Ben Stiller’s Zoolander is an infinitely quotable cult classic among comedy aficionadoes, and a sequel should have been easier to pull off than turning left. Still, the film failed epically, creating a reckoning for Stiller. Speaking with David Duchovny on the actor’s Fail Better podcast, Stiller says he was “blindsided” by the box office bombing of Zoolander 2 after thinking it would surprise fans more than David Bowie’s cameo in the original film.
“I thought everybody wanted this,” Stiller said about the sequel to his 2001 meme-worthy comedy. “And then it’s like, ‘Wow, I must have really f—ed this up. Everybody didn’t go to it. And it’s gotten these horrible reviews.”
“It really freaked me out because I was like, ‘I didn’t know it was that bad?’ ” Stiller continued. “What scared me the most on that one was I’m losing what I think what’s funny,...
“I thought everybody wanted this,” Stiller said about the sequel to his 2001 meme-worthy comedy. “And then it’s like, ‘Wow, I must have really f—ed this up. Everybody didn’t go to it. And it’s gotten these horrible reviews.”
“It really freaked me out because I was like, ‘I didn’t know it was that bad?’ ” Stiller continued. “What scared me the most on that one was I’m losing what I think what’s funny,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
A little over a week after the death of his father, Ben Stiller is sharing how he and Jerry Stiller spent his final days together. In an interview with The New Yorker on Tuesday, the There's Something About Mary actor is reflecting on his father's life and legacy. The legendary comedian and entertainment was 92 at the time of his death. Stiller tells the publication that he and his sister Amy Stiller were able to spend time with their father before he died. "My sister and I were able to be with him," he shared. "And, just due to the fact that he didn't have a coronavirus-related illness, and he had been ailing for a while, we were able to be with him,...
- 5/19/2020
- E! Online
Jerry Stiller was known for playing irascible loudmouths and high-strung hotheads.
In truth, the actor and comedian, who died May 11 of natural causes at the age of 92, could not have been more different than the TV personas of his later years: the ultra-neurotic Frank Costanza of “Seinfeld” or the miscreant Arthur Spooner of “The King of Queens.”
Friends and colleagues remember Stiller as an actor who was dedicated to his work and grateful for a long career in show business after growing up in difficult circumstances during the Depression. The father of filmmaker Ben Stiller, actor Amy Stiller and widower of Anne Meara — his longtime comedy partner and wife of 62 years — was respected throughout the industry.
“One of the sweetest and kindest men I’ve ever known, not to mention one of the funniest,” “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David says of Stiller, who had a recurring role as the father of Jason Alexander’s George Costanza.
In truth, the actor and comedian, who died May 11 of natural causes at the age of 92, could not have been more different than the TV personas of his later years: the ultra-neurotic Frank Costanza of “Seinfeld” or the miscreant Arthur Spooner of “The King of Queens.”
Friends and colleagues remember Stiller as an actor who was dedicated to his work and grateful for a long career in show business after growing up in difficult circumstances during the Depression. The father of filmmaker Ben Stiller, actor Amy Stiller and widower of Anne Meara — his longtime comedy partner and wife of 62 years — was respected throughout the industry.
“One of the sweetest and kindest men I’ve ever known, not to mention one of the funniest,” “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David says of Stiller, who had a recurring role as the father of Jason Alexander’s George Costanza.
- 5/13/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller has died at age 92. His son, Ben Stiller, confirmed the news on Twitter on Monday morning, writing, "I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."
Jerry's long career included several memorable roles, including those on Seinfeld and The King of Queens. He also starred alongside his son in Zoolander. The news of his death comes almost five years after his wife, Anne Meara, died in May 2015 at the age of 85. The two were married for over 60 years and had two children, Ben and Amy Stiller.
Jerry's long career included several memorable roles, including those on Seinfeld and The King of Queens. He also starred alongside his son in Zoolander. The news of his death comes almost five years after his wife, Anne Meara, died in May 2015 at the age of 85. The two were married for over 60 years and had two children, Ben and Amy Stiller.
- 5/12/2020
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
The comedian, actor, and father to Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, has sadly passed away from natural causes at the age of 92. His death was announced today via social media by Ben Stiller, who described him as "a great dad and grandfather."
