Description

Featuring an all-star cast headed by Laurence Fishburne, fireballs of high speed air action explode off the screen in this exciting story of the "Fighting 99th," the first squadron of black American pilots to be allowed to fight for their country. Based on the true story. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Excellent portrayal of courage regardless of race.
This is an inspiring movie about how African-American pilots overcame great odds on and off the battlefield. I have seen many war movies and this is one of the best, especially since it is based on a true story. Until I saw this movie, I wasn't aware of the great achievements of these pilots during WWII. This movie is definitely a testimony to the fact that courage is not dependent upon a person's color.

American History at its very best
The story of the magnificent 332nd Fighter Group is woven into a dramatic tapestry of the horror of war and the disjointed approach of many Americans to a difficult time and a situation many would have preferred to ignore. The performance of the pilots who graduated the Tuskegee Training Program (they NEVER lost an escorted bomber to enemy action!) unfolds against the backdrop of misunderstanding, racism and political machinations that nearly destroyed the entire enterprise. This film does a magnificent job of telling the tale without being melodramatic, preachy or snide, but does full justice to the accomplishments of the pilots and their eventual victory against both German pilots and their own nation's refusal to recognize their talents. For the student of World War II, this is a well-known and much-respected story. For the student of African-American History, it is a tale of pride which shines as brightly as the stars on the American Flag these men so courageously defended. Fishburn and Cuba Gooding are superior as men caught between their own humanity and the de-humanizing effects of war. If ever a film deserve a 5-Star rating, this one does.

Outstanding film about outstanding men! Long overdue!
This film is long overdue! The Tuskegee Airmen were one of the bravest groups of men to ever grace the uniformed services. They fought so much than just the "official" enemy. They fought racism on levels that most of us can never comprehend. Imagine the stress they must have been under at all times. Yet, they still took a stand for their country and changed things for all of us, regardless of race. These men have been so under-appreciated by the country, and especially by our home state, Alabama.

This movie should be incorporated into every Alabama history class in the state and every American hstory class in the country. It is an outstanding movie about an outstanding group of men. Every American should own it!

Note: In spite of what others may feel about the bravery and "kill counts" of the German fliers, the 332nd never lost a bomber that they were assigned to escort and even saved a few that they were not assigned to escort! Talk is cheap when there is documented proof! The Tuskegee Airmen rocked!

Outstanding!... But Could've Been Better
I was thrilled to hear about the coming of this movie--then saddened to realize that it was only to be shown as a TV movie. It seemed to me that the saga of these marvelous aviator warriors--treated as they were as second-class citizens by their own government--is one which deserved to be a silver-screen triumph. Our four-engine bombers were being punched out of the sky by the Luftwaffe, but NEVER when the Tuskegee pilots graced their wingtips. Their combat record was nothing short of amazing. The movie was well done, with great story, great actors, great acting. Still, I came away wishing that it might have been better in one respect: During the aerial combat segments, you hear the pilots bantering back and forth loudly over the radios using these rediculous phrases: "Take that, Gerry!" "That's for yo mamma, Gerry!" This was such a great movie; why did they have to dip into corny dialogue during the dog-fighting? It was a flawless procduction till it went hackneyed in those moments.
Aside from that, it was awe-inspiring, moving, even gripping. I just hope the subject is not dropped, and that someday the Tuskegee heroes' story is given even better homage--on the silver screen. This is a far more important story than, say, the sinking of the Titanic.

