Kyra Sedgwick

Cavedweller
$9.98
"Cavedweller" had conflict and resolution--characters seeking redemption, revenge, reunion with lost children--but when the conflict was resolved it didn't amount to much. You're left feeling like the dog that chased the bus until it finally stopped. Now what? Like Peggy Lee you ask, "Is that all there is?"

The plot revolved around Delia Byrd's (Kyra Sedgwick) return from Los Angeles to a small town in the South where ten years prior she'd left an abusive husband, Clint Windsor (Aidan Quinn), and their two daughters, DeDe (April Mullen) and Amanda (Vanessa Zima) to run off with Randall Pritchard (Kevin Bacon), a rock star. Along with her emotional baggage Delia brings her other daughter from L.A., Cissy Pritchard (Regan Arnold), who spends her adolescent energy brooding about her dead dad and blaming Delia for everything. She has put her father on quite a pedestal--one that he deserves about as much as the blame she has placed on her mother. Regan Arnold played her role very well, and looked like she could very well have been the progeny of Randall and Delia--or Bacon and Sedgwick (since they are married in real life). Regan isn't, apparently--but she has that ring of authenticity. For someone with the names of not one but two actors who went on to be Republican governors of California she was surprisingly sympathetic.

There are lots of flashbacks in "Cavedweller." Returning to the town Delia grew up in, it seems like every place she goes triggers some memory--mostly of abuse by Clint and the reasons she left. The Texaco Station where Randall's tour bus broke down triggers memories of how she met him and their life on the road. Delia became a back up singer with the band. If you like flashbacks, then "Cavedweller" is your movie.

Sherilyn Fenn and Jill Scott are in it, but Fenn is used totally in an expository function, to fill in the story holes by telling instead of showing; and Jill Scott, same thing--but at least she gets to sing a little bit. She plays Rosemary, another back up singer from Randall's band, still friends with Delia, who drops in for a visit. She fills in a few plot holes and she is gone. However, there is one superlative scene with her and DeDe. Taking advantage of her newfound lax curfew DeDe arrives home in the early morning hours having spent the night with some boys in a pick up truck.

"Were those twins?" asks Rosemary in a voice intended to be an accusation but that comes off with just a twinge of envy as if that was one last item left unchecked on her bucket list from her own years of touring with a rock band. April Mullen's DeDe says not a word in response--but the smug smirk on her face? Priceless.

The story and setting--small Southern town plus rock band--seemed ripe with musical possibilities that were barely used. There was a scene where Granddaddy Byrd (Myron Natwick) spun his 45's on the porch for Cissy, and we get to hear "Why, Baby, Why?" by George Jones, but it was all too brief. One flashback showed Randall playing a country tune, demonstrating his familiarity with the genre; and there were other flashbacks where his hits were playing, or else they were sung by Delia, Rosemary, or her daughters. The music was good, but there could have been more of it--especially at the crossroads where country meets rock.

The final riddle is the title: "Cavedweller." I don't think anyone ever said it out loud, and I suppose it was intended to represent Clint, a primitive wife beating cave dweller. The only problem is the whole show down and confrontation with Clint fizzled out, it seemed like a mere afterthought, and a more appropriate title would have included all the myriad other things the movie was "about." What was it all about, Alfie? The fact that they settled on "Cavedweller" only shows that the film makers were as baffled as the audience (or that a lot of material was cut from the book by Dorothy Allison upon which the film was based, but they kept the title).

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHIES

KYRA SEDGWICK

Singles (1992) .... Linda Powell
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) .... Donna, Ron's Girlfriend

AIDAN QUINN

Benny and Joon (1993) .... Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) .... Dez

LISA CHOLODENKO

Laurel Canyon (2002) .... Directed by

SHERILYN FENN

Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition (The Complete Series) .... Audrey Horne (30 episodes, 1990-1991)
Two Moon Junction (1988) .... April Delongpre

KEVIN BACON

Wild Things (1998) .... Sgt. Ray Duquette
A Few Good Men (1992) .... Capt. Jack Ross
Footloose (1984) .... Ren McCormack

Loverboy
$9.98
I bought this movie not thinking that it would be that great..Well when I saw it I was very happy that I bought this movie...Its a story that can be so true and so sad but there are some mothers like the person in the move...I would say if you are looking for a movie that is a little twisted that is base on real life then this is a movie to see.

Lemon Sky
$7.98
Some movies should never have been made, and this is one of them! Even 'Gigli' is way better and more entertaining than this BOMB! The film is based on a play, and does not translate well to the film medium. It is extremely BORING and TEDIOUS, and essentially takes place in a kitchen, living room, and bar. You will have to sit through an hour and a half of inane dialogue that cures insomnia. Yes, there are innovative visual lighting/panning film techniques, but they don't make up for this miserable excuse for a film. I sat through this with my jaw agape, wondering if it would get better towards the middle or the end. It didn't! Essentially, if you setup a camera in the kitchen of a dysfunctional family, and let it run for 96 minutes, you would get this ridiculous movie. It's no coincidence I found this DVD for three dollars in the 'bargain bin' at a major box retailer! 'Nuff said.

Losing Chase
$6.99
From the surface, this movie is depressing, but there's nothing funny about mental illness or not finding yourself in this great big world. "Losing Chase" is one of those little known movies that you feel sad for because not a whole lot of people will get to see it. Even I don't know how I came about it, but I am a huge Hellen Mirren fan ever since "Excalibur." She shines in this movie, but Kevin Bacon in his directorial debut shows a lot of sensitivity in portraying these two women. The other being Kyra Sedgwick who plays the young, post grad parent helper. The setting is the gorgeous and languid Martha's Vineyard, if you've never been there, this movie will invite you to. The begining of the movie might be a little uncomfortable to watch as young Elizabeth(Sedgwick) is introduced and humilated by Chase. Then there's the angry pre-teen son who is just as ascerbic and nasty to his mother. There's a lot of sadness in these characters because they have been affected by mental illness, but it's their inner strength and their kindness to each other that ultimately triumphs. Sedgwick and Mirren have that rare chemistry that true professional actors can convey on screen. Highly recommended.