Tag Archives: Geena Davis

1982 Films, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, Christine Ebersole, Comedy, Dabney Coleman, Doris Belack, Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, George Gaynes, Jessica Lange, Lynne Thigpen, Romantic Comedy, Satire, Sydney Pollack, Teri Garr

Tootsie-1982

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Tootsie-1982

Director Sydney Pollack

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr

Scott’s Review #1,449

Reviewed November 2, 2024

Grade: A

Dustin Hoffman is perfectly cast in the romantic comedy Tootsie (1982), a blockbuster hit from 1982 with much going on within its cinematic walls and a progressive-leaning slant.

Sydney Pollack directs and also has a supporting role in the film.

In addition to Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning give all-star performances.

Tootsie is genuinely funny and a treat for anyone who has ever auditioned or been interested in the acting or theater professions. The popular soap opera or daytime drama genre features directors, producers, and actors intertwining.

Romance, drag, wacky setups, insecurities, and social commentary on gender inequality are analyzed making Tootsie more relevant than most romantic comedies and an unforgettable experience.

Hoffman plays New York actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), a talented yet opinionated perfectionist unable to find work. His flustered agent (Pollack) sends him on a soap opera audition that goes poorly.

Michael decides to reinvent himself as actress Dorothy Michaels and wins the part. What was supposed to be a short-lived role turns into a long-term contract, but when Michael falls for his castmate Julie (Jessica Lange), complications develop.

Hoffman flawlessly merges with Dorothy, a feminist,  to make her a character the audience loves and champions. This is a risky assignment and could easily make the character a goof or not be taken seriously.

Not only does Hoffman look convincing in a dress, wig, heels, and a feminine southern accent, but he makes us forget he’s a man.

The hilarity of other characters not knowing Dorothy is Michael is there when a romantic quadrangle develops. Neurotic Sandy Lester (Garr) is in love with Michael while he is in love with Julie who thinks Michael is Dorothy. Finally, Julie’s father, Les (Durning) falls for Dorothy.

The New York setting works wonderfully as struggling actors, greedy agents, and temperamental directors co-exist on tense sets, over dinners, and at many schmoozy parties. This presents the grit of New York show business in the 1980s when the city was crime-infested and dangerous.

The hustle and bustle perfectly showcases the time.

Pollack and screenwriters, Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, add satire to the soap opera, or as mentioned in the film, the politically correct, daytime drama, world.

The horny and inept longtime cast member, John Van Horn (George Gaynes) needs a teleprompter while the sexy ingenue April (Geena Davis) prances around in underwear. Hurried script rewrites and pages of dialogue to memorize makes the cast frazzled and rushed.

Tootsie takes an important though lighthearted approach to sexism but at least it’s recognized. Dorothy scolds her boss and director Ron (Coleman) for calling her demeaning nicknames like ‘Tootsie’ and treating Julie, who he’s casually dating, poorly.

Michael begins to realize that he doesn’t treat Sandy well either so he learns from his experience as a woman and being judged on beauty rather than anything else.

It forces the audience to realize this too. Tootsie was released in the early 1980s when women’s liberation was strong and more women were in the workplace so the message was timely.

The producer of the fictional soap opera is female which enhances the gender message brought across.

Still, the comedy takes center stage and the film isn’t a message movie. The funny moments feel fresh as the characters work their magic. Julie first assumes Dorothy is a lesbian when they nearly kiss and Sandy thinks Michael is having an affair with Dorothy which means he is having an affair with himself.

The antics go on and on and resemble the classic Some Like It Hot (1959) especially tender moments between Les and Dorothy.

Tootsie (1982) holds up well decades after release. Smart dialogue, witty sequences, and strong characters make it a timeless treasure to revisit often.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Sydney Pollack, Best Actor-Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress-Jessica Lange (won), Teri Garr, Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song-“It Might Be You”, Best Sound

1988 Films, Bill Pullman, David Ogden Stiers, Drama, Ed Begley Jr., Geena Davis, Kathleen Turner, Lawrence Kasdan, Romantic Drama, William Hurt

The Accidental Tourist-1988

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The Accidental Tourist-1988

Director Lawrence Kasdan

Starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis

Scott’s Review #1,215

Reviewed January 1, 2022

Grade: B+

Reuniting stars William Hurt and Kathleen Turner from 1981’s smoldering Body Heat, director Lawrence Kasdan creates a triangle of sorts with the addition of Geena Davis in The Accidental Tourist (1988).

She brings a quirky character to the fold in a film about death, tragedy, and a disintegrating marriage.

Despite the subject matter, it’s not a downer at all but rather a romantic drama brimming with rich characters and relatable situations. There are laugh-out-loud moments and there are tender moments all about the human spirit and choices we must make.

It’s an above-average flick that received several Oscar nominations and feels patterned after a Woody Allen-style film. I didn’t necessarily relate to any of the characters nor need to see the film a second time but I respect that Kasdan creates a picture not needing car chases or gratuitous violence or nudity.

The Accidental Tourist is a quiet film about life. It is based on the 1985 novel of the same name written by Anne Tyler.

