A most entertaining and heartfelt American movie.
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:67
Rotten:44
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: This Party features a killer cast and many funny scenes, but the movie feels like nothing more than an excuse for the actors to emote.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: To celebrate their sixth anniversary, successful novelist Joe Therrian (Alan Cumming) and his wife, famous Hollywood actress Sally (Jennifer Jason Leigh), invite their friends over for a party.... To celebrate their sixth anniversary, successful novelist Joe Therrian (Alan Cumming) and his wife, famous Hollywood actress Sally (Jennifer Jason Leigh), invite their friends over for a party. Sally and Joe have only recently reconciled after a separation, and the strain in their relationship reveals itself as the party progresses. An especially difficult topic is Joe's casting of trendy young actress Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow) in a film based on his latest novel--a role that might have gone to Sally. Also present are the Therrians's neurotic friends: the insecure director Mac (John C. Reilly) and his neurotic wife Clair (Jane Adams), movie star Cal Gold (Kevin Kline) and his wife Sophia (Phoebe Cates)--who has given up her career to support their children, and the next door neighbors, who have their own problems. The result is truly a night to remember. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming cowrote and codirected THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY, casting their friends in the lead roles, and shooting on digital video to give the film more intimacy and freedom than mainstream Hollywood dramas. Featuring fresh, honest acting from its ensemble and brilliant performances from Leigh and Cumming, THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY is a hilarious look at life and love. [More]
Starring: Jane Adams, Jennifer Beals, Phoebe Cates, Alan Cumming
Starring: Jane Adams, Jennifer Beals, Phoebe Cates, Alan Cumming, John Benjamin Hickey, Kevin Kline, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Parker Posey, John C. Reilly, Michael Panes, Denis O'Hare, Mina Badie, Karen Kilgariff, Matt Malloy
Director: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Screenwriter: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Producer: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joanne Sellar
Composer: Michael Penn
Studio: Fine Line Features
Reviews for The Anniversary Party
The cast members play versions of themselves with considerable verve, but their meltdowns are predictable, over-familiar and disappointingly camp-free.
Though the film is overlong and overly familiar, Leigh and Cumming ultimately bring a sincere sensitivity and understanding to the material.
...because Cumming and Leigh avoid most (though not all) of the easy choices common to first-time writers and directors, the movie stays on the right side of entertaining.
This movie is lacking in a lot of important areas including plot, substance and character, but it is certainly not short on big-name talent.
Where else are you going to see so many beautiful people acting in a way that makes the rest of us feel superior?
A movie [made] for the express purpose of showing off a lot of other talented actors, and unfortunately, there’s not much of a purpose beyond that.
How do people with perfect lives find ways to live them so imperfectly, you might wonder? "The Anniversary Party" shows us, making us laugh and understand at the same time.
The Anniversary Party is heartfelt and affected in equal part, the product of actors' occasional desire to be understood as human beings.
It feels like watered-down Robert Altman when it is intended to be a bitter, stiff drink.
ultimately the performers themselves seem to have gotten the lion's share of the entertainment
Focusing on the relationship between Sally and Joe ... The Anniversary Party reveals itself as a devastating parable about love, unfolding much like a stage play.
The relationships have the ebb and flow of astute observation and inspired improvisation.
Latest News for The Anniversary Party
December 13, 2005:
Cumming, Heche & Boreanaz to Work for "Charity"
Actor/director Alan Cumming will helm and star in "Suffering Man's Charity," a dark comedy indie ensemble that just began production in Los Angeles. More...
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