Tony-Goldwyn Movie Reviews

A case of Alan Pakula trying to relive the glory days of *All the President's Men*. Problem is, *The Pelican Brief* is based on a pot-boiler by John Grisham, who, if the movies based on his stuff is any guide, couldn't concoct a plausible plot to save his life. Therefore, the "Woodstein"-style paranoia gets diminished by our incredulity. It's amazing how much Pakula had forgotten since 1976: in *President's Men*, the eponymous "men" of the title seem the more menacing because we never actually meet them . . . here, the President Himself (poorly played by Robert Culp) is a major character. The script makes him out to be such a manipulated idiot that it's hard to believe he could've ever been elected, let alone be at the center of a Byzantine plot to rid the Supreme Court of a pair of Justices who are inconveniently environmentalist. But the real doozy is at the heart of the narrative: a pretty young thang (Julia Roberts) makes some wild speculations about who was REALLY responsible for the Supreme Court murders, PUTS IT TO PAPER in order to impress her professor/lover (a surprisingly good Sam Shepard), who passes it on to his old college buddy, who happens to work for the Effa-Bee-Eye. Somehow the Pretty Woman's essay circulates all through the FBI, and eventually shakes the foundations of power in the White House itself. Naturally, the President (well, his Machiavellian chief-of-staff) puts a contract out on Pretty Woman. She eludes them all -- The End. Puh-leeze. Well, at least the movie is expertly directed and handsomely photographed, proving that Pakula hadn't forgotten EVERYTHING, after all.

And this one is no exception. Roberts and Washington perform superbly in this film. There is tension, plot twists and curve balls. This is an enjoyable film. Washington and Roberts took some heat at that time for opting OUT of a romantic entanglement between their characters. At the time, they were accused of being racially motivated; they both maintained the story didn't need it. I have to agree. The story is very strong without any action between the sheets on their part. Additionally, Julia's character has just lost her lover, so I think it was a good decision. Judge for yourself.

This is one of my favorites among several films based on John Grisham's novels, the others being The Firm and The Client. None is a great film but all three are consistently entertaining. Grisham's skills are those of a storyteller. There is little (if any) character development. However, as is also true of many of Hitchcock's films, the leading characters become involuntarily involved in a process of discovery and soon find themselves in harm's way. Young law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) completes what she calls "The Pelican Brief" without fully realizing how threatening and potentially dangerous its contents could be to the administration of an incumbent president played by Robert Culp. She becomes a fugitive, eventually aided by Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), a newspaper reporter who helps her to gather the additional information she needs to (literally) save her life. Most of the time, the narrative moves along at a brisk pace. Roberts and Washington deliver solid performances as do John Heard, James B. Sikking, and John Lithgow.

I'm not damning with faint praise when suggesting that although this is not a great film, it's worth seeing again from time to time...unlike so many others both you and I could name.

Although Quaid AND Roberts deliver good performances... this movie just plods along and is never clear. We never have a CLEAR reason for her to return to her husband. We never have a clear reason why she should. Her relationship with her father is unclear---why is she so angry? Why work with him then? Some cute moments, sure... the food poisoning, the doctor and the father fighting... but otherwise... yawn

Curl up and enjoy this movie. It is funny, sad, interesting and most of all enjoyable. I disagree with the person who said that the husband and wife spontaneously dance and then live happily ever after. Did we watch the same movie? The wife (Julia Roberts) then goes back to school and her husband begins courting her. Dating, not back to move in and live happily ever after.

There isn't anything in this that was earth shattering or incredible performances. It was just a good Sunday Afternoon flick, I own this one and forgot how much I enjoyed it until my Daughter and I pulled it off the shelf.

Julia Roberts does a believable job as a woman who has found out that her husband has screwed around on her. What I liked most about this movie was allll of the secondary characters... Kyra was the PERFECT Older sister looking out for her younger one, Gena was Great as the Southern Belle Mama, the Aunt (don't know this woman's name)was HILARIOUS as the "little" crazy Aunt that would/could go there. You really have to pay attention to this movie there are so many innuendos and funny moments that I truly can recommend this one. The actress that played the daughter was wonderful and last but not least Dennis Quaid did quite a convincing job as a contrite husband (once he was caught).

If you want something along this plot line I would also suggest "Hope Floats" which also stars Gena Rowlands and has pretty much the same subject matter but not the same movie. Enjoy.

