Adams Movie Reviews

I enjoyed Comedian for the glimpse of the not-so-public side of Jerry Seinfeld. I admire him for not taking the path of least resistance after his TV show ended. He could have gotten lazy and soft, making the occasional appearance on Leno and People magazine and otherwise doing not much of anything. Instead, he chose to throw away all his old material and undergo the apparently painful process of developing new routines and then polishing them in front of audiences. This film allows you to watch as the jokes don't work, as routines are completely forgotten onstage, as the audience talks and yells through his performance, and as he waits, alone, backstage, a bundle of nervous insecurity and doubt, before his performances. It does not look easy.
The other part of the film that warrants comment is the striving young comic Orny Adams whose struggle to become known is contrasted with Seinfeld, whose enormous popularity precedes him. The contrast is that Seinfeld is generally a very likable guy with a lot of warmth and humanity. His humanity shows not only during his act but offstage, as he speaks to people on the street, is respectful to everyone around him, and listens when other people talk. Orny Adams, by contrast, is a titanically
self-obsessed, massively irritating, bug-eyed motor-mouthed bore. He goes on and on about how talented he is. He complains that even though he is so talented he has to lower himself to actually perform in a comedy festival in Montreal. He obsesses about "what people in LA are saying about me right now...what deals are being made?". He displays for the camera all the notebooks full of jokes that he has written as evidence of the astonishing sacrifices he has made for his career. Excuse me, aren't you a comedian? Your job is to write jokes. Don't expect a medal because you did your job. The most telling and damning moment regarding Orny comes when an acquaintance comes backstage and gives Orny some outstanding advice, i.e. stop being so stridently ambitious and arrogant and let your work speak for itself, and as soon as the guy leaves the room Orny
dismisses the guy as a string of unprintable obscenities.
I realize I have spent a lot of my review focusing on Orny Adams. The film itself is interesting. Seinfeld is a very funny and talented comedian with enormous integrity and a huge work ethic. Orny Adams is profoundly unlikable, maniacally self-absorbed, and he makes me retch. Message to Orny: Go away.

"Comedian" may be a little hard for some viewers to take because it was shot entirely on a handheld digital camera in some of the darkest locales (NYC pubs, nightclubs, penthouses) known to man. But if you can pay attention long enough, and ignore the motion sickness induced by the camerawork, you'll find that "Comedian" is a riveting, almost dramatic documentary about the greatest living comedian (certainly the most successful one) who intentionally goes back to Square One with his comedy routines. Why do it, especially when money for Seinfeld is no object? That's the driving theme of the movie, and the great mystery of it.

Seinfeld is, of course, Seinfeld, always charming, always elusive, though a lot more candid here than in any of his other incarnations. He allowed the documentary cameras access to a great deal of his personal process, showing us that developing good comedy is as much work for a millionaire superstar as digging a ditch is for the average joe.

"Comedian" contrasts Seinfeld's struggle for 20 minutes of decent material with the equally up-hill battle waged by unknown comic Orny Adams, who is fueled by ego and a desire to become rich and famous. Orny isn't necessarily bad, it's just that he wants the fruits of success without first slugging it out in the trenches. One gets the feeling that Orny, if he were ever as successful as Jerry Seinfeld, would never go back on the comedy club circuit, but simply rest on his laurels. That, indeed, may be the reason he fails.

"Comedian" is valuable because it is, in the end, about work. Sure, Seinfeld has it a little easier than the rest of us trying to make ends meet -- his t-shirts alone probably cost more than I bring home in a year -- but it's inspiring to see a genius of his level work so hard to maintain his own integrity.

Also: BRING OUT "SEINFELD" EPISODES ON DVD! ENOUGH WAITING! Thank you.

"Comedian" chronicles Jerry Seinfeld's return to the comedy club circuit after dismantling his sitcom in 1998 and retiring his well-honed live routines in the HBO special "I'm Telling You For The Last Time."

And though the documentary has lots of stand-up comedy, as well as appearances by comics such as Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Robert Klein and Bill Cosby, this is not really a concert movie. It's actually a glimpse into the business of entertaining and the process behind making an audience laugh. "Comedian" is a funny movie, but it's really more about the humor of anxiety and self-doubt than punch lines.

