Big Fat Liar 2002 PG, 87 min. Genre: Family / Comedy / Adventure
Director: Shawn Levy Cast: Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Lee Majors, Matthew Frauman, Sandra Oh, Russell Hornsby, Sean O'Bryan, Michael Bryan French, Christine Tucci, Amy Hill, John Cho, Matthew Frauman
Sleazy Hollywood producer Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti) gets his hands on a school essay written by 14-year-old Jason (Frankie Muniz) who just happens to be a compulsive liar. When Marty turns the essay into a movie, no one believes Jason when he claims it is his story. What to do? Well, Jason and his friend, Kaylee (Amanda Bynes), head for Hollywood with intentions of outwitting Marty and forcing him to give Jason the writing credit for the film.
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Deck the Halls 2006 PG, 95 min. Genre: Family / Comedy
Director: John Whitsell Cast: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Dylan Blue, Sabrina Aldridge, Kelly Aldridge, Jorge Garcia, Fred Armisen, Gillian Vigman, Ryan Devlin, Sean O'Bryan
Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito) decorates his family's home with so many lights that it just might be seen from outer space. Neighbor Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick) decides that enough is enough and sets out to sabotage the Halls' display. But, by story's end, Buddy and Steve have discovered the true meaning of Christmas.
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Detective 2005 TV, 170 min. Genre: Drama aka: Arthur Hailey's Detective
Director: David S. Cass Sr. Cast: Tom Berenger, Annabeth Gish, Rick Gomez, Frank Whaley, J. Karen Thomas, Renee Rizzo, Wanda De Jesus, Cybill Shepherd, Sean O'Bryan, David Atkinson, Thomas Rosales Jr., Charles Durning, Douglas Fisher, Vic Polizos, Stephanie Cameron
While awaiting his execution on death row, serial killer Elroy Doil (Sean O'Bryan) confesses his crimes to a Catholic priest who is now a police detective, Malcolm Ainslie (Tom Berenger). Now Ainslie, in turn, must distinguish between fact and fiction in the confession as he begins his investigation. This is not an easy task.
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Frankie and Johnny 1991 R, 118 min. Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Director: Garry Marshall Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hector Elizondo, Nathan Lane, Kate Nelligan, Jane Morris, Greg Lewis, Glenn Plummer, Harvey Miller, K Callan, Al Fann, Ele Keats, Fernando Lopez, Tim Hopper, Sean O'Bryan
Based on Terrence McNally's great play, this movie adaptation is about the romance of cynical waitress Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and just-released-from-prison short-order cook Johnny (Al Pacino). 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | More than the sum of its parts | 1fatts 10/28/2007 | There are reasons this film should not work. It does not transfer well from its theatrical origins: there are "speeches" that are too clearly "speeches"; too many characters are stereotypical "New York menagerie of mankind." The ending is cornball by anyone's standards.
And yet the film DOES work, by and large. Credit to a really good cast and a more quiet control of tone and pacing than one generally expects from Garry Marshall. True, Michelle Pfeiffer is too pretty for the part, but she projects a quiet, sad emptiness which is convincing, even moving, and forms the center of the piece. And, true, Al Pacino can't quite pull off an optimistic innocent, but he is genuinely likable, and you pull for him.
We are ready to extend our suspension of disbelief a little farther than we might usually do because these are characters we care for, people who have not had an easy time of it and could use a break; and we are willing to gloss over the sit-com slickness of some of it to allow them the break. We would really like them to have a shot at doing better.
. . . and it helps if you like Clair de lune. |
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I'll Be Home for Christmas 1998 PG, 86 min. Genre: Family / Comedy
Director: Arlene Sanford Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel, Adam LaVorgna, Gary Cole, Lauren Maltby, Eve Gordon, Andrew Lauer, Sean O'Bryan, Kathleen Freeman, Lesley Boone, Amzie Strickland, Natalie Barish, Mark de la Cruz, Jack Kenny, Celia Kushner
College student Jake Wilkinson's (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) father (Gary Cole) has promised him a Porsche IF he makes it home for Christmas. It sounds like an easy trip from Southern California, but Jake's attempt to reach his parents' home in Larchmont, New York, is thwarted by complications.
