Thirteen years after Nemo found his dad, Dory is getting her day in the spotlight with the new DISNEY•PIXAR feature FINDING DORY. After all of this time, she just keeps swimming into our hearts!
We pick up back in the reef, where Dory is happily living with Nemo and his father, Marlin. Still, Dory yearns for something more. She starts to piece together a past, and knows something is missing. We soon find out that her past isn’t that different from Nemo’s. Due to her short term memory loss, she wandered away from her parents and couldn’t find her way home. Soon, she couldn’t remember what she was looking for. When she finally starts putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Marlin, Nemo and Dory set out on a mission to find her parents. Together, they brave the ocean, and meet some new friends along the way in their quest to find the missing pieces in Dory’s life.
I honestly didn’t think they could top 2003’s FINDING NEMO, and they certainly did. Even though the stories have a simile thread, FINDING DORY still feels new. Plus, we find out where Dory learns to speak whale! I know you’re just dying to find out!
The humor is outstanding, and the animation is absolutely stunning. They managed to use their updated technology to give an incredible look to the film, while still making it feel like the original. I think this is in part of Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote and directed the first film. He also co-wrote and directed FINDING DORY, so the original feel and nostalgia are not lost along the way. DISNEY•PIXAR continues to impress me on a regular basis. My only regret is that I would have loved our screening to be in 3-D, but that just means I need to go see it again.
As far as voice talent goes, Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton were all incredible. DeGeneres and Brooks return to voice their characters from FINDING NEMO, while the rest are newcomers, including Hayden Rolence who takes on the role of young Nemo. They did manage to throw in Alexander Gould, the original voice of Nemo, as Passenger Carl, which is fun. Seeing as how the film takes place only a few months after their return to the reef, there was no way for a grown Gould to voice young Nemo. It was nice to see that he was included in the sequel.
FINDING DORY is funny, smart, and heartwarming. Go see it as soon as you can! It’s in theaters NOW!
A new photo and trailer have arrived for DISNEY•PIXAR’s FINDING DORY.
The film opens in theatres June 17, 2016.
Disney•Pixar’s FINDING DORY reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
The movie, directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.
FINDING NEMO won the 2003 Academy Award for best animated feature; the film was nominated for three additional Oscars (original screenplay, original score, sound editing). It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best motion picture–comedy or musical.
In 2008, the American Film Institute named FINDING NEMO among the top 10 greatest animated films ever made. At the time of its release, FINDING NEMO was the highest grossing G-rated movie of all time. It’s the fifth highest grossing animated film worldwide.
Four gorgeous posters are here for Disney•Pixar’s FINDING DORY.
The film, featuring the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton, swims into theaters June 17, 2016.
Disney•Pixar’s FINDING DORY reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
The movie is directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”).
FINDING NEMO won the 2003 Academy Award for best animated feature; the film was nominated for three additional Oscars (original screenplay, original score, sound editing). It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best motion picture–comedy or musical.
In 2008, the American Film Institute named FINDING NEMO among the top 10 greatest animated films ever made. At the time of its release, FINDING NEMO was the highest grossing G-rated movie of all time. It’s the fifth highest grossing animated film worldwide.
The film has more than 19 million Likes on Facebook, and Dory—with more than 25 million—is the most liked individual character from a Disney or Disney•Pixar film.
Social media is filled with complaints about retailers jumping the gun on Christmas. Hey the jack-o-lantern’s not yet ripe when the tinsel and wreaths go on sale. Well at least this inspired one of the great double holiday flicks, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. So, if the mall starts early, why not the attached (usually) multiplex theatres. Hollywood loves sending out movies at the end of the year set around the staples of the season. So, before you even think about grabbing the turkey (let’s not get ahead of this piece) for Thanksgiving, here’s a flick about a big, big family getting things set for the big Christmas Eve shindig. Now Mom’s a perfectionist, so everything has to be plotted out and just right. Of course, like most families, things are far from perfect. Doesn’t mean they can’t try their darndest in the new star-packed cinema stocking, LOVE THE COOPERS.
