The Ultimate Gift

Amazon.com

The Ultimate Gift is a tale of one man's tumultuous journey toward personal growth and fulfillment. Surrounded in life, and death, by avaricious family members fueled by a sense of entitlement, billionaire Red Stevens (James Garner) wants to bequeath at least one member of his extended family "the ultimate gift": something he perceives as immensely more valuable than material wealth. Red's arrogant grandson Jason (Drew Fuller) holds a deep-seated hatred for his newly-deceased grandfather, so he's surprised to learn from his grandfather's friend and lawyer Mr. Hamilton (Bill Cobbs) and assistant Miss Hastings (Lee Meriwether) that he's been mentioned in his late grandfather's will. Far from a straightforward gift of cash, land, or stock, Red's bequest comes in the form of a series of mysterious recorded instructions, the first of which requires Jason to hop on a plane for Texas the very next morning without a hint of the trip's purpose or the nature of the gift that awaits him. Dropped into a life of hard physical labor on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, Jason's bad-tempered fury eventually turns to resignation and he finds himself engaged in, and even taking pride in, the first real manual labor he's ever done in his life. Unbeknownst to him, his journey toward claiming the ultimate gift has only just begun. When he returns from Texas, Jason finds his home cleared out, his car confiscated, and instructions to produce one true friend. While Jason is reduced to sleeping in the park, a young child name Emily (Abigail Breslin) and her mother Alexia (Ali Hillis) make his acquaintance and lead him to re-examine his personal prejudices and perceptions of what's truly important in life. Jason's journey of self-discovery continues throughout a series of other trying experiences and, in the end, Grandpa Red's "ultimate gift" of life lessons profoundly and permanently improves the quality of Jason's life. What's more, Jason's new perspective of his place in society has a very positive affect on the larger community. This very powerful film is funny, heartbreaking, and intensely thought-provoking. --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from The Ultimate Gift (click for larger image)

Description

When his wealthy grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens inherits his grandfather's crash course on life: 12 tasks-or gifts-designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways. The "course" sends Jason on a journey of self-discovery that forces him to reevaluate his priorities and determine what he thinks the most important things in life really are.

Customer Reviews:

warm & fuzzy.......2007-09-16

This is one of those movies that leave you with something positive, and with a warm, fuzzy feeling after watching it. James Garner is doing more of this type of movie. Other movies of his you might also enjoy are "The Notebook" and "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood".

Sweet movie..........2007-09-16

A family movie for everyone. Not only is it entertaining but tries to give a reason for watching the movie. A young man that seems bent on doing nothing that isn't in his best interest comes head to head with his dead grandfather. Through a series of "gifts" he learns to care about other things than himself. Funny with just the right amount of drama.

A movie for all ages........2007-09-15

The Ultimate Gift is a wonderful movie. How refreshing, to watch a movie which is not only entertaining, but is appropriate for people of all ages to watch. There's a good lesson to be learned here. I dare anyone to watch The Ultimate Gift without getting teary eyed one minute and bursting out in laughter the next.

Excellent movie.......2007-09-15

One of the best movies I've seen.Great story,great message..You don't have to be religious to enjoy this movie..You only have to have a heart !!

The Ultimate Gift.......2007-09-15

Wonderful! Beautiful story. Great life lessons. Great for kids and adults alike. I hope to see more of Drew Fuller!

The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Outstanding TRUE Story
JUST ANOTHER REASON WILL SMITH IS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME!!
Valid, Poignant, Unforgettable.
Capturing A Wider "Reflection" Could Never Be Done Better
killer scenes

The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Will Smith , Jaden Smith , Thandie Newton , Brian Howe , and James Karen
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000N6U0E2
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Amazon.com

