Little City

Starring:Jon Bon Jovi, Penelope Ann Miller, Josh Charles, Annabella Sciorra, JoBeth Williams, Joanna Going, Joe Bellan, Peter Gardiner, Meeka, Robert Elross, Anna Getty, Stacy Haiduk
Director: Roberto Benabib
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

They called Wattstax the "black Woodstock," but there are many differences between that seminal hippie event and the 1972 concert documented in this 30th-anniversary special-edition reissue. Woodstock was all about peace, love, and music. Wattstax, held three years later in Los Angeles, had those elements as well; but as this 103-minute film reminds us, it was a more socio-politically charged event, with its emphasis on black pride and the simple opportunity for African Americans to assert that, in opening speaker Jesse Jackson's words, "I am somebody." There's also a good deal less music in this film than in the Woodstock movie. As the title suggests, a host of great Stax Records artists (including Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, the Staple Singers, Albert King, and show closer Isaac Hayes) performed, but much of Wattstax doesn't even take place inside the L.A. Coliseum, where the concert was held, but rather in the churches and shops and on the streets of Watts itself (music fans would be better off checking out the Wattstax double CD). Wattstax, in fact, is much less a music movie than a chronicle of black life seven years after the Watts race riots, as well as what comedian Richard Pryor (who delivers several hilarious but scathing bits) calls "a soulful expression of the black experience." --Sam Graham

Description

On August 20, 1972, more than 100,000 people attended what came to be known as "The Black Woodstock." Wattstax - The Special Edition is the 30th anniversary release of the film that documented that historic event and includes the once-lost original ending featuring Isaac Hayes' performances of "Theme From Shaft" and "Soulsville."

DVD Features:
Alternate endings:Original 1973 ending, performed by Isaac Hayes
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary by Chuck D, and music historian Rob Bowman Cast and crew commentaries including Isaac Hayes
DVD ROM Features:Links to Wattstax website and related sites
Theatrical Trailer:Original 1973 theatrical trailer 2003 Special Edition trailer

Average customer rating:

Hardball
Starring: John Hawkes , Diane Lane , Keanu Reeves , D.B. Sweeney , and Sterling Elijah Brown
Director: Brian Robbins
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Replacements
The Watcher
Feeling Minnesota
Sweet November
Chain Reaction

ASIN: B00005JKE4
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Amazon.com

Keanu Reeves stars in this story that might best be described as Bad News Bears in the projects. Conor O'Neill (Reeves) is a charming ne'er-do-well with a disturbing gambling addiction. His penchant for betting on the wrong teams leaves him owing several thousand dollars to very violent people, and he ends up coaching a children's baseball team to pay off his debt. The movie skimps a bit on process: the kids start out as terrible players and become better but we don't see how; Conor starts caring but we don't see why. As by-the-numbers movies go, though, it isn't a bad one. The young actors in the cast are talented and understated. Most of the kids' characters are only barely fleshed out by the script, but this keeps the movie from being hijacked by extra-cute mugging. Parents should be cautioned--this movie has some very violent scenes that will frighten young children, and swearing is depicted as precocious and adorable. Still, like a baseball game, it isn't a bad way to spend your time. --Ali Davis

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Little City
Starring: Jon Bon Jovi , Penelope Ann Miller , Josh Charles , Annabella Sciorra , and JoBeth Williams
Director: Roberto Benabib
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Leading Man
Moonlight and Valentino
Destination Anywhere: The Film
Row Your Boat
Homegrown