It’s early morning, December 24 (CE Day if you will) and Charlotte (Diane Keaton) and Sam (John Cooper) are on the road. Things aren’t going well in their marriage (they plan to separate in the new year), but they don’t want the family to find out. First, it’s off to son Hank’s (Ed Helms) home to pick up his pre-K daughter Madison (Blake Baumgartner) ,but oh oh, she’s repeating a naughty phrase! Hank has separated from his wife Angie (Alex Borstein), but his folks don’t know that he’s actually spending his days looking for work. His teenage son Charlie (Timothee Chalament) is not handling the break-up well, so he’s taking his little brother Bo (Maxwell Simkins) to the mall to shop (and flirt with a gal working there). Sam and Charlotte with Madison go to a senior center to sing carols and pick up Sam’s daffy Aunt ‘Fishy’ (June Squibb) , who also says (and does) naughty stuff, too! Charlotte’s father Bucky (Alan Arkin) heads into his usual diner for breakfast, unaware that his favorite waitress Ruby (Amanda Seyfried) is going to drop a bombshell on him: she’s leaving town. Back at the mall, his other daughter, the divorced adrift Emma (Marisa Tomei) is busted for shoplifting and is being transported to the station by Officer Williams (Anthony Mackie). Meanwhile at the airport, Hank’s sister Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) is hiding out in the pub, dreading the disapproval from Mom over her still single status. She strikes up a rapport with a cute soldier, Joe (Jake Lacy) whose flight has been delayed a day. Hmm, maybe he’d agree to play her fella’ for the night? Man, now that’s one frenzied family circus (no offense Mr. Keane)!
Oy, where to begin! First off, I’ve enjoyed the work of the cast so much, but really…really. All of you show know better. Talk about having to flail about without a net! Diane Keaton, You’ll always be Annie Hall, so why do you take on such a shrill character, constantly trying fix everything and everyone when not giving an earful to both your on-screen hubby and sis. At least she has a bit of a personality which is more than be said for the sad sack role Goodman has been saddled with. His appearance in films, in even the briefest cameos (see what he does in TRUMBO, for gosh sake) can spring the story to life. Helms is doing a riff on the put-upon schlubs from the HANGOVER trilogy and VACATION and TV’s “The Office” with little else to do, besides looking anxious. Arkin only seems to bounce from befuddled to indignant. And who thought he could be Keaton’s father (there’s just a dozen years difference). Tomei’s pop I can believe. She’s stuck spewing vapid psycho-babble in the back of a police cruiser on the loooooongest ride to the station ever (there’s no sub station?)! Mackie isn’t allowed any of the energy he often brings to the screen as he’s stuck as another uptight guy with a secret (much like his role in WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?). Speaking of “The Office”, another alum, Lacy, does hold on to a bit of dignity, and can be a good leading man. His scene-mate Wilde is still dazzling and a delightful comic talent, though her character is mind-numbingly silly, even for a bit of froth like this. Seyfried, the film’s other beauty, can’t spark life into this immature twenty-something who hasn’t any semblance of a game plan (oh, just gonna’ pick a town at random, eh? Uh huh). Can it be just two years ago when Squibb stole every scene in NEBRASKA? Now she’s playing the crutch of lazy screenwriters, the unpredictable senior, always good for a cut-away gag or a scene ender. She is so much better than that.
Director Jessie Nelson (I AM SAM and CORRINA, CORRINA-that explains a lot) hammers us with every manner of forced whimsy. From slow-motion dancing to fantasy flash forwards, even some CGI as characters turn to ice and shatter (that was clever on “Ally McBeal” a decade ago). But nothing fails to revive this cliché filled script from Steven Rogers (no relation to the star-spangled avenger, I should hope!). Do we really need a dream sequence of Joe and Eleanor frolicking in the airport (where’s the TSA when ya’ really need them?)? And who in the world brings their soon-to-be ex-wife to the big family Christmas Eve event? Why the better to have a big argument followed by a heartfelt plea from the kiddos, naturally! The only thing that perked me up was when I realized this was all set in Pittsburgh. Could one of these shopping centers be the legendary Monroeville Mall from the 1978 DAWN OF THE DEAD? That’s what happens during drek like this. You think about much better films, and I had a lot to think about. The narrator of this film was part of a true holiday classic, one that can be watched and enjoyed any time of the year. At the screening of this, many viewers wanted to give this flick a pass, since, well it’s a Christmas movie and it’s got nice decorations and festive foods and lights. No, much like the old thought “it’s only a kids’ movie”, a “holiday movie” should not be given a free pass. That’s an affront to all the wonderful flicks that have become annual viewing favorites. Not so with this cloying, precious mess. You want to see Christmas-y stuff. Go to your local mall instead or, better yet, stroll down main street or downtown. That’s a much better way to get in the “Noel” mood since LOVE THE COOPERS goes down like a cold glass of egg nog…from a carton that’s been sitting at the back of the fridge since last Christmas. Now that’s a lump of coal in yer’ stocking!
Disney Studios has released the first teaser trailer and poster for FINDING DORY.
Watch the adorable preview below.
Disney•Pixar’s FINDING DORY reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past.
What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.