"I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."
Jerry Stiller was born in Brooklyn in 1927 and attended Seward Park high school, whose alumni included Tony Curtis and Zero Mostel. He graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in speech and drama, and he also studied drama at Hb Studio in Greenwich Village.
Jerry Stiller had enjoyed a long career on both the stage and screen and was often accompanied by his wife, Anne Meara, with whom he formed a popular comedy act.
"I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."
Jerry Stiller was born in Brooklyn in 1927 and attended Seward Park high school, whose alumni included Tony Curtis and Zero Mostel. He graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in speech and drama, and he also studied drama at Hb Studio in Greenwich Village.
Jerry Stiller had enjoyed a long career on both the stage and screen and was often accompanied by his wife, Anne Meara, with whom he formed a popular comedy act.
- 5/11/2020
- by Jon Fuge
- MovieWeb
Jerry Stiller, the beloved actor and comedian, who starred in TV hits such as Seinfeld and King of Queens, has died.
He was 92.
"I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," Ben Stiller, Jerry's son, tweeted early Monday morning.
"He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."
Anne Meara, Jerry's wife of 61 years and comedy partner, died in May 2015.
In addition to Ben, survivors include their daughter Amy Stiller, an actress.
Stiller was well-known for his comedy career in which he appeared alongside his wife in comedy routines, but he also appeared on Broadway, as well as on TV.
He appeared in 26 episodes of Seinfeld as Constanza, the father of George, from 1993-1998, with Estelle Harris playing his wife, Estelle.
Stiller was nominated for an Emmy...
He was 92.
"I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," Ben Stiller, Jerry's son, tweeted early Monday morning.
"He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."
Anne Meara, Jerry's wife of 61 years and comedy partner, died in May 2015.
In addition to Ben, survivors include their daughter Amy Stiller, an actress.
Stiller was well-known for his comedy career in which he appeared alongside his wife in comedy routines, but he also appeared on Broadway, as well as on TV.
He appeared in 26 episodes of Seinfeld as Constanza, the father of George, from 1993-1998, with Estelle Harris playing his wife, Estelle.
Stiller was nominated for an Emmy...
- 5/11/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Jerry Stiller, the American comedian and actor who was one-half of the great 1960s husband-wife comedy team Stiller and Meara, a fan-favorite cornerstone of the sitcom Seinfeld and the father of Hollywood star Ben Stiller, has died at the age of 92.
Ben Stiller confirmed the news today, tweeting that his father died of natural causes.
I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5
— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020
Jerry Stiller had a long and successful career as a comedian, including in the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara, a staple of TV variety and talk shows for decades beginning primarily in the 1960s and particularly on The Ed Sullivan Show. The...
Ben Stiller confirmed the news today, tweeting that his father died of natural causes.
I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5
— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020
Jerry Stiller had a long and successful career as a comedian, including in the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara, a staple of TV variety and talk shows for decades beginning primarily in the 1960s and particularly on The Ed Sullivan Show. The...
- 5/11/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
February’s home entertainment releases are kicking off in a big way, as horror and sci-fi fans have an extraordinary number of brand spanking new titles to choose from this Tuesday. From indie horror to cult classics to cult classics in the making, February 2nd’s Blu-ray and DVD releases truly do offer up something for everyone.
Scream Factory is offering up two modern genre films this week, Hellions and Zombie Fight Club and Cinedigm is keeping busy too on Tuesday with their releases of Extraordinary Tales and The World of Kanako. Vin Diesel’s latest, The Last Witch Hunter, arrives on both Blu and DVD and if you call yourself a Henry Rollins fan, you will definitely want to pick up He Never Died this week as well.
Other notable titles being released on February 2nd include From Dusk Till Dawn: Season Two, Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season,...
Scream Factory is offering up two modern genre films this week, Hellions and Zombie Fight Club and Cinedigm is keeping busy too on Tuesday with their releases of Extraordinary Tales and The World of Kanako. Vin Diesel’s latest, The Last Witch Hunter, arrives on both Blu and DVD and if you call yourself a Henry Rollins fan, you will definitely want to pick up He Never Died this week as well.
