Playing by Heart Movie Review 1998

Excellent ensemble cast doesn't save this episodic film about several L.A. couples falling in and out of love. Theatre director Anderson tries to avoid becoming involved with architect Stewart; loud-mouthed night-clubber Jolie won't give up on Phillippe; Quaid uses bad lines and lies on Kinski and Clarkson, while his wife, Stowe, fools around with Edwards; Connery and Rowlands (in the best-acted segments) find their 40-year marriage threatened by emotional and health problems; and Burstyn tries to comfort her son Mohr, in the last stages of AIDS. Writer/director Carroll claims he was inspired by the saying "talking about love is like dancing about architecture," and appropriately the working title was "Dancing about Architecture."

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 121 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Drama, Romantic Triangles, Nightclubs, AIDS, Moms

Screenplay

Willard Carroll

Cast

Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Angelina Jolie, Ellen Burstyn, Gillian Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Jay Mohr, Anthony Edwards, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Patricia Clarkson, Nastassja Kinski, Jeremy Sisto

Cinematography

Vilmos Zsigmond

Director

Willard Carroll

Music

John Barry

Producer

Willard Carroll, Paul Feldsher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Intermedia Films, Miramax Films