Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Amazon.com

With an acceptable balance of strengths and weaknesses, HBO's revisionist rendition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee can be recommended as a very basic (if slightly inaccurate) history lesson for younger viewers. It doesn't flinch from the harsh realities that were so passionately chronicled in author Dee Alexander Brown's enduring 1970 classic of Native American history, nor does it soften the brutality of violence between the U.S. federal forces and the doomed Native American tribes who fought to preserve their native territories, from the legendary battle of Little Big Horn in 1876 (depicted in the opening scenes) to the shameful slaughter of Sioux warriors at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on December 29, 1890. Originally broadcast on May 27, 2007, and running slightly over two hours, this U.S./Canadian coproduction struggles to tell a story that would've been better served by a full-length miniseries (and will surely disappoint anyone familiar with Brown's important book), and the screenplay is so busy giving us a Cliff's Notes version of history that it lacks any particular focus or consistent point of view. Instead, we get a sobering, noble, and heartbreaking tale of territorial injustice, with forced parallels to the war in Iraq, full of admirable performances yet riddled with clichés and anachronistic details.

If you look closer, however, you'll find much to admire: Although his character was dubiously conceived to appeal to a contemporary white audience, Adam Beach (from Flags of Our Fathers) gives a fine performance as Charles Eastman, a Sioux doctor integrated into white society, who grows increasingly conflicted by the plight of his people. He's the tragic embodiment of the faulty ideals of Senator Dawes (Aidan Quinn), whose governmental effort to assimilate Native Americans leads to disastrous outbreaks of violence, depicted here with blunt-force realism. As Eastman's sympathetic and upright wife (a white schoolteacher with a strong sense of conscience), Anna Paquin makes the most of an underwritten role, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is an impressive showcase for outstanding native American actors like August Schellenberg (as Sitting Bull) and Gordon Tootoosis (as Red Cloud), who bring obvious authority and conviction to their roles. The film is most effective when addressing the inevitable failure of the white man's well-meaning but ultimately misguided policies toward Native Americans. To the extent that we still struggle with the historical legacy of those policies, this flawed but instructional rendition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee can be viewed as a compact precursor to deeper historical study. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Inspired by Dee Brown's acclaimed bestseller, the HBO Films event begins powerfully with the Sioux triumph over General Custer at Little Big Horn. The action centers on the struggles of three characters: Charles Eastman (Adam Beach, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS), a young, Dartmouth-educated Sioux doctor; Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg, THE NEW WORLD), the proud Lakota chief who refuses to submit to U.S. government policies designed to strip his people of their identity, dignity and sacred land; and Senator Henry Dawes (Aidan Quinn, EMPIRE FALLS), one of the men responsible for the government policy on Indian affairs. While Eastman and schoolteacher Elaine Goodale (Anna Paquin, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND), work to improve life for the Sioux on the reservation, Senator Dawes lobbies President Grant for kinder Indian treatment. Epic in scope, BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE is a new Western classic called "...insightful...deeply affecting...visually striking" by The Washington Post.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Interviews
Photo gallery
Production Notes

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-09-17

This is such a beautiful yet harsh movie. It is a heart breaking view into the cruel treatment of our original Americans. They couldn't have found a better cast of talented actors.

Good historically based western.......2007-09-16

This movie has some great acting and good action scenes. I like fact-based movies and this one pulls it off well without being too wordy or too fluffy. Also, Fred Thompson played a pretty good cigar-chomping President Grant. Those of you who are considering voting for the hollywood-values, cradle-robbing, former Nixon lawyer and pro-abortion lobbyist might want to give it a view.

Sorely lacking in its quest to be an epic........2007-09-13

Luckily I was able to catch this on HBO OnDemand one boring Saturday morning, expecting the typical HBO greatness and grittiness.

While long, this movie is hardly epic. That is not to say it is terrible, either. There are plenty of redeeming features with regards to acting, costumes, etc.

Like with any modern PC depiction of Native Americans, the conflict is strenuous, painful, and always the same way. Traditionalism vs Modernism, the almost childlike stubbornness of the Natives to live in their homelands in peace, versus the cold, inevitable need to expand of a young nation with the world in front of them to be conquered. It is always an inability for these two to adapt with one another that leads to the conflict at hand.

At the center of the conflict is Sitting Bull, the chief of the Lakota tribe, resisting US expansion. On the other side is Henry Dawes, a Senator struggling fiercly against anti-Indian sentiment in the US after the slaughter of General Custer and his troops at Little Big Horn to try and resolve the conflicts between the tribes and the U.S.

The other story involves Ohiyesa, an Indian boy whose father converts to Christianity and becomes anglicized, taking his son with him, where he becomes Charles Eastman, and the shining star of hope to Henry Dawes and his faction that the natives are not savages, and can be civilized.

Eastman, however, cannot forget his roots, and still has hateful memories of his time in school, Ohiyesa forced to accept a Christian name or else not be called upon or allowed to pass. His story branches out with a sympathizing woman, lamely acted by Anna Paquin, who later marries him. The both of them work to help Natives on reservations, specifically with medicine and medical help.

Sitting Bull, meanwhile, sees that his land is lost, and leads the remnants of his tribe to Canada, where the Canadians graciously grant them land to live on, so long as they abide by ground rules, and tolerate the presence of their ancestral rivals. They cannot, and so the tribe forces Sitting Bull to bring them back home, where they settle in to reservation life.

The story is known from here, and I won't go on about it. While the story was a good one and well acted, it fell victim to a sort of reverse-stereotyping that Native Americans suffered a hundred years ago and more, depicted as godless savages. The Americans are depicted as sleazy, uncaring, selfish men who don't care at all for the plight of the Natives, and see them all as simply a pest infection that cannot be solved via extermination. Even Henry Dawes, the Senator risking everything to help the Natives, is gradually revealed as a sleazy self-serving hypocrite who cares only for advancing his career with controversial legislation.

As the Americans are hellspawn sent to ravage the earth, the Natives are the helpless victims with only good in their hearts and nature in their souls. No tribal leaders seek violence against the White men, none think of exacting vengeance against individuals, and none seek to harm anyone anywhere for any reason. The Natives gathered at Wounded Knee are simply praying. Sitting Bull is simply befuddled and confused as to why he's being taken away from his home.

All of this leads to a rather clumsily delivered conclusion, in which Sitting Bull is shot in a scene because the Americans felt like shooting someone in the confusion, and the massacre at Wounded Knee for pretty much the same reason.

Eastman's story isn't at all resolved, as he leaves his white wife to go and find himself, in the midst of a hellish job of trying to re-name all the Natives in reservations to anglicized names.

I cannot judge the novel, as I haven't read it, and wouldn't know if this was a faithful adaptation of it, but I feel that overall, this was a clumsily executed attempt at an epic. A true example of the popular phrase about shooting for the stars, and at least ending up somewhere high. This was a good movie, but not great. And certainly not as epic as it attempts to be.

