Customer Reviews

Cookie's Fortune

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This review refers to the DVD edition of "Cookie's Fortune"....

Glenn Close literally gets caught with her hand in the cookie jar in one of Robert Altman's all star,delightful comedies. It also stars Julianne Moore,Liv Tyler, Chris O'Donnell, Charles S.Dutton, Ned Beatty,Courtney Vance, Lyle Lovett,Donald Moffat and screen legend Patricia Neal as "Cookie"....what an ensemble! These great stars work beautifully together, and their comic timing is brillant.

The story starts out at a leisurely pace that gives you the perfect feel of Holly Springs, Mississippi, a small, slow-paced,antebellum town where everyone knows everyone. Then BANG..the little town is shaken up by the death of it's matriach, Jewel May "Cookie" Orcutt, and everyone gets involved with the murder investagation....but wait...was this actually a murder? Someone is sure trying to make it look that way! And uh-oh... the wrong man has been arrested and the police chief is out to prove his innocence. How does he know he's innocent...well..he fishes with him, of course!

Altman's superb direction,the wonderful twists and turns, the great camera work, the music, the terrific story and of course the fabulous ensemble make for a very entertaining 2 hours. You'll want to watch it over and over.

The DVD is a beautiful transfer. You have the choice of widescreen or full screen. The picture is clear and bright with great color. The sound offers the choice of Dolby 5.1 or stereo surround and is excellent. There are closed captions(English) and subtitles in Spanish and French. It includes cast bios and filmographies, and the theatrical trailer. You have the option of listening to the director commentary during the film as well.

So spend some time behind bars in Holly Springs, with Charles Dutton and Liv Tyler. Don't worry it's fun behind these bars..they never lock the bars, and you get to play scrabble and have some great meals! We are serving our famous "catfish enchildas" today!

Have fun with this one.....Laurie

A necessary corrective to the female relative who at any cost must keep up appearances, this film by Mr Altman sees him in fine form exploring small town society in the Deep South. A humane, wise film, with great acting by all concerned and some great lines " How do you know he didn't kill her?" asks the District Attorney, "We go fishing" replies the Deputy Sherriff.

Says lawyer Jack Palmer to Emma Duval, explaining the fate of her long gone father, a man she was told years ago had died while doing missionary work in Africa after he'd left his family. "He died alright, about four years later, somewhere down in Alabama in a button factory accident. Seems the hole poker machine broke loose and fell on him. They say he had 273 holes in him before they could get it off."

After all that Emma and her friend Willis Richland have experienced in Robert Altman's Cookie's Fortune, it seems perfectly natural when Emma cries out in exasperation, "Willis, what is wrong with all these people?"

The important point is that they all are part of a movie of great ease and geniality. Cookie's Fortune may be a little sentimental, perhaps, but it is so sweet-natured and natural, and so skillfully presented, that I think the film ranks among Altman's most accomplished works...even if what powers it is an old lady blowing her brains out.

Jewel Mae Orcutt -- Cookie (Patricia Neal) - is aging and increasingly infirm, and she longs for her deceased husband, Buck. When she decides to use one of Buck's pistols to join him, she sets off the avarice of her niece, Camille Dixon (Glenn Close), who pulls along her slow-witted sister, Cora Duval (Julianne Moore). Camille is determined that no hint of a suicide will scandalize the family name, so she makes things look like a burglary gone bad. And, unintentionally, makes it look as if Willis Richland (Charles S. Dutton), a close friend of Cookie's who had worked around the house for her, must have done the deed. Well, there's no way Emma Duval (Liv Tyler) an unconventional young woman who is seriously estranged from her mother, Cora, and her aunt, is going to buy that. In fact, no one, even the local cops, believes that Willis would have burglarized and shot Cookie. For the next hour and a half we're going to take part in Altman's gentle examination of the people in this little cotton-growing town of Holly Springs, Mississippi. We're going to learn how to clean catfish, listen to the blues and, a little off camera, how to make love standing up. We'll encounter Camille's obsession with propriety and look aghast at her firm direction (and rewriting) of Wilde's Salome as a church play for Easter. We're going to see how skilled Lyle Lovett is at gutting a catfish and peeping into Liv Tyler's window at night. We're going to learn a lot about family relationships, even the more informally blessed kind. Most of all, perhaps, we're to learn just how much friendship and family can mean, especially when it's served up with such skill and off-beat humor by Altman and screenwriter Ann Rapp. And as good as all the actors in this ensemble cast are, Charles S. Dutton stands out. He gives a fine performance brimming with likeability and honesty, and without a trace of Hollywood nobility. Willis Richland is a guy who has responsibilities, and that's just fine with him.

