Elizabeth-Perkins Movie Reviews

Every doctor - and every patient! - should see this movie; the difference is that, not all doctors will understand *why* they should see it..

I use The Doctor when teaching my medical students how to avoid becoming a certain kind of doctor; the kind who is so detached from humanity that they never feel anything of the pain, fear - and the hope - that their patients feel. They have forgotten how to care, and they don't care to remember it.

This is a film about a medical `Everyman`; Jack (played by William Hurt with great integrity and skill)is redeemed as a human being - and as a doctor - by his own experience of serious illness, and by that of his friend - her death frees him from the blinkers of self-absorption. The scene where the two of them dance in the Nevada desert is breathtaking.

Supporting cast are excellent; especially Mandy Patinkin as Jack's unscrupulous surgical partner. Jack's initially dysfunctional family life is a central part of this movie, and the roles of his wife and son are well played.

The last scenes are amongst the best; especially where Jack is explaining to his interns why they are going to spend the next 24 hours not as doctors, but as hospital patients - wearing hospital gowns, undergoing all the appropriate tests, and (horror of horrors) eating hospital food.

The following and final scene is simply beautiful, as Jack stands on the roof of the hospital and dances by himself, revived and renewed.

Anyone involved in medical or healthcare education should have this video - and use it! Others should watch it to understand better what can happen to medical students along the way to becoming doctors.

I just love this movie. I saw it when it first came out back in the early 90's and just recently saw it again. I cannot believe I went all this time without watching this beautiful movie! I just recently acquired a VHS copy and have now watched it twice in only the last few days. What I like about the movie, first of all, is the fact that what happened in the movie then--with arrogant doctors, paperwork shuffling, etc.-- still applies today. The plot has never grown old. But what I really appreciate about the movie is the variety of issues it includes. It is to my understanding that this movie is required by atleast some medical schools for their curriculum. I do know however, that there are some doctors who apparently have not seen this movie (I know by experience of course) and need a dose of it themselves.

This is an excelent film. I can't beleve a movie of this class is not avalable on DVD. What is wrong with the movie studio? For now I will pop my VHS in and enjoy one of the best movies of both the 80's and 90's.

Alan Rudolph takes a mystery and turns it inside out, with the help of great acting. Tom Berenger as the crusty, savvy detective. Elizabeth Perkins as the hapless but lovestruck detective wannabe. Ann Archer at her radiant and amusing best. And Neil Young (yes, THAT Neil Young) in a delightful cameo role as a heavy who gets what he deserves. A small film it may be, but the script is excellent, the photography impressive, the familiar theme of mistaken identity is well played, so this is in many ways Rudolph's best film.

Those unfamiliar with director Alan Rudolph should not hesitate to buy this video. It's a carefully crafted mystery with a wry sense of humor, visually exciting, and well-scripted. Tom Berenger is at his best, well complemented by Elizabeth Perkins, Ann Archer (at her steamy best), and yes, a cameo by Neill Young (yes, that Neill Young) that is bound to please. This is a small film but one that aspires to greatness through its noir plot, crisp dialog, and excellent acting by all. The larger theme of identity seems, in a way, Hitchcockian, but the movie is not at all derivative. When it came out in the 1980s it received good reviews but went quickly to video, though it deserved wider recognition. Note: although not billed as a "family" flick, the absence of gratuitous violence et al is a welcomed relief. So when is the DVD coming out? It's about time. Until then, buy and enjoy the VHS tape.

NAMI: The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) honored this movie with a 2001 Outstanding Media Award. it's excellent. A non-stereotyped portrayal of a person with mental illness and an at times difficult, but loving relationship with her sister. A true story. Book by the same name. It both opens minds and entertains. Great acting by Kathy Bates: an informative contrast to her role in the movie Misery.

I love this movie. I got to play my scene with Both major stars. The work is superb. I love acting in this film

Almost Hitchcock-like, this movie keeps you interested. I am writing this review before the DVD is released, but after viewing the movie three times - I'm hooked!

The accuracy of the costumes and the beauty of the New Zealand setting easily let your imagination place you right in this World War II drama. Give this film two minutes of your time and you'll be so deeply entrenched in the story you won't even be able to pause the DVD.

Rod Steiger gives one of his classic performances, and Tony Goldwyn (the guy you loved to hate in "Ghost") keeps you wondering whether he's a good guy or bad guy.

As the story unfolds, the twists and turns play on your emotions and keep your logic hard at work. This is a wonderful movie, and I am buying a copy for my parents just to take them on a trip back to a time long gone.

In this film starring Donna Dixon and her family of flesheaters.Definitely not for vegetarians,it's a creepy flesheating extravaganza if you like horror Movies!!

