Product Details

• Actors: James Spader, Polly Walker, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Buck Henry
• Directors: Peter Yates
• Writers: Andrew S. Karsch, Todd Alcott
• Producers: Andrew S. Karsch, Lisa Bruce, Michele Newman, Robert Nickson, Sidney Kimmel
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305701512
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,171 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Curtain Call" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

James Spader looks like the hardest-working man in show business as the busy, comic-romantic lead in this enjoyable "film blanc" (a tongue-in-cheek phrase coined by film critic Andrew Sarris to describe that genre of movies featuring ghosts in love). Spader plays Stevenson Lowe, heir to a highly respected publishing firm that has recently been purchased by a giant media corporation. Though Stevenson has deluded himself into believing the new owners will allow him to maintain creative control over his family's book line, he soon discovers the unpleasant truth. A ludicrous executive (funny work by Buck Henry) is pushing no-brainer tomes about cats and the female fat cell into the spring list, pushing poor Stevenson into the margins of his own company.

His helplessness has a way of resonating with other mushy areas of his life. Having purchased an expensive townhouse for himself alone, Stevenson severely disappoints his long-suffering girlfriend (Polly Walker in a rare comic outing), who thought they were going to get married. The hero's dithering on this sore subject gets more complicated when he discovers a pair of Jazz Age ghosts (Michael Caine and Maggie Smith) occupying his new home and dispensing unwanted advice about love. Directed by Peter Yates (Breaking Away), Curtain Call has a low-key charm kept alive by the considerable skills of its admirable cast (including Sam Shepard, Marcia Gay Harden, and Frank Whaley), while a handful of memorable, screwball scenes deliver solid sight gags. Not a masterpiece, but a real treat. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Get into the spirit with real romance. Stevenson Lowe's girlfriend, Julia, wants to get married. But all thoughts of proposing are quickly scared out of him by a couple of grouchy ghosts who have the marriage from hell. They are Max and Lily Gale, theatrical legends, and the original residents of his newly purchased brownstone. They have no intention of leaving to make room for this new couple. When Julia decides she's waited long enough for a proposal, she leaves Stevenson and his crazy ghost stories behind. Will his afterlife houseguests be able to reunite our young lovers? True love gets a spirited test in this charming, offbeat romantic comedy starring James Spader (Stargate) and Academy Award-winners Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters) and Maggie Smith (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encore!, February 27, 2008

By 

Heidi Steffy "hlinnstoryteller" (Erie PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Curtain Call (DVD)

Be prepared to laugh. It is always a joy to watch Maggie Smith and Michael Caine play off each other. They are so accomplished. James Spaeder does a very good job holding his own with these two. This is not the average love story. After all there is nothing average about a ghost couple with a history of fireworks in their relationship. They have a lot to teach, and do it well just being themselves. In spite of the fact that everything seems to go constantly awry, all that unseen "help", Spaeder's character proves to be a clumsy but apt pupil. Just a pleasure to watch.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Curtain Call, May 6, 2000

By 

Diane B. Cook "DD Cook" (The Deep South) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Curtain Call (DVD)

A delightful romantic comedy with the talented James Spader, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, and even Sam Sheppard, it is set in Manhattan, with a lovely old home furnished in fabulous antiques, including two ghosts who were famous theatrical personalities in life. Spader inspires giggles with another of his always surprising comedic presentations, especially in his "fright" when the ghosts appear. The music is warm and the characters are rich. The dialogue is bright. The film offers a beautiful fantasy escape to upper class New York and a look into the publishing business - enjoy it with a glass or two of wine, and it will seem very believable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old-fashioned fun, March 21, 2008

By 

libriarsque (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Curtain Call (DVD)

I'll watch any movie that has Maggie Smith and Michael Caine together; their comedic chemistry is strongly reminiscent of William Powell/Myrna Loy. It's also nice to see James Spader in a comic role, which he handles quite well.

This is a very entertaining, light-hearted movie which wears well over more than one viewing. The only part of the plot that ever-so-slightly annoys (at least, it does me) is that the girlfriend, played by Polly Walker, never gives Spader's character a chance to explain; she always interrupts him, then runs away. But of course, that in itself provides some of the "conflict" in what would otherwise be a mere piece of fluff.

This DVD is worth purchasing for Caine and Smith alone, and also for those of us who love old-fashioned fun.