Next Stop Wonderland
Starring:Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Callie Thorne, Ken Cheeseman, Pamela Hart (II), Diane Beckett, Jeremy Geidt, Alan Gelfant, Dave Gilloran, Luz Alexandra, Emma Shaw (IV), Kemp Harris, Neil Gustafson, Holland Taylor, E. Katherine Kerr, Jason Lewis, Jack Sweet, Paula Lyons, Arnie Reisman (II), Betsy Nally
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
A lovely, lilting soundtrack of samba and bossa nova melodies gently guides this charming movie about Erin (Hope Davis), a young nurse adrift in her life. When her boyfriend, a hyperactive political activist played by the amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights, Happiness), leaves her, Erin struggles to find serenity on her own. Meanwhile, her mother schemes to find her a new boyfriend by placing a personal ad for Erin without her knowledge. Next Stop Wonderland juxtaposes this with the story of Alan (Alan Gelfant), a plumber struggling to get a degree as a marine biologist. The movie weaves all sorts of hints about fate and destiny, so it's no surprise at the end when Erin and Alan meet--but the fun is in getting there. In addition to the well-drawn characters and sharp, clever writing (the sequence of personal-ad dates that Erin goes on is both funny and painful), the movie is full of visual grace notes. For example, while at a bar, Alan spills a drink on a newspaper; the wet newsprint becomes translucent and reveals a photo of Erin that was taken at an aquarium fundraiser and printed in the society page. But before Alan even sees it, his friends scoop up the wet paper and throw it away. These moments have a casual, tossed-off air that evokes a lightly mystical sense of how our lives float on a thousand invisible coincidences. More than anything else, the movie spotlights Hope Davis's intelligence and quiet soulfulness. This wonderful actress has been appearing in small roles in Hollywood features (Arlington Road, Mumford) that don't do her justice; Next Stop Wonderland lets her glow. --Bret Fetzer
Description
The critically acclaimed romantic comedy of the year, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND is a lighthearted story about a man and a woman who seem destined to be together ... and the hilarious chain of accidents that seem determined to keep them apart! Dumped by her loser boyfriend (Philip Seymour Hoffman, COLD MOUNTAIN), Erin (Hope Davis, ARLINGTON ROAD) thinks that her love life has hit rock bottom. In reality, the all-time low comes when her overbearing mother (Holland Taylor, TV's THE PRACTICE) places an embarrassing ad for her in the "personals" section of a local newspaper! Erin's disgust turns to curiosity, however, when the calls start pouring in -- all 64 of them! As she searches for the right guy in a hilarious series of disastrous dates, a lonely ex-plumber named Alan (Alan Gelfant) clumsily searches for his dream job ... all the while narrowly missing one chance meeting with Erin after another! Filled with delightfully unexpected surprises, you're sure to love every minute of this smart and funny adventure into the wildly unpredictable world of dating!
Average customer rating:
- next stop romance
- Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?
