Wednesday, February 16, 2005
The Life of Emile Zola
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: My mother has no memory of this movie, although it was she who recommended it to me, back in the days when I was reading obscure fictional 'biographies' like Mika Waltari's The Egyptian. I had to haunt art movie theaters for it and was magnetized by Muni's performance in parts of this movie, much as I was by Robert De Niro's stirring scene in Once Upon a Time in America.
I got the thing on sale, ridiculous price. I think it was the only copy. Otherwise, I would not thought to have purchased it. It's been quite a while, since before I went to Seattle, that I've seen the movie, so it exists larger than movie-life for me. It'll be interesting to see it again. As I recall, the movie has an irresistable, old-timey, gee-whiz quality about it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Muni Émile Zola Gloria Holden Alexandrine Zola Gale Sondergaard Lucie Dreyfus Joseph Schildkraut Donald Crisp
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1937
Directed by William Dieterle.
Labels: biography2, political4, popcorn-and-soda5
Groundhog Day
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I have fond memories of Mom and me watching this movie. Mom does not. That's okay, though. Despite her lack of time acuity, she has a peculiar ability to grasp this movie and delight in it's circularity. But, she never remembers seeing it. Which, I suppose, is a plus.
Update 2/7/18: You may think it strange that I thinned this one out of my collection, considering what a good movie it is, how lauded it is. All I can tell you is this: Mom and I watched it so much that I knew I would never watch it again. It's been tattooed onto my mind. If I feel the urge, I can always check it out of the library. In almost 10 years I haven't felt the urge.
Roger Ebert, however, felt the urge more than once. Along with his initial review, linked to the title of this post, Ebert serenaded this movie twice [first here then here] as a Great Movie pick.
Finally, Jim Emerson in his Scanners co-site recommends not only the movie but a companion article singing the praises of the movie. Check out the immediately previous link for yet another link to that goodie.
What's the matter with me that I sent this movie to the library dog house? Almost makes me feel craven. Not!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bill Murray Phil Connors Andie MacDowell Rita Hanson Chris Elliott Larry the cameraman Stephen Tobolowsky Ned Ryerson
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Harold Ramis.
Labels: comedy2, fantasy3, mystery2
Mona Lisa Smile
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one of those movies that has a magnetic affect on both my mother and me. Although it's not the best school movie I've ever seen (my vote on this score is for The Paper Chase, although I'd consider The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, as well, and, a few others, come to think of it, The Blackboard Jungle, Goodbye Mr. Chips), from the cords of the opening music it drafts both of us into college, again, from our own perspetives. When we view this movie we always review the featurettes.
I have to admit, though, she and I are both suckers for school and education movies. Sometimes it's pathetic.
Directed by Mike Newell.
Update 6/13/2006: Since I first wrote this short review we've watched this movie on the average of once a month, at my suggestion. During tonight's watching I was uncustomarily analytical about some of the aspects of this movie that I love.
- All the performances are a delight to watch and utterly convincing, with the exception of Julia Roberts' performance. Tonight I finally figured out why, in this movie of incredibly performed roles (even the bartender at the wedding and "Mrs. Stone" the waitress are spot on) the star fell just short of matching her colleagues' level: She's, well, Julia Roberts and, as such, is no longer able to be a character. She is always Julia Roberts playing a character. This is unfortunate in movies such as this.
- The romance between Roberts' character and West's character is inauthentic, unconvincing, distracting and boring. It's possible that Roberts' character needs some sort of quickie affair in this movie as a device to underline her single status and her attitudes toward sexual attachment, but the one written and acted didn't work.
- The background music is both unobtrusive and evocative; so much so that the strains of the theme played behind the menu evoke pleasurable anticipation for the movie.
- The subject matter, despite being heavily covered in many other movies and, at the time of this movie's release, seemingly dated, lurks in women's souls deeply and is still not well addressed by society, thus, continues to have a powerful effect. As well, the characters and the story are so well developed that the period piece effect actually contributes to the emotional effect of the layout of the issues.
