Reviews (60)

Classic, Classic Tom Hanks
My wife and I have seen this movie MANY times and we laugh harder each time we see it. This movie must be a cult classic, mainly because if we act out a piece of a scene or speak a line from it (as we often do) many people are 'in' on the joke having seen it repeatedly themselves. Alexander Gudenov really steals the scenes that he's in portraying Shelly Long's ex-husband/Symphony conductor. I love it when he admonishes the orchestra at lunchtime after a lackluster rehearsal and tells the members to '...go stuff yourselves, I hope you choke!' (in that wonderful accent).
I highly reccommend this film to anyone, especially if you own a house. Those laughing the loudest will have had home repair experience I'm sure. Tom Hanks at his funniest. You won't be dissapointed!

Favorite moments:

bathtub scene (with pop-up thermometer in the turkey)
raccoon scene
The Shirk brothers contractors
All of the Alexander Gudenov scenes
'The Cheap Girls' band
borrowing money from 'Benny'
Hanks and Long fighting in front of the contractors

.....the list goes on......

Simply too funny
"The Money Pit" may have been a disaster at the box office and with critics at the time but this movie is just too hilarious. This is one of the few movies that makes me laugh until tears starts rolling down my face. My personal favorite moment is when Shelly Long finds a raccoon in the dumb waiter and it leaps at her. Seeing her running around screaming with a raccoon on her shoulder is hysterical. Of course just watching Tom Hanks' character try to fix the house is equally funny, particularly when he hears Shelly's character screaming and he runs...or tries to run up the poorly built staircase. The classic moment is when he falls into that hole and is stuck there for most of the day, missing out on an important meeting with a contractor and then seeing Shelly Long's expression when she finds him stuck in the hole. "The Money Pit" remains one of my top favorite comedies of all time as well as favorite Tom Hanks film.

home blech home!
Tom Hanks and Shelly Long star in this 1980s Steven Spielberg movie as Walter and Anna, a Manhattan couple who are unceremoniously evicted from her ex-husband's apartment and must search for new housing. They find what seems to be a steal -- a huge million-dollar mansion for next to nothing --- and move in, only to be besieged with a collapsing staircase, chocolate-brown "water", rotting wood, exploding doorbell, you name it. Probably one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen is when Tom Hanks sinks through the rug into a hole in the den floor and gets stuck.

Broke and cranky from sinking more and more resources into the money pit in which they live, Anna and Walter snipe at each other. The shady contractors they hire say they can get the job done in 2 weeks -- and continue saying that four months later.

The house may or may not get rebuilt, but will Walter and Anna survive as a couple? Being a typical 1980s comedy which paved the way for everything starring Meg Ryan for 16 years, you already know the answer. But it is still a hilarious movie to watch, depsite its predictability.

Sigh sigh
When I watched this movie for the very first time, I was 18 yold. It was and it is one of the most loved movies I ever seen in my whole life and it meant so much to me because I felt like Tom Hanks when I was rising up my new house and I seen myself in that movie with all the hard time to make the house of my and her dream nice and cozy. We did it but I miss those times.

Thanks "The money pit".

Luca

One of my all-time favorites!
Who wouldn't want to see Tom Hanks stuck in a hole in the floor? This movie is hilarious right from the start - Shelley Long and Hanks play off each other well. Well worth a few bucks to have your own copy at home! ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Great Film
This is one of my favorite movies. It has drama, excitement, laughter and tears. The characters are unique, even bizarre individuals, and yet they ring true. There's some great acting by everyone, and it's a "must see" for Winona Ryder fans.

This is a great family movie, Cher's performance in this movie is so great. It tells the story of a Jewish family who is constantly moving because Mrs. Flax (Cher) is always causing some kind of gossip in the town and ends up moving all the time. Charlotte (Winonna Ryder) plays an odd teenager, who is in love with a caretaker, and can't keep her mind off of him. The synopsis is great, and filled with two hours of great comedy played out by two great actresses. This is a must see movie.

The soundtrack is great. Fun pop songs ("Johnny Angel", "Mambo Italiano") are worked into the movie, making certain scenes particularly memorable. In particular, I loved the scene with the song "If You Want to Be Happy". (Yes, the song is mean-spirited and offensive, but after seeing these women "reclaim" it, it always makes me smile!)
Check this out!

Mermaids The Greatest American Movie ever!!!
Warm and funny within a simple Single parent family
{Cher as the coolest Mom}
Cher in the movie {I think} made/have too much Carb diet {Bagel, Sandwichs Marshemallow, mash potato, yam, dinner roll.....} Mermaid most be the Hightest Carb Movie Ever!!!
{Winona Ryder as the elder daughter}
She need to act never been with a man before...pretty hard for her to act indeed.
{Christina Ricci as the funniest little super swimmer, in fact I think Christina Ricci act the best! She's the most natural, funny, and obsessed with the oceans/underwater.
- She always try to break the world record of under water in the bathroom tub even put rocks in the bath tub!!!