The DVD transfer is certainly watchable but could be better. There are no significant extras. The disc is wide-screen on one side, pan-and-scan on the reverse.

You may never have heard of this movie but it is a Robert Altman gem. I'm afraid I can't say too much for giving too much of the hysterical plot. It is a decidedly black comedy but the characters are really 3 dimentional. It has a secret to reveal and a suprising ending. If you liked Gosford Park you will love Cookie's Fortune.

Okay, we saw some people do some things, and saw diferent people doing different things, and, well, it's Robert Altman . . . And I apologized to my husband, who is NOT a film buff. Then the delicious connections appear, a fascinating small Southern town with characters who are real, not contrivances. Watch for the Willis-Cookie exchange, the mother-daughter-aunt exchange, see the sheriff's character evaluation. Marvelous cast filling interesting characters speaking interesting dialogue. And when you've viewed, watch it again for all the subtlities. Treat yourself! You're worth it!

When a friend first told me about this movie when it came out, I got the feeling it was Tennesse Williams on acid, and therefore didn't risk the seven dollars (not including popcorn- and that's not New York). But when another friend who has completely different tastes told me about it a month ago, I had to see it.

This movie is so elegantly crafted via Patricia Neal, Glenn Close, and Charles S. Dutto that it is certainly worth seeing twice, as I did, and owning. The first time I didi myself and the movie a disservice by being a little drowsy while seeing it. That has the same effect of being a little drowsy while going to the museum. And yet, the treasures of writing, character play, plot etc. asre so powerful, elgant and vivid in this movie you will not miss the best parts, and love the while at the end, as you laugh from the heart.

Worth seeing. Give it a chance, and youl will wenjoy it.

Cookie's Fortune - is definitely not a movie for everyone. But I loved it. This is NOT a fast-paced, noisey movie with tons of special effects. If you're looking for ACTION ... look elsewhere.

What this movie is ... a quietly quirky movie that captured my attention from the beginning. The movie focuses on the rather odd relationships of the characters (most were relatives) in a small "Nothing Ever Happened Here" town in the South. The soundtrack is awesome and fits the look of the movie perfectly.

The movie did leave me wanting to know more about the history & stories behind the characters. I was hoping the movie was based on a book, where I could learn more about each of the main characters, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

You would probably like "Cookie's Fortune" if you liked: "Fried Green Tomatoes" , "The Spitfire Grill", or even "Steele Magnolias". I suspect it falls under the category of a Chic-Flick.

Enjoy!

If you don't like Robert Altman, read no further... Why do you think Altman has the respect that he has? No one today can handle an ensemble cast of pros and make each one look like a star. Who else could've gotten old-pro Patricia Neal out of retirement? If you don't like Altman, you're obviously missing something that the rest of us already know...he's smart! It's no secret that Mr. Altman hates pretense. "MASH", "The Player", "Gosford Park", "Nashville" and on & on...the man has fun poking fun at phonies. "Cookie's Fortune" is no different. Almost exclusively working with original screenplays, he can play his game and say his piece. Anne Rapp's screenplay must've put him in director heaven. Glenn Close is pretty much the centerpiece here, a woman sure of her position and unwilling to bend. She's marvelous and totally unlikeable. The great Ms. Neal is on screen, alas, too short a time. Like an older version of her Oscar-winning role in "Hud", she's tougher than nails, and wonderful. Julianne Moore ditches the glamour, appearing mostly without make-up, belying her well-known beauty. Charles S. Dutton is customarily confident and endearing, as are Liv Tyler & Chris O'Donnell (though a previous reviewer didn't think so). Altman likes using Lyle Lovett, and he's reliable here in a small role. Ned Beatty and, especially, the great Courtney B. Vance fill out the big name cast effectively. Like all Altman films, one must pay attention to the script, because, though leisurely paced, the dialogue flies by. To reiterate the plot would be senseless, but one of my favorite lines was, in reference to the crime scene, they said Close's character has "negative blood"; when Beatty is asked why he's so sure Dutton didn't do it, he, matter-of-factly says "I fish with him!". (This is almost a running gag...I love running gags). Again, I must say, Altman is wonderful when he works with dozens of people at once, because he gives each one a distinct character and motivation, not to take away from the screenwriter, though Altman is also known for improv. "Cookie's Fortune" is subtly funny and endearing; the craziness of human nature is given full reign. This film was recognized by the Independent Film Awards, but the Academy somehow overlooked it, released too early in the year. (Most of those old geezers don't think that far back...) Glenn Close was deserving of a nomination, as was Altman. Attention to detail is an Altman trait, too, and he doesn't disappoint. Check it out...but, as a previous reviewer also said, if you like fake effects and unbelievable stupid plots populated with idiot super-heroes, pass on this one. All "Cookie's Fortune" offers is a clever character-driven script, very fine acting, GREAT direction and a lot of fun.

