Atonement 2007  R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, Daniel Mays, Juno Temple, Nonso Anozie, Julia West
The story begins in Surrey, England, during 1935 when an aspiring writer, 13-year-old Briony Tallis, falsely accuses her sister Cecilia's (Keira Knightley) boyfriend Robbie (James McAvoy) of a rape that he did not commit. Robbie is sent to prison. Five years later, World War II has begun, Robbie is released from prison and sent to fight in France, and Robbie and Cecilia have not forgotten each other. Briony is now an 18 year old in nurses training, realizes the mistake she made in her accusation five years ago, and will spend most of the rest of her life trying to atone for that mistake. Vanessa Redgrave takes the role of the older Briony as she suffers because of her earlier action. The film received an Academy Award for Best Original Score; six other nominations nominations included Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan).
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 Beyond the Sea 2004  PG-13, 121 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical
Director: Kevin Spacey
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, Caroline Aaron, Peter Cincotti, Michael Byrne, Matt Rippy, Gary Whelan, Jake Broder
The romance and marriage of singer Bobby Darin and actress Sandra Dee is the subject of this Kevin Spacey biopic in which Spacey does a good job of recreating Darin's vocal style.
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Daddy and Them 2001 R, 101 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Jim Varney, Jeff Bailey, Andy Griffith, Brenda Blethyn, Tuesday Knight, Kelly Preston, Sandra Seacat, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Affleck
There are plenty of oddball, red-neck characters in Billy Bob Thornton's follow-up to his highly successful "Sling Blade." The dysfunctional family of Claude (Thornton) comes together in support of Uncle Hazel (Jim Varney) who is accused of murder. But before long, the family groups are warring with each other.
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Introducing the Dwights 2007  R, 109 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
aka: Clubland
Director: Cherie Nowlan
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Rebecca Gibney, Khan Chittenden, Richard(2) Wilson, Russell Dykstra, Emma Booth, Katie Wall, Philip Quast, Frankie J. Holden, Tracie Sammut, Justin Martin, David Webb
Most of their lives, 21-year-old Tim Dwight (Khan Chittenden) and his mentally challenged brother Mark (Richard Wilson) have been doted on by their mother Jean (Brenda Blethyn). Now, when Tim falls for beautiful Jill (Emma Booth), Jean is not ready to give up her son, and a battle royal ensues.
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Little Voice 1998  R, 99 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mark Herman
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Ewan McGregor, Annette Badland, Philip Jackson
"Little Voice" (Jane Horrocks) never speaks above a whisper unless she is singing a Judy Garland or Marilyn Monroe song; then she is able to perfectly mimic their voices. The plot involves the attempt by her mother's lover (Michael Caine) to exploit Little Voice for the money he thinks she can earn on the stage. Brenda Blethyn received an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress.
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Lovely & Amazing 2001 R, 91 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Cast: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, Raven Goodwin, Aunjanue Ellis, Clark Gregg, Jake Gyllenhaal, James LeGros, Michael Nouri, Dermot Mulroney, Lee Garlington
The Marks family is not exactly your typical next-door neighbors. Sisters Michelle (Catherine Keener) and Annie (Raven Goodwin) possess their own quirky sets of problems. But, the mother, Jane (Brenda Blethyn), is the icing on the cake whose flavor can be found in each of her daughters' personality traits.
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Music from Another Room 1998 PG-13, 103 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Charlie Peters
Cast: Jude Law, Gretchen Mol, Jennifer Tilly, Brenda Blethyn, Martha Plimpton, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Kilner, Jon Tenney, Bruce Jarchow, Vincent Laresca
In this nice little romantic comedy, Danny (Jude Law) returns to his hometown to find and marry Anna Swan (Gretchen Mol), whom he has always felt he was destined to marry since he was five years old and helped deliver her. However, she is engaged to another, but he persists while interacting with the eccentric Swan family.
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On a Clear Day 2005 PG-13, 99 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Gaby Dellal
Cast: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Jamie Sives, Sean McGinley, Billy Boyd, Ron Cook, Jodhi May, Benedict Wong, Anne Marie Timoney, Shaun Dingwall, Tony Roper, Paul Ritter
After many years working as a shipbuilder in Glasgow, Frank Redmond (Peter Mullan) is laid off and suffers a loss of confidence in himself–until he comes up with an idea to swim the English Channel. Friends Norman (Ron Cook), Dann (Billy Boyd), and Eddie (Sean McGinley) support Frank through his training, but as the day approaches, events occur that force Frank to deal with strained family relationships between Frank and his wife (Brenda Blethyn) and son (Jamie Sives). Now, Frank tries to swim back to the center of his family.
