Christina-Ricci Movie Reviews

It was on Disney when I saw it, and I thought it to be good entertainment. There are 'things' that are wrong with it of course but if you can over look those on-site flaws, it's fine. It was one of the good ones but then I have to watch what is on broadcast TV; I don't do theaters. I would say the age range would be young, and grandparent age (mine) but anyone might like it. I was young once and so I enjoyed the partnership the two had in the version I saw.

I rented this yesterday and this is the second time I've seen it the first time I've seen it was on TV on ABC and let me tell you this is one of my most favorite films I've ever seen I think Christina Ricci is great in this film you should buy this or rent it it's one of my favorites if you don't get this you'll regret it believe me it is one of the best films that you've seen!!..

A movie about 2 totally different young girls that take an AWESOME adventure the ENTIRE FAMILY CAN ENJOY!!!! Great music,Cool actors,Fun story,happy ending.What more can you want? Its worth EVERY penny! So GET YOUR COPY TODAY!!

It was on Disney when I saw it, and I thought it to be good entertainment. There are 'things' that are wrong with it of course but if you can over look those on-site flaws, it's fine. It was one of the good ones but then I have to watch what is on broadcast TV; I don't do theaters. I would say the age range would be young, and grandparent age (mine) but anyone might like it. I was young once and so I enjoyed the partnership the two had in the version I saw.

I rented this yesterday and this is the second time I've seen it the first time I've seen it was on TV on ABC and let me tell you this is one of my most favorite films I've ever seen I think Christina Ricci is great in this film you should buy this or rent it it's one of my favorites if you don't get this you'll regret it believe me it is one of the best films that you've seen!!..

A movie about 2 totally different young girls that take an AWESOME adventure the ENTIRE FAMILY CAN ENJOY!!!! Great music,Cool actors,Fun story,happy ending.What more can you want? Its worth EVERY penny! So GET YOUR COPY TODAY!!

Sleepy Hollow was an awesome movie. If you ever heard the Tale of Sleepy Hollow growing up then you must see this movie. This story about the Headless Horseman terrorizing the people of a small time village is both attention-grabbing and frightening. The actors, directors, and scriptwriters did an amazing job of portraying the tale of sleepy hollow in a different fashion. Its the same basic tale but with a few new twists that make it as great as possible. A word to the wise however, the amount of blood shed in the film is vast. If you're queasy, make sure you're prepared to close those eyes tight! Nonetheless, the film is perfect for young and old, well, not too young!

A great movie. There is tons of suspense and the movie is awesome. It's best if you watch it at night. With tons of popcorn at hand!

I am a james woods fan and a big MJF fan so i just made to enjoy this one. Rent it first to make sure you agree, cause I am the only one in the family that cares for this movie.

Action is action, but the thing that makes this movie worth one's time is the dialogue. If your tongue is getting dull, this film makes a wonderful whetstone. It is not really either star's best work, but scenes from it are among the first images that come to my mind at mention of Woods or Fox. DVD technology is a major asset, because it brings the experience as close as it can be to sitting in the theater -- which is, really, the way films are designed to be enjoyed.

this is a cool movie, and it's nice too see michael j fox in action. both he and james woods give a great perfomance. nice work

Although I liked this movie, I would be a little hesitant in recommending it to just anyone. Appreciation of this film is most likely an acquired taste. If you like independent films, especially those starring teenagers, then you'll probably enjoy this movie. If you enjoyed this movie, I would recommend also seeing Hurricane Streets (same director/writer). The DVD is decent. It is presented in its original aspect ratio (1.85:1) and in Dolby 2.0 surround. Unfortunately there isn't any extras, other than a music video by Rilo Kiley. This DVD really could have used a Director's commentary.

this is a really good movie I thought. its about this small town in the desert, Kate Hudson(Almost Famous) and her father John Heard(C.H.U.D.) come to the town for a visit. in the town there is Brendan Sexton III(Boys Dont Cry) who plays Blue, Christina Ricci(Pumpkin) who plays a pipebomb addict and her boyfriend Casey Affleck(Oceans Eleven2001), Sara Gilbert(Rosanne) and her boyfriend Peter Sarsgard(The Salton Sea) and Ethan Suplee(Mallrats). Hudson and Sexton start to have a connection, the town is seiged off by cops because a truck spilled and they dont know if its radioactive or deadly and the 2 start to fall in love and Hudson bonds with his friends who think shes too pretty and shes an actress who some of the people in town saw her on a show. Michael Ironside(Starship Troopers) appears as well as the one of the cops who seige the place up. its filled with comedy, drama, romance and haunting secrets. one of 1999's best