A Western Movie That Is Concerned With Both Sides.......2007-08-08

HBO's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" is not a mini-series; in fact, it only covers the last two chapters of Brown's book and runs a little over two hours. The film would have been better titled, The Last Days of the Sioux Nation: Second Edition

There are many historical inaccuracies in this film; some are big, and some are small. Director Yves Simoneau recounts the story of reservation life, the taking of Indian lands and the debate that ensued. Choosing drama, as opposed to a documentary style, to recount these subjects is most challenging. When one looks past the inaccuracies in "Wounded Knee", one will discover many moments of brilliance.

So, let us undo some of the most important snafus first:

* The film opens with a young Ohiyesa -- Charles Eastman living in the village at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Eastman was never there.
* Sitting Bull physically lashes his men for attempting to flee Canada for their old homeland. This was never the case. Sitting Bull did use the akicita (similar to law enforcement officers) to keep people from leaving Canada. The film accurately portrays why Sitting Bull took the actions he did.
* Sitting Bull surrenders at Standing Rock instead of Ft. Buford.
* Charles Eastman was not the right-hand man to Dawes in developing what would later become the Dawes Act.

"Wounded Knee" indeed seems to be two films. The first covers the latter years of Sitting Bull's (August Schellenberg) life which are filled with triumph and defeat, greatness and loneliness. The second involves the rescue of a culture gasping its last breath. Trying to resuscitate it are Senator Henry Dawes (Aidan Quinn) and Charles Eastman (Adam Beach) through the building of the Dawes Act that ensures every Indian family would own 160 acres of land.

The first film centers on Sitting Bull, a defeated chief of the Lakota, and one of the most convincing American Indian characters ever shaped for a film. He is a complete enigma. He fights to protect his people, yet he lashes warriors for fleeing Canada to their homeland in the Dakotas. He criticizes other Indian leaders for accepting the white man's way of life, yet he sells his autograph and photo. Sitting Bull's redemption is intended to be shown in one dramatic scene where he confronts the Dawe Commission. "You may say they wish to give us land. But, here is the truth. Each patch is for a man and all generations that follow. They know that this land cannot feed but one generation, not even so much as that..." He continues his speech which will shock and surprise many viewers. In the end, Sitting Bull's oration becomes his death warrant.

Film two follows the life of Eastman. When he is 15 years old, his father Jacob (Wayne Charles Baker) takes Eastman back from the roaming Santee bands. Eastman is confused from his father's acceptance of Christianity and his singing of hymns. For me, one of the most notable scenes occurs when Eastman must leave his father to begin yet another new life. As Eastman looks out the window of his slowly moving train, his father waves goodbye and begins to sing a hymn. The emotions are exceedingly powerful; the hymn develops into an Indian strong-heart song as he waves goodbye to his son for the last time. Eastman eventually becomes the agency physician at Pine Ridge where he meets Elaine Goodale (Anna Paquin) and they become fast friends. However, the Beach character is filled with conflict in one of his best performances. Living again among his people, Eastman questions what he has become.

From these doubts, the film chronicles perfectly Eastman and Dawe's collapsing relationship. Through the first two acts, they share the enthusiasm of great dreams and aspirations on how they intend to save the American Indian. They become like father and son. But, they finally reach an impasse in a scene that exudes much sadness.

In the middle of this complex storyline comes a moment of elegance in the only scene involving Wovoka (Studi). With ballet like movements, the Studi character brings his message of the Ghost Dance to the Lakota people. As he articulates his vision in words, he accompanies them with Plains Indian sign language while his body gracefully moves before the crowd. Wovoka's message is simple: If the Lakota people believe his vision and learn the Ghost Dance, the Great Spirit will rid the earth of the white man, return the buffalo to their full glory, and give back to the Lakota their old way of life. It is the strangest irony of this film: from such promise the Lakota people feel happiness again, but all they receive is death.

"Wounded Knee" gives us two great scenes that connect the two films together. The first is the death of Sitting Bull never told before with such accuracy in any other film. This scene over any other still haunts me. The film then transports us to the second climatic scene, which is the Battle of Wounded Knee. Yes, it was a battle; there was fierce hand-to-hand combat, and it ended in a slaughter. The movie vividly portrays the tension leading up to the battle, its fight, and its massacre, but fails in its explanation why. The movie attempts to explain as when Col. James Forsyth (Marty Antonini) says to Eastman, "We didn't fire first. I swear to all-mighty God, we did not fire first." I still wish the film explained further.

That lack of explanation does not diminish from the greatness of this movie. It is truly courageous in the tale movie producers have, until now, been afraid to touch. For the first time we have a Western movie that is concerned with both sides. With its intelligent script, strong direction, and powerful acting, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" grasps the concept of the last days of the Lakota nation wholly; at times brutal, but the movie still exhibits warmth and passion.

Close to the truth.......2007-07-31

I really enjoyed this movie on HBO. Years ago I read the book. I thought the movie really put the key points into as much time as they had. I recently found out I am a decendant of Ten Bears so this movie really got to me. This movie should get to every man/woman living in this country showing the plight of the Indian Nations during those times.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Love this Movie
5 Stars for this beautiful movie
MOS DEF IS A GREAT ACTOR
Well Acted Docu-Drama
Excellent movie!

Something the Lord Made
Starring: Alan Rickman , Mos Def , Kyra Sedgwick , Gabrielle Union , and Merritt Wever
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: B00067BCBI
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com

Something the Lord Made recounts the relationship between Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and Vivian Thomas (Mos Def). It begins in 1930s Nashville when imperious cardiac surgeon Blalock hires Thomas, an African American carpenter, as his janitor. When the latter reveals a passion for medicine and facility with surgical instruments, Blalock promotes him to lab tech. Thomas isn't given a raise, works side jobs to make ends meet, and is expected to be grateful. Along the way, he follows Blalock from Vanderbilt to Johns Hopkins, where they save thousands of lives through their pioneering work, but will Thomas ever get any credit? The film provides a satisfying answer to that question. Joseph Sargent (A Lesson Before Dying) directs with subtlety and intelligence, while Rickman and Mos Def are in top form, often underplaying where most actors would do otherwise. Something the Lord Made won the 2004 Emmy for outstanding made-for-TV movie. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

(Drama) Something the Lord Made tells the emotional true story of two men who defied the rules of their time to launch a medical revolution, set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow south. Working in 1940s Baltimore on an unprecedented technique for performing heart surgery on "blue babies," Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and lab technician Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) form an impressive team. As Blalock and Thomas invent a new field of medicine, saving thousands of lives in the process, social pressures threaten to undermine their collaboration and tear their friendship apart.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Audio commentary with director Joseph Sargent, writer Peter Silverman, executive directors Eric Hetzel and Joseph W. Cort Featurette Making History Slide Show
Featurette
Other:Making History Slide Show

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Love this Movie.......2007-09-13

This movie did not receive the credit it was due. Mos Def was wonderful... too bad he didn't get the award; he certainly deserved it.