ASIN: B0000524EL
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Amazon.com

Kevin (Jon Bon Jovi) is sleeping with Nina (Annabella Sciorra), who's already dating Kevin's best friend Adam (Josh Charles), who still hasn't gotten over Kate (Joanna Going), who still hasn't gotten over Ann (JoBeth Williams), who has her eye on Rebecca (Penelope Ann Miller), who just moved to town... and things just get more complicated from there. Writer-director Roberto Benabib wants to be for San Francisco what Woody Allen is for Manhattan, and Little City is full of gorgeous shots of the city. Though his dialogue doesn't quite have the same polish, he does have Allen's knack for sterling ensemble casts; even when the banter doesn't bounce, the actors are completely engaging. Even Miller, who's been so annoying in her earlier movies, is sweet and sympathetic. Charles in particular is superb, but everyone contributes to making this an enjoyable romantic comedy. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Hollywood's hottest young stars light up this wildly funny and outrageously sexy story of love and friendship in the '90s! Best friends Adam (Josh Charles -- TV's SPORTS NIGHT, THREESOME), and Kevin (Jon Bon Jovi -- U-571, PAY IT FORWARD) have a lot in common. Probably too much! In fact, Kevin is carrying on a torrid affair with Adam's girlfriend, Nina (Annabella Sciorra -- WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, COP LAND), on the side! And if this triangle wasn't crowded enough, the arrival of a seductive newcomer in town, Rebecca (Penelope Ann Miller -- THE RELIC, CARLITO'S WAY), promptly adds a whole new set of twists to an already tangled mix! Here's a hilarious look at how modern relationships have never been so complicated ... or so much fun!

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Demon City Shinjuku
Starring: Hideyuki Hori , Hiromi Tsuru , Kiyoshi Kobayashi , Yûsaku Yara , and Ichirô Nagai
Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Manufacturer: Us Manga Corps Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Wicked City
Vampire Hunter D
Ninja Scroll
Wrath of the Ninja
Doomed Megalopolis

ASIN: B00007K019
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Amazon.com

This 1988 OVA reunited author Hideyuki Kikuchi and director Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Wicked City (1987). Ten years after his father Genichirou was killed battling the evil Rebi Ra, teen-aged Kyoya Izayoi is called to stop Rebi from releasing demons from hell onto the Earth. Demon City borrows heavily from Star Wars: Ag'ni Rai, Genichirou's teacher, tells Kyoya that he must learn to harness the web of spiritual energy that flows among living things. This minimal training, plus his father's sword and the love of beautiful Sayaka enable Kyoya to destroy Rebi Ra. The film is oddly paced, with a long build-up to a disappointing climax, problems that are exacerbated by the very stiff vocal performances. Kawajiri uses color with his accustomed skill, especially in the monochromatic opening duel, but Demon City hardly ranks among his important works. (Unrated: suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon

Description

In a city beset by demons, Kyoya must avenge his father, a great warrior who died at the hands of a diabolical psychic. Kyoya must discover his latent powers and finish the battle his father started, before humanity is destroyed forever.

Average customer rating:

Straight up. Real,
"F" Stands For: FANTASTICALLY FAR-FETCHED FEMINIST FANTASY FLICK
Solid...
It Ain't Million Dollar Baby, but OK
Excellent Movie !!!

Girlfight
Starring: Thomas Barbour , Paul Calderon , Louis Guss , Anthony Ruiz , and Jaime Tirelli
Director: Karyn Kusama
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Similar Items:

Shadow Boxers
Blue Crush (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Control
3 A.M.
S.W.A.T. (Widescreen Special Edition)

ASIN: B00003CXNY
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Amazon.com

First-time director Karyn Kusama tells a simple but compelling story of a young woman in Brooklyn whose violent impulses in school, and her tendency to physicalize her anger, lead her to train as a boxer. Her trainer at first puts her off, but the combination of her desire and her physical prowess changes his mind. As played by Michelle Rodriguez, Diane is a scowling lightning rod for sudden violence who discovers that she can find a sense of personal grace in boxing--in the training and in the honing of skills--that seems to spill over into her daily life, despite the disapproval of an abusive father. Kusama isn't telling a new story here, but she tells a familiar one with a sense of passion and pride in the uncharted territory this represents for women. Though a romantic subplot seems almost tacked on as an afterthought--Diane must box the boy she loves--Girlfight is engaging and even touching. -Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Straight up. Real,.......2007-03-27

This is a brilliant piece of story telling, acting and film work. Rodriguez has the unique talent of speaking with her eyes. The beautiful thing about this film, is that it is real. It's motivational, it's intense, and it's beautiful with its description of the human dream. It is true to what is really happening in the world where people do all they can to rise above their circumstances, toward their dreams. I would recommend this to anyone who personally knows the human struggle, and it's success...that is...if you fight for it.

