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Movie Preview: Meg Ryan in Serious Moonlight

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:30:05 -0700

Jenna Elfman's character on Accidentally on Purpose recently made a crack that she knows the stages of womanhood by Meg Ryan movies, and it immediately made me miss seeing the actress in romantic comedies. The trailer for Serious Moonlight may look like a twisted rom-com, but hey, there's mention of love and definitely comedy, so I'm interested.

From the late Adrienne Shelley (who wrote Waitress) and directed by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines, Serious Moonlight portrays Ryan as a woman who kinda loses it when she learns of her husband's affair with a younger woman (played by Timothy Hutton and Kristen Bell, respectively). I'm hoping this isn't just a crazy woman on display, and that the female filmmakers give it some grounding - I would so love to welcome Meg Ryan back into the funny actress fold. Also, look out for Justin Long in a small part as a petty criminal.

To see the trailer, just read more.

2009 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight: Serious Moonlight

BuzzSugar — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:30:35 -0700

I've been perusing the long list of interesting-looking movies scheduled for this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which starts this week. Some of them, like Serious Moonlight, are starting to earn some buzz, and I'm anxious to find out what festivalgoers think once they've screened.

This movie looks interesting but no matter what happens, I'll always have bittersweet associations with it. Serious Moonlight will mark Cheryl Hines's directorial debut, and she worked with a screenplay written by the late Adrienne Shelly who was tragically murdered just before her movie Waitress opened in theaters. So while I'm obviously looking forward to more material from the wonderful Shelly, it's also another reminder of her untimely death.

But back to why this movie looks so good. First, the cast: Kristen Bell, Meg Ryan, Justin Long, and Timothy Hutton? Yes, please! Then there's the movie's description:

After she arrives at her country home for a romantic weekend getaway, things don't go exactly as planned for high-powered Manhattan lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan): Her husband of 13 years, Ian (Timothy Hutton), tells her he's leaving her for a younger woman (Kristen Bell). Soon Ian finds himself held captive by an oddly cool Louise, who explains that she won't release him until he commits to working on their marriage.

I love the idea of a movie about a woman kidnapping her cheating husband. What say you? Interested in learning more about this one?

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First Look: In the Motherhood

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:30:24 -0700

I'm not a mom, and yet for the past few weeks, I've found myself laughing out loud at the ads for In the Motherhood, ABC's new mommy comedy that premieres on Thursday. There's something refreshing about watching a group of very imperfect moms muddling through life together, especially when they're played by such funny ladies.

The show is based on an online series of the same name that incorporates stories from real moms. In this version, Megan Mullally plays Rosemary, a single mom of a teenager who's freewheeling, nontraditional, and prone to inventing her own parenting rules on the spot. Cheryl Hines plays her best friend, Jane, a recently divorced working mom of a pre-teen and a baby who relies on a "manny" (Horatio Sanz) to keep her life running. Rounding out the trio is Jessica St. Clair as Emily, Jane's younger sister, who sees herself as a supermom with a super marriage. Put the three of them together, and it adds up to laughs - plus some surprisingly frank talk about love, sex, and the less-than-rosy sides of being a mom.

Whether or not you have kids, do you think you'll check out this series when it premieres on Thursday? To watch a couple of clips from the first episode, just read more.

Movie Preview: Bart Got a Room

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:30:37 -0800

I saw Bart Got a Room at last year's Tribeca Film Festival and totally enjoyed it - if you'd like, you can read my review (without getting spoiled). Now there's a trailer for it and it's apparently "coming soon." I highly recommend putting this one on the to-see list for some time when you need a pretty light, easy movie that isn't too taxing, isn't too substantial and leaves you feeling good in the end.

Set in Florida, the movie follows Danny (Steven Kaplan), a teen who wants nothing more than to get some action on prom night. Over the course of the film, we watch the excruciating three weeks leading up to the big night as Danny secures everything (tux, limo, hotel room) - except for the girl. William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines play Danny's divorced parents while Alia Shawkat plays Danny's good friend.

It's a sweet little movie with some great Big Band music throughout. To check out the trailer, read more.

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Buzz News Roundup, 1/19

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:00:44 -0800

Finally! Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has inked a two-year, seven-figure deal with Lionsgate TV to continue working on the series. - E! Online
Johnny Knoxville and Cher are attached to star together in the comedy The Drop-Out. - ComingSoon
Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) is in talks to direct the movie adaptation of Isaac Asimov's science fiction trilogy Foundation. - Variety
Cheryl Hines will return to Curb Your Enthusiasm. - TV Guide
Eli Stone's brother is joining Brothers & Sisters as a potential love interest for . . . Kitty? - Entertainment Weekly
The documentarian duo behind Wordplay and I.O.U.S.A., Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley, will write, direct, and produce a one-hour documentary about SpongeBob SquarePants. - Variety
Meet the guy who keeps track of Lost's crazy plotlines and time twists. - New York Times

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Web Series About Motherhood Heads for ABC Primetime

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:30:41 -0700

Have you ever watched In the Motherhood on the web? I saw a few clips of it earlier this year, and while I don't really fit into the show's "by moms, for moms" demographic, it's pretty cute and funny - especially Chelsea Handler as an imperfect, wisecracking mom. (Never would have thought of that casting!)

Well, now a version of the show is coming to primetime. ABC has picked up 13 episodes of the series and will likely premiere the show mid-season. The series follows three very different mothers, played online by Handler, Leah Remini, and Jenny McCarthy. Handler is apparently in for the ABC version, but Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines are in talks to play the other two moms. The writers from Bad Mother's Handbook are moving to this show (guess this means Bad Mother's Handbook is dead?), and it's not clear whether it will still be based on real moms' stories.

