All the Right Moves/Great Expectations [2 Discs] DVD

All the Right Moves
High school athlete Tom Cruise would do anything to escape the dull provincialism of his home town. Cruise's bullying coach Craig T. Nelson cajoles Cruise into seeking an athletic scholarship to a major university. Inevitably, the boy begins to question his goals in life, and soon his soul is the object of a tug of war between Nelson and Cruise's girlfriend Lea Thompson. The first directorial effort for cinematographer Michael Chapman, All the Right Moves was photographed by Jan DeBont, who'd later direct such box-office bonanzas as Speed and Twister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Great Expectations
Alfonso Cuaron (The Little Princess) directed this Mitch Glazer screenplay, a modernization of the 1860-61 classic by Charles Dickens. Some situations in the film are presented as memories -- the way the central figure, Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke) recalls events many years later. At a Florida fishing village, eight-year-old orphan Finn Bell (Jeremy James Kissner), talented at art, is left in the care of his sister and her husband, Joe (Chris Cooper). One day, Finn helps a chained, escaped convict who appears in the surf. On other days, he visits Paradiso Perduto, where he plays with young Estella (Raquel Beaudene), niece of the mansion's colorful, flamboyant, and extremely wealthy owner, Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft), who parallels the novel's tragic Miss Havisham, a woman jilted at the altar and left emotionally scarred and mentally imbalanced. As Ms. Dinsmoor watches Finn draw a portrait of Estella, she plots to mold Estella into a hard woman capable of destroying men. In a flash forward to the '90s, Finn (Hawke) and Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), now in their late teens, re-create the water-fountain kiss of their childhood, but Estella vanishes, breaking Finn's heart to such a degree that he doesn't draw or paint for seven years, choosing to eke out a marginal existence with his uncle Joe (after Finn's sister abandons the two). Then Manhattan art representative Jerry Ragno (Josh Mostel) turns up with a startling offer -- if Finn will return to painting and relocate in New York, Ragno will give him a one-man show. With an apparent assist from Ms. Dinsmoor, Finn makes the move and begins his new life with great expectations and a deadline of 10 weeks to complete the necessary paintings. When Finn next encounters Estella, she has a wealthy boyfriend, Walter (Hank Azaria). As Finn once again becomes entranced by Estella, he also begins to question exactly how his life is being manipulated. Francesco Clemente did the paintings and drawings seen in the film. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Cast Tom Cruise as Stef Craig T. Nelson as Nickerson Lea Thompson as Lisa Charles Cioffi as Pop Paul Carafotes as Salvucci Chris Penn as Brian Sandy Faison as Suzie Paige Lyn Price as Tracy James A. Baffico as Bosko Walter Briggs as Rifleman Leon Robinson as Shadow Ethan Hawke as Finnegan Bell Gwyneth Paltrow as Estella Hank Azaria as Walter Plane Chris Cooper as Joe Anne Bancroft as Ms. Dinsmoor Robert De Niro as Lustig, Prisoner Josh Mostel as Jerry Ragno Kim Dickens as Maggie Nell Campbell as Erica Thrall Gabriel Mick as Owen Jeremy James Kissner as Finnegan, age 10 Raquel Beaudene as Estella, age 10 Stephen Spinella as Carter Macleish

Crew John Kasarda - Art Director Jill Greenberg - Casting John Linson - Co-producer Judianna Makovsky - Costume Designer Thomas A. Reilly - First Assistant Director Alfonso Cuarón - Director Steve Weisberg - Editor Deborah Lee - Executive Producer Patrick Doyle - Composer (Music Score) Tony Burrough - Production Designer Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer Art Linson - Producer Susan Bode-Tyson - Set Designer Richard Beggs - Sound/Sound Designer Tom Nelson - Sound/Sound Designer Deborah Lee - Unit Production Manager Mitch Glazer - Screenwriter Charles Dickens - Book Author John Kasarda - Art Director Jill Greenberg - Casting John Linson - Co-producer Judianna Makovsky - Costume Designer Thomas A. Reilly - First Assistant Director Alfonso Cuarón - Director Steve Weisberg - Editor Deborah Lee - Executive Producer Patrick Doyle - Composer (Music Score) Tony Burrough - Production Designer Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer Art Linson - Producer Susan Bode-Tyson - Set Designer Richard Beggs - Sound/Sound Designer Tom Nelson - Sound/Sound Designer Deborah Lee - Unit Production Manager Mitch Glazer - Screenwriter Charles Dickens - Book Author

All the Right Moves
Although the legendary products of Western Pennsylvania high-school football have given their dying milltowns a somewhat romantic air in countless sports documentaries, reality is a much different thing. In this absorbing drama, Tom Cruise stars as a young cornerback prospect who dreams of being an engineer. Despite his love for pretty Lea Thompson and the respect with which he treats his millworker father, Cruise is desperate to get out of his decaying hometown, and knows that a football scholarship is his only ticket. Complications arise when he runs afoul of the team's coach (Craig T. Nelson in a well-played turn) and must face his own pride. The supporting cast is quite good, and Jan DeBont's gritty, evocative photography perfectly captures the film's tone. An unexpectedly moving drama which got lost among the sugar-coated teen trifles of its time, All the Right Moves is a thoughtful and involving story of holding on to a dream in the bleakest of surroundings. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
 

Great Expectations
(not reviewed)
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DD1: Dolby Digital Mono DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: All the Right Moves: Theatrical trailers Great Expectations: Original theatrical trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 202 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- All the Right Moves 1. Ampipe, Pa. (Main Titles) [5:12] 2. Stef & His Friends [4:13] 3. My Only Way Out [2:27] 4. Going to Hollywood [2:12] 5. The New Game Plan [3:31] 6. An Opportunity [2:26] 7. Going Too Far [3:06] 8. My Way or the Highway [3:09] 9. The Pep Rally [2:04] 10. Brian's Problem [2:44] 11. Walnut Heights [5:07] 12. The Big Game [6:17] 13. The Fumble [1:51] 14. Off the Team [5:20] 15. The Vandals [2:45] 16. No Apologies Accepted [2:20] 17. Be My Friend [5:32] 18. Lisa's Lover [8:02] 19. Under Arrest [1:10] 20. Blackballed [2:16] 21. Lisa's Plea [2:53] 22. A Father's Pride [1:04] 23. Party Time [3:20] 24. Going Nowhere [4:27] 25. The Coach's Offer [3:11] 26. End Titles [3:27] Disc #2 -- Great Expectations 1. Main Titles [3:02] 2. The Fugitive [10:36] 3. The Land Time Forgot [3:19] 4. She Wants Finn [2:05] 5. Miss Dinsmoor [7:40] 6. That First Kiss [2:13] 7. Estella's Escort [8:41] 8. Miss Dinsmoor's Theory [3:15] 9. The Secret Benefactor [5:17] 10. New York [2:26] 11. And Here We Are... [4:43] 12. A Portrait of Estella [5:58] 13. Perfect Together [2:49] 14. Born Again [4:20] 15. He Wants to Marry Me... [2:07] 16. The Lovers' Dance [6:12] 17. Here Comes Success [7:19] 18. The Broken Heart [4:25] 19. Arthur Lustig [10:20] 20. The One Good Thing [3:35] 21. Going Home [5:08] 22. End Titles [5:31]