Titanic (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 1996 Hallmark miniseries of TITANIC was unfortunate in that it ended up being largely overshadowed by James Cameron's 1997 big-screen blockbuster (by the time the miniseries was aired in the UK and Australia, James Cameron's version had well and truly exploded onto the scene). This was a pity, as the Hallmark version has many things in it's favour.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Peter Gallagher head a star-studded international cast, and the adaptation succeeds in blending five different stories into the narrative. Perhaps most importantly this version depicts a real-life passenger called Alice Cleaver (played by Felicity Waterman) who attempted to kidnap the baby of her employers when the boat began to sink (leaving the family to search for the child until all the lifeboats had departed, thus sealing their fate).
At the time of this miniseries, Catherine Zeta-Jones was at the cusp of Hollywood superstardom. She looks ravishing as Isabella Paradine, who rekindles an affair with her first beau Wynn Park (Peter Gallagher). Also in this miniseries, we meet in greater detail John Jacob Astor (Scott Hylands) and his pregnant young second wife Madeline (Janne Mortil). The affair of Astor and Madeline was one of the biggest scandals of the period and it's great to have them as prominent characters in this version. The younger romance is provided by thief Jamie (Mike Doyle) and Danish convert Aase (Sonsee Neu-Ahray).
No version of TITANIC would be complete without the ebullient and "unsinkable" Molly Brown (Marilu Henner plays her with enough spirit and spunk to make Debbie Reynolds proud and Kathy Bates pale). And the villain of the piece is thieving steward Simon Doonan (performed with oily relish by Tim Curry). A flavour of classic Hollywood is provided by George C. Scott as the Captain and Eva Marie Saint as the selfish Hazel Foley.
The romance of Bella (Zeta-Jones) and Wynn (Gallagher) is a captivating and moving one, played with style and elegance, and I consider it far more effective than the romance in the James Cameron spectacle. True, the special effects are lacking in this version but the dramatics and acting more than compensate. A fantastic production and one I revisit often. Originally shown in two parts. With Tamsin Kelsey, Eric Keenleyside, Malcolm Stewart, Roger Rees, Harley Jane Kozak, Kevin Conway, Matt Hill and Barry Pepper.

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Wives and Daughters (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a superlative period piece and a brilliant adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 1865 novel of the same name. This BBC mini-series is a superb costume drama with stellar performances by the entire cast. Set in rural England, the film centers around Molly Gibson, the seventeen year old daughter of a country doctor. Richly drawn portraits of Molly's neighbors and friends quickly emerge and weave an absorbing tapestry of nineteenth century life.
Molly and her father, a widower for most of Molly's life, have an exceptionally close and loving relationship. Their relationship is put to the test when he decides to marry a widow and former governess, Hyacinth, who is a pretentious, self absorbed, ridiculous woman. She has a grown daughter named Cynthia, a beautiful young woman, close to Molly in age, but as different from Molly as night and day. Cynthia is best described as a Marilyn Monroe of the Victorian age. Cynthia and Molly become fast friends, while Molly barely tolerates her nigh intolerable step-mother.
The series really revolves around Molly's relationships with all the characters in the production and her handling of the various everyday situations in which she finds herself. Richly drawn, memorable characters, as well as intrigues, secrets, and romance, make this a highly absorbing drama and one that those who love period pieces and lush, well acted costume dramas will enjoy. It is simply a masterpiece.
With stunningly crisp visuals and beautiful clarity of sound, the production value of this three disc, five hour DVD is simply first rate. It is also value laden with some very interesting features. There is an engaging fifty five minute portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell, the author of the novel upon which this mini-series is based. There is a also a twenty minute documentary on the making of the film which is entertaining, as it gives a bird's eye view of the thought that went into the making of the film and the development of the characters. There is also a who's who guide to the performers. This DVD is well worth having in one's collection.

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From the team that brought you "Pride and Prejudice." Set in a richly portrayed society well-stocked with eccentric nobles and gossipy villagers, the story centers around 17-year-old Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a respected country Doctor.

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Escape Clause (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Grabbed this one purely because I needed a Kate McNeil fix. Getting harder and harder to find her these days.
The poor early dialogue and overdone exposition made me think this is another cheesy cable drama, but once the story begins to unfold (and the dialogue lessens) it really rolls out into a darn good thriller. Many different suspects (the parents, the friend, the lover, the co-worker), lots of motives keep you guessing.
Its no frills, you won't have anywhere near the production value of Seven, Silence of the Lambs, or even Kiss the Girls. And try not to pay to much attention to Andrew McCarthy, or Paul Sorvino for that matter, as their minimalist approach to character will only distract you from the story.
Too bad this little script ultimately found itself in the low-budget land of straight-to-video. A little TLC and a few bucks could have paid big dividends here.
All in all a very pleasant surprise.

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Ordinary Miracles (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an extraordinary movie. It deals with realistic situations and realistic people without being oppressive. When people stop associating with other people who are wrong for them and manage to fall in with the sort of people who are right for them, their lives improve dramatically, as happens in this movie.
Other reviewers have picked up on how the judge helped this teenage girl, but they didn't see how the girl helped the grown woman also. By being brazen enough, and smart enough to ask some searching questions, she helped. Also, the parallel in situations between the girl and the grown woman with regard to their respective fathers made for a rich story.
This movie should also be commended for having been brave enough to deal with a bright kid, and for understanding how bright kids are different and how even their emotional problems are different.
Quibbles: the transition for the girl was a bit too fast. It was not unrealistic, but it needed more development. This of course would have slowed down the pace of the movie, however, and most viewers would have liked it less. The movie is only 80 minutes long. It would have been better at the usual TV-movie length of 100 minutes.
Also, the father's reaction at the end was not credible to me. Maybe he did feel guilty, but he was also feeling a lot of other things. His avoidance reaction was just not credible.
In defense of the movie, however, against another commenter: there are ends left open at the movie's end. One cannot assume the exact nature of those resolutions and condemn the movie for making these resolutions which it in fact leaves open. Also, it is not at all unrealistic that the judge found the father: after all, she was looking through the records to do just that.
Bottom line: Don't miss this movie. There aren't many this good that deal with human problems and decent human beings.


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Danielle Steel's The Ring: Parts 1 & 2 (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)All cast members are outstanding in this movie. A truely touching movie about family, friendship and survival. The movie is set during the time of the war. Family members are seperated and possessions are left behind, except for a hand painted picture and a mothers ring. The story of how the picture and the Ring reunite family members is very touching.....A gripping story that will keep you at the edge of your seat....

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The Stranger Beside Me (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Tiffani Amber Thiessen plays Jennifer, a woman who marries a man whose past is full of secrets. Initially Jennifer is happy when Chris asks her to marry him. He wants to join the Navy and he promises to protect her. But when they move to California strange things start happening on base--a peeping Tom starts looking in women's windows and eventually women start being raped. Jennifer's husband admits that he looked in some windows but promises that nothing else happened. Since Jennifer is pregnant, she decides to give him a second chance. When they return home to New Mexico, once again women are being raped and Jennifer begins to suspect that her husband is to blame.
The Stranger Beside Me is classic Lifetime. Tiffani Amber Thiessen has made some of my favorite Lifetime movies, including She Fought Alone, and she excels in her role as a wife who can't trust her husband. This movie isn't great by any means, but if you're in the mood for a little drama that will keep you entertained, you don't have to look much further than this.

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Item Name: The Stranger Beside Me; Studio:Platinum Disc

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