Mad Money (2008)

Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton) suddenly finds herself out of money and upper class home when her husband Don (Ted Danson) gets downsized from his company. Unable to find a job, and out of desperation, she takes a job as a janitor at the Federal Reserve Bank, and as soon as she lays eyes on the vast fortune sitting around locked in plain sight, she starts hatching a plan to liberate some of it.

Her ingenious and simple plan requires the help of two other people, and soon she persuades the reluctant Nina Brewster (Queen Latifah) and the ditsy Jackie Truman (Katie Holmes) to aid and abet her scheme to steal worn out bills before they get shredded.

All together now:

And the money kept rolling in from every side

Jackie's pretty hands reached out and they reached wide

Now you may feel it should have

been a conscience-pricking scheme

But that's not the point my friends

When the money keeps rolling in, you don't ask how

Think of all the people guaranteed a good time now

Bridget called the needy to her, opened up the doors

Never been a fund like the Federal Reserve Bank plan*

After a while, there are thoughts of calling it a day, but Bridget pushes hard for milking it for all it's worth.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1. The lack of money is the root of all scheming

2. People who live with poor spouses shouldn't clean banks

3. A dollar saved is a dollar earned

4. Don't throw the money out with the trash paper

5. Money changes everything

6. Two things are certain theft and taxes

This is a light hearted comedy about three women from different backgrounds who come together to pull off an unlikely heist from a secure facility. Undeniably, there are more plot holes than plot, but who's counting? There are some funny moments, and some interesting twists, and even though the movie mostly misses the mark, Keaton and Latifah are as good as always. Wait for it on cable.

*Based on "And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out)" Andrew Lloyd Webber "Evita"

Amanda Richards, March 21, 2008

Mad Money a brainy scheme of 3 women Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes try to smuggle millions of worn out currency that is headed for the Federal Reserve shredder. This movie is full of laughs and excitement and most of all lots of Mad Money. This in my opinion is a must see. I enjoyed these 3 actresses who are my favorite so much I now own it.

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This is a rare movie, where some of our favorite actors are involved in less than desired activities, and yet we found ourselves rooting for them. The movie is about three women in difficult situations, needing money and a change of perspective for their families.

Ted Danson delivers a great performance as the unemployed husband of Bridget, who not only lost his highly paid executive job, but is now depressed and confronting reality for at his age, he no longer feels confident enough to start again.

The three women work at what looks like Fort Knox, where money is disposed off by banks because it becomes too old to circulate. They simply shred millions every day. To support her family, Bridget, played by Diane Keaton, comes up with a rather ingenious plot that is both fun and believable.

In order to be successful in her plan to steal lots of money, Bridget enlists others. Nina, played by Queen Latifah, and Jackie, superbly played by Katie Holmes, become the other two in this trio of thieves. We found ourselves laughing, enjoying the suspense, and hoping that they get away with their creative money recycling business.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I thought this was supposed to be a comedy. While the movie was good, I wasn't laughing much. It's full of excitment but no so much on the laughter.

MAIN STORYLINE : When her husband loses his job, Bridget (Keaton) need cash fast. When she lands a job as a jaintor at the Federal Reserve Bank, her plan : steal money going out of circulation. She enlists the help of 2 people : 1. The one who shreds the money (Latifah) and the woman who pushes the carts of money around (Holmes).

PROS

1. Overall, it's a great movie

2. great Casting

CONS

1. Not so comedic

2. Unoriginal storyline The movie is a remake of the British movie "Hot Money"

3. No Subtitles.

I just felt the movie could have been funnier and the dvd to have subtitles. I like to read what I am hearing. And while the movies gets a thumbs up, because I didn't laugh so much at this "comedy", it's not worth the whole 5 stars

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Mad Money accomplishes its goal of treating a serious topic in such a light hearted way that you actually enjoy watching the film. The acting is extremely convincing and the plot moves along at a good pace. It held my attention every step of the way!

