Lucas, Lisa

Heart and Souls

Robert Downey Jr. has never been more charming than in this comedy about a yuppie who is revisited in adulthood by the spirits of four people who had been his friends as a child. The ghosts (Kyra Sedgwick, Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore) all have unfinished business in this world before they can move on to the next, and Downey's character agrees to let them inhabit his body while they sort it all out. The appealing cast alone strongly recommends this movie, but Downey's remarkable facility for physical comedy--manifesting the personalities of his supernatural pals as they possess him--is a riot. Elisabeth Shue makes the best of her part as the hero's girlfriend; Leaving Las Vegas was still ahead of her, but one can see her talent straining to get out here. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, production notes, theatrical trailer, biographies of the cast, closed captioning, an optional French soundtrack and Spanish subtitles, and Dolby sound. --Tom Keogh

The Turning Point

Mikhail Baryshnikov made his film debut in this lightweight but entertaining drama about the relationship between a renowned ballerina (Anne Bancroft) and the woman (Shirley MacLaine) who had trained with her but had given up dance to become a wife, mother, and teacher. Between MacLaine's envy over her friend's career and the attention her own ballerina daughter (Leslie Browne) is getting, MacLaine's character goes through a complicated crisis. The two actresses carry the story very well and probably camouflage its thinness; they even make a somewhat condescending climax involving a catfight seem like a good idea. A subplot involving a developing romance between the virginal Browne and Baryshnikov's womanizer makes for pretty window dressing. More memorable are dance sequences featuring each in splendid performance. Baryshnikov's leaps are something to behold. --Tom Keogh

As young dancers, they were best friends and fierce rivals. Deedee (Shirley MacLaine) left the stage for marriage and motherhood, while Emma (Anne Bancroft) would become an international ballet icon. But when Deedee's teenage daughter (Leslie Browne in her film debut) is invited to join Emma's dance company and begins an affair with a young Russian star (Mikhail Baryshnikov in his film debut), the two women are forced to confront the choices they've made, the resentments they've hidden, and the emotional truths they must face at THE TURNING POINT.

Tom Skerritt, Anthony Zerbe and the artists of The American Ballet Theatre co-star in this Oscar®-nominated classic written by Arthur Laurents (THE WAY WE WERE, WEST SIDE STORY) and directed by Herbert Ross (STEEL MAGNOLIAS, FOOTLOOSE) that became one of the most acclaimed dramas of the decade and remains among the most stunning dance films of all time.

The House Without a Christmas Tree

After a mother dies her family appears destined to spend the rest of its days picking up the pieces. In 1940's Nebraska a sweet and intelligent 10-year-old girl raises the ire of her bitter widower father who has never forgotten that his wife died while giving birth to their daughter. To illustrate for the girl that life does not come easy the father bars the family which also includes his mother from having a traditional Christmas tree. This yuletide though has a happy surprise for this home so desperately in need of holiday cheer.System Requirements:Running Time: 75 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 097368433144 Manufacturer No: 843314

The loss of a loved one is never easy and memories often make the holiday season especially difficult. Addie (Lisa Lucas) lost her mother when she was very young and, while she sometimes yearns for her mother, she is a happy well-adjusted ten-year old who wants nothing more than to have a Christmas tree in the living room. Addie's father (Jason Robards) absolutely refuses to have a Christmas tree in the house, but offers no explanation for his stubborn resolve which leads Addie to question his motives and his love for her. It falls to Addie's Grandmother (Mildred Natwick) to explain that her father is still immersed in grief over the loss of his wife and that the memories of Christmases past are simply too painful for him to endure. When Addie wins a tree at school, her father is enraged by both the presence of the tree in his home and the idea of his family accepting charity. Only by opening a line of communication and sharing their feelings and memories with one another can Addie and her father reconcile their differences and begin to understand one another. Set in 1964, this 1972 made-for-television special feels like a stage play with sets and scenery that evoke the essence of an age-gone-by. The message, of course, is timeless. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

An Unmarried Woman

This Paul Mazursky film was considered pretty hot stuff when it came out in 1978 and was part of a wave of films that opened Hollywood's eyes to stories of women discovering their own identity. And it still holds up. Jill Clayburgh plays a comfy East Side wife whose lawyer husband (Michael Murphy) one day drops a bombshell on her: He doesn't love her and he's walking out on the marriage. Clayburgh, who is accustomed to thinking of herself as an adjunct to her man, suddenly must stand on her own two feet. But it's not an easy transition for her. This was one of the first movies to show how tough it can be, and Clayburgh portrays a compelling blend of vulnerability and growing strength. She even meets a great new guy, a painter (Alan Bates) who, she discovers, she can love without losing herself in the process. --Marshall Fine