The Love Light

The Love Light


Starring:Mary Pickford, Evelyn Dumo, Raymond Bloomer, Fred Thomson, Albert Prisco, George Regas, Eddie Phillips, Jean De Briac
Director: Frances Marion
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
This rarely-seen film directed by legendary Oscar-winning screenwriter Frances Marion (Stella Maris, The Wind, Camille) provided Mary Pickford with one of her most fully realized adult characters. Angela (Pickford) tends a lighthouse in an Italian fishing village while her brothers are fighting at the front. She discovers a foreign sailor washed ashore and nurses him back to health while falling in love. After they marry and have a child, Angela learns that he is a German spy and her innocent actions have helped cause the death of her brother. Marion showed Hollywood she could hold her own behind the camera in this beautifully atmospheric, gorgeously shot and deeply moving film.
Miss Potter
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Love this Movie
  • Miss Potter - a life of courage and beauty
  • Light-hearted, charming and full of colorful friends
  • a gem
  • An Outstanding and Heart Warming Film
Miss Potter
Starring: Renée Zellweger , Ewan McGregor , Emily Watson , Barbara Flynn , and Bill Paterson
Director: Chris Noonan
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000N4SHOE
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

(Drama) The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Love this Movie.......2007-07-05

It is so refreshing to find a movie that has no bad words in it. Ms. Zellweger does a awsome job as Ms. Potter. And I have found that Ms. Potter and I have a lot in common.

5 out of 5 stars Miss Potter - a life of courage and beauty.......2007-07-02

The quiet introduction of a watercolorist at work, sparkling with swirls of vivid color, set the mood for this wonderful, gentle film. The settings were a feast for the eyes, and the story development moved at an satisfactorily eighteenth century pace, but the impeccable characters, wonderfully played, are the life-blood of this movie. The brisk energy of Beatrix [Zellweger], the engaging smile of Norman Warne [MacGregor], and the directness and kindness of Millie [Watson] created a marvelous chemisty. In joy and in sorrow, each character rang true. Though a less central character, Lloyd Owens adds value in his role as Willie Heelis as well. Potter's indomitable spirit, however, is what keeps this movie from sinking into mere romanticism. In spite of pain, disapproval, and deep loss, she found happiness in her art and in her determination to live life forward. It is more than a feel-good movie; it is an inspiration to courageous living wrapped in delightful artistry.

5 out of 5 stars Light-hearted, charming and full of colorful friends.......2007-07-02

I rented this DVD for my wife, thinking it was the kind of thing she'd enjoy. She loves period films and adores Renée Zellweger. I'm not typically fond of either of those two things so I didn't figure on watching much if any of the movie. But as the film started, and I happened to be in the room, I realized quickly that this is a charming and warm movie built on a strong character.

Notably, Renée Zellweger seems to nearly disappear into the role of Beatrix Potter and you quite forget that you're watching her act. It's rare to see that kind of skill but when it is captured in a movie like this it's magical.

Ewan McGregor is every bit the modern leading man but with a respectful nod to the dashing gents of yesterday's Hollywood. He is easy-to-like and doesn't for a moment feel as though he's trying to 'star' in this movie. He's more than happy to let the movie become its own entity in which he is but a part.

I began by saying that I wasn't sure I'd even sit down and watch this film, so it's worth noting that I sat entertained straight through to the end as was glad I did. This is certainly something you can watch with the kids, though the romance and the character development might be a bit slow for some of the younger ones.

One very odd thing to mention is that the DVD cover art is quite strange in that it shows Ewan McGregor clean shaven. But when you watch the movie you'll realize that he sports a moustache throughout. Not sure why the difference in appearance from one to the other but it was something that caught my eye as I navigated to this page to leave this review. It hardly matters though... this movie is about so much more than just a moustache. :)

5 Stars! Highly recommended!!

5 out of 5 stars a gem.......2007-06-29

you can say this movie is perhaps avoiding the much mentioned darker side of miss potter- who seems almost delightfully frothy throughout most of this great bio pic-- u could say mcgregor's performance was a bit superficial---tho there is more chemistry between them here than say between drew barrymore and hugh grant in music and lyrics-- an unwatchable mess of a movie ! but this labor of love-- w a very interesting director's commentary-tho i wish miss zellweger was there to chime in--is probably one of the best movies ive seen recently---- the attention to detail is thrilling actually-- the art direction impeccable ! and ms zellweger-- gives her best performance to date by a long shot---- her sustained performNCE is a revelation---was she even nominated for an oscar?? who remembers ?? but i give her my own right here----and the actors who play her parents--are also so in character so convincing-- so relaxed and nuanced in their work---what goes on between these three actors is just a sheer joy to watch ! very uncommon stuff in any movie---kudos to everyone involved in this charming touching & delightful and very well wrought gem of a movie----i`ve seen this movie 4 times now showing it to different friends---enjoying it more and more each time- i swear!!!beautiful !!!!!!!! i'd like to see the same cast and direcors/producers do chekov's three sisters-- w renee as masha---- and the mother here as the brother's crazy wife who takes over the household--- anyway -- miss potter is golden as they say-----check it out now !! its rich !!

5 out of 5 stars An Outstanding and Heart Warming Film.......2007-06-29

This is an excellent film with truly delightful characters. The most evil person in the film is not really evil -- just clueless. Rene Zellweger makes a great Potter and shows her to be ahead of her time as she opts for independence from male domination. Ewan McGregor does a good job in playing her shy suitor. This was a wonderful film that had no profanity, no nudiy, no explosions, no car crashes, and relied totally on the characters, who came across as realistic and believable. Watching Beatrix grow from a shy spinister into an independent woman in love with a man who loved her for herself was a treat to watch. True love grows by inches and this is what was shown here, so when the kiss came it was powerful and had meaning.

This is really not a guy's movie, but any guy who wants to get on the good side of girl should rent this movie because I think most women will relate to Beatrix and for the guys it is a lesson in how patience is better than haste when it comes to women. I liked the film -- my wife loved it!!
Because I Said So (Widescreen Edition)
Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • Flawed but decent.
  • A Movie For Mothers & Daughters
  • Portrait of a pushy, annoying parent
  • Formula tripe
  • Sadly falls short, way short, of what it could have been...
Because I Said So (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Diane Keaton , Mandy Moore (II) , Gabriel Macht , Tom Everett Scott , and Lauren Graham
Director: Michael Lehmann
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OCZA04
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Amazon.com

