At First Sight - (7/10)
     This film is loosely based on a true story of a life-long blind man meeting a woman who urges him to get an operation, which leads to him gaining his eyesight. Val Kilmer is great as the lead character, and Mira Sorvino does an acceptable job as his girlfriend. This movie was really hit and miss, it started out great, but once Kilmer's character gets sight, he becomes much less interesting. Near the end of the film, there are parts that are quite touching. All the Hollywood touches creep in and ruin things eventually; if you just regained your eyesight, would you move to Manhattan to get accustomed to the world? The worst flaw is one that very few films can get right: time. How do two people fall in love over the course of two days then try to spend a blissful eternity together? In most books, you can build characters and have them fall in love slowly, but onscreen romances are rushed from the start, usually feeling forced. There are no dates mentioned in the film, but it felt like the entire film took place in about a month's time, which seems a tad short for two people to get to know each other, move in together, and live happily ever after. Overall, it was pretty average.
Movie interview bonus: The writer and producer talked about casting, apparently the studio originally wanted a mega star as the leading man, like Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson, but eventually settled on Val Kilmer (the director was unsure and had to call one of Val's references, Robert Deniro, before he gave the part to Val). Also there were some rewrites as a result of test screenings, but producer put a spin on everything and wouldn't give specifics.
(previewed January 13 1999, released January 15 1999)

The Thin Red Line - (8.5/10)
     First off, this film was almost 3 hours long when it didn't have to be. I wonder how well it will do at the box office, it's fairly unconventional. There aren't definite "scenes" and there's no real story resolution at the end. In a nutshell, this movie is to WWII movies as Full Metal Jacket is to Vietnam films. For the most part, I liked it, most of the characters' dialogue in the film is internal, as they wonder why they're there, what they're doing, and why they must kill other people. It was shot beautifully, I've even heard some people describe it (somewhat accurately) as a "nature film." There are some great performances from Nick Nolte and the guy who plays the lead private (new guy, can't remember his name, he will be huge soon), but I don't think The Thin Red Line will sweep the Oscars.
(previewed January 5 1999, released January 15 1999)

Hilary and Jackie - (8.5/10)
     This film covers the true story of Hilary and Jackie Dupre, Hilary is a accomplished flutist as a child, but gives it up when she gets older, while her younger sister Jackie competitively keeps playing the cello, eventually becoming a world-renowned musician. Much like Shine, the siblings are pushed to greatness by an overbearing parent. Later on, the damaging effects of fame come out in Jackie's actions, and are further exacerbated by her contracting multiple sclerosis. But unlike Shine, Jackie's handicap is crippling and quickly ends her career. Well acted by both lead females, and they will probably be getting nominations of some sort for the work.
(previewed December 15 1998, released December 30 1998)

Affliction - (8.5/10)
     An abusive childhood and alcoholism are the subjects of this film. Nick Nolte plays a son who's never too far from his evil father's influence. His crippling childhood keeps coming back as flashbacks, and while he insists on telling everyone how different he is from his father, he slowly embodies all of his father's bad habits. Willem Dafoe plays Nolte's lesser-effected brother, and narrates the movie. This film was a bear to watch, mostly from watching the pain caused by the father (James Coburn's was absolutely excellent as an abusive alcoholic). It seemed like a longer movie than it actually was, but had a powerful message. This was also some of Nick Nolte's best work.
Movie interview bonus: James Coburn spoke about how great it was to work with Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte, and had nothing but good things to say about the director. He talked about how cold it was filming in the dead of winter in Canada (the film is set in New Hampshire), and how short days were for filming. During the flashback sequences, the director accentuated the overbearing-father mood by shooting from very low angles, which worked great. Mr. Coburn also spoke about his illustrious career and how much fun he's had acting all his life.
(previewed December 8 1998, released December 30 1998)

Stepmom - (6/10)
     This was a glossed-over, Hallmark-TV-movie-of-the-week-style look at a divorced family's acceptance of a new member (Julia Roberts' character) and cancer taking its toll on another (Susan Sarandon's character). It was very trite and slicked over, if you want to see a real movie about cancer, check out Marvin's Room. Overall, this movie shared a lot of moments with the director's last feature, Mrs. Doubtfire, so expect to have your eyes rolling back in your head in just about every scene.
(previewed December 1 1998, released December 25 1998)