Respectfully Reviewed

I was excited about seeing this movie because I had read the book, which was pretty decent. I always like to read the book first, and then see the movie. This movie, however, does not do justice to the book.
First, the acting was very bad. Actually, it wasn't very bad, it was awful. I can't believe these other reviews that talk about how awesome the acting was from Roberts and Washington. Personally, I think Denzel Washington's acting is over-rated in every film he's ever made. The characters were just not believable. Secondly, there are several good parts from the book that are left out of the movie, or are not explained. For example, Victor Matiesse is not even seen in the movie. There is a very good scene in the book that adds a lot to the story about an agent visiting Matieese, and one of his goons stealthily kills the fibbie. That would have been great if it were included in the movie. The movie explains the killing of the justices in much more detail, and explains that they did not want the FBI protection; the movie portrays the FBI as a bunch of little schoolgirls. There are so many plot holes in the movie, that I can't see how anyone who hasn't read the book would understand what's going on. I really like Julia Roberts, but this is not one of her better films.
John Grisham has written a good novel, don't use this movie to base your opinion of his work. He writes very well though-out novels and develops the characters well, he also does a good job of explaining what is going on. This is just a very bad adapatation. I should have saved myself 2 and a half hours and picked up another Grisham novel.

This review refers to the Warner Bros 1997 DVD edition of "The Pelican Brief".....

"The Pelican Brief" is a poltical thriller that will keep you invovled from beginning to end. It teams legendary Director Alan J Pakula("Klute"/All the President's Men") with equally legendary mystery writer John Grisham("The Firm"/"The Client"). Then add these names into the mix...Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Hume Cronyn, Sam Shepard, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and a score by James Horner, and you've got yourself a great recipe for a well made film. And although I did not find it as compelling as "All the President's Men" or as suspenseful as "Klute" or "The Firm", I did find myself, thanks to the great acting, becoming totally involved with the characters and the storyline.

Here's the story...Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. Brillant law student Darby Shaw(Roberts), who has a passion for constitutional law, decides to start do a little investigating of her own concerning the deaths. What she finds is too frightning to even believe. She prepares a brief, that winds up in the hands of government officials, and pretty soon anyone involved winds up in the mourge as well. Darby goes on the run fearing she is next and doesn't know who to trust. The only one she can turn to is investigative reporter Grey Grantham(Washington). The two race to prove her theory as they become the hunted as well.Lots of great action and intrigue keep the story going.

The DVD is very good as far as the quality of the picture and sound. The widescreen presentation, lets you see all the action,the picture is clear and colors bright and sharp.The Dolby surround brings it all right into the room with you. The only problem I had with the DVD was having to turn it over after 1:17 into the film. I did notice though in the technical info that the release date of the DVD is 2/4/03. I have had mine much longer and although it appears to be the same DVD, perhaps they rereleased it. Maybe renting it first would answer that question. Not much in the way of "Bonus Features". There are some production notes, including how the cast prepared for their indivual roles(in which we are assured that Stanley Tucci, who plays an assassin, did not go out and kill anyone!), and there are some previews of other films made by Alan J Pakula.

I would reccommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Grisham, Pakula, Roberts or Washington, or if you just enjoy a good thriller.

Get the popcorn ready and get ready to jump!.....enjoy...Laurie

For those of us who aren't spoiled by the frills that accompany some DVDs, "The Pelican Brief" was an incredible movie worth buying. The plot was intriguing, and the story unfolded in such a manner that it kept the audience guessing. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington delivered extraordinary performances as well, making the experience all the more positive. While some people find DVDs to lack virtue unless they are loaded with extras, those of us who can appreciate true cinema will no doubt find this movie to be an incredible achievement and incarnation of a fantastic John Grisham novel.