- "Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway
- I Love this Movie
- Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime
|
Next Stop Wonderland
Starring: Hope Davis , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Callie Thorne , Ken Cheeseman , and Pamela Hart (II)
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 General
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Romantic Comedies
| Comedy
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General
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Davis, Hope
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
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Hoffman, Philip S
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
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Hoffman, Phillip Seymour
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
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| Video
Taylor, Holland
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
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| Video
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DVDs Under $7.49
| Today's Deals in DVD
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( N )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture
- Mumford
- Happy Accidents
- Walking and Talking
- Love Serenade
ASIN: 6305803765
Release Date: 2000-05-09 |
Amazon.com
A lovely, lilting soundtrack of samba and bossa nova melodies gently guides this charming movie about Erin (Hope Davis), a young nurse adrift in her life. When her boyfriend, a hyperactive political activist played by the amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights, Happiness), leaves her, Erin struggles to find serenity on her own. Meanwhile, her mother schemes to find her a new boyfriend by placing a personal ad for Erin without her knowledge. Next Stop Wonderland juxtaposes this with the story of Alan (Alan Gelfant), a plumber struggling to get a degree as a marine biologist. The movie weaves all sorts of hints about fate and destiny, so it's no surprise at the end when Erin and Alan meet--but the fun is in getting there. In addition to the well-drawn characters and sharp, clever writing (the sequence of personal-ad dates that Erin goes on is both funny and painful), the movie is full of visual grace notes. For example, while at a bar, Alan spills a drink on a newspaper; the wet newsprint becomes translucent and reveals a photo of Erin that was taken at an aquarium fundraiser and printed in the society page. But before Alan even sees it, his friends scoop up the wet paper and throw it away. These moments have a casual, tossed-off air that evokes a lightly mystical sense of how our lives float on a thousand invisible coincidences. More than anything else, the movie spotlights Hope Davis's intelligence and quiet soulfulness. This wonderful actress has been appearing in small roles in Hollywood features (Arlington Road, Mumford) that don't do her justice; Next Stop Wonderland lets her glow. --Bret Fetzer
Description
The critically acclaimed romantic comedy of the year, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND is a lighthearted story about a man and a woman who seem destined to be together ... and the hilarious chain of accidents that seem determined to keep them apart! Dumped by her loser boyfriend (Philip Seymour Hoffman, COLD MOUNTAIN), Erin (Hope Davis, ARLINGTON ROAD) thinks that her love life has hit rock bottom. In reality, the all-time low comes when her overbearing mother (Holland Taylor, TV's THE PRACTICE) places an embarrassing ad for her in the "personals" section of a local newspaper! Erin's disgust turns to curiosity, however, when the calls start pouring in -- all 64 of them! As she searches for the right guy in a hilarious series of disastrous dates, a lonely ex-plumber named Alan (Alan Gelfant) clumsily searches for his dream job ... all the while narrowly missing one chance meeting with Erin after another! Filled with delightfully unexpected surprises, you're sure to love every minute of this smart and funny adventure into the wildly unpredictable world of dating!
Customer Reviews:
next stop romance.......2006-11-11
This is a romantic film, but it's not gooey. You actually care about the characters in this movie. What a treat. And the musical background is heaven on earth.
Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?.......2006-07-24
Hope Davis has become what I like to call a hidden success. Her movies don't make a gazillion dollars at the box office and you'd probably hardly notice her if she passed you on the street. But what she does -- and does well -- is create lovable and memorable characters on celluloid. Most recently she was paired with Greg Kinnear in THE MATADOR, a role in which her underused talents still shone brightly with every scene she appeared.
I decided to watch NEXT STOP WONDERLAND for the sole purpose of checking to see how well Mrs. Davis stood as an actress in a starring role. I wasn't disappointed.
The story is that of a nurse named Erin (Davis) who comes home one day to find her boyfriend, Sean (Philip Seymour Hoffman, CAPOTE) moving out. Angry and spiteful, Erin quickly decides that being alone is okay. In fact, she firmly entrenches the philosophy of aloneness within herself ...until...
Erin's domineering mother, Piper (Holland Taylor, THE TRUMAN SHOW), discovers her daughter's recent break-up and places a personals ad in the newspaper for her. Initially upset by this, Erin eventually decides to take on the task of dismissing all of the loathsome men who try to court her. The comedy here is striking and philosophical as the men do whatever they can to get into her pants only to be rebuffed by Erin's formidable intellect.
On the other side of Boston (where this story takes place) we find Alan Monteiro (Alan Gelfant, TURN OF FAITH), a plumber turned marine biologist who volunteers at the local aquarium. He's struggling with debt, school (still working on his biology degree), and an aggressive younger classman who's infatuated with him. Strangely enough, too, is the fact that his brother is one of the guy's trying to bed Erin via the personals ad.
As Erin and Alan mingle within their own circles, they come close to orbiting one another but never quite make contact. Brief glances, telephone calls that pass them by, invitations to the same restaurant parties, the two seemed destined to fall into one another's arms ...yet these encounters slip past. It's wonderfully frustrating to watch, and these "almost encounters" are never forced.
But in the end, director Brad Anderson doesn't let us down. Serendipity intervenes and the two strangers end up hugging one another on a transit train after a strange set of circumstances pulls them together.