5 Stars for this beautiful movie.......2007-08-15

This is an amazing movie from HBO films. If you have seen the Life and Death of Peter Sellers you know what I mean. My favorite actor Alan Rickman and Mos Def play the main characters in this civil rights era medical drama. It is based on the true history of Dr. Alfred Blaylock and his assistant Vivian Thomas, and their research on Tetralogy of Fallot. Cardiac surgery before the 1930's was considered impossible, so their contributions made vast improvements for medicine and countless lives. Their relationship is a contrast of violatility and intimacy. Social constraints influence them, and yet they treat each other as equals. The acting is infallible and touching, this is a must-see movie. I own it, I love it, enough can't be said about it. (it is NR but I would give an R, not for children)

MOS DEF IS A GREAT ACTOR.......2007-08-14

I orginally saw this movie on HBO. I had no idea Mos Def could act, but he sure can. From beginning to end the movie is gripping and at the end you feel a sense of pride. This is defintiely one I will watch over and over again.

Well Acted Docu-Drama.......2007-08-01

I purchased this title as a gift for a retired heart surgeon. He practically makes everyone (including me) who darkens his door watch it with him. It is a great, well acted film about the taboo interracial pairing of a surgeon and his brilliant assistant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in a very segregated Baltimore. This film documents the first open heart surgery on "blue babies" which was performed by this unlikely pair. Even the coldest heart will be melted by this wonderful story.

Excellent movie!.......2007-07-03

This movie is a must see. It will keep your interest throughout. There are no dull moments. I didn't realize that Mos Def is such a wonderful actor.

Average customer rating:

Deep as a basket full of snakes
dis movie was weird
Terrible !
Great Film
Full of sound and fury

Wild At Heart
Starring: Nicolas Cage , Laura Dern , Willem Dafoe , J.E. Freeman , and Crispin Glover
Director: David Lynch
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00062IVM6
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Amazon.com

David Lynch's 1990 Wild at Heart is an utterly random and ugly experience with pockets of startling imagery and inspired set pieces. Based on a Barry Gifford novel, the film stars Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as lovers on the lam whose relationship is tested and who meet some truly dangerous wackos (including an almost-simian Willem Dafoe). Lynch's thoughts seem to be everywhere, and he expects the audience to keep up with a story that seems more a collection of avant-garde whims than a coherent vision with the intuitive brilliance of his Blue Velvet. Cage gives one of his more chaotic performances, but then he was just reading Lynch's signposts. --Tom Keogh

Description

David Lynch delivers a "stunning piece of work" (Chicago Tribune) with this "flamboyantly violent and erotic" (The Village Voice) tale of love on the run Â- now remastered under LynchÂ's supervision with upgraded picture and sound. Featuring the "formidable performances" (Leonard Maltin) of Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Crispin Glover and Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart is a twisted "rollercoaster ride to redemption through an American gothic heart of darkness" (Variety). If Lula (Dern) knows one thing in this world, itÂ's that sheÂ's destined to be with her ex-con boyfriend Sailor (Cage) Â- no matter how many times her mama tries to kill him. But when she and Sailor finally hit the road in a desperate bid to find happiness, their journey plunges them into a disturbing underworld filled with sexual secrets and dangerous desires that form a terrifying "tapestry of human extremity" (Variety).

Customer Reviews:

Deep as a basket full of snakes.......2007-08-21

A simple film by David Lynch. Of course you have suspense. Of course you have a good thriller. Of course too you have a good love story and gangster story intertwined. But there is something more than that in this simple film. David Lynch, for an unreasonable, i.e. unexplainable, reason decides to have a good sentimental positive ending. That enables us to draw a lesson from the rest of the film and transform a simple gangster story into a philosophical story about family and parents. A possessive mother can destroy everything around her but there is no reason for the daughter to yield and the daughter will always win against her possessive mother. Even evil witchcraft, or mafia gangsters, will not save the mother's stake. On the other side the father is an indispensable presence in the life of a child, be he a boy or she a girl. The possessive mother will get rid of the father if necessary just like she will get rid of her own lover if he stands in the way of her possessive schizophrenia (to commit suicide with lipstick, ah ah ah). But the father will survive for the daughter as a target to attain and recreate in the man she will choose to love, be impregnated by and "marry" in a way or another. But what's more the child born from this union will need a father and will recognize him at first sight even six years after his birth or so. Is this line, this thread going along all David Lynch's films? Maybe not so clearly but yes there is a family problem in all films, a link with some kind of a family, a father, a mother, an aunt, or someone else. The happy ending of this film and the way it is constructed at the very last minute in a very spectacular flight and return scene and then exploited through all the credits seem to show this family link is the essential link in the back of David Lunch's (at least ) subconscious mind. Well done and rather entertaining. And I loved the Deep Creek, Gulch, Stream, Bay or whatever, but Deep anyway, in the middle of a desertic nowhere somewhere in Texas, if it is Texas. As for the setting of some deep tragedy in the deepest layers of the minds of the characters or the dregs of society it is perfect with a heroin called Fortune and a hero called Sailor, that is wet with humor and damp with wit.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

dis movie was weird.......2007-07-17

dere was killin and fightin and sex and stuff so it was priddy cool some guy get killed right away in da end the wizard of oz shows up crazy shid like dat some stuff was scary like girl almost got raped and da mom always tryin to kill them music was dum do cuz it wuz old time music and not good oh yeah dere wuz a lot of naked girl in da movie but not all of dem hot dere was some fat naked girls in one part but da odder girls were hot

Terrible !.......2007-03-09

hi..
I have no idea where the positive reviwes came from, i mean this movie was terrible, it was pointless!
I think it is highly over rated, very very boring, drags alot and pointless movie.
people speak of surrealizm and bizzarness, and that it made the movie worthwhile, well, it sure is bizzare, but in a really bad way.
Violence ? what violence ? just one or two scenes of shoot outs and they call it violence !!! i've seen much more before !!
And whats with the repitive sex scenes, again pointless !!
its basically a story of two couples enjoying themselves and running and going on a poitnless road trip, nothing more or less, no plot !!
And whats all the hype about the wizard if OZ reference, it didn't add anything special to the movie !!!
Sorry, but i can't see what is good about this awful movie !!!
i want my money back please !!!

Great Film.......2007-02-17

Another triumph for director David Lynch. Outstanding performances, great sound effects, great music and soundtrack. This film is a must see. Just like all of David Lynch's other films.

Full of sound and fury.......2007-01-24

David Lynch is a master of over-statement; even when his films aren't saying anything very dramatic or profound, it appears as though they are. He does this extensively in "Wild at Heart," his violent, sexy film from 1990. Another Lynch trademark is that his films are highly entertaining. In this one, Sailor Ripley (Nick Cage) runs away with his girl, Lula Fortune (Laura Dern). Lula's (and Dern's) mother, Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd) will seemingly stop at nothing to keep the two apart. Her reasons for this aren't the obvious reasons we would assume them to be, though they aren't all that difficult to ascertain either. As with every Lynch creation, this film is replete with oddball characters, and they are one reason his films are always worth watching. Sailor models his life after Elvis Presley and regales us with renditions of some of his songs. His snakeskin jacket is a symbol of his individuality and personal freedom, the fact of which he reminds us multiple times. Dern spends a good part of the film in various states of undress, which never hurts. For whatever reason, "The Wizard of Oz" is a recurring theme throughout the movie, which is sort of cute, and the whole affair plays like an ode to cigarettes. This film certainly provides plenty of eye candy, though its hyperbole grows somewhat irksome. Ultimately, it ends up seeming like an elaborate student film, signifying nothing.