A heartwarming film that demonstrates how good, hard-working people can become homeless almost overnight, Pursuit of Happyness is a tour-de-force showcase for Will Smith, who convincingly portrays a down-and-out dad trying to better his family's life. Smith, who usually is cast in effortlessly boyish roles (Men in Black, Independence Day), is wonderful in the film--even in the scenes that shamelessly tug at viewers' heartstrings. Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman forced at times to shelter his young son (played by Smith's adorable look-alike offspring Jaden Smith) in a men's room, there is little suspense to the film in terms of Chris' outcome. (His story and eventual success a successful and wealthy Chicago businessman was well-publicized on the newsmagazine show 20/20.) And let's face it, Hollywood's not too keen on making feel-good movies with unhappy endings. The beauty (and suspense, to a certain extent) of this film is in the way the story is told. Though he is constantly rushing around to get to appointments and pick up his child, things do not happen quickly for Chris. When he accepts an internship with a prestigious stock brokerage firm, there's a catch: The position is unpaid, suitable more for trust-fund children than single parents with no other source of income. In many scenes, the viewer panics along with Chris, wondering how he's going to feed his child. While Smith and his son, Jaden, share many tender moments together, Thandie Newton has the thankless role of playing Chris' shrill wife, who deserts her family early in the film. It's not a particularly challenging part for the talented actress, and her departure doesn't impact the storyline much at all. As for the movie's misspelled title, it's inspired from a scene in the film. (Seeing a mural drawn by the children at a daycare center, Chris points out to the proprietor that "happiness" is spelled incorrectly. She notes that it doesn't matter how the word is written--just that the kids have it.) With Pursuit of Happyness, Smith has come out of his safety zone and, in turn, ends up playing his most heroic role to date. --Jae-Ha Kim

Extras from The Pursuit of Happyness

Behind the scenes footage of

The Pursuit of Happyness
high bandwidth

Chris Gardner:

"On Being Studied By Will Smith"

high bandwidth

Will Smith And Jaden Smith:
"On Will Always Being In Character"
high bandwidth

Beyond The Pursuit of Happyness on Amazon.com

More Films Starring Will Smith
More Films About Fathers & Sons
The Book

Stills from The Pursuit of Happyness (click for larger image)

Amazon.com

Will Smith stars in the inspirational true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who's struggling to make ends meet. When his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out, Chris is left to raise their 5-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith) on his own. Chris' determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the street, in homeless shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self- confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding TRUE Story.......2007-09-16

The person the movie is about was talked about in the investment world long before the movie was released; however, I had no CLUE as to the depth of hardship he had to overcome to get where he is at today. You definitely feel for the guy. This movie will make you angry. It will make you sad. It will make you cheer. You will wonder how you would have done given the same set of circumstances. I only want to see it once because of the grief suffered, but I do want my kids to see it when they are old enough to understand to help motivate them.

JUST ANOTHER REASON WILL SMITH IS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME!!.......2007-09-08

this film was a reflection of a man's dilemmas in real life. will smith, the wonderful actor that he is, really captured this mans tragedy, his suffering, his will to fight, to achieve what others thought impossible. he gave you that feeling that almost anything can be done. will smith is brilliant, the man is an A+. he put such feeling and emotions into the film that you really felt for him. and his son jaden might just take after his father. nice job. overall this movie was nicely done. there was a lesson to be learned, a life to portray, and so many things to deal with. basically how the average person is living. paycheck to paycheck all the same worries, the rent, the bills, and having to struggle. he was the man and he had to do something. he had to fix the problem, and although it took risk, fight, and everything he had, along side his son he made it happen. it wasn't easy, but nothing ever is that's worth fighting for. great movie, no doubt.

Valid, Poignant, Unforgettable. .......2007-09-03

I wasn't a big Will Smith fan before seeing The Pursuit of Happyness but now I am. Here he gives an incredible performance as the quintessential good man who struggles to survive against random events which nearly overwhelm him (and would probably overwhelm anyone else). I just got done making a point about the movie Apocalypto which I will also make here. Movies like these fully reveal how silly we are to spend so much time obsessed with race, sex, and class in our society because no matter what your persuasion or ethnicity is most of us can easily relate intimately to those who differ from us when the circumstances necessitate it. In this film we cheer for Smith to succeed with all of our might. Our desire to see him make it is all-consuming.

All of us, no matter what we look like, can relate to the character of Chris Gardner. The first hour of the film is almost painful to watch as we see a bright, capable, assertive man get beaten down by the vagaries of life. They called him "Ten Gallon Head" in high school because of how smart he was but most of the film is a testament to man's impotence and limitations when confronted with forces he cannot control. His intelligence does not even seem to matter. Gardner seems to "run bad" for 95 percent of the movie.

Yet, his character and belief in himself are pervasively on display. He is a role model to everyone. Despite the disasters that keep punching him in the gut he refuses to quit. He refuses to accept defeat. He fights until...well, see the film. I bet you'll love the ending as much as I did. Yes, it is a tear-jerker but I was quite taken with The Pursuit of Happyness.

Capturing A Wider "Reflection" Could Never Be Done Better.......2007-09-03

The execution of the main role by Mr. Will Smith is beyond words, and it is hereby hoped that those who watch it
will appreciate the content of the movie as it is a true (albeit small part) reflection of the plight of the
"Brother" who has managed to survive "caving in" to the imposed eurocentric (mentally and physically draining)
pressures of survival that he finds constantly burdened on him as none of us were really given a choice to be born
into this world.