Romantic comedies are okay if done right. You know the type that kind of make you feel, eh, just okay; You've Got Mail, Pretty Woman, Sleepless In Seattle. But this flick gives you more for less. Made as an independent film on a $1 million budget, Hope Davis' excellent acting and the perfect script make for some thought-provoking and downright funny moments. While those other RomComs I mentioned have a basic "feel-good" to them, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND has much more. The philosophy, romance, and comedy all build to a very satisfying conclusion and one that will invite discussions about the probabilities of fate versus happenstance.
"Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway.......2005-08-28
Great romantic comedy about fate, relationships, and what makes two people right for each other. Hope Davis plays Erin, a nurse in Boston who is mourning the loss of her relationship with her eco-activist on-again off-again boyfriend. He's left her many times before, but this time vows this is the final send-off. Leaving with their futon strapped to his car, Erin retreats into the comfort of solitude, listening to the wonderful Bossa Nova of Jobim, and reading her father's poetry. In another part of the city, Alan, played by Alan Gelfant with an easy-going, likeability, is a 35-year old plumber who's going to school to become a marine biologist. Not wanting to fall into the bland stability of the plumbing business, Alan wants to make a better life for himself, one that is both meaningful and that he's passionate about. It's both Alan and Erin's journeys of self-discovery, trying to control their own destinies, that makes their paths cross, again and again, so that the film becomes a question of fate vs. the ability to choose. The film raises this question many times, from Erin's decision to go on dates with several men who have responded to her personal ad (one of the most hilarious sequences of the film), to Alan's decision to steal the Boston Aquarium's mascot blowfish, Puff, in an effort to get the local "lender", from whom he's borrowed money for school, off his back. If it sounds like the stories of Alan and Erin seem like two different movies, don't despair. The filmmaker and co-screenwriter, Brad Anderson, has very seamlessly and cleverly interwoven the stories so that when they ultimately meet, it's not only believable, but we realize that it must be fate.
I Love this Movie.......2005-08-13
If ever there was a movie I had a soft spot for, it would be Next Stop Wonderland. If I'm down or need to relax or just want to sit back and see familiar sights from the time of the movie, I pop this in and immediately feel better. It's like therapy to me.
In some ways it's tough for me to really define the movie or the characters & I don't want to give it all away. Erin struggles to overcome some of the losses in her life and to find a way to move forward while Alan is an individual who fights to fulfill his dreams, which he figured out later on in his own life, while maintaining his integrity. But the movie is so full of coincidences and near misses for these two very honest individuals that you are left waiting for the moment when they come together, and when they do, it is actually just the right time. From the dating service, to Alan seeing her while in the fish tank, to the photographer putting her in the picture... there are so many things in this movie that you may have missed after seeing it the first time that you'll catch the next few times around.
I definitely recommend the movie. I love it. Can't say that enough. And it takes place in Boston, and you get a good view of some of the sights and places in Boston. I've actually been the the Burren & still sometimes hang out in the Somerville/Cambridge area. And the New England Aquarium really has been renovated since then (1998) and is off of the Blue Line (the Wonderland stop is actually the last stop on the Blue Line - there's your symbolism!).
I also love the movie because the soundtrack, done by Claudio Ragazzi and Arto Lindsay, is nothing short of stellar. The original score perfectly fits the mood of the CD for both characters and other than the classic Bossa Nova by Elis Regina and Astrud Gilberto, you have some very nice works by Bebel Gilberto (daughter of Miucha and Joao Gilberto) before her feature album came out, that I haven't seen her release elsewhere, including a sensational version of "One Note Samba/Girl from Ipanema" with the amazing work of Vinicius Cantuaria.
Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime.......2005-02-09
Love this from start to finish. Smart, warm, and sublime. Bossa nova is utilized perfectly as Hope Davis (who has never looked lovelier) gives a terrific performance. You just love watching and listening to her here. Can we a get a deluxe edition please?
Average customer rating:
- next stop romance
- Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?