Proud of these heroes
I'm a white 64 year old Air Force veteran. Watching these heroes of WWII in dedicated, valorous performance, who never lost a bomber to the Nazis, brought tears and pride from me for them. For those still on the ground and for those still "On Patrol", thank you! ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Great Gatsby
In the movie "The Great Gatsby" which I'm doing a review for my teacher Mr. M I
thought there were some parts that were true to the book and some parts that were
different. For instance the story line stayed pretty much true to the book. The story being,
about a man named Nick Carraway played by Paul Rudd who moves from the Midwest to
New York. There he is introduced to his second cousin Daisy (Mira Sorvino) and her
husband Tome (Martin Donovan) where he has dinner with them and meets his soon t be
girl friend Jordan Baker (Francie Swift). Then he meets his next door neighbor Jay Gatsby
(Toby Stephens) at one of the wild parties of Gatsby's that Nick is invited to. Nick
discovers that Gatsby is in love with Daisy and intends to win her heart by impressing her
with his money and success, even though she and Tom are well off by "old" money they
both had before. Throughout the movie Gatsby gets Daisy to like him but is rudely
interrupted by Tom who catches on and unmasks Gatsby as a man getting his money from
fake bonds which makes Daisy go back to Tom. Nick is dragged along in helping Gatsby
get to Daisy. Also in the end after Daisy has rejected Gatsby, Daisy driving home ran over
a woman (Myrtle) who happened to be Tome's mistress. Gatsby was in the car with Daisy
when it happened. When Tom finds out he is horrified and lets Myrtle's crazed husband
know where Gatsby lived because it is assumed that Gatsby killed her. In doing so,
Myrtle's husband kills Gatsby and then himself. The ending of the movie and book is when
Nick having witnessed the dead body of Myrtle goes back home to the mid-west.
The only big differences between movie and book were two scenes. One was
missing, and that was when Nick called Jordan to say goodbye and that in a way he always
would love her. Which was a pretty important part of the book because he finds out that
she's engaged to another man. The second big difference I thought, was Myrtle's
apartment party with Tom, Nick, Myrtle's sister, and her sister's husband. This scene
which was in a small apartment in the book with those people at the party was different
then in the movie. The movie make it look like it was a huge apartment with lots more
people in it. I also thought Nick played by Paul Rudd was true to character. Also, I
thought Daisy did well with her part, her voice could have been more exciting though.
Finally, I think the scenes and sets were close to what I envisioned then to be. So that is
what I thought about the movie "The Great Gatsby."

Try it, you'll like it
To date, this is the best version of the classic tale available. Granted, it will never substitute for reading the book, but nothing should. The book is incredible. This outranks the 1974 version by far. Mira Sorvino is almost perfect as the careless single-minded Daisy with a "voice full of money." Toby Stephens is awkward as the all-american Gatsby, but he looks the part, at any rate. Paul Rudd blends marvelously into the scenery as Nick, emerging when he must but always keeping the spotlight on Gatsby and Daisy. Martin Donovan plays Tom very well, playing a complete boor with sympathy achieves an interesting effect. The rest of the cast is well put together, and the script, representing perhaps 25% of the book, pulls out the major events, slims down sub-plots, and gets to the meat of the story. In essence, it tells the story that you remember even years after reading the book. It's hardly complete, but it's excellently edited. Honestly, I think the measure of a movie is in how you feel walking away from it, and I walked away feeling some modicum of the way I felt after the first time I read the book; that's an accomplishment. Besides, how can you really dislike something that wraps up with one of literature's most lyrical lines?

Not too bad
It's an alright movie, and if you feel like giving it a try I would certainly say 'go ahead'. However the book is much better.

Awful Acting! Fitzgerald is rolling in his grave!!!!!!!!
Being A huge fan of F.Scott Fitzgerald I was excited to see a new film of "The Great Gatsby". I have to say I was sorely dissapointed. Toby Stephens as Gatsby is an absolute Abomination in this role. He says his lines like hes reading them for the first time. He's ruins Gatsby's famous catch phrase "Old Sport" with a constipated and snide delivery. In the book and in Robert Redford's marvelous performance of Gatsby you see Gatsby's charm and likeability. Despite Gatsby's flaws you can sympatize with him. Toby Stephens plays Gatsby as a spoiled conceited and completely unlikeable man. His smile is snake like and insincere. He also doesn't capture Gatsby's humble roots. It's a completely one dimensional performance. You better learn how to wait tables Toby!!! Don't even get me started on Mira Sorviono,the bad screen play and akward directing style! Im to mad to write another word now! THIS IS THE "GIGLI" OF FITZGERALD MOVIES!!!