This movie was absolutely phenomenal! I mean, the potato shooting and orange baseball was awesome. Oh and the pyro with the bombs-That was great! It's a good teenager movie, when you're bored and want a good laugh! I recomend this to anyone with a good sense of humor!

Thankfully, this is the rare example where the sequel equals the original. This is a great second chapter in the new Addams Family saga. Sadly, it was not to last with the untimely death of Julia.

Joan Cusack is delightful here as is the rest of the cast. Again, a thoroughly watchable and re-watchable film with great pacing and a healthy sense of whimsy.

This movie is pretty much perfect. Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Lloyd excel in their performances as the most noticable of the family members. They know how to act in a dark comedy like this, where a mother might have to take away the knife her daughter is chasing the younger brother around with. And hand her an axe in replacement.
The movie has about three sub-plots. The first involves Morticia and Gomez, the parents, who just had a baby and are having to deal with all three of their children at once ( Wednesday and Pugsley, the children, are infatuated with disposing of the infant ).
While the children are plotting away, a nanny is hired. Her name is Debbie, played very well by Joan Cusack. Unbeknownst to the family, she is a criminal who marries rich men and then kills them, earning her a famous black-widow reputation. The second sub-plot involves her advances towards a relationship with Uncle Fester, one of the world's richest men.
The third sub-plot is Debbie's decision that Wednesday and Pugsley be sent to summer camp, which is basically the Addams's vision of Hell. Or Heaven. Whichever they like the least.
The movie is filled with hilarious one-liners and events, and the Addamses will charm almost anyone with their twisted, morbid lives.

I am a fan of movies that can be watched for fun again and again. I find both Addams family movies (with this same cast) up there with my favorite fun movies (Princess Bride, Ferris Bueller) and they are always there to bring a smile to a boring day.

Morticia and Gomez are played very well. Gomez is still contagiously energetic and Morticia continues to add her dark comedy that just seem to emit from her character without words. Christina Ricci, slightly older than in the first movie, just completely exemplifies Wednesday basically stealing the show. Pugsly is Pugsly. Not a standout, but perfectly played. I am also a huge Christopher Lloyd fan and seeing him again as Fester was wonderful. Carol Kane should have been Grandma in the first movie because she adds the finishing touches to an overall perfect cast.

This is a delightful movie that just keeps you smiling and I highly recommend it for those boring days when you just are in the mood for a "fun" movie. Get the first one too and watch that one too. When it's over you'll want more and wish there was an adequate sequel.