The action starts when Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton) finds out that she and her husband Don (Ted Danson) have finally gone broke after a year of his being unemployed after a "downsizing." Bridget tries in desperation to find work until her former maid gives her a tip that the Federal Reserve Bank is hiring--janitors. Bridget goes from being a wealthy suburbanite to a bank janitor very quickly as she attempts to save the house she has with her husband Don.

When she works at the bank, Bridget can't believe how much money she sees--and none of it, of course, is hers. They actually shred it! She soon concocts a plan to "recycle" some of the money and therefore steal it for herself and her husband. Yet Bridget knows she will need help; she can't do that big a job by herself. She eventually enlists "space cadet" Jackie Truman (Katie Holmes) who lives in a trailer with her husband Bob (Adam Rothenberg). She also gets help from an initially very reluctant Nina Brewster (Queen Latifah) who does the actual shredding of the money.

It isn't long before the women successfully make their first robbery--they pull it off! They're just beginning to celebrate when Bridget's husband Don walks into the room and there's some pretty big explaining to do. Bridget, no matter what, eventually convinces everyone with her aggressive attacks that more heists are necessary for them to have "what they want."

Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. What happens when a security guard finds out what these three women are doing--will he go along with them and join them or will he turn them in? What about Bridget's plans to spend the money--that doesn't sit well with Nina who wants it very inconspicuous that there's been any changes in their financial situations--will Bridget or Nina win the tug of war? What about the management of the bank and the people they call in as advisers about theft--will THEY catch on and find that these women are stealing? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch the movie and find out! The ending has a few plot twists that may surprise you!

The DVD comes with a commentary; and you can watch it in either widescreen or full screen mode. There's also a cute but very brief "making of" featurette.

Overall, while Mad Money is not exactly going to win best comedy of the year, it isn't bad either. I recommend this movie for a few light hearted laughs and the acting is splendid. People who like Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes and Ted Danson will enjoy this movie, too.

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Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead

If your job interview has the question, "Do you suffer from any blood vessel abnormalities, iron deficiencies, vitamin B-12 deficiencies and/or intravenous drug usage?" assume your boss is a vampire.

But in vampire movies, nobody ever figures out the bleeding obvious. And that's only the beginning for "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead," a clever little indie movie that combines vampire horror, Arthurian legend, romance, and Shakespeare's classic play "Hamlet." It's sly and clever, but things start coming unravelled at the end.

Julian Marsh (Jake Hoffman) is unemployed, unhappily single and deeply depressed, so his dad forces him to take a directing job. The play: "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead," by Theo Horace (John Ventimiglia). Julian gets his buddy Vince (Kris Lemche) a job as Hamlet; his ex-girlfriend Anna (Devon Aoki), who is now involved with a sleazy mafioso, is also cast as Ophelia.

It's glaringly obvious that Theo and his cronies are all vampires, and Vince suspects that something is undead in the state of Denmark. Julian (still hopelessly clueless) is contacted by a secret organization (which apparently has only one schizophrenic member) who reveal the horrifying truth of Theo's diabolical plans! Can he extricate himself and Anna from the play before they join the legions of the undead?

Vampire legend, the Holy Grail, Shakespeare's play, and the disturbing underbelly of New York theatrical life. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead" is a fun little black comedy -director/writer Jordan Galland was obviously having a lot of fun smushing these things together into one story.

The entire movie is filled with quirky, sly humor (Vince repelling vampires with garlic breath), fun running gags (professional hypochondriac Hugo Pepper), and the second half manages to insert a murder subplot where poor Julian is trying to escape the cops. And Galland manages to craft some fun, semi-realistic dialogue ("I don't think that's how a vampire would really [bite someone]," Julian lectures Theo).

Probems? Julian is kind of stupid, since he doesn't figure out that Theo and Co. are vampires even though it's FRICKING OBVIOUS. Also the Holy Grail is central because it can cure vampirism, but then the subplot is just made pointless (and a chunk of the plot with it). Wha?

