 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
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 a successful realtor (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 Annette Bening for Best Actress.
|  | |
 The American President 1995  PG-13, 115 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance / Fantasy
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, David Paymer, Richard Dreyfuss, Samantha Mathis, John Mahoney, Shawna Waldron, Anne Haney, Nina Siemaszko, Wendie Malick, Beau Billingsea, Joshua Malina
This Bill Clinton-like American President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) deals with media attention along with criticism when he (a widower) becomes involved with environmental lobbyist Sydney Wade (Annette Bening). Political enemies, including Kansas Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss), have a field day when Shepherd and Wade begin their love affair. This film provides great satire on today's made-for-TV Washington, D.C., politics and how issues get lost in the race for ratings.
| | |
Being Julia 2004 R, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Istvan Szabo
Cast: Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Shaun Evans, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gambon, Juliet Stevenson, Rosemary Harris, Miriam Margolyes, Lucy Punch, Maury Chaykin, Sheila McCarthy, Tom Sturridge
This film adaptation of Somerset Maugham's "Theatre" is set in 1930s' London and revolves around aging stage actress Julia (Annette Bening) and her affair with the much younger Tom Fennel (Shaun Evans). Annette Bening was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
| | |
Bugsy 1991 R, 135 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, Richard C. Sarafian, Bebe Neuwirth, Wendy Phillips, Andy Romano
This 1920s gangster-era story revolves around notorious New York gangster Ben "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) who on a trip to Los Angeles visits Las Vegas and decides to get involved in the gambling world. This much-publicized film won Oscars for Best Art Direction and Set Decoration. It also received eight nominations, including Best Picture, Actor (Warren Beatty), Director, and two for Supporting Actor (Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley).
| | |
The Great Outdoors 1988  PG, 91 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Howard Deutch
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, Chris Young, Ian Giatti, Robert Prosky, Hilary Gordon, Rebecca Gordon
Two brothers-in-law and their families go on vacation in the great outdoors. The brothers-in-law are complete opposites–Aykroyd plays a cold, anal, retentive businessman, and Candy a carefree, fun-loving guy. Highlight: Annette Bening's film debut.
| | |
The Grifters 1990 R, 113 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Fears
Cast: John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, Pat Hingle, J.T. Walsh, Henry Jones, Gailard Sartain, Jeremy Piven, Charles Napier, Eddie Jones
Out-conning the cons is the theme of this movie with Jack Cusack playing a salesman who uses his job for a cover. Anjelica Huston plays his mother, a bag lady who fronts for the mob. His girlfriend (Annette Bening) rounds out this unscrupulous trio who may have swindled one too many times. Martin Scorsese was the producer of this film, which had four Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress (Huston), Supporting Actress (Bening) and Director.
| | |
Guilty by Suspicion 1991 PG-13, 105 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Irwin Winkler
Cast: Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, George Wendt, Patricia Wettig, Sam Wanamaker, Martin Scorsese, Brad Sullivan, Gailard Sartain, Stuart Margolin, Chris Cooper, Luke Edwards, Ben Piazza, Tom Sizemore, Roxann Dawson, Robin Gammell
America's 1950s witch-hunt for Communists is the focus of this movie about the House Un-American Activities Committee's investigation of creative forces in Hollywood's film industry.
| | |
In Dreams 1998  R, 100 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Neil Jordan
Cast: Annette Bening, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Robert Downey Jr., Paul(2) Guilfoyle, Kathleen Langlois, Dennis Boutsikaris, Jennifer Berry, Emma J. Brown, Ken Cheeseman
Claire (Annette Bening) is having nightmares when she turns to a psychologist, Dr. Stephens (Dennis Boutsikaris). As the plot develops, it turns out that a psychopathic child-killer (Robert Downey Jr.) has channeled his thoughts through Claire's mind. This psycho-thriller is out there–wavering on the edge. You decide!
| | |
Love Affair 1994  PG-13, 108 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Glenn Gordon Caron
Cast: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Katharine Hepburn, Garry Shandling, Chloe Webb, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Capshaw, Brenda Vaccaro, Paul Mazursky, Glenn Shadix
This is a remake of 1939's film and the Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr version, "An Affair to Remember." Granted, this is a sentimental love story, but those who like to bring handkerchiefs to the theater (or to the TV room) will enjoy this one.
| | |
 Mars Attacks! 1996 PG-13, 103 min.
Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Comedy / Thriller
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Lukas Haas, Tom Jones, Jim Brown, Natalie Portman, Pam Grier, Lisa Marie
Martians in flying saucers invade Lockjaw, Kentucky; Washington, D.C.; and Nevada. President Dale's (Jack Nicholson) science advisor, Prof. Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan), tells him the purpose of their arrival is peaceful.. But, General Decker (Rod Steiger) advises the President to annihilate them. Meanwhile, the aliens are actually in the process of "vaporizing" Earth's inhabitants with their ray-guns while President Dale and Nevada land speculator Art Land (also played by Nicholson) rise and fall with the occasion.
| | |
Mrs. Harris 2005 TV, 95 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Phyllis Nagy
Cast: Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Frances Fisher, Lawrence O'Donnell, Cloris Leachman, Frank Whaley, Bill Smitrovich, Chloe Sevigny, Michael Gross, Brett Butler, Lee Garlington, Ellen Burstyn, Ronald Guttman, John Rubinstein
In this made-for-TV film, based on the true story of the murder of Diet Dr. Herman Tarnower, the world-renowned creator of the Scarsdale Diet, Ben Kingsley takes on the role of Dr. Tarnower. Annette Bening plays Mrs. Jean Harris, the lover scorned after their 14-year affair, who shot and killed Tarnower.
| | |
 Open Range 2003  R, 135 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Kevin Costner
Cast: Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi, Dean McDermott, Kim Coates, Cliff Saunders, Peter MacNeill
Set in the American West, during the late 19th century when range wars still were being waged, this is the story of cattleman Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and his cattle crew–Kevin Costner and Diego Luna–who exact justice after one of their own (Abraham Benrubi) is killed. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | RascalBrat 02/25/2007 | | BEAUTIFUL! Filmed in Calgary Canada ... Kevin Costner, Robert Duval, Annette Benning ... among others, were excellent is this Grand western. And, as westerns go, this one is WAY up there. This is great entertainment for all ages. |
|
| | |
Postcards from the Edge 1990 R, 101 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, Mary Wickes, Conrad Bain, Annette Bening, CCH Pounder, Simon Callow, Gary Morton, Sidney Armus, Robin Bartlett, Barbara Garrick
Based on Carrie Fisher's book, this comedy/drama takes a look at Hollywood and the pressures put on its stars. Meryl Streep plays the daughter/actress of an aging star (Shirley MacLaine). Both mother and daughter suffer from alcohol and drug addiction and make separate attempts to reconcile themselves with their fates. Streep was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
| | |
Regarding Henry 1991 PG-13, 107 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, Bill Nunn, Mikki Allen, Rob Reiner, Donald Moffat, Nancy Marchand, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Wilson, Robin Bartlett
Lawyer Henry Turner (Harrison Ford) loses his memory after being shot in a robbery. His subsequent recovery and new appreciation for life is the focus of this story.
| | |
Richard III 1995 R, 104 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Richard Loncraine
Cast: Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, Nigel Hawthorne, Robert Downey Jr., John Wood, Jim Broadbent, Bill Paterson, Edward Hardwicke, Jim Carter, Adrian Dunbar
Seduction and murder are used to attain power in Shakespeare's story of the treacherous English monarch Richard III (Ian McKellen). There is a twist to the screen adaptation: the time has been updated to the 1930s, and the hunchbacked king is a Fascist.