"F" Stands For: FANTASTICALLY FAR-FETCHED FEMINIST FANTASY FLICK.......2007-01-15

Karyn Kusama's GIRLFIGHT is nothing more than a strident misandrist pleasuring herself on film!

Ordinarily, I would never consider wasting my valuable time watching this type of movie, much less bothering to write anything about it, but because I recently wrote a series of reviews for some mostly older antifeminism books, it was suggested to me that I should also "weigh in" on GIRLFIGHT, which I had previously never even heard of.

Written and directed by then newcomer, Kusama, the title, GIRLFIGHT, is simply a rather pedestrian substitution for "Woman's Struggle", that is, "Feminism." Her title displays the same sort of "heavy-handed" touch that she exhibits throughout the movie. As a filmmaker, Kusama has all the subtlety of a Great White Shark in a feeding frenzy. The movie consists of one "ham-fisted" symbol after another, decrying all of the usual exaggerated and simplistic contentions regarding men that radical feminists have been screeching about for over forty years; illustrating the feminist anthems; and portraying resolutions dreamed up in their wishful fantasies.

It should come as no surprise to any educated person that GIRLFIGHT won a couple of awards at Robert "Red" Redford's Sundance Film Festival in 2000; the incestuous relationship between Marxism and Feminism has long been established, and GIRLFIGHT was bound to be enthusiastically embraced at Sundance, and promoted as another vehicle for further conditioning the masses (particularly young women) toward the socialistic goals of hard-core feminism. (If you can bring yourself to turn off the TV one day, and actually read a nonfiction book, THE GENDER AGENDA by Dale O'Leary, and THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A WOMAN by Alice von Hildebrand, would be smashing places to begin.) It was, after all, no less a communist than Vladimir Lenin himself who stated in 1920, "We must create a powerful international women's movement." (Was keeping the spectators seated and talking during the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner before GIRLFIGHT's climactic bout, a Marxist "jab" at America?)

* Although I will not be discussing anything that the majority of the previous reviewers have not already revealed, be advised that this review will examine the major plot points and the ending of GIRLFIGHT. If you don't want to know how this movie ends, you should discontinue reading this review (and avoid most of the others posted on this product page as well).

Ostensibly, the story is about a high school girl, Diana Guzman (Michelle Rodriguez), prone to violent outbursts who supposedly redirects her aggression by taking up boxing, and ultimately confronts her emotionally abusive dad, and then later, her boyfriend in the ring. The entire movie is simply a kaleidoscope of embarrassingly overt visual metaphors meant to convey the concept of patriarchy getting pummeled to a pulp by Womanhood, and the castration of perceived masculine power. (Diana or Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, is portrayed in mythology as having killed various men and male gods.)

Early on, we get a barely veiled glimpse of Diana's (writer/director Kusama's mouthpiece) disdain for the traditional role of women in society when she stares out of her 11th story bedroom window at a mother pushing a baby carriage with a crying toddler in tow. That she's "looking down on Motherhood" couldn't have been more obvious.

There are three "types" of one-dimensional men (or malignancies) in this movie. (The "father", the "son", and the "emasculated ghost"?) .....

1) The domineering, emotionally and physically abusive male determined to "keep women in their place." This type of man is represented by Diana's drunken dad, and in a typical exhibition of Kusama's over-the-top symbolism, he is knocked around and nearly strangled to death by Diana in the family's kitchen (after she has received some boxing training). Get it? A woman's place is in the kitchen, but only if that's the location she chooses for bloodying the patriarchy! "You belong to me now! ... All these years you just looked right through me", Diana says to her beaten dad on behalf of women everywhere.