I was excited about seeing this movie because I had read the book, which was pretty decent. I always like to read the book first, and then see the movie. This movie, however, does not do justice to the book.
First, the acting was very bad. Actually, it wasn't very bad, it was awful. I can't believe these other reviews that talk about how awesome the acting was from Roberts and Washington. Personally, I think Denzel Washington's acting is over-rated in every film he's ever made. The characters were just not believable. Secondly, there are several good parts from the book that are left out of the movie, or are not explained. For example, Victor Matiesse is not even seen in the movie. There is a very good scene in the book that adds a lot to the story about an agent visiting Matieese, and one of his goons stealthily kills the fibbie. That would have been great if it were included in the movie. The movie explains the killing of the justices in much more detail, and explains that they did not want the FBI protection; the movie portrays the FBI as a bunch of little schoolgirls. There are so many plot holes in the movie, that I can't see how anyone who hasn't read the book would understand what's going on. I really like Julia Roberts, but this is not one of her better films.
John Grisham has written a good novel, don't use this movie to base your opinion of his work. He writes very well though-out novels and develops the characters well, he also does a good job of explaining what is going on. This is just a very bad adapatation. I should have saved myself 2 and a half hours and picked up another Grisham novel.

This review refers to the Warner Bros 1997 DVD edition of "The Pelican Brief".....

"The Pelican Brief" is a poltical thriller that will keep you invovled from beginning to end. It teams legendary Director Alan J Pakula("Klute"/All the President's Men") with equally legendary mystery writer John Grisham("The Firm"/"The Client"). Then add these names into the mix...Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Hume Cronyn, Sam Shepard, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and a score by James Horner, and you've got yourself a great recipe for a well made film. And although I did not find it as compelling as "All the President's Men" or as suspenseful as "Klute" or "The Firm", I did find myself, thanks to the great acting, becoming totally involved with the characters and the storyline.

Here's the story...Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. Brillant law student Darby Shaw(Roberts), who has a passion for constitutional law, decides to start do a little investigating of her own concerning the deaths. What she finds is too frightning to even believe. She prepares a brief, that winds up in the hands of government officials, and pretty soon anyone involved winds up in the mourge as well. Darby goes on the run fearing she is next and doesn't know who to trust. The only one she can turn to is investigative reporter Grey Grantham(Washington). The two race to prove her theory as they become the hunted as well.Lots of great action and intrigue keep the story going.

The DVD is very good as far as the quality of the picture and sound. The widescreen presentation, lets you see all the action,the picture is clear and colors bright and sharp.The Dolby surround brings it all right into the room with you. The only problem I had with the DVD was having to turn it over after 1:17 into the film. I did notice though in the technical info that the release date of the DVD is 2/4/03. I have had mine much longer and although it appears to be the same DVD, perhaps they rereleased it. Maybe renting it first would answer that question. Not much in the way of "Bonus Features". There are some production notes, including how the cast prepared for their indivual roles(in which we are assured that Stanley Tucci, who plays an assassin, did not go out and kill anyone!), and there are some previews of other films made by Alan J Pakula.

I would reccommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Grisham, Pakula, Roberts or Washington, or if you just enjoy a good thriller.

Get the popcorn ready and get ready to jump!.....enjoy...Laurie

For those of us who aren't spoiled by the frills that accompany some DVDs, "The Pelican Brief" was an incredible movie worth buying. The plot was intriguing, and the story unfolded in such a manner that it kept the audience guessing. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington delivered extraordinary performances as well, making the experience all the more positive. While some people find DVDs to lack virtue unless they are loaded with extras, those of us who can appreciate true cinema will no doubt find this movie to be an incredible achievement and incarnation of a fantastic John Grisham novel.

I was excited about seeing this movie because I had read the book, which was pretty decent. I always like to read the book first, and then see the movie. This movie, however, does not do justice to the book.
First, the acting was very bad. Actually, it wasn't very bad, it was awful. I can't believe these other reviews that talk about how awesome the acting was from Roberts and Washington. Personally, I think Denzel Washington's acting is over-rated in every film he's ever made. The characters were just not believable. Secondly, there are several good parts from the book that are left out of the movie, or are not explained. For example, Victor Matiesse is not even seen in the movie. There is a very good scene in the book that adds a lot to the story about an agent visiting Matieese, and one of his goons stealthily kills the fibbie. That would have been great if it were included in the movie. The movie explains the killing of the justices in much more detail, and explains that they did not want the FBI protection; the movie portrays the FBI as a bunch of little schoolgirls. There are so many plot holes in the movie, that I can't see how anyone who hasn't read the book would understand what's going on. I really like Julia Roberts, but this is not one of her better films.
John Grisham has written a good novel, don't use this movie to base your opinion of his work. He writes very well though-out novels and develops the characters well, he also does a good job of explaining what is going on. This is just a very bad adapatation. I should have saved myself 2 and a half hours and picked up another Grisham novel.