I WANT MY EXTRA CREDIT POINTS
"The Great Gatsby," is a wonderful and exciting book, which is held close to many readers hearts. "The Great Gatsby" the movie, on the other hand was clearly a made for TV, late night special. Nick the main character is portrayed in the book as a simple, clear headed, individual with a sense of innocence. The movie does accomplish finding a actor to suit Nick as a character. Paul Rudd does an excellenct portraying my image of Nick. His facial twitches seem to work well for his character; these oddly resemble the ones "MR. M" expresses with frustration in class. His acting talent is able to set the tone that you could tell was meant while Fitzgerald was writing the book. Daisy, played by Miamira Sorvino was quite disappointing. The director seemed to change Daisy's character to make her more charming, and sweet but in the book I found her to be quite shallow, and careless. The movies accuracy was pretty good compared to the book. But many symbolic aspects were left out such as the car accident with Owl eyes, and when daisy starts crying when she sees Gatsby's shirts. These are important factors in the whole symbolic storyline Fitzgerald sets up. Most characters fit their roles well such as Nick and Gatsby, But Daisy on the other hand lacked the acting skills needed to do a good job. The set that the movie had was magnificent, located in New Port, Rhode Island, but the movie greatly lacked the cinematography that is crucial in making a good film. You can tell that the budget was quite low for the movie since it did nothing all to extravagant. All and all the movie was ok for a made for TV special, but I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed since I enjoyed the book so much. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

a sad but touching movie
It is based on a true story, and thats the sadest part. But it overall is a very very good movie, and if you have'nt seen this movie I recommend that you watch it sometime.

brad and juliette are great together.
Wonderful movie. Brad and juliette are really good together. I love them both. This movie is full of action and adventure. I definetely recommend it.

My life ended and I don't know why!
My life ended and I don't know why! I feel that a 16yr.old should not have had the gas-chamber. She never got to live her life only what her mother dealt out to her and that was nothing, I feel that it should not be a law for a 16yr.old trail for adult. These parent's should be held accountable and responsible for the children action exspecially when they cause there children to astray. I feel she didn't get a chance to live in society because drugs and man control her not her control them. When her life ended and I don't know why because it was no love for any one to supply so tell me should she have die?
I always say's if that would have been me yes the judge I would gave her life because she never had one.
I feel every one deserve a second chance no matter who and what you are because we still are a child of God's and his a forgive God why can't we be forgiving instead of killing.

Juliette is amazing
This is the movie that drew attention to Ms. Lewis, which eventually led to her role in Cape Fear. She was 16 when making this movie and is astoundingly, achingly good.

Not a bad movie
I enjoyed watching this movie....it was one of Brad and Juliette's first movies!! Worth a try! ... Read more

Description

This 90 minute feature film DVD stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Alan Bates and Halie Kate Eisenberg in a true story of a parent's ultimate sacrifice. In 1994, a robbery along an Italian roadside changed the lives of Maggie and Reg Green forever. While vacationing with their two children, the family is attacked and their son’s life is taken with a single bullet. In the wake of his death, the Greens offer his organs to seven patients in desperate need oftransplants. A controversy soon arises over the religious implicatins of organ transplant in Italy, and only through the Greens' incredible charity does the country see the true blessing of Nicholas' gift! ... Read more

Description

She’s the victim. He’s the seducer. Both are killers. Brad Pitt (Troy, Ocean’s 11) and Juliette Lewis (Starsky and Hutch, Natural Born Killers) star in this shocking drama about teenagers and the death penalty. Juliette Lewis plays 15-year-old Amanda Sue Bradley, a girl who has already endured a lifetime of cruelty and neglect. Abused by her stepfather, abandoned by her mother and with one failed marriage behind her, she falls prey to a seductive hustler, Billy Canton (Brad Pitt). Billy soon introduces Amanda to the world of sex, drugs and prostitution. She then meets a man (Michael Tucker, LA Law) who shows her the only love and compassion she’s ever known. But, when he is forced to break off their friendship because of her age, Billy convinces Amanda to take a bloody revenge. High on drugs and booze, the two go on a murderous rampage. Amanda is arrested and because of the brutality of the crime, she’s tried as an adult. If Amanda is found guilty of murder, she’ll receive the death penalty. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

What a terrible movie
The acting was horrible.I could not follow the plot, the story line was pathetic and oh dear lord those two never ever should attempt at hillbilly accents because they suck at it.