Shot on digital video by Christian Charles (who directed Seinfeld's snappy American Express commercials) and crammed with excellent jazz and pop music, the movie follows Seinfeld and a young comic named Orny Adams as they hit the road, work on new material and perform on "Late Night With David Letterman." Adams -- keyed-up and hypersensitive -- doesn't fare as well as Jerry but given that he's sharing space in a movie with one of the most popular television personalities in history, he kind of has the deck stacked against him.

And yes, Seinfeld, after being out of the spotlight for a while, does remain an interesting personality, even more so when caught on a relatively candid camera (Jerry curses?). His backstage conversations with Leno, Cosby, Rock and Colin Quinn reveal a guarded camaraderie, and fans who spent a significant chunk of the '90s chuckling at the misadventures of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine will probably find it amusing that Seinfeld still actively worries he'll bomb in front of a crowd.

But for all Seinfeld's agonized fretting over writing jokes and winning the audience's approval, anybody who puts in 40-plus hours a week at an office probably won't find much sympathy for a guy who has been given hundreds of millions of dollars doing the very thing he loves to do.

Nevertheless, "Comedian" is a sharp, insightful, wry and occasionally stinging piece of business.

I used to love Woody Allen's work, and I had expected great things from this movie. Unfortunately for me, I was disappointed. The humor is too juvenile to even be called childish. Yes, I do realize this movie was made 30 years ago, when the sexual standards were more conservative, but 30 years later I'm having problem understanding what's so funny about these situations.

Don't listen to Adi's review, calling the film "juvenile"
Adi should watch some of today's teen exploits to find a true juvenile movie.
This film was far beyond its time, and is a SPOOF, like many comedies. If you don't believe most of the reviews, just rent it first........have a few drinks, and you'll laugh hard......

this is the one movie that made me "discover" the talent of Woody Allen, and I'm glad I did.

This is the funniest Woody movie, hands down. With seven stand alone skits each answering a question, my personal favorite happening to be "Why do women...?" It's a movie to watch over and over again. A movie with perversions, gigantic body parts, and sheep. If you like Woody or if you hate Woody, this movie is for you.

HOW COULD SOMETHING SO TASTELESS, LEAVE SUCH A BAD AFTERTASTE? WATCH THIS BEYOND BAD MOVIE AND FIND OUT. IF THEY'LL PUT THIS ON DVD. REST ASURE THEY'LL PUT ANYTHING ON DVD. SO DON'T WORRY IF THAT CERTAIN DVD TITLE YOUR LOOKING FOR HAS YET TO COME OUT. THIS GIVES HOPE FOR ANYTHING.

Teenager Johnny Dingle (Andrew Lowery) always wanted to date his long time Crush on the Beautiful-Missy (Traci Lind) by taking her to the Prom. But when he saves her life from Gunpoint from a local General Store. After Johnny dies and then unexpectedly he comes back to life & still wants to take her to the Prom! but Johnny has to eat the living to stay alive!

Directed by Bob Balaban (Parents) made a wonderful, dumb, fantasy-comedy that was a Misfire on the Release in the Summer of 1993. Lowery gives a likeable performance in this film. This film has an terrific supporting cast, including:Edward Herrmann, Mary Beth Hurt, Austin Pendleton, Jay O. Sanders, Cloris Leachman, Matthew Fox & Philip Seymour Hoffman. This might be a forgetten gem & this could be a Camp Classic. DVD's has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) and an good-Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. Written by Dean Lorey (Jason Goes to Hell:The Final Friday) & Produced by Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13th, House, The Last House on the Left). Watch for Matthew McConaughey & Renee Zellweger as Extras. Grade:A-.

I couldn't believe when I first read that this wonderful, witty, funny movie is on DVD. I now finally own it on DVD and it's just fantastic. The picture quality is really good, the sound is beautiful-no complaints. I'm so happy with it. Now some people might think that this is a silly, maybe even cheesy movie, but it's quite the opposite.The casting is perfect, I wouldn't change a thing. I absolutly LOVE TRACI LIN or is credited as Traci Lind with a d. Every film I see her in I love, She is just spectacular. She really is one of the best actress' of her time. I hope and pray that Fright Night 2' gets a DVD release. The storyline in this film is just charming and one of a kind.Johnny Dingles love for Missy McCloud is sweet and believeable. The end sequence is the cream of the crop. This is one of those films where you just feel good. There's a good feeling about this film. And it delivers on all fronts.