It must have taken a lot out of Mr. Will Smith to be able to embed himself into the shoes of the main character and
be able to produce realistic "acting" as good as he was able to just as Mr. Denzil Washington was able to do in the
recap of brother Malcolm X (RIPP).

Like I said, for those brothers who have escaped being dragged under by the system this is part of our collective
story of survival in a world and system we neither asked to be born into nor participated in its creation or
maintenance.

Needless to state, initially I thought the recap by Mr. Smith of Brother Mohammed Ali was good, but he has once again shown he can step into the shoes of the wider (voiceless) community at large which is much appreciated....all I can say Mr. Smith is ThanXs!

Idris Aduwa

killer scenes.......2007-08-31

I am not a weepy type, but the father-son connection in the midst of desperate circumstances drove me to tears a couple of times in this film. It's an amazing true story, which makes me like it even more.

Average customer rating:

A touching movie to go along with a spectacular book
Tuesdays with Morrie
DVD Tuesday's With Morrie
not a good quality dvd
A must read!

Tuesdays with Morrie
Starring: Jack Lemmon , Hank Azaria , Wendy Moniz , Caroline Aaron , and Bonnie Bartlett
Director: Mick Jackson
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008L3SE
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Amazon.com essential video

This warmhearted TV offering based on Mitch Albom's nonfiction bestseller of the same name dives right into the action, with Morrie (Jack Lemmon) collapsing within the first three minutes. Then it's cut to Mitch's hectic life as a sports columnist cum television host and long-term, often long-distance boyfriend. But this Mick Jackson-directed film slows considerably after the introductions as former student Mitch (Hank Azaria) learns his beloved professor is dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He reconnects with his mentor and begins learning from him all over again, this time about life. Oprah Winfrey produced this 88-minute film, and her renowned touchy-feely quality is prominent as Mitch learns to love both Morrie and his own girlfriend. Azaria, better known for somewhat goofy roles (The Birdcage, the dogwalker on TV's Mad About You) conveys an intelligent, if edgy dignity, and double Oscar winner Lemmon turns in his usual exquisite performance, giving even the most obvious moments touches of subtlety. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Description

Based on a true-life story, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is a loving memoir to a man whose lessons on life have much to teach us about ourselves. Academy Award(R)-winner Jack Lemmon (Best Actor, 1974, SAVE THE TIGER) delivers an outstanding performance as Morrie Schwartz, the Brandeis University professor upon whom the best-selling book is based. Hank Azaria (GODZILLA) plays Mitch, an accomplished journalist so driven by his job, he has little time or energy left for anything else. One night, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appearance on a national news program and learns his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig's disease. After the telecast, Mitch contacts Morrie, and what starts as a visit turns into a pilgrimage as Mitch opens his heart to the lessons Morrie has to teach him. As the bond grows between these two men, Mitch learns that professional commitments don't mean anything without the love of family and friends. Sure to inspire, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE may just change your views on the meaning of life ... forever.

Customer Reviews:

A touching movie to go along with a spectacular book.......2007-09-11

This movie really does the book justice and the book is so very good that making a movie to stand up next to it would have been a hard thing.

Tuesdays with Morrie.......2007-09-11

Great and a tearjerker. It's a hard hitting look at someone in the throes of dying.

DVD Tuesday's With Morrie.......2007-09-01

I have been yearning to read this book by Mitch Albom for soooo long now.......I mean how can a book be on the New York Times Bestseller list for more than 4 years and still go unread by me? But I kept putting it off again and again. Then when I found out, that it was made into a Television Movie and available on DVD I decided to buy it. You simply cannot go wrong with the movie version when the casts includes greats like Jack Lemmon one of my all time favourite actors and Hank Azaria who played his role so well you cannot imagine another actor in his place. It's definitely worth buying the DVD, uust love everything about it!

not a good quality dvd.......2007-09-01

The dvd was not a good one - stalled and then kept skipping as I viewed it.
I had bought this for my class here in China as we are reading the original biography. It did not work on either my US lap top or my DVD player. I was very disappointed.
Rochelle Zimberg

A must read!.......2007-08-29

There is no recipe/formula to finding the true meaning of life but this is the closest attempt to defining that formula.A great story and i have since bought it for all my friends.

