From the first minute I tuned to this movie, I knew it was gonna be a lame rip-off of the great French comedy series "Taxi", written by Luc Besson (directors: Gerard Pires and Gerard Krawczyk).

And boy, I was right.

This is not a movie. This is a crime against French cinema.

I am horrified that such an entertaining French series (I highly regard French and English humor) was put through the shredder to create this.

What do you get?

The movie's script is basically a re-write of the French one (Most of the dialogue was just translated. What happened to all those fun puns and all that wit and all those expertly timed jokes?). Some scenes are boring. I did not enjoy Jimmy Fallon at all, as he seemed too stupid and "loser"-ish. Well, at least Frederic Diefenthal as the French original character (I will abbreviate it as F.O.C. in this review) Emilien was actually funny. Mostly because of him being an incompetent blockhead and being paired with F.O.C. Daniel (played by Samy Naceri), a sarcastic, witty taxi driver with a love for cars and speed. Which brings me to the horrible choice to replace Daniel, Queen Latifah. I considered her as a horrible choice. Why pick a black woman to replace Samy Naceri is beyond me. The jokes relating to cars are a new concept, and I didn't find them at all funny (yeah, Luc Besson originally just used Daniel's car expertry to throw a lot of jokes which left me on the floor laughing).

The chemistry between the two main characters is lacking too. Samy Naceri and Frederic Diefenthal made a good team: one a speed-maniac taxi driver, the other, an incompetent policeman who, after eight tries, still couldn't get his driver's licence. (Yes. That's right. Tell me honestly that this possibility is funnier than some jerk losing his licence because his driving is crap. How'd he get his licence anyway?) This combination has many comedic possibilities, and to be honest, Luc Besson managed to harness more of these, while Ben Garant merely took out most of the comedy and inserted lame American-friendly jokes which are actually very, utterly, unbelievably and desperately bad.

Another gripe: the ambiance is changed. The French originals had a quirky, almost absurdist sense of humor, a slick, lovely car (Peugeot 406), and a sunny, laidback setting (Marseille). The Americans put up an old car, and shoved the action to the grey, crowded streets of New York City.

Of course, the most shockingly bad scene was in the end, when the car drove off the incomplete highway and landed on a bit that wasn't connected. The camera zoomed out and immediately showed that there was that part of the highway there. Then, one of the bad girls shot Latifah. Wow, what a way to trash with a good ending. I hoped Latifah would die in that scene, personally.

Now, I'm going to go into spoilers: Luc Besson did better in "Taxi". Who could forget that scene at the end? I quote:

German (bad guy) #1 (after the car sped by Daniel, in a sense of ecstasy): "We've won!!!" German #2 (at the wheel, gives the other guy a bad look): "Are you sure?!" Only THEN, the camera zooms out and shows them landing on the uncompleted highway. Daniel (taunting Germans): "Hey, Einstein, have you ever heard of La Fontaine?" German #1 smashes his car's door and curses. Emilien and Daniel continue taunting and mocking the Germans.

Done precisely in THAT order, the said scene made me roll on the floor laughing.

What did Garant/Story do with that scene? They threw it in the dustbin, and made another which was badly made and lacking humor completely.

Also, there are many more twists of the original which just reduce the comedy. F.O.C. Emilien's mother in the French original was a senile old lady, who found her house destroyed when her son left the kettle boiling by accident. And of course, who could forget the immortal line, when trying to comfort Emilien after failing his attempt to get a driver's licence for the 8th time:

Camille: "Don't worry, Emilien. Your father failed his test too" Emilien: "But how? I saw him driving!" Camille: "He tried 20 times. Eventually, they gave him the licence."

Re-creating her as a crazy, alcoholic old woman is just plain stupid. And of course, they didn't even try to come up with anything funny. They just threw her in and hoped it got automatic laughs.

I'm glad that most critics jumped at the movie's neck once they saw it. I believe some critics and probably more viewers haven't seen the classic French series, but honestly, shredding those great comedies to pump out more mindless, crappy entertainment from Hollywood is shameful. It would've been easier just to release the original on DVD with English subtitles.

I bet even the French are offended by this horrible remake.

Final word: Pass this movie (it sucks bad), just see the French ones. It won't feel like wasting your time. You'll actually feel great. I mean, come on. Luc Besson on the writing. "The Fifth Element", anyone remember that? Now that was a funny film. Think for a second.

I promise you, you won't regret it.


Well i don't actually have much to say about this movie. Butt i'll start by saying that this movie is one of the worst movies if not so THE worst movie i've ever seen. As you can see in my profile i'm from Belgium so i saw the original version of this movie ( and it rules by the way :-) ) but when i heard that there was going to be remake done of this movie i thought "well maybe it wont be as bad as every other remake" ( cause American remakes of movies are always less then the original ( no offense ) examples: The Grudge, The Ring ) but again i was wrong, choosing girls in bikini's as the bad guys(girls) was a bad mistake same as choosing Queen Latifah as the cab driver and the way that the story is brought on to screen is also really bad, i also thought that a good point would be the car itself cause in the third original TAXI ( TAXI 3 ) the story wasn't that good but the car was one of the plus points, but that doesn't apply to this movie, so i'll give you one last advice : don't go and see this movie but try to get a hand on the original TAXI by Luc Besson and i'll assure you you'll have a great time

greetings from A.V.


A Action/Comedy/Crime/Thriller about a cop Washburn(Jimmy Fallon,Anything Else) who gets his license taken away so when he gets the call that there is a bank robbery.He jumps in a cab but not just any cab Belle's(Queen Latifa,Chicago)cab.So now he is in for a big surprise.

Jimmy Fallon was funny in this movie he was the only good part of this entire movie.Then you have Queen Latifa who did a horrible job with her acting and her comedy and her boyfriend in this movie is way out of her league.The screenplay was stupid funny at times but mostly stupid.The directing was a joke it didn't even reach the medium it looked like somebody was filming it with 2 cameras and a camera stand so BORING!!.The acting was pretty bad especially the stupid models i mean they tried to make people want to come to see a couple hot model bank Robers but it ended up just insulting my intelligence.

Best actor/actress-Jimmy Fallon

I cant believe somebody would even think about making this movie-Jake Hyden

I gave this movie a 3 out of 10

Rated-(PG-13) for language, sensuality and brief violence

3/10


i am really interested if the screenwriter of this film got paid. Cos this film is a copy of a good french film directed by Luc besson. and i mean copy, well there were some differences like the gender of good/bad guys or the city but everything was the same, only there was more shooting and sex. ending scene? total copy of the ending of Taxi by Luc Besson. i and gonna write everything down here , just watch this film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0152930/ PS: The RIAA tries to teach us about copyright? man then what about film, a copy! Dam, i don't wanna get vulgar so i gonna end this. Thah film would be good if it would come 7 years early, now its not good nor original.


Every once in awhile comes a movie as moronic, pointless and insulting as "Taxi" based on Luc Besson's French flick. This movie follows Det. Andy Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) who sucks majorly at driving and has to get a taxi to pursue a gang of hot foreign chicks that just robbed a bank... the taxi is driven by a street smart, jive-talking, Queen Latifah in the role of Belle. I don't recall a character being more annoying. Anyway, the film's story could be easily made up by a 7 year old and the script was just awful. But okay, nevermind that, there's a lot of movies that have idiotic plots that turn out to be freakin hilarious like one of my favorite comedies "Dumb and Dumber". But noooooo, this film wasn't hilarious... Fallon has a career because of playing retarded roles in Saturday Night Live. You can kinda tell he add libbed a lot of of the pathetically unfunny lines that he spits out constantly during the film's running time. Queen Latifah was just too freakin annoying. I gotta point out the things that I enjoyed: 1)Washbun's introduction where he is posing as a Cuban gangster was slightly funny. 2)Jennifer Esposito is hot

That didn't even make me like the film a little bit. Skip this piece of trash.


This movie is 80% copied from the french version of TAXI, it's awful. Everithing from the dialogs between the actors to the stuns it's a 80% copy from a better, french made, movie. For example: at the end of the movie, when the bad girls remain caught on that unfinished bridge, that exact stunt it's performed in the french version of TAXI (wich was released in 1998) but with one difference: the french one its done much better. In the french one there are a lot more stuns than in the American version of Taxi even though the American version had a lot more funds. And another problem: in the french TAXI the transformation of the car it's made much better. The best way for you to see this it's to see the french TAXI(1998), TAXI2(2000) and TAXI3 (2003) and after than watch the American made TAXI.


This is truly one of the worst events of my life , its painful to watch . Jimmy Fallon is one of the worst comedy actors in films today , I don't know why or how this ever got made but even then it should have gone straight to video . The studio ought to be sued for the hour and a half this took off of my life (although it felt like much longer) . In short if you like your comedy with some actual comedy that isn't covered in cheese and then rolled inside a ball of cheese and dropped into a 1 million gallon vat of cheese then don't watch this as its cheesy. I can't quite explain just how bad this is , it has absolutely no good points whatsoever . I wished through the entire film that Jimmy Fallons first crash in the film had been fatal , that way it could have just ended . I would of had fond memories of such a film , hell i would have paid to see it twice .


I saw all 3 original Taxi movies and I think they are hilarious! Now I decided to rent the US remake. I wasn't convinced it was a good idea, but I had to see how it was. I laughed, but not as much as I did watching the French movie. Personally thought the outtakes were the funniest part.

I remember making my boyfriend (who doesn't speak a word of French) watch the French version. I translated most part, for the most part, I didn't even do it justice, and he was rolling on the floor the whole time, even if he didn't understand the whole thing. But he was even more disappointed than me by this remake. Especially by the fact that they changed as many characters as they could into females... Come on. Brazilian models in bikini tops? Model feeling the female cop's butt and boobs? A good movie doesn't need this to get people's interest.