Here's something for Brandon DiSabatino (reviewer): I have read Joyce, Nietzsche, Sartre AND Burroughs.
I have never considered "Ulysses" to be a reason not to make exciting art just for the heck of it. Jim's whole story is just a ramble. A beautiful sprawling wonder of a ramble, but a ramble nonetheless. Do you accuse Joyce's work of being empty?
I have never considered "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" to be a bible for the supression of fast paced fiction (remembering here that Thompson has repeatedly hinted that this 'autobiographical' piece is far more a novel than anything else).
I did not find anything that denounced good cinema in "Existentialism"; exactly the opposite, to be frank.
And as for Burroughs (consider "The Naked Lunch"): Do you REALLY think that Old Bull Lee would be at odds with Hunter S.?...REALLY??? It was part of this old heroine addict's dream for the world to see people like Thompson running around a tarnished America without a leash.
I realise that in this instance, what I am about to say could be seen as something of a "pot-calling-the-kettle-black" statement, but did you honestly think that your review would be helpful to anyone that wasn't a so-called 'intellectual'?
I loved this film. I loved it BECAUSE it wasn't about anything; BECAUSE it was different, and although all the classic reading of past years is of course still applicable to modern living, it just isn't, in fact couldn't be, anything like "Fear and Loathing."
Bloom's exploits in "Ulysses" are indeed interesting and frequently bizarre, but to the general public today, it simply won't mean as much as it did when it was written. The vocabulary used by Dublin's bohemian residants of bygone days was indeed got down pat by Mr. Joyce, but when it comes to recounting hallucinatory experiances in a desert, surrounded by some of the world's most venal and destructive ideals, Leopold Bloom and his kidney breakfasts just do not--cannot--pass muster!
On more than one occasion, I have actually mentioned Ulysses as a valid latter day comparison to Fear and Loathing and other films of it's ilk, but I've never tried to set the two up as competitors. Kerouac's "On the Road" also strikes a similar chord.
This is a film that you need to relax into from the writer's point of view (this being, after all,the whole point of reading((and watching movies)). The writing flows, if only you let it. People who seek to debunk Thompson in the way that DiSabatino does in his review are invariably anal people without any sense of creative fun; the kind of creative fun that all the best writers of bygone eras expounded until their voices were horse with the shouting.
You need to chill. I mean, "Erasehead" for crying out loud! Get a grip.
If you're not stunted in all the ways that Thompson hates, then you have to see this film. Totally brilliant, and at times, totally misunderstood.
(Mr. DiSabatino has since replied in another review on this page and made clearer his original review's intent. We understand eachother better than I first thought. Well met, sir.)

This DVD finally gives one of Terry Gilliam's lesser-loved (but brilliant!) films the red carpet treatment. The commentary from Gilliam is crazed and passionate; Depp and Del Toro really show off their wit, charm, and intelligence along with producer Laila Nabulsi's back-stage insight, and the last commentary is a rather odd and screwball one from Thompson himself. I won't tell you a thing about the last commentary. You've got to buy this and check it out on your own. (Here's a hint: 'Screeee-ahhhh! Raaaaaaaagh!' *other assorted sounds*)

The second disc is crammed with some great goodies as well - Depp reads letters written to/from Thompson. There's a great BBC documentary showing HST and Ralph Steadman undertaking a trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Another gem is a snippet from an audio-book recording of Fear & Loathing with Jim Jarmusch as Raoul Duke! All definitely worth it.

Fear and Loathing isn't just a drug movie (as all the extras on the DVD will reiterate over and over again) - it's a truthful, imaginative, twisted, and subversive take on the death of the most idealistic decade and generation. We get to see it all through the eyes of two renegade professionals, one a journalist and the other a lawyer, both fighting the good fight against scum and villainy.

We can't stop here! THIS IS BAT COUNTRY.

I believe the quote at the begining of the movie and a quote HST used quite a bit throughout his career pretty much sums up the crux of the movie and it goes something like..."He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." I would also recommend that if you are going to watch the movie, that you also read the book as well. To me the movie is totally insane, funny and whether you like it or not will make you deal with certain issues that you may find disturbing to your sensibilities, don't panic, this is normal. If you are a true red blooded american who likes to follow the rules( at least when people are looking which incidentaly is the american way) then there is a possibility that you may find this movie offensive. But this should not stop you from watching the movie and finding a way to deal with it as did Mr. Duke and Dr Gonzo. Now it is also imperative for me to bring out at this time that what is also overlooked by the "critics" and casual observers as well is the tremendous work done by both Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro which in itself is worth watching this movie. Next, do not try to make sense of this movie, that would be a mistake, simply experience it as did the good Doctor and his Attourney and then decide for yourself how it effects you or affects you for that matter, but whatever you do, do not dismiss it, the decision must be made. Really there is no reason for judgement or maybe there is, but that is up to the viewer to deal with and deal with it you should. The bottom line is this, You should take two things away from this movie: 1. It is important, no matter what the circumstances are to always get the "story". And 2. If you buy the ticket then you must take the ride. If the viewer can keep these things in mind before, during and after this movie then I think you will be doing just fine and dare I say have a new found appreciation of what the good Dr. and the movie are trying to achieve.

