Thomas Lennon Movies
One of the few members of the New York-based MTV comedy troupe "The State" to hail from the Midwest, Chicagoan comedian Thomas Lennon is also an accomplished screenwriter.Born in Oak Park, IL, on August 9, 1970, Lennon attended New York University as an undergraduate in the late '80s, at a point when Todd Holoubek -- a member of the campus sketch comedy team "Sterile Yak" -- abandoned that earlier group in favor of forming an alternative improvisational ensemble, christened "The New Group." Comprised largely of freshmen, the team blended film, video, and live performance in its live audience shows. Lennon joined the ensemble, as did fellow coeds Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. Following a series of original shows (which began with "I'm Rubber, You're Glue"), The New Group landed its first gig as the opening act for Dennis Miller during one of the comedian's appearances at NYU, circa 1990. He paid them 1,000 dollars total.
In the early '90s, Lennon made several short films, including The Waiters, which ran on the Bravo network; meanwhile, after MTV formally rejected the ensemble's pitch for a weekly series, Wain worked with the others to shoot demos for the MTV series You Wrote It, You Watch It, which catalyzed the network's interest. At that point, The New Group changed its name to "The State: Full Frontal Comedy." They landed an official series on MTV in 1993, boosted by an appearance on The Jon Stewart Show, in which they completely demolished the comedian's set. Over the course of the first two years, ratings skyrocketed, carrying the series through several seasons. It wrapped in 1997.
During the series' run, Lennon wrote much of the material, including the popular "Monkey Torture" sketch. After the show ended, he joined cast members Kerri Kenney and Michael Ian Black to create the Comedy Central variety show spoof Viva Variety, based on an old sketch from The State. Lennon transitioned to features by voicing the documentarian character in the hit comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, the feature-film debut of State director Michael Patrick Jann. Lennon also appeared in the feature films Memento, Out Cold, and Boat Trip, as well as TV commercials for various candy items and video-game platforms.
Returning to the television series format, Lennon sustained a recurring role in the short-lived ABC medical drama MDs. He then reunited with Kenney and other State members to create the reality cop show spoof Reno 911!, starring himself as pretty-boy Lieutenant Jim Dangle. Directed by Jann, the show became a hit on Comedy Central in 2003.
Lennon maintained a busy schedule in 2004, with supporting roles in the A-list romantic comedies A Guy Thing, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Le Divorce. That same year, he also did screenwriting work (alongside many others) on Todd Phillips's Starsky & Hutch (2004), and the terribly received action comedy Taxi, starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon. While Reno 911! continued through 2005, Lennon contributed to the scripts of such mainstream releases as Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), The Pacifier (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), and Let's Go to Prison!
2007 saw the young comedian and scenarist involved in his most ambitious project to date. He posed a triple threat as cast member, executive producer, and screenwriter of that year's Balls of Fury, directed by fellow "Stater" Ben Garant, one of the major forces behind Reno 911! The picture stars Dan Fogler as Randy Daytona, a Ping-Pong champion recruited by an FBI agent and drawn into an underground Ping-Pong league. Fogler's mission is to hone in on the vile Feng (Christopher Walken), a Ping-Pong pro who rules over the illicit games, and hand him over to the authorities. Spyglass Entertainment and Rogue Films slated the picture for a January 27, 2007 release.