- "Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway
- I Love this Movie
- Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime
|
Next Stop Wonderland
Starring: Hope Davis , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Callie Thorne , Ken Cheeseman , and Pamela Hart (II)
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Davis, Hope
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hoffman, Philip S
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hoffman, Phillip Seymour
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Taylor, Holland
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( N )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture
- Mumford
- Happy Accidents
- Walking and Talking
- Love Serenade
ASIN: B000065K5E |
Amazon.com
A lovely, lilting soundtrack of samba and bossa nova melodies gently guides this charming movie about Erin (Hope Davis), a young nurse adrift in her life. When her boyfriend, a hyperactive political activist played by the amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights, Happiness), leaves her, Erin struggles to find serenity on her own. Meanwhile, her mother schemes to find her a new boyfriend by placing a personal ad for Erin without her knowledge. Next Stop Wonderland juxtaposes this with the story of Alan (Alan Gelfant), a plumber struggling to get a degree as a marine biologist. The movie weaves all sorts of hints about fate and destiny, so it's no surprise at the end when Erin and Alan meet--but the fun is in getting there. In addition to the well-drawn characters and sharp, clever writing (the sequence of personal-ad dates that Erin goes on is both funny and painful), the movie is full of visual grace notes. For example, while at a bar, Alan spills a drink on a newspaper; the wet newsprint becomes translucent and reveals a photo of Erin that was taken at an aquarium fundraiser and printed in the society page. But before Alan even sees it, his friends scoop up the wet paper and throw it away. These moments have a casual, tossed-off air that evokes a lightly mystical sense of how our lives float on a thousand invisible coincidences. More than anything else, the movie spotlights Hope Davis's intelligence and quiet soulfulness. This wonderful actress has been appearing in small roles in Hollywood features (Arlington Road, Mumford) that don't do her justice; Next Stop Wonderland lets her glow. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
next stop romance.......2006-11-11
This is a romantic film, but it's not gooey. You actually care about the characters in this movie. What a treat. And the musical background is heaven on earth.
Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?.......2006-07-24
Hope Davis has become what I like to call a hidden success. Her movies don't make a gazillion dollars at the box office and you'd probably hardly notice her if she passed you on the street. But what she does -- and does well -- is create lovable and memorable characters on celluloid. Most recently she was paired with Greg Kinnear in THE MATADOR, a role in which her underused talents still shone brightly with every scene she appeared.
I decided to watch NEXT STOP WONDERLAND for the sole purpose of checking to see how well Mrs. Davis stood as an actress in a starring role. I wasn't disappointed.
The story is that of a nurse named Erin (Davis) who comes home one day to find her boyfriend, Sean (Philip Seymour Hoffman, CAPOTE) moving out. Angry and spiteful, Erin quickly decides that being alone is okay. In fact, she firmly entrenches the philosophy of aloneness within herself ...until...
Erin's domineering mother, Piper (Holland Taylor, THE TRUMAN SHOW), discovers her daughter's recent break-up and places a personals ad in the newspaper for her. Initially upset by this, Erin eventually decides to take on the task of dismissing all of the loathsome men who try to court her. The comedy here is striking and philosophical as the men do whatever they can to get into her pants only to be rebuffed by Erin's formidable intellect.
On the other side of Boston (where this story takes place) we find Alan Monteiro (Alan Gelfant, TURN OF FAITH), a plumber turned marine biologist who volunteers at the local aquarium. He's struggling with debt, school (still working on his biology degree), and an aggressive younger classman who's infatuated with him. Strangely enough, too, is the fact that his brother is one of the guy's trying to bed Erin via the personals ad.
As Erin and Alan mingle within their own circles, they come close to orbiting one another but never quite make contact. Brief glances, telephone calls that pass them by, invitations to the same restaurant parties, the two seemed destined to fall into one another's arms ...yet these encounters slip past. It's wonderfully frustrating to watch, and these "almost encounters" are never forced.
But in the end, director Brad Anderson doesn't let us down. Serendipity intervenes and the two strangers end up hugging one another on a transit train after a strange set of circumstances pulls them together.
Romantic comedies are okay if done right. You know the type that kind of make you feel, eh, just okay; You've Got Mail, Pretty Woman, Sleepless In Seattle. But this flick gives you more for less. Made as an independent film on a $1 million budget, Hope Davis' excellent acting and the perfect script make for some thought-provoking and downright funny moments. While those other RomComs I mentioned have a basic "feel-good" to them, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND has much more. The philosophy, romance, and comedy all build to a very satisfying conclusion and one that will invite discussions about the probabilities of fate versus happenstance.
"Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway.......2005-08-28
Great romantic comedy about fate, relationships, and what makes two people right for each other. Hope Davis plays Erin, a nurse in Boston who is mourning the loss of her relationship with her eco-activist on-again off-again boyfriend. He's left her many times before, but this time vows this is the final send-off. Leaving with their futon strapped to his car, Erin retreats into the comfort of solitude, listening to the wonderful Bossa Nova of Jobim, and reading her father's poetry. In another part of the city, Alan, played by Alan Gelfant with an easy-going, likeability, is a 35-year old plumber who's going to school to become a marine biologist. Not wanting to fall into the bland stability of the plumbing business, Alan wants to make a better life for himself, one that is both meaningful and that he's passionate about. It's both Alan and Erin's journeys of self-discovery, trying to control their own destinies, that makes their paths cross, again and again, so that the film becomes a question of fate vs. the ability to choose. The film raises this question many times, from Erin's decision to go on dates with several men who have responded to her personal ad (one of the most hilarious sequences of the film), to Alan's decision to steal the Boston Aquarium's mascot blowfish, Puff, in an effort to get the local "lender", from whom he's borrowed money for school, off his back. If it sounds like the stories of Alan and Erin seem like two different movies, don't despair. The filmmaker and co-screenwriter, Brad Anderson, has very seamlessly and cleverly interwoven the stories so that when they ultimately meet, it's not only believable, but we realize that it must be fate.
I Love this Movie.......2005-08-13
If ever there was a movie I had a soft spot for, it would be Next Stop Wonderland. If I'm down or need to relax or just want to sit back and see familiar sights from the time of the movie, I pop this in and immediately feel better. It's like therapy to me.
In some ways it's tough for me to really define the movie or the characters & I don't want to give it all away. Erin struggles to overcome some of the losses in her life and to find a way to move forward while Alan is an individual who fights to fulfill his dreams, which he figured out later on in his own life, while maintaining his integrity. But the movie is so full of coincidences and near misses for these two very honest individuals that you are left waiting for the moment when they come together, and when they do, it is actually just the right time. From the dating service, to Alan seeing her while in the fish tank, to the photographer putting her in the picture... there are so many things in this movie that you may have missed after seeing it the first time that you'll catch the next few times around.
I definitely recommend the movie. I love it. Can't say that enough. And it takes place in Boston, and you get a good view of some of the sights and places in Boston. I've actually been the the Burren & still sometimes hang out in the Somerville/Cambridge area. And the New England Aquarium really has been renovated since then (1998) and is off of the Blue Line (the Wonderland stop is actually the last stop on the Blue Line - there's your symbolism!).
I also love the movie because the soundtrack, done by Claudio Ragazzi and Arto Lindsay, is nothing short of stellar. The original score perfectly fits the mood of the CD for both characters and other than the classic Bossa Nova by Elis Regina and Astrud Gilberto, you have some very nice works by Bebel Gilberto (daughter of Miucha and Joao Gilberto) before her feature album came out, that I haven't seen her release elsewhere, including a sensational version of "One Note Samba/Girl from Ipanema" with the amazing work of Vinicius Cantuaria.
Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime.......2005-02-09
Love this from start to finish. Smart, warm, and sublime. Bossa nova is utilized perfectly as Hope Davis (who has never looked lovelier) gives a terrific performance. You just love watching and listening to her here. Can we a get a deluxe edition please?
Average customer rating:
- next stop romance
- Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?