In the tradition of To Kill A Mockingbird, the film takes a look at the realities of a time and the people who lived in it. It is less heavy than Mockingbird, but still takes a real, serious, and human look at the impact -- subtle and not -- of racism and the society where it was normal. It is also quite refreshing to see James Woods in a quality film and playing a normal, sane "good guy."

This is a classic that the whole family can enjoy. The story is about a clown fish who has to raise his motherless son by himself. The son's name is Nemo and the father's name is marlin. Nemo gets captured by a diver and Marlin sets out to find him. He is helped by an absent minded blue fish. Nemo is placed in an aquarium in a dentist office. The dentist is going to give Nemo to his niece, who is not very gentle with her pets. When she comes into the room they play the theme to Hitchcock's Psycho. Nemo's friends try to help him escape. He eventually is reunited with his father. This is a great movie about a father's endless love for his son. Some reviewers say that small children may be frighten by the scene of Nemo's mother and siblings being killed. It was no worse then Bambi's mother being killed.

There are two diskcs. Disc one consist of the widescreen version of the film plus various chapters on how the movie was made. The producers wanted the film to be as real as possible. All production staff had to be SCUBA certified. They took actual pictures of the ocean and incorporated them into the movie.

Disc two consists of the full frame version of the movie. There is also a short film created by Jean-Micheal Cousteau, Son of Jaques Coustaeu. There is no real narration just movie images of the coral reef acompanied by orchestal music. The film keeps on getting interupted by Nemo and his friens. Mister ray's encyclopedia shows actual footage of the real conterparts of the creatures found in this movie. These two features make this DVD set a good learning tool about studying the great barrier reef and the ocean. There is a preview of the upcoming Pixar film the Incredibles. as well an early animation PIxar did called Knick Knacks. There is a story about Nemo that you canread or be read to you. This is also a good educational feature.

These DVDs provide good information in how this movie was made and about the ecology of the ocean. The second disc can be very useful in the classroom.

No matter how difficult things may seem at times, or how impossible and big a problem is, one should never give up, always follow their heart and keep on going. That's the message I got out of this movie. I saw this movie in the theater last summer when it came out and I loved it then and was actually surprised by how often I caught myself laughing at it. (I'm not one who is usually that impressed with animated pictures, I appreciate them but I don't have an affinity for them). I watched it again on DVD tonight and was more moved by it this time than my first viewing. This movie has it all, comedy, drama and even a little bit of action. This is one movie that will not disappoint, everyone should see it at least once!

I thought this movie was one of the best i've ever seen! It has really great characters who are very funny. I think many of the sayings are very creative. My favorite characters were Dory and Jauques ( the shrimp guy). All ages can enjoy this movie and laugh. The one problem i have with it is that the plot is just a little stupid but everything else was great! I really think this movie was AwEsOmE and i give it 5 stars!

Pixar has outdone themselves once again. "Finding Nemo" is the dramatic, sometimes sad & scary, sometimes drop-dead hilarious, tale (or should I say "tail"?) of a Father trying to find his lost son. In this case, the father (voice over by Albert Brooks), Marlin, is a clownfish living in a sea anemone. His son, Nemo, evokes images of Dicken's "Tiny Tim" character with his defective fin.

In light of todays news headlines where children are forcibly kidnapped from their own homes, the opening of the film may be too intense and overwhelming for some sensitive youngsters.

As with its other movies ("Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc.," etc.), the story is so well written, it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

As someone who has a salt water aquarium at home with a pair of clownfish and a regal tang (the species of Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres), I know first hand how these fish move through water and interact with other fish in the tank.

It's obvious that the artists involved in animating these characters studied their biology and behavior for hours on end. A few times, the fish are literally out of the water, and as the water on their skin begins to drip off, you can see the subtle highlights in their scales. Magnificent work.

Obviously, the fish are given human-like eyes... a truly necessary component to get you emotionally involved with these characters.

Even Bruce, the Great White shark, is an endearing fellow with an Australian accent. Despite the human-like characteristics, the adherence to physiological details on the rest of these species is incredible.

The lighting has such an effect that you feel like you are under water with the fish. The gentle swaying of the coral and anemones is surreal... just like the real Great Barrier Reef.

In reality, some of these fish would never encounter each other in the wild... and we all know that Starfish do not have eyes or smiley faces... but you do not care about those minor details while watching this film.

Dory is the beautiful blue & yellow regal tang fish who teams up with Marlin to find his son. Her tendency to forget almost everything she hears is a part of the charm of this character. Ellen DeGeneres' voice was perfect for this fish. The facial expressions on the characters, modeled after the actors that did their voices, are also priceless.