2) The unfaithful romancer who refuses to accept women on equal terms in every single facet of social endeavor. He is represented by Diana's love interest, Adrian, who dreams of "winning" his way out of the projects with a successful boxing career. Giving him the name of Rocky Balboa's wife, was an obvious slap at the character, and at men in general who express their manhood through a fascination with sports and sports movies. That slap becomes a punch, however, when 18-year-old Diana, with perhaps two months worth of training, defeats 19-year-old Adrian in the ring - despite the fact that he's been training for nearly a year, and supposedly has true professional boxing potential. (In a sorry display of how far Kusama was willing to go to get the most "punch for the buck", she wants us to believe that these two characters would be fighting in the same weight class. Never mind that Adrian is obviously 6" taller than Diana and appears to outweigh her by about 40 pounds. It simply wouldn't do to have the feminist hero defeat a man merely her own size!)

3) Diana's brother, Tiny, is the way men ought to be in Kusama's warped world. He is artistic, sensitive, effeminate, satisfactorily demasculinized already. He is tolerable because he is pathetic, as he can do nothing but stand back, wring his hands, and plead for his dad's life, while the "new" man (Diana GuzMAN - get it?) strangles the "old" man in the kitchen and usurps his authority (i.e., transforms the patriarchal family unit into a matriarchy). But in an ironic twist, Kusama also reveals her revulsion at the feminine man as well, by naming him TINY. Diana's brother is neither excessively large or small for his age, so we must assume that the name hints at something else: His unmanly "endowments" literally or figuratively; his diminished social status in the imagined new matriarchy; or simply Kusama's personal view of such effete men?

GIRLFIGHT begins with one of the silliest opening shots ever conceived. (Diana Guzman looks up and glares directly at the camera; i.e., "you." Why? Uh, well, because Kusama told her to.) And it ends with one of the most improbable scenes ever filmed. (After losing to her in the ring - bringing his dream of a boxing career to an end - Adrian practically begs Diana not to break up with him. This shows just how out-of-touch with reality and male psychology these extreme feminists really are. If such a scenario as presented in this movie was even truly possible, does Kusama, et al., actually believe that a "man" in this situation would REALLY want to retain his romantic relationship with his female conqueror? That he would be willing to "take a licking and keep on kissing"?) GIRLFIGHT is indeed a feminist fantasy from opening shot to final scene!

It does, however, contain a few positive ingredients: Technically, the screenplay is competently constructed and well-paced, and some of the cinematography is imaginative. The score nicely compliments the images and adds an exotic tone. Herb Lovelle as Cal is good in a very small part, and Jaime Tirelli in the role of Diana's trainer, Hector, delivers a fine, multilayered performance. However, having read the script, no self-respecting "man" would have consented to appear in this propaganda piece. (But divesting men of their self-respect has been a goal for feminists for over forty years now, and they've been largely successful.) Otherwise, the acting was uneven across-the-board. This was Rodriguez's first role, and it sometimes showed.

I could excoriate the artificial dialogue, the nonstop profanity, and the sloppy editing in GIRLFIGHT, but that would be like criticizing a dead dog for being lazy. Instead, let me give you one small dose of reality: Men generally possess nearly 50% more muscle mass than women, and testosterone (a steroid hormone which studies have linked to enhanced aggressiveness and increased muscle formation) is approximately thirty times more prevalent in the adult male body than it is in the adult female. (That's 30 times, not 30%!) In other words, there are genuine physiological reasons why women trained in boxing are never going to be serious competition for men trained in boxing - Karyn Kusama's fantasy notwithstanding. (Don't blame me; blame God. But your arms are too short to box with Him.) Lucia Rijker is universally regarded as the best fighter in the history of female boxing; she has had 54 fights with women and won them all - most by knockout. In earnest competition, she stepped into a ring only once with a man: In 1995, she fought Muay Thai boxer Somchai Jaidee, who was far from being a world elite fighter in the men's competition. Rijker managed to survive the first round, but in the second, she was laid out on the canvas, unconscious for several minutes. (If she didn't have a clue when she climbed into that ring, I'm sure she had one when she woke up in it!)