This is one of the most warm, loving and fun American movie ever!!!

Charming
This Movie was a wonderful movie with a somewhat realistic view, i think it is worth the money and a great Movie for women everywhere.

Bob Hoskins - wotta guy
This film was made excellent by the superb acting by one.... Bob Hoskins - HOW IS HE NOT A SIR???? His beard is shaven which means he is a good guy!! Well Done Bob Hoskins

wow
This is such a great film and I must admit the whole cast was great, Yup even Cher! ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A Valentine to New York
Alan Swann: Alfredo, telephone the Stork Club, we'll be two for dinner. Alfi: You sure you want the Stork Club, Mr. Swann? Alan Swann: It's been a year and a half. Surely they've repaired the wall of the bandstand by now. Former actor Richard Benjamin's near classic comedy "My Favorite Year" opens on 50th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan of 1954. Summer sunshine glistens off a new Oldsmobile. Fading, dissolute matinee idol Alan Swann is about to appear in his first live television program. Or will He? Peter O'Toole stars as movie swashbuckler Alan Swann( a thin impersonation of Errol Flynn). O'Toole verifies the comedic spark first seen in 1965's "What's New Pussycat?". A talented cast includes Mark Linn-Baker, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, and Cameron Mitchell. Film-within-a-film flashbacks reveal scenes from O'Toole's "Lord Jim". The director's penchant for long, theatrical episodes produces a slow but studied pace. Don't worry. The effect is marvelous. This brand new widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 DVD of "My Favorite Year" is a stately Warners release. The digital transfer reveals some sloppy mattes around the actors' heads in the firehose balcony sequence. But by then, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even notice. The DVD includes generous chapter stops, a trailer, and splendid audio commentary by Benjamin, as he defines the dangers and head-aches of directing an MGM movie. In "My Favorite Year", veteran Gloria Stuart has a small non-speaking bit part. 20 years later, in a larger role, Stuart played Old Rose in a much more famous film tragedy set in 1912. It was the resonant epic about a ship that could not float.

"Double the lad's bet for me, you toad!"
"My Favorite Year is one of my favorite movies. Set in 1954, it's about an aging movie idol, Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), who is to make a guest appearance on a television variety show hosted by King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). However, it turns out that Swann is a libidinous lush, and the freshman writer for the show, Benjie Stone (formerly Steinberg, played by Mark Linn-Baker), is assigned to stay with him--and keep him sober and out of trouble--until after the show. The rest of the movie concerns their adventures together. The film overflows with one-liners and physical comedy, all of which stays remarkably fresh and amusing, even after repeated viewings. The script produces some classic lines; for example, during a take-out feast in which Stone is trying to woo the object of his lust (K.C. Downing, played by Jessica Harper), she comments that he really knows his dim sum. He replies, "Katherine, Jews know two things: suffering and where to find great Chinese food." The DVD also has an informative voice-over commentary by Richard Benjamin, whose first directing job was this film.

One Of My Favorite Films !
I would have to place this into my top ten favorite films of all times. It's a rather unknown delightful comedy that should not be missed by any movie fan. Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker and the rest of the cast are perfect in their rolls. You will not be sorry renting or buying this DVD.

How great is this movie?
I'll tell you. This movie is so great that I was able to rent it and entertain my GRANDPARENTS for an entire evening. I discovered it right after it was released because it was at the same time we got cable. (Man, were WE behind the times!) This movie has it all; a great cast, scads of great one-liners, and best of all, you can pull it out and show it knowing that most people have never heard of it.

O'Toole Dazzling in Wonderful in 'Golden Age' Homage!
Have you ever watched a film and wished it wouldn't end? Where you loved all the characters, adored each scene, and laughed at every joke, even after you'd seen the film so many times that you could quote the dialog? MY FAVORITE YEAR is that kind of movie!

Directed with gusto by Richard Benjamin, the film is both a loving tribute to Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Show', and the remarkable talents that brought it together each week, and a sincere homage to Errol Flynn, whose antics and larger-than-life persona, in the waning years of his life, still had the kind of magic that could enthrall a shy young fan, or make a woman swoon.

Three dynamic performances dominate the film. Mark Linn-Baker, as Benjy Stone, based on the young Mel Brooks, is a shy kid who hides his insecurities behind a rapid-fire wit. The dazzling young star in a staff of comedy 'pros', Stone suffers from an unrequited love from fellow staffer K. C. Downing (Jessica Harper), and has an inspiration, inviting legendary swashbuckler Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) to appear on the show. As King Kaiser, star of the hit series, Joseph Bologna captures much of Sid Caesar's legendary physical 'presence' and irreverence to authority. When threatened by gangsters over a 'too close to home' series of parodies about crime boss Karl Rojeck (portrayed with brute menace by veteran actor Cameron Mitchell), Kaiser 'thumbs his nose' at them, mimicking the gangster mercilessly. "I'll KEEP doing it!" he taunts. "Why? Because it's FUNNY!"