Waking Ned Devine - (8.5/10)
     This was a great original comedy about a couple of guys looking for a lottery winner in their small Irish village. It's a tad slow during the first half, but the second half is hilarious every step of the way. And of course, there's incredible flyover shots of the Irish countryside in between many of the scenes. A terrific movie on par with other quirky British and Irish movies like The Full Monty and I Went Down.
(previewed Novmber 12 1998, released November 20 1998)

Home Fries - (8.5/10)
     This was a great quirky comedy about a couple of messed up brothers, their psychotic mother, and a beautiful young lady. This is being billed as a "dark comedy", but I think it's much more fitting as a romantic comedy. There were plenty of funny scenes, it's destined to become the date-movie of the season.
Movie interview bonus: The writer (of X-Files fame) wrote the script ten years ago for a screenwriting competition, the producer was a judge and optioned it soon after. When the director was asked how he captured two people falling in love so well, he told us that Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson were actually dating at the time (Luke then became embarrassed at this point). Another great tidbit: during the Le Maz scene, Drew and Luke look very uncomfortable with each other, and it turned out that they had a huge fight the night before that was filmed and weren't speaking before the scene.
(previewed November 17 1998, released November 25 1998)

Very Bad Things - (3/10)
     Imagine the darkest comedy you can, then imagine something ten times darker. It's hard to compare this to anything, it goes way past anything I've ever seen before. It has to be the most gruesome comedy ever, it has a punchline after every death, making it a bear to watch. I'm sure someone was going for a high-concept "we all have an evil side," but it was lost in the carnage.
(previewed November 19 1998, released November 25 1998)

Meet Joe Black - (8/10)
     Right off the bat, let me say that the movie didn't drag on too much at all (everyone's wondering if it feels like a 3 hour movie, right?). It was a nicely paced tale of Death coming to earth to hang out for a few days. Brad Pitt was amazing in this role (I never thought I'd hear myself say that), his performance was awesome. He plays a normal guy for the first few minutes, then Death takes over his body, and he plays it convincingly like someone walking around in a costume trying to fit in. Anthony Hopkins also does a marvelous job in this film. For the most part, it's a sad movie, but sort of happy and uplifting at the same time. Sure the main character is going to die, but he gets to tell everyone goodbye and make peace with his life before setting off, and I'm guessing that's what everyone wishes for: enough time to say the I-love-yous and good-byes to the people who matter most before your time is up. Overall, a nice warm and fuzzy tear jerker.
(previewed November 10 1998, released November 13 1998)

A Bug's Life - (9.5/10)
     In a word: unbelievable. If you've seen Antz, you'll want to see this; and later on, and you'll want to punch Speilberg and ask for your 8 bucks back from that Antz ticket. First off, the computer graphics were better than I ever imagined. I know that they spent a ton of time and money on rendering each scene, and they used the latest 3-D software to build the characters, but even still, it looks better than you probably thought possible. The ants are fairly simple creatures, but their surroundings are amazingly complex, yet still appear natural looking. It almost looks like many of the scenes were built with clay models. To go with the amazing CG work, the film has a good action-packed storyline, with great vocal performances turned in by the cast. This movie will be the well-deserved holiday hit this year. Ditch work that first day it comes out and see this, you won't be disappointed.
(previewed November 4 1998, released November 25 1998)

Savior - (8/10)
     An amazingly realistic look at the Bosnian war and the toll it takes on the people of the region. The director did a fine job making sure that neither side is seen as the "good guy." His viewpoint, that wartime atrocities still take place near the end of the 20th century while much of the globe does nothing about it, is driven home in this somber tale of a mercenary soldier. Dennis Quaid plays an American that's lost his wife and child to a bombing, goes nuts and shoots some innocent bystanders, then changes his identity and enters the Foreign Legion. He's stationed in Bosnia and specializes as a sniper. Along the way, he helps a woman with her child birth, then takes care of the baby after her vicious murder. There were scenes in this movie that rival Saving Private Ryan's bloodiest battles. There were also scenes of the beautiful countryside of the region, which makes the war seem all the more brutal. This will probably tank at the box office, but if you know nothing about the civil war that's torn the Yugoslavian region, try to catch a showing of this film.   
Movie interview bonus: Dennis Quaid and the director talked about how hard it was filming in Northern Europe during the winter months. The director spoke of how he became involved with the project and his earlier works. Previous to this film, he released a political satire that was a huge hit in Yugoslavia, which landed him in prison, where he spent 60 days in solitary confinement. He fled to the U.S., and was asked by Oliver Stone to work on this project. Dennis Quaid talked about his extensive involvement with the film and his passion for the cause of preventing war. Dennis told depressing tales of the thousands affected by the war.
(previewed November 3 1998, U.S. release date sometime in November or December)