I'll stick to the original version. "ET C'EST PARTI!"


I actually saw this movie on a trans-Pacific flight - first thing I thought, when it came on, was that it merely had the same name as the French Taxi movies I love so much. Next, when I saw the opening sequence was nearly identical, I started to get worried that the original had been remade and destroyed by Hollywood. I was right!

If you watch this movie without prior knowledge of the French Taxi movies, you may or may not like it. It's a fresh idea and a fun movie. The acting wasn't great, but at least non-serious roles like this don't require top-grade acting. What made this movie horrible, though, is that it just didn't measure up to the originals (Taxi and Taxi 2). Even though I don't understand French, and my Taxi DVDs do not have subtitles, I still thoroughly enjoy them, as they are packed full of exciting car chases and slapstick humour. They are both incredibly tightly-packaged movies - they never lose my attention. The remake had several completely unnecessary scenes inserted, was full of bad jokes, and to top it off, had far less interesting cars.

Though this movie is useful in helping you understand the Taxi story (if you don't understand French), I must urge anyone to watch the originals as well/instead!


Taxi (2004) Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Ann-Margret, Henry Simmons, Jennifer Esposito, Giselle Bundchen, D: Tim Story. Hopeless comedy-action fare throws a hapless Manhattan cop into the suped-up taxi of a mouthy cabbie who helps him chase four leggy Portuguese supermodels robbing banks. The opening scenewhere an athletic bike messenger, obviously a stunt double, rushes through the citywill insult anyone's intelligence when the messenger removes his helmet to reveal Latifah herself. Right from the start, the two stars' comic bickering is tiresome, and Fallon's thickheaded character helps sink this unfunny movie. Only real value are some gratuitous shots of scantily-dressed Bundchen and her Victoria's Secret cohorts. Remake of the French film series. 97 min., rated PG-13. * ½


I haven't seen the original or read the original screenplay, so I can't make any comparisons. But I have seen Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon in this really bad film. I would just like to put thinks clear, because truly, sometimes a movie tries to hard to accomplish its objective but it ultimately fails. Honestly, this film stole some laughs from me, but not many, I mean: it was really stupid and nonsense most of the time.

I couldn't think of anyone believing that if a person is funny doing one thing, this makes that person funny in doing anything. Yes, as many could say, Jimmy Fallon spreads talent all around when he steps on the "SNL" set. But when he steps on a movie set, I have to tell him: "That's different buddy, you're not doing the same thing you do always" What a mistake they made in telling this guy to act as he always does. Movies are another thing, and for a television actor, a very important chance. You're ruining it, Jimmy! It was awful to hear this guy talking and see him making faces. He had the stupid lines ("My precious") and the embarrassing moments. I mean, the movie was embarrassing in these moments, but he made it more embarrassing. Good luck with your next project, Jim, although I'm not expecting one.

The rest of the cast was pretty solid, for what they needed to do. Queen Latifah continues to grow (and I'm really sorry if you don't agree) as a charming leading lady (in this case playing the taxi driver Belle) becoming the only worthy thing to watch in the movies she's in. I mean, last year I went to see "Bringing down the house"; I fell asleep! She woke me up, or a friend of mine, I think. So I should just recognize Latifah's talent and hope she continues to grow. The experienced Ann-Margret has the biggest, if not the only laughs in the movie, drinking without stopping for a second, and living next to his son Washburn (Jimmy Fallon). This made me thought if Fallon lives with his mother too. Henry Simmons, still a newcomer, gave the best of his character, which wasn't much.

Actually, nothing could be much at all, because the storyline was so repetitive and the script was so lame. They just couldn't get tired of chasing scenes, could they? The film is not a shame when it comes to direction; but I just can't understand why Tim Story, after doing a respectable comedy like "Barbershop", got into this. There was a lot of movement in the camera, not that bad. The Statue of Liberty shot and Times Square weren't forgotten, of course. If I don't say much about the story, it's not because I want you to find out, but because it would be useless (you'll probably get what I mean, later).

But then after all, we end up wanting a little bit more from this piece that doesn't provide us as it should.

A one paragraph should be written, praising the team for putting Jennifer Esposito and Gisele Bundchen in the same movie. These two fine women are reason enough to watch this film. They were intelligent enough to know the movie wasn't working; but they knew the girls would. This is also a business.


I have always had a novel idea for Loren Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live. If some of the best actors on your series decide to strike on their own to make movies, they should be allowed to come back to SNL if the "first" movie they make winds up stinking as much as this one did. This movie always reminds me of how lucky I am that I stick to renting movies as opposed to going to the theater and shelling out $8.75.

Having said that I would recommend to anyone reading this not to even bother renting this movie. It is not even remotely funny. It is pathetic and for all the guys like myself who rented it solely to see Gisele Bundchen don't bother. She's in it for probably not even 15 minutes and 90 percent of that time she's wearing a 3 piece suit. Believe me I've seen some bad movies but this one was a real stinker.


First off, just to let you know, Queen Latifah cannot act, she has about as much acting ability as my left nut, just because someone can go on-screen and play themselves, over and over again, does not mean they can act, second off, I wouldn't even have had to watched this movie to tell you it's a piece of crap, the only reason I watched it's 'cause I work at a video store and it was playing on the tele, even then I stopped looking up after five minutes and tried to block out as much of the useless chit chat they were spitting out, and I can tell I'm not the only one who didn't like it 'cause people where walking out faster then they were coming in. This is, what I like to call Hollywood Hogwash, targeted towards 9-13 year old girls, and 12-14 year old boys, I wouldn't add this DVD to my collection even if it was given to me for free with a $100 bill inside. I find it very sad that a movie like this can actually be made and distributed. Five minutes into it and I can already name three things wrong with it, (1) The opening scene, with Queen Latifah doing stunts on the bicycle, Matt Damon as a super agent I can almost believe... (2) Queen Latifah in lingerie, a well pampered poodle is still a poodle, meaning a mutt's a mutt (3) then there's the scene where she's working on her taxi all night, in lingerie mind you, why??? when she's done, she's all clean, oh well, at least we were spared a shower scene!!!


This movie is only the shadow of the original. Nice girls (except one:) but nothing else- no new ideas, it's just a boring English remake with cheaper artists. Neither they just didn't looked for a fat enough stunt... I do NOT recommend this movie, except if you didn't seen the french version. Maybe it's too difficult to realize a Luc Besson movie without Luc Besson. The American artists at this level are simply not enough talented to even make me laugh. Also, the screenplay (re)writer tried to not copy the original, and his tries was funny- Brazilian girls instead of German men, female taxi driver with loving boyfriend instead of male driver with hot girlfriend - the writer tried to use the negative of everything, but it's not a remake, it's the style of a child who copies his friends lesson. Bad movie!


I have to laugh at all the comments on this board which say this movie's plot or the characters are not "plausible".

I live near the town this movie was shot in, (I was an extra for one day, and a "stand in" for two days on this film. It was neat!) and believe me, the characters are not only believable, you can meet versions of them in small towns all through the south.

There is a big difference between city and deep country life. Maybe people in very urban areas and countries tend to forget that. Quite honestly, I know several people down here in the boonies who make the folk of "Grady" look downright sophisticated.

That criticism shot down, I just have to say it's a really sweet film. It has a lot of atmosphere and some good character development, even in the minor roles. It portrays small, small town America pretty accurately and with a great deal of charm.


Few stars can claim as good a comic feature-film run as Michael J. From 1984 to 1991 he went with nary a dud (unless you count BTTF II). This film is pretty much the last in that streak. Michael plays a hotshot med school grad who wrecks a fence and his car on his way to a high-paying LA plastic surgery gig. Small town Southern judge holds Fox hostage and orders him to work off the damage by helping out the local doc, well-played by Hughes. Some of the rural stuff is laid on a bit too thick (and exactly WHERE is this town on the route to LA?) but the film is otherwise cute and enjoyable. Warner is rock solid as always and properly intriguing as the obligatory love interest.


When I sat down to watch this film I thought I would be very bored. It turns out that this film is intoxicating. I couldn't stop watching it at all. Michael J. Fox does a good job in the lead role, and there are great character turns from Woody Harrelson and Bridget Fonda. The love story between Fox and Julie Warner is very funny to watch develop and their timing is classic romantic comedy. The director, Michael Caton-jones, does a great job with a typical fish-out=of-water script and the score from Carter Burwell is exceptional. I had alot of fun watching this film.


Hard to imagine that this film is rated under a 6.0 on imdb. I would place it easily among the top 50 comedies of all time.

Michael J. Fox plays a hard charging Dr. Ben Stone, with David Ogden Stiers giving a world class performance as the small town mayor that needs a new doctor, and also knows a thing or two about happiness.

And then there is Nurse Packer who believes in procedure and punchcards, Julie Warner providing a memorable 'swimming' performance, fishing without hooks, the squash festival, a great rendition of Patsy Cline's "Crazy", and of course, the Pakistani.

Way underrated movie that stands up over time.

9 out of 10


When future film critics decide to analyze the career of Michael J. Fox, they will likely say his talents were best suited to television, with an acknowledgement that he did star in the BACK TO THE FUTURE series. This will be a shame, as Fox has been an ingratiating, very enjoyable actor to watch, in most of his films, and DOC HOLLYWOOD is one of his best roles.

As breezy, fast-talking Washington, D.C. surgeon Dr. Ben Stone, who dreams of making big money doing plastic surgery in Hollywood, but finds his true calling as a general practitioner in a small southern hamlet, Fox is so 'right' that you can't imagine any other actor in the role. After a minor traffic accident enroute to California forces him to do 'public service' in fictional Grady, South Carolina, taking on much of the workload of a crusty old local physician (the always enjoyable Barnard Hughes), Stone becomes the 'talk' of the town, and rustic but wise Mayor Nick Nicholson (David Ogden Stiers, in one of his most engaging performances), starts 'selling' the joys of country life to the cosmopolitan young doctor. A quilt with 'magical' powers provides a nude vision of the girl he's destined to love, 'Lou' (Julie Warner), who turns out to be working at his office; his hormone-fueled pursuit of her, and her pragmatic 'indifference' to his flirtations make their gradual romance edgy and fun to watch.