- The camera work is subtle and masterful. No camera effect is used for the sake of the effect alone.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Julia Roberts Katherine Watson Kirsten Dunst Betty Warren Julia Stiles Joan Brandwyn Maggie Gyllenhaal Giselle Levy Ginnifer Goodwin Connie Baker Laura Allen Susan Delacorte Marcia Gay Harden Nancy Abbey Donna Mitchell Mrs. Warren Marian Seldes President Jocelyn Carr Juliet Stevenson Amanda Armstrong Dominic West Bill Dunbar Topher Grace Tommy Donegal Ebon Moss-Bachrach Charlie Stewart Jordan Bridges Spencer Jones John Slattery Paul Moore Tori Amos Wedding Singer
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2003
Directed by Mike Newell.
Labels: dramaB, julia-roberts, kirsten-dunst, maggie-gyllenhaal, marsha-gay-harden, period5, political4, shared-favorite, teaching, women's-movie1
Casablanca
- Who's watched: M & G (finally)
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: The truth is, if this movie hadn't come bundled with four others we wanted, we wouldn't own it. I know, stating this is probably blasphemy. I had never seen the movie all the way through until maybe a month ago. Although, when I read the name of the movie to my mother off the cable schedule, she expresses interest in it and often watches it, it's not one either of us yearns toward and, often as not, when it's on the cable schedule, in this house, Animal Planet trumps it.
When we viewed this film the last (aforementioned) time, I remember Sidney Pollack, who introduced it as one of TCM's Essentials, slipped into a blur of words rhapsodizing Ingrid Bergman and her performance in this movie, nodding, as well, to his life long crush on Ms. Bergman. Anyway, from what he said I thought, "Oh, okay, well I'll watch the whooole thiiing and, if what he says about Ingrid Bergman's performance is true, I should really enjoy this. At the end of the movie I was thinking, well, I think men go crazy when they see Bergman on the screen and think her a better actor than she was. She was very good, obviously stellar, but not transcendental, like, say Streep or Kingsley.
I'll probably be lynched by the Klassic Movie Klan before morning.
Update 2/6/18: Since my mother's death almost a decade ago, I continued my contentious relationship with this movie. I've checked it out of the library (thank goodness I donated my copy to it) at least once every two years and struggled through it yet again. I enjoy Claude Rains in this movie. I've come to enjoy the machinations of the plight of people stuck in Casablanca. But, I'm sorry, the love story does absolutely nothing for me. Sometimes, immediately after watching it, I think the movie would have been a whole lot better, at least for my viewing, if the love story had been dumped. I'm hoping, at this point, that I don't feel I have to watch it again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Humphrey Bogart Rick Blaine Ingrid Bergman Ilsa Lund Paul Henreid Victor Laszlo Claude Rains Capt. Louis Renault Conrad Veidt Mjr. Heinrich Strasser Sydney Greenstreet Signor Ferrari Peter Lorre Signor Ugarte Dooley Wilson Sam
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Labels: claude-rains, dramaB, ingrid-bergman, mystery2
Mrs. Miniver
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Mom introduced me to this movie, and Greer Garson, soon after I moved in with her. Although the relentlessly chin-up attitude of this movie may seem hard to tolerate, these days, I think what I enjoy most about this movie is that it is, as I believe Winston Churchill pointed out, clearly England's and America's secret weapon.
One more footnote, Greer Garson, I think, is probably the only actress with whom I've ever been familiar who can pull off the perfect, long suffering war-heroine-on-the-homefront.
So, why did I donate it to the library? Well, let me quote myself, "... the relentlessly chin-up attitude of this movie [is] hard to tolerate, these days ..."
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Greer Garson Kay Miniver Walter Pidgeon Clem Miniver Teresa Wright Carol Beldon Dame May Whitty Lady Beldon
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by William Wyler.
