The Astronaut Farmer

Amazon.com

If you can give The Astronaut Farmer the big, bounding leap of faith it requires, you'll probably enjoy this good-natured film about the importance of holding on to your dreams. The title character (and the dreamer in question) is Charlie Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), a Texas ranch owner and former aeronautics engineer who's got a homemade rocket in his barn and a dream to blast into space. Even though Charlie's deeply in debt and threatened with foreclosure, his wife (Virginia Madsen) and kids are deeply supportive of Charlie's Earth-orbit mission, even when he attracts the glaring attention of a seasoned Air Force colonel (played by Bruce Willis, in an uncredited role), the FAA, the FBI, and the national media. "If we don't have our dreams, we have nothing," says Charlie at a particularly desperate impasse, and this loopy, offbeat, and unabashedly sentimental drama embraces that message with disarming sincerity.

Suspension of disbelief is a challenge when the movie glosses over so many of its logistical details (like, where does one buy an old NASA space capsule?), and in trying for a kind of Capra-esque, eccentrically Western spin on the American dream, the Polish twins--director Michael and cowriter/actor Mark (making their mainstream debut after such indie hits as Twin Falls, Idaho and Northfork)--are only marginally successful in making Charlie's ambition genuinely believable. The film works much better as a kind of post space-age fable for families, and it's just involving enough to make its climax emotionally rewarding, mostly because Thornton, Madsen, and their costars (including Bruce Dern and Tim Blake Nelson) handle the delicate material with the earnestness it needs to be marginally convincing. Elton John's "Rocket Man" is predictably heard over the closing credits (accordingly, Charlie's launch-time is "zero hours, nine a.m."), and at a time when several adventurous entrepreneurs (including Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos) are gradually developing a civilian space-flight industry, The Astronaut Farmer is an admirable yet forgivably flawed reminder that we should never stop reaching for the stars. --Jeff Shannon

Description

All systems are "Go" for Charles Farmer. He's faced bank foreclosure, neighborhood naysayers and a government alarmed by his huge purchase of high-grade fuel, but now he's ready to blast into space inside the homemade rocket he built in his barn. Just be home in time for dinner, Charlie. Billy Bob Thornton portrays Charlie in this charmer about chasing dreams...and about what it means to be a family. 10,000 pounds of rocket fuel alone can't lift Charlie into the heavens. He needs a launch/recovery crew, and he has one of the best: his wife (Virginia Madsen) and children, dreamers all. They have liftoff. Our spirits have uplift. Gravity cannot hold down our dreams. The Astronaut Farmer is that kind of movie.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Outtakes

Customer Reviews:

Houston, We Have a Series of Problems.......2007-09-14

I have become more and more skeptical of movies over the years, mostly because of the political agendas attached to them in one form or another. This one had just a touch of that (a quip about not finding WMD's), but that wasn't the main reason my snoozer got in full gear almost before the opening credits were finished.

It would take some real skill to make the story of a farmer flying his own space rocket believable enough to keep a person's attention. This film doesn't have it. The characters come across as mindless lunatics, folks you would rather see incarcerated for their own protection rather than your next door neighbors. Most farmers struggle to balance their books just making a living, yet this guy can build million-dollar machines before almost losing the farm. The story doesn't flow well, and tries to force a climax on the viewers who are already mezermized by the film's stupidity. Sorry, but I would not recommend spending your 2.99 to rent this film, and if you care at all about wasting money certainly don't buy it.

The Polish Brothers Shouldn't Do Mainstream Hollywood Films.......2007-09-08

"I have a dream!" Those words echoed by Martin Luther King and the multitude of followers have since become a mantra for many. And there's nothing wrong with having a dream. Following it, though, can lead to problems. Especially if that dream is expensive, dangerous, maybe a bit psychotic, and possibly illegal ...or all four.

When a man named Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton, The Ice Harvest) from Texas wants to blast a space rocket out of his barn and into orbit, one might think "cool idea." But how far can one man's dream go before it becomes a damaging obsession? Damaging to his life, his family's life, and maybe even the nation.

Charles' family shares his dream, a kind of mass psychosis, about launching a private rocket (with Dad at the controls) into outer space. His wife Audie (Virginia Madsen, Sideways) supports him undyingly but has her doubts about him ever launching the rocket. His eldest son Shepard (Max Thieriot) will be his mission control, and his two young daughters Stanley (Jasper Polish) and Sunshine (Logan Polish) worship their father's dream in an almost biblical sense. But when foreclosures, FAA regulations, and the wavering support of his town develop, Charles must take drastic measures. Nearly killing himself with his first attempt, Charles' dream of spaceflight fades and with it the man and all those around him. His wife realizes what must be done, for without the dream her husband no longer exists.

Being a HUGE Polish brothers fan (Northfork is one of my all-time favorite films), I expected much from identical twins Mark and Michael, but they sadly disappointed me with THE ASTRONAUT FARMER. Plot and story are rapidly slashed in order to keep the movie moving forward, giving the entire film an unrealistic feel. There's no hallelujah moment (although the film would have you believe there is) simply because there's no way the watcher could get behind the characters and care about them with a story that didn't allow you to get and remain close to them.

This is the Polish brothers' most mainstream Hollywood film to date, with well-known actors and actresses at the top of their game (Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, Tim Blake Nelson, etc.) but Hollywood cookie-cutter cutout film making doesn't seem to jive with Michael and Mark Polish's style. Their previous movies (Northfork, Jackpot, Twin Falls Idaho) have focused specifically on the minutiae of characters and events, giving their films a surrealistic feel. The Astronaut Farmer is more direct and thus loses much that has made the Polish boys an underground success.