In a town full of colorful characters, two 'stars in the making' stand out; Woody Harrelson, as 'Lou's' suitor, Hank Gordon, a country variation of his bartending character from 'Cheers', talks dumb but has a knack for selling, only lacking a place to make big money at it; and Bridget Fonda, as Mayor Nicholson's oversexed but 'out of place' daughter, hopes Stone will take her away to the bright lights of Hollywood. Both stars are terrific in their supporting roles, and show the charisma that would lead them to stardom.

DOC HOLLYWOOD is full of charming vignettes, from Stone vicariously reading the mail for an illiterate farm couple, to being paid for services rendered with a rather large pig, who ultimately becomes his 'pet'. The film abounds in warm comic touches that are guaranteed to bring a smile!

With a very funny cameo by George Hamilton, as the Hollywood plastic surgeon Stone dreams of working with, DOC HOLLYWOOD hits all the right notes for a terrific entertainment. My only complaint about the film is that it was actually filmed in Florida; as a South Carolina resident, I can attest that MANY of our small towns could have doubled quite nicely for Grady...

DOC HOLLYWOOD is a film I'm proud to have in my collection!


"Doc Hollywood" is an excellent film and very well done. The comedy is very good throughout the film and the characters are all very interesting. I personally, love small towns like the one depicted in the film.

The cast in this film is very good as well. Michael J. Fox is excellent as always and rakes in a good amount of laughs in the film. Julie Warner is an excellent love interest for the film and looks fantastic in the film. Bridget Fonda looks better than ever and does a great job acting. Woody Harrelson does a fine job with his role, and plays a particularly interesting character. David Ogden Stiers plays a very likeable town mayor and does an incredible job with his role. The rest of the supporting cast is very good as well. Director, Michael Caton-Jones, adds another fine film to his list of films.

I also feel I should mention the music in the film. I thought all the music was very likeable and very good choices. I especially like the title sequence and the song (I have no idea who the song is written/performed by).

This is just a feel-good, fun movie. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone that likes stories about the small town lifestyle and romantic comedies. I hope that you enjoy the film as much as I did. Thanks for reading,

-Chris


No surprises. No twisted plots. No complex love triangles. This movie is pure and simple entertainment. Okay, it's hokey and it's trite, and the acting at times is marginally acceptable. But it goes with the terrain, for this is America, this is life, this is real people.

It's a nice movie. See it. Don't expect much, but do expect to enjoy it.


Doc Hollywood is one of only a handful of movies that I never tire of watching. It's a vacation for the mind -- the story of a brash big city surgeon (Michael J. Fox) who, after a minor car crash, finds himself trapped in the "twilight zone" of backwater USA, only to make a series of amazing discoveries about life off the beaten path. It's a nice love story with a wonderful cast set in the fictional town of Grady (the "Squash capital of the South"), which is straight out of Norman Rockwell with a touch of Mayberry RFD. It's the kind of place that, if it existed, you would immediately move there. Since it doesn't, the next best thing is to watch this very entertaining movie.


Doc Hollywood is one of my most favorite films that I don't mind watching over and over. Perhaps it is because it is so well written, has outstanding actors, or that I recognize the realistic characters and one street Southern town it is based on, Micanopy, FL, having lived in nearby Gainesville. Michael J. Fox has never made a bad movie and I've always admired his enthusiastic characters. Julie Warner is a good match for him in looks and talent. I can't believe she isn't a bigger star by now. Merrill Streep and Rene Zellwigger have nothing on her and she is far better looking than either. They must have better agents. Julie's recent recurring character in Nip Tuck gave an Emmy Award performance every week and stands out even in that cast of stand out actors. Doc Hollywood has a similarly talented cast with great dialog and excellent direction. The result is one of those rare Chick Flicks, like Groundhogs Day, that guys don't mind watching, even without a chick. If I had to be stuck on an island with only a handful of DVD movies to watch over and over, this would be one I'd choose. In a rush I'd also grab the Back to the Future trilogy and half a dozen of Arnold's classics.


Has anyone noticed the similarity of Grady to Shangri-La?

The airplane crash brings Conway to the lamasary of Shangri-La; a car smash brings Ben Stone to Grady.

Both find a world in which they can function apart from their 'chosen' capitalistic professions.

Unlike 'Witness', 'Doc Hollywood' does what we all would: find that entrance to Shangi-La and never look back! Who, even a Yankee, could leave Grady? Who, even an Englishman could leave Shangri-La?

A great movie!

 -30-


This is the MJ Fox film that I like the most. Sadly, it was never released on video here in Australia. The story is funny without degenerating into slapstick, the direction is very good and the casting is terrific. MJ Fox is MJ Fox, albeit better than usual and there is good counterpoint from the romantic lead Warner. But what wins for it are the wonderful supporting characters, all of which a played to a tee. I have not seen it for some time but I will never forget the characters of the old doctor (Hughes), the medical centre nurse (Byrde), the mayor (Stiers), the mechanic (Winkler), the quilt-sewing ladies of the welcoming committee, the suitor (Harelson), the Southern escapee (Fonda), the pig and the plastic surgeon (Hamilton). They steal the show and make the whole experience fun.


To most people this movie is about a small town in the South. To me that one small town street is the place where my husband and I used to day dreaming about buying antique furniture after he would finish graduate school at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida. The movie location, the one street town of Micanopy, is just a few miles away from Gainesville. They show the entire downtown! As I have watched Doc Hollywood umpteen times, I love to see the corner store, which was a jewelry store called the Strawberry Bank specializing in antique jewelry about seventeen years ago. I would put stuff on lay-way as graduate students could not afford the luxury of buying something faster. Then we would drive around those back roads full of trees and Spanish moss and eat an early dinner: fried cat fish, fried okra, rice, and whatever fresh thing they had that our small stomachs could contain. It was such a great time in our lives! That area is surrounded by students. I guess we did not realize how little we had as graduate students, since we were even able to afford an off-campus apartment! Everybody else had about the same youth and enthusiasm and we were looking to our bright futures. I would go to the library and get books on antiques furniture, old lace and antique jewelry. I would audit French classes, take classes in jewelry making techniques: such as lost wax and casting. I learned so much about life in that town, and biked until I ended up tan without ever sitting in the sun.

	Like Michael J. Fox (The American President) "Dr. Benjamin Stone," I was fascinated with the big city. Coming from one of the largest cities in the world, I just wondered what I was going to do after I finished my classes as a Visiting Student at the UF. Well after living there for about four years, I learned much more than what graduate school could ever teach. Like Dr. Stone, I fell in love with the place, I would not mind having a pig named Jasmine, I fell in love with the quilt making, the silence, the southern hospitality, and how "they all" thought I had an accent. I can even do a pretty good southern accent now myself! Every once in while a celebrity would come to town like Sally Fields (Forest Gump) raising support for a project that her brother a physics professor at UF was working on. Those college folk, they sure come up with strange ideas. That was so cool!

Julie Warner (Mr. Saturday Night) "Lou" was so adorable with her down to earth attitude. I loved to see the Mayor dressed like a squash. That is the South! This is an excellent movie. It has values. Ben Stone realized that being a Doctor in a small town might even mean having to read to your clients personal letters to them because they could not read. He in the end realizes that being needed is far more important than money. My favorite quotes: " Watch your language Doc, you are in the belt of the Bible belt." Stone: "There were cows in the middle of the road! I told you my insurance company will be happy to pay for that fence." Judge:"I built that fence myself. Neither you, nor, your insurance company can pay for a fence that I built myself." My favorite scenes: the one street in Micanopy, the cute wooden cabin, the little old ladies quilting and arguing. Ben Stone and Lou driving around on that old huge ambulance, and acting like real animals demarcating their territories by scent. They would urinate and distribute the liquid around to detract deer that would attract the hunters. My husbands favorite scene is Julie Warner slowing rising from under water when she was skinny dipping. Not lewd, but enchanting. Well we are going to "visit all " the relatives down south and eat fresh catfish in some back road "ma &pa restaurant." I guess " you all" have to go buy or rent this movie.


I didn't really get into this movie until the first car scene, Then things begin to happen and From this moment forward, this movie turns into a pure magical experience you just can't turn away from. Michael J. Fox is at his very best and so is everyone else in this heartwarming film. I found myself wanting to find this enchanting little town full of pure "down home folks". It's a very funny film that draws you completely into it. It's about real life, real happiness, and real people. No phonies here. This film will make you think about what life is really about. Watch it once and you will find yourself wanting to watch it over and over again. It's absolutely one of the best films I have seen


Admittedly, the premise of Doc Hollywood is more of a sentimental ideal than an actuality: high-powered big city surgeon falls for the charms of a small town full of colourful characters and in need of an old-time country doctor.

But Michael J. Fox is perfect for his part. He can be manic and money-oriented, or compassionate and charming. Whether he's keeping a beribboned sow on a tight leash, spreading his scent through the woods, or floundering around with fresh fish, he's right at home in this film, down home.

When I first saw Doc Hollywood, I didn't expect to fall under the spell of this Mayberry of Squash either, but the locals really grow on you. Like kudzu.

Michael J. Fox winds up as happy as a pig in silage and so will you.


In Doc Hollywood young Michael J. Fox having completed his residency looks like he has his future by the short hairs. He's going into plastic surgery, much money to be made there and nobody dies. Usually the only thing that approaches a dearth in fatality like that is dermatology. But a traffic jam on I-95 and a couple of stray cows on the back road he's traveling gets him into a gentle jackpot of an accident. It just happens that he plowed into a freshly put up fence by the local judge Roberts Blossom.