Pretty Woman
- Who's watched: M & G, several times
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: Considering how many times over the years with my mother I have been put to the task of finding "the next showing" of this movie, renting this movie, watching this movie and, finally, purchasing this movie, I'm truly surprised I haven't mentioned it more in my journals. I think the hardest thing for me to admit about this movie is that as much as it offends me, I also enjoy it. Some years ago I took a romance novel writing class and this movie was held up as the perfect structure for any romance story. And, I have to admit, as much as details about it irritate me, much of it is very satisfying for me to watch, including the end. Funny how cultures imbue people with even personally disagreeable characteristics. It's important to note, my mother loves this movie, despite the fact that she has never been a typical woman on a typical trajectory.
I took a class in writing romances (novels, short stories, "true confession", movies, whatever). My instructor said, at the beginning of the class, that this movie is an example of "a perfect romance". As we went through our book and learned the dynamics of writing a romance (a book, by the way, she did not like and did not recommend, but was stuck with by the English department), sure enough, turns out, this movie follows the formula exactly!
You'll notice, as well, that I did not thin this movie out of my collection after my mother died. And, yes, in case you're curious, I occasionally still watch this movie. And, no, I've never been a typical woman on a typical trajectory, either. Go figure. Maybe I will figure this one out, sometime later in my life.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Gere Edward Lewis Julia Roberts Vivian Ward Héctor Elizondo Barnard Thompson Laura San Giacomo Kit De Luca Ralph Bellamy James Morse Jason Alexander Phillip Stuckey Dey Young snobbish saleswoman Hank Azaria a detective
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1990
Directed by Gary Marshall.
Labels: julia-roberts, mom-favorite2, richard-gere, romance3
Driving Miss Daisy
- Who's watched: M & G, both more than many times
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
- Commentary: That's right, we've finally got it, watched it the same day I purchased it for us, and enjoyed it, once again, as though we only vaguely remembered it.
Update 5/2/2022: It's hard for me, nowadays, to say enough about this movie. The portrayal of older people, "Ancient Ones", as I call them, is quite on point, as individuals and as members of a group. The astonishment of the children at the desires, whims and behaviors of their parents and older people, in general, well, I became so familiar with this when members of my family visited my mother and I (rarely, I might add). It was hard, sometimes impossible, for them to think of us and treat us as other than "old relative" and "caregiver"; as, companions, for instance, or people who simply enjoyed each other's company and had a good time doing it. This movie, in very subtle ways, addresses these concerns. It doesn't display ingenious solutions, it just illustrates and leaves it be.
The background music for the film sometimes gets to me. It apes my relatives' attitudes, more than the experiences of Hoke and Miss Daisy.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Morgan Freeman Hoke Colburn Jessica Tandy Daisy Werthan Dan Ackroyd Boolie Werthan Patti LuPone Florine Werthan Esther Rolle Idella Joann Havrilla Miss McClatchey William Hall Jr. Oscar Crystal R. Fox Katey Bell
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1989
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
Labels: caregiver, dramaB, morgan-freeman, period5, popcorn-and-soda5, shared-favorite, teaching
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Amadeus
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: This is one of our Spectacle Movies, sort of like Gone with the Wind. It's too lavish and bright to watch often, but it makes a great dessert. It's one of those movies where we often catch ourselves saying, during the viewing, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that! I love that!"
Update 5/9/2022: I watched this movie very recently, within the last couple of weeks. It had been awhile, like, I'm thinking, maybe a couple of years. I was struck by the brilliance and particularity of the actors' performances, including the smaller parts, so much so that I had to look most of them up to see what they'd done since, see if there was anything that looked promising. I did notice that I no longer consider it "too lavish and bright to watch often". In fact, I so thoroughly enjoyed my "first" watching that, the next night, I turned around and watched it again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role F. Murray Abraham Antonio Salieri Tom Hulce Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Elizabeth Berridge Constanze Mozart Roy Dotrice Leopold Mozart Simon Callow Emanuel Schikaneder Christine Ebersole Caterina Cavalieri Jeffrey Jones Emperor Joseph II Richard Frank Father Vogler Patrick Hines Kapellmeister Giuseppe Bonno Cynthia Nixon Lori Vincent Schiavelli Salieri's Valet John Strauss Conductor
One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1984
Directed by Miloš Forman.