Here's something for Brandon DiSabatino (reviewer): I have read Joyce, Nietzsche, Sartre AND Burroughs.
I have never considered "Ulysses" to be a reason not to make exciting art just for the heck of it. Jim's whole story is just a ramble. A beautiful sprawling wonder of a ramble, but a ramble nonetheless. Do you accuse Joyce's work of being empty?
I have never considered "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" to be a bible for the supression of fast paced fiction (remembering here that Thompson has repeatedly hinted that this 'autobiographical' piece is far more a novel than anything else).
I did not find anything that denounced good cinema in "Existentialism"; exactly the opposite, to be frank.
And as for Burroughs (consider "The Naked Lunch"): Do you REALLY think that Old Bull Lee would be at odds with Hunter S.?...REALLY??? It was part of this old heroine addict's dream for the world to see people like Thompson running around a tarnished America without a leash.
I realise that in this instance, what I am about to say could be seen as something of a "pot-calling-the-kettle-black" statement, but did you honestly think that your review would be helpful to anyone that wasn't a so-called 'intellectual'?
I loved this film. I loved it BECAUSE it wasn't about anything; BECAUSE it was different, and although all the classic reading of past years is of course still applicable to modern living, it just isn't, in fact couldn't be, anything like "Fear and Loathing."
Bloom's exploits in "Ulysses" are indeed interesting and frequently bizarre, but to the general public today, it simply won't mean as much as it did when it was written. The vocabulary used by Dublin's bohemian residants of bygone days was indeed got down pat by Mr. Joyce, but when it comes to recounting hallucinatory experiances in a desert, surrounded by some of the world's most venal and destructive ideals, Leopold Bloom and his kidney breakfasts just do not--cannot--pass muster!
On more than one occasion, I have actually mentioned Ulysses as a valid latter day comparison to Fear and Loathing and other films of it's ilk, but I've never tried to set the two up as competitors. Kerouac's "On the Road" also strikes a similar chord.
This is a film that you need to relax into from the writer's point of view (this being, after all,the whole point of reading((and watching movies)). The writing flows, if only you let it. People who seek to debunk Thompson in the way that DiSabatino does in his review are invariably anal people without any sense of creative fun; the kind of creative fun that all the best writers of bygone eras expounded until their voices were horse with the shouting.
You need to chill. I mean, "Erasehead" for crying out loud! Get a grip.
If you're not stunted in all the ways that Thompson hates, then you have to see this film. Totally brilliant, and at times, totally misunderstood.
(Mr. DiSabatino has since replied in another review on this page and made clearer his original review's intent. We understand eachother better than I first thought. Well met, sir.)

This DVD finally gives one of Terry Gilliam's lesser-loved (but brilliant!) films the red carpet treatment. The commentary from Gilliam is crazed and passionate; Depp and Del Toro really show off their wit, charm, and intelligence along with producer Laila Nabulsi's back-stage insight, and the last commentary is a rather odd and screwball one from Thompson himself. I won't tell you a thing about the last commentary. You've got to buy this and check it out on your own. (Here's a hint: 'Screeee-ahhhh! Raaaaaaaagh!' *other assorted sounds*)

The second disc is crammed with some great goodies as well - Depp reads letters written to/from Thompson. There's a great BBC documentary showing HST and Ralph Steadman undertaking a trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Another gem is a snippet from an audio-book recording of Fear & Loathing with Jim Jarmusch as Raoul Duke! All definitely worth it.

Fear and Loathing isn't just a drug movie (as all the extras on the DVD will reiterate over and over again) - it's a truthful, imaginative, twisted, and subversive take on the death of the most idealistic decade and generation. We get to see it all through the eyes of two renegade professionals, one a journalist and the other a lawyer, both fighting the good fight against scum and villainy.

We can't stop here! THIS IS BAT COUNTRY.

