her obesity. Tracy perseveres, and now her nemesis is the TV station manager, Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer), whose daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) holds the title of "Miss Hairspray." Not only does Tracy go after the "Miss Hairspray" title, she also wants the show to be integrated. The year is 1962, and the Black dancers are not allowed to perform on the show on a daily basis. When they do perform, the show is hosted by Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah). Tracy believes this is unfair, and with help from others–including Motormouth Maybelle, Motormouth's son and Penny's boyfriend Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), Tracy's boyfriend Link (Zac Efron), her father (Christopher Walken), and her mother–she sets out to integrate the show.
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 The Hours 2002 PG-13, 114 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Stephen Dillane, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Miranda Richardson, John C. Reilly, Linda Bassett, Toni Collette, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Christian Coulson, Michael Culkin
Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway" connects the stories of three different women–Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Clarissa (Meryl Streep)–in three different eras–1925, 1951, and 2001–who resort to suicide as the solution for their problems. Very well acted, but with this cast what else could one expect? Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress Oscar for her excellent performance. In addition, the film received eight nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Actress in a Supporting Role (Julianne Moore), and Actor in a Supporting Role (Ed Harris).
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 How to Deal 2003  PG-13, 101 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Clare Kilner
Cast: Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, Trent Ford, Alexandra Holden, Dylan Baker, Peter Gallagher, Nina Foch, Mackenzie Astin, Connie Ray, Mary Catherine Garrison, Sonja Smits, Laura Catalano
After her dad (Peter Gallagher) walks out on her mom (Allison Janney), Halley (Mandy Moore) begins to suspect that love is not all she had once believed it to be. Even as she begins to fall for a new guy, Macon (Trent Ford), her doubts continue.
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Julian Po 1997 PG-13, 84 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Alan Wade
Cast: Christian Slater, Robin Tunney, Michael Parks, Cherry Jones, Frankie Faison, Harve Presnell, Bruce Bohne, Roy Cooper, Zeljko Ivanek, Allison Janney
Julian Po's (Christian Slater) car breaks down outside a depressing, small town, so he has no choice but to clutch his suitcase and head for the town. As a stranger, Julian is regarded with suspicion–until he reveals that he is planning suicide. This knowledge spurs the townsfolk into action as players in their roles during the last days of Julian's life.
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Juno 2007 PG-13, 92 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Rainn Wilson, Daniel Clark, Darla Vandenbossche, Aman Johal, Valerie Tian, Emily Perkins, Kaaren de Zilva, Eileen Pedde
Ellen Page takes the role of 16-year-old Juno MacGuff who became pregnant after her first sexual experience with her geeky friend Paulie (Michael Cera). Opting for adoption as a solution to her situation, Juno finds an ad in a magazine and contacts prospective adoptive parents Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). Now, the story focuses on Juno's relationship with the Lorings–one of whom is more interested in adoption than the other, and Juno learns that things may not always go as planned. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay; three other nominations were received: Best Picture, Actress (Page), and Director.
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 Miracle on 34th Street 1994 PG, 113 min.
Genre: Family / Drama / Fantasy
Director: Les Mayfield
Cast: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J.T. Walsh, Joss Ackland, James Remar, Mara Wilson, William Windom, Robert Prosky, Simon Jones, Jane Leeves, Katherine Narducci, Mary McCormack, Alvin Greenman, Allison Janney
A Manhattan department store manager, Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins), hires Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) to play Santa Claus for the Christmas season. He does a great job and soon claims that he is, in fact, the real Santa. When Kris is framed for an assault and threatened with being placed in an insane asylum, a lawyer Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott) comes to his defense. Meanwhile, Dorey's young daughter Susan (Mara Wilson) has her own doubts about Santa, but Kris changes her mind, and she convinces the judge that he also should believe that legally, at least, Santa Claus is real. After winning the case, Bryan asks Dorey to marry him, and Susan gets her Christmas wish and something to believe in.
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 Nurse Betty 2000 R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance / Thriller
Director: Neil LaBute
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Renee Zellweger, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear, Aaron Eckhart, Tia Texada, Crispin Glover, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Allison Janney, Kathleen Wilhoite, Elizabeth Mitchell, Susan Barnes, Laird Macintosh, Sung Hi Lee, Harriet Sansom Harris
Two romantic fantasies evolve after Betty (Renee Zellweger) witnesses hit men Charlie (Morgan Freeman) and Wesley (Chris Rock) murder her no-good husband Del (Aaron Eckhart). Betty blocks out all memory of the trauma, climbs into her Buick, and plans to meet the man of her dreams: Dr. David Ravell (Greg Kinnear)–a soap opera character she imagines, in her muddled state, to be her long lost lover. Unknown to Betty, that Buick just happens to contain the drugs that Del stole from Charlie and Wesley. Hence, those two are in hot pursuit. Along the route–the Grand Canyon, to be precise–Charlie begins to fantasize about a romance with Betty. Once in L.A., Betty is mistaken for an ambitious actress, and the fun begins.