In Because I Said So, Diane Keaton outdoes any pushy parent trying to marry off their children. On the eve of her 60th birthday, Daphne (Keaton) decides that she will find a suitable suitor for her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore). Never mind that Moore was barely into her 20's when she shot the film and easily could pass as a high-school senior. The film asks us to believe that an otherwise smart, loving mother would push marriage on a young woman who obviously wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. The romantic comedy has a cute premise that grows old fast: In order to root for Daphne's almost manic desire to see Milly walk down the aisle, the audience has to believe she's undergoing some kind of trauma, or at least dying of an incurable disease. But because she is such an overbearing busybody whose best interests for her daughter have little to do with reality, viewers just see an obnoxious, meddling mother trying to micromanage her child's life. That we don't want to strangle Daphne is a credit to Keaton's acting skills, which manage to shine through, even in the most over-the-top scenes. Lauren Graham and the always adorable Piper Perabo play Milly's older, married sisters. Had the film revolved around the three sisters' lives--sans mom--Because I Said So would have been a much more interesting picture. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Flawed but decent........2007-07-01

Because I Said So starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore is a so-so mother/daughter movie. Parts of this movie work and of course parts of it fall flat. The supporting cast is annoying but the true talent of this film is Mandy Moore. She holds her own as Milly, her mother is controlling, opininated, nervous, and constantly on her daughter's back about settling down and sticking to a relationship. This movie has some funny moments but don't expect it to blow you away. If you're a Diane Keaton then this movie is for you.

5 out of 5 stars A Movie For Mothers & Daughters.......2007-07-01

A charming movie about letting go...Daphne Wilder (Keaton), 60, single, and mother to three successful daughters takes it upon herself to select a mate for her youngest daughter Milly (played to perfection by Moore). By placing a personal ad on the internet and filtering out all the rejects, Daphne has selected an equally successful and gorgeous architect Jason (Tom Hank's greatest discovery Tom Everett Scott), however Milly has chosen Johnny (theatre actor Gabriel Macht), a single father raising a son with love of music and tattoos.
Dismayed that Milly would choose a musician over the perfect architect, Daphne tries to run Milly's life and finally realizes that despite her good intentions she has to let go and let Milly make her own mistakes. Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) gives a fantastic performance as Daphne's oldest daughter/psychiatrist Maggie. Piper Perabo (Cheaper by the Dozen) also strikes a cord as the middle daughter Mae, who both try to persuade their mother to let Milly lead her own life. Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) also gives a memorable performance as Johnny's dad Joe, who teaches Daphne a thing or two about love, life, and letting go.

4 out of 5 stars Portrait of a pushy, annoying parent.......2007-06-29

This movie received relatively bad reviews, but I have to wonder why. Diane Keaton played a mom who WOULD NOT let her daughters grow up and find their own ways in the world. As I watched the movie at a local theatre, I was tempted to rush the screen and strangle Diane's character for the controlling "witch" she was! But since when should we hold the nature of the role against the actress portraying it? The acting was fine, and the topic was extremely timely for our day. We live in a world where parents refuse to let their adult "children" go and some "children" refuse to leave home when they reach adulthood (see "Failure to Launch" for the flip side of this crisis)! The point of this movie (to me) is that parents must realize that their role in life is to prepare their children for adulthood, and that controlling your children's lives past adulthood is ridiculous.

I think this movie makes an important statement, and if it saves even one adult "child" from the clutches of a well-meaning but annoyingly controlling parent, then it has served its purpose!

1 out of 5 stars Formula tripe.......2007-06-27

Films like this is what happens when Hollywood acts like our present music industry, reducing the creation of its art form to a factory assembly line, cranking out endless clones one after the other according to tried and true profitable formulas. Follow the formula, include a few dumb laughs, try out the film on some test audiences, change what they don't like, keep the production costs down, and release the churned out swill for a guaranteed modest profit. If you haven't already been asking "How on earth do these dumb rom coms (formula romantic comedies) even get made in the first place," you will be. Oh yes, you will be.

1 out of 5 stars Sadly falls short, way short, of what it could have been..........2007-06-26

The sad thing about `Because I Said So' is that it oozes with potential yet crashes and burns in takeoff. The pairing of the uber-talented Diane Keaton and lovable Mandy Moore should and very well could bring forth a great romantic comedy but instead proves to be one of the most painful movie watching experiences in recent memory. Watching Keaton resort to cheesy dialog and over-the-top antics that even she can't make work is enough to make any true fan of the actress verp but it's the ridiculous way the premise is executed that makes me shiver at the thought of the two hours I lost to this train wreck. As someone mentioned, had the film revolved more around the three daughters and less around the overbearing and somewhat sexually repressed mother then it may have been a much more rewarding film.

The plot revolves around Daphne, a mother approaching her sixtieth birthday with two married daughters and then their Milly, her youngest who is still single and can't seem to keep a relationship for very long. Daphne makes it her goal to pair Milly up with a good man, even going as far as to put out a `personal add' in order to interview men for her daughter and then secretly set her up with them. Then Daphne meets her match when a young guitarist becomes aware of her meddling scheme and takes it upon himself to woo Milly foiling Daphne's plans.

It's funny to me because as I was typing the above paragraph I realized just how funny and entertaining this movie really could have been. On paper it sounds great but on screen it was horrendous. The biggest problem was Keaton. Her car chase scene alone almost brought my wife to eject the DVD it was that mind-numbing. Diane has always had a habit of overacting, but as she proved in `Something's Gotta Give' she can reign it in to where it's enjoyable and entertaining. Here though she possesses none of the charm that garnered her the Oscar nomination in 2003. Here she does nothing but annoy and frustrate both her daughters and the audience.

Mandy Moore is still sweet and adorable but the material she has to work with does her no favors. In fact the only characters I really enjoyed and or cared to watch besides the sisters, who are criminally deprived of screen time, was Gabriel Macht who plays Milly's guitar-wielding boy toy and Reverend Camden who plays his father. Stephen Collins especially really delivers here and I wish that the film itself had been better if not for the sheer excitement of seeing him in a movie. In fact when he's on screen with Keaton she's less irritating and a little more tolerable. There couch make-out session was a highlight and the audience is even given a glimmer of the charm we've come to love in Diane Keaton. Alas, the film is a flop and aside from a few very spread out chuckles and the appearance of Father Camden it's a complete drag and waste of an evening in. Skip this one and rent something with a little more substance and a lot more laughs. My one star is for Collins.
My Fair Lady
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Way Over-Rated, and Often VERY Unpleasant!
  • Is the Creator Responsible for His Creation?
  • My Fair Lady
  • Does not work!
  • Rating of My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Rex Harrison , Stanley Holloway , Wilfrid Hyde-White , and Gladys Cooper
Director: George Cukor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 630522577X
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Amazon.com essential video

Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," George Cukor (The Women, The Philadelphia Story), transformed Audrey Hepburn into street-urchin-turned-proper-lady Eliza Doolittle in this film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins (Harrison also played the role, opposite Julie Andrews, on stage), who draws Eliza into a social experiment that works almost too well. The letterbox edition of this film on video certainly pays tribute to the pageantry of Cukor's set, but it also underscores a certain visual stiffness that can slow viewer enthusiasm just a tad. But it's really star wattage that keeps this film exciting, that and such great songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." Actor Jeremy Brett, who gained a huge following later in life portraying Sherlock Holmes, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Way Over-Rated, and Often VERY Unpleasant!.......2007-06-29