Average customer rating:

Saturday Morning favorite
Appreciated Best for Those Over 30
Southern Comfort...
Average ebony romance
Cute

Commitments
Starring: Michael Greene , Howard S. Miller , Allen Payne , Virginia Capers , and Kevin Sizemore
Director: Carol Mayes
Manufacturer: Urban Works
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ASIN: B00006G8P0
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Customer Reviews:

Saturday Morning favorite.......2006-03-21

Great to watch on Saturday morning when nothing else is on. I have a few of the other BET movies and I enjoy them all. Good, clean, real life drama.

Appreciated Best for Those Over 30.......2006-03-11

This movie was a delight. First, you get to see actors that mainstream cinema passes by often. The storyline was completely believable. I believe that the movie would appeal to 30 and over crowd. The situations and content would be better understood by those who are in the between generation. Still young enough for changes, but old enough to appreciate the wisdom in times gone by. A must see.

Southern Comfort..........2006-03-01

I find the movie to be delightful.. As a city girl who recently moved back to the south. I seen myself potrayed in the movie.. I was a reminder of what coming "home" back to the south really means.. good food. good friends. slow country days. and a big dose of "mother's wit..small town..goodness. Only to be found in the South..

Average ebony romance.......2005-11-28

This romantic movie, is a pleasure to watch, but as most of the romantic ones, it scarcely relates to reality.

Cute.......2005-08-08

I thought this movie was a cute romantic movie. I will admit I did cry a little bit, but I do that sometimes when I see a cutsie movies like that.

Ronald Reagan - The Signature Collection (Knute Rockne All American / Kings Row / The Hasty Heart / Storm Warning / The Winning Team)

Average customer rating:

Warner Signature Collections -- well worth the $$$
Fine Ronald Reagan Performances
AWESOME COLLECTION!
Great Movies
Ronald Reagan - The Signature Collection

Ronald Reagan - The Signature Collection (Knute Rockne All American / Kings Row / The Hasty Heart / Storm Warning / The Winning Team)
Starring: Pat O'Brien , Gale Page , Ronald Reagan , Donald Crisp , and Albert Bassermann
Director: Lloyd Bacon , Sam Wood , and Vincent Sherman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FTCLSK
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Amazon.com

The movie star who would be president is remembered with his own DVD five-pack, all culled from Warner Bros. titles made between 1940 and 1952. It's a good sampling of Reagan's relatively brief movie-star prime: a second lead in good movies and leading man in lesser properties. Athletic, cornfed, and energetic, Reagan's persona in these movies foreshadows the qualities that voters would later see in the politician. Will this collection convince anybody he was a great actor? Unlikely. But he knew how to embody an idea.

The earliest film here is Knute Rockne, All-American, the 1940 biopic of Notre Dame's legendary football coach. Pat O'Brien has the title role in this boilerplate Hollywoodization, and although Reagan's part is small it is pivotal--and it would follow him for the rest of his life. He plays ill-fated Notre Dame player George Gipp, whose deathbed plea to Rockne--"Win just one for the Gipper"--became a national catchphrase. It's an efficient, cornball picture, and a fond childhood memory for anybody who encountered it at an early age.

Kings Row (1942) is consensus pick for Reagan's finest screen hour. A big, juicy, and really quite weird melodrama, the film cruises through the creepier side of small-town life, with Reagan in a very appealing groove. He plays the more rascally of the two male leads (Robert Cummings is the sensitive hero), a breezy charmer whose talent with the ladies gets him in trouble. The most lurid twist in the movie leads to Reagan's line, "Where's the rest of me?", which became the title of his autobiography. An extremely entertaining movie, with director Sam Wood inestimably aided by James Wong Howe's lush cinematography and Erich Wolfgang Korngold's classic music score.

Reagan's career cooled after the Second World War, and he plays a second lead in 1949's The Hasty Heart, an adaptation of a hit play. Set in a military hospital in Burma just after the war, the story hinges on a group of patients concealing a fatal prognosis from an ailing Scotsman (Richard Todd). The creaking of the play is all too apparent, although Todd's performance is expert. Patricia Neal, still new to movies, plays the nurse in charge. Reagan gets to display his photographic memory by reeling off the books of the Old Testament by rote. This one has the sole commentary track in the package, which has the (possibly unique) feature of having the director, Vincent Sherman, begin weeping as he's talking about the film.

Storm Warning (1951) is an effective but odd hybrid: part film noir, part socially conscious picture. Ginger Rogers witnesses a Ku Klux Klan killing as she's stopping off in a small town to visit younger sis Doris Day; Day's hubby Steve Cochran is one of the killers. In one of his best roles, a laid-back Reagan plays the uncompromising local district attorney. The film has some superb noir shots in it, but the expose of the KKK is truly tame: although the word "lynching" is used, there's no racial angle to the movie at all. It's more like the Klan is a crime syndicate that needs to be cleaned up. In The Winning Team Reagan plays famed baseball pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander, whose struggles with illness and alcoholism form the spine of the tepid plot. Doris Day, now top-billed, co-stars as Alexander's supportive wife. The movie pays proper tribute to a legendary baseball moment: Alexander's heroic performance in the 1926 World Series. It's another win for the Gipper. --Robert Horton

Description

Before he became the 40th president of the United States of America or even governor of California, Ronald Reagan was a veteran Hollywood actor who, though he played mostly in Warner Bros.' films. He was extremely likable as an actor -- handsome, charismatic and accessible-- the very ingredients required to be a successful leading man in Hollywood in the 30's and 40's. Now available on DVD are five of Reagan films in Ronald Reagan: The Signature Collection.

Customer Reviews:

Warner Signature Collections -- well worth the $$$.......2007-01-22

Warner does another stand-up job with the Ronald Reagan Signature Collection. Some of these films are well known and a couple of them are not, making it a great collection worthy of a spot in any serious DVD collection.

And -- no Bedtime for Bonzo in sight! (Mainly because it's a Universal title, but this set does a great job in highlighting the former Commander in Chief's Hollywood career).

Fine Ronald Reagan Performances.......2006-12-06

I really enjoyed watching these Ronald Reagan films. I hope more of his films will be released on DVD, especially "International Squadron," "Million Dollar Baby," "The Bad Man," and his Brass Bancroft thrillers.

AWESOME COLLECTION!.......2006-12-04

I own this set and I am very satisfied with it. I had never seen any of
these wonderful movies and I am very glad that I was able to get this set.
I am a Ronald Reagan fan (as an actor and politician) and I am pleased to be able to recommend this collection. I consider it a collector's item.