What disturbs me is not that a misandrist would put her neurosis on film (wrong, Cyndi, these days, "Girls Just Want To Be Boys"), but that anyone would tout this fiction as some kind of inspiring movie to be shown to youngsters ... that's what bothers me! As if Diana Guzman represents some viable means to conflict resolution in the real world. My heart goes out to any child of a rigor mortis-brained parent who believes that "fighting" - even in a square "ring" - is the best way to channel aggressive behavior. When my Brother (nicknamed "Napoleon") was only about 12 years old, a professional trainer recognized that he possessed a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore, and an almost freakish, innate aptitude for fighting. This man offered to prepare my Brother for a professional boxing career. Being an Irish-American fighting in sub-Middleweight divisions, and being as proficient in physical destruction as he is, Napoleon would have made many millions of dollars as a successful boxer. But even at that young an age, he was intelligent enough to recognize the senselessness of making a living knocking other guys senseless, and so he turned down the trainer's offer. Instead, he was able to sublimate his anger without needing to unleash it on others in any harmful form. With his fiery energy redirected into more constructive activities, he eventually grew into a very good and caring man (who could still decapitate any one of us with either fist, though he would never do so).

That anyone would show GIRLFIGHT to a young person as motivation for anything, and would hold up this fictional character as a role model for young women to emulate in any way, is deplorable and irresponsible! GIRLFIGHT is not just a feminist cartoon masquerading as a gritty, urban tale - it's a bad cartoon with bad language and a bad agenda. And what its man-hating writer/director really needs is a psychiatrist, not an audience.

Solid..........2006-05-10

This is a solid and realistic film about a deviant female who finds a legitimate to deal with inner anger through boxing. I enjoyed this film for three reasons: 1) the acting was solid, 2) the story was realistic and did not go all Hollywood on me, and 3) I liked the ending and the gender struggles portrayed. A film worth watching!

It Ain't Million Dollar Baby, but OK.......2006-01-03

girl boxing... hummm..

If you liked "Million Dollar Baby," and you like seeing a girl box, you'll like this.

A lot of sweat, muscles, grunting, and boxing too! Michelle Rodriguez, of "Lost" fame, did this movie in 2000. She seem to be getting typecast as the tough girl, pretty, but don't mess with her! Which is a shame, I'd like to see her do something totally different.

But, here we are, a boxing movie about a girl. She is tough, has great muscles, good moves. But, I wasn't convinced that she really could win matches. She has a brother that has no business in boxing, he looks like he should be on a computer somewhere. A father that I wanted to say, "what the heck..?" The Boxing instructor was interesting. All of the cast was completely forgettable, but for Michelle. Her boyfriend included. Could have been anyone.

Michelle was nice to look at, but as far as acting - so so. overall, I wasn't convinced. The match with the black girl, should of been won by the black girl, and the match with her boyfriend, same thing. Her boxing skill didn't impress me.

My dear hubby, Norman, who used to train boxers in the Army, long ago, said he didn't buy much of it at all. So, for entertainment, go for it. For the real deal - rent "Million Dollar Baby." unless, of course, you are a Michelle Rodriguez fan, then certainly watch it.

And, kids, it's not good to lie to your father. SS

Excellent Movie !!!.......2005-09-10

No Wonder Michelle Rodriguez was recognized for this role, she was amazing. Because of the content of this moive, I'm glad the director chose a local girl to play Diana Gúzman. Michelle's acting, thought relatively new, was sincere in every aspect of the word. A girl who is trying to make something of her life at a young age is very rare now-a-days. This a great movie for the younger generation. It portrays hope, desire, ambition, drive, whatever you want to call it. The directing was great: the city scenes, the fighting scenes, and the family scenes sucked you into a world of struggle and survival. I recommend this movie with all sincerity.