Eye-Opener Movie
I saw this on TV last night for the first time and it definitely captured my attention. I would definitely recommend it for those who like drama - but also to make you aware of what can happen when there is abuse and neglect involved. I agree with one of the previous posts that it is really the adults (i.e. parents) who should be accountable with these kind of circumstances.
Although I was under the impression that this move is based on a true story, fortunately I wasn't able to find any evidence that the state of Oklahoma actually executed a 15-year old girl. If that had been the case - I would think the prosecuter should be brought up on charges too.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?
This has has to be a winner. I cannot praise this movie enough. This story is about a young girl, abandoned (emotionally, physically,psychologically, economically, not only by her mother, but also her stepfather, who sexually abused her.

She then meets a young man, who, like the rest, also abandons her. She is left by herself and her survival instincts. This young woman, played by Juliette Lewis, goes to the top in her role as a troubled teenage girl.

She needs help and a man, played by Brad Pitt, befriends her. His intentions are to hustle this young girl and make the money. He goes so far as getting her on drugs. He is a man "without" a conscience.

A murder takes place, she is tried as an adult. Her attorney, this man can play the part very, very well. I applaud his performance. He raises a very deep, thought-provoking and challenging question, in search of REASON. He asks "HOW DID WE GET HERE?"

This young girl is just that, a girl; she also is hurt with no one one by her side; she has been sexually exploited; she has been pushed to do things with total disregard for her childhood innocence; she is drugged up with no regard for who she will be come or what will become of her; she commits a crime without truly knowing or understanding what she did.......DEEP.

I would highly recommend this movie to all legal professionals, lawyers, social workers, probation officers, teachers, parents.

It is a very complex movie to truly understand. I mean to deeply understand what happened and what is going to happen. "how did we get here," is beyond comprehension.

Peace,

D.R. Rodriguez

NOT ALWAYS ON THE MONEY, BUT HAS AN EYE OPENING MESSAGE
A TEENAGE GIRL [JULIETTE LEWIS] ALONG WITH HER ABUSIVE BOYFRIEND [BRAD PITT] MURDERS A MAN WHO LEFT HER AND IS SOON CHARGED WITH THE MURDER. THEN, A MAN TRYS TO HELP HER, BEING THAT SHE'S BEING CHARGED AS AN ADULT AND WILL FACE THE DEATH PENALTY. THIS MOVIE HAS AN INTRIGUING STORY AND IT DOES MAKE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW AMERICA'S YOUTH OFTEN GOES IGNORED AND IT ALSO MAKES AN EXAMPLE OF HOW HARSH THE SYSTEM OFTEN TRYS TO BE TOWARD SOME YOUNG OFFENDERS THAT DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE LARGE JAIL SENTENCES. BUY THIS MOVIE IF YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR A DECENT DRAMA FILM.

My life ended and I don't know why!
My life ended and I don't know why! I feel that a 16yr.old should not have had the gas-chamber. She never got to live her life only what her mother dealt out to her and that was nothing, I feel that it should not be a law for a 16yr.old trail for adult. These parent's should be held accountable and responsible for the children action exspecially when they cause there children to astray. I feel she didn't get a chance to live in society because drugs and man control her not her control them. When her life ended and I don't know why because it was no love for any one to supply so tell me should she have die?
I always say's if that would have been me yes the judge I would gave her life because she never had one.
I feel every one deserve a second chance no matter who and what you are because we still are a child of God's and his a forgiveGod why can't we be forgiving instead of killing. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Definitely watchable but suffers from a couple of flaws.....
Christine Lahti plays Kristine Lyons, the wife of pilot Jack Lyons (John Heard) who loses his life in a plane crash. Flying a route from Boston to London, the crash occurs off the coast of Ireland and under mysterious circumstances.

Attempting to gain insight into the crash, the pilot's union sends a representative to interview Kristine Lyons who ends up having many questions of her own. Upon learning that information on the Cockpit Voice Recorder (Black Box) may possibly implicate her husband in the cause of the downed aircraft, Kristine Lyons resorts to finding the truth on her own which eventually leads her to England.

Upon reaching London and uncovering a trail of lies, deceit, a double life, and illegal activities spanning two continents, Kristine Lyons soon finds out much more than she ever expected to and realizes she never really knew her husband at all.

