Home Media Magazine - February 10-16, 2008 - (Page 20) REVIEWS Edited by John Latchem www.homemediamagazine.com I LIFE AFTER TOMORROW Street 2/26 Arts Alliance America, Documentary, $19.95 DVD, ‘PG-13’ for language including drug and sexual references. Stars Danielle Brisebois, Martha Byrne, Martin Charnin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith, Charles Strouse. L ife After Tomorrow is an absorbing “whatever happened to” documentary about the children who starred in the Broadway production and national road tours of the musical Annie in the 1970s and 1980s. Directed by Gil Cates Jr. (Phoebe’s disturbing reminiscences involve what happened to the girls while they were in the cast. Many recall visiting New York’s infamous Studio 54 as 11- and 12-yearolds. Most remember the very relaxed attitude with which the production approached their schooling. Some remember being harassed and abused by adults in the cast and crew. The most notable alumna of the production, Sarah Jessica Parker, remembers roller skating by a house of prostitution near the Broadway theater where the I THE INDEPENDENT Street 2/12 Allumination, Comedy, $14.98 DVD, ‘R’ for language, some violence and sexuality. Stars Jerry Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Max Perlich. I ’m not sure why The Independent was made. I’m guessing a lot of famous people owed someone a favor — that’s about the only reason I can think that a small film like this could attract such a cast of cameos. Some of those cameos include Ron Howard, Nick Cassavetes, Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Roger Corman, Karen Black, Bob Odenkirk and Peter Bogdanovich. The list goes on. To be fair, there are reasons other than its cast to watch The Independent, a film about a fictional, washed up filmmaker who was never really any good to begin with, Morty Fineman (Stiller). Stiller’s chemistry with Garofalo, who plays his daughter, Paloma, is sweet and convincing, coming off as purely genuine as the two try to stage a comeback for the director through a variety of ill-advised ventures. And the humor, while more lackluster than subtle, should appeal to fans of reality-style shows such as “Arrested Development” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Again, though, it’s Stiller and Garofalo that are the draw, not the writing. The concept is strong, and the film’s cuts to scenes of Fineman’s ‘B’-movies, such as Twelve Angry Men and a Baby, are amusing if not as funny as their names would imply. But the thing just never clicks, and the “wait for the next cameo” game becomes more of a distraction than it is enjoyable. Deleted scenes actually are a nice inclusion on this DVD, as the appeal of the film is mainly in its various celebrities and a few of them were cut from the film. Comedian Laura Kightlinger appears in a funny scene where Stiller … well, he basically cops a feel, and the late director Ted Demme appears in another scene as the “pull my finger” kid from an old Fineman film. – Billy Gil brother) and Julie Stevens, who was herself an Annie Cast member, Life After Tomorrow drops in on dozens of the musical’s former stars. Although almost all of the women recall vividly their powerful desires to be a part of the musical, which was a Broadway juggernaut in its heyday, they are less unanimous about the aftermath of the experience. There are surprisingly few former cast members who have gone on to become legitimate actresses as adults, although most of the women tried to continue their acting careers at least for a time. But perhaps the most riveting, and certainly the most play was being performed and making friends with the working girls. There is certainly enough information to give pause to any parent whose child is yearning to be on the stage. Although most of the women with whom this documentary catches up are now living productive, even rewarding lives as parents and teachers and financial planners, they all share a wistfulness about their time in the spotlight. This is a very interesting but bittersweet look at the lives behind a musical that captured the nation’s attention more than 20 years ago. – Anne Sherber I JESUS, MARY AND JOEY Prebook 2/11; Street 3/4 Monarch, Comedy, $22.95 DVD, ‘PG-13’ for language. Stars Vincent Pagano, Marley Shelton, Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Esposito, Jason Gedrick, Stacy Keach, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Melissa Joan Hart. V 20 incent Pagano, who also penned the screenplay, stars in this vibrant comedy about the power and nature of faith. As Joey, a directionless son of a large, loud and loving Italian family, he overcomes a crisis of faith, his parents’ objections and his friends’ ridicule in order to find happiness with the woman he loves. When Mary (Shelton) returns to the old neighborhood after having been away for several years, Joey falls head over heels. His feelings don’t change even after he, a devout Catholic, discovers that she has become a born-again Christian. As his love for her deepens, he adopts her religious views. He even accuses his observant family of possessing a facile religiosity. But his newfound fervor is not enough to convince Mary’s cold and disapproving father that Joey is the right man for his daughter. This charming little film has a surprisingly high-wattage cast, including Dukakis, who cheerfully chews the scenery and steals every scene in which she appears as Joey’s addled grandmother. Pagano is very good as a young man standing at not one, but several crossroads. Jesus, Mary and Joey steps not at all gingerly into an area that films often avoid. All of the film’s characters are fully drawn, flawed and human. They also all happen to be people of faith who act on their beliefs. Viewers interested in the ways in which faith informs lives as well as those who are interested in small, interestingly plotted independent films may find this film worth a look. – Anne Sherber Home Media Magazine February 10–16, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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