Even if the character is dumb and skanky, Hoffman is a pretty endearing actor -he has that dorky, puppy-eyed charm that makes you cheer for him and hope that everything turns out all right. Aoki is rather wooden but okay, and Lemche is fun as Hoffman's overconfident gay buddy. As for Ventimiglia, he chews the scenery as the most cliched, obvious vampire you can imagine -and obviously he's having a great time!

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead" is a fun little movie despite subplots that come unraveled at the end. Quirky, weird and splattered with blood!

Shakespeare? Check.

Vampires? Check.

Holy Grail? Check.

Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies? Check.

This film is silly and enjoyable. A little slow to start, but once the principal characters are introduced, it gets rolling and is quite enjoyable (much more so than more lavish and polished productions featuring any one of those single elements mentioned above.

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Clueless (1995)

This new special edition is a definite improvement over the previous incarnation that had no real extras to speak of and so for fans of this movie it is definitely worth the double-dip. Watching these new extras is like revisiting the cast ten years later to see what they've been up to. They are done in the style of and maintain the same tone of the movie which is a nice touch.

"The Class of `95" examines how the film was cast. Heckerling talks about how she picked the actors. The main cast members, except for Silverstone and Jeremy Sisto, are all back to talk about how their involvement.

"Creative Writing" takes a look at the film's origins. The studio originally wanted Heckerling to write a TV show about an in-crowd group of teens but they didn't get it so she changed it into a movie.

"Fashion 101" examines the memorable costumes from the movie. What Cher and her friends wore reflected the personality of each character and ended up influencing what kids subsequently wore.

"Language Arts" is a crash course on the film's colourful slang. Heckerling had collected books and lists of slang over the years and incorporated it into the movie so that each character had their own way of speaking and favourite sayings that are now quoted endlessly by its fans.

"Suck `n Blow: A Tutorial" explains the party game that takes place in the film in an amusing featurette done during the production.

The challenge of shooting Dionne's driving lesson on the Los Angeles freeway is explored in "Driver's Ed." It was a logistical nightmare with all kinds of vehicles coming at the actors so that their scared reactions were genuine!

"We're History" features the cast and crew talking about what they think about the film ten years later. Not surprisingly, they are all proud of its legacy and how well it's aged.

Finally, there is a teaser and theatrical trailer.

This clever, modern retelling of Jane Austen's novel "Emma " was one of the best high-school theme films made in the past twenty years. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High"; "Look Who's Talking) spent a year in the lives of several teens at various high schools in Los Angeles to give the filmgoer a truly authentic look at life among the young social elites of Southern California.

Alicia Silverstone ("Excess Baggage"; "Batman & Robin") stars as Cher Horowitz, a young, hip teen residing with her lawyer father (Dan Hedaya) in Beverly Hills. Along with best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash of "Mo' Money"), the girls are the doers of social good deeds at their high school. Whether it is trying to play matchmaker for two lonely teachers (playwright Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan, who is also an executive producer of the film) or doing a serious make over for Tai (Brittany Murphy) a new, dowdy student from the east coast, Cher is the toast of the school among her peers.

However, playing matchmaker for others has made Cher realized that she too needs to find someone special in her life. Pestered by her ex-stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) in doping deeds that benefits others and not only herself, Cher discovers that what she truly needs is a spiritual makeover that will allow her to attain happiness and respect. Yet, she wonders why it bothers her so much on what Josh is thinking? As the story progresses, we discover that opposites attract and Cher has realized how "clueless" she was while looking for Mr. Right.

Wonderfully directed and casted,"Clueless" features some memorable performance by Julie Brown (as Ms. Stoger, the physical education instructor), Donald Faison (as Dionne's boyfriend Murray) and Justin Walker, as Christian Stovitz. Walker who plays his role with comedic sensibility is great and witty as the boy Cher has the hots for, although she has little knowledge about his background.

"Clueless" is one of the best films released in the 1990's due to his smart use of popular lexicon, icons, and attitudes that can be attributed to most American teenagers. This is Silverstone's greatest performance to date, seeing that most of her later works did not go well with critics or filmgoers. Although a television series based on the film was launched in 1997, it couldn't capture the charm, wit, and performances of this film. "Clueless" is a classic teenage film you can watch over and over again. It's destined to become a cult classic

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Why is it the best teen movie of all time? Because it was hip, and it was smart. There was no gross-out humor or slapstick comedy. It was a big movie with a big heart. It's really hard not to fall in love with this movie.