Other notable titles being released on February 2nd include From Dusk Till Dawn: Season Two, Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season,...
- 2/2/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Anne Meara, one half of the famed husband‐and‐wife comedy team Stiller & Meara and the mother of actor-director Ben Stiller, has died. She was 85. Her husband, Jerry Stiller, 87, and son said in a statement to the Associated Press that Meara died Saturday. No other details of her death were provided. “The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long,” the statement said. Meara, a four-time Emmy Award nominee, also is survived by their oldest child, actress Amy Stiller, and several grandchildren. [readmore:797812] Stiller & Meara were a
read more...
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- 5/24/2015
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ben Stiller's friends and colleagues raucously celebrated the actor/comedian's career at the American Cinematheque's yearly benefit ball at the Beverly Hilton Thursday night. Pals who showed up to give sincere or more often, irreverent, in-person tributes were Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jack Black, Patton Oswalt, Laura Dern, Andy Dick, David Cross, Stiller's wife Christine Taylor and "Tropic Thunder" co-writer Justin Theroux (who was responsible for the tribute video that is captured in part below). Scattered among the highlight reels were video tributes from Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton, Judd Apatow, William Shatner, Owen Wilson, Robert Downey Jr. (last year's recipient), Conan O'Brien and Stiller's parents -- legendary comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, as well as his sister Amy Stiller. (For another take on Stiller's status in Hollywood, check out this laudatory New Yorker profile.) Highlights...
- 11/16/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
What are friends for, if not to help pay tribute with some good-natured ribbing? Which is what Jennifer Aniston and her fiancé Justin Theroux did Thursday night, when the 26th American Cinematheque honored her Along Comes Polly costar Ben Stiller at a Beverly Hilton gala that also featured Will Ferrell and Jack Black on stage, and, in video clips, Tom Cruise, Judd Apatow, William Shatner, Conan O'Brien, Ben's parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, sister Amy Stiller, and that showbiz newcomer, former President Bill Clinton. On stage, Theroux - a longtime friend and writing collaborator of Stiller's - introduced...
- 11/16/2012
- PEOPLE.com
The Visit
Visiting one lone theater (Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood for one noon show daily) in a bid for awards consideration, writer-producer-director Jordan Walker-Pearlman's "The Visit" is already a winner and a triumphant first release from New York-based Urbanworld Films. Destined, hopefully, to reach more moviegoers at a later date, the low-budget drama about a fractured black family earned a Special Recognition from the National Board of Review as well as several kudos from festivals and NAACP Image Awards nominations for supporting actors Billy Dee Williams and Marla Gibbs.
Hill Harper ("Loving Jezebel", CBS' "City of Angels") heads a great cast in this absorbing, moving adaptation of Kosmond Russell's play. Based on Russell's relationship with his brother in an Ohio prison, "The Visit" is structured around the emotionally charged encounters between incarcerated Alex Harper) and his family members who reluctantly come to see him. Walker-Pearlman, in his feature screenwriting debut, adapts the material with nary a false step.
The film opens with Alex's successful older brother Tony (Obba Babatunde) visiting the prison for the first time in 10 months. Sentenced to 25 years for a rape he claims he didn't commit, Alex is deeply hurt by his family's abandoning him to his fate. He also has AIDS, and fears he will die in prison. It has been five years since Alex saw his parents, and he reaches out to Tony for help.
Admitting to the prison psychiatrist (Phylicia Rashad) that he's made mistakes in the past but maintaining his innocence, Alex gets his wish when his parents come for a short, poignant reunion. But while his sympathetic mother (Gibbs) listens to him and reasserts her unconditional love, Alex's father (Williams) has long ago made up his mind that his younger son deserves his punishment. This first encounter with his father ends on a depressing note as they have a joyless group photo taken to remember the occasion.
After this visit and others during the course of the film, Alex has fantasy dreams of a better life where love, understanding and happiness outshine the drab, dangerous prison environment. There are several flashbacks, including young Alex's disappointment when Tony departs for college. Beaten down and desperate but not equating himself anymore with the "guys" who brought him down into the "dirt," Alex is calm and cooperative when he comes before a parole board in one of the film's most astonishing and beautifully executed sequences.