Then there is Peter O'Toole's 'Alan Swann'. With his own career a roller coaster ride of alcoholism, resulting in the near destruction of his health, no actor could have 'channeled' Errol Flynn better. Just as Flynn, by the 1950s, was a nearly burned-out roue, his classic good looks long gone, O'Toole's matinee-idol appearance, after years of self-abuse, had aged into a gaunt mask, making Benji Stone's film montage of 'classic' clips more poignant. What Flynn still had, in abundance, was charm and a ready wit, and O'Toole's 'Swann' is so enchanting a personality that you can't help but love him, and root for him to succeed.

From the opening nostalgic strains of Nat King Cole's rendition of 'Stardust', through Benjy's futile effort to attempt to keep Swann sober (Red Skelton loved to tell how he kept Flynn sober on his program...he emptied all of the actor's bottles of vodka, replacing it with water...and Flynn couldn't tell the difference!), to a riotous Swann dinner with Benjy's family, to the near-disastrous broadcast, with Swann developing stage fright, and Kaiser brawling with mob enforcers...MY FAVORITE YEAR has one glorious scene after another, each unforgettable!

One of the AFI's '100 Greatest Film Comedies', MY FAVORITE YEAR will bring a tear to your eye, even as you laugh. It was a time of legends, and heroes who would live up to boyhood dreams.

Film comedy doesn't get any better than this! ... Read more

Description

In MILK MONEY, when 12-year-old Frank Wheeler (Carter) and his two buddies save up their milk money and head into the city in search of a woman who will let them see her naked body, they think they’ve died and gone to heaven when V (Griffith) agrees to disrobe for them.Now stuck in the city and out of their element, the boys seek refuge in V who agrees to drive them back to the suburbs and away from the city’s chaos.But, when V’s car breaks down outside of his house, Frank decides that V would make a good step mom, and proceeds to play matchmaker for his dad, Tom (Harris).Thanks to Frank, Tom thinks that V is a math tutor, while V thinks that Frank knows the truth about her occupation.What ensues is a long, hilarious conversation that revolves around this comical misunderstanding. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Frothy milk
This rather silly but surprisingly touching movie begins when 3 kids save up their milk money and make a trek to the city to pay a woman let them see her naked body. Guess who their angel turns out to be. Melanie Griffith. She ends up driving them home, suffers a car breakdown outside the house of Frank, the main kid, and he concocts a play to play matchmaker between Griffith and his dad, figuring she'd be an absolutely perfect step-mom. The kid passes her off as a math tutor, and there are hilarious stretches of dialogue focused on everyone's misunderstanding of how dad, kid, and um, hooker, view each other's identities.
Fun for a while, but it's not really a keeper.

More Like Milk of Magnesia
A 90 minute visual laxative. Complete with stool softening and bowel cramping. Last time I saw a plot this thin was at Karen Carpenter's gravesite. Seriously though, this movie sucked hoof. And not like horse hoof or donkey hoof. We're talking moose or maybe even hippo hoof.

Ay, mi estomago!

Sweet
I loved this movie.
Frank (Michael Patrick Carter) and his tow school buddies decide to make their dream come true, of seeing a real live nude woman. So they gather up all of their milk money and make their way into the seedy city center.
Melanie Griffith plays V, a beautiful warm-hearted prostitute in trouble. Being really short of money, she agrees to disrobe for them.
After she drives them back home, she has to crash out in Frank's tree house after her car breaks down. A romance ensues with Frank's father Tom (Ed Harris), who Frank leads to believe she is a Math tutor. Things get hairy when a ruthless gangster finds out where she is and comes after her. But all ends well, through sticky, funny and touching moments.
I liked the way V was shown as a really funny, warm, real human being.

Just doesn't work out
The movie is supposed to be funny, but just doesn't cut it.

No, I'm not getting up on some hypocritical high horse of holiness and accusing the movie of "immorality", what turns me off to it is that just doesn't come together.

The kids are too young, the premise too lame, it just doesn't work out.

Spend your milk money elsewhere!!