The Pilot's Wife is a movie that wants to be great but seems to settle in at above average. The plot itself contains enough intrigue and mystery to carry two-thirds of it's length but the finale borders on being anti-climactic. As far as the acting is concerned, Christine Lahti and John Heard are the only prominent names in the cast. John Heard doesn't appear in enough scenes to carry any weight which leaves Christine Lahti to make up the difference. She does very well in her role, in my opinion, and her performances are one of the finer points of the movie. My final grade for The Pilot's Wife rates a B-.

A Pilot's Past
This CBS TV movie was filmed in Ireland. It is the second Anita Shreve book to come to the screen. Her "The Weight of Water" which starred Sean Penn was well acted, but was laboriously edited. (My review for that one was called "The Weight of Editing." :) "The Pilot's Wife" fares a bit better overall, although Sean Penn is certainly one of our finest actors.

Christine Lahti who had her Oscar nomination for "Swing Shift" with Goldie Hawn does an incredibly excellent performance here. The variety of levels she hits as grieving wife, compassionate mother, angry widow and driven super-sleuth give us a sterling performance. Campbell Scott, real-life son of George C. Scott & Colleen Dewhurst, gives an excellent subtle performance as the pilot association representative who becomes emotionally involved. John Heard played a character named Jack who was about as devious as Jack Lyons in "Pilot's Wife" in his co-starring role with Goldie Hawn in "Deceived." While his performance here is in flashback and not as chilling, it equals the devious nature of his previous Jack from 1991. Particularly excellent is newcomer Kirsty Mitchell as Murie Boland, the Irish counterpart of Lyons' hidden life. Mitchell gives a brief but excellent portrayal of a woman whose life has been impacted by the violent struggles in Ireland. I haven't seen her previous film credit of "Capone's Boys," but certainly intend to seek it out on the basis of the strength of this performance. Alison Pill from "Pieces of April" with Katie Holmes who plays daughter Mattie turns in a good performance as a teen dealing as much with the struggles of her own adolescent social issues as with her father's untimely death.

The depth for this picture comes amid the backdrop of the Irish troubles. How the lives of the characters weave with the political turmoil of Ireland along with Lahti's performance elevates the picture from the mundane to the magical. The DVD doesn't offer a great deal of extras; but it is nice to appreciate the film as an uninterrupted whole. Enjoy!

The quintessential made-for-TV movie
THE PILOT'S WIFE was produced for television and scheduled to air soon after 9/11. Because the film begins with the crash of an airliner, the network decided to delay the telecast until April 2002. (Sensitivity, or just fear of losing advertising revenue?) In any case, the general mediocrity of television fare is well represented here.

As the movie opens, Kathryn Lyons (Christene Lahti) is awakened in the wee small hours by a pounding on the front door. Robert Hart (Campbell Scott), a representative of the airline pilots' union, is there to tell her that husband Jack (John Heard) was killed when the commercial 747 he captained blew up with 100+ passengers off the Irish coast on a flight from London to Boston. Within a couple days, a contingent of interrogators from the National Transportation Safety Board shows up with the FBI and lawyers in tow to ask pointed questions. This is just about the time that the news media begins reporting that the flight's pilot may have been responsible. It's only when Kathryn learns that her husband's mother, whom Jack said had died when he was nine, is now residing in a rest home in Minnesota, and that Jack didn't live in the crews' quarters whenever on a London layover, that she suspects he was hiding a few teensy details of his life. A scrap of paper in his trousers and an email address on his computer lead her to London, where she discovers that Hubby, presumably in response to a mid-life crisis, left behind a Big Irish Surprise. Several, actually.

It's not that THE PILOT'S WIFE is a bad film, it's just not a particularly good one. Lahti is a fine actress, who delivers a respectable performance, especially when she admits to herself and Hart that her marriage was, in fact, wretched. But what could have been an above-average suspense thriller falls victim to uninspired screenwriting that yields a storyline that proceeds at a sedate pace without any real surprises or substantive drama. There are the nondescript performances by Scott and Alison Pill, who plays Mattie, the Lyons teenage daughter. Alison, ostensibly the apple of her Dad's eye, seems less disturbed about his death than Mom's less than undivided attention when she (Alison) reveals that she "did it" for the first time three years before when she was fourteen. The scripting renders the Alison persona unnecessary to the plot, and the final heart-to-heart between Kathryn and her daughter seemed particularly lame, i.e. perfectly suited to the small screen on a Sunday evening in American suburbia.