Talia Shire, David Clennon, Glynn Turman, Efrain Figueroa and Amy Stiller play the parole board members, who argue before even seeing Alex when they discover his medical condition. This peek into the process of official redemption provides a complex counterpoint to the struggle Alex has with his domineering, incredibly stubborn father, who cannot forgive his son for the character flaws he inherited and not becoming a "real man."
Another visitor, Alex's childhood friend Felicia Rae Dawn Chong), shows him how a kindred soul can overcome unthinkably grim life events. An ex-drug addict like Alex, Felicia killed her abusive father but has successfully returned to lead a good life. During the nine months the film covers, Alex achieves a spiritual reawakening that resurrects his frayed soul even as he physically weakens and his freedom is denied.
Filmed mostly at the decommissioned Lincoln Heights jail in Los Angeles, "The Visit" has a conservative yet forceful style that brings out the best in all of the performers. Harper is superb, and Williams delivers one of the best supporting performances of the year. Gibbs, Chong, Babatunde and Rashad likewise display all their considerable talents in one of the most important and satisfying films of the year.
THE VISIT
Urbanworld Films
Screenwriter-producer-director: Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Based on the play by: Kosmond Russell
Executive producers: Vicky Pike, Morris Ruskin, Stacy Spikes
Director of photography: John Ndiaga Demps
Production designer: John Larena
Editors: Alison Learned, Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Costume designer: Carlos Rosario
Music: Michael Bearden, Stefan Dickerson,
Ramsey Lewis, Wallace Roney, Stanley A. Smith
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Hill Harper
Tony: Obba Babatunde
Henry Waters: Billy Dee Williams
Lois Waters: Marla Gibbs
Felicia McDonald: Rae Dawn Chong
Dr. Coles: Phylicia Rashad
Marilyn Coffey: Talia Shire
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Hill Harper ("Loving Jezebel", CBS' "City of Angels") heads a great cast in this absorbing, moving adaptation of Kosmond Russell's play. Based on Russell's relationship with his brother in an Ohio prison, "The Visit" is structured around the emotionally charged encounters between incarcerated Alex Harper) and his family members who reluctantly come to see him. Walker-Pearlman, in his feature screenwriting debut, adapts the material with nary a false step.
The film opens with Alex's successful older brother Tony (Obba Babatunde) visiting the prison for the first time in 10 months. Sentenced to 25 years for a rape he claims he didn't commit, Alex is deeply hurt by his family's abandoning him to his fate. He also has AIDS, and fears he will die in prison. It has been five years since Alex saw his parents, and he reaches out to Tony for help.
Admitting to the prison psychiatrist (Phylicia Rashad) that he's made mistakes in the past but maintaining his innocence, Alex gets his wish when his parents come for a short, poignant reunion. But while his sympathetic mother (Gibbs) listens to him and reasserts her unconditional love, Alex's father (Williams) has long ago made up his mind that his younger son deserves his punishment. This first encounter with his father ends on a depressing note as they have a joyless group photo taken to remember the occasion.
After this visit and others during the course of the film, Alex has fantasy dreams of a better life where love, understanding and happiness outshine the drab, dangerous prison environment. There are several flashbacks, including young Alex's disappointment when Tony departs for college. Beaten down and desperate but not equating himself anymore with the "guys" who brought him down into the "dirt," Alex is calm and cooperative when he comes before a parole board in one of the film's most astonishing and beautifully executed sequences.
Talia Shire, David Clennon, Glynn Turman, Efrain Figueroa and Amy Stiller play the parole board members, who argue before even seeing Alex when they discover his medical condition. This peek into the process of official redemption provides a complex counterpoint to the struggle Alex has with his domineering, incredibly stubborn father, who cannot forgive his son for the character flaws he inherited and not becoming a "real man."
Another visitor, Alex's childhood friend Felicia Rae Dawn Chong), shows him how a kindred soul can overcome unthinkably grim life events. An ex-drug addict like Alex, Felicia killed her abusive father but has successfully returned to lead a good life. During the nine months the film covers, Alex achieves a spiritual reawakening that resurrects his frayed soul even as he physically weakens and his freedom is denied.
