 Bad Company 1972  R, 94 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, Jim Davis, John Savage, David Huddleston, Jerry Houser, Ed Lauter, Charles Tyner, Geoffrey Lewis, John Quade, Damon Cofer, Joshua Hill Lewis, Raymond Guth, Jean Allison, Ned Wertimer
This story centers on what happens to a Civil War draft dodger, Drew Dixon (Barry Brown), when he heads west and takes on a criminal lifestyle. He bonds with con-artist Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges) and joins Jake's gang of boy bandits, including Loney (John Savage) and Arthur (Jerry Houser). As the gang fights the harsh elements and tries to avoid confrontations with criminals such as Big Joe (David Huddleston), Drew realizes that he may have no choice but to rely on a life of crime in order to survive.
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Billy Bathgate 1991  R, 106 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Loren Dean, Bruce Willis, Steven Hill, Steve Buscemi, Billy Jaye, John Costelloe, Stanley Tucci, Xander Berkeley
Billy Bathgate (Loren Dean) rises from a poor New York City kid to one of the trusted followers of gangster Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman). Set during the Great Depression, Billy is given the job of watching after an attractive woman (Nicole Kidman) whose boyfriend (Bruce Willis) has been murdered.
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Feast of Love 2007  R, 102 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Radha Mitchell, Billy Burke, Selma Blair, Alexa Davalos, Toby Hemingway, Stana Katic, Erika Marozsan, Jane Alexander, Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, Missi Pyle
Bradley Thomas (Greg Kinnear) owns a coffee bar in Oregon, but his wife Kathryn (Selma Blair) doesn't like their lifestyle and leaves him for another woman (Stana Katic). Meanwhile, college professor Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) is grieving over the death of his heroin-addicted son and sits around the coffee bar observing events taking place and offering advice. He warns Bradley against having an affair with real-estate agent Diana (Radha Mitchell), but Bradley, unwisely, doesn't listen. Then, Harry and his wife, Esther (Jane Alexander), take an interest in two of Bradley's employees, Chloe (Alexa Davalos) and Oscar (Toby Hemingway), whose love for each other is threatened by Oscar's abusive father (Fred Ward). And the connections continue as Harry still imparts wisdom to those around him at the coffee bar.
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 The Human Stain 2003 R, 106 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barrett, Harry Lennix, Clark Gregg, Anna Deavere Smith, Lizan Mitchell, Kerry Washington, Phyllis Newman
After making a racist statement about two students, esteemed Professor Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is forced to retire. But that's just the beginning of this story, which deals with the issue of those who "pass" for white.
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Kramer vs. Kramer 1979  PG, 104 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, Justin Henry, George Coe, JoBeth Williams, Howland Chamberlin, Joe Seneca, Jack Ramage, Bill Moor, Jess Osuna, Nicholas Hormann, Ellen Parker, Carol Nadell
This is the story of father Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) and son Billy (Justin Henry) who are forced to go it on their own after their wife and mother Joanna (Meryl Streep) walks out on them. Ted does learn how to care for Billy and places Billy over other priorities–Ted even loses his much loved job in order to make time for Billy. Now, Joanna returns planning to take custody of Billy, but Ted refuses to give him up, and a custody suit ensues. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), and Writing.
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The Late Show 1977 PG, 94 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Mystery
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Lily Tomlin, Art Carney, Bill Macy, Eugene Roche, Joanna Cassidy, John Considine, Ruth Nelson, Howard Duff, John Davey, Beate Hasenau, Lothar Lambert, Erika Wilde, Dorothea Moritz, Cihan Anasai, Dagmar Beiersdorf
When an eccentric woman, Margo (Lily Tomlin), hires retired detective Ira Wells (Art Carney) to find her missing cat, the pair become involved in murder and mayhem. The murder involves Ira's partner Harry Regan (Howard Duff) who is killed while working on a case, and now it appears that the fence, Ron Birdwell (Eugene Roche), who stole Margo's cat, may have been involved in the killing of Harry. And throughout the investigation, Margo and Harry's developing, offbeat relationship is fun to watch.