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Plots with a View 2002 R, 94 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
aka: Undertaking Betty
Director: Nick Hurran
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Alfred Molina, Christopher Walken, Robert Pugh, Naomi Watts, Lee Evans, Jerry Springer, Miriam Margolyes, Menna Trussler, Robert Page
When they were young, Boris (Alfred Molina) and Betty (Brenda Blethyn) were in love, but Betty married Hugh (Robert Pugh) who is now the town mayor and is also carrying on an affair with his secretary, Meredith (Naomi Watts). When her mother-in-law dies, Betty deals with the local undertaker who just happens to be Boris. Past emotions rise to the fore resulting in a plot to fake Betty's death and allow her to run away with Boris.
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 Pooh's Heffalump Movie 2005 G, 63 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Fantasy / Drama
Director: Frank Nissen
Cast: Jim Cummings, John Fiedler, Nikita Hopkins, Kath Soucie, Ken Sansom, Peter Cullen, Brenda Blethyn, Kyle Stanger, David Ogden Stiers, Jimmy Bennett
When the citizens of Hundred Acre Wood hear a rumbling in the distance and discover giant footprints in the earth, they head off in search of the evil Heffalump. Roo (voice of Nikita Hopkins), who was left behind, sets off on his own into the woods and meets a baby Heffalump, Lumpy (voice of Kyle Stanger). Roo and Lumpy become friends, and Roo learns that Heffalumps are not so dreadful after all.
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 Pride & Prejudice 2005 PG, 130 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Matthew Macfadyen, Claudie Blakley, Brenda Blethyn, Rosamund Pike, Judi Dench, Jena Malone, Talulah Riley, Simon Woods, Carey Mulligan, Kelly Reilly, Sylvester Morand, Pip Torrens, Janet Whiteside
Based on Jane Austen's novel about love and life in the class-conscious 19th-century England, Donald Southerland and Brenda Blethyn take on the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet whose daughters' futures seem to hinge on marrying into the world of wealth–not necessarily with love involved. When Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) opts to choose her own husband for love, not money, her sisters follow suit. Four Academy Award nominations were received, including Best Actress (Keira Knightley).
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 Pumpkin 2002  R, 113 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Anthony Abrams, Adam Larson Broder
Cast: Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain, Marisa Coughlan, Sam Ball, Harry Lennix, Nina Foch, Caroline Aaron, Lisa Banes, Julio Oscar Mechoso
Beautiful and perfect Carolyn (Christina Ricci) is frightened by the prospect of dealing with an "imperfect" being when her sorority sisters plan to win "Sorority of the Year" by coaching physically and mentally challenged athletes. But her charge, Pumpkin Romanoff (Hank Harris), offers more than meets the eye, and it isn't long before Carolyn falls in love with him. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | Anonymous 01/20/2007 | | This movie was amazing! It was heartwarming, but also offered some sharp satire to laugh at. It is one of my favorites now that I've seen it, and I hope others get the chance to see it as well. Christina Ricci was great as that peppy perfect sorority girl and Hank Harris was incredible as sweet Pumpkin, who has the most beautiful soul you've ever seen. I've seen it twice already, and hoping to see it even more. Jump at the chance to see Pumpkin if you can because it was wonderful. I'm only 14, but even I saw the heart wrenching message behind this movie: Love isn't always perfect. |
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 A River Runs Through It 1992 PG, 123 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Emily Lloyd, Robert Redford, Edie McClurg, Brenda Blethyn, Stephen Shellen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, MacIntyre Dixon, Vann Gravage, Nicole Burdette, Susan Traylor, Michael Cudlitz, William Hootkins
Beautiful Montana scenery around the Big Blackfoot River sets off this drama about the Maclean family during the early 20th century. Reverend Maclean and his wife (Tom Skerritt and Brenda Blethyn) are raising their very different sons–scholarly Norman (Craig Sheffer) and impetuous Paul (Brad Pitt). Their father has instilled in Norman and Paul a love of fly-fishing, and that love is what keeps them together amidst problems with gambling, alcohol, and their very stern father.
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RKO 281 1999 R, 83 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Benjamin Ross
Cast: Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Brenda Blethyn, Roy Scheider, Liam Cunningham, David Suchet, Fiona Shaw, Anastasia Hille
Project 281 was RKO's name for the production of "Citizen Kane," which would become largely regarded as the greatest film ever made. Liev Schreiber plays Orson Welles, director of the film, and James Cromwell is William Randolph Hearst, upon whom the film is based. This is the story of that production and the attempts of Hearst to stop the release of the film, which shows him in a poor light. Some good performances in this HBO-produced film.