Loosely based on Jane Austen's "Emma" (LOOSELY), "Clueless" revolves around a ditzy rich girl name Cher, whose life consists mostly of cell phones, trips to the mall, a killer wardrobe, and tons of guys drooling over her. Her best friend is Dionne, who is just as superficial as Cher. One day, a new girl, Ty, comes to school and inspires a project for Cher. Project: Makeover! What begins as a selfish way to make Cher think she's doing something to help mankind, turns into a really sweet, funny film.

Alicia Silverstone is wonderful in this movie, and sadly has not found any good roles since. A shame, since she is genuinly a great actress. This is also where Brittany Murphy got her big start, as the girl in desperate need of a makeover. And who didn't have a crush on Paul Rudd, who played her "annoying" older ex-stepbrother?

If you haven't seen this film yet, then, well, I'm wondering why. It was at one point my favorite movie, and it's still high up on my list. It's charming, sweet, funny, and smart. If only other teen movies could take notes from this one. Then we wouldn't have to sit through these ridiculous ones they keep putting out all the time ("American Pie" springs to mind...).

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A wonderful up to date retelling of Jane Austen's, 'Emma'. Cher (Silverstone) has a privileged life, she goes to a great school and is popular along with her good friend Dionne (Dash).

She lives with her widowed father (Hedaya) and the only pebble under her perfectly manicured feet is her ex step-brother Josh (Rudd).

Cher loves to play matchmaker and can't resist the challenge when she meets the new girl in school, Ty, who isn't exactly 'popular' material at first glance. Having taken her under her wing and given her a complete makeover, Cher then tries to match her up with various boys.

This is alright until Ty takes a fancy to Josh and then Cher suddenly realises that she has feelings for him herself but who will get the man?

Silverstone is absolutely fantastic in this film. She handles the difficult role SO well and you can't help but really like Cher and want her to get the man of her dreams for all her obvious flaws.

Add a brilliant combination of comedy, both oneliners and visual, and the fact that it's literally such a colourful movie and you've got yourself a film that will leave you smiling for ages afterwards.

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The good news is that "Clueless" is witty and funny and doesn't sink into self-parody; the bad news is the rash of teen movies that followed and have consistently tried, and failed, to emulate its success. On the surface, the movie seems an homage to the materialistic snobbery of young America, but peel through the beaded curtains of shopping bags and Valley Girl-speak, and you'll find a light romantic comedy somewhere along the lines of, well, "Emma," the Jane Austen novel from which this movie comes.

This successful attempt to translate a classic into modern context doubles as an effective satire of the superficial teen culture generated on TV and in movies. You don't take these guys too seriously and because of that, the story is both fun and engaging. Cher, the pretty gum-popping, cell phone-toting heroine, loves clothes, boys, and her dad, in about that order. She manages everyone else's life just fine but is clueless when it comes to her own. Not only does she have to overcome normal teenage struggles like a doting dad, difficult homework, and rocky friendships, she's got to deal with matching her undergarments, dresses, and shoes, failing her driver's test, and falling in love with her ex-step-brother. Tough life, eh? But it's those little quirks along Cher's inflated path to self-discovery that make this movie such a gem. Her humorous approach and response to any situation immediately recalls Austen's Emma.

Critics can whine all they want about Alicia Silverstone, but she delivers a standout performance as Cher, giving her both brains and tenderness and giving us a character to care about. Cher is at once innocent, smart, sexy, compassionate, and mature. Silverstone is so convincing, she hasn't been able to escape her role. The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Dan Hedeya as her overprotective yet loving father. This movie is full of heart, fun, and laughs and one that will stand multiple viewings; it's not a guilty pleasure, just a pleasure.