Great Movies.......2006-11-10

I am an old movie buff, will not watch anything rated above a PG rating,
I love collecting the oldies, have favorite leading stars, Doris Day, Cary Grant, Debbie Reynolds, James Garner, Gary Cooper (the collection now offered does not have of my favorite movies.) Clarke Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Lucille Ball to name a few. Thanks Amazon for being so prompt on your deliveries, and the prices are great.
I would love to purchase "Magnificient Obsession" w/Jane Wyman and "Bundle of Joy" staring Debbie Reynolds please notify me if these become available. I had been waiting for "The Winning Team to be released so when the package was offered I jumped on it. Thanks again for being so prompt and great prices. Television has gotten to where it is not fit to watch, so I collect old movies for the decency and enjoy watching them. this may not be the kind of review you were looking for but, I just wanted to thank you.
Barbara Simanovich

Ronald Reagan - The Signature Collection.......2006-11-06

An excellent choice of Ronald Reagan Films. Especially "Storm Warning" which had never even been released on Video. A very enjoyable collection.

Average customer rating:

Too much talk not enough show
Great film
Informative and highly moving documentary
Terrific, serious look at native American problems on a reservation!
Excellent Film.... A real eye opener too.

Wounded Heart: Pine Ridge and the Sioux
Starring: Wounded Heart: Pine Ridge & the Sioux
Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000DENUPU
Release Date: 2006-07-13

Product Description

American Indians and government officials discuss poverty, child abuse, alcoholism, Indian Health Service, domestic violence, racism, institutionalized racism, and the hope inspired by the Lakota language and culture on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservervation in South Dakota. Features Russell Means

Customer Reviews:

Too much talk not enough show.......2007-09-09

After all the great reviews, I bought this film to show to a class. I never will. This movie is talking heads. Yes, the heads are interesting, but unlike other reviewers, I strongly feel that it does not engage the emotions - there are way way way too many close head shots and not enough SHOWING of the problems. The only ones who moved me was the young woman and the man who had found his roots - he could have been used as the counterpoint/antidote to visuals of some of the problems.

And it was repetitive. No, there's gotta be a better way to get the point across than just talking about it. My class can get this information in half an hour on the internet. If you want people to engage in your cause, you have to engage them on an emotional level.

Even the discussion of the lovely parts of the Lakota culture don't have any visuals, which to me was the most frustrating thing of all. You talk about a pow wow, why not SHOW a pow wow? You talk about the tiospaye, why not SHOW an extended family? You talk about the grandmothers, SHOW them! You talk about mashing the choke cherries, SHOW it!

If you want to engage people emotionally, they need visuals. Show the poverty more. SHOW the people Russell Means is talking about picking through the garbage dump. SHOW kids cutting school! SHOW people getting drunk! Also, the housing issues were discussed purely in terms of the mold issue, when there are people surviving winters of 30 below zero in shacks. SHOW them to me so I can try to imagine what it must feel like. I was totally frustrated by the end of the movie.

I am very sad to give this review because I think we really need more educational information on the current situation of all Native Americans since the general public is next to completely ignorant about the poverty that ravishes most reservations. I had a feeling while watching the movie that part of the reason we don't get the show is to avoid the embarrassment. Isn't living in this poverty daily an embarrassment? Isn't the fact that we even allow this poverty to exist in this country an embarrassment? A sensitive film maker can engage your emotions visually without sacrificing people's dignity.

If you want general information on problems on the reservation, this is fine. If you want compelling visuals, you will not find them here. For me, this was a dud.

Great film.......2007-05-21

It's one of the most touching films i have seen. It deals with alot of issues not made public.

Informative and highly moving documentary.......2006-07-21

This is a truly memorable and moving documentary on the social and political problems of Lakota life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservervation in South Dakota. So many people do not know or understand their way of life. Director Oliver Tuthill shows an un-yielding glance into the Lakota's everyday problems and perseverance in order to survive. He shows the issues factually (such as the mold overtaking their homes, the poverty, and abuse)and lets the viewer see the horrors for themselves. The film is highlighted by insightful interviews by the Lakotas and government officials. After seeing this documentary, one wants to be an activist and try to help make a difference in the hard lives of these remarkable people. This film not only shows the grittiness of their life, but the contrasting richness of their culture, customs, and their will to survive. I would recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to know more about the Lakota way of life as well as be inspired.

Terrific, serious look at native American problems on a reservation!.......2006-02-17

A very careful and full view of sociological, economic and political problems on a Native American reservation with interesting interviews with Indian leaders and business people. Should see this good, well made 70 minute film dealing with a serious American problem. Living conditions on the reservation are shown as are resultant health problems.

A must see!

Steve Postal,
Administrator,
Goldie Film Awards (Since 1984)

Excellent Film.... A real eye opener too. .......2006-02-16

The Sioux Nation produced many great leaders such as Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Russell Means. American Indian actor and activist Russell Means is a powerhouse and what he has to say is very upsetting, (You'll never see this on network television) but this man is one of the most gifted speakers I have ever heard, and I recommend this film to everyone who has an interest in Native Americans and what they are going through. Congressman Jim McDermott, who gained fame and notoriety from appearing in Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 911, offers real insight into what life is like for many American Indians who live on the reservations where they are isolated and alienated. The film reminded me of Incident at Oglala with Robert Redford in its style and visual composition. If you want to understand what life is like on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, then you should definitely see this film.

Average customer rating:

How people yearn for a romantic ideal, supreme happiness, a utopia
Still my favorite movie..
a mood piece more than a movie
One from the Heart of Darkness
Not a Typical Movie

One From The Heart
Starring: Frederic Forrest , Teri Garr , Raul Julia , Nastassja Kinski , and Lainie Kazan
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Fantoma / American Zoetrope
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ASIN: B0000YRL8K
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Amazon.com

One of the most famous productions of its time, Francis Coppola's One from the Heart is a "little movie" that grew into a gigantic, studio-bankrupting behemoth. Entirely shot on glorious sets in Coppola's Zoetrope studio, the teeny story follows a bickering Las Vegas couple (Teri Garr and Frederic Forrest) during a night's madness with others. It would be nice to recommend the film to romantics, or movie-musical mavens, but really this film is for the technologically minded: it's a flashy display of camera trickery and painted sets (anticipating Moulin Rouge). Alas, the techno-dazzle is somewhat at odds with the clunky performances and choppy editorial flow... and it has all the warmth of neon. Since its initial botched release, the film has developed a small but devoted following, in part because of the terrific song score by Tom Waits (sung by Waits and Crystal Gayle). It should be seen, not least as a case study in bravado. --Robert Horton

Description

From the director of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather comes a different kind of love story...

Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola shines his spotlight on a Las Vegas couple (Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest) whose break-up on the 4th of July leads them both to a night on the strip in pursuit of their romantic fantasies (Raul Julia, Nastassia Kinski). But in this town of gamblers and dreamers, should they bet it all on dreams, or give true love another roll of the dice? Featuring breathtaking design, show-stopping set pieces, the stunning photography of Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor) and accompanied by the wonderful Oscar® nominated music of the one and only Tom Waits, this neon explosion of color, sound and innovation is a cinematic valentine for all movie lovers.

