Beautiful Girls

Piano player Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) comes back to his old home town for a class reunion.There he meets his old high school buddies and

becomes interested in the neighbor called Marty (Natalie Portman), who's 13 years old.Beautiful Girls (1996) is a great movie from the late Ted Demme.It has a fantastic cast.Hutton is brilliant and there are also Matt Dillon, Noah Emmerich, Annabeth Gish, Lauren Holly, Rosie O'Donnell, Max Perlich, Uma Thurman, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rapaport, David Arquette and so on who all do great job in the movie.But I think it's Natalie Portman who almost steals the show.Every scene with her is pure gold.She has done a lot even though she's still young.She's been in Star Wars prequels, in Leon and I heard there might a sequel coming to that movie.So we will hear from her.The characters in this movie are really unique.They are people you care about.The dialog is wonderful and everything just works in this drama.Beautiful Girls is a movie for everybody who likes a good movie.

Easily one of the most overlooked movies considering how good it is. There are several ensemble movies out there, but this movie is definitely one of the best ones.

The key word in ensemble cast is obviously "cast". And this movie has a stellar cast. Timothy Hutton, as Willy, is perfectly cast. Yes, this is an ensemble movie, but it sort of hovers around his character and he carries the movie so well. And to play off him, Natalie Portman is tremendous in this movie. Despite being the youngest cast member, she outacts most of the adults in this movie. Her chemistry with Timothy Hutton is amazing.

The other cast members, including Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Rappaport, Uma Thurman, and Matt Dillon are also really good in their respective roles. Rosie O'Donnell delivers a hilarious monologue about the differences between men and women and it should not be missed.

The story is relatively simple... a man going back home to attend his 10 year reunion. But because of the complex characters and their various storys, it becomes much more than just a high school reunion. Its a story about a man finding himself. Its a story about a young girl getting a taste of what love might be, despite it being in an unlikely person. Its a story of a man who has to grow up and let go of the long gone high school glory years. Its a story about relationships, between friends, family and couples. All these tales are interwoven into a heartwarming story.

This movie ranks as one of my all time favorite movies.

This movie, made up of a dozen or so rising young stars (at the time anyway) is truly a classic. Lots of witty comedy, little bit of love, some twisted moments, everything you'd want out of a movie. It's neither a guy or a chick flick...kind of a mixture of both. Timothy Hutton was absolutely brilliant. Rosie O'Donell, though I despise her at times, has a brilliant feminist scene in which she puts Hutton and Dillon in their place. Uma Thurman, though a fairly limited role in the movie, is a stunning character, and her role ties the movie completely together, bridging the gap between the feminists and the vulgar men in the movie. A young Natalie Portman gets her career off to a great start as a very cute, very sophisticated 13 year old, who's witty charm is the icing on the cake. This movie is clearly in my top 10 all time...and is a must see!

It is very rare to encounter a film so devoted to character and this is the greatest strength of Beautiful Girls. Each character has their own personal turmoil and lightness which shines through in a film which from start to finish very little movement of plot is actually achieved, but then again it doesn't need to.

Small-town sensibilities and community spirit are intertwined with the notions of enigmatic strangers posing in an almost prophetic manner delivering advice upon the populous. Events such as brutal fighting, unashamed drunkenness and references to sex are handled as items which are not derogatory but necessary in a rites of passage kind of way. Each character develops through the film into better individuals of what they once were but not to such an extent as to impose sickly sweet values on the audience.

Every character is natural and rounded despite some major personality flaws. Timothy Hutton's excellent Willy is at odds with himself over the next stage of growing up, Rappaport plays the goofy yet loveable fool for love, Dillon the lost soul and Emmerich the doting yet somewhat incapable father. But it is in the Beautiful Women themselves where the real essence of the film lies. Uma Thurman is every blonde inch the mysterious and elegant Andera crossing paths with everyone and influencing their lives for the better. Rosie O'Donnell as the brash 'matron' of the group is the perfect foil for Sorvino's insecure personality. The ace of the bunch however is a mesmerising Natalie Portman who even despite being the cast's youngest member is compelling to the point that you can understand Willy's fascination with her character Marty.

For anyone wishing for comfort on a cold winter afternoon there are very few films with such a strong heart, Demme excels himself by never laying on the sentimentality rather poking gingerly at our own innermost feelings, and coming out with a winner.

Update 7/1/11 I still love this movie!! I have to watch it at least once a year and I can't say that about too many movies (I've now seen this more than Star Wars IV). Please allow yourself time to kick back and enjoy a very believable story of Anywhere USA Americana. Below is my original review from many years ago. Thanks

Prior Review--

I love this movie. Too bad Demme is Donne because this is great work. Every single role is believable and not over-acted. Maybe it's my 30 something (now 40 something) mind working but this is a great movie to sit down and enjoy. Nothing blows up and I can't recall a single car chase but if you can allow yourself to get involved with a storyline, this is for you.

You can fall in love with Natalie Portman and I don't know that I've ever seen Rapaport in a better role. There isn't anyone more anti Rosie Odonell than me, but even her role is great. The bad news for friends and family is that I've stolen many lines from this flick because I'm not original enough to come up with my own stuff.

"What's he all creased about"

I would be first in line to purchase a (another) DVD that is Dolby Digital and has some extras. Lastly, don't miss the soundtrack, there is a great blend of feel good music along with some new, cool licks.