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The Object of My Affection 1998 R, 112 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Tim Daly, Alan Alda, Nigel Hawthorne, John Pankow, Kali Rocha, Lena Cardwell, Allison Janney, Liam Aiken
A social worker, Nina Borowski (Jennifer Aniston), helps a grade-school teacher, George Hanson (Paul Rudd), by inviting him to move into her home. They get along well, but when Nina becomes pregnant and doesn't want her boyfriend to bring up their child, George isn't sure he should follow Nina's suggestion that they raise her child together.
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 Over the Hedge 2006  PG, 83 min.
Genre: Family / Comedy
Director: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Cast: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Allison Janney, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Omid Djalili, Shane Baumel
Raccoon RJ (voice of Bruce Willis) makes the mistake of pilfering food from a hibernating bear that wakes up. RJ will be spared IF he replaces all that he had stolen. He heads out to find a human settlement and, as he approaches a new subdivision, he comes across a group of assorted animals (with familiar voices). To help him in getting food, he tells them that if they go "over the hedge" and into the humans' town, there will be unlimited food. But there are some humans (also with familiar voices) who want no part of the four-legged critters. Fun for all. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | Fun over and over again | Kids movie man 03/16/2007 | | |
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 Private Parts 1997 R, 111 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
aka: Howard Stern's Private Parts
Director: Betty Thomas
Cast: Howard Stern, Robin Quivers, Mary McCormack, Paul Giamatti, Fred Norris, Jackie Martling, Gary Dell'Abate, Carol Alt, Richard Portnow, Kelly Bishop, Allison Janney, Michael Murphy, Paul Hecht, Henry Goodman, Jonathan Hadary
Howard Stern stars as himself in this comedy based on his 1993 autobiography of his rise from small-time DJ to the self-proclaimed "King of All Media." Both his professional and personal lives are revealed from his on-the-air bathroom humor that leads to clashes with radio station executives to his marriage to his understanding wife Alison (Mary McCormack).
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Six Days, Seven Nights 1998 PG-13, 101 min.
Genre: Adventure / Comedy
Director: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, Temuera Morrison, Allison Janney, Douglas Westoh, Cliff Curtis, Danny Trejo, Ben Bode
Quinn Harris (Harrison Ford) and Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) are stranded on a tropical island. During their forced "vacation" the couple must tolerate each other as they confront the elements, wildlife, and pirates.
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Strangers with Candy 2006 R, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Paul Dinello
Cast: Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Carlo Alban, Maria Thayer, Deborah Rush, Greg Hollimon, Matthew Broderick, Dan Hedaya, Allison Janney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kristen Johnston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ian Holm
Slapstick and satire reign in this film based on the TV comedy by the same name. This time around, 46-year-old Jerri (Amy Sedaris) is newly released from prison when she returns home and enters Flatpoint High School to finally earn a diploma. In the process of getting her education, Jerri is caught up in the competitions at the school's science fair. Zany characters from the TV show include Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon), art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello), and science teacher Chuck Noblet (Stephen Colbert).
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 Winter Solstice 2005 R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Josh Sternfeld
Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Aaron Stanford, Mark Webber, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Brendan Sexton III, Michelle Monaghan, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jason Fuchs, Kel O'Neill, Thomas Sadoski
Widower Jim Winters (Anthony LaPaglia) tries to cope with raising his sons (Aaron Stanford and Mark Webber) after his wife was killed in a car accident. While the three have retreated into themselves, a change is in the air.
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| 1. American Beauty (1999)
2. Away We Go (2009)
3. Big Night (1996)
4. The Chumscrubber (2005)
5. Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
6. Finding Nemo (2003)
7. First Do No Harm (1997)
8. A Girl Thing (2001)
9. Hairspray (2007)
10. The Hours (2002)
11. How to Deal (2003)
12. Julian Po (1997)
13. Juno (2007)
14. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
15. Nurse Betty (2000)
16. The Object of My Affection (1998)
17. Over the Hedge (2006)
18. Private Parts (1997)
aka: Howard Stern's Private Parts
19. Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)
20. Strangers with Candy (2006)
21. Winter Solstice (2005)
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