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This powerful drama, which broached the subject of drug addiction in a stark and realistic manner, may be mild by today`s standards, but was a groundbreaking and edgy film in its day. The legendary Frank Sinatra plays addict, Frankie Machine, with Eleanor Parker playing his disabled wife. Based on the novel by Nelson Algren. MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM received three Academy Award Nominations, including Best Actor for Frank Sinatra.
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Recently released ex-con Ishmael has a lot to handle when he returns home from prison. He has no choice but to face a former life on urban streets where all rules still apply. Desperate to make a change in his life, Ishmael trains to become a prizefighter in order to keep away from a seedy underworld that is dominated by drugs and gang violence.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseSingle Side - Single LayerFull Frame - 1.33
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Julianne Moore returns to FAR FROM HEAVEN territory in THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO, which springs from the pages of Terry Ryan`s memoir of the same name. Playing 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan, who struggles to raise 10 kids while dealing with an alcoholic husband, Moore brings director Jane Anderson`s film to life with another moving performance to add to her risumi. Evelyn`s husband, Kelly (Woody Harrelson), works at the local factory but has sunk the family into financial trouble with his dangerously boozy habits. Struggling with her husband`s drinking and the stress of raising so many children, Evelyn tries her luck in some jingle-writing contests. Writing rhyming couplets for companies like Dr. Pepper and Maidenform bras, the beleaguered housewife is surprisingly successful, and manages to tip the family`s finances back into good health. Anderson peppers the action with short direct-to-camera monologues from Evelyn, which help to explain the idiosyncrasies of the competitions and also highlight her steely determination to pull her family through the hard times. But Kelly can`t accept his wife`s position as the major breadwinner of the family, and his violent, alcohol-fueled outbursts put an enormous strain on their relationship. Moore shines throughout the movie, giving a convincing performance as a strong woman who always puts her family`s happiness before her own. As a first feature film, THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO, is a strong debut from Jane Anderson, who gained Emmy nominations for her HBO show NORMAL, which she wrote and directed; she also wrote the screenplay for this movie, faithfully molding Terry Ryan`s words into a film that tugs heavily at the heart strings.
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A gripping drama that bares similarities to the acclaimed film LEAN ON ME, HARD LESSONS stars Oscar-winner Denzel Washington as idealistic, determined principal George McKenna. When he takes a job as head of inner city L.A.'s George Washington High School, McKenna faces the challenge of his career. The school is overrun with gangs, drugs, and crime. In order to reform it, McKenna needs to be innovative, sympathetic, and hard as nails.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull Frame - 1.33
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Hope Davis and Campbell Scott play married dentists in this insightful dramatic comedy from director Alan Rudolph (AFTERGLOW, DOROTHY PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE). Based on the novel THE AGE OF GRIEF by Jane Smiley, the story begins with husband David's suspicion that his wife (and mother of their three adorable daughters) is having an affair. The details of their family life and David's mounting suspicion are brilliantly evoked via overlapping dialogue, great editing, and masterful camerawork. David's jealous mind soars onto some hilarious flights of fancy and eventually caustic comedian Denis Leary turns up as his cigar-smoking alter-ego, expressing all the independent and antisocial traits David has tried so long to repress for the sake of his family. All of this culminates in a hilarious yet harrowing week when the family is hit by a flu virus.SECRET LIVES' performances are very strong, with Scott proving himself an actor of great restraint and subtlety. The young actresses who play the daughters are uniformly talented, as is Robin Tunney (THE CRAFT) as a dental assistant. The lion's share of credit is due to director Rudolph, who is in top form with this film, displaying his mastery of the ensemble cast, camera, and audio tricks; Rudolph and his mentor, Robert Altman, are of the few directors capable of working with such perceptive, funny, and warmly human results.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseWidescreenAudio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - EnglishAdditional Release Material:Gag Reel Audio Commentary - 1. Alan Rudolph - Director Featurette -1. Sundance Channel's Anatomy of a Scene Deleted Scenes
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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