Tiptoes

Plot synopsis:
The movie begins with Rolfe (Oldman) and Maurice (Dinklage) riding trikes down the highway interspersed with scenes of Steven (McConaughey) and Carol (Beckinsale) talking about his family. They decide to pick up Lucy (Arquette) who has been dumped by her bus. Steven goes to a convention for the Little People Defense League and reveals that his parents are indeed little people. He parties with them and meets Rolfe outside, who is his brother. They talk and then part ways. Steven goes home and talks with Carol and she tells him that she is pregnant. He gets upset and leaves.Rolfe, Maurice, and Lucy end up at a seedy motel. Maurice and Lucy try to have sex while Rolfe tries to sleep. Maurice gets sick and Rolfe leaves and goes to see an old girlfriend, where he almost gets beat up by her current boyfriend. He goes over to his brother's house and meets Carol, who is surprised to learn about him.Maurice wakes up in the motel and Lucy attacks the motel manager before they leave. Carol finds Rolfe at work and they argue about whether or not her child could be a dwarf. Maurice and Lucy go to the park and lie on a blanket and talk about each other. Rolfe and Carol talk about her pregnancy and they go meet some more dwarfs and talk.Everyone goes to a party where Maurice argues with the dwarfs and Rolfe argues with Steven. Rolfe catches his girlfriend having sex with some dude. Steven and Carol talk and finally decide to have the baby even though it could be a dwarf.Steven and Carol and their parents all meet and Carol's mom is initially freaked out. They all get along and everyone goes to their wedding, which is Jewish.Flash forward to the baby's birth. It is born a dwarf and Steven is very upset. He cannot deal with it and Carol goes to stay with Rolfe at his parents cabin.Maurice and Lucy are there, but soon get in a fight and leave. Rolfe helps Carol take care of the baby. Steven eventually shows up at the cabin. He talks with Carol, but cannot convince her that he can help raise the child. Carol and Rolfe eventually fall in love and raise the child themselves.

Tags: romantic

Review:
So when I saw the trailer for Tiptoes promising McConaughey and "a performance of a lifetime" by Gary Oldman, needless to say I was expecting greatness.
One of the greatest lines in the movie is McConaughey yelling, "I'M A DWARF!" as his 6 foot tall body looms over Kate Beckinsale.
There's the whole drama over calling little people "midgets" and a pointless story between Peter Dinklage with a french accent and Patricia Arquette, as in it literally adds zero to the plot.
YOU'LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE THIS MOVIE BUT IF BY CHANCE YOU MIGHT THEN YOU SHOULDN'T READ THIS BECAUSE IT GIVES AWAY THE PLOT-LINE, BUT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT ANYWAY.If I was going to look for an actor to play a sympathetic lead role of a dwarf for a straight-up drama about `little people,' naturally I would turn to Gary Oldman.
In both this and Station Agent, soon into the movie I quit thinking about him as a dwarf.)  However, I was most enchanted by the acting of the little people in the supporting cast.
I think what I heard is that Bright wanted to close with a love scene between Oldman (playing a dwarf) and Kate Beckinsale.
I never did figure out what Peter Dinklage and Patricia Arquette's characters had to do with the story; perhaps just to show that little people have relationships with "normal" size people...I don't know.
I thought Dinklage, Arquette, Oldman and Kate Beckinsale all turned in good performances, but somehow all of them couldn't save this movie..
What he has not told her, is that his twin brother, as well as his whole family are dwarfs, and that their child will more than likely be a "little person." We meet Steven's brother, Rolfe (Gary Oldman), who prompts Carol to discover more about what this means and in the process discovers important things about herself as well, etc.
As the film progresses, the relationship between Steven and Carol becomes more melodramatic, and in the the end very little is resolved.TIPTOES, as a film, seems to be more interested in delivering a warm-hearted message than creating a cohesive story.
The word 'abortion' is never used, but the capsulated plot detail on the packaging states that after she finds out her child will be a dwarf "Carol decides to have the baby anyway..." This line is used in a fluffy quasi-charming context and would be unthinkable to print if the unborn child was mentally handicapped or paralyzed.Matthew Bright, the director of TIPTOES, has seemingly carved out a niche for himself by making odd-ball low budget films that have become cult favorites.