Did you know that FINDING NEMO won the 2003 Academy Award for best animated feature; the film was nominated for three additional Oscars (original screenplay, original score, sound editing). It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best motion picture–comedy or musical.
In 2008, the American Film Institute named FINDING NEMO among the top 10 greatest animated films ever made. At the time of its release, FINDING NEMO was the highest grossing G-rated movie of all time. It’s the fifth highest grossing animated film worldwide.
The film has more than 19 million Likes on Facebook, and Dory – with more than 25 million – is the most liked individual character from a Disney or Disney•Pixar film.
LOVE THE COOPERS follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
From CBS Films, the movie stars Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, Anthony Mackie, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, Marisa Tomei & Olivia Wilde.
Directed by Jessie Nelson, LOVE THE COOPERS opens in theaters nationwide on November 13, 2015.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of LOVE THE COOPERS on Tuesday, November 10 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
Some holiday themed movies originally had different titles or were based on various stories. What are the “Christmas films” listed below better known as?
“Big Heart”
“The Greatest Gift”
“Black Christmas”
“Nothing Lasts Forever”
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
3. No purchase necessary.
PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some sexuality.
There’s nothing like a family comedy movie to get you into the holiday spirit!
CBS Films has released a new poster for director Jessie Nelson’s LOVE THE COOPERS.
Starring Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, Anthony Mackie, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, Marisa Tomei and Olivia Wilde, check out the latest trailer now.
The film follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration.
As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
LOVE THE COOPERS opens this holiday season on November 13.
Just in time for the holidays comes a new family film featuring a huge cast with a Christmas theme.
Directed by Jessie Nelson and written by Steven Rogers, LOVE THE COOPERS follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration.
As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn to night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
Starring Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, Anthony Mackie, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, Marisa Tomei and Olivia Wilde, watch the first trailer for the upcoming holiday film, LOVE THE COOPERS.
How fun does this look – big stars, holiday theme. Count me in!
Yahoo Movies interviewed director Jessie Nelson about the film.
Highlights include Nelson’s comments on:
How Love the Coopers might remind you of other festive movies with big ensembles: We’re in the spirit of Love Actually or The Family Stone…We’ve got a lot of comedy but we also have a lot of warmth and heart – that embraces the painful insanity of the holidays.
John Goodman playing the role of the family patriarch after 20 years: He was really excited to get a role like this…He had that dream dad vibe and Diana had always wanted to work him.
The scene that impressed Nelson the most – when the family goes Christmas caroling: I had no idea of the level of musicianship from some of my actors. Alan Arkin is an amazing ukulele player. John Goodman plays the harmonica beautifully. Ed Helms can play the guitar so well. Diane sings beautifully, and June Squibb has a beautiful voice. It was amazing what they did with that scene.
CBS Films will release LOVE THE COOPERS in theaters on November 2015.
Focus World has released the latest trailer for 5 FLIGHTS UP.
A wise comedy about life, love, and real estate, 5 FLIGHTS UP stars Academy Award winners Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman as a couple whose attempts at relocation send them on an urban odyssey — and help them redefine the meaning of home.
This often humorous, delicately constructed and poignant film is based on the novel Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment, which was hailed by Oprah and praised by the Los Angeles Times as “a brave, generous, nearly perfect novel.”
Check out the new trailer here.
When Ruth (Diane Keaton) and Alex (Morgan Freeman) first moved to Brooklyn, it was the 1970s — years before gentrification, and years before they would realize that they won’t always be physically able to climb several flights of stairs just to get home. Still highly active, yet feeling the undeniable effects of age, the couple opts to put their apartment on the market. But the decision coincides with a flurry of problematic events.
A trailer jackknifes on the Williamsburg Bridge and the driver inexplicably flees the scene, putting all of New York on an overblown terrorist alert. The couple’s dog becomes ill and the vet bill comes to $10,000. An overwhelming sequence of encounters with realtors, agents, and snotty bargain hunters only adds to their troubles.
5 FLIGHTS UP opens in theaters and On Demand on May 8, 2015.
Here’s a film that tries to prove that the multiplex from May through September isn’t off-limits to the AARP crowd. Hey, they like to get out of the heat for an escape to a cool theatre too! Usually a flick with a (ahem) more mature cast and subject is released in the late Fall or Winter. So, who’s giving you a chance to take the folks (or your auntie or “Nan-Nan”) to the cinema in July (hopefully far down the hall, away from those noisy action epics) ? Why, it’s none other than Mr. Rob Reiner (no meathead jokes or I’ll age myself), a big time feature director for thirty years now (three decades since Spinal Tap)!. And he’s reteamed with the Oscar-winning star of one of his most popular efforts, Michael Douglas from THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. Whose co-star is another Oscar winner, Annie Hall herself, Diane Keaton. So can this veteran screen trio triumph against the superheroes, giant robots, and rebelling apes with AND SO IT GOES?