Yes, it is a nice Cinderella story, and Audrey plays a fine role.There is an excellent message about the ingrained Brit Class System circa 1910..And there are some nice costumes, mainly women's hats, at the Horse race..Add to this a few memorable songs..So what is the problem with this ? Mainly, the near- nauseating character of Higgins, an old fashioned snob and misogynist of the ugliest type, who we have to watch sneer and scold for the better part of two hours! Not pretty! True, Pickering is a nice counterpoint, and really a decent old chap, but Higgins is the main character, and to watch and listen to this old goat goes well beyond a pleasant way to spend time! The song and dance numbers are hardly even third rate. Any comparison with a 1940's-50's MGM musical puts this one to shame! No dancing to speak of, and very low production quality..Then again, this was Warner, not known for musicals!..And there is a claustrophic sense here that says , "How can I get away from this miserable phonetics teacher?" It's near impossible..I can think of at least 30 musicals far and away above this, not just MGM, but Fred and Ginger, and so forth..In fact, 3-stars may be too kind for this one, since it is way below the hype!..Also, check out the 1930's PYGMALION with Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard, and you can easily see how almost the entire movie (MY FAIR LADY) was completely taken from PYGMALION, including the sets and dialogue..About the only thing new is the songs, which are fun and amusing, but not really in the top tier of great musical tunes.

5 out of 5 stars Is the Creator Responsible for His Creation?.......2007-06-12

I had not watched this marvelous movie for many years when I took the opportunity to watch it again. The movie is a little stiff in places, but that stiffness seemed, to me, to enhance the formality of English high society. Audrey Hepburn belies that stiffness with her free-spirited characterization of Eliza Doolittle. Eliza contrasts nicely with Henry Higgin's mother, played by veteran actor Gladys Cooper ("The Happiest Millionaire," "The Song of Bernadette," and "The List of Adrian Messenger"). Mrs. Higgins is quite proper and perfect in every situation. Henry, played by the incomparable Sir Rex Harrison, is disdainful and aloof. Henry believes he is the remote scientific observer who can categorize and stereotype everyone, and is not affected by his surroundings.

A problem arises when Henry Higgins bets Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White, "Ten Little Indians" (1965) and "In Search of the Castaways") that he could take anyone, such as Eliza Doolittle, and turn them into something like a lady's maid or a shop girl. Colonel Pickering takes Henry up on his bet, volunteering to finance the experiment.

Looking at the next part of this movie with five decades of life, I quickly saw the problem that Henry was getting into. Henry was taking a human life adjusted to a certain set of surroundings, modifying that life so that it no longer fit in, and was then prepared to cast that life adrift once he proved his point. Henry failed to see that he did anything wrong, and therein lies the irony and pathos of this movie. The question a first-time watcher asks is whether Henry will be able to grow up at last and realize that people require compassion and empathy and are more than science experiments.

In addition to a marvelous story, this movie boasts wonderful music and excellent sets. Though some of Audrey Hepburn's singing survived, Marni Nixon sang most of the music attributed to Hepburn. Nixon's singing was phenomenal and her singing voice is close enough to Hepburn's that it sounds as though Hepburn could be singing.

Other singing numbers contained extensive choreography on expansive sets. Two complexly choreographed songs that come to mind are "Get Me to the Church on Time" and the "Ascot Gavotte."

This movie featured an array of sets depicting street scenes and interior scenes. Though the street scenes were excellent, my favorite set in the movie has always been Henry Higgin's incredible library. I would love to have his library in my house, though duplicating that library would be incredibly expensive.

This movie won 20 awards, which includes eight Oscars. Rex Harrison won the Best Actor Oscar and the movie won the Best Picture Oscar, both highly coveted awards. Harrison won many other awards for this film, and "My Fair Lady" became the most awarded movie of 1965.

Of course, awards do not necessarily mean a film is either good or great. However, Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn and Wilfrid Hyde-White have such incredible acting skills and such screen presence that they make this film a joy to watch. I was spell-bound as I watched Audrey Hepburn become Eliza Doolittle and capture the hearts of everyone in the movie. Rex Harrison was incredible as Henry Higgins. This movie was either Harrison's best, or one of his best.

The story is also captivating. Henry Higgins experiments with the life of a human being. What Henry Higgins failed to realize is that once he became involved with his subject, he lost his objectivity and learned compassion. Love can come from compassion. The only thing that surprised me in this viewing of the movie is that I previously had not realized how early in the movie that Eliza Doolittle had come to love Henry Higgins.

"My Fair Lady" is one of the best musicals of all time. The combination of story, acting, singing and sets is amazing. Fans of musicals and love stories will enjoy this movie, even on multiple viewings.

Enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars My Fair Lady.......2007-05-12

I personally like classic movies compared to some of the movies out there now.

1 out of 5 stars Does not work!.......2007-04-11

The DVD does not work in Ireland so it is absolutely useless!! I should have been made aware of this when I was purchasing the product. I would like to be refunded in full for the three DVDs I have purchased: My Fair Lady, Paris when it Sizzles and Breakfast at Tiffanys (purchased at the same time)
Also the packaging costs were not displayed until i had entered my credit card number and were much too expensive.
Overall i am extremely disappointed with my experience and I expect to be compensated for this.

5 out of 5 stars Rating of My Fair Lady.......2007-04-10

This is one of the best musicals ever done. The DVD was excellent quality.
Gray Matters
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Why all the negative reviews?
  • Kind of Gray
  • Gray Matters is Great!
  • Pretty weak
  • Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy
Gray Matters
Starring: Heather Graham , Thomas Cavanagh , Bridget Moynahan , Molly Shannon , and Alan Cumming
Director: Sue Kramer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O76ZO4
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Amazon.com

Gray Matters has one of the most adorable casts of any movie in recent years--the combined sweetness of Heather Graham (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), Bridget Moynahan (Lord of War), Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog), Thomas Cavanagh (Ed), Alan Cumming (X-Men 2), and Sissy Spacek (Carrie, In the Bedroom) narrowly avoids being diabetes-inducing. Gray (Graham) and her brother Sam (Cavanagh) have been best friends forever--so close that they find it hard to date. Gray pushes Sam into asking out Charlie (Moynahan), but when Sam and Charlie hit it off so well they spontaneously decide to get married, Gray finds herself unexpectedly dismayed... but not as dismayed as she is when, on a girls' night out before the ceremony, she and Charlie share a drunken kiss that sets Gray's body tingling. Gray Matters juggles a lot of emotional issues; the sibling interconnectedness problem doesn't flow smoothly into the coming-out story of the movie's second half. But sprinkled throughout are charming scenes and wonderfully deft moments that make the story's clumsy missteps all the more baffling. There's no question that Graham is a star who just can't seem to find the right vehicle; Gray Matters won't be her breakthrough, but it's further evidence of her significant appeal. --Bret Fetzer

Description

In this hilarious romantic comedy, Gray (Heather Graham) helps her brother (Tom Cavanaugh) find the love of his life. But the night before her brother's wedding, Gray's world is turned upside-down when she discovers that she has feelings for his fiancé (Bridget Moynahan)! With the help of a sarcastic co-worker (Molly Shannon), a sympathetic cab driver (Alan Cumming), and her therapist (Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek), Gray is forced to figure out who she really is.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Why all the negative reviews?.......2007-07-02

I had heard a lot of bad things about this movie when it first came out but decided to watch it anyway because of the cast as well as the cute storyline. I wasn't expecting much but I was surprised that I actually ended up really liking it!