There are only two reasons to watch this poorly done remake of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man...Kristen Chenowith and Debra Monk, as Marian and her mother. Their performances raise this drab remake above the total disaster arena. Mathew Broderick is completely wrong for this role. Having seen him onstage in two wonderful performances, I expected him to be very good. Unfortunately, he's barely adequate. Much of the cast is too young for their roles and they aren't good enough actors to overcome this poor casting. Ms. Chenowith, however, is delightful with her wonderful singing and acting performance. Debra Monk matches her every step of the way as her pushy mother. If you want to see The Music Man done well, then get the 1962 version, but skip this one. I gave it 3 stars, only because it looks great when played.

I was very excited about a new version of the Music Man. I thought with better sound and video technology that I would be seeing a fantastic remake. While I did not expect this movie to be an exact replica of the original, I was very disappointed that the producers chose to make the new version so different. Many of the characters are so dramatically different that the new version lost much of what made the original so funny, which were the over-the-top characterizations.

For a start Matthew Broderick was miscast. He is a great actor but I can't see him as Harold Hill, the lovable rogue. Broderick is lovable but definitely not roguish. Marian is supposed to be practical and intelligent. She was played too mushy and emotionally by the otherwise excellent Kristin Chenoweth. Shirley Jones characterization of the staid and sensible Marian was more true to Willson's intent.

The Shinns are supposed to be very over-the-top. They were both too normal in the new version. Tommy and Zaneeta were both too bland.

Too many members of the cast were simply too young, such as the school board members. River City is supposed to represent an average small town in Iowa, circa 1912, the kind creator Meredith Willson grew up in. The new River City just didn't seem all that realistic. It also had a multiracial cast, which was out of place. While celebrating diversity is a good thing, it is historically inaccurate in this movie. Even today, small towns in Iowa are mainly white. While the Music Man is supposed to be an exaggerated portrayal of small town life, I found this a bit too exaggerated.

But my main issue with this new version is that lacks the fun and enthusiasm of the original. If you love the 1962 version you probably won't care for the new one.

I'm not usually a big fan of musicals, but I absolutely loved this new version of The Music Man! I really don't see how some people think that the 1962 version is much better -- I have seen both versions recently, and the old one just didn't turn me on like this remake does. It just seems rather antiquated and outdated to me in comparison to the 2003 version. But since I'm a member of the younger generation (the 1962 version came out 13 years before I was born, and I'm 28 now) maybe my age has something to do with my preference as to which version I prefer. But I think that while some people might prefer the 1962 version for sentimental reasons, it really can't hold a candle to the 2003 version.

Anyway, I fell for this movie hook, line and sinker. I bought the soundtrack not long after the movie came out on TV, and I listen to the CD quite often. I also want to get a copy of the movie when it comes out on video. The 1962 version never got me excited enough to want to buy the soundtrack or film, but this one has.

While most of the dialogue, characters and songs are the same, there are some distinct differences between the two versions. One of the main ones is that most, if not all, of the actors and actresses in the 2003 version are all younger than those in the old version. But I think that that adds to the appeal of the film, especially for one aimed at younger audiences. Also, the main meeting place in town is the Ice Cream Parlor, not the Candy Kitchen, and Marcellus Washburn lives in the hotel, not the livery stable. But these differences make the film no less delightful, unless you're an absolute stickler for the original.

Everything about this film is fantastic! The props, sets and costumes are very authentic and charming, especially the ladies' hats and dresses. The musical score is just as good as, if not better, than the original version. The emotions of the characters, especially the developing romance between Marian and Professor Hill, are portrayed much better. In the old version, the depths of their love is not as obvious until almost the end of the film.

The actors and actresses in the film were perfect for their parts. Matthew Broderick did a fantastic job as the smooth-talking, quick-thinking con artist, yet showed a tender side as well. I had no idea he could sing so well until I saw this movie, and I thought he had a wonderful singing voice. Victor Garber was very funny as Mayor Shinn, and Molly Shannon was humorous as Mrs. Shinn. Cameron Monahagn was an adorable little Winthrop, and he had a charm that Ron Howard, who played the same role in 1962, didn't have. Cameron Davis made a much better Zaneeta than the girl who played it in the 1962 version did -- she wasn't ditzy and giggly (something I found rather annoying about the old Zaneeta), yet she was still delightfully girlish. And Clyde Anders (I belive that was his name) was just right for the part of Tommy Djolies.