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Nadine 1987 PG, 82 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Kim Basinger, Jeff Bridges, Gwen Verdon, Rip Torn, Glenne Headly, Jerry Stiller, Jay Patterson, William Youmans, Mickey Jones, Gary Grubbs
Two appealing, though not very bright, characters become involved in solving a murder. When a beautician (Kim Basinger) needs help, she goes to her estranged husband (Jeff Bridges). Together, they try to keep one step ahead of danger.
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Nobody's Fool 1994 R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Dylan Walsh, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gene Saks, Josef Sommer, Philip Bosco, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Dent, Jay Patterson, Alexander Goodwin, Carl J. Matusovich, Jerry Mayer
This comedy/drama was Jessica Tandy's last picture. It is also one of the year's best. Tandy plays Sully Sullivan's (Paul Newman) landlady, Mrs. Beryl, in this story about 60-year-old Sully who hasn't seen or spoken to his ex-wife in many years. Both Sully and his best friend Rub (Pruitt Taylor Vince) do enjoy flirting with Toby (Melanie Griffith) who is married to local contractor Carl (Bruce Willis) who sometimes gives Sully work. Changes begin for Sully when his son Peter (Dylan Walsh) arrives in town for Thanksgiving, and Sully learns that he has a grandson. Now, Sully decides that the holiday season is the time to start fixing up broken relationships. Newman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.
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Places in the Heart 1984 PG, 112 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Sally Field, Ed Harris, John Malkovich, Lindsay Crouse, Amy Madigan, Danny Glover, Bert Remsen, Yankton Hatten, Gennie James, Lane Smith
Edna Spalding (Sally Field), newly widowed with two children to raise, is pressured to sell her property but decides to stick it out. In the process she discovers the value of friends who help her survive on her land. As a result of her fine performance, Sally Field won an Academy Award for Best Actress. An Oscar also was awarded for Writing, and there were nominations for Best Picture, Supporting Actor (John Malkovich), Supporting Actress (Lindsay Crouse), and Director.
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Still of the Night 1982 PG, 91 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, Jessica Tandy, Joe Grifasi, Sara Botsford, Josef Sommer, Irving Metzman, Larry Joshua, Rikke Borge, Tom Norton
Robert Benton (Roy Scheider) is a psychiatrist in New York whose life may be in danger because one of his patients (Meryl Streep) could be the murderess of one of his former patients.
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 Twilight 1998 R, 104 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Stockard Channing, Reese Witherspoon, Giancarlo Esposito, James Garner, Liev Schreiber, M. Emmet Walsh, Margo Martindale, John Spencer, Peter Gregory, Patrick Malone, Jason Clarke, Rene Mujica
Retired detective Harry Ross (Paul Newman) is living with movie star friends Jack and Catherine Ames (Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon) in Santa Monica. When Harry delivers a package for Jack, he finds Lestar Ivar (M. Emmet Walsh) dying after being shot. Harry looks around Ivar's apartment and finds 20-year-old newspaper articles about Catherine's first husband who disappeared 20 years ago. Now, Harry's curiosity is peaked, and he asks LAPD detective Verna Hollander (Stockard Channing) for help in finding answers to the unsolved case. The trail leads to other unsolved cases–including one involving Harry's old colleague Raymond Hope (James Garner) who also runs errands for Jack and just might have the answers that Harry seeks.
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| Oscar: Best Director for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) |
1. Bad Company (1972)
2. Billy Bathgate (1991)
3. Feast of Love (2007)
4. The Human Stain (2003)
5. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
6. The Late Show (1977)
7. Nadine (1987)
8. Nobody's Fool (1994)
9. Places in the Heart (1984)
10. Still of the Night (1982)
11. Twilight (1998)
In The News
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