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On the Double (1961)

After the success of his dramatic turn in "The Five Pennies", Danny Kaye returned to comedy at the tail end of his film career. Fortunately, "On The Double" is probably his last great film, a jaunty WWII intrigue-filled farce about a timid American soldier (Kaye) tapped by the military to serve as a decoy for a famous British Colonel (who's targeted for death by the Nazis) after it's discovered he's a dead ringer for the man. From there, poor Kaye fumbles through his role as the stakes get higher, involving himself in the Colonel's personal entanglements with his lovely but underappreciated wife (Dana Wynter) and amorous chauffeur (Diana Dors). As with Kaye's best films, this one relies on his special gifts for dialect, wordplay & rubber-faced timing. Just watch Kaye as he does his stuff in such hilarious comedy pieces as a military innoculation ceremony; a "dignified" ballroom complete with lost contact lenses, a wild Scottish dance, and food fight; and a climactic gag marathon of switching disguises to escape Germany.

Deftly helmed by notable director Mel Shavelson, its songs are supplied by Kaye's wife Sylvia Fine, and rounded out by a fine supporting cast (Wilfred Hyde-White and Jesse "Lonely Maytag Repairman" White). As with "Knock On Wood", Olive Films did a fine job of presenting this rare Kaye vehicle; the print is in good condition, and the colors vibrant.

Thanks for finally bringing this long-unseen movie to DVD!

On The Double, Wonderman and Court Jester are my 3 top favorites for Danny Kaye's hilarious comedy. I had a VHS taped version of On The Double from the television that was about 20 years old (low quality and full of commercials and cutoff about halfway) so I am very pleased to get the DVD version. The only things that would make the DVD release better is special features but I'm not complaining. Danny Kaye at his best! Look into his other films such as Five Pennies and White Christmas. Great, clean entertainment for the whole family.

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On The Double

Danny Kaye had a long and varied career as an actor, singer, and dancer with stops on the Broadway stage (Lady In The Dark, Let's Face It), radio and television circuit, and Hollywood film (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Court Jester). At one point, he had his own TV show, The Danny Kaye show, airing on CBS from 1963 to 1967 that won both Emmy and Peabody awards. He could perform songs with tongue twisting lyrics, many of which were written by his wife; his movie roles often contained plots featuring body doubles and cases of mistaken identity that induce gut busting laughter. The film under review, On The Double, is one of these.

Kaye plays an enlisted military man with such a gift for impersonation, he's entered into a secret program to impersonate General Laurence McKenzie Smith, who we're told is busy planning the D-Day invasion. Part of Kaye's comedy is his ability to deliver long lines in one breath: "How many times have I told you I'm on a sorb free fat free high protein low calorie low cholesterol diet, now what's so difficult about that?" Other times, in a pantomime routine he becomes, by turn, a German spy, a fighter pilot, a high society matriarch, and a Marlene Dietrich impersonator.

With his ranting, blathering, blustering, and knee jerk idiocy on display in this film, many people with time on their hands are likely to re-discover how good Danny Kaye was at providing slapdash entertainment. As Cary Grant once said: "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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So glad to be able to add this fun Danny Kaye to our film collection! Wonder where the rest of his classics are such as "Up In Arms", The Kid From Brooklyn", etc.... Please, please release them on dvd. We enjoyed "On the Double" very much as we had never seen it before it was a fun adventure. Subtitles/ captions would be, at the very least, a great addition to these newly released dvds for the price. Otherwise we enjoyed it very much.

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Rather silly premise of just 2 American soldiers posted to a British unit. (The British soldiers were clearly American.) Danny Kaye's character was over-the -top. Still, there were some funny moments, like the impossibly quick costume changes as Kaye's character tried to escape from the German soldiers, none of whom seemed able to catch or shoot him. This type of slapstick comedy would have looked better in the 1920s.

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Drillbit Taylor (2013)

Wade (Hartley), Ryan (Gentile), and Emmitt (Dorfman) are three nerdy kids in need of protection. School bully Filkins (Frost) has decided to make their lives a living hell. After about a week of dealing with this, they decide to hire a bodyguard. Constrained by money, they opt for Drillbit Taylor (Wilson), an ex-military man who is currently homeless and trying to make enough money to get to Canada. Drillbit is less than impressive though, and has to come up with a plan quickly if he wants to help the kids and himself as well.