I believe the quote at the begining of the movie and a quote HST used quite a bit throughout his career pretty much sums up the crux of the movie and it goes something like..."He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." I would also recommend that if you are going to watch the movie, that you also read the book as well. To me the movie is totally insane, funny and whether you like it or not will make you deal with certain issues that you may find disturbing to your sensibilities, don't panic, this is normal. If you are a true red blooded american who likes to follow the rules( at least when people are looking which incidentaly is the american way) then there is a possibility that you may find this movie offensive. But this should not stop you from watching the movie and finding a way to deal with it as did Mr. Duke and Dr Gonzo. Now it is also imperative for me to bring out at this time that what is also overlooked by the "critics" and casual observers as well is the tremendous work done by both Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro which in itself is worth watching this movie. Next, do not try to make sense of this movie, that would be a mistake, simply experience it as did the good Doctor and his Attourney and then decide for yourself how it effects you or affects you for that matter, but whatever you do, do not dismiss it, the decision must be made. Really there is no reason for judgement or maybe there is, but that is up to the viewer to deal with and deal with it you should. The bottom line is this, You should take two things away from this movie: 1. It is important, no matter what the circumstances are to always get the "story". And 2. If you buy the ticket then you must take the ride. If the viewer can keep these things in mind before, during and after this movie then I think you will be doing just fine and dare I say have a new found appreciation of what the good Dr. and the movie are trying to achieve.

Here's something for Brandon DiSabatino (reviewer): I have read Joyce, Nietzsche, Sartre AND Burroughs.
I have never considered "Ulysses" to be a reason not to make exciting art just for the heck of it. Jim's whole story is just a ramble. A beautiful sprawling wonder of a ramble, but a ramble nonetheless. Do you accuse Joyce's work of being empty?
I have never considered "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" to be a bible for the supression of fast paced fiction (remembering here that Thompson has repeatedly hinted that this 'autobiographical' piece is far more a novel than anything else).
I did not find anything that denounced good cinema in "Existentialism"; exactly the opposite, to be frank.
And as for Burroughs (consider "The Naked Lunch"): Do you REALLY think that Old Bull Lee would be at odds with Hunter S.?...REALLY??? It was part of this old heroine addict's dream for the world to see people like Thompson running around a tarnished America without a leash.
I realise that in this instance, what I am about to say could be seen as something of a "pot-calling-the-kettle-black" statement, but did you honestly think that your review would be helpful to anyone that wasn't a so-called 'intellectual'?
I loved this film. I loved it BECAUSE it wasn't about anything; BECAUSE it was different, and although all the classic reading of past years is of course still applicable to modern living, it just isn't, in fact couldn't be, anything like "Fear and Loathing."
Bloom's exploits in "Ulysses" are indeed interesting and frequently bizarre, but to the general public today, it simply won't mean as much as it did when it was written. The vocabulary used by Dublin's bohemian residants of bygone days was indeed got down pat by Mr. Joyce, but when it comes to recounting hallucinatory experiances in a desert, surrounded by some of the world's most venal and destructive ideals, Leopold Bloom and his kidney breakfasts just do not--cannot--pass muster!
On more than one occasion, I have actually mentioned Ulysses as a valid latter day comparison to Fear and Loathing and other films of it's ilk, but I've never tried to set the two up as competitors. Kerouac's "On the Road" also strikes a similar chord.
This is a film that you need to relax into from the writer's point of view (this being, after all,the whole point of reading((and watching movies)). The writing flows, if only you let it. People who seek to debunk Thompson in the way that DiSabatino does in his review are invariably anal people without any sense of creative fun; the kind of creative fun that all the best writers of bygone eras expounded until their voices were horse with the shouting.
You need to chill. I mean, "Erasehead" for crying out loud! Get a grip.
If you're not stunted in all the ways that Thompson hates, then you have to see this film. Totally brilliant, and at times, totally misunderstood.
(Mr. DiSabatino has since replied in another review on this page and made clearer his original review's intent. We understand eachother better than I first thought. Well met, sir.)

This DVD finally gives one of Terry Gilliam's lesser-loved (but brilliant!) films the red carpet treatment. The commentary from Gilliam is crazed and passionate; Depp and Del Toro really show off their wit, charm, and intelligence along with producer Laila Nabulsi's back-stage insight, and the last commentary is a rather odd and screwball one from Thompson himself. I won't tell you a thing about the last commentary. You've got to buy this and check it out on your own. (Here's a hint: 'Screeee-ahhhh! Raaaaaaaagh!' *other assorted sounds*)

The second disc is crammed with some great goodies as well - Depp reads letters written to/from Thompson. There's a great BBC documentary showing HST and Ralph Steadman undertaking a trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Another gem is a snippet from an audio-book recording of Fear & Loathing with Jim Jarmusch as Raoul Duke! All definitely worth it.