For the first offense in the town of Grady, Florida Fox is given community service in the local hospital where crotchety old doctor Barnard Hughes is ready to pack it in. In their own hospitable ways the good citizens of Grady set out to make the man Hughes calls, Doc Hollywood welcome. There's one particular citizen played by Julie Warner who wants to offer the ultimate in hospitality even though her ever present steady boyfriend Woody Harrelson is around.

In many ways Doc Hollywood is an updated version of the Paramount classic Welcome Stranger with Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, and Joan Caulfield. In that one however, the town folks don't take to city boy Bing right away, here they're going out of their way to make Fox welcome as they know that Hughes will not be there forever.

One of the really nice things about Doc Hollywood is the impeccable casting of some of the rustic characters you might find in the Florida wilds. Two of the best are Eyde Byrde as Nurse Packer who runs the hospital like a drill sergeant, a kinder, gentler and black version of nurse Ratched. And it took me a while to realize the actor playing the rustic southern mayor was David Ogden Stiers, formerly Charles Emerson Winchester of Hahvard and the 4077 MASH unit. For those who best remember Stiers as Major Winchester, this performance will come as a very pleasant shock.

If you saw Welcome Stranger than you have a good idea of how Doc Hollywood turns out. I think it was one of the best films of the previous decade, a pleasant and gentle diversion of entertainment.


Love the small town movies,I'd Love to live in one.This town used to be small,but now it's competing with Larger towns.Doc Hollywood is a favorite of mine,Because the actors can play small town people,(Like fictional Mayberry.)Big city Doc finds Love in small town.Lou Looks great in the dress and hat,when she's in the Parade,Definitely Someone I would fall for.Great Characters,Typical Small Town Friendly people.Michael Fox is Great in this Movie.Too Big for a small town doc,But finally Fits in .He realizes He Loves Lou,But Leaves To Hollywood ,But Small Towns are far better Than Large Cities.(My Opinion).


This is a real hidden gem -- corny, yes, but incredibly charming. One of those movies I can't stop watching once I come across it while flipping around the channels. Most of the comments here echo my own thoughts, wonderful performances and a solid if somewhat clichéd script -- but it works its charm on you! I love the mayor's line, "I couldn't be happier if I were twins." Lastly, it occurred to me that it's like an American version of a great Bill Forsyth movie, Local Hero! Rent that one and see the parallels.


It is perfectly cast, very nicely photographed, very well acted and the direction is spot on. That said, it is to me better than the sum of its parts.

If you didn't see that on the first viewing, try seeing it again. I thought it was decent fare on the first viewing until I caught the last 50 minutes or so a second time around on cable late one night. I was quite surprised at how completely I had misjudged it. I realized it was much better than it first seemed because, like a performance by a great dancer or skilled actors, it looks too easy to be really excellent, too natural.

But I was wrong and seeing it all the way through one more time proved it to me. Try it again and see.

Phil


This is an all time fav, own it, watch it all the time. During a recent replay of the DVD, something occurred to me that has somewhat diminished my view of the female character, Lu (Julie Warner). Early on in the movie, Ben Stone stumbles out of his cabin after dreaming of a beautiful woman bathing in water, and lo - there's a nude Lu surfacing and making 'first contact' with him. After getting to know the town's characters, the viewer learns that 'nobody can poop without everybody knowing what color it is,' or something to that effect. Lu would've known of Ben Stone's arrival in Grady, of where he was staying, and may have planned and had an eye out for when he made his way out of that cabin. It's hard to believe she could've stayed underwater ALL that time, and then surfaced at just the right moment (unless she had an oxygen tank under the surface!) In a later scene when Ben 'walks, runs' to her home late at night, the viewer learns there must be some distance between the two homes. Did Lu swim over to Ben's that morning, or drive specifically to the area just to emerge, nude, in his presence? That sorta spoils it for me now, but Doc Hollywood is still a good, clean and romantic view of a small-town romance.


This film is so so addictive. It draws you in from the first 5 mins and then keeps you going and yet it is such a simple storyline. A must for all film lovers and a great watch. I recommend it watched at least twice :). Make sure you are sat back and ready for a laid back film as it is slow paced and just a generally nice film to watch. Something to chill with, with the missus or even on your own. A good end to a hectic day or even used as a pick me up film. The film is not complex to watch so is ideal for a bottle of wine (or two ;)) to watch with. However it is not one that I would recommend to own or watch again and again. Just a once in a blue moon film but still when watch a great watch :P.


Even by surgeons' standards,Doctor Stone is horrible and arrogant.Disliked by fellow medics in his big city hospital,none of whom will be sorry to see the back of him,he is on his way to L.A. keen to make his first million in Cosmetic Surgery.After taking an illegal route round a traffic jam he runs his vintage Porsche into a picket fence owned by the Judge in a one - ute town down south.Failing to bamboozle them with his big city ways,he ends up in the Judge's courtroom and is sentenced to do community service at the local hospital which is under threat due to the imminent retirement of the town doctor,a wise and experienced old-style MD.The rest is pure Preston Sturges. Mr Michael J Fox is more convincing as the big city man than the country boy he eventually aspires to be but it is the extraordinary Miss Julie Warner who keeps "Doc Hollywood" from disappearing up its own Jubilation T.Cornpone.From the moment he sees her Dr Stone's career as a Plastic Surgeon is dead in the water - he just needs to be made to realise it. Mr Ogden-Stiers and the rest of the cast comfortably carry off the not-as-easy-as-it-looks task of playing convincing small town folk without being hokey. Mr George Hamilton is especially ghastly as the Plastic Surgeon Doctor Stone aspires to work for,convincing down to his appalling pony tail. "Doc Hollywood" is a splendid view of America as it would like to be seen,all the more remarkable then that it was directed by a Scotsman.


Ambitious yuppie doctor Ben Stone (a supremely assured and affable performance by Michael J. Fox) completes his internship at a Washington hospital and rushes off to Los Angeles for a cushy high-paying job as a plastic surgeon. En route to California Ben finds himself stranded in the quaint small South Carolina hamlet of Grady, where he's forced to do 32 hours worth of community service. Ben plans on leaving town as soon as possible, but has second thoughts after meeting feisty and fetching ambulance driver Lou (a delightfully spunky portrayal by the deliciously lissome Julie Warner). Director Michael Caton-Jones, working from an amiable script by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seamon and Daniel Pyne, keeps the pace bubbling along at a steady clip, gives the picture a gentle, folksy charm that never becomes too corny or sappy, maintains a pleasant, good-natured tone throughout, and displays a sincere affection for the colorful and likable salt-of-the-earth rural characters. Fox's ingratiating presence keeps the movie humming from start to finish; he receives fine support from Warner (her nude skinny-dipping introductory scene is a genuinely sexy corker), Woody Harrelson as shrewd, dashing life insurance salesman Hank Gordon, David Ogden Steirs as hearty, jolly Mayor Nick Nicholson, Barnard Hughes as cranky veteran physician Dr. Aurelius Hugue, Bridget Fonda as aggressively flirtatious man-hungry tramp Nancy Lee Nicholson, Frances Sternhagen as sour old maid Lillian, Roberts Blossom as crusty Judge Evans, Mel Winkler as laid-back, gregarious Melvin the Mechanic, and Eyde Byrde as stern, by-the-book Nurse Packer. George Hamilton contributes an amusing cameo as hotshot plastic surgeon Dr. Halberstrom. Michael Chapman's sunny cinematography gives the film an attractive sparkling look. Carter Burwell provides a tuneful, jaunty, countryish score. A sweet little winner.


Well this is not a kind of a movie where u can shout its amazing after watching but in very subtle ways it does leave its mark.. Ya its a touching film.. may seem trite but thoroughly enjoyable.. It Starts wit a big city doctor who's headed for a major interview to achieve his dream of becoming a plastic surgeon.. Unfortunately or fortunately he has an accident n gets stuck up in a small town where he's sentenced to community service in t hospital..Cant help but recognise t resemblance to t animated movie 'cars'! Yes there r a few predictable characters but many r really fresh n realistic.. T ending may not leave u jumping out of ur seats but this is a movie u can watch wit t entire family..Its moral is very sensibly portrayed n down to earth..Its heart is in t right place..


Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer and a wonderful cast make this movie one of the best experiences of recent times. The story of a married couple losing each other and neither knows why; trying to hide it as the children grow through their early teens must touch the heart of most parents but this portrayal will reach right down inside you and tear you apart. I can feel the tears coming back even as I write this. This is a film of pure emotion so well written and beautifully directed with just the right balance of humour and tragedy and so insightful no one contemplating /in/out of a relationship should miss it.


I was miffed the first time I saw this film. Miffed that I had allowed the opinions of others to steer me away from it until it came out on DVD. What a lovely bitter sweet/sweetly bitter film. After seeing The Story Of Us and talking to others about it, I came to the pejorative conclusion that the folk I spoke to just didn't get the film because they simply had not been there. I realized that no one I talked to at first had shared his or her lives with anyone for any more than a few years. This film deals with the daily wear and tear of ANY truly long-term relationship. It is an accurate, albeit theatrical, portrayal of the way high ups and devastating downs that can come to two people who love each other  hate each other  need each other  want each other desperately  hate each other some more and finally love each other again. I concluded that those who had never been to the end (and I mean the it's over and I am outta here end) of a relationship and still been able to pull away form the precipice and put things back together again, just didn't have a clue. So there my partner and I were after 16 years together truly touched by all that we saw, nodded our heads to, laughed at and balled our eyes out over and, in the end, really uplifted by in this gem of a film. Michelle Pfeiffer's final monologue alone would have been worth the price of a movie ticket just to watch  All Actors should be made to watch her has she creates brilliant comedy by bursting into tears. It is a true lesson in comic artistry while still touching the heartstrings. I HATE THE KIRBYS TOO!!!!