"Drillbit Taylor" fits the mold of the Judd Apatow-produced films, albeit in PG-13 form. Think of it as Judd Apatow-light, and that is fine because he knows what makes good movies. Sweetness, likeable characters, and raunchy comedy make up the mix, and for "Drillbit Taylor", the raunchiness is toned back to give it a PG-13 rating. Wilson is very good as Drillbit, a con-man of sorts that really isn't that good at things. "Drillbit Taylor" is an amusing addition to the Apatow family of films.

I thought this movie would be hilarious because of Seth Rogen's involvement with writing the story but I was wrong. Owen Wilson is okay and you rarely get laughs from the teenage kids. Pretty much a Flop!

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Being in high school, I loved this movie. I think it was geared toward a teenage audience and most of the humor in it is meant for teenagers. If you are in high school, you will probably love this movie. Adults, maybe not so much.

The acting was excellent, and I liked the story line too. I thought it was overall a really funny movie that I plan on purchasing.

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Drillbit Taylor makes quite an accomplishment in that it is a PG-13-rated film that has the feel of last year's R-rated Superbad. Most of the vulgarity that made Apatow's previous venture inappropriately hilarious has absconded to unknown horizons, and Drillbit is left with utilizing more crafty means at achieving laughs. Not necessarily more intelligent, but certainly less crude, the similarly hilarious lead characters all find their perfect places in this consistently amusing comedy.

Three kids experience bullying at school by antagonizer Filkins, an emancipated student who revels in terrorizing smaller kids. On their first day at high school, Wade (Nate Hartley as the Harry-Potter-like scrawny kid), Ryan (Troy Gentile as the overweight kid with the never-ending ranting) and Emmit (David Dorfman as the kid-who-gets-shoved-in-a-locker) can't seem to evade constant humiliation at the hands of nemesis Filkins. Only able to take so much, the three decide to hire a bodyguard to defend them. In a riotous job-interview montage, the trio chooses Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson), an ex-black-ops and improvised weapons expert, who teaches them to stick up for themselves. During the process, Drillbit gets sidetracked with aggressive teacher Lisa (Leslie Mann) and the truth that he is nothing more than a homeless bum who yearns for the good life in Canada.

Drillbit Taylor, like Superbad, derives much of its humorous moments by forcing many continual little laughs. Quick jokes follow rapid slapstick to allow the audience to pick and choose what tickles their funny-bones. When some gags don't work, instant new ribs replace them so that no one can sit still for long. But most unique is the idea that the majority of the humor does not rely on crudeness, but the friendlier grounds of physical comedy (undergoing torment by bullies) and unexpectedly nonsensical dialogue (the love chatter between Drillbit and Lisa).

Again this comedy falls into the same storyline quicksand that plagues most recent comedies, which is allowing the conflict to become too serious. No one doubts the fact that the plot is absolutely ridiculous and that most of the concepts are exaggerated to the point of absurdity, but within this fantasy world of nerds and bullies, some things we hope to remain realistic. Things like vengeance against the bullies, getting the girls, and staying out of serious harm's way. These concepts are approached with little justice to realism, and so results in a conclusion that can only be as unlikely as the samurai-sword-wielding antagonist. That's not to say that any of it was intended to be faithful to the stereotypical perception of high school life, but most of it appears that way from the get-go.

"As long as you have a coffee cup in your hand, nobody says nothing," explains Drillbit, on his ease at infiltrating the school as a substitute teacher. And so as long as the humor remains appealingly gut-busting, no one questions the reasoning behind much of the juvenile antics. Where Superbad focused on nonstop sexual and gross-out humor, Drillbit stays refreshingly clean with its parody of the cool kids and the un-cool kids frequenting a typical high school. And (comedic) revenge against persecution is one of the most universally inviting themes to watch.