Customer Reviews:

How people yearn for a romantic ideal, supreme happiness, a utopia.......2007-07-02

ONE FROM THE HEART (1982) iill attract a viewership on account of
Francis Ford Coppola's fame, or perhaps from its talented, sincere
cast, comprising Nastassja Kinski, here shown very young, with a
ballerina's physique, yet still very green in her emotional, human
aspects ons screen.

What works best, is the strong dream-like atmosphere that it brings
forth, taking viewers into another dimension, and the romanticism of
the actual story. Indeed, after 5 years in a monogamous
relationship, as each partner consciously grows older, seeing each
other turning into furniture so to speak, this aging and boredom
stress-tests each partner into finding out who they are, what they
are they made of, their character, what is the key to happiness.

For the girl, played superbly by Teri Garr, (in fine physical
shape), with a mature yet youthful, realistic approach in her
acting, happiness is a husband singing, dancing, going to a remote
tropical resort, in sum, the presence of romanticism. For the man,
Frederic Forrest, happiness is maintaining a routine, living
day-to-day, with limited ambition or possibilities of variance in
the agenda, paying the bills on time, seeing reality.

There are multiple aspects that bring the picture down. The first,
and foremost, is the astounding lack of subtlety in the "crooner"
song numbers, such that the audience is left with the impression
that the story, and the singing revolving about "feelings" and "lack
of utopic, perfect love" is onanistic, an irritation. There is a
whining attitude, over-the-top, deranged singing, reminscient of
Barbara Streisand's hysterical "Woman in Love" for example.

Secondly, the opening and closing credits, publicize the Zoetrope
Studios, as if this means anything to the audience in the US, Canada
or around the world. It's silly.

Third, the exteriors, backdrops filmed of many kinds (sunset,
sunrise, simulated motel and streets) are blatantly and obviously
fake, as the audience can see it's a studio, not the real thing.
Only a photographer can prefer a set like this to the real thing,
filmed in a neighborhood. Simply because there is "no dust" or
"photographic imperfections" of any kind, doesn't mean Zoetrope was
better because it's made in a sterile, artificial room vs. the real
thing.

Fourth, the real shocker, and unrealistic aspect, is the complete
lack of moral, religous dimension to the behavior of the characters,
including Raul Julia, who seduces Garr, much like Kinsky seduces
Forrest. The film suggests people are zombies, only obeying to a
"master", an internal compass instructing them to maximize and
reach a "utopic, supreme level of pleasure, happiness, excitement"
as if human life was only about a day at the amusement park,
figuring out which ride is the most fun.

Fifth, although some may disagree, over 90 mins, over and over
again, the actors and actresses are shown either dressing up or
taking their clothes off, with frequent upper nudity of both Kinsky
and Garr, and when not the case, in pajamas, intimate night wear,
underpants or stockings. This brings forth an intimate setting with
the audience, and sensuality (as does Garr's lovely red dress, on
her figure), but there is an unsettling, queasy voyeuristic aspect
to this.

As for Julia, he's clearly in supreme form, slim, youthful,
energetic, charismatic, and enjoying every moment, especially the
scenes filmed with the crowds in the street. A fair bit of humor is
present, such as Julia's stint as a waiter.

Overall, this picture is very human, feminine in its outlook,
showing how people in relationships yearn for a romantic ideal, a
supreme happiness, a utopia, to the point of one night stands.

Still my favorite movie.........2007-01-23

Back in the '80s I was fond of telling people this was my favorite movie of all time. (Well, maybe in a tie with The Wild Bunch) but the years passed and I suspected that like so much of what I valued then, I would now see this movie in a much harsher light.

Boy, was I wrong! I remain baffled by the way Coppola was mocked and vilified for hurling his whole creative (and financial) being into this little dream of his. But it remains a beautiful dream. While at once creating vivid, indelible characters so perfectly flawed as to resemble no one and everyone, it functions as a sort of second chance for Adam & Eve. Yielding to temptation, Hank and Frannie ultimately learn what matters most. I still end up in tears. Tears of redemptive joy.

Needless to say, Tom Waits' music functions beautifully as wry commentary on the ill-fated blunders of the principals. Waits here is at the peak of his powers as heir to the great American songwriter tradition. This is before he wandered off to the junkyard to pursue the ghost of Harry Partch.

In an era that scorns the very concept of beauty, when film critics rave over "documentaries" about men who have sex with horses, this little jewel of a movie might as well come from a million years ago. If you've loved and lost, (or won), if there's a trace of a heart left in you, you can't be unmoved by this film.

a mood piece more than a movie.......2007-01-18

Like the real city of Las Vegas, you have to be in the right mood to allow yourself to sink beneath the flashy, dazzling, and artificial veneer that made up this dream-like cinematic mood piece. You have to let go. Stop thinking about why the hell would Francis Coppola made a movie like this. Stop thinking about the almost absurd acting and outsider-art like directions. Go chug down that two finger of bourbon, and sink into the neons. Which mood am I talking about exactly? I think looking at the DVD cover or listening to the nocturnal soundtracks done by the unlikely duo of Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle gives you a pretty good idea. It's not exactly fancy-pants snobby cinematic high art, but it has more of a three AM Fremont Street on a cold winter night kinda feel to it. This movie is jazzy, smoky, humorous (in a midnight carnival type of way), and there is a nary sense of melancholy to it. On that note, I think nobody but Tom Waits could have done the scores for a film like this. I love this movie and almost everything about it - the first time I watched it and ever since.

One from the Heart of Darkness.......2007-01-15

A huge roll of the dice that wiped out Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope studio and saw him spending the next decade churning out pictures to pay off the debts the $28m flop left him with, One From the Heart is one of those films I really want to like - to love, even - but which just won't let me. Visually it's a triumph, but the Tom Waits suicide blues score rarely works as a screen musical and as a human drama its kept firmly on the ground by the fact these characters just aren't likeable. Coppola seems more interested in his lavish studio settings than what's happening in them, with even the most mundane sequences shot like an imaginatively staged theatrical musical with intricate shifts of lighting and colour, dissolving walls and neon dreams. But perhaps the biggest problem of all is that Coppola doesn't seem to have made this film for the audience but for himself, and so it probably never connects with anyone not on his personal wavelength. The trailers give away a big part of the problem: the 1982 release stresses the Godfather and Apocalypse Now as evidence of Coppola's genius while the 2003 reissue trailer runs off a list of critical superlatives in a sternly unemotional voice: joy isn't on the menu here.

That the story is so simple as to be almost invisible - a couple split up over the 4th July weekend and become involved with new partners - needn't be a problem: after all, three sailors on furlough looking for Miss Turnstiles or a backwoodsman convincing his six bachelors to kidnap six local girls to marry aren't exactly complex. With good casting, good writing and good musical numbers, there's no real reason it shouldn't work. Unfortunately it doesn't get them. The argument that kicks off the split is atrociously written and just as badly acted - you've seen more vicious spats on The Dick Van Dyke Show - and because we never buy it for a moment the film is handicapped almost from the start. The fact that either lead can carry a movie, is even more of a problem, leaving you with a film without any heart at its center: Raul Julia is the only member of the cast who really shines, and he probably has the least screen time of anyone in the picture. The constant crosscutting doesn't help, with Coppola cutting away as soon as one scene starts to gel to focus on an awkward one that never does. Despite input from Gene Kelly (barely noticeable) and Michael Powell (visually very noticeable), it's not even quite a musical - aside from a couple of fantasy numbers it opts Yentl-like to keep the singing as an invisible chorus/underscore not so much commenting as setting the melancholy tone that counterpoints the bright, garish visuals. The film's one promising musical number, where Julia's serenade of Teri Garr spills out onto the streets of Las Vegas, is never allowed to play uninterrupted without meandering shots of Frederic Forrest wandering through the neon streets.