This is a disturbing, bittersweet romantic comedy about two people who's 15 year marriage is unraveling. Actually, it is more of a romantic tragedy than a comedy. Ben and Katie Jordan (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) are two mismatched people in the marriage that never should have been. He is spontaneous, romantic and impulsive, with low frustration tolerance and an explosive hair trigger temper. She is pragmatic, a compulsive perfectionist with unrealistic expectations, and a high need for control. She takes everything personally and never forgives or forgets a slight. They both blame each other for their disappointments. The pattern is clear. He doesn't meet her standards so she snipes, he explodes and then she accuses him of not listening. She then throws up every mistake he's ever made and every fault he's ever had. This goes on ad nauseam as their romantic obsession with one another continues to get the best of any sense they might have to call it quits. Like moths to a flame, they keep returning for another scorching.

This film is thought provoking in that it portrays marital difficulties that are all too familiar in our society. The problem is that it tries to give every problem known to man (with the exception of wife beating) to this couple and relies on the single strand of a long forgotten romance to be the only chance of keeping them together.

In watching the behind the scenes featurette on this film, Rob Reiner and writers Alan Zweibel and Jessie Nelson discuss how the story evolved. As it turns out, it was a montage of all their own marital problems. So the film was, in essence cathartic dumping ground for the writers and director.

As filmmaking, it was terrific. Rob Reiner weaves the story together expertly, creating a stark contrast between the joy of the romance and the reality of the relationship. The film was punctuated by numerous funny and sweet moments that make the viewer smile and glow with delight.

Michelle Pfeiffer gives a splendid performance of a very emotionally complex and neurotic character. It took a lot of courage for her to take this part because she was playing the least likeable character in the film, something of a departure for her. Bruce Willis was as good as one could have expected considering the fact that nobody was blowing anything up. Actually, he was quite good as the impulsive, childlike romantic, but when it came to the arguments and the serious displays of resentment, he played the scenes too harshly, almost commando style.

Reiner does good camera work and puts together some good rapid fire scenes that have impact and give great insight into the relationship. He also took the film on location in Venice to add a little romantic interlude, and somehow got Eric Clapton to write a great theme song.

The problem is the story. Reiner stated in the featurette that he intended this to be a realistic bittersweet look at the real problems relationships face. But he tried to do too much and made this film a grossly exaggerated caricature of a relationship in crisis. It is really "The War of The Roses" lite only it takes itself too seriously. No one I know who saw this could believe that this couple could possibly have stayed married for 15 weeks, no less 15 years.

The result is a noxious marathon of petty arguments that get under the viewers' skin after a while. It is about as entertaining as watching your best friends have a niggling argument in a public restaurant. The whole thing leaves you very uncomfortable and you don't go home feeling like you've had a nice evening.

So, while it succeeds as filmmaking, it fails as a film. I gave this film a 6/10. There were so many good elements to it that I can't see trashing it. But the story is one that requires a level of emotional endurance that few viewers will be willing or able to invest to get any enjoyment out of it.


Bruce and Michelle play the part of almost everyone who has been married. The tug and pull of everyday life separates them from each other, but mostly from their true feelings about each other.

The truth is, based on the Hollywood mythical marriage created for oh so many years now, everyones marriage is terrible. What our couple are able to sort out at the end is that no one is perfect and by looking at yourself through your partners eyes can be a revealing and frightening thing. If you can face it, there is a future in your relationship. If you can not, you may have to move on.

This movie will be mostly lost on the younger crowd, simply because they have not experienced the problems the forty something and above audience have been through. However, it is a film they may go back and see once they have been there and down that. When I think about it, Rob Reiner (aka Meathead) has been expressing the thoughts and concerns of our generation for a number of years now. He is very good at it.


The Story Of Us is a wonderful movie in its own subtle way. I won't go into specifics about the plot, as many others before me have already done that. All I will say is that it's probably not for the younger crowd. In all honesty, if I had seen this film in my early twenties (and I'm now almost 40), I wouldn't have appreciated its subtlety on long term relationships. It's aimed at those of us who have been married, or in a long term relationship. Although I don't have children, the rest of this movie had many "oh yeah" moments for me. The Story of Us, is a complex, yet ultimately simple, explanation of long term relationships...all those 'little' things about the other person that drive you insane about them, but that if you're both willing to work on, make the relationship all that much richer for it. Wonderfully thought provoking. If you have ever been in a long term adult relationship, I'd be hard pressed to see how you COULDN'T relate, at the very least, on some small level to this film.


Okay, let's set the stage: I hate Lifetime movies for their poor acting, cheesy scripts, lack of realism, and ridiculous soap-opera style plots and "emotions." (And I just ain't into all that Kleenex.) Can't stand mush and not much on tearjerkers. But I truly can't relate with those saying this was an awful movie. I laughed my tail off! Hilarious! So real (well, for the most part); you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hold your breath, you'll just want more. The "moments" were very real and well-done and I agree that Willis and Pfeiffer rendered stellar performances. It WAS a romantic comedy. (Did YOU see it?!) Such a well-written script and excellently directed. Virtually no complaints from start to finish. (Although, admittedly, I watched an "edited" version and missed all the language.)

Anyone who's been married any length of time (and especially for a number of years) will appreciate the reality and depth of emotion and meaning in this poignant movie. Sense of humor required.

Totally worth seeing again and again!


To be honest, I didn't even remember when this movie came out. I was single then so I may have deemed it a chick flick and moved on. When I finally did see it I had been married for a short time but been with my wife for a while. There was very, very little that we could not identify with. I almost felt like I was watching my life so the title is perfect. Bruce and Michelle are amazing in their roles and I challenge anyone to say there was not one part where they were not emotionally moved by their performances. While there were some funny moments(the scenes in Venice are good, and Michelle's rant at the end is classic) this is really a dramatic movie and I really feel the main characters played more to the dramatic aspects of the script. Honestly, I really don't think that it matters how long you've been married, or with someone, you really have to see this movie.


This has to be one of my favorite movies. My husband and I watch this and we both end up in tears (at different points) and can identify with the characters. We appreciate each other more (at least for a little while) after watching this movie. Marriage is not easy and the road that this couple travels together hits home with us. When feeling like things are getting too hard and giving up would just be easier, watching this movie puts things into perspective. Do I think that this movie is good for people having marriage difficulties? Maybe. But I do think that this is a good movie for anyone who has ever been married, or wants to be married, or is married. The fact that this movie has Bruce Willis in it was an added bonus, I mean, how can you go wrong with him in a movie?


Although I didn't identify myself on this movie, I've identified some friends in trouble and, why not? some issues that happens to my marriage. This movie, although extremely realistic and sometimes strong, shows optimism when two persons realize that above the problems, they still love each other and then decide to fix this marriage. The final dialogue (or monologue) of Michelle Pfeifer worths for the rest of the movie....


I thought this movie was good because it was very real. I could relate to both of the main characters. I thought Bruce Willis did an excellent job. I'm used to him in action roles but he was convincing as a kind, easy-going husband and father. What made the movie not quite as good for me was Michelle Pheiffer. I didn't really care for her. Throughout the movie I found her acting not that convincing. I don't know, just something about her wasn't quite right, not enough feeling or something. And I hate when people in movies are supposed to be crying really hard but no tears come out, she did this in this movie. And there was one scene where she makes this long speech and she's very upset and supposed to be crying but there's no tears and she's wining to the point where it's annoying and again it's not convincing, there doesn't seem to be the right feeling. You could always feel Bruce Willis' sadness or happiness but I didn't get this from Michelle Pheiffer. I liked the movie for it's realistic portrayal of what should be considered a "happy" marriage and it's just a nice story.


I'd heard it wasn't a good movie, but I rented it anyway because I ran out of options at the local video rental. Bad call. Rob Reiner, who usually is good at making catchy comedies, fails miserably this time around.

It's a shame because it tends to taint all the quirky, fun memories that the delightful "When Harry Met Sally..." offered a decade ago. Bad script, bad direction, bad acting equals bad movie. Every acting "effort" in this movie pretty much sucks, but special mention must go to Rita Wilson (AKA Mrs. Hanks). I had no idea she was this bad. I'd never seen her in a movie before and now I know why.


This film is showing married life as it is. First the being in love period, the love and understanding and the fights that turn up over whatever stupid irritations one might have. The film is a good life saver for couples who want to split up. Watch this film and start talking. Find the similarity between the story as shown in the film and get together again. The final scene in which Michelle Pfeifer declares her love is a real classic one. Very fine acting.


For a subject which has been discussed and filmed many times, this movie is well constructed and kept interesting by the two lead players. The dialogue is realistic and the question of whether two people can survive living together is thoroughly explored.

The ending is pure Hollywood, at least three versions available I'm sure, and by opting for a happy ending it leaves the audience believing it's seen an entertainment, more palatable for those anxious to avoid confronting issues.


It didn't knock my socks off with insight, but I liked it. Willis' crying was far more realistic than either of the women's in the movie - I could feel his pain. The ending satisfies, dialogue is good and I loved the flashbacks. As a struggling single mother, though, it is hard to feel empathy for the rich lady who cries about having to be "responsible for everything" when she lives in a big fancy house, doesn't have to work out of the home, and has a husband who is too much fun. Seems the issues could have been more obviously painful, but maybe those are the things rich people have to complain about - hard to find reasons when the heros look like Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis, neither are unfaithful, and they have no money worries, huh? But, I liked it.


Directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally), one of my favorite directors because he depicts sad realities in funny ways. He picks his own projects in a way that I always applaud him. This movie delineates very important differences between men and women, their feelings, and their behavior.