I'm hoping that the brothers get back to what they do well; that is, making movies that extend beyond the mainstream. Although I could see a few Polish brothers details in The Astronaut Farmer (specifically the names of characters which are paramount to the story ...Shepard, Farmer, Sunshine, etc.), there were too many other problems that destroyed this unfortunate film.

BIG Disappointment.......2007-09-07

Slow, tired, predictable. I would expect that the screenplay could have been written by a 14 year old (if I had done it, I wouldn't admit it!) Worst movie I've seen Mr. Thornton in.

Great Sleeper.......2007-09-06

I didn't know much about this movie but it turned out to be a great family movie. It started out real slow but it was nice to see a well thought out movie. It will make you laugh out loud.

All dreams are not interesting.......2007-09-06

The reviewers of Ebert and Roeper liked this movie. I agree the movie has some cool scenes. When Billy Bob brings his ex-NASA pal to the barn and turns on the lights on the rocket, it was a really cool scene. Another scene is when Billy Bob was sitting in front of the rocket at night, drinking a beer and meditating on the rocket. Another cool scene is the successful take-off. They did a good job with it. The crash wasn't so good. The message of following your dreams no matter how bizarre is ok. The trouble is that a rocket is a dangerous thing. Men sometimes have to make choices and live with them. Mr. Farmer(Billy Bob) decided to drop out of the astronaut program because of a death of a family member. I agree with Bruce Willis's character here: you made the choice and you have to live with it.

The other negative of the movies is that it too slow and too quirky. A guy rearing a spacesuit riding a horse is a unusual sight, but it doesn't make for an interesting movie. It was hard for me to sympathesize with Farmer. I can relate to his dream, but I would have taken the space shuttle option without a second thought. It would have been safer for everybody involved and yet, he would have gotten into space.

I guess what summarizes the movie the best is the final scenes when "Farmer" is on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Yes, he would have been an unusual guest, but was this an interesting 3 or 5 minutes of my movie viewing time? Jay Leno interviewing a fictional guest? It was pretty boring. The movie just sort of fizzles at the end.

Average customer rating:

Good christian drama
A good read for young women - plus movie version
no show
not 19th century, but well worth watching
great movie

Love's Abiding Joy
Starring: Erin Cottrell , Logan Bartholomew , Frank McRae , William Morgan Sheppard , and Drew Tyler Bell
Director: Michael Landon Jr.
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000ICLRJS
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Description

Directed by Michael Landon, Jr., this fourth installment in Janette Oke's beloved "Love Comes Softly" series is now a satisfying, heartwarming feature. Following a treacherous journey West, Missie and her husband have set up a homestead where they've begun to raise a family. And now that a railroad line connects the states, Missie's father is able to visit. But when the joyful reunion is interrupted by tragedy, the faith and love of this family is once again challenged in a story you and your family will never forget.

Customer Reviews:

Good christian drama.......2007-08-23

I loved the first movie of this series and I enjoyed this one. Missy is now grown up and has a family of her own. But one of her children dies and she has to cope with the tragedy. Her father and family help her do this. And one of her sons finds a romance with the mayor's daughter, Colette (Mae Whitman). Mae Whitman is such a good actress, and hasn't she become so grownup and a beautiful young women? She's come so far since her previous films as a child star. She really grew up. You would not remember her at all from her earlier work. She was really good in "Theif."

A good read for young women - plus movie version.......2007-08-14

This is the fourth book in the Love Comes Softly series. I ordered the first three in the series on a hunch that they would be good since they have been made into movies. I ordered these for my 15 year old daughter to read through the summer. I also ordered the DVDs. My daughter is not an avid reader so I had to twist her arm a bit to read these. I am glad they were interesting to her and had good life lessons in them. I would have her read aloud to me and we would discuss what was happening in the story. This was also her first time to see that the book and the movie is often very different. We are still readig the series.

no show .......2007-08-10

This was my disabled mother's dream to find this movie and has been searching for a couple of years. When the movies was put in DVD Player there was no movie it was blank. The Dvd was also put in many other Dvd players and was blank. Amazon also doesnt make it easy to return especially if you do not own a printer to print the return labels

not 19th century, but well worth watching.......2007-07-13

This movie was a good finish to the 4-part series. While it placed some 20th and 21st century values in a 19th century setting, it's a wholesome movie with a good message...do what's right, even though it may affect your friends because right is right. I think Dale Midkiff's character (Clark Davis)kept things on track for the family in this film.

great movie .......2007-05-15

This is a great movie you should get all of them> I really liked them. When i was done i shared them with my best friend and also my mother.