Boy finds "dream-wife" for his lonely (but reluctant) dad
Melanie Griffith is a delight in this familiar story of "hooker with a heart of gold". -- A 12 year old is convinced that Griffith, a beautiful prostitute, would be the perfect mate for his widowed father. Unaware of Griffith's "background", the father does develop feelings for the charming young woman who appears to feel likewise. After a few laughs, tears, twists and turns, the film (as they all do) has a story book ending. -- This is a wonderful piece of light "comedy/romance", very pleasant viewing. No Oscars here, just a true feel-good movie! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Hilarious Film!
I have been waiting for this DVD to come out for a very long time!It is a hilarious movie based on a true story about the creation of the Bradley war tank.It shows how the promotion system in the military used to push for new war products to be used, even if they were not acceptable for use, and the struggle of one man to do the right thing.You will not stop laughing while watching this movie!

jtpaladin is nuts!!!!
Not only is The Pentagon Wars one of the funniest movies, but it has a twisted sense of how military tests programs can get when Congress and the Upper Brass try to control spending on test programs. In fact this movie is more relevant today in highlighting why our troups go into harms way without the equipment the need (lack of armor on vehicles in Iraq).

Now, I may not be a self proclaimed "military analysis" like jtpaladin, but I did spend 5 years in a military test program. While the movie takes a comedic approach, it is remarkable close to how a test program works.

I saw this movie when it first came out and thought it was a hoot! The mix of charaters and the way the movie pokes fun at the simplest items (love the sheep specs) keeps it going from start to finish. Then I went to work on the test program, and everytime we had to make a change to the item, I thought of this movie. ROFLOL!!!

I only have one complaint about this movie:

WHERE IS THE DVD RELEASE?

Hilarious
Coming, as I do, from `across the pond,' I must confess that I am not a fan of American humour, but this film is absolutely hilarious. It seems to me that HBO have used comedy to tell a frighteningly true story that differs, only in detail, from the `expert' reviewer's opinions.

We all know that Holywood has never let the facts interfere with the telling of a story. As a keen amateur medieval historian I frequently cringe in disbelief, and often get irate, with their interpretation of historical fact. I have yet to see an historical interpretation that is concerned solely with the facts, and does not contain some (or even a great deal of) `poetic licence.' However such licence does not necessarily make a film `bad', after all we are talking about entertainment, aren't we?

Pentagon Wars is funny, even hilarious, entertaining and thought-provoking, and despite what anybody else may say, it is well worth the 5 stars I award it.

Funny, but not accurate
No question there were alot of funny moments in this film based on the book by Col. Burton but as you can easily guess, if it's an HBO film, there will be more fiction than fact.

Here's some info from a military analyst who saw the film:

"1) How accurate was the movie?

Not at all.I was driven to take notes after the first few minutes and got over sixty substantive errors.The producers took Col. Burton's simplistic but compelling memoir, dumbed it down, took dramatic licence with a lot of things that didn't need it, goofed around with the chronology, and apparently had a head-on collision with an office full of libel lawyers who demanded even more blurring than there already was. The
result is a mockery both of the very real issues surrounding the Bradley and of Burton's very genuine display of moral courage.

I'd say it was also a piss-poor excuse for a comedy, but I'm a military historian, not a movie critic.

2) What were the actual problems with the Bradley and how were they resolved?

Most of the actual problems with the Bradley - aside from mechanical teething problems that any armored vehicle has - arose from the fact that no one really had a clear idea of what an infantry fighting vehicle was supposed to do at the time the project was started in 1964 - it wasn't even called that at the time; all that was really clear was that current armored personnel carriers and armored infantry doctrine weren't going to be well-suited to the armor-rich, artillery-rich, and likely nuclear/biological/chemical battlefield environment expected in a putative European war versus the Warsaw Pact.

This uncertainty led to incredible amounts of bureaucratic muddle and intraservice chest-thumping within the Army - the movie version of _The Pentagon Wars_ at least manages to get a little of that across, in spirit, anyway - and kept the project on the back burner all through Vietnam, when the Army wasn't paying a lot of attention to mechanized infantry issues
anyway.This problem was exacerbated by a parallel muddle on the armor side of the service, which had repeatedly failed to field a satisfactory vehicle for its armored cavalry units.

By this time (~1975) both branches were faced with block obsolescence of their existing vehicles, so they had to meld their requirements into what was essentially a single vehicle, which became the Bradley. Incorporating all the necessary capabilities into a single chassis that had originally
been built to tight dimensional limits due to rather questionable airportability concerns and an equally questionable requirement for amphibious capability required a lot of tradeoffs that didn't satisfy purists very much.

How were these problems dealt with?A number of ways.Some of them were doctrinal: the Army looked for ways to exploit the capabilities of the vehicle and nurse its limitations.Some were technological: in particular, various survivability enhancements were added at a cost in weight and money.Some were simply bureaucratically defined out of existence.How successful these measures has been is still the subject of debate, some of it in this very newsgroup; see Deja News for
details.