The key reason of the low ratings, in my view, is because there is a generational conflict here. I have asked young married people how the was movie, and they said that they didn't like it. I talked to people in their forties, fifties, and they loved it. Their comment it usually is: "It is reality." The younger couples, the ones that are engaged, just don't get it yet. They are in a different stage in their lives. They have not been married 15 years like the couple in this movie was. What this movie proposed to do was to show what happens if people take each other for granted. They behave like Sally indicated in "When Harry Met Sally," words once said are out there and cannot be taken back. The movie concentrated on the conflicts that lead almost to the destruction of their marriage. To bring all those conflicts to light in a funny way took a lot of talent. That is why we need Rob Reiner. Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense, Nobody's Fool), Ben Jordan, is trying very hard. Actually Bruce Willis surprised me with some of his roles as I have seen very few of his movies, not enjoying action movies. He is good! The reason I do not see much of his acting is because of the projects he picks. They seam too violent. Michelle Pfeiffer (One Fine Day) is good in the part of Katie Jordan. The story is told by Ben's perspective, she appears to be holding on to the things that don't matter more than he is. I recommend the movie, but if you are very young you will not understand it, even kids of divorced parents do not get it. I credit the low ratings to that. Some people just don't get the movie because they haven't been there in their relationships. I think it is very insightful into marriages in general. I can say that because I have been happily married for almost twenty-three years. Unfortunately there are tons of couples that live just like that.

The question raised is "Can a marriage survive 15 years of marriage?" Yes it can, if Ben and Katie's did. They took each other for granted most of the time. My favorite quotes: Katie: "Austin has a turtle that snores." Ben: "No one designated you. You designated yourself." Katie:"You love who we were, you could not want what we become, somehow you get use to the disconnection." Favorite Scenes: When Katie finally recognized that friends are hard to find. This is a very good movie.


Ben and Katie Jordan (played by Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfieffer) are in love...well, they WERE in love! After fifteen years of marriage and two children, the love is fading fast, and divorce seems like the only light bright light they see. While their children, Erin (Colleen Rennison) and Josh (Jake Sandvig) are away at summer camp, Ben and Katie tell about the highs and lows of their fifteen year marriage, and remember both the good times which seem to bring them closer again and the bad times, which totally tear them apart...again. Yet beyond the heated arguments between Mr. and Mrs. Jordan, there are Ben and Katie's strong, passionate feelings for each other...which could possibly bring hope in saving their marriage.

"The Story of Us" is a sappy love story for just about anyone! Okay, it's not the BEST or most brilliant movies I ever seen, but perhaps, this film can teach valuable lessons of what true love is and of course that sometimes the bad times in a relationship of any kind can bring partners closer together...especially if they've been married for fifteen years!!! :)

What I liked about this film was the moments of bubbly humour in which some of the characters brought on-screen (i.e. the ever annoying Andy and Joanie Kirby played by Bill Kirchenbauer and Lucy Webb during the "I HATE THE KIRBY'S" part of the movie), and the senseless fights between Ben and Katie. One thing's for sure, you can easily see the guilt in their eyes after they fight! Yet that's kind of cute! Though it's obvious that they love each other still...this movie still keeps you still on your seat...wondering what might happen next or what crazy little subjects Ben and Katie might fight over again and again!

They kind of remind of Ricky and Lucy Ricardo from "I Love Lucy" only they are living in a different decade...they have more children...and they curse more (well...duh)! Yet like Ricky and Lucy, they seem to fight over stupid things, which is normal in any relationship, right? But of course...some of the issues they did fight over were kind of serious and maybe important to them personally. From Ben's complaints about Dot (Katie's mother) to Katie's complaints about "the other woman" in which her husband denies. Kind of serious stuff...huh?

Let's put it this way: "The Story of Us" is a modern American love story with a heartwarming twist that you cannot ignore! Anyone would enjoy this movie...especially women and romance lovers! If you like novels by Danielle Steel or Sandra Brown or enjoyed films such as "You've Got Mail", "Nine Months", or "Down To You", you will like "The Story of Us"! Or...

If you're in for a good romance film in which you laugh or cry to or could sit back and relax, rent this movie! I'm not into these sappy, simple love stories some films have to offer, but I enjoyed this movie!!!...and you NEVER KNOW...maybe YOU will like it too!!! :)


Gee, I really liked that movie! It was very very good. I am a great fan of romantic comedies and I have seen so many of them. This movie goes a huge step further. Take an ordinary romantic comedy: 2 people meet, fall in love for each other, mostly have to get over some difficulties and in the end: BOOM! They finally got each other and some heartbreaking music is being played while the credits are shown. But noone knows what happens afterwards. Do they stay together? Where is their love going to? This movie is just about that. And that is a very innovative idea. The movie starts at a point where the feeling of fresh love is gone and everyday-life has come into place. The love of Katie ( Michelle Pfeiffer who gives yet another moving performance) and Ben ( Bruce Willis who shows great talent in an unusual role. With this movie and The Sixth Sense, he is on the best way to become a character actor.) isn't as big as it would be when they met. They get separated while their kids are in a camp and remember THE STORY OF THEM. These scenes are incredible funny and sad moments. The supporting cast ( especially Rita Wilson and director Rob Reiner) also do a great job. For it's originality and intelligent script and great performances, I give this movie 10/10.


Interesting presentation of a weak marriage, with excellent performance by Bruce Willis and a mediocre one by Michelle Pfeiffer. Willis shows a very dynamic person who is both playful, sentimental and serious if he has to be. He is a wonderful father who connects with his children on a deeper level then one would imagine.

Pfeiffer on the other hand, plays on overly stressed out mother,who talks about her old self that Willis once fell in love with, and points out the moments that made their love possible, but she does not act them out. And when she does, she goes too far in it. Her last speech seemed fake, insincere and over exaggerated that it made me sick.

Overall, if you ignore the less then satisfactory acting at times, it is a sweet movie which gives you plenty to think about. Oh and don't see it with someone you are having problems with...Only people in stable relationships can endure this movie together and not get into a fight about it, because everything that's argued is so real and so true, you forget that it's just a movie.


I can't believe that I am spending additional time, other than the time it took to actually watch the film, thinking about this movie. Maybe it is the good samaritan in me that is compelling me to warn others about this movie. This is a horrible movie. The movie consists of one long series of arguments. The attempts at humor are not funny and the characters are not believable. Do not rent this movie. There, I feel better now.


Boy! This was worse than what I expected! I expected a light film with good acting and a happy ending (Rob Reiner NEVER has a depressing ending). What did I get? Well it was light...TOO LIGHT!! So light that I didn't give a damn about the characters or their situations! These people do not talk or act like real people at all (Pfieffer's speech at the end is particularly horrible--give her credit for saying it without gagging!), the kids are WAY too goody-goody, their friends are annoying, and not one person in the theatre laughed for the entire movie (there were a few smirks when Willis broke down--it isn't supposed to be funny). The acting was as good as can be expected with such a lousy script and you know a film is in deep trouble when there are THREE occasions where we have voice overs of something we had just heard 10 minutes ago! It wasn't good the first time around...it's unbearable the second. As for the climax...well, without giving anything away, it comes out of NOWHERE and (as I've said before) Pfeiffer gives a speech that will have you bolting for the exits. Avoid at all costs!!!!!!


My son asked me, after I told him I had walked out of this movie, if I had checked the rating. Obviously, I had not. From the very beginning there was pure filth coming from the mouths of all the characters. If you're looking for words that used to be only written on public bathroom walls and descriptions of the same, see this movie. Otherwise, save your money and stay home.


This movie ranks dead-even with "Wolf" as the closest I've come to being driven to the exits before the closing credits. What a dreadful disappointment.

The trailer/commercials for this movie make it look somewhat interesting, because it gives you a quick snippet of what has happened in Ben and Katie's lives together (with children Josh and Erin sprinkled throughout). You would think when the actual full-length movie is front of you, the scenes would develop what you see in the commercials. Guess again! The life-flashing-before-your-eyes look at life is what we get in the full movie. Instead of developing these moments, we get brief glimpses while the other 100 minutes or whatever (felt like four hours) were filled with redundant plot devices (OK, you've called each other for the sixth time and said nothing but "are the kids OK" followed by awkward silence ... we get it) and unfunny humor, which is mainly of the toilet manner (literally--the empty toilet paper roll is much funnier in the trailer than it was in the movie; Reiser and Reiner tend to keep the conversation on the subject of the "skin flute"). The dialogue that I assume was intended for comic relief was as painful to listen to as any of the Willis-Pfeiffer conversations.

The acting of Willis and Pfeiffer wasn't bad, but the ending is not believable at all (another case of wrapping a movie up simply because it's nearing two hours and we need a resolution, no matter how flimsy). It was so formula -- I was halfway expecting one of those endings where they give you the summary of what they are doing now. You know, "Katie turned her life around and is now donating time at the local animal rescue league. Erin is on the debate team ..."; that kind of thing. And another thing: My fiancee and I both turned to each other during the "climactic" scene and wondered why the hell the kids, who had been so nosy earlier in the movie on almost every occasion, hadn't stuck their heads out of the car to see what the hell Mom was going on and on and on and on and on about ....

This was painful to watch, and not in a good way. Some movies tug at the emotions, bringing out the tears or joy or anger or fear ... this movie only brings boredom. The bad writing could have been compensated by good timing, but every time the movie attempted to find some rhythm, there would be one of those awful scenes where one of the characters would be in a room by themselves talking to the camera! Another annoying trend of current cinema/television lumped right on top of this scrap heap of a vehicle. Save your money for upcoming releases.


