Mimi Leder

Mimi Leder was (is?) the director of "ER" on NBC. Then Spielberg asked her to direct the first action flick for Dreamworks SKG, "The Peacemaker." It had Clooney (ER) and Nicole Kidman. I actually thought it was a pretty good movie. I had never watched ER.

Her next movie was "Deep Impact" and starred Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Morgan Freeman, Leelee Sobieski, and Vanessa Redgrave. I personally like just about anything with Duvall or Freeman.

She just released "Pay it Forward" with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Angie Dickinson, James Caviezel, and Jay Mohr.

Spacey, Hunt, and Osment are three of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now. She sure does get to work with some big talent.

Let's get some discussion going. This is going to be pretty random.

• What do you think of Mimi's movies?
• Did you like "Deep Impact" more than "Armageddon"?
• Do you like Clooney? One of my favorite movies is "Out of Sight."
• I heard on the radio that they had a poll asking men with whom they would most like to go on a date. The favorite was Nicole Kidman. What do you think of her? Personally, I have mixed feelings. She's pretty good looking; but we're both married, so I wouldn't ever actually go on a date with her--unless maybe it was a double date, and that's not really the same now is it?
• Did you think Haley Joel Osment was good in "6th Sense"? I thought he was unbelievable - even more so when you consider his age.
• Do you like Helen Hunt in movies? I thought she was as good as it gets in at least one of her movies.
• What do you think of Kevin Spacey? I thought "The Negotiator" was an incredible movie.
• Do you think Bruce Willis is just as good in drama as he is in action movies? I'm sorry to say, but I really like to watch "Hudson Hawk" for some reason.
• What's your favorite Robert Duvall movie? I liked "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Godfather," "Apocolypse Now," "Falling Down," "Phenomenon," "Sling Blade," and "Deep Impact."
• Speakin of "Phenomenon"--what's your favorite Travolta movie? He has a new one out this weekend called "Lucky Numbers."

[Edited by jamesglewisf on 10-27-2000]

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Jim Lewis
To BE or Not to BE, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barium Enema
Crouching Tiger, Paint Your Wagon - Forums

Pretty good - nothing that blows me away, though.


Deep Impact was better, but not by much. Armageddon was more action and comedy...Deep Impact was more of a tear-jerker.

Clooney is okay - not sure if I liked him as Batman, though.

She seems nice...not tops on my list or anything though. Obviously I wouldn't date her, but in terms of looks (IE: if we had similar views and spirtual beliefs, etc), then yes, I would date her.


I thought he was good...very good, but I don't consider it great. I don't know why - most was good, but a few lines seemed kind of hokey to me - although it's hard to say what should attribute that to: his delivery, or bad writing.


She was good in "As Good As It Gets"...not nuts about her in movies in general...but that one was good.

As for Spacey, I think he's a very good actor, and I very much enjoyed "The Negotiator."


You didn't list "The Apostle"! - that's easily on my list of the Top Ten greatest movies of all time...the story seems quite boring, but it draws you in through fabulous acting and some stange turns. It's like "The Shawshank Redemption" in that respect.

Falling Down was quite good, by the way.


Hard to say - not a big fan of his. Phenomenon was kind of weird, and I think it could have been a bit better. Lucky Numbers, however, looks very cool. A similar thing happened in real life in the 60s or so (I think) out here where I live.

Well guess what? Turns out Lucky Numbers is based on the incident out here in Pennsylvania that I mentioned in my last post - pretty cool, huh?

good lord that's a long one .

What do you think of Mimi's movies? - not bad but not absolutely must see either.

Did you like "Deep Impact" more than "Armageddon"? - Liked Armageddon more.

Do you like Clooney? One of my favorite movies is "Out of Sight." - Yes yes yes. Mmmhmm. Though he could have done without the PeaceMaker or even One Fine Day. Out of Sight was great. 3 Kings was cool too. I won't say anything about Perfect Storm.

The favorite was Nicole Kidman. What do you think of her? Personally, I have mixed feelings. - Mixed feelings cause your married or cause of something else? She's always been an ice queen but apparently there's another side to her that just doesn't come through. She apparently has a wicked sense of humor and makes Tom Cruise crack up (a reverse Jessica/Roger Rabbit I've always figured them). I suppose she's mighty tender and affectionate with him. She seems at times to have the potential to be warm and mothering but then she's also pinched and frail/dainty, something about how she's cut out face & body-wise. Those little nostrils flare in something like Dead Calm and I just turn off; or the strung-out possessed bit in Practical Magic where she growls and squirms on the floor ... This is a woman deconstructing another woman so don't mind me .

Did you think Haley Joel Osment was good in "6th Sense"? I thought he was unbelievable - even more so when you consider his age. -- That boy was incredible. The whole time my best friend and I were watching we were "oh my god that poor boy" and afterward we couldn't stop talking about how you could feel his terror. you could literally feel the intensity of his suffering. it was amazing. and i agree, particularly in relation to his age. forget bruce willis that boy made the film for me.

Do you like Helen Hunt in movies? I thought she was as good as it gets in at least one of her movies. - She is starting to get typecast. everything is a varation on her Mad About You role. Hard-working, practical, well-meaning, stressed and showing it. They've made her more punky apparently for Pay it Forward but still ... she works in a casino and has a kid ... variation on a theme.

What do you think of Kevin Spacey? I thought "The Negotiator" was an incredible movie. - Far more incredible is The Usual Suspects. That man gives me chills. He is just too good. Yum yum. A rarity in this industry - a man who is not just a good actor but an excellent one and who gets to be in all the movies too .

Do you think Bruce Willis is just as good in drama as he is in action movies? I'm sorry to say, but I really like to watch "Hudson Hawk" for some reason. - Never saw much of HH but I think BW plays even drama with a hint of irony. There is always a little boyish smile somewhere and this always makes his drama mild and never intense. You never FEEL it. SOmething about the warm/being lost (aka 6th Sense)/irony at his own situation (when in a character) that doesn't, for me, make him just as good in drama. in action he has more spunk and vitality.

What's your favorite Robert Duvall movie? - not into him.

john travolta -i'd have to say Face/Off. I'm not into his other stuff as much though Get Shorty was amusing and I'm sure Lucky Numbers will be similar.


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whew, i'm all commented out.

I haven't seen "The Usual Suspects." I'll have to check it out.

My wife and I really liked "Get Shorty."

Pay It Forward was excellent. The ending is a killer.

It was one of those movies that makes you think a lot.