Average customer rating:

Very good movie...
Inn of the sixth happiness
Gayle R.Donham
Excellent missioary story
Tops My List

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Starring: Ingrid Bergman , Curd Jürgens , Robert Donat , Michael David , and Athene Seyler
Director: Mark Robson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00008LDO1
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com essential video

An epic and extraordinary true story--or, at least, an extraordinary story based on a novel (Alan Burgess's The Small Woman) based on a true story. Gladys Aylward (an improbably mesmerizing Ingrid Bergman) is a British would-be missionary with an obsession about China. As she has no experience, the Missionary Society won't let her go, but she goes anyway, alone, to a remote northern province. She is hated, then loved; finally she becomes both a significant political figure and the heroine of a miraculous escape in which she shepherds 100 children to safety across the mountains just ahead of a Japanese invasion. Curt Jurgens is suitably stony as Lin Nan, the half-Dutch, half-Chinese military officer who falls in love with her, and a visibly ailing Robert Donat (who died before this, his final film, was released) is the wily local mandarin who sees and makes use of her extraordinary abilities. Directed by Mark Robson, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a sweeping, stirring tearjerker, a big tale told in a big landscape with acres of orchestrated strings by Malcolm Arnold. A beautiful and beautifully made film that's a classic of the "everyone said I couldn't but I did it anyway" genre. --Richard Farr

Description

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village. There she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as "foot inspector", advising the local Mandarin and even winning the heart of mixed race Captain Lin Nan. But Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives. Based on a true story.

Customer Reviews:

Very good movie..........2007-08-03

but not a very true story of Gladys. Ingrid Bergman does a great job in this movie. Too bad the movie is way off base about the real missionary.

Inn of the sixth happiness.......2007-07-18

Movie just as good as I remember it.Love Ingrid Bergman,they don't make movies like that anymore. Great quality dvd and in excellent condition.

Gayle R.Donham.......2007-06-28

This was a movie about the human will to survive through war torn countries with a group of children in a school.After a period of time the war begins to worsen and she leads the children out of the country and into safety through many odds along the way.Outstanding actors in his movie.

Excellent missioary story.......2007-06-13

I have watched this video many times and I really am inspired each time. I bought it for a missionary friend and she was impressed as well. It is well acted and most interesting. It follows the book about Gladys Aylward fairly well but the book is also worth reading for more details on her life adventure.

Tops My List.......2007-06-12

This is one of my all time favorite movies and now on DVD I loved it all over again. Great actors and acting. Wonderful and inspiring story.

Average customer rating:

This movie is dumb.
rabbitwhisperer
Being John Malcovich
Excellent - in all areas
Incredible original story.

Being John Malkovich
Starring: Orson Bean , Ned Bellamy , W. Earl Brown , Kevin Carroll , and John Cusack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B00007AJF8
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com essential video

While too many movies suffer the fate of creative bankruptcy, Being John Malkovich is a refreshing study in contrast, so bracingly original that you'll want to send director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman a thank-you note for restoring your faith in the enchantment of film. Even if it ultimately serves little purpose beyond the thrill of comedic invention, this demented romance is gloriously entertaining, spilling over with ideas that tickle the brain and even touch the heart. That's to be expected in a movie that dares to ponder the existential dilemma of a forlorn puppeteer (John Cusack) who discovers a metaphysical portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich.

The puppeteer's working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building; this idea alone might serve as the comedic basis for an entire film, but Jonze and Kaufman are just getting started. Add a devious coworker (Catherine Keener), Cusack's dowdy wife (a barely recognizable Cameron Diaz), and a business scheme to capitalize on the thrill of being John Malkovich, and you've got a movie that just gets crazier as it plays by its own outrageous rules. Malkovich himself is the film's pièce de résistance, riffing on his own persona with obvious delight and--when he enters his own brain via the portal--appearing with multiple versions of himself in a tour-de-force use of digital trickery. Does it add up to much? Not really. But for 112 liberating minutes, Being John Malkovich is a wild place to visit. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

This movie is dumb........2007-08-19

After viewing it for myself, I feel that most of the comments made about the movie are seriously misleading (The good reviews were the reason that I purchased the movie in the first place). There are some aspects of the movie that I consider well thought out and interesting, but the movie itself falls short of all the "ingenious, original, modern masterpiece" nonsense that is said about it. During the first half of the movie, my expectations were high that this was going to turn out to be an offbeat indie movie comparable to the works of Michel Gondry . . . . that is not the case at all.
The beginning of the movie, like I said before seemed promising. . . . the main character is an unemployed puppeteer who is truly gifted with creative genius in his art. Unfortunately for him, his line of work is a dying breed and because he is a nameless no one, he lives his life in obscurity, giving performances on street corners, which even there are not well received. Based on a suggestion by his wife (an eccentric sort herself, with numerous pets to compensate for lack thereof of children), he seeks employment. The only appealing job he finds remotely related to his line of work, is a job as a filing clerk, requiring someone with nimble hands. His new job is found on the 7 1/2 floor of an office building, where the ceilings are so low that workers have to hunch over in order to walk around it.