- "Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway
- I Love this Movie
- Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime
|
Next Stop Wonderland [Region 2]
Starring: Hope Davis , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Callie Thorne , Ken Cheeseman , and Pamela Hart (II)
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Comedy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Davis, Hope
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hoffman, Philip S
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Hoffman, Phillip Seymour
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Taylor, Holland
| ( T )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( N )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture
- Mumford
- Happy Accidents
- Walking and Talking
- Love Serenade
ASIN: B0001NIYGS |
Amazon.com
A lovely, lilting soundtrack of samba and bossa nova melodies gently guides this charming movie about Erin (Hope Davis), a young nurse adrift in her life. When her boyfriend, a hyperactive political activist played by the amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights, Happiness), leaves her, Erin struggles to find serenity on her own. Meanwhile, her mother schemes to find her a new boyfriend by placing a personal ad for Erin without her knowledge. Next Stop Wonderland juxtaposes this with the story of Alan (Alan Gelfant), a plumber struggling to get a degree as a marine biologist. The movie weaves all sorts of hints about fate and destiny, so it's no surprise at the end when Erin and Alan meet--but the fun is in getting there. In addition to the well-drawn characters and sharp, clever writing (the sequence of personal-ad dates that Erin goes on is both funny and painful), the movie is full of visual grace notes. For example, while at a bar, Alan spills a drink on a newspaper; the wet newsprint becomes translucent and reveals a photo of Erin that was taken at an aquarium fundraiser and printed in the society page. But before Alan even sees it, his friends scoop up the wet paper and throw it away. These moments have a casual, tossed-off air that evokes a lightly mystical sense of how our lives float on a thousand invisible coincidences. More than anything else, the movie spotlights Hope Davis's intelligence and quiet soulfulness. This wonderful actress has been appearing in small roles in Hollywood features (Arlington Road, Mumford) that don't do her justice; Next Stop Wonderland lets her glow. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
next stop romance.......2006-11-11
This is a romantic film, but it's not gooey. You actually care about the characters in this movie. What a treat. And the musical background is heaven on earth.
Fate Versus Happenstance. Which Do You Believe?.......2006-07-24
Hope Davis has become what I like to call a hidden success. Her movies don't make a gazillion dollars at the box office and you'd probably hardly notice her if she passed you on the street. But what she does -- and does well -- is create lovable and memorable characters on celluloid. Most recently she was paired with Greg Kinnear in THE MATADOR, a role in which her underused talents still shone brightly with every scene she appeared.
I decided to watch NEXT STOP WONDERLAND for the sole purpose of checking to see how well Mrs. Davis stood as an actress in a starring role. I wasn't disappointed.
The story is that of a nurse named Erin (Davis) who comes home one day to find her boyfriend, Sean (Philip Seymour Hoffman, CAPOTE) moving out. Angry and spiteful, Erin quickly decides that being alone is okay. In fact, she firmly entrenches the philosophy of aloneness within herself ...until...
Erin's domineering mother, Piper (Holland Taylor, THE TRUMAN SHOW), discovers her daughter's recent break-up and places a personals ad in the newspaper for her. Initially upset by this, Erin eventually decides to take on the task of dismissing all of the loathsome men who try to court her. The comedy here is striking and philosophical as the men do whatever they can to get into her pants only to be rebuffed by Erin's formidable intellect.
On the other side of Boston (where this story takes place) we find Alan Monteiro (Alan Gelfant, TURN OF FAITH), a plumber turned marine biologist who volunteers at the local aquarium. He's struggling with debt, school (still working on his biology degree), and an aggressive younger classman who's infatuated with him. Strangely enough, too, is the fact that his brother is one of the guy's trying to bed Erin via the personals ad.
As Erin and Alan mingle within their own circles, they come close to orbiting one another but never quite make contact. Brief glances, telephone calls that pass them by, invitations to the same restaurant parties, the two seemed destined to fall into one another's arms ...yet these encounters slip past. It's wonderfully frustrating to watch, and these "almost encounters" are never forced.
But in the end, director Brad Anderson doesn't let us down. Serendipity intervenes and the two strangers end up hugging one another on a transit train after a strange set of circumstances pulls them together.
Romantic comedies are okay if done right. You know the type that kind of make you feel, eh, just okay; You've Got Mail, Pretty Woman, Sleepless In Seattle. But this flick gives you more for less. Made as an independent film on a $1 million budget, Hope Davis' excellent acting and the perfect script make for some thought-provoking and downright funny moments. While those other RomComs I mentioned have a basic "feel-good" to them, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND has much more. The philosophy, romance, and comedy all build to a very satisfying conclusion and one that will invite discussions about the probabilities of fate versus happenstance.