The Siege - (7.5/10)
     I won't summarize what this was about, because of the advertising onslaught that this movie is generating, so I'll just give my review. Hmmm. As a suspenseful thriller, this movie was alright. There were good sequences, chases, and special effects. The director also tried to make it "intelligent" by adding political and religious undercurrents, but it was sloppy and the points that were meant to be made were lost in the fray. Denzel Washington was great as an FBI agent, but I think Bruce Willis was mis-cast as the Army General. Annette Bening was terrific, but again, these good performances were obscured by a clumsy script. 
Movie interview bonus: The director/co-writer talked about how he's dealing with the negative press the movie is getting from Arab Anti-defamation Leagues. He was asked to change the bombing characters in the movie to another ethnicity, but he stood his ground and I support his decision, because if you see the movie, you can see that he treats followers of Islam with respect, the characters that are doing the bombings are just a radical segment of an otherwise peaceful religion. He also talked about casting and how great it was to work with Denzel and Annette Bening.
(previewed October 27 1998, released November 6 1998)

Pleasantville - (7/10)
     Technically, this movie was fairly amazing. The film follows the transport of two 90's teens into a 50's TV show, and drives home the fact that nostalgia's not all it's cracked up to be. The stories behind everyone's facades eventually come out, and the many of the townspeople revolt against the newly liberated citizens. At times the movie gets a tad preachy, and the conflicts get a bit over-the-top. But there's a nice resolution that lets everyone walk out feeling great. I thought it was going to be worse, but it's not as good as Big or Dave, the writer/director's previous works.   
Movie interview bonus: The director talked about how the project came to be, he wrote it back in 1992 as a backlash against the "family values" claptrap of that election. He mentioned that the picture was filmed in color, and then desaturated digitally. He also mentioned how they purposely kept the film "flat" looking in the first half, and then "punched up" the black and white images in the latter parts of the film (as the characters grew). He also gave insight into why each character became colorized and what it represented (if you really want to know, email me after you see it)
(previewed October 20 1998, released October 23 1998)

Living Out Loud - (9/10)
     I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this movie, it sounded like it'd be some yuppie female "getting in touch with her feelings"-type of piece. Boy was I wrong. Holly Hunter plays a recent divorcee trying to get her life going again. Danny Devito plays an elevator operator also trying to get his life started. What follows is a wonderful, emotional, and funny look at how strangers meet and how faceless people you see everyday have lives and stories all their own. It's probably the most well-written movie I've seen in quite a while. I really hope this movie does well, but I suspect its target audience, 35+ year olds, probably don't go out as much as they used too. This could be a sleeper hit, though, go see it ASAP.
Movie interview bonus: Two of the movie's producers talked about the writer-director's aim for the film and how the project came to be. The producers mentioned that Holly Hunter got the lead part by going out of her way to read for it, even though they weren't planning on casting the role that way. They spoke of how amazing the writer-director is and his previous works too (The Fisher King, Horse Whisper, etc.)
(previewed October 14 1998, released October 30 1998)   

Simon Birch - (9/10)
     I've never read A Prayer for Owen Meany, but after hearing the writer-director explain how the script came about, I think that viewers that have read the book will enjoy this film, as it never tries to be true to the original novel, merely based on it. This film's worst failing (if it you can call it a failing) is that it seems a bit too sentimental from start to finish. But that depends on your mood, if you want to cry more than you have in a long time, then by all means go see this. There are many funny parts, but there are also many depressing ones. In the end you'll feel good about this movie, and you'll feel good about yourself.
Movie interview bonus: The writer-director cleared up the confusion about the original author's take on Simon Birch; the author, John Irving was a friend of his, and in fact helped him come up with some small parts of the screenplay. He said he and John had been friends for several years and that he did the movie with John's knowledge and blessing from the start. I had heard that they had a falling out, and when I told someone I had seen the director, she also asked about their broken relationship, but the truth is that there was never a problem and for some reason the press made the whole story up.
(previewed September 9 1998, released September 11 1998) 