Mike Massie

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i and my famiy enjoyed and laughed and laughed and will watch agian since i bought it for a really good price on amazon digital

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Lymelife (2008)

I am still shocked that some reviewer wrote "laugh out loud funny" after seeing this film. Granted, there are moments where you might smile. But more than anything, this film is sad; depicting the genuine heartache that is wrought when a family falls apart.

Baldwin and Nixon both excellent actors are good, but not brilliant. I expected better. The acting performance of Emma Roberts is terrible that her aunt is Julia Roberts no doubt explains her being granted this role. Timothy Hutton, however, as the lyme-diseased, depressed husband who witnesses his wife's infidelity deserves the highest accolades. His performance in this film is flawless, portraying a man suffering from a disease that has rendered him incapable of functioning as the man he once was. I found his performance riveting and heartbreaking. Kieran Culkin is the next Sean Penn that is a given. His underscored performance as a love-struck, confused teen was excellent. And his brother Rory Culkin was also excellent. Hutton and the kids stole this film. I don't want to go over the plot but I do recommend this film. It is well-done, and well-acted....but it's not "laugh out loud funny" at all. Whenever children suffer, there is little to laugh at.

I admit that I picked this for viewing because of Alec Baldwin. The guy may have had his shares of troubles but he is quite a charismatic actor (well, in some movies more than others). Set in Long Island, N.Y., the time period is the mid-70s, and it also has two Culkin brothers in it. Rory Culkin portrays a 15-year-old, Scott Bartlett whose parents,real estate developer Mickey (Alec Baldwin in a wolfish and arrogant role) and passive mother, Brenda (Jill Hennessy) reflect the trappings of a successful life, but are not altogether happy in their marriage. Scott is however more concerned with the girl next door, attractive Adrianna (Emma Roberts of Nancy Drew) who sort of teases him, but has other romantic inclinations. Adrianna' mom, Melissa (Cynthia Nixon)works for Mickey, and portrays a long-suffering wife who has to deal with her Lyme-disease addled husband, Tommy (Timothy Hutton). Oh, and there's Scott's brother Jimmy (Kieran Culkin), who's on leave from the army.

The drama of the two families unfolds slowly, portraying the gradual unraveling of two marriages, whilst also delving into the sexual awakening of an adolescent boy who is tormented by his attraction to Adrianna, and also concerned about his parents' marriage. Rory Culkin does a credible job of playing the angsty teen, and grows on the viewer, eliciting one's empathy for the growing pains he goes through, without being overly melodramatic or sentimental. There's a good balance between the dark and light in this drama, and the ensemble cast does a great job in maintaining this balance, especially Alec Baldwin who plays true to type here.

The story is far from fresh or original,as there have been so many other movies made about dysfunctional families, and adolescence (one of my favorites is "The Squid and the Whale") yet it strikes a chord, and this is largely due to the heartfelt performance by Rory Culkin. Another well-made coming-of-age movie is The Education of Charlie Banks.

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3.4 stars

Ok, so it's a true story. The script is fair enough, direction too. The acting is uniformly decent, with Baldwin as usual stealing the show. The lead is likeable enough. So why didn't I enjoy this film?

Good question. Probably because it's just a little too realistic, meaning there's a lack of redemption, or whatever it is that makes art art and life not so art. I just found it all too bleak, in a very bland sort of way. Yes, the suburbs are full of deception and disappointment and dismay and d-everything. But that doesn't mean I want to watch them played out on screen...unless something really special and revealing occurs. And here, it doesn't.

Well done, but I'd recommend you watch American Beauty or Ordinary People or Kramer vs. Kramer or any of the many other superior suburban drams. Sadly, this one never gets there, despite good work all around.

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I expected a funny comedy, the DVD cover art says, 'Violently Funny,' 'Laugh Out Loud Funny, entertaining and moving,' 'Wonderful,' and 'Tender.' The film inside isn't exactly any of these things. It is a coming of age film set in 1979 with the backdrop of some incredibly dysfunctional adults. No, I'm sorry; I laughed a little at the beginning, but then was just left sad after the half way point passed.