For that matter you can also see W. Blair Haworth, Jr., _The Bradley and how it got that way: mechanized infantry organization and equipment in the U.S. Army_ (unpub diss, Duke University, 1995; available through UMI)

3) Did any Bradley's sustain hits from enemy fire in the Gulf war and how did they and the crew survive those hits?

It's a hard question to answer meaningfully; BFVs of various marks served in the theater, and a good number were hit in combat, often by weapons and at aspects that wouldn't be survivable by main battle tanks - Bradleys took more friendly fire than any other vehicle type. In general, they stood up to what they were designed to stand up to; the debate is still whether the design requirements were appropriate."

Lastly, anyone that would try and draw a correlation between the BFV and a national missile defense system would find themselves comparing apples to oranges since we had an accurate and functional ABM system for a number of years until eliminated by the ABM treaty.

NO DVD?!!
HBO Better get the act together and come up with a dvd real soon, i'm not impressed with them at all. Well enough of that now, great film and Kelsey Grammer and company did a fine job here. So get the movie. DON'T WASTE YOU TIME TRYING TO FIND IT ON DVD! ... Read more

Description

A 1930's gangster/detective yarn about a Kansas City police lieutenant on the trail of underworld thugs and the private detective that keeps getting in his way. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mindless Fun
Mindlessly funny in some parts - if you don't expect too much. Missing is the scene where Clint explains to his girlfriend that he shot his wife when he found her in bed with his best friend. When asked about the friend, he replies, "He was my best friend," indicating he didn't shoot him.

Not a great one*
Sorry, but it's not a good one... & I love most Clint movies... sorry to have to give this one a bad review.
To sum up- alot of fighting- but boring!

Screw The Critics This is A Funny Movie
Watching Clint Eastwood & Burt Reynolds work together is fun, They are old friends and have a natural sense of comedy timing. Also Shaft himself Richard Roundtree appears.

A Thin satire
Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood play a PI (former cop) and police detective respectively seeking to bring down "snotball" bad guys in a 1930's genre gangster movie. While not normally a fan of satire, it has an entirely different flavor when actors are poking fun at themselves rather than someone else. It is fun to watch Reynolds and Eastwood play highly exaggerated stereotypes of their signature characters - a little like watching Jackie Chan outtakes.

Unfortunately, the satire rapidly wears a little thin like the same joke being repeated over and over again for an hour and a half. The ending is especially lame; as if they just got tired of making the movie and slapped something together so they could all go home.

Is it worth watching? Yes, if someone is in the right mood and doesn't expect too much.

Eastwood and Reynolds try Abbott and Costello.
I must take exception to Mr. Maltins' review of this one. At no time during the viewing of this film (my copy at least) do the stars "pour gasoline on a guy and set him on fire...". There is a scene where a gangster becomes soaked with gasoline from a ruptured gas tank. There is a subsequent fire but I saw no one being burned. In another scene our heroes threaten to ignite the posterior of another guy after saturating it with alcohol but no ignation takes place. All in all a good time killer with some pretty good sight gags. The gun fight in the garage is close to being a classic. Give us a break Len, it's escapism and worth a look. ... Read more

Amazon.com

More than a quarter-century after Herbert Ross directed Richard Dreyfuss to an Oscar and made an indelible cinematic impression out of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl, a 2004 television remake starring Jeff Daniels and Patricia Heaton proved winning and funny in its own way. Daniels plays Elliot, an actor who subleases a New York City apartment already occupied by a dancer and single mom, Paula (Heaton), and her daughter (Hallie Kate Eisenberg). Focused on his stagecraft, Elliot is irked about sharing housing with strangers, and while Paula feels the same (to great comic effect), both come to lean on and finally love one another over time. The underrated Daniels is very good here, nuanced and thoughtful, and his work performing (as Elliot) in a stage production of Richard III is quite entertaining. Heaton is equally strong and frequently stirring; anyone with doubts about this film's casting will quickly forget them. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Goodbye, Girl
Despite being a serious Jeff Daniels fan, I cannot for the life of me figure out why some idiot decided that this movie needed to be remade (sadly, it appears that the idiot in question was none other than Neil Simon, himself). The 1977 Richard Dreyfuss/Marsha Mason original far outshines this version in every respect. Maybe I've seen it too many times. Maybe I've got a 25-year long crush on Richard Dreyfuss. And maybe if I hadn't loved that movie so much and saw the remake first I'd feel differently -- but I really doubt it. Okay, it's watchable. Just. Thus a single star. But this will NOT be one for the ages. Do yourself a favour -- get the original.

Like deja vu all over again
I remember it well. It was 1977 and I was 8 and seeing my second adult movie-the first one was Jaws. Hopefully we are all on the same page now with what I mean by "adult"-suffice to say this was one of the few films I saw at the time that didn't have singing animals or Jodie Foster in it.