Average customer rating:

flicka
Bankable
flicka
Horse mad kids will love this one.
Annoying characters

Flicka
Starring: Tim McGraw , Maria Bello , Alison Lohman , Ryan Kwanten , and Daniel Pino
Director: Michael Mayer (VI)
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000LV63MW
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

Can a wild horse with a bad attitude and a not-quite-wild but pretty darn sullen teenage girl with a bad attitude be the best things that ever happened to each other? Though we guess the answer pretty early on in Flicka, it doesn't diminish the feel-good family film one bit. The film is a remake of the 1947 My Friend Flicka itself based on the bestselling (and still riveting) novel by Mary O'Hara, and starring a young Roddy McDowall as the aimless teen hero. This 2006 update changes the hero to a heroine, Katy (Alison Lohman), though the dynamic is similar, and in some ways makes the appeal of the film broader. After all, young girls love their horses, and Katy's moxie and determination, as she opens her heart to the wild filly, a touchingly and humanly conveyed. As Katy struggles with her relationship with her gruff dad (given an excellent performance by country star Tim McGraw), she finds she can gain confidence and be the person her father wants her to be--solely by being herself as she connects with Flicka the horse. The cinematography is stunning, and showcases a part of America that once was seen and celebrated often in films, and lately so rare as to be precious. --A.T. Hurley

Beyond Flicka

Flicka Family Classics Collection
My Friend Flicka (Paperback)
Flicka Soundtrack

Stills from Flicka

Description

Sixteen year old Katie McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) is a headstrong and determined teenager trying to find her way in life. Katie forms a bond with a wild horse she names Flicka. Despite pleas from her father (Tim McGraw) not to ride Flicka, Katy sets out t

Customer Reviews:

flicka.......2007-08-28

I ordered this for my granddaughter and watched it with her and I can attest that it is good clean entertainment for the family. She and I enjoyed it very much.

Bankable.......2007-08-11

"Flicka" (2006) bridges several sub-genres, unfortunately it is one of the weakest examples of each. It's a horse movie (the original is better, as are "National Velvet", The Horse Whisperer" and for that matter most episodes of the Saddle Club and "Spin & Marty"). It's a 'wild mustangs as a metaphor for the changing West" movie ("The Misfits" and "Billy Jack" do it better). It's an overwrought coming of age melodrama (countless other films do this better as well as most of the stuff you find playing on Lifetime).

It's also an Alison Lohman film and in all fairness contains one of her best performances. Lohman is always excellent and in "Flicka" she is given a lot to work with and handles it all quite well but the scripting and editing are so weak that her strong performance (and nice supporting work by Maria Bello and Ryan Kwanten) cannot turn this thing into a quality film. You might notice that neither the two screenwriters nor the director have been involved in any feature productions since the release of the film.

"Flicka" was a major release (over 2900 theaters in the U.S.) and turned a profit at the box office. I credit shrewd packaging by the film's producers as they focused from inception on insuring that the project would be bankable. They incorporated elements that pre-sold the film beyond its target audience of pre-teen girls. Tim McGraw was cast to bring in his large fan base, Kwanten was counted on to draw a fair number of teenage girls into the multi- plex, and there are so few live action family films in 2006 that it tapped into this under-supplied market.

Although Mary O'Hara's beloved children's book (My Friend Flicka-previously adapted into two feature films and a television show, is credited) it would be more accurate to say "inspired by" rather than "adapted from". The original's ten-year-old hero has been changed to a 16-year-old heroine named Katy McLaughlin (Lohman).

I normally rant a bit when an older actress is cast as a teenager but Lohman is the Mary Pickford of her day and with her cute face and freckles still looks physically believable playing a teen. Her new look for the film, long curly hair-dyed dark, makes her look a lot like Kari Russell (insert "very Irish" here). In this remake it's totally Katy's story (in the original the parents had a more central role) and is told from her point-of-view. She even does a short voice-over commentary to begin and close the film. Normally this POV stuff leads to viewer identification and connection, but the scripting and directing works against Lohman and you stay distanced from her character.

Katy is mega-headstrong, uncomfortable and bored at her boarding school but at one with the wilds of her family's horse ranch in Wyoming. Her father is grooming Katy's older brother Howard to eventually take over the ranch, clueless about Howard's desire to escape and about Katy's affinity for the place. She is the chip-off-the-old-block, not her brother.

The title character is a two-year old black mustang mare that is a source of conflict between Katy and her father for most of the film. While the movie looks pretty the thin plot, the poor sequencing, and absence of "genuine" emotion" doesn't add up to a particularly satisfying viewing experience.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

flicka.......2007-08-09

Hi well to start I was excited about watching this movie cause it looked a lot like dreamer which I enjoyed. BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! Katie is selfish and has a bad attitude which never gets better throughout the movie. The characters are allways yelling at each other. And Katie is also dumb and tries things whith Flicka that get her hurt and in trouble. I hated this and so did my Mom but my Dad strangely liked it. Anyways this is one of those love it or hate it movies. And I personally hated it. Well gotta go hope this was helpful Brooke.

Horse mad kids will love this one........2007-07-25

I couldn't stand this movie, but my horse mad daughters loved it. As an adult I couldn't sit through five minutes but the girls watch it over and over again. My daughter rates this film as "I just love it, mum" and she goes and watches it AGAIN!! So I give it 4/5 on her rating. Not for adults but its a great one for kids.

Annoying characters.......2007-07-17

This movie should carry a warning about all the whining and arguing contained in it. Why on earth a smart horse like Flicka didn't have enough sense to run for the hills, away from this dysfunctional family is beyond me. I for one have had it up to here with smartalecknowitallkidteachesdumbparent movies. At least in the original movie, Roddy McDowall was respectful to his father. The character of Katie in this movie is just obnoxious. The whole family could benefit from some counselling. The scenery and horses are beautiful however.