The film starts off quirky and interesting. I love film that tries new things, sets up a different style, hides things from the viewer, and uses unusual music. All there in a wonderful mix during the first 30 minutes. At first I couldn't place the setting year (later in the film I discovered it is 1979, shown in a very pointed manner), so that was a bit unsettling. Two different families are shown and their relationship is unveiled slowly and wonderfully. There are a number of jokes that are genuinely funny. At about midpoint the film starts to devolve into lies, cheating, foul language, standard melodrama editing and filming, and the characters just become less and less believable and lose my connection with them (save the two lead characters, best friends Adrianna and Scott).

Sadly as this film lost my interest, I started to notice horribly sloppy editing and continuity. Normally these things just pass by, I enjoy a film, I'm engrossed in the story, and continuity, unless grossly bad, just slips past. Not here, the story line got so bogged down that I started noticing all these problems. I noticed way too many cuts where somebody would have their hand up to their mouth and an immediate reverse cut with their hand down; cigarettes that change length immediately; or facial expressions that change too quickly during a cut.

The cast. Rory Culkin (yes he has a famous brother) as Scott was good, as a more or less clueless teenager. Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) as Adrianna was radiant, and did a wonderful job just snotty enough to her best friend Scott, and then just exactly nice enough. Alec Baldwin as Scott's father, was a pig, pretty much as he always plays he was a mix of Schwetty from SNL and his 30 Rock character. Jill Hennessy (Law and Order, and Crossing Jordan) as Scott's mother was decent. She was a little bit crazy, a little bit caring mother. Cynthia Nixon Adrianna's mother (Sex and the City) was sometimes amazing, sometimes just awful her New York accent slipped in and out a lot. Timothy Hutton as Adrianna's father was just so dirty looked like he never washed his hair the whole time. Bottom line, its more or less an all star cast. There wasn't a lot of chemistry between these characters, except Scott and Adrianna.

The film was too long by a good 30 minutes. The first 30 minutes were excellent. The last 15 were very well done. There was 45 minutes where the film kind of lost its way.

The film is rated R. There are sensuous moments with no nudity; a fair amount of strong language; and s small amount of violence. This film might be acceptable for slightly younger viewers. The themes are somewhat mature.

The DVD includes a fairly long list of bonus features. The alternate ending is just plain awful. I've never seen a DVD where the alternate is 19 minutes, where 18 minutes was exactly the same as the original film. There is 20 seconds that is new or different. The voice over with the director and a few others is just plain annoying. Clearly the director loved the script written version that is the alternate. Frankly, this is a huge waste of time, the released ending is exactly the right ending. There are a series of deleted scenes. Again, I had a hard time seeing what is different, other than extensions of what was included in the released film.

I was disappointed by this film. There are much better coming of age films. Adventureland, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Almost Famous come to mind. My expectations were maybe set too high, this is a coming of age film with a depressing back story.

Want Lymelife (2008) Discount?

I can finally see why the critics and audiences on Rottentomatoes.com alike gave this film 58% and 50% respectively for Lymelife. Like American Beauty, Lymelife is about the difficulties and growing pains of growing up in the suburbs. The problems is, too much of this film seems to have been carbon copied from American Beauty.

There is nothing wrong with filmmakers getting inspiration from another previously successful movie, especially one that has won so many accolades and acclaim as American Beauty. But Lymelife was trying too hard to derive the hell of suburban lifestyle, the growing pains of teenage youth, and difficulties of a marriage falling apart--all of it was taken directly from American Beauty. Even the ending was derived from American Beauty! Couldn't Derick Martini come up with a better ending?

A few acting performances do stand out to keep this movie from getting too predictable and lame. Rory Culkin as Scott Barlett, a teenager who is going through the usual growing pains of being a teenager, put on a solid performance. Timothy Hutton was good as Charlie Bragg, a man who has lyme disease, and had the unfortunate luck of witnessing his wife have an adulterous affair with her boss. And Adam Scarimbolo played the role of Scott's bully very well. But it is not enough to save Lymelife.

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