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Saving Grace 2000 R, 94 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nigel Cole
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, Martin Clunes, Tcheky Karyo, Jamie Forman, Bill Bailey, Valerie Edmond, Phyllida Law, Clive Merrison, Leslie Phillips
"Saving Grace" is one British comedy that travels well across the sea into America's mainstream. The plot revolves around the proper, middle-aged, widow Grace Trevethan, who turns her greenhouse into a hydroponic marijuana farm in order to pay off family debts.
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Secrets & Lies 1996  R, 140 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Elizabeth Berrington, Lesley Manville, Michele Austin, Lee Ross, Ron Cook, Emma Amos, Brian Bovell, Travor Laird
A reunion brings together family members for Roxanne's (Claire Rushbrook) 21st birthday. Those attending are Roxanne's lonely mother, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn); Cynthia's brother, Maurice (Timothy Spall); and his wife, Monica (Phyllis Logan)–and a surprise guest, Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a young Black woman searching for her biological mother who turns out to be Cynthia.
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The Sleeping Dictionary 2002  R, 109 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Guy Jenkin
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Jessica Alba, Brenda Blethyn, Bob Hoskins, Emily Mortimer, Noah Taylor, Christopher Ling Lee Ian, Junix Nocian, Michael Jessing Langgi, Mano Maniam
Set in the 1930s, John (Hugh Dancy) takes a government position to assist in the colonization of Sarawak, Borneo. Honoring a local custom, John is provided a servant (Jessica Alba), whose duties include sharing his bed. Neither the British nor the natives are happy when the two fall in love.
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Sonny 2002   R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Nicolas Cage
Cast: James Franco, Brenda Blethyn, Harry Dean Stanton, Mena Suvari, Brenda Vaccaro, Seymour Cassel, Nicolas Cage, Josie Davis, Willie Metcalf, Janet Shea, Scott Caan, Marc Coppola
Twenty-six-year-old, Army vet Sonny Phillips comes home to New Orleans to visit his mother, Jewel (Brenda Blethyn), before beginning a new life in Texas. But Jewel has her own plans for Sonny; she wants Sonny to return to his life as a New Orleans gigolo. After a brief stay in Texas, Sonny does come back to Jewel who teams him up with a hooker (Mena Suvari), and Sonny is back under his mother's control. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | great | ellie 03/05/2007 | | i liked it |
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 The Wild Thornberrys Movie 2002 PG, 85 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Adventure / Fantasy / Comedy
Director: Cathy Malkasian, Jeff McGrath
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Rupert Everett, Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei, Alfre Woodard, Flea, Jodi Carlisle, Brenda Blethyn, Tim Curry, Danielle Harris, Tom Kane, Cree Summer, Brock Peters, Obba Babatunde
This animated adventure takes place on the African Serengeti Plains where Eliza (voice of Lacey Chabert) and Debbie Thornberry (voice of Danielle Harris) have joined their parents (voices of Tim Curry and Jodi Carlisle) who are shooting a documentary. Eliza can talk to the animals and learns that there are poachers in the area, and they plan to destroy an elephant herd. Eliza and her chimpanzee friend, Darwin (voice of Tom Kane), come to the rescue–but not before her overbearing grandmother (voice of Lynn Redgrave) ships her off to boarding school.
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The Witches 1990 PG, 92 min.
Genre: Family
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Cast: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson, Jane Horrocks, Jenny Runacre, Brenda Blethyn
In this story, Jim Henson's final feature film, nine-year-old Luke (Jasen Fisher) stumbles into a witches' convention and hears their plans to turn children into mice. With his grandmother's (Mai Zetterling) help, Luke sets out to foil the witches' evil plot.
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| 1. Atonement (2007)
2. Beyond the Sea (2004)
3. Daddy and Them (2001)
4. Introducing the Dwights (2007)
aka: Clubland
5. Little Voice (1998)
6. Lovely & Amazing (2001)
7. Music from Another Room (1998)
8. On a Clear Day (2005)
9. Plots with a View (2002)
aka: Undertaking Betty
10. Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)
11. Pride & Prejudice (2005)
12. Pumpkin (2002)
13. A River Runs Through It (1992)
14. RKO 281 (1999)
15. Saving Grace (2000)
16. Secrets & Lies (1996)
17. The Sleeping Dictionary (2002)
18. Sonny (2002)
19. The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002)
20. The Witches (1990)
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