Filmed mostly at the decommissioned Lincoln Heights jail in Los Angeles, "The Visit" has a conservative yet forceful style that brings out the best in all of the performers. Harper is superb, and Williams delivers one of the best supporting performances of the year. Gibbs, Chong, Babatunde and Rashad likewise display all their considerable talents in one of the most important and satisfying films of the year.
THE VISIT
Urbanworld Films
Screenwriter-producer-director: Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Based on the play by: Kosmond Russell
Executive producers: Vicky Pike, Morris Ruskin, Stacy Spikes
Director of photography: John Ndiaga Demps
Production designer: John Larena
Editors: Alison Learned, Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Costume designer: Carlos Rosario
Music: Michael Bearden, Stefan Dickerson,
Ramsey Lewis, Wallace Roney, Stanley A. Smith
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Hill Harper
Tony: Obba Babatunde
Henry Waters: Billy Dee Williams
Lois Waters: Marla Gibbs
Felicia McDonald: Rae Dawn Chong
Dr. Coles: Phylicia Rashad
Marilyn Coffey: Talia Shire
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/8/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Visit
Visiting one lone theater (Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood for one noon show daily) in a bid for awards consideration, writer-producer-director Jordan Walker-Pearlman's "The Visit" is already a winner and a triumphant first release from New York-based Urbanworld Films. Destined, hopefully, to reach more moviegoers at a later date, the low-budget drama about a fractured black family earned a Special Recognition from the National Board of Review as well as several kudos from festivals and NAACP Image Awards nominations for supporting actors Billy Dee Williams and Marla Gibbs.
Hill Harper ("Loving Jezebel", CBS' "City of Angels") heads a great cast in this absorbing, moving adaptation of Kosmond Russell's play. Based on Russell's relationship with his brother in an Ohio prison, "The Visit" is structured around the emotionally charged encounters between incarcerated Alex Harper) and his family members who reluctantly come to see him. Walker-Pearlman, in his feature screenwriting debut, adapts the material with nary a false step.
The film opens with Alex's successful older brother Tony (Obba Babatunde) visiting the prison for the first time in 10 months. Sentenced to 25 years for a rape he claims he didn't commit, Alex is deeply hurt by his family's abandoning him to his fate. He also has AIDS, and fears he will die in prison. It has been five years since Alex saw his parents, and he reaches out to Tony for help.
Admitting to the prison psychiatrist (Phylicia Rashad) that he's made mistakes in the past but maintaining his innocence, Alex gets his wish when his parents come for a short, poignant reunion. But while his sympathetic mother (Gibbs) listens to him and reasserts her unconditional love, Alex's father (Williams) has long ago made up his mind that his younger son deserves his punishment. This first encounter with his father ends on a depressing note as they have a joyless group photo taken to remember the occasion.
After this visit and others during the course of the film, Alex has fantasy dreams of a better life where love, understanding and happiness outshine the drab, dangerous prison environment. There are several flashbacks, including young Alex's disappointment when Tony departs for college. Beaten down and desperate but not equating himself anymore with the "guys" who brought him down into the "dirt," Alex is calm and cooperative when he comes before a parole board in one of the film's most astonishing and beautifully executed sequences.
Talia Shire, David Clennon, Glynn Turman, Efrain Figueroa and Amy Stiller play the parole board members, who argue before even seeing Alex when they discover his medical condition. This peek into the process of official redemption provides a complex counterpoint to the struggle Alex has with his domineering, incredibly stubborn father, who cannot forgive his son for the character flaws he inherited and not becoming a "real man."
Another visitor, Alex's childhood friend Felicia Rae Dawn Chong), shows him how a kindred soul can overcome unthinkably grim life events. An ex-drug addict like Alex, Felicia killed her abusive father but has successfully returned to lead a good life. During the nine months the film covers, Alex achieves a spiritual reawakening that resurrects his frayed soul even as he physically weakens and his freedom is denied.
Filmed mostly at the decommissioned Lincoln Heights jail in Los Angeles, "The Visit" has a conservative yet forceful style that brings out the best in all of the performers. Harper is superb, and Williams delivers one of the best supporting performances of the year. Gibbs, Chong, Babatunde and Rashad likewise display all their considerable talents in one of the most important and satisfying films of the year.