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Speedway Junky
Starring: Jesse Bradford , Jordan Brower , Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Daryl Hannah , and Tiffani Thiessen
Director: Nickolas Perry
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Mysterious Skin (Deluxe Unrated Director's Edition)
Latter Days (Unrated Edition)
Common Ground (2000)
L.I.E. (Unrated)
Dorian Blues

ASIN: B000065U4B
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Amazon.com

This compelling portrait of Las Vegas subculture stars Jesse Bradford (Bring It On, Clockstoppers) as Johnny, a teenager who aspires to be a racecar driver but gets stuck hustling on the Vegas strip. Speedway Junky centers around Johnny's friendship with Eric (Jordon Brower, Texas Rangers), a gay hustler who's in love with Johnny, even though he knows Johnny is straight. But the movie also captures snapshots of various fringe dwellers and people whose lives seem to be hitting a dead end, deftly drawn portraits that mix hope and despair in equal measures. The well-written script and strong performances from an eclectic cast--including appearances by Daryl Hannah, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, all of whom are excellent--make Speedway Junky more than a voyeuristic walk through the Vegas gutter. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Every dream has its price... From Executive Producer Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) comes another compelling story of a teenage dreamer. Johnny (Jesse Bradford, Clockstoppers) has run away from home to pursue his fantasy to race cars--but he runs into trouble and out of money in Las Vegas. Gay street hustler Eric (Jordan Brower, Teen Angel) befriends Johnny and introduces him to his gang, including brash Steven (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Home Improvement) and charming Wilma (Tiffani Thiessen, Beverly Hills 90210). Johnny also meets Eric's surrogate mom Veronica (Daryl Hannah, Splash). As the two boys become close, they are confronted with a life-threatening situation involving drugs, money, and betrayal, and Johnny must decide if he has what it takes to follow his dream.

Average customer rating:

Relevant plot; poor movie
I love Kerry Washington
Real Talk
good movie
I loved it

Our Song
Starring: Kerry Washington , Anna Simpson , Melissa Martinez , Marlene Forte , and Raymond Anthony Thomas
Director: Jim McKay
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.
Lift
Everyday People
Train Ride
Stranger Inside

ASIN: B00003CY1Y
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Amazon.com

In Our Song, director Jim McKay takes the same concerns as in his debut, Girls Town--friendship, poverty, and suicide--and crafts a superior film. While Girls Town felt like a somewhat privileged look at underprivileged life, Our Song feels as if it were written by the young women themselves: Lanisha (Lift's Kerry Washington), Joy (Anna Simpson), and Maria (Melissa Martinez). In fact, the trio really was involved with Brooklyn marching band the Jackie Robinson Steppers when McKay recruited them to star in this Michael Stipe-produced effort, and the marching sequences in the film provide a rousing counterpoint to the difficulties with which the girls are grappling. When one of the 15-year-olds discovers she's pregnant, already-frayed relationships are strained to the breaking point. Our Song always rings true and is all the more admirable--and affecting--for its refusal to conform to the conventions of most Hollywood teen movies. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

The sweet joy and bitter anguish of contemporary teen life is movingly explored in this 'remarkable (The New York Times) coming-of-age tale set in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Breathtaking (L.A. Weekly) and astonishing (The Washington Post), Our Song delves deep inside the complex lives of three girls who, despite all the odds, discover the indomitable spirit that survives within them. Late summer finds inner-city best friends Maria, Joycelyn and Lanisha at a crossroads. Though once inseparable, they drift apart when their high school abruptly closes and Maria discovers she's pregnant. As Joycelyn rejects school for a paycheck and Lanisha opts to continue her education, each girl must chart a new course for herself but can their friendship survive?