After dropping a file behind a cabinet, he accidental discovers a portal into the mind of John Malkovich. He crawls down it and finds that he can now see through the eyes of John, becoming him for 15 minutes. After which, he is flung out of the portal and is thrown into a ditch along the Jersey Turnpike. He and another coworker (a love interest for both him and his wife) quickly decide to use this discovery to make fast cash and market the portal as a sort of theme-park ride for individuals willing to pay out 200 dollars to go through the tunnel.

The plot takes a serious nosedive after this point. The remaining times that the main character or his wife go through the portal to be john Malkovich are basically for the sake of having sex with the main character's coworker in an out of body experience. . . which I thought was a disappointing turn in what could have been an otherwise very good movie. . . . Am I the only one that doesn't find it appealing to watch this kind of crap?

I don't understand how this can even remotely be considered a work of cinematic art. It uses sex, like so many other shallow movies, to cover up the empty space between the beginning and end of the movie to hold over the viewers interest and disguise a lack of substance in a poorly developed point in the plot.

The climax of the movie displays some of the same creative qualities that I found appealing in the introduction, but overall it just left me just hoping it would hurry up and end. . . . . . Needless to say I will not be watching this movie again anytime soon.

rabbitwhisperer.......2007-07-21

Funny, Inventive, and asks the cosmic question of what if we could be somebody else.

Being John Malcovich.......2007-07-11

This strangely inventive surrealistic comedy was the inaugural collaboration between onetime music-video director Jonze and talented screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. With such a bizarre concept, this film could have sent audiences home scratching their own noggins, but Cusack, Keener, and an unrecognizable Diaz have a bright, wonderful chemistry that shines through all the head-trippiness. And who can deny that Malkovich, normally such a priggish presence, doesn't have a devilish sense of humor, especially in a hilarious scene where he enters his own head and freaks out? Clever, inspired, and extremely funny, "Malkovich" is cinema-as-funhouse-mirror, and the effect is dizzying.

Excellent - in all areas.......2007-07-01

A great original film which shows the potential once again of an independent production. The photography and the writing were exceptionally well done. I've revisited this film at least 10 times.

Incredible original story........2007-06-16

This film is a modern masterpiece, an original idea that has no rival. Genius in film making. That being said it was damn funny too. Who would have thought that you could base an entire movie around John Malkovich. The ; "in your own head scene" was the funniest thing I've seen in years. Great movie definitely recommend. Call my agent, From now on out its all puppets.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
The Trip to Bountiful
A MUST for anyone's collection
A great movie!
A MOVIE I CAN RELATE TOO.

The Trip to Bountiful
Starring: Geraldine Page , John Heard , Carlin Glynn , Richard Bradford , and Rebecca De Mornay
Director: Peter Masterson
Manufacturer: FilmDallas Pictures; MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00079ZA2W
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Description

A "richly textured" (Leonard Maltin) and triumphant tale of an elderly woman's journey home, The Trip to Bountiful stars Geraldine Page in "the performance of a lifetime" (Variety) - and a role that won* her an Academy Award®. "Funny, adventurous, suspenseful…but ultimately uplifting as a demonstration of the human spirit" (Los Angeles Times), The Trip to Bountiful is "perfect on just about every level" (Boxoffice)! Carrie Watts (Page) is an elderly woman with a weak heart - but of strong determination. Trapped in a tiny apartment under the care of her cowardly son and his shrewish wife, Carrie is determined to escape and return to her girlhood home. Seizing her chance - and her meager Social Security check - Carrie sets out on an unforgettable quest to make peace with her past…and the secrets of her heart that draw her ever homeward.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-09-12

This is still my favorite movie, years later. It explains to me the importance of where you came from.

The Trip to Bountiful.......2007-08-06

This movie takes me back to years of my childhood, when my grandmother used to talk about her old homestead. It was a beautifully written story and Geraldine Page gave an outstanding performance.