That said, casting a person of "normal" size to play a dwarf (I'll let the reader draw their own comparisons) only added to the negative reaction the film received upon its' initial theatrical release (which was limited, basically going straight-to-video) from critics and the LPA.
The beginning of "Tiptoes" is simply excellent and approaches a totally original theme: the painter Carol (Kate Beckinsale) and the firemen instructor Steven (Matthew McConaughey) are a young couple in love.
When Carol gets pregnant, coincidently the twin dwarf brother of Steven, Rolfe (Gary Oldman), pays an unexpected visit to Carol.
However, from the moment when the Jewish parents of Carol are introduced to Steven's family on, the screenplay becomes irregular, corny in some moments, silly in others, and the open conclusion is very disappointing, indeed terrible.It was good to see Gary Oldman in a sensational role, and the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale playing a really beautiful character, without any prejudice and accepting the imperfections of life.
Sometimes unintentionally funny, not funny when it's meant to be, and sometimes just appallingly dumb, and even disgusting, like the Marxist dwarf wrenching with Arquette – yuck!Casting Will Smith as Mohammad Ali pales in comparison to Oldman playing a hunchbacked midget.
I am a "little person" with a similar body type as the character Gary Oldman played.
I watched for an hour thinking to myself that this guy looked like Gary Oldman...
"holy crap this guy could play a dwarf Gary Oldman in some sort of movie".
People like me are naturally like that due to arthritis and other bone ailments.Anyway I'm still extremely annoyed that another movie with a "little person" as a lead role is played by a "regular" person.
I don't know why this film got such bad reviews on IMDb. I'm becoming a big fan of Kate Beckinsale and this project is a natural progression in her career.
It is very rare that I write comments for films anymore, but after witnessing the wonderful Tiptoes, and reading all the negative feedback, I felt inclined.The movie is never played for laughs, as I originally thought it would be.
Gary Oldman (the finest working actor in films today) gives an amazing performance as the title character.
Regardless of what you think of the film, you have to give Gary Oldman credit for not only wanting to play a dwarf, but actually getting to do it.
A film that I am sure provided some pointers on how to make a 5' 11" actor look half that size.In "Tiptoes", Oldman plays Rolfe, twin brother to Steven played by Matthew McConaughey.
And when Steven's girlfriend Carol, played by the always lovely Kate Beckinsale, announces her unplanned pregnancy, the issue is once again raised as there is a chance their child may be born a dwarf.For what it's worth, "Tiptoes" has its heart in the right place.
And while each one appears physically unique, we soon find out that the problems that rip them apart are not.But it doesn't take long for all these seemingly sincere moments to take on the semblance of an ABC Afterschool Special entitled "Dwarfs are People Too." Take the scene in which Carol meets Rolfe for the first time.
As with many of Gary Oldman's movies, I didn't even realize it was him playing the role until someone told me later.
A movie that treads in areas that has not really been touched in the past and that is dealing with dwarfs or "little people".
I wasn't sure if it was to be a light comedy or it was suppose to be serious.I was a bit concerned about the Gary's role as a dwarf, he played the role well but he still didn't look like a dwarf.The script let down the actors a bit which is a bit sad but it the basis was an interesting storyline.T. A challenge well done..
But if you enjoy bad films then it's a must watch, even if it just makes you appreciate how much work and effor must have been put into the good films; because TipToes clearly has ever little.
The plot quickly loses footing and doesn't know where it stands.Matthew McCoanughey and his Kate Beckinsale play a couple who find that they'll be having a baby together, only to Matt's chagrin the baby could possibly be born a dwarf just as family.
McConaughey and Beckinsale do a well enough job, and Peter Dinklage is the only somewhat interesting person in the film.
The acting is a little wavy, but the story was pretty true, and par for course, McConaughey had his shirt off in the first few moments.Then the party scene hit, and everything got very bizarre.
If you're making a movie about dwarfism (such as is the case here), for God's sake cast a REAL dwarf in the title role!