Rounders - (8/10)
     I think this was the first Matt Damon movie that I didn't have to see his abs in. It was pretty good as an understated story of an expert poker player and the world of high-stakes poker. It may have moved a bit slowly, but the carefully written, evenly-paced plot slowly draws you into their world with the accompaning dialogue. I haven't seen a movie draw the viewer into another world so well since Swingers. By the end of the film, I was watching people's faces as they picked up cards, I was understanding sentences like "the bet is 50 large". About the only strange point of this movie was the departure of Ed Norton's character from the plot about two-thirds of the way through it.
(reviewed September 12 1998, released September 11 1998)

Touch of Evil (restored version) - (9/10)
     I've never seen the theatrical release of Touch of Evil, Orson Welles' 1958 thriller, but I've heard so much about it that I'd knew it would be good. After seeing this version, I can see why it's a cinematic masterpiece. Some of the scenes are so beautifully orchestrated and smoothly shot, that they resemble some of the finest films shot today. But you have to remember that this movie is forty years old, back before steady-cams, digital editing, computer graphics, etc., and it still looks fresh. The film reminded me of many of the Hitchcock classics; disjointed, suspenseful thrillers that lead you deeply into bizarre tales of murder and sabotage. After years of research, the film has been re-edited to resemble the form Orson himself wanted it to be. The crew on the new version followed the words of Welles' 58 page memo to Universal Pictures, which he wrote after seeing the theatrical version (complete with added scenes directed by Harry Keller).
Movie interview bonus: The female lead, Janet Leigh (Jamie Lee Curtis' mom) talked about what it was like working with Welles. She regarded him as a genius and said it was easy to take stage directions from such a gifted man. The producer from the new version talked about the years of research and struggle to get the new version re-edited (which he originally envisioned being a laserdisc project).
(previewed September 2 1998, released September 11 1998)

Firelight - (6/10)
     This film is brought to you by the director that made Shadowlands, and this film appears to be cut from the same cloth. It's a romp through British society of long ago, complete with its bizarre social conventions that prevent characters from expressing their true feelings, and all I can say is "blah". The thing I really hate about watching period love stories (Jane Austen-type stuff) is that the characters have problems that are directly related to the period in which they live. If the same situation were to take place in 1998, there would not be much of a conflict at all, and maybe that's why I just can't seem to get into these types of films, they're slow, boring, and feature characters that make you want to stand up in the theater and yell "for chrissakes, just tell the woman you love her, dammit!!!"
(previewed August 26 1998, released September 4 1998)

The Chambermaid on the Titanic - (8/10)
     The subtitled French-language film was superb, much better than I thought it would be. There was a lot of non-verbal dialogue, so the subtitles weren't much of a distraction from the film's visual and emotional content. The story is an original one and relies much on erotic storytelling and fantasy. In other words, an epic date movie. The stories told by the main character are quite sensual and everyone left the theater in a really, really good mood.
(reviewed August 18 1998, released August 14 1998)

Return to Paradise - (8/10)
     This a powerful film that will leave you talking after seeing it. Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche give great performances, but probably not oscar-worthy as some critics are saying now (don't get me wrong, they're both GREAT, but not epic). Joaquin Phoenix does some great work as well in his role as an American prisoner in Malaysia. The movie's plot is sort of like that old 80's "Book of Questions" thing where you ponder life decisions and what you'd do in a similar situation. But in the movie, you get to see how difficult those decisions really are. It's about two guys who are asked to go back to Malaysia to save a third friend facing the death penalty for drugs that they had bought together. It's a good, serious story told without judging other cultures too severely. The only downside to this movie is the romance between the two main characters, it seems a little out-of-place and tacked-on in such a serious situation. That may prove to be the fatal flaw for this film, many of my fellow theater-goers couldn't accept a love story in the middle of a capital punishment trial.
Movie interview bonus: The producer talked about how the movie went through many revisions, Vince Vaughn talked about how he prepared for a serious role, and how he and the other actors coped with the severity of the subject matter (while joking around on the set, they came up with "Return to Paradise: The Musical!", he sang a made-up song for it. He was hilarious during the interview)
(previewed August 12 1998, released August 14 1998)