Lennon lives with his wife, Jenny Robertson, in Los Angeles. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2012
Eddie Murphy stars in this new incarnation of Richard Matheson's classic adventure, this time portrayed with a comic slant in the tale of a magician who must break a shrinking hex that's been thrown on him before he grows so small that he ceases to exist. The Reno 911! screenwriting duo of Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant provide the script, with Brett Ratner taking on directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy
Engaged to the woman of his dreams yet uncomfortable with the prospect of not having a best man for his upcoming wedding, a successful real estate agent with no male friends schedules a series of "man dates" in hopes of finding a suitable candidate for the big day. Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is just like most other guys, only when it comes to making friends he's always been a bit withdrawn. After proposing to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones), however, Peter quickly realizes that he doesn't even have any friends close enough to qualify for the role of best man. And what better method to find the perfect best man than to spend some time getting to know the most qualified candidate for the position? While most of Peter's "man dates" are incredibly awkward from the very beginning, the desperate bridegroom is surprised to hit it off with Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) on their very first meeting. Sydney is charming, personable, and opinionated, and before long he and Peter have become inseparable. But this isn't exactly what Zooey had in mind, because the closer that Peter grows to his new "bro," the further he drifts from the woman who will soon be his wife. Now, with the wedding closing in and the drama heating up, Peter begins to ponder a means of staying good friends with Sydney while still remaining true to the woman he loves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, (more)
A former high school basketball star gets a second shot at life when he's miraculously transformed into a teenager and offered the opportunity to redefine his future. Back in 1989, Mike O' Donnell (Matthew Perry) had it all; not only was the 17-year-old senior the king of the basketball court, but college scouts were circling as well. But just as Mike's future began to glow brighter than ever before, he sacrificed everything in order to stay by his expectant girlfriend, Scarlet, and be a good father. Nearly 20 years later, Mike has just been passed over for a big promotion at work, his marriage is failing, and his teenage kids can't stand him. His dreams long gone and his family falling apart, Mike takes to staying with his best friend, Ned (Thomas Lennon), a former high school geek-turned-techno billionaire. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Mike is transported back into his teenage body and given the given the unique opportunity to relive his salad days. But while Mike may look 17 again, his thirtysomething outlook at life puts him hopelessly at odds with the class of 2009. When Mike discovers that by attempting to recapture his best years he could risk losing all the best things he ever experienced in life, the time comes to make a decision that could have a drastic impact on both his past and his future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, (more)
Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the unfortunate night watchman who continues to encounter living and breathing museum exhibits in Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian, 20th Century Fox's tent-pole sequel from director Shawn Levy. Scott Frank, Robert Ben Garant, and Thomas Lennon provide the script, with Chris Columbus returning to handle producing duties. Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Hank Azaria join the returning cast of Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, and Owen Wilson in the 1492 and 21 Laps Entertainment co-production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, (more)
- 2008
Thomas Lennon, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Stephnie Weir star in first-time feature producer/screenwriter/director Paul Leuer's romantic comedy drama about a washed-up baseball player who dreams of escaping the trailer park and moving to Australia to live the American Dream. Shroeder Duncan (Lennon) is a former all-star baseball player whose life has taken a sharp detour into dissatisfaction. It's his thirtieth birthday, and Shroeder longs for a more meaningful existence than the one he shares in the Eden Court trailer park with his devoted wife Bonnie (Williams-Paisley). Trouble is, Shroeder's promising athletic career had been cut short by a fateful injury, leaving his choices in life severely limited. While his job as the groundkeeper at a local minor league baseball park at least gives Shroeder the chance to get out on the field and mingle with the players again, it pains him to see them moving on to achieve the kind of success that he always longed for. One night, depressed and sitting in font the television, it dawns on Shroeder that he could leave his old life behind in order to seek out his own American Dream in Australia. But staring over in life isn't always an easy task, especially when your wife, family, and friends vow not to let go without a fight. Ultimately, it's up to Shroeder to choose between living a life of freedom alone, or accepting his little slice of trailer park paradise in Eden Court. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Lennon, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, (more)
The officers of Reno 911! are back in their most ridiculous season yet, with 16 episodes that'll make you very glad these aren't your local cops. In this fifth season (which aired on Comedy Central in 2008), Wiegel (Kerri Kenney) meets her real daddy, the department hires a former sex slave, and the team takes on a badass bounty hunter. With their failed stings and constant drinking problems, they prove that they have exactly what it takes to be police officers: badges. Bonus material includes over 40 minutes of extended scenes, audio commentary from the cast on select episodes, and featurettes.