This movie is far more than eye-candy. The story and comedic timing are so good, it could be done with stick-figures and still be good.

This movie is an absolute delight. When it is released on DVD, it will immediately be added to my collection - this is a film I could see time and time again.

Pixar has outdone themselves once again. "Finding Nemo" is the dramatic, sometimes sad & scary, sometimes drop-dead hilarious, tale (or should I say "tail"?) of a Father trying to find his lost son. In this case, the father (voice over by Albert Brooks), Marlin, is a clownfish living in a sea anemone. His son, Nemo, evokes images of Dicken's "Tiny Tim" character with his defective fin.

In light of todays news headlines where children are forcibly kidnapped from their own homes, the opening of the film may be too intense and overwhelming for some sensitive youngsters.

As with its other movies ("Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc.," etc.), the story is so well written, it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

As someone who has a salt water aquarium at home with a pair of clownfish and a regal tang (the species of Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres), I know first hand how these fish move through water and interact with other fish in the tank.

It's obvious that the artists involved in animating these characters studied their biology and behavior for hours on end. A few times, the fish are literally out of the water, and as the water on their skin begins to drip off, you can see the subtle highlights in their scales. Magnificent work.

Obviously, the fish are given human-like eyes... a truly necessary component to get you emotionally involved with these characters.

Even Bruce, the Great White shark, is an endearing fellow with an Australian accent. Despite the human-like characteristics, the adherence to physiological details on the rest of these species is incredible.

The lighting has such an effect that you feel like you are under water with the fish. The gentle swaying of the coral and anemones is surreal... just like the real Great Barrier Reef.

In reality, some of these fish would never encounter each other in the wild... and we all know that Starfish do not have eyes or smiley faces... but you do not care about those minor details while watching this film.

Dory is the beautiful blue & yellow regal tang fish who teams up with Marlin to find his son. Her tendency to forget almost everything she hears is a part of the charm of this character. Ellen DeGeneres' voice was perfect for this fish. The facial expressions on the characters, modeled after the actors that did their voices, are also priceless.

This movie is far more than eye-candy. The story and comedic timing are so good, it could be done with stick-figures and still be good.

This movie is an absolute delight. When it is released on DVD, it will immediately be added to my collection - this is a film I could see time and time again.

Finding Nemo is a GREAT movie for all ages. It's is very funny and entertaining. I think it is the best Disney Movie that has ever been released. I highly suggested buying this movie.

Great movie. Penny Marshall's directing is wonderful. Tom Hanks is perfect as the child/adult. He plays it with subtlety. He could have hammed it up but showed restraint, evidencing the child inside the adult without being infantile. His conflicts between his real and his apparent age were handled well. The supporting cast did a great job. David Moscow was excellent as the young Josh and could well have been a young Hanks. Mercedes Ruehl as his mother who suddenly is confronted with this adult stranger doesn't have much but does it well. Robert Loggia as the toy company boss who grows fond of the adult Josh does a great job of evidencing the little boy inside him. Elizabeth Perkins is beautiful and a great, albeit confused, love interest for the adult Josh. Jared Rushton is a perfect side-kick to the now "big" and money-earning Josh. There were some great scenes like when Josh the adult receives his first paycheck and they blow it on junk food and silly string. Later that evening when Billy leaves and Josh is left alone in a flop house amid the frightening sounds of the city, Hanks handles this perfectly. The move into the loft with all the toys was a child's dream. Then there's the tuxedo, the eating of the salad corn, his night with Susan (Elizabeth Perkins), the "Heart and Soul" duet on the giant piano with Robert Loggia. On and on the great moments. And the ending was poignant. One would have to be truly jaded to not find enjoyment in this movie. Hanks deserved all the nominations for Best Actor and should have collected on more.