Average customer rating:

"I wish I knew how to quit you???"
Awesome movie
A movie you must watch
Excellent Movie
A bittersweet film

Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Heath Ledger , Jake Gyllenhaal , Randy Quaid , Valerie Planche , and David Trimble (III)
Director: Ang Lee
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JOFQ
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Amazon.com

A sad, melancholy ache pervades Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee's haunting, moving film that, like his other movies, explores societal constraints and the passions that lurk underneath. This time, however, instead of taking on ancient China, 19th-century England, or '70s suburbia, Lee uses the tableau of the American West in the early '60s to show how two lovers are bound by their expected roles, how they rebel against them, and the repercussions for each of doing so--but the romance here is between two men. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two itinerant ranchers looking for work in Wyoming when they meet and embark on a summer sheepherding job in the shadow of titular Brokeback Mountain. The taciturn Ennis, uncommunicative in the extreme, finds himself opening up around the gregarious Jack, and the two form a bond that surprisingly catches fire one cold night out in the wilderness. Separating at the end of the summer, each goes on to marry and have children, but a reunion years later proves that, if anything, their passion for each other has grown significantly. And while Jack harbors dreams of a life together, the tight-lipped Ennis is unable to bring himself to even consider something so revolutionary.

Its open, unforced depiction of love between two men made Brokeback an instant cultural touchstone, for both good and bad, as it was tagged derisively as the "gay cowboy movie," but also heralded as a breakthrough for mainstream cinema. Amidst all the hoopla of various agendas, though, was a quiet, heartbreaking love story that was both of its time and universal--it was the quintessential tale of star-crossed lovers, but grounded in an ever-changing America that promised both hope and despair. Adapted by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana from Annie Proulx's short story, the movie echoes the sparse bleakness of McMurtry's The Last Picture Show with its fading of the once-glorious West; but with Lee at the helm, it also resembles The Ice Storm, as it showed the ripple effects of a singular event over a number of people. As always, Lee's work with actors is unparalleled, as he elicits graceful, nuanced performances from Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway as the wives affected overtly and subliminally by their husbands' affair, and Gyllenhaal brings surprising dimensions to a character that could have easily just been a puppy dog of a boy. It's Ledger, however, who's the breakthrough in the film, and his portrait of an emotionally repressed man both undone and liberated by his feelings is mesmerizing and devastating. Spare in style but rich with emotion, Brokeback Mountain earns its place as a classic modern love story. --Mark Englehart

Description

Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping epic that explores the lives of two young men, a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection. The complications, joys and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver emotionally charged, remarkably moving performances in "a movie that is destined to become one of the great classics of our time" (Clay Smith, The Insider).

Customer Reviews:

"I wish I knew how to quit you???".......2007-09-16

Too many people focused on the supposed homosexual content. To my dismay I could not figure out what all the big fuss was about. I emphasised with these characters as I or anyone who has ever been in a relationship could feel their pain. Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the one who wants to throw it all out there and go for it, he's not afraid to say 'I Love You'. Ennis (Heath Ledger) is reserved and can't allow his head to follow his heart. That sounds awfully like traits that heterosexual people have too. Ang Lee does an absolutely fantastic job with his character's development and the astounding scenery in which this all happens. The bond that both of our lead characters have is truly beautiful and pure. 1963, mid America, work is scarce and two farmhands are hired to tend to sheep on a remote mountain. I believe everybody who hasn't seen the film know the rest. The character driven story is held by a tremendous young cast of actors. Gyllenhaal puts himself up there to become a great leading man in Hollywood, Anne Hathaway has become the new Reese Witherspoon and in time assuming she stays on track will become a leading force. Michelle Williams has left James Van Der Beek crying into his Pillow back in Dawson's Creek as she has now come into her own. Finally Heath Ledger, by far one of the most powerful performances he has ever produced. A complex, engrossing portrayal, Ennis presents himself as a more conventional male stereotype than Jack, so the tension between his masculinity and his sexuality is all the more demanding. A career best from nearly the whole cast.

Awesome movie.......2007-09-16

This is a very awesome movie, I watched it six times in the first week of having it.

A movie you must watch.......2007-09-08

An excellent movie I think.
I believe in love and I believe that what you are watching here happens all the time all over the world.
I think it's important that our world gives more importance to this four letters RAVE (respect appreciate value everyone) Because this movie is acctualy telling us the possible results of someone who is not ready to be trully himself because of the fears of the society.
Hope you like it as much as I do.
It's kindda sad at the end but very good movie though.

Excellent Movie.......2007-08-31

The picture is good. Because its what is about.(the cd case cover)
And in the movie, its great. because the screenplay and everything else is good. So, I give a 5 star. It also has closed caption which I am hearing impaired, so its A+. Because every single word as every in the play of what they talk about.

A bittersweet film.......2007-08-23

This film left me all depressed and pissed off. I just felt like jumping into the screen and kicking everyone's a$$ until they saw some reason. It really was frustrating. That said, I absolutely loved this film. Its fairly slow moving, but never boring and it will break your heart. Every time I think of it, it still frustrates me. But it ended as it should have and I applause the wonderful Ang Lee for daring to do somthing different for once.

Desert Hearts (Two-Disc Vintage Collection)

Average customer rating:

Love that behind the scenes extra long love scene
A MUST HAVE FOR YOUR COLLECTION!
brilliantly groundbreaking in various ways
A refinement of an already fantasic film
great movie

Desert Hearts (Two-Disc Vintage Collection)
Starring: Andra Akers , Dean Butler , Patricia Charbonneau , Denise Crosby , and Katie La Bourdette
Director: Donna Deitch
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OVLC0W
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in 1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education, she moves into a ranch belonging to Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) and tries to keep to herself. But Parker's beautiful, sassy tomboy of a stepdaughter proves to be quite a distraction, and a love affair slowly blossoms. Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) refuses to be bound by convention or by expectations of how a nice girl should behave, and her devil-may-care attitude both attracts and terrifies the nervous professor.

