Movielogr
Playing by Heart (1998)
Directed by Willard Carroll
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by themarc
Overview
A sexy, romantic comedy about modern couples coming together in funny and unexpected ways. Paul and Hannah discover that even after 40 years of marriage, they can still learn some very surprising things about each other. Meredith is a serious theatre director who isn’t looking for a relationship… but has one looking for her in the person of the funny, persistent Trent. Then there’s Joan and Keenan, young people searching for love in an L.A. club scene where the rules of dating seem to change every night.
Rated R | Length 121 minutes
Actors
Gillian Anderson | Ellen Burstyn | Sean Connery | Anthony Edwards | Angelina Jolie | Jay Mohr | Ryan Phillippe | Dennis Quaid | Gena Rowlands | Jon Stewart | Madeleine Stowe | Patricia Clarkson | April Grace | Alec Mapa | Christian Mills | Kellie Waymire | Tim Halligan | Michael Emerson | John Patrick White | Amanda Peet | David Ferguson | Joel McCrary | Worthie Meacham | Michael B. Silver | Hal Landon Jr. | Marc Allen Lewis | Ron Boussom | Daniel Chodos | Mark Lewis | Jim Abele | Chris Conner | Marcus Printup | Larry Antonino | Tom Chuchvara | Robert English | Ryo Okumoto | Hilary Duff | Nastassja Kinski | Matt Malloy | Marilyn Monrovia | Jeremy Sisto | David Clennon
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/18/2020 | TV | Blu-ray | Library | 5 stars |
| (Average) 5 stars |
Viewing Notes
I was drawn to this b/c of this amazing cast… which is such a ‘90s cast and just so freakin’ weird. This reminds of GRAND CANYON (1991)—> “six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles.” I dunno what the first movie of this sort was (I would like to know!) but this movie follows that same structure of separate lives and relationships sewn together in a movie.
Despite the cast, this is not a very good example of that type of film (compared to a LOVE ACTUALLY, for example). Everyone’s doing their best here but there’s so little chemistry between these odd pairings (Jon Stewart and Gillian Anderson, Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillippe, etc.). It really feels like a stage play where it’s all just acting and scenes but nothing feels real. Just line delivery and hitting a mark.
This is so very 1990s. Like a who’s who of the 1990s. Anthony Edwards? Check. Madeleine Stowe? Check. This is probably the best reason to view this now, seeing these actors in their prime. But whoa this dialogue. I think this would be more enjoyable viewing live as a stage play.
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