Customer Reviews:

Relevant plot; poor movie.......2006-08-07

If this movie were a book, I'd have probably liked it. There were relevant topics that many teenagers need to see: teenage pregnancy, deadbeat dads, drugs, sex, friendship, suicide, motherhood, parent disconnection, peer pressure, etc. The movie writer(s) came up with pretty reasonable dialogue and the scenes fit the scenes of the area. But this movie was shot like an afterschool special. I don't know what the budget was but it looked like someone just walked around with a video camera and a stand to sit the camera on, said "Action," and people started talking. The plot was slow, many actors/actresses had limited lines, the acting was a little dead, and some of the scenes lasted too long. There was a scene when a couple kissed after smoking weed, but the scene lasted forever with them kissing; another scene where a couple looked in each other's eyes with no dialogue which lasted too long; at the end of the movie one of the characters sat on the train staring out the window and the only thing happening was her facial expressions; a scene where one girl walked down the street for a few minutes but the only thing that happened was a car honked after two minutes; and many more. It's like the director forgot to call "Cut" through half of the movie and instead let it linger.
In a movie, viewers need to see steady action, continuous dialogue, and speed, but this movie had the pace of a turtle. The girls didn't seem very well-rounded either. They did the sad/mad scenes very well, but when it came to being happy or sick, it was pitiful, which wasn't a surprise to me considering Kerry Washington's scenes in that terrible movie "Save the Last Dance" were just as dry.
To top it all off, there were two scenes about mochachino. One scene was in a cafe where two girls tried to encourage another one to get it and talked about how good it was. This scene lasted quite a few minutes: about a drink. Then there was ANOTHER scene where the girl who was new to drinking this mochachino went to her friends and described the taste of it in detail. Why did something so irrelevant need to be in two scenes? If I would've had this script in hand, I'd have crossed out half of it.
This had the potential to be a very good movie, but it needed a different cast, director, and producer in order to do it. Maybe people in their teenager years who are less critical of how a movie is shot will connect with these characters, but I did not, and I love almost any movie or television show about high school or college (ex: Higher Learning, A Different World, School Daze, Drumline, ATL).

I love Kerry Washington.......2005-10-23

I saw this film earlier today, and I was amazed at how accurate the dialog is for the main characters. It didn't feel like a film - it felt more like a documentary (part I like best). The leading ladies in this film seemed as real to me as any 15 year old girls I know.

Real Talk.......2005-01-29

I believe that the movie was wonderful, I also like the fact that it can relate to a everyday life that young people go through. The movie showed many ups and downs that everyday people go through in the Ghetto. One main thing I like is that each person had a choice to make in their life, in a very short time and all i can say is that's real you can't get no real then that..I respect the director for this flim and hope he makes more like this one.

good movie.......2004-07-16

This movie I seen on cable tv,on starz.It was a good movie about the average life of young teenage girls who like to party,have guys and try their best in school at the same time.I liked the idea of the movie how the girls always try to keep the other up so they could succeed together, thats what true friendships are for.I felt sad that they seemed 2 grow apart in some ways. but its always good to give your friends some space.It sometimes helps build stronger frienships. I also liked how the all of them had jobs, and whatever bad qualities(character)they had it all showed & there was no sugar coating the lives of these young teenagers because none of them were totally innocent & neither are the ones that are out on the streets today... a real good movie to rent ;)

I loved it.......2004-02-24

With me being 16 I could relate to certin points in the movie I loved it and I thought that It really captured what teens deal with on a day2day bases and If I wasent going throght something that was hit on inthe movie I new someone who was this is the 1st movie that I've seen where the situations where real to me. Id have to say Maria was my fav. character in the movie and all the girls are talented and I really enjoyed the movie.