Dance With Me - (5/10)
     A movie that attempts to bring back "dance" as a movie genre fails as every other recent pic that focuses on dancing. The best part of dance movies are the dances themselves, and this movie doesn't disappoint in that vein. But like all dance movies, the difficulty lies in leaving the dance floor, following well-developed characters as they lead interesting lives. That is where this movie falls short. The story surrounding the characters that frequent a Texas dance studio is so tacked-on and cliched that it feels like paint-by-numbers moviemaking. There's the old father-son conflict with subsequent reconciliation and a clumsy courting story of the main characters coming together. There are also several points in the story that have no relevance, leaving you wondering why they weren't edited. The dance scenes are incredibly choreographed, beautiful pieces, but not enough to keep this simple ship afloat.
Movie interview bonus: The director talked about how she'd always wanted to make a movie surrounding the Latin dance phenomena. She eventually found a good choreographer who wrote a script, and they project was off.
(previewed August 5 1998, released August 21 1998)

BASEketball - (8/10)
     Just when you thought that a movie couldn't go farther for a laugh than There's Something About Mary, this one comes along. This was one of the funniest things I've seen all year, and I was surprised about it. I thought that David Zucker have made some really stupid movies lately (High School High, Naked Gun 33^1/3) filled with simple sight gags. But BASEketball relied much more on farce, ridiculous scenes with characters in outrageous settings and doing such outrageous things that you can't help but laugh at. For some reason that type of humor, however vulgar, comes off as more intelligent than stupid things happening in the background of every scene, ala Naked Gun films. It's non-pc to the fullest, most of the women in the movie probably have beer-commercial appearances on their resumés, and it will probably offend a lot of people that can't laugh at the ridiculous and disgusting, but I think it's refreshing to see comedy that makes us forget about how important we think we are and just laugh. I'm sure there will be stories in the popular media about how this country's moral and values are deteriorating because "toilet humor" is back in style, but it's just comedy, not a reflection of society, whatever makes us laugh, makes us laugh, don't try to judge its merits.
(previewed July 30 1998, released July 31 1998)

There's Something About Mary - (8.5/10)
     There's a lot of hype surrounding this film, and it just might live up to it. It is funny. Really funny. Piss-your-pants funny. The sight gags are outrageous, sophomoric, and almost always genital-related. This movie was very much like Kingpin, going really far for a laugh, straddling the fine line between disgusting and hilarious. I loved this movie. I thought some of the humor was way too over-the-top, but a female friend that saw it with me thought it was the funniest movie she's seen all year, so maybe I'm getting too sensitive or something. Whatever the case, hit the theaters ASAP to see it, and try to avoid watching the commercials (which feature 2 or 3 of the funniest scenes in the movie).
(reviewed and released July 15 1998)

Smoke Signals - (8/10)
     A nice road/buddy pic that shines due to the settings and the cast. One of the first movies written, directed, and produced by a Native American, this film follows a couple of guys in their early 20's on a trip to Arizona. The story of their past slowly unfolds and reveals the difficulties they face in the present day. Great scenery and very funny in parts, one of the few shortcomings is the mediocre storytelling of one of the main characters (whose specialty is supposed to be incredible storytelling), but the subject matter and characters are different enough to keep things interesting throughout.
(previewed June 23 1998, released July 3 1998)

Lolita - (8.5/10)
     The big movie no one in America wants you to see (but coming soon to Cable TV). First off, let me get the review out of the way - It's a beautifully shot, well-paced story of a man's obsession with a younger woman, and how it effects their lives and those around them.
     I think the movie has met with much controversy in the U.S. due to our aversion to sexual topics that are even remotely unusual (not that I think having sex with 14 year old girls is a good idea). This movie certainly deals with incestuous and pedophilic issues, but it's not the entire focus of the film. I'm sure movie executives were troubled at early screenings when they found the young female character very attractive, even sexy. The film portrays Jeremy Irons' character as a very troubled individual, he's pathetic, a weak man who doesn't express his troubles or feelings to anyone. No one would aspire to be someone like that, and yet, movie execs probably worry a movie like Lolita might glorify pedophilia. And if released, religious groups would have boycotts over such a "sick and twisted" film ("We have to protect the children!"). That's why I couldn't stop thinking about this movie for a couple of weeks after seeing it; it wasn't  the movie itself, but the fact that it was released all over Europe, but was never going to see the light of day here. On one hand, the U.S. is a nation obsessed with sex (look at any television or magazine cover), and on the other, we're not mature enough to handle the implications that surround all things sexual; much less discuss it in public.
     It's a good film out of the context of the subject matter, the way in which the young woman manipulates the older man over time, and Jeremy Irons' character's slow slip into paranoia is brilliant writing. So ignore the hype and see the movie for yourself, and afterwards, think about the U.S. and our bizarre attitudes.
Movie interview bonus: The director spoke at length about adapting the story to the screen and all the controversy surrounding the non-release in the United States.
(previewed June 16 1998, to be released on Showtime in August 1998)

