Pearce, Richard

Party of Five - The Complete Third Season

Lots of changes are in store for the Salinger family in Party of Five: The Complete Third Season. Over 25 episodes, the San Francisco-based siblings, survivors of parents who died at the series' beginning, confront some of the most difficult issues anyone has to deal with, from depression to alcoholism, breakups, dishonesty, separation and much more. The season kicks off with a bang as eldest brother and surrogate father Charlie (Matthew Fox) suddenly finds the mother of his girlfriend Kirsten (Paula Devicq) staying with them for several days due to marital problems. Given that their guest has never given--and still will not give--Charlie a break on anything, the fact that he is more empathetic about her plight than Kirsten is surprises even him. Meanwhile, Bailey (Scott Wolf) tries too hard to have a final adventure with his best friend before the two are separated by college plans. Traveling in Mexico with their girlfriends (including Bailey's longtime date, Sarah, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), the old buddies have a series of disasters, culminating in the disappearance of Bailey's jeep. While that's going on, Julia (Neve Campbell) discovers her eccentric boyfriend, Griffin (Jeremy London), is back in town and hasn't contacted her for reasons unknown. Not to be outdone, little sister Claudia (Lacey Chabert) claims to have a boyfriend that no one has actually met--until, one day, he shows up at the door.

During the rest of the season, Julia and Griffin will struggle to figure their relationship out, growing apart and then back together, leaving one another far too often, and finally deciding on a permanent solution that makes for a touching finale. Kirsten's career ambitions threaten to throw a wrench into her relationship with Charlie, until her new doctoral degree and teaching job at a Monterey college are undone by the discovery that she plagiarized part of her dissertation. Her ensuing depression makes for dark and lonely times, and ushers in more than one relationship drama for Charlie before season's end. Restless Bailey struggles to find his way as a college man, stooping to some ambiguous ethics and discovering, almost tragically, that he has a serious drinking problem that affects his romance with Sarah and his status as a promising wrestler on the school's team. Little Claudia chafes against the amount of adult responsibility being placed on her shoulders, and a new woman in Charlie's life brings a lot of promise and a lot of emotional confusion. All that, and people still ask the Salinger offspring if they're related to you-know-who: that famous author guy. --Tom Keogh

The five-disc DVD set includes all 25 episodes from the third season which features guest stars Carroll O'Connor (TV's All in the Family, Return to Me), Jeremy London (Mallrats, Gods and Generals), and Marla Sokoloff (Dude, Where's My Car?).

This season presents a whole new set of life-changing and soul-searching moments. Some of the emotional roller-coaster issues include the unpleasant consequences of Kristin losing her Ph.D. after plagiarizing; Charlie's realization that the good old days of high school might have been more old than good; and Julia dealing with her guilt after a friend's suicide. In addition, Claudia authorizes a $3,000 plumbing repair, and the family bands together to help Bailey confront his drinking problem.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

TV has taken up the slack in keeping the musical (dead on the big screen) in front of audiences. This 2001 adaptation of the smash 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway show, drawn from James Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific, is an admirable case in point. The production was a labor of love for Glenn Close, who is clearly too old to play "cockeyed optimist" Nellie Forbush but who throws herself wholeheartedly into the role. Nellie is among the American forces waiting for World War II to arrive on an isolated Pacific island; she clicks with a mysterious French planter (Rade Sherbedgia), while a Navy officer (Harry Connick Jr.) falls under the spell of a Tonkinese girl and the tropical breezes of Bali Ha'i--that mystical place "where the sky meets the sea."

In many ways more satisfying than the uneven 1958 film version, this South Pacific is too casual at times, and some of the glorious songs are pared back. Don't look for Sherbedgia to belt out "Some Enchanted Evening" in the basso profundo of previous handlers of the role. His modest but not-unpleasing voice comes out in more of a seductive purr than a wall-shaking boom, which is not a bad thing. Best of all is Glenn Close, who brings a welcome gravity to the proceedings, and lustily sings the classic "A Wonderful Guy" as though she had been waiting her whole life to play the part. --Robert Horton

Three-time Tony Award-winner Glenn Close and two-time Grammy Award-winner Harry Connick Jr. lead a sensational cast in an all-new version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's beloved musical SOUTH PACIFIC. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by James Michener, and featuring some of the finest music ever written for the stage ("Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," and "Younger Than Springtime"), SOUTH PACIFIC spins a romantic tale of love and loss on a tropical island naval base during the Second World War. Enjoy the fun and adventure of this breathtaking new production with a star-studded cast, timeless songs, and a story that has enchanted audiences for years.

