8 1/2 Women 1999  R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Greenaway
Cast: John Standing, Matthew Delamere, Vivian Wu, Annie Shizuka Inoh, Barbara Sarafian, Kirina Mano, Toni Collette, Amanda Plummer, Natacha Amal, Polly Walker
Women's liberation suffers a setback in this film with its tasteless portrayal of women as ready and willing prostitutes. The story revolves around a father and son–Philip (John Standing) and Storey (Matthew Delamere)–who, after watching Fellini's "8 1/2," set out to reenact its theme of seduction.
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About a Boy 2002  PG-13, 100 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Cast: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Sharon Small, Madison & Jordan Cook, Nicholas Hutchinson, Ryan & Joseph Speechley, Natalia Tena, Laura Kennington, Tanika Swaby, Peter McNicholl, Christopher Webster, Ben Ridgeway, Victoria Smurfit
Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) is a young man in his 30s whose life is going nowhere. But, that all turns around when troubled 12-year-old Marcus (Nicholas Hutchinson) attaches himself to Will and changes Will's life forever. Will and Marcus meet when Will joins S.P.A.T. (Single Parents Alone Together) as a means to meet single women. Will fabricates a story about having a two-year-old son, but Marcus catches on to Will's scheme and urges him to date his own depressed mother Fiona (Toni Collette). That doesn't work, and it doesn't take long before Will falls for single mom Rachel (Rachel Weisz), and now he tries to pass Marcus off as his son. A bad plan–but when Will tries to make it up to Marcus, he finally grows up.
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The Boys 1998 R, 86 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Rowan Woods
Cast: David Wenham, Toni Collette, Lynette Curran, John Polson, Anthony Hayes, Jeanette Cronin, Anna Lise Phillips, Pete Smith, Sal Sharah, Lawrence Woodward
Released on parole, Brett Sprague (David Wenham) returns home to his family in Sydney, and trouble begins almost immediately as Sprague's violent acts change forever the lives of those involved.
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 Changing Lanes 2002 R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Roger Michell
Cast: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Sydney Pollack, Amanda Peet, Tina Sloan, Kim Staunton, William Hurt, Richard Jenkins, Dylan Baker, Akil Walker, Cole Hawkins, Ileen Getz, Jennifer Dundas, Matt Malloy
Road rage escalates to new heights between a Wall Street lawyer, Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck), and recovering alcoholic Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) who is fighting a bitter custody battle with his estranged wife Valerie (Kim Staunton). When their cars sideswipe on FDR Drive in Manhattan, the accident sets off a chain of events that becomes more and more dangerous.
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Clockwatchers 1997 PG-13, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jill Sprecher
Cast: Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Alanna Ubach, Helen FitzGerald, Stanley DeSantis, Jamie Kennedy, Paul Dooley, Kevin Cooney, Bob Balaban
Four young women–Iris (Toni Collette), Margaret (Parker Posey), Paula (Lisa Kudrow), and Jane (Alanna Ubach)–work as office temps and enjoy their friendship UNTIL petty thefts occur in the office, and suspicions pervade the workplace.
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Connie and Carla 2004  PG-13, 98 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Michael Lembeck
Cast: Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, David Duchovny, Stephen Spinella, Alec Mapa, Chris Logan, Robert Kaiser, Ian Gomez, Nick Sandow, Dash Mihok, Robert John Burke, Debbie Reynolds
After good friends–Connie (Nia Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette)–witness a mafia hit in Chicago, they hightail it out of the Midwest and end up on the West Coast where they pose as drag queens in an L.A. nightclub.
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Cosi 1996  R, 100 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Mark Joffe
Cast: Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto, Toni Collette, Pamela Rabe, Jacki Weaver, Paul Chubb, Rachel Griffiths, Aden Young, Colin Friels, Colin Hay, David Wenham, Tony Llewellyn-Jones
Lewis (Ben Mendelsohn) takes a position as play director at a mental institution with the job of helping in the rehabilitation process. Inmate Roy (Barry Otto) talks Lewis into producing Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutti." A cast of wild characters from the patients is assembled, though none can sing nor speak Italian, which is the language of the play. But Lewis soon learns a lesson or two about imagination from the unlikely cast in this Australian production.
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The Dead Girl 2006  R, 93 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Cast: Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Mary Beth Hurt, Josh Brolin, Brittany Murphy, Marcia Gay Harden, Giovanni Ribisi, Kerry Washington, Mary Steenburgen, Piper Laurie, Nick Searcy, James Franco, Christopher Allen Nelson
This story relates events taking place before and after the murder of Krista (Brittany Murphy) as the lives of diverse people begin to intertwine into five stories that build upon each other as a result of Krista's tragedy. In the fifth story, told in flashback, the viewer meets Krista, and some questions are answered about what led to her tragic end. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | good | ellie 03/05/2007 | | i liked it |
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Dinner with Friends 2001 R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Norman Jewison
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Holliston Coleman, Beau Holden, Taylor Emerson, Jake Fritz, Angus T. Jones, Dina Morrone
Food critics Gabe (Dennis Quaid) and Karen (Andie MacDowell) have been happily married for several years. They had introduced best friends Tom (Greg Kinnear) and Beth (Toni Collette) to each other, and they now have been married for a dozen years. It is a big surprise when Beth announces that Tom has left her and their children for another woman, and it causes Gabe and Karen to reevaluate their own seemingly happy life togther. Made for HBO.