Shaver is terrific as Vivian, and the slow thawing of her character is beautifully paced--you can feel the tension break when she finally lets down her guard. Another strong performance comes from Audra Lindley as Frances. She's a tough old bird with a drinking problem, but Lindley keeps the character from descending into stereotype, and she gives full rein to the tragic side of this lonely woman, especially as she struggles with her reaction to the developing relationship between Cay and Vivian.

There are scenes in Desert Hearts that would be painfully clichéd if they appeared in a heterosexual romance, and even here they only just escape that fate--relying a little too much on significant glances and lines that just don't sound like real conversation. Nevertheless, first-time director Deitch breathes new life into a standard straight-arrow-meets-free-spirit plot, and steadfastly refuses to turn this love story into an "issues movie." Add to that a strong feel for the period and a soundtrack filled with the likes of Patsy Cline and Gene Vincent, and the result is a warm, well-acted film that packs a real emotional punch. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

Love that behind the scenes extra long love scene.......2007-09-05

What's better than watching the sex scene in Desert Hearts? Watching the extended version with behind the scenes footage. That alone makes it worth it to buy the movie again. The interviews with the actors make it even more entertaining. I love Helen Shaver's comment about knowing that she'd never have to sleep on the streets with all those lesbian out there ready to take her in. You can stay at my place any time, sweetheart!

A MUST HAVE FOR YOUR COLLECTION!.......2007-08-05

I saw this movie at the theaters about 6 times when it first came out and lord knows how many times when it was out on video. I snatched up a copy of the DVD as soon as it was released and then just got the 2-disc version!

A great movie - from the location, the era (and accuracy of everything - down to the clothing and music).

I just read an article in the latest issue of Curves Magazine (Sept '07) all about Desert Hearts and there IS a sequel in the works. Donna Dietch mentioned how it would take place in the late 60's-early 70's - altho Kay and Vivian would not be the "main" characters of the movie - altho they'd be in it. (Personally I think they've aged a bit in the last 20 years to come across being only 10 years older in the sequel!) She hasn't started work on it - but it IS in the planning stages! Too bad we all had to wait 21 years for that news!

Sadly two of the movie's co-stars wouldn't appear in a sequel - Audra Lindley (Frances - Kay's step-mom) and Andra Akers (Silver) - have both passed on. May they both rest in peace knowing they contributed GREATLY to a wonderful film!

brilliantly groundbreaking in various ways.......2007-08-05

Lesbians and queer women everywhere can, and should, rejoice at the re-release of Desert Hearts (1985) in a 2-disc vintage collection set. A cult classic, Desert Hearts is one of the first full-length feature films premised on a lesbian love story. Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), an established English professor, travels to Reno for a quick divorce from her husband where she meets Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), a casino change-girl with a flair for white satin cowboy ensembles. Their attraction to each other is more than just platonic, and it is this growing sexual tension between the austere and staid English professor and the carefree and passionate casino worker that drives the film.

The focus on the sexual tension between Vivian and Cay is the film's most significant difference from its source, Jane Rule's novel The Desert of the Heart (1964). The centerpiece of the novel is not Vivian's relationship with Cay, but her consciousness as she grapples with her life in its transitional state. Formally, this struggle is represented by the use of free indirect discourse and internal monologue, both of which function to reveal Vivian's confusion and fear about the new direction of life and of her feelings for Cay. The director of Desert Hearts forgoes direct representation of Vivian's internal struggle and, instead, lets the camera do the talking: the film is filled with silences, which are intended to be profound and palpable, but which are inherently unreadable.

It is this unreadability--this uncertainty--that makes the love scene terribly unnerving. The scene begins with Cay forcing her way into Vivian's hotel room in order to discuss their relationship. When Vivian returns from making herself a drink she finds Cay naked in bed, the white sheets drawn to her navel, her breasts exposed. Vivian asks Cay repeatedly to "put on [her] clothes and leave," but Cay ignores her request and, instead, predicates her actions on her interpretation of Vivian's thoughts. She believes she knows exactly what Vivian wants, even if Vivian claims to want the opposite.

In her commentary, director Donna Deitch claims that she wanted to create the "requisite amount of emotional connection" necessary for the climatic love scene. But this connection is artificial; Vivian here reacts more like Patty Hearst than a consenting adult. In the end, the two spend hours in bed together, and the message is "No means Yes--with a little coaxing." This is where the film's deviation from the novel's primary theme of self-discovery to one of seduction is of consequence because seduction itself is a fraught category. Seduction is not a "bad" thing--like Cay, we all have, or have wanted to, seduce an English professor or two. But it is the exhilaration of seduction that also renders it dangerous: assumed emotions, forced thoughts and crossed boundaries. This film is brilliantly groundbreaking in various ways, but one has to wonder if it also has paved the way for current cinematic representations of the "monstrous" lesbian.