This review refers to the Warner Bros 1997 DVD edition of "The Pelican Brief".....

"The Pelican Brief" is a poltical thriller that will keep you invovled from beginning to end. It teams legendary Director Alan J Pakula("Klute"/All the President's Men") with equally legendary mystery writer John Grisham("The Firm"/"The Client"). Then add these names into the mix...Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Hume Cronyn, Sam Shepard, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and a score by James Horner, and you've got yourself a great recipe for a well made film. And although I did not find it as compelling as "All the President's Men" or as suspenseful as "Klute" or "The Firm", I did find myself, thanks to the great acting, becoming totally involved with the characters and the storyline.

Here's the story...Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. Brillant law student Darby Shaw(Roberts), who has a passion for constitutional law, decides to start do a little investigating of her own concerning the deaths. What she finds is too frightning to even believe. She prepares a brief, that winds up in the hands of government officials, and pretty soon anyone involved winds up in the mourge as well. Darby goes on the run fearing she is next and doesn't know who to trust. The only one she can turn to is investigative reporter Grey Grantham(Washington). The two race to prove her theory as they become the hunted as well.Lots of great action and intrigue keep the story going.

The DVD is very good as far as the quality of the picture and sound. The widescreen presentation, lets you see all the action,the picture is clear and colors bright and sharp.The Dolby surround brings it all right into the room with you. The only problem I had with the DVD was having to turn it over after 1:17 into the film. I did notice though in the technical info that the release date of the DVD is 2/4/03. I have had mine much longer and although it appears to be the same DVD, perhaps they rereleased it. Maybe renting it first would answer that question. Not much in the way of "Bonus Features". There are some production notes, including how the cast prepared for their indivual roles(in which we are assured that Stanley Tucci, who plays an assassin, did not go out and kill anyone!), and there are some previews of other films made by Alan J Pakula.

I would reccommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Grisham, Pakula, Roberts or Washington, or if you just enjoy a good thriller.

Get the popcorn ready and get ready to jump!.....enjoy...Laurie

For those of us who aren't spoiled by the frills that accompany some DVDs, "The Pelican Brief" was an incredible movie worth buying. The plot was intriguing, and the story unfolded in such a manner that it kept the audience guessing. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington delivered extraordinary performances as well, making the experience all the more positive. While some people find DVDs to lack virtue unless they are loaded with extras, those of us who can appreciate true cinema will no doubt find this movie to be an incredible achievement and incarnation of a fantastic John Grisham novel.

I was appalled by how poor this movie was. I love both Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow and it's a shame that a movie with reasonable potential could be so bad. The characters are un-interesting and the plot is overly predictable to the point of annoying. This movie was a waste of a perfectly good 106 minutes of my evening.

There's not much to recommend this movie. There's no real chemistry between Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, which is a shame because they're both talented actors, and they've both proven they can do romance. They just don't do it here. In fact, there's so little connection it's obvious they're just reading scripted lines. In the end, it's neither their fault, nor the writers: the lines are all right, and they're read well, but there's just no chemistry.

There are only two major failures with this movie, but they're doozies: the characters and the plot concept. The characters fail to grow on viewers despite all the standard awkward situations they're put into to create sympathy. Affleck's guilt over Paltrow's husband seems contrived, rather than genuine or understandable. He is a sterotypical villain, ready, even eager, to prey on others. Even his career is sterotypical: he an ad exec; of course he's a horrible human being. His character fails: a flat-character bad guy that almost, but not quite, becomes a likeable guy. His guilt and self-loathing seem contrived. Paltrow's character fails as well: you sometimes feel sorry for her, but never really sympathize.

The other major failure is the plot twist. The only redeeming factor is the that-could-have-been-me factor, which is given away in the trailers and not developed in the movie. If they had spent more time developing his character around that, and not forcing him to persue Paltrow's character, this movie might have been saved. Instead, they use it as a cheap plot device, and throw it away.

There's not even anything to qualify it as a decent chick-flick- there's nothing to sigh about at the end, you never say "just say yes, you twit! Can't you see he loves you?". It's a little too much like watching a very boring episode of Springer, minus any redeeming drama.