My favorite character was Marian, played by Kristin Chenoweth. Kristin made an awesome Marian -- she has a gorgeous singing voice for that character, and combined with the dazzling score, her pretty face, and her beautiful outfits, she's an unforgettable portrayal of Marian Paroo. I love it when she sings,"My White Knight" and "Lida Rose" with the quartet. My favorite song in the whole movie is when she sings, "Till there was You," with Matthew Broderick. I like the way it's sung in this movie because both Marian and Professor Hill sing together, whereas in the old version only Marian sings this song.

I liked the ending of this film much better as well. In both versions, the boys' band, dressed in full uniform, comes marching out of the schoolhouse. But in the 1962 version, the scene rapidly goes from a few kids in uniform to a huge marching band of nameless adults, which seems to have too many players for a tiny berg like River City. But in the 2003 version, you see the boys' band playing on Main Street, marching along with all the other characters from the town, which seems much more fitting and gives a sense of community pride.

One of the best things I liked about this movie is that it's CLEAN! This is one movie you can enjoy with your kids without having to worry about fast-forwarding through anything. This film is positive proof that we can make films in the new millineum -- with top-notch stars -- that provide not only decent, but delightful entertainment. I highly recommed this one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and think Minnie Driver was perfect for the role...not really a beautiful woman, yet able to pull it off through pure determination. I found the pagent behind-the-scenes of vicious women smiling and winking for cameras and judges while all the while wanting to rip each other's throats out really amusing and well done. I did not think this movie was stupid at all - it was entertaining. It was funny and it had a good moral to the story. I had to rewind and replay several times the scene where these little girls watching the pagent on television ask "what just happened?" and their mother is crying into a hanky and explains to them in long feminist and existential terms. Really funny.

This was a pretty good movie -- Mona has wanted to be a beauty pageant winner her whole life. The movie starts with 20 minutes of her childhood in 1986, when she first meets her best friend Ruby, a shy sweet girl, and her grandmother. Mona finds the love they show her disconcerting after the harsh hardscrabble life she endures at home with her mean mother and awful stepfather.

The movie then fast-forwards to Ruby and Mona as adults and roommates. Mona has had a little girl Vanessa but has passed her off as Ruby's child in order to enter beauty pageants that require women not to have children. Mona's ambition is so great that she is completely self-centered.

But then Ruby undergoes a tragic obstacle at work, and for once, Mona has to be there for her and Vanessa. But can she, and still be Miss America at the same time?

The acting is well-done, and Sally Field's direction is great. Minnie Driver is good as Mona, both piteous and funny, especially when she looks for someone to "save" so she can make front-page news like one of her competitors. Colleen Rennison as Mona (age 12) is a wonderful actress, and captures Mona's turmoil to be something no matter what. She could give lessons to Hallie Kate Eisenberg, who just screams throughout the entire flick as Vanessa.

Title: Beautiful
Rating: PG13

Imagine you worked all your life for something, such as a career. But when you get there you think you've failed but you really haven't . well that is what this story is about. A young women named Mona that worked all her life toward being Miss American Miss, but she had a child and she thought her career was over.
I think this story has a good plot. Because it deals with a lot of courage and inspires others not to give up on their dreams. there are three main characters in this story. Which are ,Mona which is the main character, Vanessa, Mona's little girl, and Mona's best friend, Ruby.
This story is mostly about a young women who didn't give up on her dream. Even though they looked helpless. And she depended on her best friend to help her accomplish her dream. Mona's parents were not supportive of anything Mona did. so Ruby came into the picture sort of like a mercy angle. Ruby helped Mona almost the whole way through. But it came to the point where Mona had to do it on her own. Will Mona win the pageant alone? The directors chose on the backgrounds and the outfits was excellent! Anyway I think this movie is the best movie ever made! And I highly recommend it to anyone who has a dream.And I think only middle school and up should be aloud to watch this film. Because of the rating which isPG.13.Mostly because of language.
I will end My review with a question for you to think about. If you where just about to catch your dream but it would hurt someone to make it happen, what would you do?

