e-- Do you believe in fairy godmothers and happy endings? The makers of this movie do. Directed by Amy Jones and starring Ally Sheedy, Beverly D'Angelo, Dick Shawn (in his last and very funny role), Valerie Perrine and Michael Ontkean, 'Maid To Order' features a frothy plot about a spoiled rich girl who learns about selflessness and love thanks to a wacky fairy godmother and some rich -- and not-so-rich - Malibu characters.
It's simply so cute, it's hard to resist and the supporting cast -- especially D'Angelo and Shawn -- bring it all to wonderful life. Sheedy proves a rotten comic actress but warms up to the role as her character sheds the punk Valley Girl persona. Rated PG. MATEWAN -- This newest movie by writer and director John Sayles showcases his particular talent for painting rich character portraits, perfect in almost every detail. But in this story of a 1920 showdown between striking coal miners and the Stone Mountain Coal Company in Matewan, W.Va., Sayles attempts a more epic topic than previously tackled. The task ultimately proves too much despite the fine cast of characters, including those played by Chris Cooper as the saint-like union organizer, James Earl Jones as the miner brought in with a group of black and Italian scabs, and Will Oldham, as a young boy at the start of a grueling life as a coal miner. Nevertheless, 'Matewan' is an earnest and sympathetic look at both the universal tragedy of the exploitation of workers and the specific tragedy of the struggle of the Matewan townspeople to find some dignity in a harsh existence. Rated PG-13.