So what's to like about this movie? First, the cast contains a lot of eye candy. Some actors/actresses you may recognize are Alan Cummings, Molly Shannon, Bridget Moynahan, Heather Graham, and the wonderful Rachel Shelley. Second, the storyline is really cute. Basically, a woman (Gray) and her brother (Sam) agree to find the perfect partner for each other. Gray finds a woman named Charlie for her brother and Charlie and Sam hit it off right away. Within a few days, the couple is in Las Vegas to get married. When Charlie and Gray kiss the night before the couple's wedding, sparks fly and Gray realizes that she might be gay. I was actually really happy with the way it ended. I personally think that it shed some light on gay relationships and it shows that you truly can't prevent who you fall in love with.

And what's not to like? This movie certainly isn't Oscar-worthy. It's a typical romantic comedy. Don't expect this movie to be earth-shattering. Also, without giving too much away, I'll say that some parts progressed rather quickly and I felt a couple of scenes should have gone into more depth. But as I said above, it's not Oscar-worthy (and I'm sure the writers didn't intend for it to be) so I was ok with this one flaw as the movie was still entertaining.

Forget what you've heard about this movie. Check it out for yourself. Like me, you may be surprised and really enjoy it.

3 out of 5 stars Kind of Gray.......2007-06-29

"Gray Matters"

Kind of Gray

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

I had heard so much hype about "Gray Matters" that I could not wait to see it and it seems now that the hype was totally unjustified. The cast is good and Heather Graham as Gray creates a character that I felt for and really liked. Tom Cavanagh, as Gray's brother, Sam, has charm and is quite funny. Charlie, played by Bridget Moyahan, the object of both Gray's and Sam's affection is good and Alan Cummings is great as Gray's cab driver friend. The other cast member, Sissy Spacek and Molly Shannon are also good but the film is lacking something. I liked the film and I am having a difficult time pinpointing where it went wrong. I think it is probably the idea that there are some gay people who do not realize that they are gay until later on. I mean, I know that some embrace homosexuality late but it doesn't seem to work here.
It is hard to accept that when Gray kissed Charlie that she suddenly realized that she was gay. It seems to be grasping at straws to build a plot. Does someone suddenly realize he is gay or is it a process? What was it that lets Gray know she was suddenly gay? Now the kiss was great and hot but it was not enough.
The film does grab the audience and fills it with hope. The script also deals with social issues such as media, image and sexuality as well as identity--issues that are not dealt with completely in mainstream movies. It does not preach and has an important message (but it is somewhat boring as it meanders from situation to situation). As good of an actress that Heather Graham is, she is not convincing as a lesbian.
What really hurts the movie from reaching a level of greatness is that most of the events are unbelievable. Unless you are Britney Spears you do not rush to Las Vegas to get married after knowing someone for only six days. But there are moments that are genuinely funny and there are moments that are thought provoking.

5 out of 5 stars Gray Matters is Great!.......2007-06-28

Great is all I can say. I have been so bored with every romantic comedy that has come out in the past five years. Finally a movie with heart, soul and originality. The cast is superb, the writing is fantastic and it's a great postcard of New York City. I laughed and I even shed a tear or two! This should have been the comedy of the year. I highly reccomend it. Molly Shannon is also hilarious--some of her funniest acting yet.

2 out of 5 stars Pretty weak.......2007-06-24

Unimaginative plotting yields protracted bridges of tedium riveted together with predictability. Sissy Spacek's therapist, Alan Cumming's sympathetic cab driver, and some truly beautiful New York ambient backdrops were just barely enough to get me through to the end.



This would have been way more cogent in a pre Ellen Degeneres era - but come on that was so last Century!

1 out of 5 stars Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy.......2007-06-24

Just got done watching the movie and I must say, as a romantic comedy buff this movie had me shouting at it for all the missed opportunities to make the story great. At first hearing that Heather Grahams character was "coming out of the closet" I imagined that it was going to be written as some hilarious temporary crisis over the changing circumstance with her and her brothers extremely close relationship.



Nope, they took the comedy from that, and instead turned it into some very, very overdue realization that she actually was gay, this is not obvious until the last few minutes of the movie.

But not in a clever storyline.

She meets a very nice and funny scottish guy who is crazy about her, and the movie spends all this time developing his character to make the viewer support him. They might have thought that this was a brilliant diversion but the effort is doomed to a disappointing end that made us wonder why they even included the nice scottish guy and then through him out of the movie like dirty bath water while hoping that we will cheer for the main character jumping for overly ecstatic joy just for having an unconvincing and lackluster 1 minute conversation with a lesbian at an unwelcoming gay-bar. Forget about the nice scottish guy that always tries to cheer her up and will go so far as to dress up like a woman to keep her company. I personally believe a better ending would have been to continue the uncomfortable lesbian-bar moment with a follow up scene at an apartment where she realizes she's not into it and then runs to the scottish guy so both brother and sister ends up with great people. Its not that I'm homophobic, its just the story as it was told didn't add up.
Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Must see
  • Loved Love Actually...
  • Previews: Be Warned
  • I actually love LOVE ACTUALLY
  • The best!
Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor , Colin Firth , Gregor Fisher , Martin Freeman (II) , and Jill Freud
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JMFQ
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Product Description

"Get ready for fun!" (Leah Rozen, People) with the "feel good movie of the year!" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood) Love Actually is the ultimate romantic comedy from the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill. Funny, irresistible and heartwarming, an all-star cast (Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson, to name a few!) will take you on a breathtaking tour of love's delightful twists and turns. Fall under the spell of Love Actually and share the laughs and charm again and again.