THE VISIT
Urbanworld Films
Screenwriter-producer-director: Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Based on the play by: Kosmond Russell
Executive producers: Vicky Pike, Morris Ruskin, Stacy Spikes
Director of photography: John Ndiaga Demps
Production designer: John Larena
Editors: Alison Learned, Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Costume designer: Carlos Rosario
Music: Michael Bearden, Stefan Dickerson,
Ramsey Lewis, Wallace Roney, Stanley A. Smith
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Hill Harper
Tony: Obba Babatunde
Henry Waters: Billy Dee Williams
Lois Waters: Marla Gibbs
Felicia McDonald: Rae Dawn Chong
Dr. Coles: Phylicia Rashad
Marilyn Coffey: Talia Shire
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Hill Harper ("Loving Jezebel", CBS' "City of Angels") heads a great cast in this absorbing, moving adaptation of Kosmond Russell's play. Based on Russell's relationship with his brother in an Ohio prison, "The Visit" is structured around the emotionally charged encounters between incarcerated Alex Harper) and his family members who reluctantly come to see him. Walker-Pearlman, in his feature screenwriting debut, adapts the material with nary a false step.
The film opens with Alex's successful older brother Tony (Obba Babatunde) visiting the prison for the first time in 10 months. Sentenced to 25 years for a rape he claims he didn't commit, Alex is deeply hurt by his family's abandoning him to his fate. He also has AIDS, and fears he will die in prison. It has been five years since Alex saw his parents, and he reaches out to Tony for help.
Admitting to the prison psychiatrist (Phylicia Rashad) that he's made mistakes in the past but maintaining his innocence, Alex gets his wish when his parents come for a short, poignant reunion. But while his sympathetic mother (Gibbs) listens to him and reasserts her unconditional love, Alex's father (Williams) has long ago made up his mind that his younger son deserves his punishment. This first encounter with his father ends on a depressing note as they have a joyless group photo taken to remember the occasion.
After this visit and others during the course of the film, Alex has fantasy dreams of a better life where love, understanding and happiness outshine the drab, dangerous prison environment. There are several flashbacks, including young Alex's disappointment when Tony departs for college. Beaten down and desperate but not equating himself anymore with the "guys" who brought him down into the "dirt," Alex is calm and cooperative when he comes before a parole board in one of the film's most astonishing and beautifully executed sequences.
Talia Shire, David Clennon, Glynn Turman, Efrain Figueroa and Amy Stiller play the parole board members, who argue before even seeing Alex when they discover his medical condition. This peek into the process of official redemption provides a complex counterpoint to the struggle Alex has with his domineering, incredibly stubborn father, who cannot forgive his son for the character flaws he inherited and not becoming a "real man."
Another visitor, Alex's childhood friend Felicia Rae Dawn Chong), shows him how a kindred soul can overcome unthinkably grim life events. An ex-drug addict like Alex, Felicia killed her abusive father but has successfully returned to lead a good life. During the nine months the film covers, Alex achieves a spiritual reawakening that resurrects his frayed soul even as he physically weakens and his freedom is denied.
Filmed mostly at the decommissioned Lincoln Heights jail in Los Angeles, "The Visit" has a conservative yet forceful style that brings out the best in all of the performers. Harper is superb, and Williams delivers one of the best supporting performances of the year. Gibbs, Chong, Babatunde and Rashad likewise display all their considerable talents in one of the most important and satisfying films of the year.
THE VISIT
Urbanworld Films
Screenwriter-producer-director: Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Based on the play by: Kosmond Russell
Executive producers: Vicky Pike, Morris Ruskin, Stacy Spikes
Director of photography: John Ndiaga Demps
Production designer: John Larena
Editors: Alison Learned, Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Costume designer: Carlos Rosario
Music: Michael Bearden, Stefan Dickerson,
Ramsey Lewis, Wallace Roney, Stanley A. Smith
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Hill Harper
Tony: Obba Babatunde
Henry Waters: Billy Dee Williams
Lois Waters: Marla Gibbs
Felicia McDonald: Rae Dawn Chong
Dr. Coles: Phylicia Rashad
Marilyn Coffey: Talia Shire
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 12/18/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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