Average customer rating:

Everyday People
Starring: Reg E. Cathey , Candice Sanchez-McClaren , Alex Emanuel , Frantz St. Louis , and Iris Little Thomas
Director: Jim McKay
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00067BCAO
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Description

(Drama) This intimate ensemble drama tells the interconnected stories of a group of racially diverse New Yorkers who rub elbows in Raskin's, a venerable Brooklyn diner and NYC institution whose Jewish owner has just revealed he plans to sell off the place to make way for condominiums and newer, more "gentrified" establishments. Told over the course of a single workday, the film challenges conventional assumptions about class and racial identity. If you think you know everyday people by what they look like ... you better think again.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary with Writer/Director Jim McKay and Executive Producer Nelson George
Featurette:The Process: A featurette detailing the production of Everday People from script to screen

Average customer rating:

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ASIN: 6305167257
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Amazon.com

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Great Liteature brought to life!
FORCED TO SEE GRAY

Ernest J. Gaines' The Sky Is Gray
Starring: Olivia Cole , James Bond III , Margaret Avery , Cleavon Little , and Chez Lister
Director: Stan Lathan
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VGSU8
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Description

Seen on PBS

Written By: Ernest J. Gaines

Starring: Olivia Cole and James Bond III

Directed By: Stan Lathan Description: From Ernest J. Gaines, author of "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman", comes a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of a young boy's discovery of what it's like to be black in Louisiana during the 1940's.

James, the boy in question, has a raging toothache that necessitates a trip to the dentist. His mother (played by Emmy-winner Olivia Cole), accompanies James to town on an eye opening odyssey where the boy gains valuable insights into poverty, racism-and his own sense of pride.

With an exciting musical score by Webster Lewis, this multi-award winning film explores a child's discovery that the world is a complicated place…where things are never truly black or white…only shades of gray.

DVD Extras: About the Author, Actors' Bios, About the American Short Story Collection, Henry Fonda Intro, Printable Study Guide

Customer Reviews:

Great Liteature brought to life!.......2007-01-15

I first discovered this film at my college library. I had heard of the author's ...Miss Jane Pittman but was soon delighted to discover this gem. I've watched it over and over again. Read the short story or watch the film, the film remains true to the story. And each time many messages may be spoken in this film. One message in particular: Life is what you perceive it to be not what others say it is. The moral of the story can be found throughout the film and 1 important moral can be found in the dentist office scene. Remember, "Grass is black and the wind is pink." This is one of my favorite lines as well as is this one: "It's green 'cause they say its green." Eveyone can take something from this film/short story.

FORCED TO SEE GRAY.......2001-08-27

Young James' world is limited to the Negro Quarters of rural Louisiana until a tootache forces him into a world he never imagined. A trip into town to get a tooth pulled ends up as a classroom for life's lessons and ambiguities. Set in the early 1940's, "The Sky is Gray", is the film adaptation of Ernest Gaines' short story. It is a classic piece in that a young Black boy comes face to face with the contradictions in the black and white adult world. Seen through an adolescent's eyes you will feel his surprise, raise his questions and share his hurts. This wonderful film is sensitive in its portrayal of a young boy forced to grow up in a hostile world. Gaines' black and white characters move beyond the stereotypes of southern society. Through James' eyes you see a young man confronting the slave mentality of a preacher while waiting for his dental appointment. You see James' mother attempting to maintain her dignity and pride when she knows her earnings are meager.Yet you find a woman who is willing to accept kindness, on her own terms. She makes it clear to her son that they are not beggers but working people. Most of all this film teaches us the lessons youth must be forced to learn especially if they're in an environment that is determined to keep them poor, ignorant and disenfranchised. James' mother must force him to grow up fast before he is consumed by the world. James sees the grays in this adult world but there is hope that he will be able to overcome the obstacles. This is a beautiful story about adolescence, becoming a man and learning how to live with dignity and pride regardless of your status. You will enjoy this touching story that reaches into your heart and fills you with joy for James and all young boys who must walk a similar path.

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