The Theory of Flight ** (1998) (New Line)* 98 minutes. Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter. Branagh plays an emotionally limited painter who has given up on his art and whose girlfriend has given up on him. Carter plays a physically limited woman whose body is succumbing to Lou Gehrig's disease. Together in this oddball romance, they make - well, truth be told, they make one really annoying couple. R (profanity, sexual situations, adult themes). (CC)
Gloria * 1/2 (1999) (Columbia TriStar)* 108 minutes. Sharon Stone, Jean-Luke Figueroa, Jeremy Northam, Cathy Moriarty, George C. Scott, Bonnie Bedelia. Stone stars in a dull, dumb remake of the 1980 melodrama that starred Gena Rowlands. Just out of prison, Gloria is saddled with a 7-year-old runaway who might awaken her maternal instinct. R (language, violence, mooning). DVD available. (CC)
RECENT MOVIES Hellcab (1997) (Trimark)* 96 minutes. Gillian Anderson, John Cusack, Michael Ironside, Laurie Metcalf. A Chicago cabbie seems to attract all the strangest people during an extra long workday. R.
Major Rock (1999) (Buzz) $39.95. 90 minutes. Don Fisher, Tabitha Stevens. An elite team is called in when Nicaraguan rebels capture a nuclear missile. R (also available in an unrated version).
Opposite Corners (1998) (Paramount)* 106 minutes. Cathy Moriarty, Frankie Valli. A young boxer struggles to qualify for the Golden Gloves while dealing with his thuggish father and emotionally withdrawn mother. R. (CC)
FOR CHILDREN The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) (Buena Vista) $22.99. 68 minutes. Featuring the voices of Bing Crosby, Basil Rathbone. Disney's The Wind in the Willows is combined with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. G. (CC)
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1999) (Buena Vista) $22.99. 74 minutes. Featuring the voices of Alfre Woodard, Eddie Bracken, Jay Mohr. The second made-for-video sequel to the 1987 feature about household appliances that come to life. (CC)
MADE FOR TELEVISION Alice in Wonderland (1999) (Artisan) $19.98. 129 minutes. Tina Majorino, Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, Gene Wilder, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lloyd, Robbie Coltrane, George Wendt, Whoopi Goldberg, Pete Postlethwaite, Peter Ustinov. Made-for-NBC adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic PG. (CC)
Horatio Hornblower (1999) (A&E) $59.95. 400 minutes on four cassettes. Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay. Made-for-A&E adaptation of C.S. Forester's classic seafaring novels.
Stars:
**** Excellent
*** Good
** Fair
* Poor
(Videos with no stars were not reviewed by The Inquirer.)
* No suggested retail price was set for this video because its supplier deems it primarily for rental.
MPAA ratings: Motion Picture Association of America ratings are included for all titles that received them. If the title was reviewed by The Inquirer, further parental warnings (violence, nudity, etc.) are included.
(CC): Closed captioned
Next week: Waking Ned Devine.