Labels: biography2, cynthia-nixon, dramedy3, f-murray-abraham, historical3, shared-favorite, spectacle2
My Best Friend's Wedding
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: When we are in the mood to be perfectly delighted, we watch this movie. Before we owned it, I even went out of my way to rent it when I thought we needed a shot of what it offers. It worked for us last night when we watched it.
Update 5/9/2022: I still find myself needing this movie, enjoying this movie, watching this movie. The comedy and hilarity is this movie is so well done, so deadpan. Julianne's reaction to hearing her best friend, Michael, is getting married? Priceless. The scene where one of the bridesmaids accidentally freezes her tongue to an ice sculpture? Priceless. The I Say a Little Prayer scene? Priceless. And then, and then, the movie wraps up in a sweet, realistic, dignified manner. Priceless.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Julia Roberts Julianne Potter Dermot Mulroney Michael O'Neal Cameron Diaz Kimmy Wallace Rupert Everett George Downes Philip Bosco Walter Wallace M. Emmet Walsh Joe O'Neal Rachel Griffiths Samantha Newhouse Carrie Preston Amanda Newhouse
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1997
Directed by P.J. Hogan.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, buddy, comedy2, julia-roberts, paul-giamatti, romance3, shared-favorite
Gandhi
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I'll bet we've seen this movie, on cable, at least four times. When we notice it, anywhere, commercials or not, we watch it. We forget it between being serendipitiously reminded. It is a movie that fascinates us at several levels, though.
One of my problems with this movie, for me, is the astonishing number of "name" British, Indian and American actors managed to wrangle parts in this movie, and I do mean "wrangle". The first time I saw it, it occurred to me that this must have been the "go to" movie of the late 70's through early 80's for actors. Since the script required what would normally be thousands of extras, Richard Attenborough, as both producer and director, probably took advantage of the interest to cheaply (my guess, only) and luxuriously staff his picture. Just take a look at the three-tiered Actor/Role chart, below. And believe me, I think it encompasses only half of the actor-participants listed in the Wikipedia roster, which you can access below, as usual.
Update 2/7/18: Knowing what I know, now, about the movie and the man, I'm somewhat uncomfortable about this movie, but I am reluctant to let it go. I recently watched it again and, damn, Ben Kingsley, what can I say? Extraordinary actor. It would be worth it to keep this in my collection just based on his acting in this movie. Yes, I own other movies in which he's acted, most notably, off the top of my head, Sexy Beast. There are others I'd like to own. House of Sand of Fog, for instance. So, I'll keep this one. For the collection.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Mahatma Gandhi Rohini Hattangadi Kasturba Gandhi Roshan Seth Jawaharlal Nehru Pradeep Kumar V. K. Krishna Menon Candice Bergen Margaret Bourke-White Edward Fox Reginald Dyer John Gielgud Viceroy Lord Irwin John Mills Lord Chelmsford Martin Sheen Vince Walker Daniel Day-Lewis Colin John Ratzenberger American driver Saeed Jaffrey Vallabhbhai Patel
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1982
Directed by Richard Attenborough.
Labels: ben-kingsley, biography2, candice-bergen, historical3, john-gielgud, political4, spectacle2, spiritual1
A Simple Twist of Fate
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one of those accidental gems I found when trying the dregs of a video store back in 2002, I think it was, when Mom had no energy but would stay up for movies and TV. I'm familiar with the story of Silas Marner, and I'm impressed with what Steve Martin does in film. I remember watching it by myself, first, then enthusiastically turning it over to Mom, then taping it off a cable network (bad copy). Its muddled melodrama doesn't bother me. Mom and I consider it an 'up' movie.