I just got back from the movie not more then 30 minutes ago and I am still in a mood I have not felt since I don't know when.. It was so passionate, exciting, real... Paul Reiser did a excellent job as he always has in this movie.. And I am so happy to see Bruce Willis in movies that show his real talent.. Michelle Pfieffer was amazingly wonderful in the roll of Katie. I don't know how this movie can not be nominated for a Academy Award, let alone win it.. I am looking forward to see this movie over and over again..

I truly don't think 10 Stars is high enough for this one..


"The Story of Us" is a very real and down to earth movie. Many couples, whether in a relationship or marriage, will be able to identify with the film. It was powerfully acted by both leading roles.

The story consists of a lot of flashbacks throughout the couple's entire relationship together. There are many good memories recalled. The children think they have a perfect family life, until they start discovering the things their parents do seem fake and put on. The Willis character then decides that the two of them must confront the children about their separation.

So, overall it was a very well done show, and this is why I love to go to the movies. -----------------8/10


I like this one because it made me laugh and it had some good acting mainly by Willis and Pheiffer and some good laughs by Rita Wilson and Paul Reiser you shouldn't miss this movie mainly because it is a good depiction of a off and on good marriage.


A rare misfire for film director Rob Reiner, this film has very little in the way of story, emotional push & pull and interesting subject matter. Advertised as a "comedy", and even verified as such by the director, this film does not have one semi amusing part in it. The problem is that there are scenes which are meant to be humorous, not in the laugh out loud way, but in the way that little things can make serious situations amusing, but they do not work. This film is about as exciting as watching paint dry- nothing happens, there are no compromises and no one really discovers anything they didn't already know. In one scene Paul Reiser as Willis' agent states that people who have very little leisure time don't want to read about a persons life that they didn't know, and wasn't famous- it seems pointless. In a few words- we don't want to watch it either! The filmmakers should have thought about this, because that's what this film is- pointless. There is some good acting, and it may be true about there being 6 people in the bed - but do we really want to know about it over 90 minutes. A total waste of time, and an incredibly disappointing effort.


Scan the other user comments. when the women write in positively and the men are at best confused by the film...what do you have? CHICK FLICK. This is a chick flick with weak story line (okay acting, however). Hey guys, does Bruce Willis seem all that irresponsible in the movie? I think not. Do MP's feelings fly all over for 2 hours? Yep. The puzzle is the flashbacks seem reveal a pretty decent guy. Hence my confusion. I'd like to see a show of hands among the men. Ever known ANY woman that took consistent notice of the windshield washer fluid levels in a car? How about inconsistent? Ever at all? I thought not. Case rested. (PS for a couple of writers they seem to have a pretty high disposable income. Anyone smell Hollywood here?


Oh my god ! I will never understand why Bruce Willis agreed to play in this movie; it's the worst of it's kind. Both me and my girlfriend we're watching the time during the entire movie, wondering when it would finally end. It's boring, dull and hard to sit out.


This movie is a s***, because it is just for americans! It isn't a good film for brazilians or italians. The story is so stupid, look: a man and a woman part and they hide it from the sons, that start thinking that there's something strange, and there's a love end, how cute!


This film is supposedly about the inner workings of a couple and their marriage, following them on a fifteen year journey as an "us." All I can say is that if that was what marriage was really like, weddings would be outlawed. Neither of the major characters (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) are redeeming in any way. They are both stubborn, shallow and completely self-centered, except when it comes to their children which, I suspect, is supposed to make us see their true caring personas that are otherwise non-existent. The movie was disjointed, all the flash backs were poorly done and made it seem more like a series of vignettes, wherein the same actors played multiple parts, than one flowing story. And it can best be summed up by a man, speaking to his wife, who was walking behind me as I left the theater, "What a piece of #$@%."


Where to begin ? Anak (or 'The Child' as it is known in the West) is an absolutely amazing movie, a movie so powerful that it deserves to be watched by everyone. The Story is set around Josie and her family, Many years ago - Josie had to leave her family and become a domestic over-seas so she that she could provide money to support her family, when Josies husband dies, Josie returns to her family to take over her job as mother, but when she returns, her family is anything but loving and welcoming.

The acting in this movie is magnificent, I had never heard of Vilma Santos until I watched Anak, however after seeing it I had to rent out some of her other movies, the emotion shown by Vilma, and the other actors is amazing and at times you really can find yourself believing that this family is real. There were times in the movie I laughed, times I cried, but I loved every second of it, and it blows almost every Hollywood movie out of the water.

Anak just goes to show that a movie dosn't need to have sex, drugs & violence, and also not be a Children's movie to be excellent and a must-see for the entire family

10/10


I absolutely loved this film! At first I was a bit skeptic, but man....what great acting!! It seemed so real...not far from reality. Claudine did a great job as the snot nose brat of a daughter and Vilma was awesome as the loving, but misunderstood mother. It's a great movie...go rent it!!


i have watched this film several years back and when i finally landed in a place where there are millions of ofws, i felt compelled to write a review of it even though i believe no one would even bother reading it.

i have to be frank to say that the producers of this movie tried to beat the emotional punch of ofws, some 7 million of them in 2000, to make sure that they had a fan base that would solidly usher this movie to box office revenues and critical acclaims. but one could clearly see right through the motives of the producers that they intend on getting money even if it meant preying on the emotional vulnerability of ofws.

they have stuck on such an idea that they have discarded the essential points in movie making.

first, the dialogs and conversation flows were downright ridiculous.they were talking so fast as if they were in a hurry.

even if the movie casted very good actors, vilma santos, cherry pie picache, to mention a few, it just really cannot make up for a bad set of dialogs; it even made them appear laughable. just bad, shallow and unlife-like dialogs. the untalented writers even attempted to make the movie appear intense by drenching the dialogs with offensive and obscene expletives even in scenes that did not really need them. this shallow style of scriptwriting made this movie a lot more unbearable as there were unnecessary remarks in a lot of wrong places.

the character of the protagonist was poorly conceived, clichéd, just plain and vividly shallow. why would you despise your mother, who, from previous countless accounts of domestic helpers, had been enduring unimaginable working conditions in other country, just because she missed or unintentionally failed to reply to your letters. how shallow does that plot goes? if this description needed a metaphorical comparison, it should be that this story must have been written by a 4th grader for his short story requirement. i don't understand why such shallow (pardon the over-usage) concoctions pass out as a plot for a movie. maybe the producers also think of the audience as shallow and there was no need to go deeper. honestly in my opinion, they may be quite right. but it was not right to follow the audience's lead. the movie makers should always be the one raising the bar.

second, some angles were terrible. some perspectives were so focused on capturing the intense emotional portrayals of the actors that the important elements in the background were obliterated. again, bad directing. the director just doesn't know what he or she was doing or is it even correct to call her/him a director.

third, many scenes were superfluous and unrealistic. in a certain scene, the mother was grabbing the daughter and wouldn't let go of her for no reason even if the daughter had no plans of going anywhere. this bad situation was so forcefully implemented so that it would appear that they were wrestling. on top of it, the people cheered as if they were watching a wrestling derby. how shallow and mindless of a plot is that that it just made me cringe. we know that when people argue, especially if it involves someone who is a senior, spectators would tend to keep their mouth shut and retreat to the sides. the people involved in the writing of this script obviously do not know what the realities of human psychology and sociology are. they just wrote it so that they had something to write. truly, they obviously lacked the necessary education and talent. they did not even bother to do a little research. they just had the stupid idea in order to have something to call a story.

i still have yet to see a movie that doesn't capitalize so much on the manipulation of emotions for the purpose of amassing revenues. while it is true that movie making is also dictated by economic tides, it is also important not to leave out the essential and artistic aspects of making it. the Philippine cinema is not actually young but it seems to be doting and becoming more and more immature while many watchers have become more and more intelligent.


The Philippine president praises the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) as hero. This is nothing more than delusive. The reality of OFWs is almost slavery exporting. In this film, Josie, the mother, was locked in the house while her master and his family were on long vacation. That was why she could not attend her husband's funeral! Total remittance from the OFWs, who send most of their earnings from such humiliating work, amounts nearly US$ 10B annually. This film raises a serious issue in Philippine society, however, I think most of Philippine politicians may not even recognize how desperate a country which relies on exporting their people for such slavery jobs.

They leave their family because they love family. Mother leaves her children whom she wants to embrace always, and works for them sacrificing everything. Children feel they are abandoned by their mother even they know their daily life is supported by her remittance. Mother's love ends up with broken relationship. What a tragedy! The life of the family looks not bad in Philippine standard. In fact their house is large enough even in Japanese standard. However, their father, who looks a good man, do not have stable job, if not minimal income which is hard to afford their life. In fact, even working abroad as a maid is a kind of status.

I don't understand why the mother does not cancel going to Hong Kong and choose yet another life, to live with her family with less income, after reconciliation with her daughter. Unless Filipinos decide to quit working overseas for little money, I think this country would not become better.

By the way, this is the first film I saw Vilma Santos. Her performance is superb. Few actresses can act both comical and serious sides of the same character.


My wife and I caught Winding Roads in St. Louis and were pleasantly surprised. Finally, a movie about regular people dealing with regular issues. We are so tired of special effects and flashy filmmaking with no substance. This film was great and the acting was phenomenal. The lead actor - Kimberly Quinn -has quite a career ahead of her - kudos to the director as well.


As a James Marsters fan he was the reason I bought this film but after realising he's not in it that much I really got into the actual story and really enjoyed it. Its a sweet story of love, heartache and the pains of becoming mature and responsible.

I'm not really a lover of Rachel Hunter's acting but I was surprised to learn her character was by far the best and most complex and the writing for her character (as well as the others) was pretty special.

This is the perfect film for a rainy Sunday afternoon particularly if you've experienced any type of loss be it love, a death or that sweet innocent belief of true love and happy ever afters.

For Marsters fans this film is very different to anything you would expect of him and really highlights how talented an actor he truly is.