Anyways, I remember thinking Marsha Mason was funny, Quinn Cummings was incredibly cool and Richard Dreyfuss-sigh. I was just in love. Who could forget his immortal line reading of "And-I-don't-like-the panties-drying-on the line?"

Why am I mired in the past you ask? Because so is this movie. This is-I think-the only work Neil Simon wrote specifically for the screen. TNT remade it word for word and sometimes scene for scene. The apartment the two characters fight over even looks exactly the same. Jeff Daniels seems to be channeling the spirit of Richard Dreyfuss-to be fair it would be hard not to. Patricia Richardson is no Marsha Mason. Marsha was bitchier than Pat in the role but you also felt how profoundly hurt she had been. Richardson just seems annoyed and is just not as funny. And you need to be funny to deliver the bitchy bon mots Simon scripted especially for then-wife Mason or you just look...bitchy. Hallie Eisenberg fares the best as Richardson's wise beyond her years daughter (the role originally played by Quinn Cummings.)

Watching this when it aired on TNT, I felt a longing to turn it off and watch the original again. Which I see Amazon carries as well. Hmmmm.....

A Very Good Remake!
I love the original Goodbye Girl movie, Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason are fantastic as Elliot and Paula so when I saw a commercial for a remake on TNT I decided to watch the remake and though not as good as the original movie it is still very, very good and I really enjoyed watching this charming remake, I especially liked the pretty good performance by Patricia Heaton as Paula. Okay, I prefer Marsha Mason as Paula because I was a kid when I first saw the original and I grew up watching that movie but Patricia Heaton was good and though not as good a Lucy as Quinn Cummings I think Hallie Kate Eisenberg gave a good performance. Jeff Daniels who is an excellent actor was good as Elliot but I personally think that Richard Dreyfuss gave a more inspired, energetic performance as Elliot in the original movie but Jeff Daniels did turn in another fine performance and I'm going to rate this 5 stars because it was a charming update and also because I liked Patricia Heaton who really played her part with gusto! I'm planning on buying the DVDs for both the original and the remake! ... Read more

Description

An independent black woman conceives a child with the help of a spermbank.When her daughter discovers the truth 18 years later and attempts to learn who her anonymous father is, he turns out to be a car dealer who also happens to be white. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A love made in America
Just before Ted Danson began his 11th and final season of his sitcom Cheers in 1992,he teamed up with Whoopi Goldberg in this hysterical and somewhat romantic comedy. This led to the stars' real-life brief romance. Hal Jackson(Danson) is a truck salesman who is the father of Zora Matthews(Nia Long). Zora's mother(Goldberg) was artificially inseminated when she became pregnant with Zora. When Zora went to the sperm bank,she learned Hal was her father,which means she's half-caucasian. Supporting cast members include Jennifer Tilly,who's Hal's girlfriend and Will Smith,who was then the star of the sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. This led to a major film career for former rapper Smith. In the final scene,at Zora's high school graduation,Hal and Zora's mother are embracing and smooching. That reminds fans of TV's The Jeffersons of the sitcom's interracial couple Tom and Helen Willis.

Made in America
The movie was funny because of Will smith and Whoopi but the reason I like this movie was because it was filmed in my hometown which is Oakland.Everytime I watch it i always think about When I did not want to leave Oakland. I'm originally from East Oakland. Good shot at Lake merritt.

P.S.
Nia long was bangin in the movie
4 Real

Made in America
I can watch this movie over and over because the best thing abotu this movie is that it was film in my hometown which is Oakland(East Oakland)By Lake Merritt.Everytime I watch it I Think of living back in Oakland.

P.S.
Nia Long looked so damn good

Sweet, funny and sometimes silly
Definitely not the best film in the world, but very enjoyable. Ted Danson plays a self-absorbed, alcoholic, bed-hopping car salesman and wealthy owner of a large car dealership. Whoopi Goldberg portrays a widowed single mom of a teenage daughter who owns an African-centric shop.

Whoopi has given the impression to her daughter that her late husband was her child's father, but when she finds her father's death certificate, she knows that is impossible. Whoopi confesses that in the lonely period after her husband's death, she resorted to sperm donation.

With the help of her boyfriend (hilariously played by Will Smith), she breaks into the sperm bank's computer records to find the identity of her father and lo and behold - it's Ted Danson.

She's a little shocked and when she reveals her findings to her mother, her mother is horrified. When Ted Danson's character is confronted with the news, his life takes a 180. He now has responsibilities as a father, even though he was told that his sperm would only be used for research when he donated several years earlier. He now has something to live for and finds that he can actually like himself and he finds himself loving the child he never knew. He stops bed-hopping and drinking and finds himself focusing on catching up on his daughter's life.

