Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    Yes, I've seen this movie, more than once. It's been awhile, though, so before I write more I want to see it again.
    I'm in love with The Lady Chablis, may she be Resting (or Causing a High Scene) in Power. That's why I decided I need to own this movie. There's more I like about it, but every time I watch this, if I can (depending, of course, on how it's being delivered), I always rerun one or more of Lady Chablis' scenes. Especially the debutante party scene. What a Glorious Bitch she is! I know, she's dead, but do you really think death defeated The Grand Empress of Savannah? From what I hear, she's keeping it heavy and hilarious, wherever she is.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  John Cusack	John Kelso	Kevin Spacey	Jim Wiliams	Jack Thompson	Sonny Seiler	Irma P. Hall	Minerva
  Jude Law	Billy Hanson	Alison Eastwood	Mandy Nichols	Paul Hipp	Joe Odom	The Lady Chablis	Chablis Deveau
  Kim Hunter	Betty Harty	Geoffrey Lewis	Luther Driggers	Bob Gunton	Finley Largent	Richard Herd	Henry Skerridge
  Leon Rippy	Detective Boone	Sonny Seiler	Judge Samuel L. White	Dorothy Loudon	Serena Dawes	Patrika Darbo	Sara Warren

  
  Update 05/23/23:  I finally (re-)watched this film last night and was reminded that the only thing I really like about this movie is The Lady Chablis. Otherwise, the structure of the film is feckless. The compilation of the individuals' stories has none of the energy or locational savvy of the book. The actors, while all good and some excellent, have real trouble rising above the disjointedness of the film craft and, truly, only one of them is capable of doing so, Jack Thompson who plays Sonny Seiler. Watching the film is kind of like finding yourself at a party you wish you'd not attended but are having trouble leaving because every time you close in on the exit, someone distracts you. Still, the performance of The Lady Chablis makes the film worth owning.
    Clint Eastwood made many excellent films before this production and has made many since. I guess every director is allowed at least one fail (usually, many more). And, granted, I remembered this film, prior to purchasing it, with a great deal of interest. Unfortunately, upon finishing it, I was left wondering how it was that Eastwood simply didn't seem to scrub and polish this film with his usual energy and genius. At least he included The Lady Chablis. I'm grateful for that.
    Here is a bit of information on The Lady Chablis. For more, read her book Hiding My Candy, available in full at the immediately previous link.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1997
    Directed by Clint Eastwood.

Labels: bob-gunton, clint-eastwood, mystery3

# posted by gail @ 23:03    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  It shouldn't surprise anyone that I own this film, the director's cut with a second disc of extras. I'm not someone who constantly talks political conspiracies, or even thinks about them, but I love a good, real life political mystery and this is one of biggest. Although it is clearly not a documentary, it has a documentary feel about it, which I love and which Stone handles with mastery. This is definitely one of the films he was born to make.
    Roger Ebert's site contains several reviews and commentaries on this film:
  
  
  1. Firstly, of course, is his initial review, attached to the title of this post.
  2. Secondly, Ebert interviewed Oliver Stone specifically about this movie of his in 1991.
  3. Thirdly, in 1992 Ebert published a touché article criticizing others who criticized this film.
  4. Fourthly, Ebert christened it one of his Great Movies in 2002.
  5. Fifthly (is there such a word), in 2012 Gerardo Valero, a compatriot reviewer on the site, questions whether ths movie should have been made in a very interesting historical analysis of the film.
  6. Some months after Roger's death, Matt Zoller Seitz published an interview with Oliver Stone regarding Ebert's critiques of many of his movies, including JFK. It's likely that I'll include a link to that article in a few other write-ups here.
  7. And, that's not all. The film comes up as a mention in several articles having nothing, directly, to do with it. Pull a search and see.
  