Anything less is just an insult to little people and anybody who watches this sad excuse for a film.In addition, the script and characters frequently come off very contrived, the direction and pacing are sloppy at best, and the melodrama and lack of chemistry do not help this train wreck make it to the station..
Gary Oldman is one of my favorite actors; he never fails to impress me, I don't think I've ever seen anything with him that I didn't love.I thought the movie dealt sensitively and honestly with struggling to accept differences.
Having Gary Oldman play a dwarf is an interesting casting exercise, but it is far from being Oscar stuff.
The Matthew McConaughey character's issues and motivations are never made clear, and while Gary Oldman is an excellent actor, the lame effects used to make him appear as a little person are so distracting you can't even focus on his performance.
When you promote a movie as a comedy it should try and make you laugh or even smile, this alone makes this film a huge disappointment.Approach the film with little or no expectations and the quality of acting from Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale and Matthew McConaughey will draw you, with scenes of honest acting touching on serious subject matter but inevitably this will increase the disappointment because it gives you an insight of what this film could have been given a little more thought, consideration and creativity.
I guess Matthew McConaughey and Kate Beckinsale were hard up for some money when they agreed to do this dumb movie.
I read that Gary Oldman was the one who facilitated the making of this movie and he desperately wanted to play a midget.
Despite these plot and post-production downfalls of the film, I feel that it is worthy to give the 'Little People' of Hollywood a look-in.
There are a few scenes that work, but most of them fall horribly flat.Oldman does a reasonable job of playing a dwarf, but it is really distracting at times.
It's a shame that Peter Dinklage, who is an excellent actor (see The Station Agent some time to get a better look at him), gets stuck in a rather pointless supporting role, when he could have been more effective as Rolf.Overall, just a bad movie, weighted down by a terrible and often irrational story, coupled with poor direction..
(Spoilers) The whole movie you get the feeling that Gary O., and Kate B have a friendship type relationship, sort of like "You're my sister-in-law, I will take care of you and my nephew.
This is the feeling I got through out the entire movie.I was more than a little floored at the end of the movie when she turns to Gary O and says "you can kiss me if you want" WHAT!?!
when i found out that the movie starred such actors as gary oldman, kate beckinsale, and matthew mcconaughey i expected a great movie.
Everything else about the film was fine, the acting was good, etc, but without a solid plot it becomes more like just watching something you don't care too much about for two hours and then shrugging your shoulders when it abruptly ends.
We never really fall in love with the Kate character, and thus we never root for her.In the end, it played like a movie where the director thought the situation (a woman falling in love with her husband's dwarf twin) was enough that it didn't actually need a plot..
What a disappointment.While its hard to pick out what was the worst thing about this film, the dialogue was absolutely atrocious, about on par with an After-School Special (possibly worse).With a script like this, its hard to blame anything or anyone else, though the actors and editor(s) do their best to make the experience more horrible.The last scene was misplaced, contrived and not believable.
And, though Gary Oldman did a convincing job as a dwarf by waddling around on his knees, it was likely his worst acting ever, and by far his worst choice of films to work on..No doubt these actors were embarrassed mid way through the process judging by their stiff performances.
The production values of the film are quite high, considering that, for example, Oldman is not a dwarf but must look like one.
The Station Agent was very good, but probably not widely seen.Although I never thought it possible, I have found a movie with worse casting, acting, and stupid plot points than the remake of Sweet November with Keanu Reeves.All I could think of is how low (literally) Gary Oldman has sunk!.
The acting was good, but nothing could save the final product.Kate's character started out as a free-spirited artist that wanted to live a happy life with her boyfriend played by Matt (a very pretty couple).
It seems he can portray any character with any accent with complete believability.For anyone looking for a romance that falls out of Hollywood's tired old formula and challenges stereotypes, then this is a perfect movie for you.If you happen to have a problem watching little people live perfectly normal adult lives (family life, partying, fighting, sex,...) then I am sorry for your loss on a great movie.