There are some ridiculous scenes in this movie and some very cheesy, over-acted parts, but as a whole, it is an entertaining and enjoyable experience. There are a few scenes that will put a lump in your throat and others that will have you doubled-over with laughter... and in the end, you feel you're a part of this mixed-heritage family.

Failed attempt at comedy
Made in America fails to bring in the laughs, and worse, it presents a great opportunity to deal with race issues, yet never deals with it beyond "He's white? He can't be your father!"

This film begins with a promising premise. What if a black girl found out her father, a sperm donor, was actually white? But instead of creating a fascinating mix of social commentary on race and brilliant comedy, it gives us slapstick. And unfunny slapstick at that. I laughed... once.

This film's one saving grace is Whoopie. She adds some energy to most of her scenes. But even she seems unexcited to be in this movie. It's one of her least funny roles. Made in America also gives a young Will Smith a role, and it's clear from the start that it wasn't until after this film that he matured as an actor.

This movie is only for really, really big Whoopie fans. ... Read more

Description

RACING WITH THE MOON tells the story of small town pals, Henry "Hopper" Nash (Penn) and Nicky (Cage) enjoying their last boyish exploits before they enter the Marines during World War II.Henry begins a new romance, while Nicky gets himself into trouble and involves Henry and his new love interest.What ensues is the ultimate test of friendship. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Trying To Out-distance Fate.
Although the superficial theme of this film is young love, the heart of the film is in the subtle ways that Henry (Sean Penn) tries to come to terms with the harsh realities of his impending military service. Henry knows that, in less than a year, he will probably be on some remote Pacific island, fighting one insane Japanese soldier after another to the death. While he has no idea of the horrors to come, he definitely feels a sense of impending doom.

The movie's most telling scene is after Callie (Elizabeth McGovern) is angred by Henry & Nicky (Nicolas Cage) when they make fun of their school's emergency preparedness drill. Callie takes Henry to a veteran's hospital, where she delivers library books to soldiers recovering from amputations (and likely worse). Henry is visibly scared at the sight of these guys, not much older than he is, who will now go through life with a new, horrific perspective.

After the visit, Henry becomes angry with Callie. He shows her - and the audience - that bravado DOES have a place in dealing with impending terror, and that there are many ways to look at the complexities of war. At the end of the film, when both boys jump on the train that may take them to their deaths, the resilience of the human spirit goes with them, and they impart some of their courage to those left standing at the station. A classic film, with a timely message.

Penn and Cage in the early days...a MUST see!
Sean Penn and Nicholas Cage, together with Elizabeth McGovern star in this 1940's WWII film about being a young man getting ready to head off for the war and trying to find himself and deal with his fear before he goes. It's wonderfully written, with some heavy scenes that were unexpected and some very moving dialog. Love and love lost...the three of them are at their finest here!

Hard to forget and worth owning..even in VHS
This movie has been a long time favorite of mine though not available on DVD. The story is touching and a particulary poignant look at young men who were raised on patriotism and are headed off to war, a reality of which they know little.

The cinematography and actors make you long for young love and being caught in the rain and in more serious moments you feel the pain and peril of a illegal abortion and how cold and hard it is to dig a grave in Spring.

Elizabeth McGovern is hauntingly beautiful. Penn and Cage show the promise of talent we now consider legendary. On a telling note, Sean Penn's child shares the nickname of his character.

In contrast to another reviewer, I too see this film differently now then I did when I was younger. However, the "skin" and other adult themes added dimensions that expanded for me as I get older.

If you don't buy it at least rent it while you still can!

that first reviewer is wierd
no movie would satisfy that guy in the first review , he takes prude to different level , i thought the movie was good !

Funny how time changes your outlook....
Okay, I saw this movie for the first time MANY years ago when I was in my early 20's...say in 1986. I remember thinking this was such a good movie! Well, since 1990, we have had no television and watched no videos. Just recently we got a video player (still not wanting tv). I was at the library looking for the old classics (what I watch) when I ran across this movie. It made me think of how I had liked it, and I wondered if I would like it now, so I brought it home.

What I thought of it was...this is a nothing movie. Okay, maybe that's harsh, but I kept thinking, "what exactly was it that I had liked about the movie back in 1986?" for I found it boring, disturbing and sad. I did not like the bad language in it. Or the fact of the Nicholas Cage character drinking all the time. Or his inability to be kind to the girl he impregnated... The portrayal of nudity bothered me. Even bare chests on men I find inappropriate. The love scenes I just skipped over on fast forward. I got to thinking, when will this movie end?... none of this movie really moved me, except to feel sad... I think the story had much potential to be a good story. One can tell a story very effectively and not shove all the sin in your face. After viewing this... for some reason it made me feel sad, and it was also upsetting to witness the nudity etc. From now on I will stick to the old classics, and leave the modern movies I thought I liked, just memories in my past. ... Read more