System Requirements:
  • Running Time 135 Min

    Format: DVD MOVIE

    Amazon.com

    With no fewer than eight couples vying for our attention, Love Actually is like the Boston Marathon of romantic comedies, and everybody wins. Having mastered the genre as the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary, it appears that first-time director Richard Curtis is just like his screenplays: He just wants to be loved, and he'll go to absurdly appealing lengths to win our affection. With Love Actually, Curtis orchestrates a minor miracle of romantic choreography, guiding a brilliant cast of stars and newcomers as they careen toward love and holiday cheer in London, among them the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who's smitten with his caterer; a widower (Liam Neeson) whose young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer (Colin Firth) who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother (Emma Thompson) coping with her potentially unfaithful husband (Alan Rickman); and a lovelorn American (Laura Linney) who's desperately attracted to a colleague. There's more--too much more--as Curtis wraps his Christmas gift with enough happy endings to sweeten a dozen other movies. That he pulls it off so entertainingly is undeniably impressive; that he does it so shamelessly suggests that his writing fares better with other, less ingratiating directors. --Jeff Shannon

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Must see.......2007-07-05

    Should have been nominated for best picture. Well written and acted. Very funny and touching.

    5 out of 5 stars Loved Love Actually..........2007-06-19

    This is a VERY good movie! The music is good, the movie is good, the cast it good...

    It is definitely a MUST see... you'll be glad you did!!

    4 out of 5 stars Previews: Be Warned.......2007-06-18

    Ten minutes or more of previews, and the viewer is "prohibited" from fast-forwarding, even though the option to do so is stated on the disk. Who makes these decisions? I would not have bought the disk had I known.

    5 out of 5 stars I actually love LOVE ACTUALLY.......2007-06-17

    What is not to love about this movie? I am a huge Hugh Grant fan. His charming, self-depreciating humor, mixed with his accent is always a win for me, I honestly did not know he was in it when I saw this movie by accident the first time. Love Actually is a story with a lot of moving parts. There are about 8 different stories going on at once, different types of love, of love stories....siblings taking care of one another, new love, infedility, unrequited love, loss of a spouse, first love....and all the stories are intertwined in a perfect quilt of a story. It won't lose you though....don't worry about that. It's easy to watch, and funny, and true. The cast is amazing, Hugh Grant, Collin Firth, Keira Knightley, and more. They way people relate to each other is odd, true and striking, and it just seems to resonate the love people feel for each other above anything else. Love actually is....all around.
    Besides, who doesn't like to see cute Hugh Grant shaking his tail to the 80's hit " Jump"?

    CAUTION- there are some partly nude scenes in here. I've had some friends tell me they let their kids watch not realizing. It's otherwise a great movie, it's a shame for the nude scenes because it's otherwise a good movie for the family. But, the nature of the nudity is pretty funny...just probably not the best thing for young viewers.

    5 out of 5 stars The best!.......2007-06-16

    I could watch this movie over and over and over and never tire of it. I catch more bits every time I see it and it never ceases to touch me or make me laugh even though I can do the dialogue with the actors by now.
    Highly recommended!
    Sleepless in Seattle (10th Anniversary Edition)
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • What is last line spoken by Meg Ryan?
    • Wonderful
    • What I think about Sleepless in Seattle
    • Feel Good Movie!
    • Outstanding Romantic Fantasy
    Sleepless in Seattle (10th Anniversary Edition)
    Starring: Tom Hanks , Meg Ryan , Bill Pullman , Ross Malinger , and Rosie O'Donnell
    Director: Nora Ephron
    Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
    ProductGroup: DVD
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    ASIN: B0000AOV4I
    Release Date: 2003-10-07

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars What is last line spoken by Meg Ryan?.......2007-07-01

    Also one of my favorite movies. This classic is shown at least once a month on one or another of my cable channels. I am particularly impressed with the way the music moves the story along as it reaches its conclusion. I'm still trying to get the last line--spoken by Meg Ryan just before the elevator doors close and the credits begin. Can anyone tell me what she says to Sam and/or Jonah. Thank you for your assistance. Mary McCue

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful.......2007-06-16

    This is a classic film, full of romance and yet the 2 main characters are almost never together...great job!

    4 out of 5 stars What I think about Sleepless in Seattle.......2007-05-18

    This was supposedly a little known film that made a big impact on me and the general product. Anthing with Tom Hanks is usally a good bet it's going to be good, plus add in Meg Ryan and it's going to be a winner. I realy enjoyed this movie

    5 out of 5 stars Feel Good Movie!.......2007-03-18

    This is such a feel good movie. It makes you believe in "Love At First Sight" or Love at first touch. This is a movie I watch over and over again. When I am sad and want to be lifted up. When I want to believe in love. There is a line in the movie that goes something like this, "it was like coming home, but not to any home I have ever know before". That's what you want to believe love is, like coming home.

    5 out of 5 stars Outstanding Romantic Fantasy.......2007-02-07

    I dislike most chick flicks, so I wondered why I found Sleepless in Seattle (SIS) so entertaining and emotionally satisfying. I concluded that it succeeds for me primarily as a fantasy. My remarks here focus on that aspect of the movie and ignore its other strengths, notably its witty screenplay and the outstanding acting, by both youngsters and old pros.

    For me, a good fantasy, in a movie or in a book, does at least two key things. (1) It uses a fantasy environment to strip away distractions from underlying truths that are basically important and emotionally resonant but that are so simple that they seem trite when considered more baldly. (2) It provides characters with whom one can easily and enjoyably identify because they act -- within the unrealistic fantasy environment -- in ways that are very plausible, human, and appealing. The actions of these characters may be more admirable than the viewer or reader typically aspires to in everyday life, but they do not reach the point of being unrealistic (like the fantasy environment) and unbelievable.

    To illustrate my first criterion for a good fantasy, consider the subgenre of heroic fantasy, where the defining underlying truth is that some battles are worth fighting, and some causes are worth risking one's life for. In a typical non-fantasy story about WWII, it is not entirely satisfying to realize that one is being induced to forget that many of the German or Japanese soldiers that are being mowed down would have lived entirely decent lives if the war had not occurred. On the other hand, in the fantasy environment of Lord of the Rings (LOTR), one is much less distracted by such issues when orcs and Uruk-hai are being mowed down. The empathetic consideration of bravery thereby becomes more powerful and satisfying. (Tolkien's books take a few moments to wonder about the family lives of orcs, but those moments are fleeting.)

    Considering SIS as a fantasy, the most important underlying simple truth for me -- admittedly trite -- is that there is an important element of chance and luck in finding a more compatible partner, not to mention one that is more universally desirable.

    Key elements of the SIS fantasy environment are more exaggerations than the kind of pure contrivance commonly employed in heroic fantasy: (1) Compatibility with a partner ideally exceeds a recognizable threshold beyond which it becomes "magical," and prospective long-run satisfaction from the relationship takes a quantum leap. (2) A few minutes of overheard phone conversation or a few seconds of direct observation are sufficient to identify a potential soul mate with high probability of success. (3) Certain gifted preadolescents can be extremely mature and perceptive in identifying promising and unpromising potential soul mates for adults.