A tragic brush with fate sets a man on a road to self awareness and discovery that drastically alters his perception of himself and the world in which he lives, in "Bounce," directed by Don Roos and starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow. In Chicago on business, waiting at the airport for a flight back to L.A. just before Christmas, Advertising Exec/salesman Buddy Amaral (Affleck) gives his ticket to a man he's met that evening in the lounge, Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn), who's just been bumped from his flight. A writer, in Chicago for the opening (and sadly, the closing) of one of his plays, Janello has a wife, Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow), and two kids waiting for him at home, and is grateful for Buddy's apparent random act of kindness. Far from being a benevolent gesture, however, Buddy's motives are purely self-serving, and have to do with another passenger, Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), who's also been bumped and who has been given accommodations for the night by the airline. It seems that everything has worked out well for all concerned, until later that night, when the news breaks that the plane carrying Janello has crashed somewhere in Kansas, and that there are no survivors. For Buddy, who should have been on that plane, it's an awakening; and for probably the first time in his life he is forced to look inward. And he doesn't like what he finds. His confrontation with the demons within ultimately leads him to Abby Janello, and another unexpected turn in his life. Director Roos has created a richly textured drama that is both captivating and credible; the story is well written (by Roos), developed with precision and expertly paced, which makes it all entirely believable. Much more than a simple love story, it's about a man forced to confront what he sees in the mirror, and how he must cope with what he finds there; and about a young woman with two children, suddenly widowed, who must come to grips with an unsure future while dealing with such a devastating loss. What follows is an examination of a relationship forged by fate and born of need; a fragile, precarious situation at best. And what makes this film so good is the gradual way the relationship between Buddy and Abby is formed, neither hurried nor forced, with a couple of truly poignant moments along the way. And it all rings true, courtesy of a great script, Roos directing and the engaging performances of the stars. Affleck brings real depth to his character, and most importantly, a sense of true sincerity that makes him real; he illuminates Buddy's imperfections to perfection. And Paltrow is absolutely disarming as Abby; gentle and vulnerable to a fault, winsomely charming, and beautifully played. Also, there is a definite chemistry between Paltrow and Affleck that cannot be denied. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Grey (Mrs. Guererro), Joe Morton (Jim), David Paymer (Prosecution Lawyer), Alex D. Linz (Scott) and Johnny Galecki. A touching, memorable movie, "Bounce" is a reflection on the journey of life we all must take; and it makes you realize that it's something you have to work at. It's a film that makes you stop to reconsider choices made in the past, while recognizing that in the end, perhaps love and happiness is the bonus for doing it right.

This play-adaptation begins as an interesting family drama. The main character is a holocoust survivor who publishes "serious books" with limited commercial potential. Although the business had been moderately successful, it is now in serious financial difficulty , and his children try to convince him to save the business by publishing a book which has great commercial potential. ..., he refuses and pushes ahead with his current project which is a book on Nazi medical experiments.

So far, this is an interesting conflict between an idealistic, headstrong father, and his more practical children who don't want their inheritance to go down the tubes. Unfortunately, at this point the basic story changes and the father develops a mental disorder (perhaps early signs of senility ). The focus is now on the children and their attempts to shield their father from humiliation and see that he is cared for. This focus on the children is dull, because only the father in this film is a well-developed interesting character; and the introduction of mental illness aborts the initial story conflict. The film seems like two short stories; an interesting one at the beginning, and a dull one in the second half.

Caught this movie on late at night, while watching saturday night live. I stopped watching that I kept watching this movie. I liked it a lot Tony, playing rich boy Michael was very handsome and Lynn Whitfield playing the detective who has to keep him alive was excellent. The movie actually had a lot of funny parts as well as a little to much action and violence as is the norm for many movies made at this time. Definetly worth watching and the ending is very satisfying.

Doing many job interviews, finishing your thesis, and waiting for the upcoming graduation. At least "Abandon" succeeds in presenting credible characters facing the end of their days in university, and their nervous and unstable mental conditions. The problem is, the central plot is not about them.

Katie Holmes plays Katie Burke, intelligent (and a little bit icy) student preparing for the unnerving job interview with the first-rate company. But what is more unnerving for her is the loss of her boyfriend Embry (Charlie Hunnham, "Nicholas Nickleby), who has been missing for the last two years, and nobody knows whether he is dead or alive.