Party of Five - The Complete First Season

In its seven-year run on television, Party of Five managed to portray extreme emotions in a contained, tasteful, and level-headed way without sacrificing poignancy or richness. Aimed at a teen audience but with crossover appeal to most viewers, the series dealt with recurring themes of loss and disappointment, made all the more interesting because Party of Five's major characters, especially in season 1, are youthful siblings coping with the recent deaths of their parents in an automobile accident.

Shocked into a beyond-their-years awareness of the fragility of ordinary life and the importance of loyalty and loving bonds, the Salinger offspring--24-year-old Charlie (Matthew Fox), high schoolers Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Julia (Neve Campbell), 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert), and baby Owen (various infant actors)--bring a deeply felt, sometimes desperate gravitas to lesser but still significant misfortunes in relationships, peer pressures, and ambitions. On top of that, each has to take on responsibilities beyond their experience--hiring nannies, raising money for mortgage payments, etc.--and make sacrifices robbing them of formative experiences. Charlie, accustomed to adult freedom, has to rejigger his plans and move back home as a surrogate, and often resented, parent. (If he doesn't do this, his brothers and sisters could be separated and sent to foster homes.) Ultra-responsible Bailey, with little time for homework, buddies, or girls, loses perspective and gets hung up on an older, appealing nanny (Paula Devicq). Top student Julia's academic career fades as she seeks a second family among undeserving thrill-seekers. Claudia, a gifted musician, pawns her violin.

Despite all that drama, the essence of Party of Five is the Salingers' homing instinct, the way they survive internal and external conflict to find their way back to reassuring family rituals--among them weekly (free) dinners at the restaurant their late father owned. The 22 episodes on six discs in this boxed set typically test the Salingers' hopes, dreams, and mettle, and while stories can certainly be unsettling, a viewer is never left with serious worries that things won't turn out all right. Among the highlights are "Homework," in which Julia, having made plans to attend a party rather than salvage her failing grade in English lit, stays home instead to save Bailey's bacon by writing his difficult term paper. The powerful "Thanksgiving" concerns a face-to-face meeting between the Salingers and the drunk driver (John Rubinstein) who killed their parents. Most memorable is a suite of episodes featuring Megan Ward as Bailey's girlfriend, Jill, a possible drug addict whose fate rocks the startling season finale, "The Ides of March." --Tom Keogh

After the sudden loss of their parents the Salingers must band together to keep their own lives on track discovering first loves last calls and themselves along the rocky road to growing up. Headlined by a young sexy cast including Neve Campbell Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert this high-rated long-running series (1994-2000) firmly found its place as a pop culture phenomenon for all ages. Shot through with equal doses heart-ache and laughter PARTY OF FIVE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON remains an emotional knockout delivering all (22) episodes of this Golden Globe®-winning (Best TV Series Drama 1996) series' breakthrough debut season proving again that home is where the heart is.System Requirements:Starring: Neve Campbell Scott Wolf Lacey Chabert Matthew Fox Running Time: 984 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396028654 Manufacturer No: 02865

A Family Thing

This film features the wonderfully understated duet of Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones, two old pros who know just how to stay out of each other's way while offering superb support. Duvall plays Earl Pilcher, an aging Southerner whose mother dies, leaving him a letter with a startling secret: in fact, she was not his mother, though she raised him--but his father is really his father. His real mother was a black servant whom his father forced himself upon, and she died in childbirth. Even more shocking, he has a black brother in Chicago, Ray (Jones). Stunned to his soul, Earl heads for Chicago, where he finds that Ray not only knows his secret but wants nothing to do with him. Slowly, however, in this marvelously drawn script by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, the two brothers find common ground. The theme--about discovering a family bond where none existed before--works better than the story-telling, which is a shade predictable. Watch for a great supporting performance by actress Irma Hall, who plays the aunt of both men. --Marshall Fine

OscarÂ(r) winner* Robert Duvall stars with the legendary James Earl Jones in this powerful yet tender film from director Richard Pearce (Leap of Faith) and co-writers Billy Bob Thornton (Academy AwardÂ(r) winner** for Sling Blade) and Tom Epperson. "Fresh and thought-provoking" (Rex Reed), this touching story is steeped in life-affirming insights and down-to-earth sincerity. Duvall is Earl Pilcher, Jr., an Arkansas man who is about to discover the surprise of his life: the family he never knew he had. When he learns that he has an African-American half-brother living in Chicago, Earl heads north on a journey that will take him closer to home than he ever could have imagined. It won't be easy, though, since his brother (Jones) wants nothing to do with him. But with the help of their remarkable Aunt T (Irma P. Hall) and her simple wisdom, the men work through their long-held grudges and prejudices, gaining a greater understanding of each other andthemselves. *1983: Actor, Tender Mercies **1996: Writing (Screenplay based on Material Previously Produced or Published), Sling Blade