A refinement of an already fantasic film.......2007-07-18

I first saw the Desert Hearts when working at a Blockbuster In my hometown. It was VHS and I was hungry for some education in independant films. Based on this and a fondness for Hellen Shaver's work I took it up and was blown away. It was a well constructed romance and showed what could be done outside the studio system that always hedges it's bets.
Years later I purchaed it on DVD on single disk listed on AventGarde cinema. It was a clear printing and had some audio comentary by the Director and the theatrical trailor. Based on the age of the film in relative terms I thought it would be the end of the line and would be the best we could get. BOY WAS I WORNG.
The new two disk set listed as Vintage Collection is as good in picture and sound quality and is much inproved with a more deconstructive and insightfull audio comentary by Donna Deitch. The extended love scene promised is not so much voyeristic as instructive as to how you might shoot a love scene. It shows the many vantage points and actor and director input.
I was happy to see an interview of the two main actors done in 2007 and how they discussed the ways the film changed and enhanced their repective works after the fact.
MORE IMPORTANTLY THE DIRCTOR TOLD HER VIEWING AUDIENCE IN THE COMMENTARY THAT THE IS WORKING THE SCRIPT FOR A SEQUEL AND IT SHOULD BE OUT SOON!!!!!
This is a must buy for lovers of independant film and a good love story.

great movie.......2007-07-12

I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the music that was in it. The love scene between Cay and Vivian made you feel like it was your first time making love to a woman. I could watch this movie over and over again.

Average customer rating:

An Unfinished Life
A VERY GOOD MOVIE! REDFORD AND FREEMAN!
Stoic Erosion
An Unfinished Life
No Classic, but Not Worthy of the Disregard the Studio Displayed

An Unfinished Life
Starring: Robert Redford , Jennifer Lopez , Morgan Freeman , Josh Lucas , and Damian Lewis
Director: Lasse Hallström
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000E5KQOQ
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Amazon.com

Much like the late Rodney Dangerfield, some films just can't get any respect. Shelved by Miramax for two years, An Unfinished Life was released with little fanfare between Morgan Freeman's Oscar win and Lasse Hallström's higher-profile Casanova. Despite critical praise from some quarters, the heartland drama got lost amidst the shuffle. The title comes from the epitaph of Griffin, late son of Wyoming rancher Einar (a rumpled Robert Redford). Between chores, he looks after ranch hand Mitch (Freeman), who was mauled by a bear the year before. One day, daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez) and granddaughter Griff (Becca Gardner) drop by the ranch unexpectedly. They're on the run from Jean's abusive boyfriend, Gary (Damian Lewis), back in Iowa. "I don't want you here," Einar states flatly--he blames her for Griffin's death 12 years ago--but the look on the kid's face convinces him to relent. While Jean works as a waitress in town and embarks on a tentative relationship with Sheriff Crane (Josh Lucas), his newfound granddaughter helps to take care of Mitch. Just as the four are starting to form a loose-knit family, Gary comes looking for Jean and upsets the delicate balance. It may pack fewer surprises than the superior What's Eating Gilbert Grape and the bear symbolism may be a mite heavy-handed, but the deeply unfashionable An Unfinished Life deserves a second chance to find an audience. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

From the acclaimed director of CASANOVA, CHOCOLAT, and THE CIDER HOUSE RULES ... Academy Award(R) winners Robert Redford (Best Director, ORDINARY PEOPLE, 1980) and Morgan Freeman (Best Supporting Actor, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, 2004) star in this powerful story of risk and redemption. Stoic and heartbroken, Einar Gilkyson (Redford) quietly lives in the rugged Wyoming ranchlands alongside his only trusted friend, Mitch Bradley (Freeman). Then, suddenly, the woman he blames for the death of his only son arrives at his door broke, desperate, and with a granddaughter he's never known. But even as buried anger and accusations resurface, the way is opened for unexpected connection, adventure, and forgiveness. Also starring Jennifer Lopez (SHALL WE DANCE?) and Josh Lucas (SWEET HOME ALABAMA, GLORY ROAD).

Customer Reviews:

An Unfinished Life.......2007-08-09

I feel that this movie is one of the best all time movies that I have ever watched. I have seen this movie several times and decided to add it to my DVD collection. Since I Got it a couple of weeks ago I've watched it twice. ALL I CAN SAY IS GREAT MOVIE. We all need to learn to forgive.

A VERY GOOD MOVIE! REDFORD AND FREEMAN!.......2007-08-06

This is an excellent film. Good characters and story and a subtleness that comes with most Redford pictures. If your looking for explosion and the like,this is not the place to look! Freeman is gold as usual and Lopez,Lucas and the rest of the cast are very good too. A nice DVD transfer of this beautiful looking film.

Stoic Erosion.......2007-07-24

Lasse Hallstrom is definitely a director drawn to character-driven dramas. He came upon a screenplay by the writing team of Mark and Virginia Spragg and he loved it. Not only were the male characters realistic and memorable, but the female characters were well written as well; especially the part of a young girl. Unlike films where the young female character had the primary point of view (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD), this story just had a young girl whose relationship to all the primary characters carried the most dramatic weight. Hallstrom, a transplanted Swede, gained an international reputation with MY LIFE AS A DOG (1985). AN UNFINISHED LIFE (2005) continues to add to his strong string of hits, including WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE (1993), THE CIDER HOUSE RULES (1999), CHOCOLAT (2000), and THE SHIPPING NEWS (2001). The lucky stiff is married to actress Lena Olin, and they live in America now.