- Starring:
- Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, (more)
A hard-drinking lush finds himself thrust into superhero mode in director Peter Berg's unconventional look at the private life of a crime-fighter. Will Smith stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Charlize Theron, (more)
Much of the group responsible for MTV's The State -- including director/actor David Wain and performers Ken Marino, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Joe Lo Truglio -- reunite for this outrageous, irreverent, and raunchy sketch comedy, which skewers the Ten Commandments. In the framing sequences, comedian Paul Rudd (who collaborated with much of the cast on Wet Hot American Summer and The Baxter) stands on a black stage with giant Biblical tablets projected behind him and promises to deliver ten mini-stories, each loosely based on one of the commandments, from "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me" through "Thou Shalt Not Covet." For all of the storyteller's efforts, however, he is constantly, comically distracted by interferences, particularly those emanating from intrusions by his multiple girlfriends. The stories are nonetheless told one by one in short-film form, beginning with a sketch in which Stephen (Adam Brody) goes skydiving with his intended, Kelly (Winona Ryder), but forgets to wear his parachute and gets stuck in the mud, waist-deep, which draws gawkers, media, and in time, worshipers. Several of the subsequent stories consist of raunchy, jet-black riffs on sexual perversion, including one about a virginal librarian (Gretchen Mol) entangled in a sultry and messy affair with a Mexican, and another memorable bit about a nutty surgeon who plays a prank by burying a pair of scissors in a patient's stomach and is then sent to prison -- where he experiences brutal sexual abuse at the hands of other men. As an added bonus, the picture packs in a fully animated sequence, narrated by several crack-smokers, entitled "The Lying Rhino." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen, (more)
- 2007
The edgy sketchy comedy troupe known as the Upright Citizens Brigade follow the cult success of their TV show with this epic performance. Members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh start the show with some improv, eventually running through a host of wild sketches that leave no taboo topic out of bounds. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, (more)
A disgraced former ping pong champion is drawn back into the world of high-stakes table tennis to carry out a top-secret mission in the feature directorial debut of Reno 911! writer/director Ben Garant. Far removed from the rigidly regulated world of professional sports, clandestine ping pong tournaments offer thrilling competition where only the strong survive. There was a time when the mere mention of the name Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) was enough to make even those most hardened ping pong player cower in fear, but these days Randy has fallen out of favor with ping-pong fans. The former champ soon receives a much-needed shot at redemption, however, when he is recruited by a determined FBI agent named Rodriguez (George Lopez) to win a coveted spot in the upcoming underground table tennis tournament and ferret out the nefarious Feng (Christopher Walken), whose thriving criminal empire has transformed him into a true menace to society. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, (more)
The bumbling cops of Comedy Central's hit television series take a trip to Miami Beach for a national police convention. After the trip there turns out to be much more difficult than anticipated, the bumbling crew must leap into action when the convention center becomes the target of a biological terrorist attack. Lieutenant Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon) must keep together his motley and inept crew in order to save everyone from the disaster, and keep peace on the streets of the popular Florida city. The film features the same cast from the popular Comedy Central series of the same name. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lennie Loftin, Danny DeVito, (more)
The new night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History finds that the job comes with more responsibility than he ever dreamed in this wild fantasy comedy directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke. Larry Daley (Stiller) is a kind-hearted dreamer who always knew that he was destined for greatness, he just never quite knew how. None of his ideas or inventions has panned out, so with a heavy heart, he takes a regular job as a lowly graveyard-shift security guard at the Museum of Natural History in order to provide a more stable life for himself and his ten-year-old son. His first night on the job, however, he finds that guardianship of the museum is far from stable -- at nightfall, an Egyptian spell brings the artifacts and wax figures to life! With Attila the Hun charging to war through the hallways, the diorama miniatures embroiled in a deadly feud, and a two-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex nagging to play fetch, Larry has half a mind to turn tail and run. On top of cleaning up after two million years of historical chaos every night, he also has to make sure that not a single museum piece leaves the building -- from the bratty Capuchin monkey in the African exhibit, to the life-sized Neanderthal in the prehistoric display -- because if morning light falls on an escaped artifact, it will turn to dust. Larry turns to a wax replica of President Roosevelt (Williams) for a little advice on keeping things in tact, but Teddy seems to think that a man of Larry's greatness needs little help. Larry isn't sure if the former commander in chief is right; this is hardly what he signed up for, but he can't pass up the chance to care for a museum where history really does come to life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, (more)
Bob Odenkirk's jail comedy Let's Go to Prison, stars Will Arnett as Nelson Biederman IV, the son of a judge who ends up being sentenced to serve time in Rossmore State Penitentiary. During one of his rare stints out of incarceration, career criminal John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard) learns of the conviction. John holds a grudge against Nelson's father and decides to get his revenge by going back to jail and making Nelson's stay there as horrible as possible. Chi McBride co-stars as a fellow inmate. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dax Shepard, Will Arnett, (more)
The officers of the Reno, Nevada Sheriff's department are back with a fourth season of Reno 911! that's full of murder intrigue, and a disturbingly (and mysteriously) pregnant Officer Wiegel. From committing election fraud to donning hot pink uniforms and blowing up various large items, the officers give their all in every episode after gloriously inept episode.