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Emma 1996  PG, 111 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Douglas McGrath
Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, Greta Scacchi, Alan Cumming, Juliet Stevenson, Ewan McGregor, James Cosmo, Denys Hawthorne, Sophie Thompson, Kathleen Byron, Phyllida Law, Edward Woodall, Polly Walker, Rebecca Craig
Based on Jane Austen's novel, this is the story of Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) who is obsessed with interfering in others' lives. She delights in playing matchmaker for her friends Harriet (Toni Collette) and Reverend Elton (Alan Cumming) and even brings together her governess (Greta Scacchi) and Mr. Weston (James Cosmo). Emma is so obsessed with matchmaking that she is clueless about the fact that she is falling in love with Mr. Knightly (Jeremy Northam). Will she wake up in time to learn some things about herself before it is too late?
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Evening 2007  PG-13, 117 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Lajos Koltai
Cast: Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy, Natasha Richardson, Mamie Gummer, Eileen Atkins, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Barry Bostwick
As Ann Lord (Vanessa Redgrave) lies in bed dying, she drifts in and out of sleep while being nursed by Mrs. Brown (Eileen Atkins) who is giving her morphine to relieve the pain. While sleeping, Ann goes back in time to when she was a young Ann (Claire Danes) attending the Newport, Rhode Island, wedding of her good friend Lila Wittenborn (Mamie Gummer). At that long-ago reception, Ann meets Harris Arden (Patrick Wilson), and her love for him will change her life forever. Now, in her dying moments, she keeps mumbling the words "mistakes" and "Harris" leaving her daughters (Toni Collette and Natasha Richardson) wondering what their mother is really talking about. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | a wonderful chick flick | lacey160 08/05/2007 | | Moms, daughters and girlfriends should see this movie. Parts did drag on slightly, but the all star cast is fantastic! |
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 The Hours 2002 PG-13, 114 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Stephen Dillane, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Miranda Richardson, John C. Reilly, Linda Bassett, Toni Collette, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Christian Coulson, Michael Culkin
Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway" connects the stories of three different women–Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Clarissa (Meryl Streep)–in three different eras–1925, 1951, and 2001–who resort to suicide as the solution for their problems. Very well acted, but with this cast what else could one expect? Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress Oscar for her excellent performance. In addition, the film received eight nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Actress in a Supporting Role (Julianne Moore), and Actor in a Supporting Role (Ed Harris).
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In Her Shoes 2005 PG-13, 130 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Curtis Hanson
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Feuerstein, Ken Howard, Candice Azzara, Francine Beers, Norman Lloyd, Jerry Adler, Brooke Smith, Richard Burgi, Anson Mount
Sisters Maggie (Cameron Diaz) and Rose (Toni Collette) are direct opposites but best friends. Responsible Rose has rescued flighty Maggie on more than one occasion. But, when a drunken Maggie seduces Rose's boyfriend, Rose finally throws her out of the house. Maggie's solution is to track down their long-lost grandmother, Ella (Shirley MacLaine), who lives in a Florida seniors' complex. Rose finds Ella, and by story's end, both sisters take charge of their own lives and come to grips with life.
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Japanese Story 2003 R, 105 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sue Brooks
Cast: Toni Collette, Gotaro Tsunashima, Matthew Dyktynski, Lynette Curran, Yumiko Tanaka, Kate Atkinson, Bill Young, Reg Evans, George Shevtsov, Justine Clarke, John(2) Howard, Mike Frencham
While geologist Sandy Edwards (Toni Collette) tours the Pilhara Desert in Australia with a potential client, Tachibana Hiromitsu (Matthew Dyktynski), in hopes of winning a contract with the Hiromitsu family's iron ore company, a clash of cultures proves inevitable.
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The Last Shot 2004 R, 93 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jeff Nathanson
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Tony Shalhoub, Calista Flockhart, Tim Blake Nelson, Buck Henry, Ray Liotta, Ian Gomez, Troy Winbush, Thomas McCarthy, W. Earl Brown
FBI agent Joe Devine (Alec Baldwin) works undercover to trap members of the Gotti family during a mob sting operation. He picks would-be screenwriter/producer Steven Schats (Matthew Broderick) to join his efforts. But, it doesn't take long for both of them to get swept away by the magic of moviemaking and end up way over their heads.
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 Little Miss Sunshine 2006 R, 101 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Jill Talley, Brenda Canela, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Marc Turtletaub
The dysfunctional Hoover family–motivational speaker dad, Richard (Greg Kinnear); energetic mom Sheryl (Toni Collette); silent, teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano); seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin); suicidal Uncle Frank (Steve Carell); and heroin-snorting Grandpa (Alan Arkin)–boards their VW bus and embarks on a road trip to California so that Olive can compete in a pre-teen beauty pageant. On their arrival in Redondo Beach, the Hoovers face the winning-crazed world of young girls made-up to look like beauty queens, and the family gains strength through their ultra-weird experience. The film received two Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin), and nominations were received for Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin).