The plotline for AN UNFINISHED LIFE opens in Ohio. A battered single mother, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), flees her abusive boyfriend, Gary (Damian Lewis). With her young daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner), in tow, Jean embarks on a desperate road trip. Her old beater car breaks down after 300 miles, and they are forced to abandon many of their possessions. Frightened, broke, and hungry, the pair makes their way to Wyoming. They return to Jean's home town, and drop in on her estranged father-in-law, Einer (Robert Redford). It seems that Einer did not know he had a grand daughter, and Griff had been told that her grandfather was dead. Remorse hung in the air regarding a decade old tragedy. Jean had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed her car, killing her husband. Einer had never forgiven her. The ranch was ramshackle, and Einer was struggling to make ends meet. There was only one ranch hand left, Mitch (Morgan Freeman), and he was crippled up from a bear attack

After his son's death, Einer became a roaring drunk. When Mitch was attacked by a grizzly, we discover, Einer was too inebriated to assist, and it nearly cost the ranch hand his life. Partly out of guilt, and out of 40 years of friendship, Einer took on the role of caregiver for Mitch. So every character had their massive regrets and secrets. As an interesting plot thread the massive grizzly that had attacked Mitch returned to the area. Oddly Mitch refused to let Einer destroy it. After the bear wandered into town, scaring half the populous, the local sheriff, Crane (Josh Lucas), along with some Fish & Game wardens tranquilized the big bear, and donated it to a local zoo for display; an odd choice at best and not too realistic. Obviously though, it was necessary to keep the bear alive, and on exhibit as a necessary dramatic catalyst within the swirl of tangled and troubled lives -assisting in the emotional changes many of the characters had to achieve.

Robert Redford was excellent as Einer, refreshingly portraying a character his actual age. There was none of the matinee idol in this role. Redford's actor pals, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood had already made their career transitions into older character parts -but here to fore Redford was still able to pull off those leading man roles. His Einer was irascible, but still likeable; obstinate, troubled, angry, capable of bursts of violence and yet always gentle and compassionate with Mitch. As Mitch, Morgan Freeman had less to do, but as one might expect, he did it very well. There is always such depth, such humanity in his acting that we never seem to catch him practicing his craft.

Jennifer Lopez was very convincing as the grief-stricken widow, fleeing pregnant to avoid ridicule a decade earlier, raising her daughter without in-laws. Her Jean was personally flawed and filled with self-doubt and brimming with guilt. Some critics trashed her performance, only seeing her celebrity and not her fine characterization. The fact is Lopez works hard at her craft and regardless of her personal life, one should strive to forgo being judgmental, and let the work speak for itself. We need to remember that her breakthrough role in SELENA (1997) was already her tenth film. She has been making movies since 1987. This is an actress who stunned us in U-TURN (1997), and THE CELL (2000), and who we fell in love with after seeing her in SHALL WE DANCE (2004). Becca Gardner as young Griff was bang on the mark, never missing a perfect silent response. She is a very talented young lady and if she continues to act, very undoubtedly will thrill us with her future performances. But she still has to grow up and make some choices. Not all fine young actresses persevere and become a Jodi Foster.

Hallstrom does a remarkable job with his actors. Josh Lucas and Camryn Manheim had wonderful moments of cameo in several scenes. Damien Lewis was much too convincing as the sleezeball boyfriend, taking a chance on being unlikable. Bart the Bear was an important character; very convincing in his debut role (he is actually Bart II). Perhaps the plot was a bit predictable and the tone mostly sentimental, but I found it also ruggedly realistic and a touch existential. They filmed the movie in British Columbia, on the high arid plateaus between the Cascades and the Rockies -but I bought it as Wyoming. I think the movie emerged as tasty mainstream entertainment -the heartwarming kind of film that Hollywood used to be famous for -a small story told large.

An Unfinished Life.......2007-07-23

Great movie. This is not an action picture. The dialog, acting and story line are excellent. Beautiful scenery. A well told story of an unfinished life, a broken life on hold.

No Classic, but Not Worthy of the Disregard the Studio Displayed.......2007-07-19

The scuttlebutt is that the studio let this film languish on the shelf for two years before a lukewarm release with practically no publicity. A close viewing does not reveal the reasons for the hesitation; while far from a classic, "An Unfinished Life" does provide solid entertainment, beautiful scenery, and the considerable charisma of stars Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. Sure it's plot about a crotchety old farmer (Redford) reunited with his granddaughter (Becca Gardner) and daughter-in-law (Jennifer Lopez) reaches a predictable conclusion; sure it's full of obvious symbolism (Freeman isn't so much a character as an ongoing moral voice, and then there's the bear); and sure J-Lo gets acted off the screen in every one of her scenes (even with the child). Nonetheless, the director keeps the film visually engrossing, and if nothing else it is a monument to how Redford and Freeman can easily carry even weak material. Not necessarily worth a purchase, but worthy of a rental.