    From very limited examination of chick flicks, my impression is that most do not work as fantasy because they do not partition unrealistic plot elements into a fantasy environment. Instead, lack of realism pervades the plot and the behavior of the lead characters. The behavior of the lead characters is often made even less appealing because they are overwrought and self-absorbed.

    In two-world heroic fantasies such as Chronicles of Narnia, the heroes typically have great initial skepticism about the fantasy world they have encountered, which serves generally to reinforce the realism of the heroes' personal behavior and particularly to reinforce the partitioning off of the fantasy environment. In SIS, protagonists Annie and Sam do something similar. Moreover, they do it with entertaining humor, which is even better.

    Many professional movie reviewers liked SIS but seemed to be embarrassed to admit it and seemed compelled to express reservations. Considering SIS as a fantasy, their reservations tend to become insignificant or irrelevant. A typical criticism was that the plot was contrived and gimmicky -- a stunt. However, saying that the fantasy elements of the SIS plot are contrived is akin to criticizing LOTR because there is no such thing as a ring of power that can make its wearer invisible. The observation is literally correct but, for the cooperative viewer or reader, fundamentally irrelevant. Another typical reservation from the pros was that the proceedings of SIS are entirely feather-light and ephemeral. However, for me at least, a light touch is exactly what best serves the underlying simple truth that this fantasy is considering.

    SIS particularly resonates for me because I have been lucky enough to find a wife who puts up with me much better than I deserve, despite idiosyncrasies that are more reminiscent of Walter than of Sam Baldwin. In fact, I am writing this commentary primarily for Valentine's Day 2007. I will be including a copy, with this concluding paragraph highlighted, in my card.
    You've Got Mail
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • You've got OSCARS!!!
    • Very Good Date Movie
    • Again and Again!!!
    • Tom and Meg...
    • You've Got Mail
    You've Got Mail
    Starring: Tom Hanks , Meg Ryan , Greg Kinnear , Parker Posey , and Jean Stapleton
    Director: Nora Ephron
    Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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    ASIN: 6305368171
    Release Date: 1999-05-04

    Amazon.com essential video

    By now, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have amassed such a fund of goodwill with moviegoers that any new onscreen pairing brings nearly reflexive smiles. In You've Got Mail, the quintessential boy and girl next door repeat the tentative romantic crescendo that made Sleepless in Seattle, writer-director Nora Ephron's previous excursion with the duo, a massive hit. The prospective couple do actually meet face to face early on, but Mail otherwise repeats the earlier feature's gentle, extended tease of saving its romantic resolution until the final, gauzy shot.

    The underlying narrative is an even more old-fashioned romantic pas de deux that is casually hooked to a newfangled device. The script, cowritten by the director and her sister, Delia Ephron, updates and relocates the Ernst Lubitsch classic, The Shop Around the Corner, to contemporary Manhattan, where Joe Fox (Hanks) is a cheerfully rapacious merchant whose chain of book superstores is gobbling up smaller, more specialized shops such as the children's bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelly (Ryan). Their lives run in close parallel in the same idealized neighborhood, yet they first meet anonymously, online, where they gradually nurture a warm, even intimate correspondence. As they begin to wonder whether this e-mail flirtation might lead them to be soul mates, however, they meet and clash over their colliding business fortunes.

    It's no small testament to the two stars that we wind up liking and caring about them despite the inevitable (and highly manipulative) arc of the plot. Although their chemistry transcended the consciously improbable romantic premise of Sleepless, enabling director Ephron to attain a kind of amorous soufflé, this time around there's a slow leak that considerably deflates the affair. Less credulous viewers will challenge Joe's logic in prolonging the concealment of his online identity from Kathleen, and may shake their heads at Ephron's reinvention of Manhattan as a spotless, sun-dappled wonderland where everybody lives in million-dollar apartments and color coordinates their wardrobes for cocktail parties. --Sam Sutherland

    Description

    Neigborhood bookstore rivals unwittingly become e-mail pen pals in this charming remake of The Shop Around the Corner

    DVD Features:
    Audio Commentary:Commentary with N. Ephron & L. Shuler-Donner
    DVD ROM Features:N. Ephron Audio Bytes "Sounds of NY" (10:07) Interview Gallery - Individual Clips (12:00) Comparison Scenes (38:00)
    Featurette:HBO First Look Special: "A Conversation with Nora Ephron" (14:39)
    Other:DIscover NY's Upper West Side" - 11 Selectable Clips (15:00)

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars You've got OSCARS!!!.......2007-07-03

    I absolutely know why the academy went nuts over this one. It definitely graduated magnum cum laude in my opinion!!!

    The chemistry between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is out of this world! Sleepless in Seattle was good, Running in Circles was great, and You've Got Mail was phenomenal!!!

    I loved that one part when Tom Hanks sells the dictionary to that one guy!!! It was so funny. I heard that most of this movie was unscripted... just a testament to these actors' abilities to light up the Silver Screen.

    Before I write more about this movie, I think it would be a good idea JUST TO THANK these wonderful actors for their contribution. I heard that AOL didn't even exist until after this movie was made!! Talk about defining popular culture, huh?

    So back to the movie. Greg Kinnear is in it.

    RENT IT.

    4 out of 5 stars Very Good Date Movie.......2007-07-03

    Very Good movie based on the start of the cyberdating era. Good storyline, very believable. It is cute, it is entertaining, it's a little funny! You root for the success of the romance!

    5 out of 5 stars Again and Again!!!.......2007-06-27

    I LOVE IT! It could be called a chick flick but even a guy would be able to find something to love. It leaves Shop Around the Corner (the orginal You Got Mail) in its dust. I orginally had you got mail on VHS but I watched it so much the picture was starting to look pretty bad. But I didn't mind having to buy it again. Hanks and Ryan work perfectly together! And the music isn't that bad either. It's most definitely one of the best romantic comedies EVER! And anyone that says differently should feel shame.

    5 out of 5 stars Tom and Meg..........2007-06-16

    ...is there a better pairing? Lovely film! Be sure to watch it again with Nora's commentary.