Coppola's 2003 re-edit of the film does nothing to improve matters. The revised opening is a little smoother but at the expense of Forrest's character, removing all remaining traces of color to make him even more of a boring homebody. It's an excellent DVD, however, with everything you could want to know and more and offering some fairly frank insights into the failure of Coppola's attempt to ally the expertise of the old studio contract system with the modern advances of electronic cinema, not to mention the constant financing problems. It's just a shame that the film itself is so damn hard to love.

Not a Typical Movie.......2007-01-05

"One From the Heart" is to a typical movie as an abstract painting is to a photograph. It is significant that the opening scene is of a large sign in the desert that reads, "Reality Wreckers".

If you are only interested in photographs, this is not for you. If you are open to something more dreamlike, you might enjoy this film. I absolutely loved this movie.

Average customer rating:

Map of the Human Heart
Good Movie
good movie
A Story of Enduring Love
The odyssey through life of an Inuit named Avik (a.k.a. "Holy Boy!")

Map of the Human Heart
Starring: Jason Scott Lee , Robert Joamie , Anne Parillaud , Annie Galipeau , and Patrick Bergin
Director: Vincent Ward
Manufacturer: Miramax
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ASIN: B0001MDQ58
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

The visual sophistication of director Vincent Ward (The Navigator, What Dreams May Come) pulls us through this often awkward chronicle of the lifelong star-crossed passion shared by a Canadian Eskimo boy (Jason Scott Lee, from Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) and the mixed-race girl (La Femme Nikita's Anne Parillaud) he meets and falls in love with as a child. (A glowering Patrick Bergin is the third corner of the triangle.) Flamboyant sequences, like an amorous clinch on top of a billowing dirigible, and the heartfelt grandeur of the Arctic landscapes, are almost enough to compensate for the clunky transitions and the melodramatic excesses of the storytelling. Almost. Ward's first film, The Navigator (not to be confused with The Flight of...), is a visionary oddity that gives a much clearer indication of the way his work was heading: into the upper atmosphere. --David Chute

Description

From the acclaimed director of WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART is a visually stunning love story that would last a lifetime! When a half-Eskimo boy named Avik (Jason Scott Lee -- DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY) leaves his Arctic home with a British mapmaker (Patrick Bergin -- BENEATH LOCH NESS) to seek medical attention in Canada, it marks the first steps in an epic personal journey. In Montreal Avik meets Albertine (Anne Parillaud -- LA FEMME NIKITA), a half-Indian girl with whom his life will be forever linked. Spanning decades and distance through war and adversity, their star-crossed relationship becomes a grand romantic adventure of never-ending intensity! Featuring a memorable appearance by big-screen favorite John Cusack (RUNAWAY JURY) -- you'll agree with critics everywhere who raved about this outstanding motion picture!

Customer Reviews:

Map of the Human Heart.......2007-08-26

This is one of the most poignant, touching stories ever told. Spellbinding as well as adventurous this is a movie I never tire of watching or recommending to friends who have also loved it.

Good Movie.......2007-07-16

This is a different movie, is like a love soty I like it very much.

good movie.......2007-03-19

LIKED IT BETTER WHEN I FIRST SAW IT.....BUT STILL A BUY!

I WANT THE SOUNDTRACK!

A Story of Enduring Love.......2007-02-20

A different love story that follows the life of an Eskimo boy from his life as a child in a barren frozen land to the horrors of war as an adult & the love he carries throughout this journey of a young girl he met while lonely & frightened in a Sanatorium recovering from tuberculosis.Just a beautiful & sometimes heart rending story..

The odyssey through life of an Inuit named Avik (a.k.a. "Holy Boy!").......2006-07-07

There is an inherent sense of wonder to the story of an Inuit that can begin in the frozen arctic of Canada and takes him to the firebombing of Dresden during World War II. In 1931 young Avik (Robert Joamie) sees an airplane land on the ice, and meets Walter Russell (Patrick Bergin), a mapmaker. The boy exhibits some curiosity in Russell's surveyor gear and says "Holy Boy" instead of "Holy Cow," which apparently endears him enough to Russell that when he discovers Avik is suffering from tuberculosis he takes the boy to Montreal. The cure is painful enough, but Avik also has to deal with the attentions of Sister Banville (Jeanne Moreau), who wants to turn him and the other native children into good little white children. But Avik forms a friendship with young Albertine (Annie Galipeau) that forges a link for life.

What Avik and Albertine most share in common is that they are trapped between two worlds: he is half white and half Eskimo while she is half white and half Indian. When they are separated again it is her desire to one day sing a song on the wireless that becomes the key to their connecting once again as adults. As an adult, Avik (Jason Scott Lee) is considered a curse to his tribe and they want nothing to do with him, so when Russell returns and explains that the world is at war, Avik decides to enlist. He becomes a photographer in a bomber, named "Holy Boy!" of course, recording the affects of bomb strikes, and one day Albertine (Anne Parillaud) finds him. She is also in the military and her job is to analyze strike photographs, which affords some rather interesting ways for him to communicate with her as the war continues.

There is a framing device for this story, as Avik tells his story in flashback to a new mapmaker (John Cusack), who has come into the frozen north. The relationship between Avik and Albertine certainly has its moments, especially when it gets above the group, a motif that is repeated throughout the film often enough for us to catch on to its significance. The figure of Russell continues to figure largely in Avik's life, but when it involves Albertine as well I was uncomfortable with the turn of events. But the narrative builds to such a point that a great leap forward in time and space is mandated to be able to tell the ending of the tale. There are exquisite and memorable scenes to be sure in the final act as director Vincent Ward tries to have his film take wing. In this regard it will succeed with some and with others not so well, but regardless of which camp you find yourself in at the end, it is certainly worth the watching.

Average customer rating:

a fantastic indie
Probably Jeff Bridges, Edward Furlong's best film
ed furlong great as ever. jeff bridges is like no other.
Martin Bell's American Heart
Should have been released in widescreen.