    Whew! Someone, and other of his compatriot reviewers, were deeply impressed, in many ways, by this film over the years. I must admit, I'm with him. I'm with them all. I find myself watching this film at least twice a year, for a variety of reasons.
  Update 6/2/2022:  This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
  Update 6/3/2022:  Oliver Stone packed his cast with notables. I listed as many as I recognized, in order to make sure this role came up when any of them are searched individually. One notable cast member I did not insert in the Actor/Role table includes a non-actor who deserves to be mentioned: Jim Garrison played Earl Warren in this movie.
    

  Actorc	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kevin Costner	Jim Garrison	Kevin Bacon	Willie O'Keefe	Tommy Lee Jones	Clay Shaw/Bertrand	Laurie Metcalf	Susie Cox
  Gary Oldman	Lee Harvey Oswald	Jay O. Sanders	Lou Ivon	Sissy Spacek	Liz Garrison	Joe Pesci	David Ferrie
  Jack Lemmon	Jack Martin	Walter Matthau	Sen. Russell B. Long	Donald Sutherland	Mr. X	Ed Asner	Guy Banister
  John Candy	Dean Andrews Jr.	Sally Kirkland	Rose Cheramie	Tony Plana	Carlos Bringuier	Vincent D'Onofrio	Bill Newman
  Lolita Davidovich	Beverly Oliver	John Larroquette	Jerry Johnson	Ron Rifkin	Mr. Goldberg/Spiesel	Bob Gunton	News Anchor

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1991
    Directed by Oliver Stone.

Labels: bob-gunton, docu-drama, donald-sutherland, joe-pesci, laurie-metcalf, mystery1, oliver-stone, political2, presidential, sissy-spacek, tommy-lee-jones, vincent-d'onofrio

# posted by gail @ 20:35    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched: G [M was in the room looking at the TV for awhile, but not watching...she evetually napped.]
• Mentions: *1*
• 
  Commentary: It was on sale, I thought, sight unseen, I'd be glad I owned it...what can I say?!? I'm glad I watched it. It was one of the last few in a long line of Vietnam War movies (including the obscure) I make it a point to watch. I thought I'd want to watch this one more than once. Not really. I would have liked to have seen it when it first came out and Tom Cruise wasn't Tom Cruise. I think I would have appreciated his performance more. For some reason, as I watched this, I was continually reminded of Risky Business. I kept having to remind myself that it is based in 'truth' because it was acted for melodrama, which was distracting to the story. I doubt that I'll ever watch it again. I may pass it off to someone.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Tom Cruise	Ron Kovic	Willem Dafoe	Charlie	Kyra Sedgwick	Donna	Raymond J. Barry	Mr. Kovic
  Jerry Levine	Steve Boyer	Frank Whaley	Timmy	Caroline Kava	Mrs. Kovic	Cordelia Gonzalez	Maria Elena
  Ed Lauter	Legion Commander	Stephen Baldwin	Billy Vorsovich	Bob Gunton	V.A. Dr. #1	Lili Taylor	Jamie Wilson

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1989
    Directed by Oliver Stone.

Labels: biography2, bob-gunton, dramaD, oliver-stone, period6, political5, tom-cruise, war2, willem-dafoe

# posted by gail @ 18:54    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Did you know that the material in this movie is not only a book written by Stephen King, but inspired an opera, as well? I'm not surprised. The themes are sturdy, well-portrayed with a lack of sentimentality and an abundance of complication and so incredibly well acted and ever-inspiring: mother vs daughter, employee vs employer, wife vs abusive husband, community vs stalwart, self-protective woman. I swear, someday, when you and I are long dead, Stephen King will be considered the Shakespeare of our age.
    This movie has had a hold on me for years. I purchased it because I've checked it out of our library system so many times I believe I am partly responsible for the fact that at least one copy is always being "mended" by the staff. That's why I own it, now.
    There is only one aspect of the story with which I quibble: Dolores inheriting Vera's estate. On the one hand, she certainly deserves it, the inheritance places Vera in a kinder light, and Dolores' character certainly isn't changed by the news of the inheritance, although I suspect her circumstances are. On the other hand, you know, every time I watch this movie, I imagine Dolores not inheriting and realize, yet again, it wouldn't matter to the overall effect of the movie and the story. At any rate, it's a tiny quibble I have. Doesn't change my undying love for this movie, this character and the character of Vera.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kathy Bates	Dolores Claiborne	Jennifer Jason Leigh	Selena St. George	Judy Parfitt	Vera Donovan	Christopher Plummer	Det. John Mackey
  David Strathairn	Joe St. George	Eric Bogosian	Peter	John C. Reilly	Cons. Frank Stamshaw	Bob Gunton	Mr. Pease

  
    The Wikipedia write-up for this movie (not the opera, that's earlier in this post) is here.
    Release Date: 1995
    Directed by Taylor Hackford.