Party of Five - The Complete Second Season

The Salingers are back! America s favorite family returns for the second critically acclaimed season of PARTY OF FIVE. Join Charlie (Matthew Fox) Bailey (Scott Wolf) Julia (Neve Campbell) and Claudia (Lacey Chabert) as they cope with cancelled weddings thwarted college plans career-threatening injuries long-lost relatives and unwanted pregnancies. Contains all 22 one-hour episodes including the life-changing two-part season finale where the Salingers face the greatest crisis of all: the loss of their family restaurant.System Requirements:Running Time 980 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396071117 Manufacturer No: 07111

Party of Five: The Complete Second Season is the absorbing follow-up to the first season's introduction of the Salinger children and their initial trauma following the death of their parents at the hands of a drunk driver. After a year of seemingly endless individual sacrifices, as the older kids did what they had to do to keep their family together at the expense of schoolwork, jobs, and relationships, year 2 finds everyone a little wiser about how to balance priorities. Oldest son Charlie (Matthew Fox) and his fiancee Kirsten (Paula Devicq) have wedding plans, though there are a number of obstacles that will get in the way of reaching the altar, including doubts between them and, eventually, other lovers. Bailey (Scott Wolf) has regained some footing at school, but his relationship with Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) will prove complex, including Bailey's wrongheaded involvement in Sarah's search for a very important person in her life. Julia (Neve Campbell) has settled down a bit from her partying ways, but she is now involved in a love triangle and will face serious personal issues this season that will affect her future, one way or another. Young Claudia (Lacey Chabert) will keep company with a bad influence--another girl who is trying to grow up too fast (at least, faster than Claudia) with boys, smoking, drinking, etc. Moreover, Claudia is no longer sure about the things that seemed important to her last season, such as playing violin.

Carroll O'Connor signs on as the Salingers' long-lost grandfather, and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) turn up in supporting roles. In a different way, the things that were important last season--such as holding on to what really matters, against all odds--are just as important in the second season. The fate of the restaurant, the outlook for the next generation of Salingers, college--all of this and more will continue to be a part of the family's future, or not. --Tom Keogh

No Mercy

No Brains is more like it. Richard Gere stars in this slick action thriller as your basic tough-but-dedicated cop who goes to New Orleans to avenge the death of his partner. On the way, he becomes involved with an illiterate Cajun beauty (Kim Basinger in the kind of role that unkind critics would call her typecast in before Ready to Wear and, of course, L.A. Confidential) who's the property of a ruthless killer. It's paint-by-numbers nonsense with lines (such as "we come from a society where it is very pleasurable to be a man") that play as high camp--unfortunately, that's not intended. Gere and Basinger's relationship--they'd try again, equally unconvincingly, with Final Analysis--is patently silly. They spend the first half of the movie exchanging hilariously sultry meaningful glances, until they're on the lam together, where the burning question is which actor's hair will be more stylishly mussed. --David Kronke

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 23-MAR-2004
Media Type: DVD

Leap of Faith

LEAP OF FAITH stars Steve Martin as Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent faith healer who makes a living visiting small towns and giving hope in the form of prayer. Aided by his no nonsense manager, Jane (Winger), Jonas sets up his tent in a small suburb of Kansas where he soon learns that their hidden mikes, cameras and computers can't fool the neighborhood sheriff (Neeson). But, when Jonas is touched by a local waitress (Davidovich) and her disabled son Boyd (Haas), he learns something new about truth and what real miracles are made of.

Country

Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard are Jewell and Gil Ivy. They work the land in America's heartland, on a farm that has bound their family together for generations. For Jewell and Gil, the land has always been their life. So when the government bureaucrats decide to take it all away, there's only one decision the family can make ... the Ivys are staying.

The Long Walk Home

This underrated 1990 film directed by Richard Pearce (Country, Leap of Faith) features exceptionally nuanced performances by both Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter) and Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost) in a story set against the backdrop of the emerging civil rights movement of the 1950s South. Spacek plays a Southern socialite who becomes gradually enlightened by the plight of her housekeeper, played by Whoopi Goldberg, as she struggles to raise her family amid the increasing turmoil, prejudice, and violence around her. A well-done treatment of an important period of American history, The Long Walk Home is an effective and accurate period drama. It is also an opportunity to see fine, understated performances by two very popular actresses in an earnest and socially conscious setting. --Robert Lane

Heartland