A MUST for anyone's collection.......2007-06-06

This is such a classical, sweet, stirring movie with incredible acting.
I can't think of a movie fan that wouldn't enjoy it, and it is appropriate for families - the older members (grandmothers) and the younger. As unforgettable as the movie is, the music is also exquisite - it's uncomplicated but so perfect. I own the CD and always have it in the car, ready.

A great movie!.......2007-05-08

You don't see this type of movie often. Great acting my Geraldine Page! Horton Foote's writing is equally as impressive. I highly recommend this movie.

A MOVIE I CAN RELATE TOO........2007-03-14

I LOVED THIS MOVIE. IT IS THE KIND OF MOVIE I WANT TO WATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER. IT BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES OF TIME PAST AND BEING THE AGE OF THE CARRIE I UNDERSTAND HER.

Average customer rating:

Happiness
A most original film sure to bemuse and offend almost everybody
Digging up the roots of Happiness
The Most Awfully Funny Film I Have Ever Seen
Messed up in a good way!

Happiness
Starring: Jane Adams (II) , Jon Lovitz , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Dylan Baker , and Lara Flynn Boyle
Director: Todd Solondz
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B00000IC7G
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Amazon.com

At times brilliant and insightful, at times repellent and false, Happiness is director Todd Solondz's multistory tale of sex, perversion, and loneliness. Plumbing depths of Crumb-like angst and rejection, Solondz won the Cannes International Critics Prize in 1998 and the film was a staple of nearly every critic's Top Ten list. Admirable, shocking, and hilarious for its sarcastic yet strangely empathetic look at consenting adults' confusion between lust and love, the film stares unflinchingly until the audience blinks. But it doesn't stop there. A word of strong caution to parents: One of the main characters, a suburban super dad (played by Dylan Baker), is really a predatory pedophile and there is more than an attempt to paint him as a sympathetic character. Children are used in this film as running gags or, worse, the means to an end. Whether that end is a humorous scene for Solondz or sexual gratification for the rapist becomes largely irrelevant. Happiness is an intelligent, sad film, revelatory and exact at moments. It's also abuse in the guise of art. That's nothing to celebrate. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews:

Happiness.......2007-07-12

Dark, twisted, and in-your-face, Solondz's poisonous examination of love, complacency, and compassion (or lack of it) might seem unredeemably low if it weren't so sickeningly honest, and even hilarious at times. Hoffman is particularly repulsive--brilliantly so--as Allen, an unkempt, antisocial shut-in who compulsively plays with himself and confesses his sick fantasies to Baker's equally perverted Bill, a shrink with pedophilic urges who Solondz somehow makes pitiable in a harrowing, heartbreaking scene with his son. Also outstanding is Adams, a shrinking violet incapable of malice and always at the butt end of petty brutalities. Behind every façade of normality, Solondz seems to be saying, lurk the dark impulses that actually define who we are- or could be. Definitely not for the squeamish or those easily offended.

A most original film sure to bemuse and offend almost everybody.......2007-05-27

This one will knock your socks off even if you aren't wearing any socks. I dare you to watch it. I double-dare you.

But first a few words. This is about sex. Not your Cinderella meets Prince Charming sex. Not your boy meets girls sex at all, or not exactly. This is more like REAL sex, the kind you don't talk about. This is about several varieties of sex, most of them perverted or deviant and/or illegal in most states. And this is about "happiness" in only the most ironic sense of the word.

Yet, somehow this movie seems...well, not uplifting, heaven forbid, but somehow reassuring in a strange way. I guess what happens is that after all the perversions, the hang-ups, the unrequited desires, the bizarro fantasies, the unnatural desires, the depraved acts, the exploitation, the sheer desperation of the biological imperative, somehow with the family sitting around the dinner table at the end, somehow we are reassured that life not only goes on, but things could be worse.

It is interesting that director Todd Solondz--who previously gave us the captivating and totally original Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), a strikingly truthful look at the middle child in junior high school--spun this out the way he did. The story is really about three sisters and their parents and the dysfunctional sex that they encounter and the pitiable/ normal lives they live. Solondz could have begun with having us meet the sisters one by one like some kind of chick flick with the expectation that we will find out about their lives and their loves. Instead he starts from another angle, and only gradually does it develop that this really IS about their lives and loves.

Well, their lives and loves are a bit beyond kinky or pathetic, and yet they are so very like the lives and loves so many people lead--if only we knew. By the way, at times the film is belly laugh funny.