    5 out of 5 stars You've Got Mail.......2007-06-08

    This is a classic and I never get tired of watching it. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are a very good match for this romantic comedy. This type of movie is something a entire family can set down and watch together.
    Practical Magic
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Shows the Positive Aspects of The Craft
    • My favorite witchey movie
    • my family' s weider than your's
    • Practical Magic Review
    • Magical!
    Practical Magic
    Starring: Sandra Bullock , Nicole Kidman , Stockard Channing , Dianne Wiest , and Goran Visnjic
    Director: Griffin Dunne
    Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

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    ASIN: 0790740060
    Release Date: 1999-02-16

    Product Description

    Actor Griffin Dunne improves a bit on his first film as a director, Addicted to Love, with this drama-comedy about a family of witches. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play spell-casting sisters of different temperaments: the former is a high-living, free-spirited sort, while Bullocks character is a homebody who can not get around a family curse that kills the men in their lives. A widowed single mom, Bullock gets into a jam with an abusive Bulgarian (Goran Visnjic) and is helped out by her sibling, but the result brings a good-looking, warm, inquisitive cop (Aidan Quinn) into their lives. The film has a variety of tonal changes--cute, scary, glum--that Dunne can not always effectively juggle. But the female-centric, celebratory nature of the film (the fantasies, the sharing, the witchy bonds) is infectious, and supporting roles by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Kidman and Bullocks magical aunts are a lot of fun.

    Amazon.com

    Actor Griffin Dunne improves a bit on his first film as a director, Addicted to Love, with this drama-comedy about a family of witches. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play spell-casting sisters of different temperaments: the former is a high-living, free-spirited sort, while Bullock's character is a homebody who can't get around a family curse that kills the men in their lives. A widowed single mom, Bullock gets into a jam with an abusive Bulgarian (Goran Visnjic) and is helped out by her sibling, but the result brings a good-looking, warm, inquisitive cop (Aidan Quinn) into their lives. The film has a variety of tonal changes--cute, scary, glum--that Dunne can't always effectively juggle. But the female-centric, celebratory nature of the film (the fantasies, the sharing, the witchy bonds) is infectious, and supporting roles by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as Kidman and Bullock's magical aunts are a lot of fun. --Tom Keogh

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Shows the Positive Aspects of The Craft.......2007-07-03

    Practical Magic is an underrated neo-classic, and should be in every witch's movie collection. With strong female characters like Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Aunt Frances (Stockard Channing), to name a few, it shows positive aspects of The Craft, especially when Sally tells Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) that "there is no devil in the craft." Although the magic in the movie is pure Hollywood (except for the herb gardens and celebrations, of course), it is definitely the best portrayal of witches out there in Tinseltown. It is one of my favorite movies ever, and I'm sure it'll become a classic for you, too.

    5 out of 5 stars My favorite witchey movie.......2007-06-21

    This is my very favorite classic movie on witchcraft. I feel that it puts a positive spin on wicca (although it has been glamorized and fictional). I love that the romantic aspect is not overly done and mushy, and that the spiritual side is not over done to the point of scaring the children.

    4 out of 5 stars my family' s weider than your's.......2007-05-17

    An old favorite, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as members of a witchy family cursed in affairs of the heart. Bullock, as a non-willing practioner of the arts, gets pulled into a dark act striving to save her sister (Kidman) from her evil boyfriend (ER"s Gorin Vasnjic). Throw in some comic relief from their 2 aunts (Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest)and you have an irresistable chick flick. Something good for a girl's night in. Put the lime in the coconut for a midnight margherita.

    5 out of 5 stars Practical Magic Review.......2007-05-14

    The ultimate feel-good-about-being-a-woman chick-flick about three generations of women with magical powers. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are two beautiful sisters with flowing hair who are bound by a dark secret. Consumed by the intoxicating power of love, they call upon the power of womanhood to set them free.

    5 out of 5 stars Magical!.......2007-05-10

    Practical Magic is all about two witches with a curse put on them :whenever they love a man that man will die.

    I found it a bit scary at some places but the idea is so clever.the two girls are best friends (or sisters,i cant remember) one of them is very serious and the other isnt,she finds herself a boyfriend that keeps hitting her and so they accidently "kill him" or so they think.i wont ruin the story but it is absoloutly excellent,a genius thought of thr story.
    Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have never been better.
    Love Comes Softly
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Family Affair
    • Great Movie
    • A Love Story For All Ages
    • great movie
    • Wonderful Story
    Love Comes Softly
    Starring: Katherine Heigl , Dale Midkiff , Skye McCole Bartusiak , Corbin Bernsen , and Theresa Russell
    Director: Michael Landon Jr.
    Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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    ASIN: B0002IKSFM
    Release Date: 2004-09-14

    Amazon.com

    Writer/director Michael Landon Jr. continues in his famous father's footsteps by creating moral family entertainment set in the early days of the American prairie. Stubborn Marty Claridge (Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy) travels west with her new husband--but after they find a beautiful patch of land, her husband dies in an accident before they've even started building. A man named Clark (Dale Midkiff, Air Bud: World Pup) makes a proposal: If Marty will enter into a platonic marriage with him, he'll pay for her passage back east in the spring. What Clark needs is a mother, however temporary, for his willful tomboy daughter Missie (Skye McCole Bartusiak, Beyond the Prairie, Part 2). Missie fights Marty's presence fiercely while Clark, though supportive, speaks few words, and Marty suspects she's made a terrible mistake--but time reveals otherwise. Love Comes Softly, based on the popular Christian novel by Janette Oke, is a romance, but Landon carefully avoids any bodice-ripping histrionics. Problems get solved perhaps a little too easily, but the movie is cleanly written, pleasantly understated, and respectful to its characters. For many viewers, Love Comes Softly will be a welcome change from overheated secular love stories. --Bret Fetzer

    Description

    Based on Janette Oke's best-selling book series, and directed by Michael Landon Jr., Loves Comes Softly is inspired story-telling for the whole family. Marty and Aaron Claridge (Katherine Heigl and Oliver Macready) travel west in search of new opportunity. But when tragedy strikes and Marty is suddenly widowed, the young woman must face the rugged terrain, bleak weather, and life among strangers-alone. That is until a handsome widower named Clark Davis ( Dale Midkiff) suggests a platonic "marriage of convenience" until Marty can return home. As the months pass, through, Marty and Clark discover an unexpected new love where there was once only loss.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Family Affair.......2007-06-11

    This is and excellent family movie with realism added to much of what is dramatised.

    5 out of 5 stars Great Movie.......2007-06-05

    This is a great movie. After seeing it on the hallmark channel, I had to buy it. Great love story to watch over and over again.

    5 out of 5 stars A Love Story For All Ages.......2007-05-29

    This movie is so great. I compelling love story set against our country's history. Makes you feel as if you were living in the old west fighting drought and having hopes and dreams right along with them. The actors give such believable performances that you believe they are falling in love.

    5 out of 5 stars great movie.......2007-05-23

    Wow this was like watching the book come to life. It really followed it. Good acting and great storyline. Family viewing a must.