Labels: bob-gunton, christopher-plummer, david-strathairn, drama3, haunting1, jennifer-jason-leigh, journalism, period1, psychological1, taylor-hackford, tragedy1, women's-movie1

# posted by gail @ 08:55    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  Watched and bought this movie AMD
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  It seems that this movie was released a good year before Mom died, but I didn't hear of it or see it until a few years after she died. Aside from the fact that the story is a nail-biter no matter how many times I see it, it is pure pleasure for me to watch the astonishing, perfect chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, over and over and over and over ...
    I'm sorry my mother never saw this. Despite being a "pure soul", she loved a good murder mystery, which explains her addiction to Murder, She Wrote, the twistier the better. I also like a good murder mystery, but Murder, She Wrote wasn't twisty enough for me. This movie is.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Anthony Hopkins	Theodore Crawford	Ryan Gosling	William Beachum	David Strathairn	DA Joe Lobruto	Rosamund Pike	Nikki Gardner
  Embeth Davidtz	Jennifer Crawford	Billy Burke	Lt. Rob Nunally	Fiona Shaw	Judge Robinson	Bob Gunton	Judge Frank Gardner

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2007
    Directed by Gregory Hoblit.

Labels: anthony-hopkins, bob-gunton, david-strathairn, drama6, me-favorite2, mystery1, rosamund-pike, suspense2

# posted by gail @ 12:51    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  Although I don't normally 'force' my mother to watch movies I know she'll find unpleasant, even though most of this movie takes place in a prison and doesn't spare the detail, I 'forced' her to watch this movie, even the very difficult scenes. I told her, before I sat her down to watch it, that the movie was one of the most uplifting movies she is likely to watch, but in order to reap the full benefit, she must watch the entire movie, even the parts that are hard to watch.
    My insistence was worth it. The movie has become one of my mother's favorites, and she delights, now, every time she hears Morgan Freeman's voice, even in another movie, because she associates it with the surprises and pleasures of this movie.
    Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice. His initial review is linked to the title in this post in which the movie garnered three-and-a-half stars. Five years later it became one of his Great Movies and was racheted up to four stars. In his "Great Movie" review Ebert explains the disparity: that, in fact, he reacted much like the public did to this movie: finding the word "redemption" in the title off-putting from the point of view of theater watching, but, later, made the movie a phenomenon in the home video market. Read the article. It's interesting how he comes to this conclusion.
    I, frankly, don't remember whether I first saw it in the theater or on home video. The dating of this post tells me that I acquired it sometime in 2006. I may have seen it before that, or maybe not. All I remember, now, is that I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it, whenever that was. It is juicy with, well, forgive me, Roger, redemption, not something that one finds very often, in life or in the movies.
    Turns out, I own two copies of this movie, this stand-alone and another copy in the "Warner Brothers 20 Film Collection Thrillers". Which is good. I can either give one of the copies away or consider that I have a back-up if one of my copies decides to misbehave.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Tim Robbins	Andy Dufresne	Morgan Freeman	Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding	Bob Gunton	Samuel Norton	William Sadler	Heywood
  Clancy Brown	Byron Hadley	Gil Bellows	Tommy Williams	James Whitmore	Brooks Hatlen	Mark Rolston	Bogs Diamond

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1994
    Directed by Frank Darabont.

Labels: bob-gunton, clancy-brown, drama8, morgan-freeman, revenge1, shared-favorite, tim-robbins

# posted by gail @ 12:56    0 comments    email......this post