"Next Stop" is a great stop on the romantic comedy highway.......2005-08-28
Great romantic comedy about fate, relationships, and what makes two people right for each other. Hope Davis plays Erin, a nurse in Boston who is mourning the loss of her relationship with her eco-activist on-again off-again boyfriend. He's left her many times before, but this time vows this is the final send-off. Leaving with their futon strapped to his car, Erin retreats into the comfort of solitude, listening to the wonderful Bossa Nova of Jobim, and reading her father's poetry. In another part of the city, Alan, played by Alan Gelfant with an easy-going, likeability, is a 35-year old plumber who's going to school to become a marine biologist. Not wanting to fall into the bland stability of the plumbing business, Alan wants to make a better life for himself, one that is both meaningful and that he's passionate about. It's both Alan and Erin's journeys of self-discovery, trying to control their own destinies, that makes their paths cross, again and again, so that the film becomes a question of fate vs. the ability to choose. The film raises this question many times, from Erin's decision to go on dates with several men who have responded to her personal ad (one of the most hilarious sequences of the film), to Alan's decision to steal the Boston Aquarium's mascot blowfish, Puff, in an effort to get the local "lender", from whom he's borrowed money for school, off his back. If it sounds like the stories of Alan and Erin seem like two different movies, don't despair. The filmmaker and co-screenwriter, Brad Anderson, has very seamlessly and cleverly interwoven the stories so that when they ultimately meet, it's not only believable, but we realize that it must be fate.
I Love this Movie.......2005-08-13
If ever there was a movie I had a soft spot for, it would be Next Stop Wonderland. If I'm down or need to relax or just want to sit back and see familiar sights from the time of the movie, I pop this in and immediately feel better. It's like therapy to me.
In some ways it's tough for me to really define the movie or the characters & I don't want to give it all away. Erin struggles to overcome some of the losses in her life and to find a way to move forward while Alan is an individual who fights to fulfill his dreams, which he figured out later on in his own life, while maintaining his integrity. But the movie is so full of coincidences and near misses for these two very honest individuals that you are left waiting for the moment when they come together, and when they do, it is actually just the right time. From the dating service, to Alan seeing her while in the fish tank, to the photographer putting her in the picture... there are so many things in this movie that you may have missed after seeing it the first time that you'll catch the next few times around.
I definitely recommend the movie. I love it. Can't say that enough. And it takes place in Boston, and you get a good view of some of the sights and places in Boston. I've actually been the the Burren & still sometimes hang out in the Somerville/Cambridge area. And the New England Aquarium really has been renovated since then (1998) and is off of the Blue Line (the Wonderland stop is actually the last stop on the Blue Line - there's your symbolism!).
I also love the movie because the soundtrack, done by Claudio Ragazzi and Arto Lindsay, is nothing short of stellar. The original score perfectly fits the mood of the CD for both characters and other than the classic Bossa Nova by Elis Regina and Astrud Gilberto, you have some very nice works by Bebel Gilberto (daughter of Miucha and Joao Gilberto) before her feature album came out, that I haven't seen her release elsewhere, including a sensational version of "One Note Samba/Girl from Ipanema" with the amazing work of Vinicius Cantuaria.
Warm and lovely Ms. Hope + bossa nova = sublime.......2005-02-09
Love this from start to finish. Smart, warm, and sublime. Bossa nova is utilized perfectly as Hope Davis (who has never looked lovelier) gives a terrific performance. You just love watching and listening to her here. Can we a get a deluxe edition please?
DVD:
- Hey Arnold: Movie (Ws)
- Meet John Doe
- Nothing Sacred
- Volunteers
- The Funeral
- Steal Big, Steal Little
- No Sleep 'Til Madison
- A Woman's a Helluva Thing
- My Life as a Dog
- Polish Wedding
DVD
DVD
DVD
Ricky Martin - It's a Crazy Life (Unauthorized)
Butterflies Are Free
Deathtrap [P&S] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
DVD: SpongeBob SquarePants - Lost At Sea
The City Gardener