Before her, a handsome police detective (Benjamin Bratt) appears, who is trying to locate Embry. While trying to forget all about her past, and seeing the possibility of new love in front of her, Katie still cannot help daydreaming about her lost love. And it seems Embry also wants to come back since she keeps on 'seeing' him on campus or in her room. But is she just dreaming, or what?

The premise is interesting, but the result is not. We have little to find or detect from the beginning, and on the way the film starts to act as if it's not a thriller. Without occasional episodes (like the 'eyes' staring Katie), you forget this is supposed to be a thriller. I actually began to think that I was mistaken in supposing it's a thriller. It is. The thing is, it is done with a too thin material to make a chilling thriller.

The chacaters are interesting, all of them being the ones you know you see around you. Melanie Lynskey and Zooey Deschanel give us precious support, but their characters have nothing to do with the central plot. Their credible performance only enhances the cold atmosphere of the film, which grows more and more pretentious as it goes on.

Academy-winner for the adaptaion for "Traffic," Stephen Gaghan seems interested in multi-layered script. That is nice as long as you get an interesting story, interesting enough for us to care the incidents and characters in the story. There are many layers here, among which nothing sunstantial can be found.

After seeing Abandon, I was feeling rather odd. This film made sense, but ripped off other movies with similar plots. Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt star in this thriller from writer/director Stephen Gaghan. He wrote the Academy-Award winning screenplay for Traffic (2001). The film is great and has a great cast, but it can't help this illogical,psychological thriller from being a bit successful or appealing. I enjoyed the film, but it's good just seeing it once. Stephen Gaghan's script is good and sohphisticated, and his clever style of writing and direction help this film, but it still doesn't shimmer.
Katie Holmes plays Kathyrn, a good college student who is writing her thesis but is having serious trouble completing it, due to something which she keeps fretting about. Her old boyfriend played by Charles Humman, is haunting her. He disappeared two years ago and she has memorable moments of him and her together. Benjamin Bratt plays the detective investigating the case, but Holme's character is not that willing to cooperate after a while. And so the plot thickens, yeah right! This film seemed like it would be a little eerie and creepy, but it fails on all attempts to make scared it makes more upset and disappointed that scared to death. The film is decent, don't get me wrong it's an average film, but truly not the best. The ending will shock you, just kiddding probably not! But I might add that Katie Holmes's acting is good and we get strong performances from her as well as Benjamin Bratt. So the performances are great, the plot is decent and well that's about all I can say about Abandon.
Abandon is rated PG-13 for Drug and Alcohol Content, Sexuality, Some Violence and Language. This film is acceptable for kids 13 and up, not preteens. The violence is understated and there are some brief sexual situations. Fairly reasonable.
Anyway see Abandon if you must, because it's worrh your time and money. In theatres everywhere October 18, 2002.

Abandon was a very strange movie. I heard about the movie earlier in the year on a website and thought that it looked pretty good. When I saw it I thought that it was strange but great. Alot of people say that Abandon is very predictable but I didn't guess the ending. The ending was great and left you in a state where you knew that there had to be a sequal. This is the type of movie where you just have to ignore what all of the reveiwers think and just go see it if you think that it looks interesting!

It stars Katie Holmes as.....Katie Burke who is in her senior year at college. Katie is under alot of stress trying to finsh her thesis and taking job interveiws. She is also just getting over the fact that her rich boyfriend Embry has been missing for two years. Embry is played by Charlie Hunnam. Since he has not spent any money or has been seen everybody thinks that he is dead. Enter Detective Wade Handler who is a recovering alcoholic and has been assigned to find out more on the Embry case. Wade's investigation leads right to Katie and he questions her to find out more. Everything is fine untill Katie starts to see a person who looks exactly like Embry. The supporting cast is also very great. The very talented Zooey Deschannel (The New Guy, Big Trouble),Gabrielle Union and Melanie Lynskey also light up the screen.

The only problem with Abandon is how it is a little slow at the beginning and the scene when they are drunk or high at a party. I felt that that scene was a little too much. To conclude I liked Abandon and if I have a little extra money it would probally become part of my DVD collection.

ENJOY!

Doing many job interviews, finishing your thesis, and waiting for the upcoming graduation. At least "Abandon" succeeds in presenting credible characters facing the end of their days in university, and their nervous and unstable mental conditions. The problem is, the central plot is not about them.