I watched THE PILOT'S WIFE while ironing. The latter was almost more interesting.

Great movie, but takes a detour...
The Pilot's Wife is my all time favorite book. When I found the made for TV movie on DVD, I was both intrigued and skeptical. The book is both emotionally wrenching and touching at once. I had no idea if it could be pulled off in a movie, particularly a made for TV movie.

That said, I was almost entirely pleasantly surprised. The movie, for the most part, stays close to the story line in the book, although it doesn't follow the book precisely. Kathryn (Christine Lahti) learns at the beginning, that a plane piloted by her husband has gone down off the coast of Ireland. Campbell Scott is amazing as Robert Hart who, as a union representitive, is the bearer of the bad news.

In the days following the plane crash, Kathryn must not only deal with the grief and take care of her daughter (Alison Pill), but must come to terms with the fact that maybe she didn't know her husband as well as she thought. As lies and secrets are uncovered around her, Kathryn must figure out who Jack (her husband, played in flashbacks by John Heard) really was.

All in all, this is an excellent movie and I really enjoyed it. My only complaint though (and it's a big one, to me anyway) is that the end takes a huge detour from the book. Due to [Amazon.com's] spoiler rules and the fact that I don't want to ruin the ending for those who haven't seen it, I won't elaborate more than that. Suffice to say the ending for the movie was a huge disappointment. My only solace in the ending is that the movie covers a much shorter time period than the book, and thus I consoled myself by thinking that maybe the movie just hadn't gotten as far as the book. This movie still ranks 5 stars because it is so well done and does pack an emotional impact that is at least comparable to the book. My only real complaint is the ending.

All in all though, this is an excellent movie and I recommend it without reservations.

Frightening scenario that is all too real!
A commercial jetliner explodes off the English coast, killing all on board. The recovered voice recorder indicates a struggle in the cockpit just before the crash. It appears that the pilot may have smuggled a bomb onto the plane and detonated it, causing the tragedy.

Christine Lahti stars as the wife that learns life-shattering truths about her late husband (John Heard seen in flashbacks). Campbell Scott is featured as union representative that comes to Lahti to provide support. All three are believable in their respective roles.

A taut script, good performances, interesting cinematography, and a evocative score make this 2001 production an above average TV movie.

It's no wonder that its initial 2001 airing was cancelled due to the events of September 11th.

There's "food for thought" here. ... Read more

Description

This inspiring World War II story spotlights 450 men who fought on two fronts at once. A group of black American aviators, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, battled the Axis powers in Europe and North Africa and took on racism at home. Trained in the segregated military as an experiment to see if blacks had what it took to fly in combat, these fighter pilots made more than 15,000 sorties and 1,500 missions. Their success led to the integration of the U.S. armed forces. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Wall Review --- From a Kid's Point of View
Hmmmm, I actually liked this movie. We watched in 7th grade. I was addicted to it. The part with the typewriter and the weird music rocks! The only thing I didn't like about it was the long, boring talking parts. I wanted to fall asleep during those parts. I wouldn't show this movie to little kids though. Something at the beginning really scared me.

Boring
This movie was very boring and I don't feel it acurately captured the Warsaw uprising. A much better movie to view would be "Uprising" starring Leelee Sobieski, among others. ... Read more

Description

"Viva Nicholas! Viva Nicholas!" shouts Reg Green at the dedication of a school named after his slain son. And that sums up how all of Italy feels about 7-year-old Nicholas Green, an American tourist and accidental victim of a bandit’s bullet. In this highly publicized 1994 crime, would-be robbers who fired the fateful shots were not even after the Greens but were trying to intercept a jewelry shipment. Still, the bizarre story of mistaken identity is little more than a footnote to the powerful, true story of two parents’ generosity and willingness to forgive – all while dealing with their boy’s grim prognosis. Under the worst circumstances, Reg and Maggie Green make the most courageous, decision possible: They will donate Nicholas’ organs, a practice almost unheard of in Italy has increased 118 percent, giving more than 3,000 people a second chance at life. It is called "The Nicholas Effect." ... Read more