- Starring:
- Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, (more)
The toughest man in the American military faces a new kind of challenge -- looking after four kids in soccer-mom suburbia -- in this family-friendly comedy from Walt Disney Pictures. Shane Wolf (Vin Diesel) is a former Navy SEAL who was assigned to protect a scientist working on a top-secret defense project for the government. Despite Wolf's efforts, however, an assassin slipped past him and murdered the man he was guarding. The inventor's project is still being stored in his home, so Wolf has now been assigned to protect Julie (Faith Ford), the scientist's widow, as well as her four children, Zoe (Brittany Snow), Seth (Max Thieriot), Lulu (Morgan York), and baby Peter (Kegan Hoover and Logan Hoover). Wolf has had years of military experience in some of the most dangerous places on Earth, but he doesn't know much about raising kids, and he soon discovers his new job demands he be a nanny as much as a bodyguard. The Pacifier also co-stars Brad Garrett, Lauren Graham, and Carol Kane. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Graham, Vin Diesel, (more)
A longtime comedian who has repeatedly failed to break big finds his one last shot at stardom thwarted by his toughest crowd yet in director Pete Schwaba's tale of love and failure on the standup circuit. Despite being singled out for stardom early on in his comedy career, L.A. comic Joe Keegan (Schwaba) never really managed to find his footage in the ultra-tough world of show business. Informed by his best friend, Kenny (Lance Barber), that Tonight Show talent scout Harvey Skoric will be attending the upcoming "Rocktober" festival in Pine Lake, WI, Joe reluctantly decides to take a break from the West Coast and pull out all the stops for one final all-or-nothing audition. Initially dejected when his set is sabotaged by local emcee Dug (Thomas Lennon), Joe finds inspiration in the form of his former high-school English teacher Molly Mahoney (Lauren Holly), herself attempting to overcome the recent pains of a failed marriage. Concerned that he may have been wasting his life but convinced by Molly that he has simply been living his dream, Joe takes the stage once again to face a formidable crowd filled with hunters, Packers fans, and former high-school football star-turned-drug dealer Big Jake Norquist (Tony Goldwyn) -- the so-called "Godfather of Green Bay," who also has eyes for the lovely Molly. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pete Schwaba, Lauren Holly, (more)
The world's wackiest Volkswagen is back in action in this action comedy. Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) is the 18-year-old daughter of Ray Peyton Sr. (Michael Keaton), a once-successful stock car driver whose career is not what it once was. Maggie loves racing and is in line for a job covering NASCAR for ESPN, but in her heart she'd rather be behind the wheel, even though her father strictly forbids this. For Maggie's birthday, Ray takes her out looking for a used car, and she finds herself strangely drawn to a wrecked 1963 Volkswagen in a salvage yard. Against Ray's better judgment, Maggie gets the car, and a note in the glove box tells her the rust bucket is named "Herbie," and he can help her solve her problems. To her surprise, the message turns out to be true -- with a little TLC, Herbie is running like new, and after showing his stuff in a street race, Maggie persuades her naysayer dad to take her and her VW on as part of his racing team. Herbie: Fully Loaded also stars Matt Dillon as rival racer Trip Murphy, Breckin Meyer as Maggie's brother (and fellow struggling driver) Ray Jr., and Justin Long as Maggie's friend Kevin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Lohan, Justin Long, (more)
Buckle up for another ride with the officers of Reno Nevadaâs Sheriffâs Department in this third season DVD of the hit Comedy Central Series. From a stint in prison to an accidental cat killing to close encounters of the S.A.R.S. kind, you can expect nothing but foolish choices and utter mediocrity from these hapless law enforcers!
- Starring:
- Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, (more)
- 2005
- PG
- Add The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to QueueAdd The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to top of Queue
Douglas Adams' oft-adapted tale of an normal guy making his way through the universe (it's already been presented as a novel, a radio serial, a television series, and a comic book) finally makes its way to the big screen in this endearingly goofy sci-fi comedy. Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) is a very ordinary man who is having a truly unusual day -- after discovering that one of his best friends, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), is actually an alien, Ford tells him that the planet Earth is going to be destroyed so that otherworldly forces can make room for construction of a hyperspace bypass. Since Arthur accidentally saved Ford's life years ago, Ford does him a favor -- he first gets him a ride on a spaceship passing by, and then presents him with a guidebook that will tell a beginner everything he needs to know as he hitchhikes through outer space. Along the way, Arthur encounters such interstellar notables as sleazy Galaxy president Zaphod Beebelbrox (Sam Rockwell), the girl of his dreams Tricia McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), perpetually glum robot Marvin (voice of Alan Rickman), interplanetary construction magnate Slartibartfast (Bill Nighy), and cult leader Humma Kavula (John Malkovich). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first feature film for Garth Jennings, previously best known for his work in television commercials and music videos; he was recommended to the producers by director Spike Jonze after Jonze had to turn down an offer to head up the project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Freeman, Mos Def, (more)
- 2005
- R
