Film
Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in Chicago, plus articles, trailers and more
- Home
- Box Office
- Listings
- Trailers
- Features
Bookmark this page- Edition:
Lovely & Amazing (2001)
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
'Lovely and amazing,' says Jane (Blethyn) of Elizabeth (Mortimer), the second of her three daughters: a touching tribute considering Elizabeth, an actress, is obsessed by a wobble on her upper arms. Elizabeth's not alone in equating appearance with success and fulfilment. Jane hopes liposuction will improve her life. Her tubby adopted eight-year-old wishes her black skin were white, has her hair straightened, and comfort eats whenever she can. And her eldest, Michelle (Keener), is equally lost and self-absorbed, failing to sell her art, unsure at 36 of her role in life, and sleeping in her own daughter's bed rather than with her husband. Michelle's unhappiness manifests itself in abrasiveness and denial (admirably, Keener never softens), though her endearing 17-year-old boss (Gyllenhaal) thinks she's pretty hot. The poignant relationships between these entirely plausible characters reveal that what defines us best is not always of our choosing, while what's ridiculous to some is cherished by others. Observed without corny resolutions and paced to allow for reflection, the film is understated but spot on.Author: KW
Cast & crew
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Producer: Anthony Bregman, Eric d'Arbeloff, Ted Hope
Cast: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, Raven Goodwin, Aunjanue Ellis, Clark Gregg, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Le Gros, Michael Nouri, Dermot Mulroney full cast
Most popular on this site
Features
Gray's anatomy
James Gray wants to push buttons—again.
The next big thing?
Gigantic Releasing tries to rethink indie distribution…without movie theaters.
Red Diva: Lyubov Orlova, First Lady of Soviet Cinema
So you think you can dance, comrade?
Puppet master
Coraline director Henry Selick takes stop-motion animation into 3-D.
Socratic method
Laurent Cantet's approach on the set matches the message of his film.
Wander woman
Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy puts a Bush-era spin on the road movie.
Oscars
Read our interviews with the nominees, our reviews of the nominated films and more.
What do you think?
Post your review now