Description

THE SPORTS PAGES features two short comedies, "How Doc Waddems Broke 100" and "The Heidi Bowl."In "How Doc Waddems Finally Broke 100," a golf fanatic (Newhart) is put on trial for the murder of his putting partner (Grammer), who had been tormenting him throughout their game."The Heidi Bowl" is a fictional recreation of the infamous 1968 Super Bowl broadcast in which the last few seconds of an intense game were cut off in order to show the film Heidi. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I love River person
I love this movie, because River is in it, and I love him *Crys* I wish he would come back, I will always love him....*crys* God Bless River. I alsmot beat my tv, because we didn't get the channel with stand by me

Eternal River Fan
This movie is great, in my opinion any River Phoenix movie is great. And if you are a tru fan of River Phoenix than any movie with him is worth seeing and as for wasting his talents... he wasted his talent just being in this world with us no one could ever completely understand how deep his talents were. River will alwayz be loved and missed. Now if you are truly a River fan then I defintly recommend this movie to you.

Russian Spy
If you like spy movies, this is great. It has action, River Phoenix and Sydney Poitier are fabulous together. This is definitely one for the list. I totally enjoyed this and recommend it.

2 LEGENDARY STARS IN A SO-SO FILM
December 28 1989 I first saw this film and became an instant fan of RIVER PHOENIX. Teamed with great Sidney Poitier it is a cold-war thriller and at times - a good one. But in the end it goes over the top and it quickly lost its importance when the cold war vanished... soon after the films completion...
However, it is a treat for the fans of these stars and the supporting cast are great especially Caroline Kava.

Pretty Good
Don't listen to that screwed-up review above. This movie has plenty of suspense, tense moments, and fine performances, especially by River Phoenix and Sidney Portier. You'll love it. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Don't overlook this movie
Despite reviews that could be described lukewarm at best, I still saw this movie as a fan of Lisa Kudrow. I never expected to find a movie that was actually funny, with a fairly sharp satirical edge.

The movie as a whole was kind of stupid (in a good way). And if you watch this movie with lowered expectations you will enjoy this fairly diverting comedy.

Not worth seeing..
I thought this was gonna be a really funny, really good movie...but it just wasn't. Damon Wayans totally missed the mark and Lisa Kudrow just wasn't able to make it laugh. This movie you could easily skip...it's a stupid story about trying to get (an untalented) rapper to change who he is and show that he's not a threat to the kids, and Kudrow, who plays the daughter of the rich man who owns the record label that Wayans's character is associated with, just doesn't really deliver the kind of performance I thought she would. Basically this movie is something you can skip. Stupid storyline, dumb character, and not-so-good acting..

I don't know about Damon Wayans but I do love Lisa Kudrow. If you want a great, funny performance by Kudrow, check out the movie "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion", it's way better than this movie.

Damon Wayans missed the mark
I'm very happy I did not pay $8.75 to see this movie in theaters. The movie is one of those you watch when you have nothing better to do, and want to burn some brain cells. There were some moments you can't help but laugh at. Overall the movie is just okay, it's not grab your sides, and fall on the floor laugh, but there were some funny moments.

Not so good
I was really disapointed with this movie, it had some funny moments but not enough. The cast of this movie is far too talented to have participated in this project, I feel bad for them. I had to stop this movie after trying really hard to stick with it, but as soon as my gitlfriend fell asleep I lost my final bit of motivation to keep watching.

huh??
to all of you who rates this movie above a 2: apparently you havnt noticed that the film industry is saturated by black-meets-white "comedies" that are only made to make money from ignorant suckers. this movie is not funny, so dont watch it. attention film industry: STOP SELLING OUT ... Read more

Description

Courteney Cox (TV's "Friends") takes the doctor/patient privilege to the extreme when she stars as Samantha, a neurotic writer whose therapist goes crazy and gets carted away. With the real shrink out of the picture, Samantha makes the insane decision to take over her practice fumbling and faking her way through treating two hot new male "patients." Mistaken identities and raging libidos all come together in this modern screwball comedy, as Samantha has the time of her life playing doctor! Also starring David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks) and David James Elliott (TV's "JAG"). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Courtney Cox at her best!
I bought this movie with some suspion that it was not going to be that good because it had been a straight to video movie but I was wrong. I had great castand story. I laughed constantly throughout the film as cournteny cox got hersel into the craziest situations. A must see and if the R rating turns you off let me tell you there is nothing worse than a PG-13 movie such as 50 first Dates. See and buy movie must!

Smart and Funny
I admit I purchased this DVD because of David James Elliott, but I found that it was a very entertaining film as well as having an easy on the eyes cast. I laughed out loud and am glad I purchased this movie. ... Read more