I give this one star because I'm way more bent out of shape than the previous poster -- the theme songs and intros WERE THE WHOLE REASON I BOUGHT THIS DVD TO BEGIN WITH! Let's face it, none of these cartoons were well-written or animated like the classic shorts of the 20s-40s, they basically serve the sole purpose of being boomer-nostalgia. Lacking the parts we all remember best, this DVD is stripped of all charm. My baby girl even hates this stuff, so the DVD is totally worthless as nostalgia or entertainment for kids. Wish I'd have read the reviews before buying this. Don't waste your money.
One last thought: I'm Jewish and that earlier post about these cartoons being anti-semitic is one of the stupidest things I've ever read in here. Hate this DVD for being a crappy rip-off, but let's not fabricate bigotry where none exists.

The quality of picture and sound are excellent, but because the cliffhanger episodes are chopped up and are not matched up with their theme songs, it is very cumbersome to navigate. It would have been much better had they kept the episodes in tact as they were origionally seen. Also, no person in their right mind should find Underdog offensive. The cartoon series is gentle and fun and being a teacher of small children, I wish children today had shows like this to watch on television!

I recall as a child watching every episode of Underdog.
my favorite episodes were the one's with Simon Barsinister and Riff Raff.

also, as a Jewish person I see nothing anti-Semitic or racist in any of the Underdog episodes.

the politically correct person who referred to Underdog as "racist/anti-semitic" is obviously the type of individual that probably sees everything as racist in society.

in my humble opinion, Underdog was nothing more then a very entertaining cartoon for kids that was basically a spoof of superman with Sweet Polly Purebred representing Lois Lane.

Well as much as I love everything that Kevin Smith is associated with this was not that funny and just over all boring. I kept wondering. And before I knew it I forgot that I was watching the movie. If you are a Kevin Smith fan just borrow it from a friend and don't waste your money.

This movie has a great cast, you'll recognize SEVERAL View Askew regulars. The dialogue is interesting, the special features are informative, and the plot is just completely BIZARRE. I have watched it twice, so that has to say something...worth the buy for View Askew fans and supporters.

... I actually like it. I'm bordering on loving it, its only a matter of time and viewings. Maybe I'm just too big of a Jason Lee fan to not love this movie. In the first few minutes of was inclined to agree with my View Askew bretheren that it wasn't the greatest film ever made, but then Carmen started climbing over the welfare desk and I said "I've gotta watch this a little more". I'm glad I stuck around, very glad indeed. The second Jason started dancing with the Sasqautch, I said "this is one of the greatest movies ever!!" I don't know what it is, but that moment is hilarious. I nearly fell out of my chair. I'm serious. So, in short I finished watching it and I have come to like it more and more each time I have seen it. It has a certain inescapable charm. I don't care what anyone else says. If you like View Askew and you like Jason, you should, I repeat should, like this movie. I can't garauntee it. Rent it if you are in doubt. Its worth at least that.

Interesting, differnt yet honest look inside a marriage of 6 years. This is the first time I have seen Alan Cumming play a "normal man" and I was quite impressed. He is such a versatile actor, who thought he could be so convincing as a husband. Also the first time I have seen Phoebe Cates in an adult role. She is v. good also.

I'll admit, I'm not picky when it comes to movies. I like to be entertained in general. However, I am picky with the movies in which I choose to watch over and over again. Anniversary Party is tied at #1 with Good Will Hunting for movies I just never get sick of. I always laugh at it and adore their clumsy yet comfortable relationships.

Great actors. Fantastic script. Leaves you with a smile, even though it's not all fun and games.

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming wrote, directed and star in this riveting, engrossing, and believable study of marriage. Taking place over the course of one night, "The Anniversary Party" is a serio-comic, sometimes scathing inspection of a group of friends. Joe and Sally Therrian (Leigh and Cumming) have a party to celebrate several important junctures in their marriage: their sixth anniversary, their decision to start a family and their reconciliation after a yearlong separation. They have invited their closest friends, their past and current temptations, and (to avoid a lawsuit) their contentious neighbors. An unexpected gift sends the party spiraling out of control and unleashes an explosion of painful confessions. The celebration becomes a scorching dissection of a marriage on the brink. Leigh and Cumming wrote the movie for their friends to star in; it was shot in 19 days in one location, using digital video cameras.