I Went Down - (8/10)
     A funny Irish gangster-type film that really shines with it's dialogue. It's got a sort of a Full Monty sense of humor, combined with a Goodfellas type of story, that's a unpredictable romp through the Irish countryside. At times, the movie might have benefited from subtitles, but the dialogue that does get through is hilarious. (previewed June 9 1998, released June 26 1998) 

Armageddon - (6/10)
     I went to see this expecting ridiculous action sequences and a goofy story. It took about 30 seconds of viewing the film to get my fill of those two expectations. After that, I couldn't believe almost every detail of the lame plot, the one-liner dialogue, and tacked on romantic scenes. There was plenty of action, but probably too many outrageous action sequences for me to take in, though the special effects on earth were great. It was a two-and-a-half hour cross between a U.S. Army commercial, and Independence Day. If you want turn the ol' brain off for a couple of hours, go see this, if not, wait for a rental.
(reviewed July 4 1998, released July 1 1998) 

Truman - (9/10)
     I hope everyone who sees this is big enough to accept a picture with Jim Carrey that doesn't require him to talk out of his butt. Jim Carrey really isn't the goofball everyone is used to seeing. This is a beautifully shot picture that really turns the cameras on ourselves, asking why our society would act just like the "outside world" in the film. It's a wonderful story, very funny in spots, and you'll leave the theater feeling good and maybe thinking about our addiction to the media.
(previewed May 26 1998, released Jun 5 1998)

Opposite of Sex - (9/10)
     Crazy story of a teen runaway trying to scam her way into the lives of others, Christina Ricci is brilliant in this role. She plays a slightly evil and twisted woman very well. As she manipulates men, she creates trouble at every turn. Eventually everything catches up with her and it has a great ending. (previewed May 16 1998, released May 29 1998)

Land Girls - (8/10)
     A wonderful tale of women in the English Countryside during World War II. Part female-buddy pic, part sentimental tear-jerker, this was a beautifully shot story of what happens to everyone involved in a war that isn't on the front lines. A bit predictable in spots, it still holds up at the end as a good film. (previewed May 9 1998, released June 12 1998)

Bulworth - (8/10)
     The best political movie since Primary Colors, I am impressed with Warren Beatty's courage to say the things that need to be said. I admire a man who has the balls to speak his mind and make people think. Another reason why this movie is so good is that it's so funny, and thought-provoking at the same time, just about the most difficult combination to get right. About the only let down with this movie was the abrupt, somewhat fake-feeling ending, otherwise it's one of the year's best. (viewed May 30 1998, released May 22 1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - (4/10)
     It's hard to judge Hunter S. Thompson's writing because it's so different, just as reviewing this movie is close to impossible. You can't really compare it to anything else, it's a messy two hour drug trip through a few weekends in Vegas. Pretty forgettable stuff, about the only award this pic might take home is "most vomit ever shown in a movie, ever." (viewed and released May 22 1998)

Lawn Dogs - (8/10)
     A great movie with killer scenery, set in a suburban fantasyland not too far from reality. All the actors put out really top-notch performances in a heavily layered, deep textured film about a young girl and a man who cuts lawns. There is some serious issues raised in it and the story is intense, great independent filmmaking. (previewed April 28 1998, released May 17 1998)

Deja Vu - (5/10)
     The director attempted to tell a classic romantic tale set in today's world of time and lifestyle commitments. It was a little too much of a stretch for me to believe, sort of like Sleepless in Seattle. The stray away from reality was a little too great. This movie could have been something special, but bad sound and poor lighting hurt the presentation considerably, actually making dialogue hard to understand in some scenes. (reviewed April 14 1998, released April 24 1998)

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