- Add Conversations With Other Women to QueueAdd Conversations With Other Women to top of Queue
An encounter between two people with a shared past and conflicting futures is played out on a split-image screen in this offbeat drama. An unnamed man (Aaron Eckhart) and woman (Helena Bonham Carter) are enjoying drinks and cigarettes in a hotel room after attending a wedding reception. At first, the two seem to be playing a flirtatious game, as he cheerfully but confidently advances toward her, and she seems at once attracted and put off by his bravado. Their pas de deux is shot and edited in split screen, with his image appearing in one half of the divided frame and hers appearing in the other. As time wears on, the man and woman begin crossing their appointed boundaries, and in some sequences one half of the frame represents the present while the other shows us events in the past. We learn that the man and woman had a tempestuous affair when they were in their late teens, and both are now committed to other people -- she has a husband, while he has a steady girl. How will the experiences of their past affect their present, and are they willing to betray their lovers for an evening's pleasure? Conversations With Other Women was the first feature film from director Hans Canosa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Eckhart, (more)
An inept cop suddenly gets a new partner in the person of a cabbie with attitude in this high-rolling comedy. Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) is a police officer who becomes the laughingstock of the department after a series of traffic accidents cause him to lose his driver's license. One day, Washburn gets an urgent call to head out to the location of a bank robbery; unable to drive himself there, he hails a cab. As it happens, the taxi is being driven by Belle (Queen Latifah), a single mom who, after making a name for herself as the fastest pizza delivery person in New York, has moved up to driving a hack. What begins as a wild ride to the scene of the crime gets even wilder as Washburn and Belle become unexpected allies while following the trail of a team of beautiful but reckless female bank robbers led by Vanessa (Gisele Bundchen). Adapted from a popular French action comedy with the same name, Taxi was Jimmy Fallon's first big-screen vehicle after leaving the cast of the popular sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, (more)
Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in the title roles, this kitschy tongue-in cheek action comedy is based on the popular 1970s cop show of the same name. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson) and Dave Starsky (Stiller) are a tough pair of plain-clothes cops who drive a red and white Ford Torino and solve cases with the assistance of their informant, Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). While investigating their latest case, the duo realize that the culprit is none other than Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), the criminal involved in their first bust. Starsky & Hutch also features appearance by Juliette Lewis, Will Ferrell, and Matt Walsh, who, along with Snoop Dogg and Vaughn, all had roles in director Todd Phillips' last film, Old School. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, (more)
The whole police reality show genre is savagely raked over the coals as Reno 911! enters its second season. The men and women of the Washoe County Sheriff's Department continue to allow cameras to follow them everywhere, though why they do it is anybody's guess, since the resulting videotapes succeed only in showing everyone off in the worst possible light. (Come to think of it, would there be any laughs if they were seen in the best possible light?) The season begins as department leader Lt. Dangle (Tom Lennon) announces his retirement and schedules his own testimonial dinner -- which may be very sparsely attended thanks to a sold-out sports event. Later on, the deputies ponder the possibility that Deputy Trudy Weigel's new boyfriend may be a serial killer (she never has had much luck in affairs of the heart). In other episodes, a British inspector (Tom Bolster) shows up to compare the department's methods with those of Scotland Yard (gee, no contest there); a jailed televangelist uses his cell as a studio for his weekly "Half Hour of Power" telecast; a bitter turf war develops when the policeman's ball and the fireman's pancake dinner are scheduled on the same night; and for some obscure reason, Kenny Rogers makes not one but two guest appearances -- along with his real-life assistant Patton Oswalt. Season two comes to a riotous conclusion as Deputy Jones (Cedric Yarbrough) -- who apparently didn't die at the end of Season one -- and Deputy Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui) are accused of murdering the infamous Milkshake Man, whereupon the series' cast is replaced by a veritable battalion of celebrities (if it makes sense in context, we'll be very surprised). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, (more)
A handful of New Yorkers find their paths crossing in ways that force them to examine their lives in this contemporary drama produced by Ismail Merchant. Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a twentysomething photographer who is supposed to marry her boyfriend, Jonathan (James Marsden), in a month. But Isabel has found herself wondering if marriage is the right thing for her. Meanwhile, her mother, Diana (Glenn Close), a well-known film actress, has learned her husband has been seeing another woman, and while they have an open relationship, Diana finds this hurtful. Over the course of the day, Diana meets Alec (Jesse Bradford), a handsome young actor, and Isabel is introduced to Peter (John Light), a journalist, and both women begin to question their current relationships. The first feature for director Chris Terrio, Heights also stars Michael Murphy, Eric Bogosian, Thomas Lennon, and Rufus Wainwright. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