When their young son is suddenly murdered, the marriage between Macon (Hurt) and his wife Sarah (Turner) flounders, and she moves out. After an accident puts him on crutches, Macon goes to stay with his quirky siblings at the family home, where he meets the high-spirited Muriel (Geena Davis).

She is a dog trainer with a young son of her own. Macon develops a slow friendship with them that surprisingly blossoms into more with Muriel. When Sarah learns about the situation, she attempts a reconciliation with Macon who is forced to make a painful decision.

The intention feels like we, the audience, are supposed to root for Macon and Muriel to get together and not feel much sympathy for Sarah but I did. After all, she is the one ultimately ditched and there is nothing like a woman scorned.

I didn’t feel like there was even much of a triangle because the film is centered around Hurt’s character and the choices Macon must face. It’s about how he deals with change and the unexpected turns of events that life can throw at anybody. Sarah and Muriel must also deal with the same choices and life circumstances but the focus is more on Macon.

The viewer will likely immerse themselves in these characters as they think about their own life and the trials and tribulations that have occurred.

Though I never read the novel I suspect it is a tad better than the film which limits the amount of time to explore the characters. Novels always have more time to delve deeper.

With that said I got a fair share of backstory about Macon, Muriel, and Sarah but didn’t gravitate to any of them over the others.

Regarding the earlier note about The Accidental Tourist being like a Woody Allen film, it has an upbeat, quirky tone that masks much of the heartbreak Macon suffers from with some added comedy. When Muriel hops a flight to Paris to follow her heart and Macon it’s something a character in an Allen film would do.

Since Macon is a writer of travel guides the film contains rich flavor for culture and tourism which is pleasing. London and Paris are the central locales and Kadan does a great job at the international stuff.

A tad long and dragging at times The Accidental Tourist (1988) has enough juiciness to keep any viewer attracted to well-written screenplays about emotional characters and the ups and downs of life satisfied.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress-Geena Davis (won), Best Screenplay-Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Original Score

1992 Films, Bill Pullman, Comedy, David Strathairn, Geena Davis, Madonna, Penny Marshall, Rosie O'Donnell, Sports, Téa Leoni, Tom Hanks

A League of Their Own-1992

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A League of Their Own-1992

Director Penny Marshall

Starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks

Scott’s Review #970

Reviewed December 18, 2019

Grade: B

Sports films are too often predictable affairs with fairy tale endings. They are also typically male-driven.

A League of Their Own (1992) is warm and sentimental, and while director Penny Marshall plays it way too sweet and safe for my tastes, there is a measure of feminism that is admirable and a bit different.

The cast is well-known and provides professionalism and energy, but the film is little more than mediocre and strikes out towards the end with a far too pretty ending, doing exactly what these genre films normally do. It’s as if Marshall has a great idea but then decides not to teeter too far left of center.

Beginning in 1988 (present times), elderly Dottie Hinson attends an opening of the new All-American Girls Professional Baseball League exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame. She reunites with several of her former teammates and friends, prompting a flashback to 1943 when the main story takes place.

With many young men off fighting World War II, the Major League Baseball franchise is at risk. A women’s league is bankrolled which prompts the recruitment of several players, forming the Peaches and the Belles. They face off in the World Series to dramatic effect.

To be fair, the film is nice and welcoming, providing a haven for filmgoers seeking a solid story and a heartwarming sensibility. The lead actors, Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, respectively the team manager and star player, provide strength and do the best they can with the roles given.

During the early 1990s, both were big stars and while their characters are not romantically linked, their chemistry is zesty. Hanks as Jimmy is a bit predictable and gruff, at first being little more than a male chauvinist, but eventually coming around to respect the women.

For fans of the sport of baseball, the film will be delightful. With enough action scenes on the outdoor diamond to please those fans, one might forget that the teams are made up of women. The demographic sought after is female, but the sunny settings and standard hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn result in the film drawing a wholesomeness that should also please men.

The supporting characters are too one-dimensional and cliched. The biggest offenders are the characters of “All the Way” Mae Morabito (Madonna) and Doris Murphy (Rosie O’Donnell).

The pop star, a horrid actress, in my opinion, is written way too corny, cracking gum and talking tough, while O’Donnell is intended to be her sidekick. The duo is street-smart and grizzled New Yorkers, but the casting never really works, and the action feels very formulaic, losing its luster very early on.

While Marshall incorporates brief moments of tragedy, one minor character’s husband is killed in action during the war, and all the action is safely in the United States, the war serving as more of a backdrop than a major player.

More common are syrupy scenes between characters who at first have a miscommunication or misunderstanding, but then forge their way to a close bond. And do we ever really believe Jimmy will not become the women’s biggest fan?

A League of Their Own (1992) is a decent watch and marginally enjoyable in a fluff way. It provides little edginess and could have provided darker story points than it does.

Instead, it shows a slice of Americana and Apple Pie approach that while not all bad, is not all good either, feeling limited by its sentimentality.

The film could be much worse and possesses characters that the viewer can root for and cheer along with a home run or a safe slide into third base. This is mainly a result of the stellar cast that Marshall presents.