"The Anniversary Party" was clearly conceived to be an actor's movie, an opportunity for Leigh and Cumming's circle of friends to stretch out, dig in and show what they can do, and every performer rises to the occasion. The picture has the relaxed feel of an actors' exercise, but one that's interesting every moment. There are slack patches in the writing here and there, but the players whisk you through them so artfully that you barely notice them. It's rare to see an ensemble so consistently on the mark: Even when they aren't doing much, they're a joy to watch. Cumming plays a British novelist with a few hits under his belt; he's about to take a shot at directing his first movie. Leigh is his wife, a high-strung but respected film actress. The couple have just reconciled after a yearlong separation, and they've decided to celebrate their sixth anniversary with a party at their glamorously austere Los Angeles home; they're also trying to conceive a child. That simple premise sets the stage for the latent conflicts between Cumming and Leigh to rush to the surface. It also allows for the gradual unfurling of the multitentacled relationships each of them has with the guests at the party -- many of them other couples. One couple, Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey, are the pair's tense business managers, overtly anxious about Cumming and Leigh's shaky finances and subconsciously anxious about their own wobbly marriage.

John C. Reilly is a successful, respected film director -- Leigh is starring in his latest movie and, it appears, simply phoning in the performance, much to his frustration. Reilly's wife, Jane Adams, is a nervous, birdlike actress who has just given birth to the couple's first child and is trying to keep her career going nonetheless. Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates play married actors who are also busy raising a family; Kline is still working (starring opposite Leigh in Reilly's film), but Cates, who is Leigh's best friend, has retired from acting to raise the couple's two children.

The other party guests include Gwyneth Paltrow (wonderful), a big star who has agreed to star in Cumming's movie, which is a grand coup for him; Denis O'Hare and Mina Badie as the couple's meddling, lawsuit-happy neighbors; Jennifer Beals as an old friend of Cumming's of whom Leigh is bitterly jealous; and Michael Panes as one of the couple's random pals, a gifted violinist and self-acknowledged Peter Sellers look-alike.

The all-star cast and crisp, bright dialogue alone make "The Anniversary Party" a "trip" worth taking. It is brilliant every step of the way.

Interesting, differnt yet honest look inside a marriage of 6 years. This is the first time I have seen Alan Cumming play a "normal man" and I was quite impressed. He is such a versatile actor, who thought he could be so convincing as a husband. Also the first time I have seen Phoebe Cates in an adult role. She is v. good also.

I'll admit, I'm not picky when it comes to movies. I like to be entertained in general. However, I am picky with the movies in which I choose to watch over and over again. Anniversary Party is tied at #1 with Good Will Hunting for movies I just never get sick of. I always laugh at it and adore their clumsy yet comfortable relationships.

Great actors. Fantastic script. Leaves you with a smile, even though it's not all fun and games.

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming wrote, directed and star in this riveting, engrossing, and believable study of marriage. Taking place over the course of one night, "The Anniversary Party" is a serio-comic, sometimes scathing inspection of a group of friends. Joe and Sally Therrian (Leigh and Cumming) have a party to celebrate several important junctures in their marriage: their sixth anniversary, their decision to start a family and their reconciliation after a yearlong separation. They have invited their closest friends, their past and current temptations, and (to avoid a lawsuit) their contentious neighbors. An unexpected gift sends the party spiraling out of control and unleashes an explosion of painful confessions. The celebration becomes a scorching dissection of a marriage on the brink. Leigh and Cumming wrote the movie for their friends to star in; it was shot in 19 days in one location, using digital video cameras.

"The Anniversary Party" was clearly conceived to be an actor's movie, an opportunity for Leigh and Cumming's circle of friends to stretch out, dig in and show what they can do, and every performer rises to the occasion. The picture has the relaxed feel of an actors' exercise, but one that's interesting every moment. There are slack patches in the writing here and there, but the players whisk you through them so artfully that you barely notice them. It's rare to see an ensemble so consistently on the mark: Even when they aren't doing much, they're a joy to watch. Cumming plays a British novelist with a few hits under his belt; he's about to take a shot at directing his first movie. Leigh is his wife, a high-strung but respected film actress. The couple have just reconciled after a yearlong separation, and they've decided to celebrate their sixth anniversary with a party at their glamorously austere Los Angeles home; they're also trying to conceive a child. That simple premise sets the stage for the latent conflicts between Cumming and Leigh to rush to the surface. It also allows for the gradual unfurling of the multitentacled relationships each of them has with the guests at the party -- many of them other couples. One couple, Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey, are the pair's tense business managers, overtly anxious about Cumming and Leigh's shaky finances and subconsciously anxious about their own wobbly marriage.