Average customer rating:

Great movie, bad DVD...
The Big Country
A classic
The Big Country - One of the Top 5 Westerns of All Time
The Big Country

The Big Country
Starring: Gregory Peck , Jean Simmons , Carroll Baker , Charlton Heston , and Burl Ives
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056H2H
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Amazon.com essential video

William Wyler directed this epic Western, about the clash of East and West, intellect and action. Gregory Peck stars as a sea captain who moves way out West to marry Carroll Baker and become part of the ranch owned by her father (Charles Bickford). But he discovers that daddy's top hand (Charlton Heston) carries a torch for Baker and doesn't particularly like Peck stepping into his place. Peck also finds himself caught in the midst of a power struggle between Bickford and his surly neighbor, Burl Ives (and his reprehensibly bullying son, Chuck Connors). This long, sprawling tale works because its characters are played by movie stars who know how to command the big screen in a big story. --Marshall Fine

Description

One of Hollywood's greatest directors teams with a cast of incredible screen legends for this bold,sweeping tale of a ship's captain who ventures west to find a hotbed of jealousy, hatred and dangerous rivalries. As the reluctant hero is thrust into the maelstrom, he must summon all of his resolveto save not only his own life, but also the life of the woman he loves. Four-time Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* William Wyler directs this action-packed adventure that triumphs as "a work of art" (Motion Picture Herald). Starring Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons, Chuck Connors and Burl Ives (in an OscarÂ(r)-winning** performance), this magnificently entertaining epic will take your breath away with unbridled suspense, exhilarating excitement and explosive drama on a grand scale.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie, bad DVD..........2007-07-30

I got this in the mail from Amazon last week and the Mrs. and I watched it last night.
As a movie, it's one of the classics, no doubt. I was, however, very disappointed with the quality of the DVD presentation. Constant screen flickers, washed out color in corners of the screen and just a generally bad video transfer.
Heck, my old laser disc of this film is of higher quality.
Hope someone decides to produce a decent re-master of this great film as it deserves better.

Now I'm a bit concerned about my recently released copy of Captain Horatio Hornblower, another Gregory Peck classic. I'd hate to see it suffer the same fate as this one.

The Big Country.......2007-07-09

Excellent, Great Movie highly recommend, many dynamics,excellent acting,And story line plenty of action drama romance humor. We wach over and over and never tire if seeing it.

A classic.......2007-07-09

This Is one of my favorite westerns, not just a shoot em up western, a man with strength and courage goes West and turns everybodys life around.

The Big Country - One of the Top 5 Westerns of All Time.......2007-07-03

A first class story, cast and music combine to create one of the top five westerns ever filmed. Burl Ives, Chuck Conners, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker and Charles Bickford are superior in their roles and the theme music stays in your mind.

The Big Country.......2007-06-26

William Wyler's sprawling Western epic is aptly named, since everything about this film is big, including breathtaking panoramas, a close to three hour run time, and a larger-than-life, Oscar-winning performance from singer/actor Burl Ives as a rough-hewn rancher. It feels a trifle leisurely at first, but hold on and you're soon in the grip of this sweeping epic, which offers plentiful doses of romance, suspense, and high emotion. A stolid Peck carries the picture throughout. Also look for TV's Chuck Connors ("The Rifleman", "Branded") in a juicy role as Ives's ne'er-do-well son.

Average customer rating:

A Great "Duke" Movie
Great Western
John Wayne - nuff said.
Another John Wayne Classic
The Cowboys The Cowboy Movie Supreme

The Cowboys (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Roscoe Lee Browne , Bruce Dern , Colleen Dewhurst , and Alfred Barker Jr.
Director: Mark Rydell
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O599WQ
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Almost in spite of itself, The Cowboys has taken its place among John Wayne's most beloved films. It wasn't always that way: When it was released in January of 1972, the film was widely criticized for appearing to promote the notion that boys become men through violence. From a politically correct perspective, this apparent message is arguably deplorable (and some interpreted the film's young fighters as a reflection of young draftees into the Vietnam war), but there's no denying that The Cowboys remains as invigorating as it ever was, no matter how dubious its thematic implications. Based on a novel by William Dale Jennings, and adapted with Jennings by the married screenwriting team of Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. (whose impressive credits include Hud, Hombre, and Norma Rae), the movie opens with aging ranch owner Wil Anderson (Wayne) desperate for ranch-hands to herd 1,500 head of cattle across 400 miles of dangerous territory. With no better options, he reluctantly hires boys from the local schoolhouse (including Robert Carradine in his screen debut), and an experienced, worldly-wise cook named Nightlinger (played to perfection by Roscoe Lee Browne) joins the cattle drive--the first black man the boys have ever seen.

A Hollywood liberal who initially felt at odds with Wayne's right-wing politics, Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond) originally sought George C. Scott for the lead, but studio executives urged him to convince Wayne to take the role. It was a happy outcome for both, as Rydell directs Wayne with an enjoyable mixture of Old West humor and grizzled trail-hardiness, and The Cowboys is a top-drawer production with gorgeous cinematography (on location in Mexico and Colorado) by veteran cameraman Robert Surtees. Colleen Dewhurst appears briefly but memorably as the madam of a traveling troupe of prostitutes (in a scene often cut from earlier TV broadcasts and some home-video releases), and the young A Martinez (who would later star in several TV soap operas and the indie-hit Powwow Highway) makes a strong impression in a prominent supporting role. But the real reason for the film's lasting popularity is the hiss-worthy villainy of Bruce Dern (as "Long Hair," leader of the rustlers), who earned a dubious place in movie history for his character's cheating approach to gunplay. No matter how you interpret its themes of fatherly influence and justified vengeance, The Cowboys (later the basis of a short-lived TV series) is undeniably entertaining, dominated by Wayne's reliable presence and bolstered by a rousing, Copland-esque score by John Williams. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A Great "Duke" Movie.......2007-09-11

What can I say about the "Cowboys" other than it is one of the classic John Wayne movies. My husband and I love it and find Wayne's character to be brilliantly played. The story is heart-warming,and heart-wrenching at the same time. Wayne's rough and tough persona is quickly covered up by the true softy that he is.. It is worth every dime.

Great Western.......2007-08-26<