Starring are Jane Adams (Joy), Lara Flynn Boyle (Helen), and Cynthia Stevenson (Trish) as the three sisters. Joy is the wallflower at the dance of life, Helen is the hard as a stiletto woman of fashion, accomplishment and beauty who can't find the right man, and Trish is the desperate housewife "happily" married to a man who is a homosexual pedophile and a psychiatrist. Dylan Baker plays the shrink who can't help himself in a way that makes it tough for the audience not to identify with his problem. He is so honest with his son and so clearly loves his son and his wife that we are almost won over. Almost. We do NOT see him with the boys he exploits, and in this way perhaps Solondz has stacked the deck. Still a movie that paints a pedophile in anything close to a positive light deserves credit for courage if nothing else.

The other characters who are anything but sympathetic in an objective assessment--one is a murderer--somehow come across as being vulnerable instead of monstrous. Perhaps Joy, who is so hopeful and so very, very vulnerable, is the one who most inspires our sympathy. The Russian who frankly admits he's a thief and exploits Joy seems more despicable than anyone in the film. Perhaps. I think it really depends on your point of view, your sexuality and perhaps your individual experience.

Ben Gazzara is the father who is just sick of his wife, and Louise Lasser (whom I haven't seen since she starred in the offbeat TV sit com "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" from the seventies) plays the wife. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a guy who is terrified of performing with women, but gets his jollies dialing strangers on the phone and talking dirty. Camryn Manheim plays the large woman who wants intimacy but finds sex disgusting.

I think you've got the picture. This is sexual dysfunction as TV's Lifetime would never have it. Solondz's intent seems to be to demonstrate the truth of the adage "To know all is to forgive all." He also does a good job of showing that although we think we are the self that makes the decisions, maybe it is true that our biology overrides our intentions.

This is decidedly not for the straightlaced or the intolerant. This the sort of movie that is so terrifying to social conservatives that they won't even attack it for fear that such an attack would only give it greater currency.

See this for Todd Solondz who is a film maker of verve and insight, a humanist who is not afraid to shock the bourgeoisie.

Digging up the roots of Happiness.......2007-02-02

This movie is not for the prude, squeamish, or easily offended. It lacks any social grace, dignity, or charm. Or actually, it has all those qualities hidden somewhere below the surface. Some people just aren't willing or capable of finding it.
It's basically a montage of distinguishable(and despicable?) characters and their inscrutable pursuit of happiness. All of their efforts most definitely invoke chaos. There are a few gross out moments.
Director Todd Solondz really pushes the envelope with this disturbingly funny film. Nothing is taboo with him.

The Most Awfully Funny Film I Have Ever Seen.......2006-12-31

Some people see the world as an awful place. Some people see the world as a funny place. Todd Solondz, director of Happiness, sees the validity in both points of view. For him, the world is an awfully funny place. And in this bleak comic masterpiece, Solondz shows us how to find hope in the most despairing of circumstances, dignity in the face of shame, and compassion in the face of one's most monstrous acts. In other words, Solondz shows us what humanity really is, and isn't that - at its basest level - what filmmaking is supposed to be?

"Happiness" is also the best movie that Robert Altman never made, in that it is a mosaic of the masses, interspersing a loose narrative thread through the disparate lives of many without seeming disjointed. It essentially follows the lives and disfunctional loves of five characters through a myriad of morbid situations, some stemming from deterministic outside pressures, most a result of the characters' inner turbulence churning to the surface through misguided thought and deed.

At the supposed center of the conflicts is a pedophilic psychiatrist (Dylan Baker) who preys on the peers of his adolescent son. A monstrous act, indeed, but the camera's unflinching objectivity serves to neither condone or condemn the man, so we are left to see the struggle amidst the strife, the human within the monster.

Other characters include an unlucky-in-everything hapless spinstress named Joy (ha ha) who allows the world to treat her like a welcome mat placed in front of a door to better things. Her sanctimonious sister, Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), while seeming to have it all, secretly wallows in the emptiness of her hollow life. Lara Flynn Boyle plays still another sadistic sibling, a famous writer who wishes that she were raped, so as to provide a more authentic muse.

And though simple verbal descriptions of these characters make them sound ghastly, in thought and indeed, the magic of the film is the even-handed well-weighted treatment that they receive through Solondz' direction and the actors' depictions, letting the audience decide whether empathy is in order. Too many people in our society have a need to characterize aberrant and abhorrent behavior as coming from an "other" - someone less than human and thus tangibly different from them. The truth, of course, is that we are all people who - good or bad - are capable of some pretty disturbing things. In Solondz' cinematic society, the sinners are just like you and me, whether that scares us or not.