Fear and Loathing isn't just a drug movie (as all the extras on the DVD will reiterate over and over again) - it's a truthful, imaginative, twisted, and subversive take on the death of the most idealistic decade and generation. We get to see it all through the eyes of two renegade professionals, one a journalist and the other a lawyer, both fighting the good fight against scum and villainy.

We can't stop here! THIS IS BAT COUNTRY.

I believe the quote at the begining of the movie and a quote HST used quite a bit throughout his career pretty much sums up the crux of the movie and it goes something like..."He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." I would also recommend that if you are going to watch the movie, that you also read the book as well. To me the movie is totally insane, funny and whether you like it or not will make you deal with certain issues that you may find disturbing to your sensibilities, don't panic, this is normal. If you are a true red blooded american who likes to follow the rules( at least when people are looking which incidentaly is the american way) then there is a possibility that you may find this movie offensive. But this should not stop you from watching the movie and finding a way to deal with it as did Mr. Duke and Dr Gonzo. Now it is also imperative for me to bring out at this time that what is also overlooked by the "critics" and casual observers as well is the tremendous work done by both Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro which in itself is worth watching this movie. Next, do not try to make sense of this movie, that would be a mistake, simply experience it as did the good Doctor and his Attourney and then decide for yourself how it effects you or affects you for that matter, but whatever you do, do not dismiss it, the decision must be made. Really there is no reason for judgement or maybe there is, but that is up to the viewer to deal with and deal with it you should. The bottom line is this, You should take two things away from this movie: 1. It is important, no matter what the circumstances are to always get the "story". And 2. If you buy the ticket then you must take the ride. If the viewer can keep these things in mind before, during and after this movie then I think you will be doing just fine and dare I say have a new found appreciation of what the good Dr. and the movie are trying to achieve.

I've been searching and waiting patiently for the perfect gay film to come along. Something with a real plot and real characters. Something that doesn't pander to the straight audience, but doesn't play exclusively to gays. Something with bite AND a heart. Julie Davis' "All Over the Guy" comes close... so close. And then tanks.

The story in brief: while shopping in a furniture store, Jackie (Sasha Alexander) meets furniture designer/salesman Brett (Adam Goldberg). The sparks are instant. After realizing that they both have a gay male best friend, they decide to fix the two of them up. The first date of Eli (Dan Bucatinsky) and Tom (Richard Ruccolo) goes down in flames, but on a second meeting something ignites. But Tom's alcohol fueled insecurities and Eli's need for order makes their ensuing relationship rocky. Essentially, they just can't seem to get it together. Will true love prevail?

Look, I really, REALLY wanted to love this film. In the end, I liked it a lot, but it missed that being-a-classic benchmark by a good distance. Here's why:

There aren't many films with opinions are widely and clearly polarized as those regarding "All Over the Guy." That's a nice way of saying you either loved it or hated it. Me, I can understand both points of view... if you aren't into snappy, overly-glib, "Friends"-like dialogue you are going to definitely hate this film. I happen to love that sort of stuff. Okay, call me shallow, but the movie made me laugh out loud on several occasions. (Example... BRETT: "Be there or be square." ELI: "I hate when people say that. 'Cuz even when I'm there, I'm square, so where's the incentive?") Overall, I thought the dialogue was sharp, and the juxtaposition of a gay relationship against a straight one was handled nicely.

I also really liked the acting in this film. All of the supporting characters do a nice job bringing in a level of quirkiness to their small parts (I mean, c'mon... how funny was Andrea Martin as Eli's analysis-obsessed mom?), and the four leads handle what they're given with tenacity and appeal.

Likewise, the first three-quarters of this film are structured well and interesting. I hate to say it, but it really drew me in. The non-linear storyline doesn't feel choppy or forced. So what went wrong? Why does that final quarter of the film take such an incredible nosedive?

The primary blame has to be placed on the character of Tom. As much as the filmmakers try to make this Eli's story, the crux of the action centers around Tom's behavior when faced with a potentially fulfilling relationship. We're asked to believe that Tom is a nasty drunk, and his addiction is why he endlessly treats poor Eli like a yo-yo. And although we never really see Tom even remotely plastered, we can see that he's overflowing with anger and bile.