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Story.......2007-05-21

    This movie is very close to the book! Our whole family loves it!
    Because I Said So (Full Screen Edition)
    Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
    • Flawed but decent.
    • A Movie For Mothers & Daughters
    • Portrait of a pushy, annoying parent
    • Formula tripe
    • Sadly falls short, way short, of what it could have been...
    Because I Said So (Full Screen Edition)
    Starring: Diane Keaton , Mandy Moore (II) , Gabriel Macht , Tom Everett Scott , and Lauren Graham
    Director: Michael Lehmann
    Manufacturer: Universal Studios
    ProductGroup: DVD
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    ASIN: B000OCZA0E
    Release Date: 2007-05-08

    Amazon.com

    In Because I Said So, Diane Keaton outdoes any pushy parent trying to marry off their children. On the eve of her 60th birthday, Daphne (Keaton) decides that she will find a suitable suitor for her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore). Never mind that Moore was barely into her 20's when she shot the film and easily could pass as a high-school senior. The film asks us to believe that an otherwise smart, loving mother would push marriage on a young woman who obviously wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. The romantic comedy has a cute premise that grows old fast: In order to root for Daphne's almost manic desire to see Milly walk down the aisle, the audience has to believe she's undergoing some kind of trauma, or at least dying of an incurable disease. But because she is such an overbearing busybody whose best interests for her daughter have little to do with reality, viewers just see an obnoxious, meddling mother trying to micromanage her child's life. That we don't want to strangle Daphne is a credit to Keaton's acting skills, which manage to shine through, even in the most over-the-top scenes. Lauren Graham and the always adorable Piper Perabo play Milly's older, married sisters. Had the film revolved around the three sisters' lives--sans mom--Because I Said So would have been a much more interesting picture. --Jae-Ha Kim

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Flawed but decent........2007-07-01

    Because I Said So starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore is a so-so mother/daughter movie. Parts of this movie work and of course parts of it fall flat. The supporting cast is annoying but the true talent of this film is Mandy Moore. She holds her own as Milly, her mother is controlling, opininated, nervous, and constantly on her daughter's back about settling down and sticking to a relationship. This movie has some funny moments but don't expect it to blow you away. If you're a Diane Keaton then this movie is for you.

    5 out of 5 stars A Movie For Mothers & Daughters.......2007-07-01

    A charming movie about letting go...Daphne Wilder (Keaton), 60, single, and mother to three successful daughters takes it upon herself to select a mate for her youngest daughter Milly (played to perfection by Moore). By placing a personal ad on the internet and filtering out all the rejects, Daphne has selected an equally successful and gorgeous architect Jason (Tom Hank's greatest discovery Tom Everett Scott), however Milly has chosen Johnny (theatre actor Gabriel Macht), a single father raising a son with love of music and tattoos.
    Dismayed that Milly would choose a musician over the perfect architect, Daphne tries to run Milly's life and finally realizes that despite her good intentions she has to let go and let Milly make her own mistakes. Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) gives a fantastic performance as Daphne's oldest daughter/psychiatrist Maggie. Piper Perabo (Cheaper by the Dozen) also strikes a cord as the middle daughter Mae, who both try to persuade their mother to let Milly lead her own life. Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) also gives a memorable performance as Johnny's dad Joe, who teaches Daphne a thing or two about love, life, and letting go.

    4 out of 5 stars Portrait of a pushy, annoying parent.......2007-06-29

    This movie received relatively bad reviews, but I have to wonder why. Diane Keaton played a mom who WOULD NOT let her daughters grow up and find their own ways in the world. As I watched the movie at a local theatre, I was tempted to rush the screen and strangle Diane's character for the controlling "witch" she was! But since when should we hold the nature of the role against the actress portraying it? The acting was fine, and the topic was extremely timely for our day. We live in a world where parents refuse to let their adult "children" go and some "children" refuse to leave home when they reach adulthood (see "Failure to Launch" for the flip side of this crisis)! The point of this movie (to me) is that parents must realize that their role in life is to prepare their children for adulthood, and that controlling your children's lives past adulthood is ridiculous.

    I think this movie makes an important statement, and if it saves even one adult "child" from the clutches of a well-meaning but annoyingly controlling parent, then it has served its purpose!

    1 out of 5 stars Formula tripe.......2007-06-27

    Films like this is what happens when Hollywood acts like our present music industry, reducing the creation of its art form to a factory assembly line, cranking out endless clones one after the other according to tried and true profitable formulas. Follow the formula, include a few dumb laughs, try out the film on some test audiences, change what they don't like, keep the production costs down, and release the churned out swill for a guaranteed modest profit. If you haven't already been asking "How on earth do these dumb rom coms (formula romantic comedies) even get made in the first place," you will be. Oh yes, you will be.

    1 out of 5 stars Sadly falls short, way short, of what it could have been..........2007-06-26

    The sad thing about `Because I Said So' is that it oozes with potential yet crashes and burns in takeoff. The pairing of the uber-talented Diane Keaton and lovable Mandy Moore should and very well could bring forth a great romantic comedy but instead proves to be one of the most painful movie watching experiences in recent memory. Watching Keaton resort to cheesy dialog and over-the-top antics that even she can't make work is enough to make any true fan of the actress verp but it's the ridiculous way the premise is executed that makes me shiver at the thought of the two hours I lost to this train wreck. As someone mentioned, had the film revolved more around the three daughters and less around the overbearing and somewhat sexually repressed mother then it may have been a much more rewarding film.

    The plot revolves around Daphne, a mother approaching her sixtieth birthday with two married daughters and then their Milly, her youngest who is still single and can't seem to keep a relationship for very long. Daphne makes it her goal to pair Milly up with a good man, even going as far as to put out a `personal add' in order to interview men for her daughter and then secretly set her up with them. Then Daphne meets her match when a young guitarist becomes aware of her meddling scheme and takes it upon himself to woo Milly foiling Daphne's plans.

    It's funny to me because as I was typing the above paragraph I realized just how funny and entertaining this movie really could have been. On paper it sounds great but on screen it was horrendous. The biggest problem was Keaton. Her car chase scene alone almost brought my wife to eject the DVD it was that mind-numbing. Diane has always had a habit of overacting, but as she proved in `Something's Gotta Give' she can reign it in to where it's enjoyable and entertaining. Here though she possesses none of the charm that garnered her the Oscar nomination in 2003. Here she does nothing but annoy and frustrate both her daughters and the audience.

    Mandy Moore is still sweet and adorable but the material she has to work with does her no favors. In fact the only characters I really enjoyed and or cared to watch besides the sisters, who are criminally deprived of screen time, was Gabriel Macht who plays Milly's guitar-wielding boy toy and Reverend Camden who plays his father. Stephen Collins especially really delivers here and I wish that the film itself had been better if not for the sheer excitement of seeing him in a movie. In fact when he's on screen with Keaton she's less irritating and a little more tolerable. There couch make-out session was a highlight and the audience is even given a glimmer of the charm we've come to love in Diane Keaton. Alas, the film is a flop and aside from a few very spread out chuckles and the appearance of Father Camden it's a complete drag and waste of an evening in. Skip this one and rent something with a little more substance and a lot more laughs. My one star is for Collins.

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