John C. Reilly is a successful, respected film director -- Leigh is starring in his latest movie and, it appears, simply phoning in the performance, much to his frustration. Reilly's wife, Jane Adams, is a nervous, birdlike actress who has just given birth to the couple's first child and is trying to keep her career going nonetheless. Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates play married actors who are also busy raising a family; Kline is still working (starring opposite Leigh in Reilly's film), but Cates, who is Leigh's best friend, has retired from acting to raise the couple's two children.

The other party guests include Gwyneth Paltrow (wonderful), a big star who has agreed to star in Cumming's movie, which is a grand coup for him; Denis O'Hare and Mina Badie as the couple's meddling, lawsuit-happy neighbors; Jennifer Beals as an old friend of Cumming's of whom Leigh is bitterly jealous; and Michael Panes as one of the couple's random pals, a gifted violinist and self-acknowledged Peter Sellers look-alike.

The all-star cast and crisp, bright dialogue alone make "The Anniversary Party" a "trip" worth taking. It is brilliant every step of the way.

The review by the Beverly Hills psychiatrist below is a classic example of some PhD jamming the plot contrivances of a hokey Hollywood script into a set of pop shrink principles learned in Psych 101. What a hoot! Anybody who reads the book will see that the screenwriter was just trying to fit a difficult, multi-layered story into pat Disney formula, not grasp for Higher Meaning. As it is, the film is a huge disappointment: Where the book was acute and subversive and clear-headed, the movie is dull, reactionary and blubberingly sentimental. This is strictly filmmaking-by-the-numbers. Director Diane Keaton pushes all the same buttons Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky: She avoids depth and ambuiguity for calculation and apparent niavete. The amazing thing is that Prozac-dispensing Brainiacs like Dr. Beverly Hills buy into all this hooey. Or maybe it's not amazing at all.

The previous reviewer from Tempe, Ariz. seems to be one of those film studies majors who has never set foot in a bookstore. The book was hysterically funny and full of all sorts of deeply-felt observations about life and family. The film is a sugary confection made for mass consumption that insults viewer and reader alike with its reliance on knee-jerk sentiment and silly capers. What an opportunity missed! The book was dark and subversive, the apaptation is honeyed and hackneyed.

This review refers to the DVD edition(Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment) of "Unstrung Heroes"......

In the mood for something just a little different? Try spending some time with Michael Richards and Maury Chaykin. They're about as different as you can get. They are Danny an Arthur Lidz, the two very eccentric brothers(not too far removed from Richard's 'Kramer' character on "Seinfeld")who take in their young nephew Steven when things at his house are a little tough to take.

Steven Lidz has always been a bit different from the rest of the kids, this no doubt due to the fact that his father is a bit of an eccentric himself.He is learning to deal with his father's way of life, but when he learns of his mother's terminal illness it's more than he can handle and runs away to stay with his uncles. Uncle Danny and Uncle Arthur are not the ideal choice for baby-sitters, but may be able to teach Steven and his father what's important in life.

The story based on a book by Franz Lidz(the now grown Steven), set in the 1950's, will evoke many emotions. It is touching, at times poignant, sometimes funny, but most of all, I found it to be very heartwarming. It a story of love and family.

Diane Keaton directs this emotional film, and gives us a look at her terrific behind the camera talents.Richards and Chaykin are perfectly cast in the roles of the uncles. Nathan Watt plays the young Steven(Franz) and holds his own with seasoned veterans Andie MacDowell and John Turturro as his parents.The music by Thomas Newman is as moving as the story, and was nominated for an Oscar.

The DVD is a good buy for the price. It has a nice clear picture, with good color and is presented in widescreen.The sound in Dolby Dig Surround(stereo) is very good.It may be viewed in French and has subtitles in Spanish only.There are no other features.

For a few smiles, a few tears, and lots of love, check this one out and enjoy.....Laurie