3.5 stars

I like Altman a lot on occasion (Player, Nashville, a few others), and not so much at times, like here. This could have been tighter, and despite nice turns from Close, Tyler et al, it's too stagey, and too close to its theatrical source to be a great movie.
It got boring enough by halfway that I turned it off and watched the rest later.
Altman is trying to be Faulkneresque but never quite gets there. This is the South via Hollywood, and misses the real grit and nastiness behind the lace curtains.
Nice try, though.

Southern gothic is a pretty tough genre to tackle, especially in movies.

But Robert Altman gave it his best with "Cookie's Fortune," a little black comedy taking place over the Easter weekend. He crammed it with eccentricity, odd twists and likably atypical characters, but the second half gets a bit carried away by self-consciousness weirdess and melodrama.

It's the day before Easter in the Southern town of Holly Springs. Pushy, self-righteous spinster Camille Dixon (Glenn Close) and her mentally challenged sister Cora (Julianne Moore) are rehearsing the Easter play, "Salome." Cora's rebellious daughter Emma (Liv Tyler) has just come back to town, as her naive boyfriend (Chris O'Donnell) has become a cop.

Meanwhile, eccenric matriarch Cookie Orcutt (Patricia Neal) has become obsessed with joining her dead hubby, Buck. So she shoots herself, minutes before her Camille arrives. Fearful of the scandal a suicide would cause ("Suicide is a disgrace! Only crazy people commit suicide!"), Camille fakes a robbery and murder scene.

There's only really one suspect: Willis (Charles S. Dutton), Cookie's handyman/cook/best pal, who lives on the premises and was polishing the guns the night before. As Camille revels in her presumed inheritance, Willis and Emma help piece together the evidence left behind -- and unwittingly unearth some peculiar family secrets.

"Cookie's Fortune" isn't a typical murder mystery. Sure, the cops are ferreting out clues and motives, but Robert Altman creates a town that basically moves along at a steady, languid pace, and nobody really gets worked up -- even a murder doesn't ruffle them enough to make them lock the cells.

And Altman stirs up plenty of black comedy and amusing dialogue ("A condition under which, in times of extreme stress, her blood will not clot properly.You ever seen her suffer from this condition?" "Unfortunately not"). He even manages to weave in some subtle commentary on family and hypocrisy as well as some racism -- nothing explicit, but you can sense it in the way Camille treats Willis.

The problem? At times Altman tries to be melodramatic, but only ends up seeming overwrought. And similarly, he piles on the down-home quirkiness too thickly at times, such as a sheriff announcing that he knows Willis is innocent "'cause... I've fished with him!"

Dutton is the heart and soul of this movie, as the lovable, friendly Willis, who finds himself arrested for a crime he didn't commit just because nobody can think of another suspect. Patricia Neal and Julianne Moore turn in solid performances as the crabby matriarch and the backward Cora (who isn't as "dumb" as she appears). Liv Tyler's performance is a bit stilted, but she evens out by the last half.

"Cookie's Fortune" is one of those movies that is enjoyable despite its flaws. It's too self-consciously quirky at times, but still amusing and well-written.