Let me begin by saying that I love (1) interesting, well-defined female characters dealing with everyday problems, (2) well-made independent films and (3) James Marsters (not necessarily in that order). Unfortunately, "Winding Roads" satisfied me on only one of the above counts (that being #3).

The premise of the film sounded promising to me (three female friends weathering different challenges at the same time in their lives). However, the script doesn't allow us to spend enough time with the characters or go fully into their motivations. In the case of the Rachel Hunter character, this is unfortunate. In the case of the Kimberly Quinn character, it renders her (in my opinion) unsympathetic, as her decisions and actions are without any real foundation or concrete motivation.

I don't want to go into spoilers because, frankly, I don't want to spend too much time writing about a movie that already took up ninety minutes of my life that I can never retrieve. There are many talented actors in "Winding Roads" (Hunter and Marsters, in particular, made the most with what they were given). With more carefully-written characters and plot, this could have been a very affecting movie. As is, it just left me feeling kind of "eh". I cannot recommend it.


I saw this film as a James Marsters fan and was truly not disappointed by his performance. He and Kimberly Quinn were fantastic together. I can't get some of the depth of feeling they both portrayed out of my mind. The other actors, another being well liked one of mine, Michael Weatherly of Dark Angel fame( very small part) were good too. I felt the stories were compelling and this movie was well worth my watching. I will be honest there was a few flow problems and I'm not sure if it was the script or editing but you should know it was there. It didn't matter to me this is on my DVR permanently and soon to be on a tape. I'll watch it again!.... Yes because of James' performance but the others were good too, because honestly I couldn't just watch it for him... I'm not that far gone of a fan.


I was on the edge of my seat, close to tears, and that was after only catching the last half of this movie. I'm desperately trying to find a copy of this movie, to watch it from the beginning, and it's hard to find. The dialog was real, the cinematography dark and brilliant, and whether you believe this is a "chick flick," the characters and interplay involved touch on the very heart of the matter - from many aspects that many men will never understand - when it comes to the power of support that comes from friends - especially women - throughout various stages of their lives. That is not something that is developed or created...it just is. The writer has captured the spirit of these women, the truths they must face about the men who love them.


This is a delightful old film with a cast of characters, from Bruce Cabot, who plays the captain and romantic interest, to Andy Devine, Frank Jenks, Mischa Auer and a whole bunch of studio character actors. Roland Young, who delighted us in the original Topper with Cary Grant, plays the befuddled count who plans to marry Die Marlene on the pretext she's an innocent young darling. The scene where the New Orleans ladies take Marlene aside to give her a little lecture on the "burden of womanhood she'll have to endure" after her marriage is priceless, with the tiny smirk that plays across Marlene's face (given her well-known history, it makes it doubly funny). While this little film isn't (and wasn't)a great shake at the box office at the time, it is delightful to see Die Marlene, always beautiful in that classic, classy European sense, at her best.


Charming is the perfect word for this movie. Dietrich is at her best as she charms her two beaus, the score is charming, and Rene Clair brings the same light touch he showed the next year in I Married a Witch. Quite funny, but more than any thing else, charming.


This is not a great film but it is entertaining and frothy. Rene Clair, like Jean Renoir, fled France for the United States and made movies in Hollywood. But Renoir concentrated on serious films, like "This Land is Mine" and "The Southerner". Clair made comedies, of which this and "I Married a Witch" were the best ones. In "Flame of New Orleans" Clare tackled a sex romp in the Big Easy of the 1840s. He succeeds in capturing the charm of the great town, and (with maybe one or two exceptions) produced the best film about New Orleans and it's Gallic flavor.

Marlene Dietrich is an international adventuress (we subsequently realize she has been as far from New Orleans as St. Petersburg, Russia). She is as sexually alluring as ever, and has got the pleasant attention of Roland Young a rich banker. While Young woos her she also attracts the attention of ship captain Bruce Cabot, who is more to her taste in form, but not in terms of money. She plays her game with Cabot and gets him into debt. Meanwhile she pursues a willing Young, only to first find a number of men who knew her in the past, and then find that Cabot is getting into her hair. So she tries to create a twin cousin situation. But this complicates the situation even more.

The character actors like Mischa Auer (frantically trying to retrieve his top hat before he gets challenged to a duel), or Melville Cooper (cornered by his loveless marriage wife, and ending up being unexpectedly blunt), or even Shemp Howard (who has the freshest wine cellar in New Orleans) have excellent moments to shine in this film's comedy. It is a marvelously funny confection which I recommend


René Clair lost some of his charm when he went to Hollywood, but chances were good that he couldn't lose it all. I quite love his 1942 film I Married a Witch, starring Veronica Lake. I think I like this Marlene Dietrich vehicle even better. Oh, this is a charmer, all right. The plot is too complicated to describe here, but the story is very clever and very entertaining. The film is sweet, romantic and quite funny. The cast is exceptional. Bruce Cabot is surprisingly great as the leading man. You might remember him as the block of wood who won out over the monkey in King Kong. He must have gained some talent as he aged; he's much more handsome at this point, and has an effortless charm, reminiscent of Clark Gable. Roland Young plays his rival. One thing I'll always love about Golden Age Hollywood is the bevy of character actors, something we have entirely lost in the present. Here we have Mischa Auer, Anne Revere, Andy Devine, Theresa Harris and Franklin Pangborn. I had thought for sure Morocco was the best reason to own Universal's Marlene Dietrich set, but, so far, this is the best.


You see a wedding dress floating in the ocean, and the story begins of how it came to be there. Marlene Dietrich lives basically upon the kindness and generosity of men. She sets her sights on Roland Young (from "Topper"), who has scads of money. She also has a particular habit of fainting, which she uses to her advantage, whenever it serves her purpose or whenever she doesn't know else to get out of a particular situation. Roland starts to pursue her, but doesn't realize he was already picked from the beginning. She tries to be hard to get, but just enough to get what she wants.

Enter Bruce Cabot who of course meets her in such a way as to antagonize her without them actually seeing each other. When her plans get mixed up with Roland and her reputation gets compromised by a rumor, she resorts to drastic measures.

I had never seen this and loved it, obviously by my rating. Marlene and Bruce's chemistry, its use of time and place, the imagery and colors of the clothes of the time, and its expressive grand music made for the most perfect 80 minutes spent on a movie in a long time.

Featuring a slew of recognizable faces including Mischa Auer, Andy Devine, Franklin Pangborn, Melville Cooper, Laura Hope Crews ("Aunt Pittypat" from "Gone with the Wind"), Anne Revere (Oscar winner for "National Velvet" as the mother), and Eddie Quillan, this is one movie not to be missed.

Eddie Quillan? You don't know him? Sure, you do. You've seen him. You just didn't know it. He was a prolific supporting actor in movies in bit parts like this one and also made memorable appearances in 50s and 60s TV shows, like "The Addams Family." His most famous role was probably that in "The Grapes of Wrath."

Directed by Rene Clair who also made "Le Million", which I reviewed, and "A Nous La Liberte," (some say that is his masterpiece, but I have yet to see, but will) this is yet another example of Dietrich at her sexiest, and all Dietrich fans and film lovers should buy the Marlene Dietrich DVD collection with this on it and sit back and see one of the greatest screen icons ever!


Normally, the "über-vamp" role that Marlene Dietrich plays in this film is exactly the sort of clichéd role I hate in a film. However, in this case having her play some supremely beautiful "goddess" actually works since the film is so often played for laughs and doesn't take itself too seriously--a definite plus in my opinion. As a result, it's a very good romantic-comedy that is worth a look.

Marlene plays a "gold-digger"--you know, a woman who is out to snag a rich husband and romance is at best secondary. When she meets older and very ordinary looking short rich guy (Roland Young), she instantly pretends to be in love with him. At about the same time, she also meets a rugged ship's captain (Bruce Cabot). You can tell that sparks are flying between them, but she resists because he isn't rich and so she ardently pursues Young throughout most of the film.

However, all this is thrown for a loop when a couple foreigners see Marlene and recognize her as a "good time girl" they'd met in St. Petersburg, Russia. So, in order to convince Young that she is as sweet and innocent as she's pretended to be, she invents the notion that this is a cousin. But, when he isn't totally convinced, Marlene begins to play both roles. This is EXACTLY the sort of funny situations this movie desperately needed to inject some life into it. As a result, it's cute, well acted and paced and one of Dietrich's better, though not so famous, films.


Marlene Dietrich plays in a plot device which is not so unusual - an actress pretending to be more than one person in a film (Garbo did it in "Two Faced Woman", Katherine Hepburn in "Quality Street", etc.). But the inimitable Dietrich lends her own very special charms to the idea.

Many amusing scenes - one of my favorites is where Marlene throws her gorgeous wedding dress into a river! Zounds!


This film was released on NTSC VHS videotape in North America by Videoville Showtime Distribution in 1982 (?) with the French title..... SCANDALE .......PORNO-BEC....It had a very small distribution in Quebec and the French speaking areas of Eastern Canada and the northeastern USA....There is no DVD version......It was released in French Language with No English Subtitles.....It is no longer In Print and is rarely seen in French Canadian video stores.....the Ex-Rentals are generally poor quality and and the original tape has often been replaced.....Good luck in finding one ........It was released with a French language jacket ......Directed by George Mihalka  and features 70's Quebec stars Sophie Lorain, Gilbert Comptois, François Trottier, Nanette Workman ....the run time of the North American release is 1 hour 36 minutes............Contains extensive female nudity and sexual situations ......Classic 1980 Quebec sex-comedy!........ ...Involves a bunch of Quebec actors making an erotic movie called "Porno-Bec".....highlight is when they enter into a private nightclub, which is so private that there is no audience. The nightclub scene has Nanette Workman singing "Call girl" and Les Fros Brossuere performing a Mikado like take-off. The late Sony Forbes (from SCANNERS) also adds a performance