 As Good as It Gets 1997   PG-13, 138 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardley Smith, Lupe Ontiveros, Harold Ramis, Lupe Ontiveros, Bibi Osterwald, Ross Bleckner, Bernadette Balagtas, Jaffe Cohen, Missi Pyle
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) suffers from an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, which is severely tested when his gay neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear) leaves his dog in Melvin's care. Melvin is a writer, but he treats humanity with contempt–except for single-mom waitress Carol (Helen Hunt) whose son suffers from asthma attacks. First, Melvin takes care of the dog and then helps with Carol's son. Will Carol be next? Both Nicholson and Hunt received Oscars. Five other nominations were received, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Greg Kinnear).
|  | |
Broadcast News 1987  R, 132 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles, Joan Cusack, Jack Nicholson, Peter Hackes, Christian Clemenson, Stephen Mendillo, Gennie James, Robert Katims
James Brooks directed this much acclaimed film about the romantic and professional entanglements of three television news reporters: a bright, highly principled producer (Holly Hunter), an idiot of an anchorman with public appeal (William Hurt), and a talented reporter (Albert Brooks). Several Oscar nominations were received including Best Picture, Actor (Hurt), Actress (Hunter), and Supporting Actor (Brooks).
| | |
I'll Do Anything 1994  PG-13, 115 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Nick Nolte, Whittni Wright, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Tracey Ullman, Joely Richardson, Ian McKellen, Woody Harrelson, Robert Joy, Rosie O'Donnell
A not-so-very successful actor (Nick Nolte) suddenly is given custody of his daughter (Whittni Wright), a six-year-old who has never known her father. He gets a job as a chauffeur for a movie studio exec and finds time to fall in love with his daughter.
| | |
Modern Romance 1981  R, 93 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Albert Brooks
Cast: Albert Brooks, Kathryn Harrold, Tyann Means, Bruno Kirby, Jane Hallaren, James L. Brooks, George Kennedy, Karen Mayo-Chandler, Dennis Kort, Bob Einstein
Written by, directed by, and starring Albert Brooks as film editor Robert Cole, this is the story of Cole's and Mary Harvard's (Kathryn Harrold) on-again, off-again romance.
| | |
Real Life 1979  PG, 99 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Albert Brooks
Cast: Dick Haynes, Albert Brooks, Matthew Tobin, J.A. Preston, Joseph Schaffler, Phyllis Quinn, Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, James L. Brooks, Susan Clark
Albert Brooks directed this film about an opportunist (played by Brooks) who makes a documentary about a typical American family. Throughout the film, Brooks reveals problems of remaining objective while filming a documentary and gives insight into what one often "sees" in a documentary.
| | |
 Spanglish 2004 PG-13, 130 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Shelbie Bruce, Sarah Steele, Ian Hyland, Victoria Luna, Cecilia Suarez, Ricardo Molina, Brenda Canela, Eddy Martin
Flor (Paz Vega) and her daughter, Cristina (Shelbie Bruce), migrate from Mexico to America where they find work as maids for the Clasky family–John (Adam Sandler) and Deborah (Tea Leoni). It doesn't take long before John finds himself caught in the middle between uptight Deborah and consoling Flor.
| | |
Terms of Endearment 1983 PG, 132 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow, Danny DeVito, Betty King, Huckleberry Fox, David Wohl, Lisa Hart Carroll, Troy Bishop, Norman Bennett, F. William Parker
This excellent comedy/drama covers three decades in the relationship of Aurora Greenaway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger). Aurora has overly protected Emma during her childhood until Emma finally escapes to marry college professor Flap (Jeff Daniels). But that marriage is doomed when Flap begins an affair with a college student, and Emma turns to a married man (John Lithgow) for solace. Meanwhile, Aurora deals with being a grandmother while finding her own consolation in her next-door neighbor, astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson). Academy Awards were received for Best Picture, Actress (MacLaine), Supporting Actor (Nicholson), Director, and Writing. There were also six nominations, including Best Actress (Winger) and Supporting Actor (Lithgow).
| | |
| |
| Oscar: Best Director for Terms of Endearment (1983) |
1. As Good as It Gets (1997)
2. Broadcast News (1987)
3. I'll Do Anything (1994)
4. Modern Romance (1981)
5. Real Life (1979)
6. Spanglish (2004)
7. Terms of Endearment (1983)
In The News
|