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 Muriel's Wedding 1994 R, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: P.J. Hogan
Cast: Toni Collette, Daniel Lapaine, Sophie Lee, Rosiland Hammond, Belinda Jarrett, Pippa Grandison, Bill Hunter, Chris Haywood, Matt Day, Rachel Griffiths
Muriel dreams to the backdrop songs of ABBA. She dreams of weddings and having friends in this Australian comedy, so leaves home for Sydney with her friend.
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 The Night Listener 2006 R, 91 min.
Genre: Mystery / Drama / Thriller
Director: Patrick Stettner
Cast: Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin, Sandra Oh, Bobby Cannavale, Joe Morton, John Cullum, Lisa Emery, Becky Ann Baker, Rodrigo Lopresti
Gay radio show host Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) receives a book written by teenager Pete D. Logand (Rory Culkin) describing his earlier years of being sexually abused by his parents. Now, Pete is living in Wisconsin under the watchful care of his guardian, Donna D. Logand (Toni Collette). Impressed with the book, Gabriel begins a telephone friendship with Pete and with Donna. When Gabriel's ex-boyfriend Jess (Bobby Cannavale) suggests that Donna's and Pete's voices sound alike and that Gabriel may be the victim of a hoax, Gabriel heads for Wisconsin where a game of cat-and-mouse ensues.
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The Pallbearer 1996 PG-13, 94 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Barbara Hershey, Michael Rapaport, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Carol Kane, Bitty Schram, Jean De Baer
"The Graduate" was an excellent film; "The Pallbearer" uses its theme–a young man caught between the wiles of two women. While not on a par with the pevious film it is still fun to watch. The plot revolves around Tom Thompson's (David Schwimmer) recruitment as eulogizer and pallbearer for a friend he cannot remember. Thompson is a college graduate who still lives with his mother and is having affairs with two women: the young, beautiful Julie DeMarco (Gwyneth Paltrow) and a jealous older woman, Mrs. Abernathy (Barbara Hershey).
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 Shaft 2000 R, 98 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Director: John Singleton
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Dan Hedaya, Busta Rhymes, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree, Josef Sommer, Philip Bosco, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lynne Thigpen, Pat Hingle, Lee Tergesen, Daniel von Gargen
Shaft is back–this time Samuel L. Jackson takes on the title role, and all the action of the original 1971 film returns. Throughout his investigations, Shaft receives advice from his Uncle John Shaft (Richard Roundtree who starred as the original "Shaft"). Shaft arrests Walter Wade, Jr. (Christian Bale) for killing a young Black student, but Walter flees the country to avoid prosecution. Two years later, Wade secretly returns, and Shaft arrests him. With help from his wealthy father, Walter Wade, Sr. (Philip Bosco), Walter posts bail and has a mission: get drug king Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright) to kill Shaft and find Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette) who was the only witness to the murder. Meanwhile, with Hernandez closing in, an angry Shaft, with help from police colleague Carmen (Vanessa Williams), tracks down Diane only to learn that there is more to Diane than meets the eye.
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 The Sixth Sense 1999 PG-13, 107 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Trevor Morgan, Donnie Wahlberg, Mischa Barton, Jeffrey Zubernis, Bruce Norris, Glenn Fitzgerald, Peter Anthony Tambakis, Greg Wood, Angelica Torn, Lisa Summerour, Firdous Bamji
This great psychological thriller features Haley Joel Osment in the role of Cole Sear, a young boy who sees and hears dead spirits. These facts are finally revealed when his mother, Lynn (Toni Collette), takes him to a child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), who has demons of his own. By such questions as, "What are they trying to tell you?" Crowe is able to break through, but the question of whether or not the ghosts are real still remains. The film received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Toni Colette) and Supporting Actor (Osment).
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Spotswood 1992 PG, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy
aka: The Efficiency Expert
Director: Mark Joffe
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn, Alwyn Kurts, Bruno Lawrence, Russell Crowe, Toni Collette, Rebecca Riggs, John Walton, Angela Punch McGregor, John Flaus, Daniel Wyllie, Jeff Truman
Efficiency expert Errol Wallace (Anthony Hopkins) utilizes cold-blooded management practices–until he becomes "humanized" by workers at an Australian family-owned moccasin factory.
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| 1. 8 1/2 Women (1999)
2. About a Boy (2002)
3. The Boys (1998)
4. Changing Lanes (2002)
5. Clockwatchers (1997)
6. Connie and Carla (2004)
7. Cosi (1996)
8. The Dead Girl (2006)
9. Dinner with Friends (2001)
10. Emma (1996)
11. Evening (2007)
12. The Hours (2002)
13. In Her Shoes (2005)
14. Japanese Story (2003)
15. The Last Shot (2004)
16. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
17. Muriel's Wedding (1994)
18. The Night Listener (2006)
19. The Pallbearer (1996)
20. Shaft (2000)
21. The Sixth Sense (1999)
22. Spotswood (1992)
aka: The Efficiency Expert
23. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
In The News
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