It should also be noted that amidst all this weighty discussion, philosophy and sociological insight are some of the funniest and most demented sight gags, stuff that gives the Farrelly brothers a literal run for their runny money in the Gross Out Olympics (acronym: G.O.O) - body fluid jokes that put the "stick" back into "slapstick". Gags that make you wanna.

And when the characters themselves instill the audience with laughter, Solondz' artistry and control leave us wondering whether we are laughting at them, with them, or in spite of them, when the truth is somewhere in between. All of which makes this the most awfully funny movie I have ever seen.

Messed up in a good way!.......2006-12-19

This movie is mesed up!! An eye opener to our society today!

Average customer rating:

Really great surf video
Good, but not something to watch mutliple times
Great movie!
A disappointment
Vintage and Well done!

Singlefin: Yellow
Director: Jason Baffa
Manufacturer: Build World Wide
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VEVUW
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Customer Reviews:

Really great surf video.......2007-07-06

The concept of the video in itself is what makes the thing work- really work for me. The board is passed along to various surfers and you see it take on a life and meaning that it did not have at the beginning. Its not just a longboarder kind of movie..its a surfers movie that you really should see. I only have a few surf videos in my personal collection--this is one of them.

Good, but not something to watch mutliple times.......2007-03-19

The movie is cool because it offers different surfing than normally seen in surf movies, but I buy surf films to watch over and over. Which I would not do with this movie. Just not enough action.

Great movie!.......2007-01-24

Any true surfer will really appreciate this movie. Great longboarding footage, they make nose-riding look so easy. The locations are amazing, and the cinemetography is unique....unlike anything I've ever seen before in a surf movie.

A disappointment.......2006-11-29

I guess for me this is another example of caveat emptor. I bought this largely based on the reviews here, and I was pretty disappointed. The surfing just wasn't that interesting - way way too much nose riding, and not much else. OK nose riding is fine, but there is a lot more about longboarding than hanging 5. The best parts of the movie are the beginning and end - where the shaper describes his work and goes out for an early morning session. Now THAT was great - he ripped, and it was great to see him really using the whole board and the whole wave. I wish the movie had just been about him.

Vintage and Well done!.......2006-11-08

I have had the luxury of having surfed in Hawaii in the late 60s and migrated through the 70s, 80s, 90s and into the 21st century of surfing. Singlefin is a vintage piece of surfing lore. This is the sort of film you collect and keep because once the waves are done, they're done. Singlefin is truly a surfing tale that can be watched again and again. If you're both a longboarder and shortboarder as I am you can appreciate Surftech technology and bumpy wax beads on a longboard. Loved the film. You will too.

Average customer rating:

Hilarious
Entertaining and funny
great movie
Maybe We're All Depressed Because This Film is Right...
Possibly the most depressing comedy ever made

Kids in the Hall - Brain Candy
Starring: Paul Bellini , Dave Foley , Brendan Fraser , Bruce McCulloch , and Kevin McDonald
Director: Kelly Makin
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXAV
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Amazon.com

Moviegoers never caught on to its brilliance, but Brain Candy is a smart, outrageously inventive vehicle for Canada's most irreverent comedy troupe. The subtly subversive plot is about society's ongoing search for the perfect "happy drug," and the Kids inhabit a multitude of costumes and characters as they celebrate--and lament--the invention of "Gleemonex," the ultimate antidepressant, which locks users into their happiest memories... and subsequently renders them comatose. No worries for the Roritor Chemical Company; they don't care much about side effects! With rampant riffs on heavy-metal doomsayers, closeted gay husbands (resulting in Scott Thompson's hilarious coming-out musical), blissed-out grandmothers, and all varieties of corporate greed-mongers, Brain Candy is almost too hip for its own good, combining Pythonesque ingenuity with cutting social satire. As a comedic experiment it's hit-and-miss, but with the cross-dressing Kids running the show, it's likely to leave you laughing out loud. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious.......2007-08-16

This is one crazy movie. I know that if you liked the 'Kids in the Hall' series on cable then you'll love this movie. The same whacked out type characters in the cable series are brought to life and hilariously performed by these funny guys. The story line is inteligent and too funny for words. A must own for comedy fans.

Entertaining and funny.......2007-04-11

This is a well-done movie, funny with overall dark tones. Although the Kids in the hall did tens of sketches, it wasn't guaranteed that their art would do well in a film. It does however, and the mixture of individual scenes blends well with the main story, with many funny passages and dialogues. So have a look at it, those of you who like the KITH type of humour.