the cast: Julia Roberts (Maggie Carpenter); Richard Gere (Ike Graham); Joan Cusack (Peggy Flemming); Hector Elizondo (Fisher); Rita Wilson (Ellie Graham); Christopher Meloni (Coach Bob Kelly)
the plot: reporter Ike Graham writes a column about Maggie Carpenter ("aka" The Runaway Bride) that contains several factual errors, supplied to him by one of Maggie's jilted exes for revenge. He's fired for not verifying his source and then decides to write an in-depth article about Maggie in a bid to get his job back. He travels to Hale, Maryland, where he finds her living with her family and on her fourth attempt to become married.
don't miss: the name of Peggy Flemming's husband's morning show: "Wake Up With Flem".
listen for: "I'm gonna go focus on your eggs, Bob."
did you know: in the scene where Richard Gere plays slide guitar with some "locals", he not only played the guitar for real but he also wrote the part he was playing.
extra bonus points: if you know why so many twins/triplets make an appearance.
the cast: Denzel Washington (Gray Grantham); Julia Roberts (Darby Shaw); Sam Shepard (Thomas Callahan); Robert Culp (President); Stanley Tucci (Khamel); John Lithgow (Smith Keen); Hume Cronyn (Justice Rosenberg)
the plot: Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead.
watch for: the very talented Stanley Tucci as Khamel. I *much* prefer him as Muerte/Morty in Undercover Blues (which, incidentally, came out the same year) but this definitely shows his versatility.
check out: the subtle reference to Jimmy Carter addressing the nation in a cardigan during the height of the fuel shortages in the 1970s.
did you know: John Grisham wrote the part of Darby Shaw with Julia Roberts in mind. Roberts read the book once it was finished and agreed to the role without even seeing a script.
listen for: "Any of those signs got my name on 'em?" "Quite a few." "What do they say?" "The usual: Death to Rosenberg, Retire Rosenberg, Cut off the oxygen." [laughs]"That's my favorite."
extra bonus points: if you know how many times Victor Mattiece, the main villain, appears in the film.
disclaimer: there are brief episodes of violence, but listen to the music and you'll be able to figure out when to close your eyes.
I'm a collector of 1940s-60s just-about-anything, I have enough old snapshots to wallpaper a small house, and I'm saving my pennies so that one day I can have my very own roller rink.
Some of the images are from screenshots I've made and some have been collected from several years of net trolling. If one of them is yours and you would like to be credited, please let me know and I'll take care of it!