Update 5/9/2022: I still consider this a delightful little movie and find an excuse to watch it at least once a year, even though, considering how much we watched it when Mom was alive, you'd think I'd be tired of it by now. Not so. It's a surprising gem. Steve Martin managed to wrangle some surprising and amazing talent to perform in this movie, too, which is probably one of several circumstances which makes this movie so enjoyable.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Steve Martin Michael McCann Carolyn McCormick Elaine McCann Alana Austin Mathilda McCann Gabriel Byrne John Newland Laura Linney Nancy Newland Catherine O'Hara April Simon Stephen Baldwin Tanny Newland Michael Des Barres Bryce
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1994
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon.
Labels: dramaB, laura-linney, mystery2
Boys on the Side
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Here's another one I'm stunned I've never mentioned in this journal. We've been regular renters of this movie since one of my nieces introduced us to it when it first came out on video. Now we own it. We don't quote dialog from it, yet, but, there is that danger.
Update 5/9/2022: This movie can be a little sweet, at times, but it's also moving and genuinely dedicated to portraying female-female relationships as touchstones in the lives of women. It does this well. It is never saccharine, never unrealistic, although it definitely shoots its realism through a gauzed lens.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Whoopi Goldberg Jane DeLuca Mary-Louise Parker Robin Nickerson Drew Barrymore Holly Pulchik Matthew McConaughey Abe Lincoln James Remar Alex Estelle Parsons Louise Amy Aquino Anna Anita Gillette Elaine Nickerson
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by Herbert Ross.
Labels: buddy, shared-favorite, whoopi-goldberg, women's-movie1
What Dreams May Come
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This movie was recommended to me by another customer looking for movies as Valentine's Day gifts. She and I explained to one another what we were looking for. I had a list...she did not. But, she suggested this movie, and another, which I'm going to return as, after I came home I remembered Mom and I had 'tried' the movie on cable and couldn't get into it. Not even with Gena Rowlands, who we'll usually watch in anything.
Anyway, I remember being suspicious of this movie when it first came out, around the time that John Edwards became very popular. Not that I didn't find him fascinating, too, for awhile, and my mother was hooked on his shows, but, for some reason that I can't remember, I dismissed the movie without seeing it.
So, neither of us has seen it, it should be interesting, and I don't know if we'll be keeping it or passing it on to someone else.
Update 2/14/05: We watched this movie last night. We both found the special effects fascinating, although we made the mistake of watching the movie mid-late afternoon and we definitely have a sun and glare problem in our living/dining area.
Mom had trouble keeping in her head that most of the movie was taking place in "heaven" and most of the people were dead. First, too, when she oriented herself, she thought Cuba Gooding, Jr. was god, then Max von Sydow (who played Jesus in one of her beloved Bible Movies). She also noticed that Robin Williams mugs his way through the emotional scenes in serious pictures. I'd never noticed this, but she's right. He does. He has an "emotional scenes mask" that is clearly detectable. I remember it, some, from a very obscure picture he made: Being Human; less so, interestingly, in Good Morning, Vietnam.
She also has her own very specific and very liberal ideas of "heaven"; some of which dovetail with some of the ideas in the movie...some of which don't.
I found the theology/spirituality interesting, considering that it is being put forth before the public (which wasn't all that risky in 1998; I don't think this is why the movie didn't do all that well), but not as daring as my own. Truth is, I'm not sure whether we'll watch this one again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robin Williams Dr. Chris Nielsen Cuba Gooding Jr. Albert Lewis/Ian Nielsen Annabella Sciorra Annie Collins-Nielsen Max von Sydow The Tracker/Albert Lewis
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Vincent Ward.
Labels: dramaB, fantasy3, max-von-sydow, popcorn-and-soda5, pseudo-cgi-animation, robin-williams, romance3, spiritual2
Patton
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Mom doesn't remember this movie from watching to watching, but, each viewing rivets her, nonetheless. Her memory of WWII and her service in the Navy snap to attention in frequent spasms throughout the movie.
Me? It's one of my all time favorites, not just for performance, or other film-making qualities, but I often think of this movie when I meditate on the subject of conflict.
Roger Ebert christened this as one of his Great Movies, the review for which I linked to the title of this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role George C. Scott Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Karl Malden Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley David Bauer Lt. Gen. Harry Buford James Edwards William George Meeks
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1970
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner.