As the credits appear, we’re introduced to Oren Little (Douglas), a sharply dressed, snazzy senior citizen tooling about Connecticut in his sporty convertible. But his bravado hides a heavy heart. He stops off at the local cemetery to drop off fresh flowers at the gravesite of his wife, who departed a decade ago. Then he’s off to the luxurious estate they shared to meet some potential buyers (Oren’s got his own real estate biz). It doesn’t go well when they attempt to “low ball” him on the home’s asking price. Soon, it’s time to head to his current residence: a cozy four-plex on the beach. The grumpy Oren occupies one of the two first floor units (much to the annoyance of the other tenants). One of those annoyed is his downstairs neighbor Leah (Keaton), another widow. She makes a living by singing with a small jazz combo, led by pianist and sometimes beau Artie (director Reiner), most evenings at a local restaurant. But it seems she has difficulty finishing certain songs that bring up memories of her late hubby, leaving Artie and the boys to improvise as she sobs and dashes away. One day life throws a major curve at Owen when his estranged son Luke (Scott Shepherd) stops by to tell dad that he’ll be heading off to prison (no doubt thanks to his drug habit, thinks Oren). Luke needs him to take care of the granddaughter Oren has never meet (her mother is out of the picture). Despite Oren’s loud protests, Luke drops off Sarah (Sterling Jerins) at the four-plex before heading off to the big house. Luckily Leah is there to help and immediately bonds with the sad ten year-old. Oren enlists Sarah as a babysitter and surrogate grandma’ as he adjusts his retirement game plan. A romance slowly blossoms between the unlikely caregivers as the self-centered Oren begins to open his heart to life once more.
After some recent health scares, it’s great to see Douglas back on any size screen (if you’ve not caught it yet, check out the HBO biopic “Behind the Candelabra”), but Oren is just a slight improvement over his role in last year’s dreary LAST VEGAS. His small town East Coast realtor widower is a low-rent “Gordon Gekko” crossed with Lemmon and Matthau’s final pairings. There’s no real bite to his zingers and insults since we know that deep down he’s a rascal not a curmudgeon. Ultimately, in order to sell some of the weaker story points, he must resort to forced facial mugging and slapstick schtick. Douglas, despite his gifts, can’t breathe life into this sitcom plotting. Keaton is also another welcome screen presence, especially with her gentle song stylings, but her Leah is a bit of a wet blanket who’s easily manipulated by the often overbearing Oren. She has a lovely rapport with Sarah, but little real chemistry with Douglas’s character. Leah seems to be resigned to the fact that they’ll be a couple eventually. This is a big step down from her stylish senior over ten years ago in SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE. Jerins is achingly sweet in a role reminiscent of the late show movie waifs whose only really function is to get the adult leads together by the final fadeout. She’s a lovely actress, but she’s made to tug too hard at the heartstrings. Another acting vet, Frances Sternhagen, is brought on to try to enliven the dull proceedings as Douglas’ even older, feisty, no-holds-barred office worker who appears to have wondered in from a “Golden Girls” rerun. Oh, she’s a chain-smoker who puffs away everywhere, what a hoot! But the main humiliations are taken on by the director himself. Wimpy Artie’s only purpose is to sport bad, bad toupees (that elicits Oren insults), wear tacky suits, and fall down. Considering that Reiner was one of the few bright spots of THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, this may be the film’s biggest slight.
His choice of acting role is somewhat representative of the low-key energy pf Mr. Reiner’s direction. Aside from the acting royalty leads, this could easily have premiered on a basic cable TV channel. During the screening I kept wondering why this innovative film maker (quite a string of hits during the late 1980’s into the mid 90’s) was lending his talents to this material. Writer Marc Andrus seems to be taking qualities of his leads from his biggest hit, AS GOOD AS IT GETS and giving them a family friendly spin to the point of making this film’s story a string of sitcom episodes strung together (you can almost hear the network voice-over touting ” a very special episode of…”). This may be the reason some scenes just come out of left field, particularly an out-of-place emergency childbirth. The location work is lovely but it’s not enough to distract us from the lack of real rapport between the leads. There is a huge segment of the movie-going audience that’s eager for an engaging, witty love story between two adults in their “golden years”, and they deserve better than the uninspired AND SO IT GOES. Here’s hoping these seasoning film pros devote their time to more worthy, engaging projects.