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The Princess Diaries 2001 G, 115 min. Genre: Family / Comedy / Romance
Director: Garry Marshall Cast: Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, Robert Schwartzman, Erik von Detten, Sean O'Bryan, Sandra Oh, Patrick Flueger, Kathleen Marshall, Mindy Burbano, Kimleigh Smith, Beth Anne Garrison
Gangly 15-year-old Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) and her best friend Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) are high school misfits, but Mia has her eye on cute Josh (Erik von Detten). Mia's grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews), comes to town and informs Mia that she is the real-life Princess of Genovia, which is a small European nation between France and Spain. Queen Clarisse begins the difficult task of tutoring Mia in social graces to prepare her for her place on the throne, and Clarisse's security chief Joe (Hector Elizondo) also provides assistance in readying Mia for her position of royalty. Now, Mia must decide whether to leave the U.S. to take over her new role or stay in San Francisco.
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The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement 2004 G, 115 min. Genre: Family / Comedy / Romance
Director: Garry Marshall Cast: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, John Rhys-Davies, Heather Matarazzo, Chris Pine, Callum Blue, Kathleen Marshall, Tom Poston, Joel McCrary, Kim Thompson, Raven-Symone, Sean O'Bryan, Caroline Goodall, Larry Miller
In this sequel to "The Princess Diaries," Mia (Anne Hathaway) is now turning 21, has finished college, and her grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) is preparing to step down and relinquish the throne of Genovia to Mia. There is one problem: Genovia law requires that their queen be married. Now, Mia is given 30 days in which to find a husband. Will it be the charming Andrew (Callum Blue), or will Mia choose dashing Nicholas (Chris Pine) who has had his eye on the throne?
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Raising Helen 2004 PG-13, 119 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Garry Marshall Cast: Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin, Helen Mirren, Sakina Jaffrey, Kevin Kilner, Felicity Huffman, Sean O'Bryan, Amber Valletta, Michael Esparza, Ethan Browne, Katie Carr
After her sister dies in a car crash, Helen Harris (Kate Hudson) takes over the guardianship of her sister's three children–15-year-old Audrey (Hayden Panettiere), 10-year-old Henry (Spencer Breslin), and 5-year-old Sarah (Abigail Breslin). Helen finds that, despite having to change her nightclub lifestyle, family is what really matters.
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The Twilight of the Golds 1997 PG-13, 93 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Ross Kagan Marks Cast: Garry Marshall, Faye Dunaway, Jill Bernstein, Mark Shunkey, Jennifer Beals, Brendan Fraser, Jon Tenney, Sean O'Bryan, John Schlesinger, Rosie O'Donnell
Phyllis Gold (Faye Dunaway) has a genetic test performed on her unborn child and discovers that he will be predisposed to homosexuality. Her problem: whether or not to undergo an abortion.
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Yes Man 2008 PG-13, 104 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Peyton Reed Cast: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Danny Masterson, Fionnula Flanagan, Terence Stamp, Sasha Alexander, Molly Sims, Brent Briscoe, Sean O'Bryan, Spencer Garrett, Rocky Carroll, John Cothran Jr.
Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a loan officer whose antisocial tendencies are ruining his life. He decides to turn his life around and signs up for a self-help program where the guru Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp) teaches him to say "Yes" to everything. After giving a homeless man (Brent Briscoe) a ride and money, saying "Yes" to bank loan requests, organizing a wedding shower for his friend Peter's (Bradley Cooper) wife, and even saying "Yes" to free-spirited, scooter-riding Allison (Zooey Deschanel), Carl has become a changed man.
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| 1. Big Fat Liar (2002)
2. Deck the Halls (2006)
3. Detective (2005) aka: Arthur Hailey's Detective
4. Frankie and Johnny (1991)
5. I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
6. The Princess Diaries (2001)
7. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
8. Raising Helen (2004)
9. The Twilight of the Golds (1997)
10. Yes Man (2008)
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