Labels: biography2, historical3, karl-malden, me-favorite3, war2
Working Girl
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one of our feel good movies. Neither of us ever tires of watching this movie, so, when I noticed it on sale, I figured it would be a good addition.
Yes, both Mom and I find this particular "working girl" a little too good to be true; not "good" in the ethical sense, but, I mean, what were we told working women should want in the late 80's? To be successful, which this working girl becomes, smart, which she certainly is, and beautiful, which she is, as well. All layered over with a veil (and only a veil) of innocence. Mom's comment? "Nice, if you can get it." She's a lifelong "working girl". I'm a lifelong "working girl". All my sisters (I have only sisters) are lifelong "working girls". And, honey, let me tell you, not one of us thinks, sounds or looks like Tess McGill, and don't ever expect to. And, by the way, none of us has ever known a boss like Katharine Parker.
Nonetheless, it's a fun movie to watch, especially with Alec Baldwin before he became Alec Baldwin. There are, in fact, quite a few actors in this movie that weren't yet famous. In addition, Sigourney Weaver is brilliant in it.
And, anyway, we both enjoy the song.
In 2018, 30 years after Roger Ebert reviewed this movie, three of the female writers for the site gathered to ponder the issues the movie highlighted. Here is that conversation.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Name Role Name Actor Name Role Name Actor Name Role Name Actor Name Role Name Melanie Griffith Tess McGill Harrison Ford Jack Trainer Sigourney Weaver Katharine Parker Alec Baldwin Mick Dugan Joan Cusack Cynthia Philip Bosco Oren Trask Kevin Spacey Bob Speck Olympia Dukakis personnel director Nora Dunn Ginny Amy Aquino Alice Baxter Oliver Platt Lutz Zach Grenier Jim
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1988
Directed by Mike Nichols.
Labels: dramedy2, harrison-ford, popcorn-and-soda5, romance3, sigourney-weaver
Dances with Wolves
- Who's watched: M [lots more than] G
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: This is one of my mother's haunting movies. Her reaction to this movie is similar to my reaction to Little Buddha: During some parts, she experiences trance-like states; during others, she becomes fully engaged in the finest detail of the culture of the Native American community portrayed in the movie; throughout, she follows the story meticulously and often attempts to engage other viewers in conversation about the movie, which means that she remembers enough of it from viewing to viewing not to feel as though she has to pay close attention every minute.
Sometime in late 2007 "they" finally came out with the widescreen version, which I quickly snatched up. This version also cuts in close to an hour of extended footage. I was surprised how much of the original cut the extended footage explained. Both my mother and I were, and are, very pleased with the additions.
P.S. Despite what this picture of the cover says, my copy actually says "Collector's Edition" at the top. Since it's also a 2-disc-er I imagine that this extended cut and the special features are the same as on the "Special Edition", but I can't swear to that.
Update 5/9/22: My mother is long, long gone, but, as I was rereading this post and remembering the pleasure she took in this movie, it occurred to me that, no matter how much dissension it created among critics, the Native American community and the community of "woke" non-Native Americans, my mother likely has a virtual copy of this movie, where ever she is now, and watches it every chance she gets. I still watch it, too. I derive great pleasure from remembering my mother watching this movie and thinking of her watching it, now. Perhaps, at times, we're watching it simultaneously.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Kevin Costner Lt. John J. Dunbar/Dances with Wolves Mary McDonnell Stands with a Fist/Christine Gunther Graham Greene Kicking Bird Rodney A. Grant Wind in His Hair Floyd Red Crow Westerman Chief Ten Bears Tantoo Cardinal Black Shawl Jimmy Herman Stone Calf Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse Smiles a Lot Michael Spears Otter Wes Studi Toughest Pawnee Maury Chaykin Major Fambrough Robert Pastorelli Timmons
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1990
Directed by Kevin Costner.
Labels: action3, adventure4, dramaB, haunting2, mom-favorite2, period5, revisionist-western, spectacle2, tantoo-cardinal, war2, wes-studi
