Anne
of Green Gables DVD
This gorgeous adaptation of Lucy
Maud Montgomery's classic children's story is well worth watching with
the whole family. Produced for Canadian television, it's one of those rare
productions that actually sticks to the book and even enhances it through
first-rate performances and an excellent script. Set on bucolic Prince
Edward Island in the late 19th century, Anne of Green Gables is the story
of Anne Shirley, an imaginative and headstrong orphan. When brother and
sister Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan boy to help
Matthew work the farm, they are astonished when Anne arrives at the train
station by mistake. "What use is she to us?" grumbles the gruff Marilla.
"We might be of some use to her," answers Matthew, who has taken an instant
liking to the talkative Anne. As Anne grows up, her adventures are both
hilarious and moving. It's a delight to watch as she forms a friendship
with the beautiful Diana and her admirer --the dashing Gilbert Blythe--then
dyes her hair green, cracks a slate over Gilbert's head when he calls her
"Carrots," and finds a sympathetic teacher who encourages her to attend
college. Richard Farnsworth is perfect as the shy and gentle bachelor
Matthew, who confides to Anne that he never went courting because "I would
have had to say something." Colleen Dewhurst delivers a nuanced and powerful
performance as Marilla, a seemingly cold-hearted spinster whose no-nonsense
exterior conceals a warm heart. And as Anne, Megan Follows strikes the
perfect note, maturing from freckle-faced orphan to elegant and poised
young woman.
--Elisabeth Keating
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The
Buccaneers
(1995)
VHS
The Buccaneers portrays four young
women in search of love and cought between the Old and New Worlds. Most
marriages are not made for love, and even in those that are, there is a
price to be paid to maintain respectability.
The costumes and scenery are
breathtaking. |
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Seabiscuit
(Widescreen Edition) (2003) DVD
Proving that truth is often greater
than fiction, the handsome production of Seabiscuit offers a healthy alternative
to Hollywood's staple diet of mayhem.
Led by Tobey Maguire as Seabiscuit's
hard-luck jockey, the film's first-rate cast is uniformly excellent, including
William H. Macy as a wacky trackside announcer who fills this earnest film
with a much-needed spirit of fun.
--Jeff Shannon
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Sabrina
(1995) DVD
A terrific lighthearted romantic
comedy! Julia
Ormond faced one of the great challenges of her career when she tried to
re-create Audrey Hepburn's title role in the 1995 remake of 1954's Sabrina.
Happily, Ormond performed admirably, and while she may not have the same
gamine charm of Hepburn, she makes the role her own.
--Jenny Brown
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Dolores
Claiborne
(1995)
DVD
Starring: Kathy Bates, Jennifer
Jason Leigh.Gripping psychological drama with dark secrets, family torments,
and two murders. Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) is the stoic, hardened
figure of housekeeper accused of murdering her employer of 22 years, which
brings her daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) home for the first time in years.
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| The
Sweet Hereafter (1997) DVD |
| The
Chamber (1996) DVD |
| The
Sculptress VHS |
| The
Crying Game (1992) DVD |
| Head
Above Water (1996) VHS |
| The
Fifteen Streets (1989) VHS |
|
Elizabeth
(1998) DVD
A wonderfully interesting story
about Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Henry 8th, the greatest woman monarch
of all times, a woman who has her own passions and more or less secret
lovers, but who has only one spouse: England! Great movie with wonderful
acting, directing, costumes, and screenplay. Golden Globe winner for Best
Actress (Drama): Cate Blanchett; Oscar winner for Best Makeup.
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L.A.
Confidential
(1997)
DVD
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell
Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
Everything's off the record
in this compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned
it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown.
L.A.Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal,
betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of
course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. Kim Basinger richly deserved
her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale.
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The
American President
(1995)
DVD
The American President is incredibly
enjoyable entertainment with quite a few ideas about both romance and the
government. Michael Douglas stars as the president, who after three years
in office starts thinking about the possibility of dating. When he auspiciously
encounters cutthroat environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette
Bening), sparks begin to crackle and the two begin a tentative but heartfelt
romance. --Mark Englehart |
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