American Heart
Starring: John Boylan , Jeff Bridges , Edward Furlong , Greg Sevigny , and Jayne Entwistle
Director: Martin Bell
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B0000844IK
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Amazon.com essential video

Jeff Bridges may be the American film actor with the most unseen great performances to his credit. Near the top of the list of Bridges's most overlooked films is this one, the first fiction film by documentary maker Martin Bell (Streetwise). Bridges plays Jack, an ex-con fresh out of prison and back in Seattle, where he is joined by Nick (Edward Furlong), a teenage son he barely knows. Nick wants nothing more than to spend time with Jack, to feel like a family. But Jack can barely cope with the concept of holding a job and staying out of trouble; he can hardly take care of himself, let alone be responsible for a teenager. Bell shows the toll on both as they slowly develop a bond and, after several false starts, learn to trust and care for each other. Bridges is magnificent as this loner who must learn to trust feelings he'd given up on years before. It's an involving and tragic tale. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

a fantastic indie.......2007-03-30

My favorite actor is Edward Furlong (not just in this movie but in all of his movies) and this is in my opinion his best. This movie fortunately was an indipendant film and was not a hollywood movie (Hollywood messes a lot of things up with popularity) All of the actors are great the script is really good and the end is good and sad (the whole movie is very dramatic which is the thing i like about it besides the actors , furlong being number one) this movie has irony as well (you'll know when you see it) and massive realistic drama. if you like dramatic movies that arent shrouded in popularity and is filled with awesome actors, a sad ending and plus a good backround soundtrack, this is a perfect movie. (you'll be very suprised on how many kid stars there are and how good of actors they are.) plus it's made in Seattle and theres a good amount of punk rockers in it (suprisingly theres not too much grunge since it was made when grunge was mainstream0 ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID

Probably Jeff Bridges, Edward Furlong's best film.......2005-03-15

I am suprised how many have not seen American Heart, but for some reason this movie was fated to be a sleeper gem waiting to be discovered by the fortunate few. Good performances all around, a sensible script, and most importantly not too much syrup, unlike a lot of other family dramas that lay it on a bit too thick. If you like realism and want a film that explores the plot described above, then this is an excellent choice.

(...)

Furlong's characters exhibit reserve, introversion, and recklessness. Part of his character, not to say charm, is a mysterious dark side which may have a basis in reality, if media reports are to be believed.

ed furlong great as ever. jeff bridges is like no other........2004-04-07

2 great actors in one movie and one little actress (tracy kapisky that was never heard of again).
jack was a theft, he just got out and is wanting a strait life. he just wants to go get his dream and he doesnt want anyone meddeling in his buisness while hes getting his end and getting out. everything goes wrong. jack gets picked up by his near forgotten son nick carrying little more than a suitcase and a picture of a pig. nick wants to be reunited with his father. unlike jack hes actually been waiting around for his dad to get out so they could again be a family whereas jack didnt care. after many unsuccessful attempts to ditch nick jack takes in his son and tries to be any kind of father hes capable of which may not be much but fatherly love hed put away is only realised when grows fear that he may lose his son to crime.
along the story you also meet 3 other people. nicks best friend played by :Christian Frizzell ... Rollie
Rollies devoted but can be a dumb kid sometimes. hes a skater from the corner who sales for the post with nick. he is also associated with the group of hustlers that nicks friends with on the corner.
then you have tracey kapisky who plays Molly
Molly is Nicks big crush. shes loud mouthed, sly, street smart and pretty. shes also a prostitute and dances for private parties. nick wants to settle down with this one...
then you have Lucinda Jenney who plays Charlotte, the woman that Jacks been writing from a magazine called "american heart" in which they began writing letters while Jack was in prison. Charlotte isnt stupid. Shes also a good woman and tries really hard to be there for Jack and help him help himself and help him in any way she can. She also tries to be there for Nick but nick hates her because he doesnt care for the intrusion.
Then you have Rainey but im not telling you about Rainey..

Martin Bell's American Heart.......2004-01-20

This film has an excellent cast rising above some lackluster material you have seen before in other "angry ex-con" driven stories.

Jack (Jeff Bridges) is a recently released convict who tries to dump his fifteen year old son Nick (Edward Furlong) in the very first scene. Jack heads to Seattle, with Nick following, in order to set up a new life without the bothers of fatherhood. Jack meets with his old partner in crime Rainey (Don Harvey), who pays Jack a little money. Jack gets a job washing windows on high rise buildings, and settles into a small apartment.

And then there is Nick. He has left Jack's sister's farm to live with him. He skips out on registering for school, and hangs around some homeless street kids downtown. Jack is boozing his way through Seattle, meeting up with Charlotte, who used to write him by way of a personals magazine called "American Heart." Nick gets a job delivering newspapers, and Nick and Jack share their little apartment, upstairs from a topless dancer and her troubled teen daughter Molly (Tracey Kapisky).

The film then meanders through scenes of Jack and Nick arguing, then grudgingly making up, trying to develop some sort of normal relationship. Rainey cannot get Jack to come back to crime, but he does eventually get Nick to serve as a lookout for a job. Jack is saving for an impossible dream of moving to Alaska, and Nick wants to help. Nick and Molly grow closer, and Nick shoplifts a pair of shoes for her. Jack discovers the merchandise, along with some weed. Rainey robs Jack, who is also evicted and fired from his job.

Eventually, the cast begins spiraling downward, as Nick gets involved in a burglary for Rainey that goes horribly wrong, and Molly begins taking after her mother. Jack and Nick decide to leave Seattle, but Jack needs to take care of one more thing first...

Martin Bell was responsible for "Streetwise," the gritty documentary about homeless street kids that is among the greatest documentaries ever produced. He used this experience with this fictional film, but I found this screenplay often resorted to Hollywood convention. The ex-con trying to make it on the outside has been done, but maybe not this well acted before.

I wish Jeff Bridges would just win an Oscar. His performance here is wonderful. He is flawed, and his behavior is innate. He does not want a relationship with Nick, and makes that all too obvious without resorting to stereotypical behavior. Bridges even has a light moment, when Jack's parole officer Normandy (Melvyn Hayward) is banging on the apartment door, and a hungover Jack finds underage Molly fast asleep at the foot of his bed.

Furlong, who I have never liked in anything, gives his best performance here, too. I noticed his scenes where he plays opposite adults are more effective than when he is dealing with his teenage contemporaries. He is sympathetic without being saintly or cutesy. Jack and Nick's argument in the apartment, where Nick smashes a treasured ukulele, is strong stuff. Lucinda Jenney as Charlotte is also good, although Bell unwisely drops her character from the last part of the film after we have become so involved with her. While Don Harvey as Rainey is okay, there is a mentor relationship with Jack that is never fully explored. He looks Furlong's age, someone with a harder edge may have made more of an impact.

"American Heart" is a decent film that should be sought out for the acting. Jeff Bridges deserves all the praise he has ever received, and this film should have given him more than he got.

Should have been released in widescreen........2003-03-02

Having previously bought the Artisan release of "Mountains of the Moon", I was hoping that this labeling was faulty just as the labeling had been on that disc. Both DVD's were labeled as standard versions. Whereas "Mountains of the Moon" was, in reality, a widescreen presentation, "American Heart" is sadly fullscreen, just as the packaging indicates. Why do companies, such as Artisan, insist on releasing movies in fullscreen?! Like many other viewers, I abhor pan and scan.

Average customer rating:

Sweet Buckness

The Heart of Krump
Starring: Heart of Krump
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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