HOOK/LITTLE WOMEN 2PK (DVD) DVD

Hook
Steven Spielberg filters J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan through a distinctly 1990s sensibility in Hook. Peter Pan has become Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a 40-year-old mergers and acquisitions lawyer with a permanent scowl on his face and a cellular phone in his belt. Banning has lost any memory of being Peter Pan, and he is also in danger of losing his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) and two children, Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). Peter and his family travel to London to visit Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith) who recalls Peter's lost youth and asks him, "Peter, dear, don't you know who you are?" With Peter's children asleep in the same bedroom where the original Peter Pan story began, there is a blinding flash. Peter comes into the room to discover a note from Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), informing Peter that he has kidnapped his children. Granny Wendy now tells him who he really is and encourages him to re-discover his happy thoughts, transform himself into the Peter Pan of the past, and go rescue his children. With the encouragement of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), Peter recalls the birth of his son and once again takes wing. Then it's off to Never Land to rescue his kids. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about a family of women in Civil War-era New England is again brought to the screen in this adaptation. The focus is on the March sisters, four young girls raised by their mother (Susan Sarandon) after their father leaves for battle as part of the Union Army. At the center is Jo March (Winona Ryder), an idiosyncratic would-be writer said to be based on Alcott herself, but the film also focuses on the stories of her sisters -- the more conventional Meg (Trini Alvarado), the innocent Beth (Claire Danes), and the precocious Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, who represent Amy at different ages.) The film spans years, following the girls' struggles with life's challenges and illustrating how their family connection remains strong in the face of tragedies large and small. Australian director Gillian Armstrong emphasizes the story's feminist elements, particularly in Jo's journey to independence. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Cast Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan Dustin Hoffman as Captain James Hook Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell Bob Hoskins as Smee Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy Darling Charlie Korsmo as Jack Banning Caroline Goodall as Moira Banning Amber Scott as Maggie Laurel Cronin as Liza Phil Collins as Inspector Good Arthur Malet as Tootles Isaiah Robinson as Pockets Jasen Fisher as Ace Raushan Hammond as Thud Butt James Madio as Don't Ask Thomas Tulak as Too Small Alex Zuckerman as Latchboy Ahmad Stoner as No Nap Winona Ryder as Jo March Gabriel Byrne as Friedrich Bhaer Trini Alvarado as Meg March Samantha Mathis as Amy March (older) Susan Sarandon as Marmee March Kirsten Dunst as Amy March (Age 10) Claire Danes as Beth March Eric Stoltz as John Brooke Christian Bale as Laurie Laurence John Neville as Grandpa Lawrence Mary Wickes as Aunt March

Crew Richard Hudolin - Art Director Warren Carr - Associate Producer Carrie Frazier - Casting Stuart Aikins - Casting Shani Ginsberg - Casting Robin Swicord - Co-producer Colleen Atwood - Costume Designer Mark Turnbull - First Assistant Director Gillian Armstrong - Director Nicholas Beauman - Editor Thomas Newman - Composer (Music Score) Eric Batut - Musical Direction/Supervision Naomi Donne - Makeup Jan Roelfs - Production Designer Peter Levy - Cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson - Cinematographer Denise Di Novi - Producer Richard St. John Harrison - Set Designer Lee Smith - Set Designer Jim Erickson - Set Designer William H. Orr - Special Effects Robin Swicord - Screenwriter Louisa May Alcott - Book Author Richard Hudolin - Art Director Warren Carr - Associate Producer Carrie Frazier - Casting Stuart Aikins - Casting Shani Ginsberg - Casting Robin Swicord - Co-producer Colleen Atwood - Costume Designer Mark Turnbull - First Assistant Director Gillian Armstrong - Director Nicholas Beauman - Editor Thomas Newman - Composer (Music Score) Eric Batut - Musical Direction/Supervision Naomi Donne - Makeup Jan Roelfs - Production Designer Peter Levy - Cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson - Cinematographer Denise Di Novi - Producer Richard St. John Harrison - Set Designer Lee Smith - Set Designer Jim Erickson - Set Designer William H. Orr - Special Effects Robin Swicord - Screenwriter Louisa May Alcott - Book Author