Katie Holmes plays Katie Burke, intelligent (and a little bit icy) student preparing for the unnerving job interview with the first-rate company. But what is more unnerving for her is the loss of her boyfriend Embry (Charlie Hunnham, "Nicholas Nickleby), who has been missing for the last two years, and nobody knows whether he is dead or alive.

Before her, a handsome police detective (Benjamin Bratt) appears, who is trying to locate Embry. While trying to forget all about her past, and seeing the possibility of new love in front of her, Katie still cannot help daydreaming about her lost love. And it seems Embry also wants to come back since she keeps on 'seeing' him on campus or in her room. But is she just dreaming, or what?

The premise is interesting, but the result is not. We have little to find or detect from the beginning, and on the way the film starts to act as if it's not a thriller. Without occasional episodes (like the 'eyes' staring Katie), you forget this is supposed to be a thriller. I actually began to think that I was mistaken in supposing it's a thriller. It is. The thing is, it is done with a too thin material to make a chilling thriller.

The chacaters are interesting, all of them being the ones you know you see around you. Melanie Lynskey and Zooey Deschanel give us precious support, but their characters have nothing to do with the central plot. Their credible performance only enhances the cold atmosphere of the film, which grows more and more pretentious as it goes on.

Academy-winner for the adaptaion for "Traffic," Stephen Gaghan seems interested in multi-layered script. That is nice as long as you get an interesting story, interesting enough for us to care the incidents and characters in the story. There are many layers here, among which nothing sunstantial can be found.

After seeing Abandon, I was feeling rather odd. This film made sense, but ripped off other movies with similar plots. Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt star in this thriller from writer/director Stephen Gaghan. He wrote the Academy-Award winning screenplay for Traffic (2001). The film is great and has a great cast, but it can't help this illogical,psychological thriller from being a bit successful or appealing. I enjoyed the film, but it's good just seeing it once. Stephen Gaghan's script is good and sohphisticated, and his clever style of writing and direction help this film, but it still doesn't shimmer.
Katie Holmes plays Kathyrn, a good college student who is writing her thesis but is having serious trouble completing it, due to something which she keeps fretting about. Her old boyfriend played by Charles Humman, is haunting her. He disappeared two years ago and she has memorable moments of him and her together. Benjamin Bratt plays the detective investigating the case, but Holme's character is not that willing to cooperate after a while. And so the plot thickens, yeah right! This film seemed like it would be a little eerie and creepy, but it fails on all attempts to make scared it makes more upset and disappointed that scared to death. The film is decent, don't get me wrong it's an average film, but truly not the best. The ending will shock you, just kiddding probably not! But I might add that Katie Holmes's acting is good and we get strong performances from her as well as Benjamin Bratt. So the performances are great, the plot is decent and well that's about all I can say about Abandon.
Abandon is rated PG-13 for Drug and Alcohol Content, Sexuality, Some Violence and Language. This film is acceptable for kids 13 and up, not preteens. The violence is understated and there are some brief sexual situations. Fairly reasonable.
Anyway see Abandon if you must, because it's worrh your time and money. In theatres everywhere October 18, 2002.

Abandon was a very strange movie. I heard about the movie earlier in the year on a website and thought that it looked pretty good. When I saw it I thought that it was strange but great. Alot of people say that Abandon is very predictable but I didn't guess the ending. The ending was great and left you in a state where you knew that there had to be a sequal. This is the type of movie where you just have to ignore what all of the reveiwers think and just go see it if you think that it looks interesting!

It stars Katie Holmes as.....Katie Burke who is in her senior year at college. Katie is under alot of stress trying to finsh her thesis and taking job interveiws. She is also just getting over the fact that her rich boyfriend Embry has been missing for two years. Embry is played by Charlie Hunnam. Since he has not spent any money or has been seen everybody thinks that he is dead. Enter Detective Wade Handler who is a recovering alcoholic and has been assigned to find out more on the Embry case. Wade's investigation leads right to Katie and he questions her to find out more. Everything is fine untill Katie starts to see a person who looks exactly like Embry. The supporting cast is also very great. The very talented Zooey Deschannel (The New Guy, Big Trouble),Gabrielle Union and Melanie Lynskey also light up the screen.

The only problem with Abandon is how it is a little slow at the beginning and the scene when they are drunk or high at a party. I felt that that scene was a little too much. To conclude I liked Abandon and if I have a little extra money it would probally become part of my DVD collection.

ENJOY!