I always love it when funny ladies get together for projects, and I think a Handler-Mullally-Hines combo has the potential to be insane. So even though other online series that have moved to TV have been less than successful, I'm tentatively pretty excited for this project. What about you? Do you like the casting? To check out an episode of In the Motherhood, just read more.

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Movie Preview: Labor Pains, Starring Lindsay Lohan

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:30:47 -0700

First, I've got to say that I'm happy Lindsay Lohan has completed enough work on a project to have it made into a trailer. Maybe it's my Mean Girls fandom talking, but I'm really rooting for her to have a good acting comeback.

So, here's the trailer for Labor Pains, which we first heard about back in June. It's an indie comedy that finds Lohan playing Thea, a young woman who's about to be fired from her job when she lies to her boss that she's pregnant. Enter fake bellies, fake birthing classes, and a fake relationship to go along with it all.

The project has a pretty great cast, comedy-wise, with Janeane Garofalo, Cheryl Hines, and Chris Parnell among the stars (also, Creed Bratton from The Office! And, um, Kevin Covais from American Idol). I'm not blown away by the trailer, which kind of strikes me as a less-original Baby Mama, but it's not a trainwreck, either. So, I have hope!

The movie doesn't have a release date yet (other than a vague "sometime in 2009"), so for now, you can get a taste of Labor Pains if you read more.

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Sundance Review: Henry Poole Is Here

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:30:17 -0700

Note: I posted this review soon after I saw this movie at Sundance, and today it's out in theaters, so I thought I'd share my thoughts again. It has some flaws, but overall I really like this movie.

Henry Poole Is Here was one of the first non-documentary feature films to be snatched up by a studio at this year's Sundance, and I can easily see why. It's a sweet, feel-good movie featuring great performances and a quirky look at the old discussion of faith vs. reason. It's not for everyone, veering as it does into some schmaltzy territory, but the subject matter lends itself to some cheesiness and I can't quite see how that could have been avoided. The hipster soundtrack helps to make things more edgy, as does the artful direction by Mark Pellington.

Luke Wilson plays Henry Poole, a grouchy man who buys an ordinary house in Southern California. Before long, his very friendly neighbor Esperanza (Adriana Barazza) notices a stain on the outside of Henry's house that she thinks is the face of Jesus. She calls in a priest (George Lopez) and starts telling everyone in town about "the miracle" at Henry's house, much to Henry's annoyance. Henry tries his best to get rid of the stain, wanting nothing more than to be left alone in his dreary house. But the more he angrily resists the "miracle" on his house, the more proof presents itself that the stain truly does have some kind of power. For more of my thoughts about Henry Poole, read more.

I can name two major reasons to see this movie: Adriana Barraza and Morgan Lily. Barraza, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Babel, is a compelling person to watch in general, and in this film she lends a truthful humanity to what might have been the silliest character in the story. Morgan Lily is a rising star; her big, sweet eyes and ease on camera indicate excellent things for her future. She will give those Fanning kids a run for their money. This photo in particular just slays me.

For his part, Wilson is surprisingly good in the title role. Henry Poole is difficult to like, yet Wilson elicits our sympathy. When we find out the painful reasons behind Poole's curmudgeonly demeanor, Wilson still manages to keep things grounded; we are compassionate toward Poole but we aren't allowed to pity him.

The music chosen for the film is its own character, though sometimes it almost plays too big a part. Still, it's like the filmmakers took a spin through my music collection and made some great choices: The Eels, Cake, Badly Drawn Boy, and many more. In truth, I probably wouldn't have liked the movie quite so much if it weren't for the carefully selected tunes.

Bottom line: Henry Poole Is Here is beautifully directed, features great performances and uses music in a lovely way. At times it's overly cheesy but if you're generally a fan of indie film, this is a must-see.

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Lindsay Lohan Set to Star in Labor Pains

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:38:55 -0700

See how I avoided one of those fake-sensational headlines like "Lindsay Lohan Has Labor Pains"? She's not actually pregnant (as far as we know) but she is set to star in the indie comedy Labor Pains alongside great comedic actors like Chris Parnell and Cheryl Hines.

The movie - which was "in limbo" for a while due to a lack of funding - follows "an assistant (Lohan), working in a stuffy publishing house, who pretends to be pregnant in a desperate attempt to keep her nasty boss from firing her."

Apparently Lohan read the script and loved it saying, "It is a very different role for me and I look forward to the challenges it will present, and I love working on comedies."

Producer Rick Schwartz convolutedly added, "I didn't know Lindsay before this, but we looked each other in the eye three months ago, and she has done everything I could have asked." They looked each other in the eye? What?

Anyway, the Lohan has work again! Production is set to begin in just a few days, on June 9. Here's hoping she can hold down this job. . .

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Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski: Best Rom-Com Duo . . . Ever?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:30:47 -0800

When reading this casting news today, I got the eerie feeling that someone out there overheard my silent prayers for there to be a) more lead roles for talented female comedians, b) more funny film opportunities for John Krasinski, and c) more promising light-hearted movies in 2008. Now, the hilarious SNL star Maya Rudolph has been paired with Krasinski and given the lead role in a relationship-themed comedy. Amen!

Variety reports that the untitled film will be directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and "follows an expectant couple (Krasinski, Rudolph) as they travel the country in search of a place to put down roots and raise a family." Other fun facts about this project: Cheryl Hines will co-star, and the screenplay was written by Dave Eggers and his his wife, novelist Vendela Vida.

With Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on the way to theaters this Spring and now this news about Rudolph, I'm overjoyed that some of my favorite female comedians are no longer relegated to goofy best-friend sidekick roles. These are the actresses that I find more interesting and relatable as leading ladies, especially compared to some of what we've seen this year. Are you guys as excited for this as I am?

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