| | |
 Running with Scissors 2006 R, 120 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Ryan Murphy
Cast: Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Cross, Jill Clayburgh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gabrielle Union, Patrick Wilson, Kristin Chenoweth, Dagmara Dominczyk, Colleen Camp
Based on the best-selling personal memoir of Augusten Burroughs, the story involves Augusten's (Joseph Cross) trials and tribulations that extended from his childhood through teen years. He grew up living with his unstable mother (Annette Bening) and alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin) until his parents headed for divorce. Then, 16-year-old Augusten was foisted off on therapist Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), his long-suffering wife (Jill Clayburgh), and their bizarre children (Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, and Joseph Fiennes) with whom Augusten was involved in more than a few painful events.
| | |
 The Siege 1998 R, 110 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila, Ahmed Ben Larby, Mosleh Mohamed, Lianna Pai, Mark Valley, Jack Gwaltney, David Proval, Lance Reddick, Aasif Mandvi, Jeremy Knaster, William Hill
U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) is forced to team up with FBI agent Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Denzel Washington) in an all-out effort to stop terrorist attacks on New York City. Devereaux declares martial law, the Army moves in, and due process of law is forgotten.
| | |
Valmont 1989 R, 137 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Milos Forman
Cast: Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Meg Tilly, Fairuza Balk, Sian Phillips, Jeffrey Jones, Henry Thomas, Fabia Drake, T.P. McKenna, Ian McNeice, Isla Blair, Aleta Mitchell
Chodleros de Laclos' classic, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," is again brought to the screen following Stephen Frears' popular version a year earlier and Roger Vadim's 1959 film. Set in 18th-century France, it is the story of corrupt lovers (Colin Firth and Annette Bening) who make bets about being able to have sex with others just for the fun of it.
| | |
What Planet Are You From? 2000 R, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Garry Shandling, Annette Bening, John Goodman, Greg Kinnear, Ben Kingsley, Linda Fiorentino, Judy Greer, Danny Zorn, Harmony Smith, Richard Jenkins
Out there in the cosmos is a planet, and on that planet are people who want to rule the universe; Earth is their next target. They are REALLY boring: they have no emotions and no genitals. They decide to send one of their own (Garry Shandling) to Earth, after fitting him with the appropriate body parts, to foster a child to assist in their quest (how that helps, this viewer is not sure). One problem on Earth is that, when aroused, his "equipment" makes a whirring noise, an irritating consequence of the equipment. He meets Susan (Annette Bening) and decides she's the one.
| | |
The Women 2008 PG-13, 114 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Diane English
Cast: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman, Debi Mazar, India Ennenga, Jill Flint, Ana Gasteyer, Tilly Scott Pedersen, Joanna Gleason
This remake of 1939's "The Women" is written and directed by Diane English and takes a different slant from the previous film on women and their relationships. When Mary Haines (Meg Ryan) learns that her husband is having an affair with sexy Crystal Allen (Eva Mendes), her immediate response is to turn to her friends–magazine editor Sylvia (Annette Bening), artsy Edie (Debra Messing), and lesbian Alex (Jada Pinkett Smith). Instead of sympathizing with Mary, they tell her to dump her cheating husband. Mary also asks for advice from housekeeper Maggie (Cloris Leachman), nanny Uta (Tilly Scott Pedersen), Hollywood agent Leah (Bette Midler), and even her own mother (Candice Bergen) who offer their own perspectives on how to handle the situation. Finally, when gossip columnist Bailey Smith (Carrie Fisher) learns from her editor Sylvia about the affair, problems grow and extend beyond the marriage breakup.
| | |
| 1. American Beauty (1999)
2. The American President (1995)
3. Being Julia (2004)
4. Bugsy (1991)
5. The Great Outdoors (1988)
6. The Grifters (1990)
7. Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
8. In Dreams (1998)
9. Love Affair (1994)
10. Mars Attacks! (1996)
11. Mrs. Harris (2005)
12. Open Range (2003)
13. Postcards from the Edge (1990)
14. Regarding Henry (1991)
15. Richard III (1995)
16. Running with Scissors (2006)
17. The Siege (1998)
18. Valmont (1989)
19. What Planet Are You From? (2000)
20. The Women (2008)
In The News
|