I also loved how the character Rolfe's eyes follow her everywhere not in a greedy and lusty way but in a dreamy and tender way...as though he is amazed and in awe that someone so beautiful could learn so much and become so accepting in such a short amount of time.Well there were plenty of great scenes but I won't detail the whole movie.
One of them is characterized by a normal looking torso and head size so maybe this movie isn't as inaccurate as some people would think...I loved it...just my opinion..
Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Beckinsale and Patricia Arquette are some big names in the business.
He plays a 'little person' in this movie and to me he didn't looked very convincing.
Also, I, like others, did not realize that Gary Oldman was not a real dwarf until after I had already viewed the movie.
There was also a super obvious fake baby used in the end of the movie that I couldn't help but laugh every time it was on screen.This had a really great cast and I have absolutely no idea why any of the actors ever signed on to this.
It's not healthy and I think you should consider getting some help." "It's not a good thing for a child if he's little to have a father who's ambivalent about little people."By the time that the film ended, I felt unsatisfied.
It's not bad enough to be funny and it isn't good enough to transcend the odd premise it has going against it.Dwarfs, little people...
Oldman's performance is technically impressive, though kind of bizarre: why didn't the likes of Dinklage play the part?The problem with the movie is the script and many of the overall plot points.
Later, when Carol's parents meet the family, she doesn't even think to mention the dwarfism to them beforehand, and when her mother asks why, Carol hisses "I didn't think it was important!" That's either poor writing, or Carol's character has some sort of deep emotional problems.So, if you can put aside the occasionally strange behavior of the characters, and ignore the weird choice to have the great Gary Oldman play a dwarf, then the film is worth watching..
this movie is already offensive to little people and you make it even more so by giving the role to a full size person.
Was I surprised though when the penny finally dropped!Irrespective of Oldman's part in the film however, the movie gave me tremendous insight into a group of people we all, arguably, don't know much about; sensitivities, problems etc.
Drives home the message that strength, weakness, and love are found in surprising places.Hunky Steven (Matthew McConaughey) doesn't tell his girlfriend Carol (Kate Beckinsale) anything about his dwarf parents and siblings.
Carol meets Steven's family on her own, including Steven's dwarf twin brother Rolfe (Gary Oldman).
When I first heard about this movie, I thought that it was a creative idea, but I didn't see how it could be done, and frankly, I'm still a bit mesmerized at how director Matthew Bright and his crew were able to turn Gary Oldman into a drawf so convincingly.
Kate Beckinsale is also quite good, and Matthew McConaughey, who has never overly impressed me, toyed with my emotions so well that I'm still not quite sure what to think of his character.
I think what I heard is that Bright wanted to close with a love scene between Oldman (playing a dwarf) and Kate Beckinsale." Isn't that how the movie ended?
It seems many people didn't know what they wanted watching this movie.
I was excited to view it, thinking it would be one of those under-appreciated but great films that so often don't get the attention they deserve.My first thought was that I was disappointed they would cast Gary Oldman as Rolfe.
(Potential spoiler) In one scene, you can actually see Kate Beckinsale stepping over Gary Oldman's legs that are not supposed to be there.Enough.
That normal sized children of dwarfs(and they do happen quite a bit) and how their relationships with the normal world and their dwarf heritage, both in family and social circles work out.The star power was impressive, but someone needed to slap the director and writer.I was pretty impressed with Gary Oldman's characterization and firmly believe that just because a character is supposed to be a dwarf you don't need to have a real dwarf...that's why it's called ACTING.But as the movie went on, it stopped making sense.
Gary Oldman (who once played the ominous Dracula) surprises as a dwarf.
You have Gary Oldman,Matthew McConaughuey, Kate Beckinsale, Peter Dinklage, and Patricia Arquette.
Carol obviously wants to have and love her child no matter what, but she seems to have a fascination with little people.Also, the movie is cut and mashed together.
About the movie, Gary Oldman plays a magnificent role as a little man.
Besides, Kate did o good job as a mother who accepts what her child could be.The screenplay may not be enough for someones but I found the movie quite interesting that I have not imagined how the dwarfs can live inside the big people..
I found the story itself touching and Gary Oldman's performance as the dwarf twin brother of Matthew Maconohay, amazing.