This has to be one of the greatest films all of all times,EVER!!
Tom Hanks did an exellent job playing a young boy(Joshua "Josh" Baskins) trapped in a grown mans' body. A child trying to make it in a rough world, living as an adult,but only in the flesh.
The writing was excellent! The entire casts' acting was superb! Penny Marshall has directed a true gem that has been a classic for about 14 years now, and will remain a classic for decades to come.
Living in New York as I do, It was really fun to know that the area where Josh met up with the fortune teller machine was shot on location at Rye Playland about 40 minutes driving time from where I live(pretty cool, huh?)I go in that area at times just to rekindle the movie shot(I'm pathetic,right?)
One of the funniest movie scences I can remember is when his (somewhat) love interest,Susan (played beautifully by Elizabeth perkins) tries to get romantic with Josh, but all he seems to care about is jumping on the trampling and seeing who gets to sleep on the TOP bunk.(His young mind cannot comprehend what she means when she says she wants to "SLEEP" with him). Those are classic "BIG" moments, along with him playing the gaint Step-On Keyboard at FAO Schwarz Toy Store that will never leave my memory!It was very interesting seeing Tom Hanks show his boyish side; that innocent charm that very few actors could have probably pulled off so well. I also like the moral to the story as well, JUST LIKE THEY SAY: "Be careful what you wish for,'cause you may get it". Every wish comes with a price. There's no such thing as a perfect wish.
(You'll know what I mean if you haven't seen the film yet). If you haven't seen this extraordinary movie yet, then please do yourself a favor and buy it. Or at least rent it first,then I'll guarantee you will purchase this movie to share with your family and friends for years to come.
P.S. I think Tom Hanks was perfect for the part of Josh,but do you think anybody else could have done a good job as well? What about Bill Murray or Robin Williams? What do you think? Well...now that i think about it, with Tom Hanks playing the Award winning role,and seeing how well it was played, I don't think I'd have it any other way. -- PEACE.

I've had this movie (on VHS) since it was first released, and its on my Movies I Can't Stop Watching list. Tom Hanks portrays a 13 year old boy, Josh, who wakes up in the body of a 30 year old man after wishing he were bigger after not being allowed on a carnival ride and being made fun of by a taller boy. Although this theme is not unique, nobody but Tom Hanks ever gets it quite right. Hanks obviously has not forgotten what it's like to be an adolescent boy, and the results are hilarious! His reactions to adult situations (a really aweful tux at a formal party, making gagging noises and spitting out caviar, playing with all the buttons in the limousine, thinking his workmate just wants to SLEEP when she asks to stay overnight and innocently replying,"Well, ok, but I get to be on top" - meaning the top of his bunkbed) never fail to send me into fits of laughter. On the more serious side, Hanks also poignantly portrays the fear and loneliness of a young boy suddenly thrust into the hostile environment of a trashy hotel (the only place he could afford, with the help of his best friend), where sirens, gunshots, and fights are happening right outside his door. Jared Rushton is perfectly cast as his best friend, and gets a good laugh of his own when he screams his bloody head off when first approached by the adult Josh, thinking he's a pervert bent on doing him harm.

Great for anybody who remembers what it's like to be a child in a hurry to get bigger, and even for those who don't.

There are 3 stories to this movie, with the setting being the same house for all three stories.

The first story is set in the 1950's and shows the sorrow of having to keep a lesbian relationship secret. Vanessa Redgrave's utter destruction over the death of her partner and her being unable to show the full extent of her loss. From the hospital to the gold digging relatives, no one offers her true comfort for what she has rightfully lost and she must grieve alone.

For me, the second story was the best. Set in the 1970's, it tells the story of a feminist who falls in love with a masculine dressed woman. The passion is overwhelming. There is a nude scene that really shows pure sexual passion. Michelle Williams potrayal of the feminist is a moving and wonderful thing to watch.

The final story is about 2 women trying to conceive a baby. While I'm not sure about the chemistry between Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone, I do think Sharon Stone gives a tender portrayal of a loving woman. I found the watching of the children in the park to be a little creepy and unnecessary.

Even if you aren't a lesbian, just the acting and the emotions of relating to other women is worth the rental or purchase price.

I thought "If These Walls Could Talk 2" was great, with the great performances. Thank god for HBO, I've seen it many times on it, and it's sort of a guilty pleasure. I can't help but watch it everytime it comes on. I thought every story was very moving, with the perfect cast to pull it all off. I thought the first segment was very touching, but I couldn't really relate to it, so it was hard to really get into it. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third segments. The second segment with Michelle Williams, Nia Long, and Chloe Sevigny were fantastic. It struck a chord in me, I realized how biased the world can be towards one another. I liked the irony of one lesbian being incredibly ignorant to another, because they weren't "lesbian" enough. It revealed to me how cynical we all can be. I disagree with a lot of the reviews about the third segment, I thought it was great! It was humorous and heart-felt. It is by far, Ellen DeGeneres's best performance. Sharon Stone was so comical, which the enitre movie needed. Ellen and Sharon had great chemistry, in my opinion. The seemed very believable, from the passion towards one-another, to the commitment of trying to conceive. They were a truly loving and commited couple, which I respected very much. I recommend this movie to anyone, lesbian, gay, bi, or straight, it's a terrific movie.

I believe that this movie depicts the most authetic lesbian relationships that I have seen in a long while. It was genuine and moving and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see real women in real relationships!