Hook
Turning Peter Pan into an exploration of yuppie angst and a metaphor for rediscovering one's "inner-child," Hook might very well be the worst film of Steven Spielberg's career. The first of many disappointing fantasy-themed family comedies featuring Robin Williams, Hook dispenses with the charm and terror of the original tale in order to revel in some busy art direction and make parents realize they need to spend more time with their kids. Such moralizing would be fine if the film were at all entertaining, but none of the characters make any sense in their modern incarnations. The only character who works in a new way is Captain Hook, who misses battling with Peter, but Dustin Hoffman spends time chewing the scenery instead of acting. This is an artistic dead-end for everyone involved. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
 

Little Women
With director Gillian Armstrong and star Susan Sarandon involved, it was a safe bet that the 1994 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women would highlight the feminist undertones in a story about four daughters growing up under the nurturing eye of their Marmee. Rather than lard on the sentiment or the message, however, Armstrong's dramatic restraint makes the tale of sisterhood, love, and family all the more affecting. Establishing the March sisters' personalities through their quotidian interactions with one another and the handsome men in their lives, Armstrong never loses sight of Marmee's challenge to her girls to develop their intellects as well as their beauty, even as 19th century convention dictated that they yearn for the men of their dreams. Anchored by Winona Ryder's performance as aspiring writer Jo, the uniformly strong ensemble cast breathes life into the March family's emotional highs and lows; the carefully crafted period settings and costumes lend an appropriately appealing atmosphere. Greeted with rave reviews, Little Women became a Christmas-season success and went on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Score and Best Costumes and for Ryder as Best Actress. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
 

Disc Title: Hook - People Awards: Anthony Powell: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) Christina Smith: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (nominated) Dean Cundey: American Society of Cinematographers, Best Cinematography (nominated) Dustin Hoffman: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (nominated) Eric Brevig: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Garry Lewis: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Greg Cannom: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (nominated) Harley Jessup: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) John Williams: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Leslie Bricusse: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Mark Sullivan: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Michael Lantieri: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Monty Westmore: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (nominated) Norman Garwood: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated)

Disc Title: Little Women - People Awards: Colleen Atwood: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) Thomas Newman: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Score (nominated) Winona Ryder: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actress (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, Spanish, Por Subtitle Options: English, Spanish, Por, KO, TH Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: HOOK: Talent Files Theatrical Trailers Scene Selections DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 260 min Part of Series: Collector's Series   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Little Women 0. Scene Selections 1. Start [3:17] 2. Concord, Massachusetts [1:35] 3. Christmas Eve [9:32] 4. Laurie & Jo [8:52] 5. "Teacher Struck Me." [4:21] 6. Amateur Theatrics [5:41] 7. The Missing Manuscript [1:48] 8. The Ice on Walden Pond [2:39] 9. Preparing for the Ball [2:55] 10. The Coming-Out Party [8:07] 11. The Hummels [1:43] 12. Professional Author [9:12] 13. Father Returns [1:06] 14. Four Years Later [1:53] 15. Laurie Proposes [1:01] 16. New York [:31] 17. Debating the Vote [6:27] 18. Two Stories Published [7:48] 19. Amy & Laurie in France [1:11] 20. "I Find You Changed." [4:38] 21. An Honest Opinion [2:37] 22. Telegram [3:48] 23. With Beth [1:22] 24. Beth's Trunk [1:16] 25. Writing What She Knows [8:04] 26. A Daughter & a Son [1:55] 27. Little Women [2:16] 28. End Credits [4:40] Side #2 -- Hook 0. Scene Selections 1. Start [8:07] 2. Granny Wendy [8:37] 3. True Origins [4:59] 4. "My God, the Children!" [1:53] 5. "He's Come Back." [6:36] 6. Tinkerbell [5:35] 7. Pirate Town [3:32] 8. Capt. James Hook [8:53] 9. Cutting a Deal [2:23] 10. The Lost Boys [7:32] 11. "Oh, There You Are." [2:31] 12. Ruminations & Plan [5:30] 13. In Training [2:08] 14. Lesson One [3:01] 15. Feast for Imagination [8:36] 16. "When You're Alone" [2:00] 17. Crocodile Memories [4:22] 18. Pirates at Bat [5:19] 19. The Shadow Knows [1:21] 20. Memories [7:18] 21. "Peter Pan. He's Back!" [3:15] 22. Tinkerbell's Wish [:06] 23. "Meet Thy Doom." [4:05] 24. Lost Boys' Attack [2:28] 25. Last Wish [6:07] 26. The Duel [2:24] 27. Croc Clock [4:41] 28. Kensington Gardens [4:33]