What the script doesn't do is completely justify Tom's wild swings from wanting to be near Eli to harshly and nastily (really nastily) pushing him away. And it all reflects poorly on the character of Eli, who never truly tells Tom to get lost. I wanted so badly for someone to just level this jerk... when it does sort-of happen at the film's climax, Tom's reaction is to DEFEND himself. What is all this saying? "Oh, poor damaged me... my lousy upbringing gives me the right to treat others like ca-ca." Sorry, I don't buy it.

Similarly, I don't buy Tom's seemingly happy-go-lucky decision to end up at AA. The fact that alcoholism is simply wrecking his life is woefully unexplored. Most of all, that angle of the story completely lacks any grit and bite. Alcoholism is ugly. It's a disease that can kill, just like AIDS or cancer or any other unpleasant illness. Here, it's handled like a plot device, giving its sufferers a reason to be verbally cruel, and nothing else.

Please note that I can't blame Richard Ruccolo for any of his character's failings. He does an amazing job with what the script gives him. He plays his winning smile and boyish good looks to the best of their ability. Likewise, his control onscreen is superb... he's one of the rare breed of actors who can flash a single facial expression and it says pages worth of words. (Just imagine Keanu Reeves in the part and you'll see the complete opposite of what I'm talking about.)

Nonetheless, I was exhausted with the on-again-off-again nature of Tom and Eli's relationship by the end of this film. And as much as Tom has something of an excuse for his yo-yo-like behavior, Eli doesn't have one for not just telling him to shove-off. We're asked to believe that it's because he sees something greater in Tom, but by the final quarter of the film it looks more like Eli hasn't an ounce of self-respect. The ending seems entirely forced; any two everyday gay men in Los Angeles would have called it quits long, long before these two.

It's too bad, because there was so much in this movie that I really enjoyed. I'd love to see this group try again with something meatier. How about this: explore the alcoholism angle with depth and sincerity by adapting Augusten Burrough's hilarious, self-deprecating book "Dry" into a film? And please cast Rich Ruccolo in the lead!

As far as Gay-themed films go, I would have to say that this is by far my favourite. It shows gays as most are--normal people with (sometimes not so) normal problems. This is a story about two gay men, screwed up in their own ways, having a strained relationship. This story is funny, romantic and ultimately satisfying. That, and one of the main characters is such a cutie....too bad he's straight in real life ;-)

The verdict? If you like gay themed movies, this is a must. If you just like funny or romantic movies, and aren't put off by a gay element, which to be honest is not really that important to the story, this is a definite must-see!

I thought this would be a cute gay romantic film with little kinks in the plot but ultimately end in fuzzy sweetness. Basically, a nice, light movie. Well, it does end sweetly, but the journey that took us there was full of twists and turns and hardships and heartache that showed us relationships take work. It isn't add water, mix and presto. Dan Bucantinsky, in addition to being so cute and sexy (is he single?), brilliantly adapted his play into this marvelous script that realistically depicted many issues in relationships, whether gay or straight, in which two people must overcome a lot of personal problems in their own life and background, accept each other as they are and move on, learn to love themselves, and finally come full circle to love someone else. The story is framed in clever and funny flash back scenes (that incidentally also deliver a responsible message of safe sex in this age of AIDS) with incredible lead and supporting casts (Doris Roberts, Andrea Martin, Joanna Kerns, Lisa Kudrow, etc.). Dan played the main character - as smart, funny, vulnerable, clever, dysfunctional, normal, abnormal, dynamic, timid and so very sexy! It definitely felt as if he wrote and acted from personal experience. I certainly related to many of his plights. Richard Ruccolo was fantastic as his alcoholic, commitment-fearing love interest who is capable of great affection as well as distance. Ruccolo really made that character work - I've liked him ever since that ABC sitcom, "Two Guys, A Girl . . . ." Sasha Alexander and Adam Goldberg were the hilarious straight couple who set the two guys up in the first place as a way to get to each other. This was something that took me by surprise with its depth, complexity, humor and writing. I highly recommend it!