Product Details

• Actors: Campbell Scott, Moira Kelly, Michelle Durning, Eric Stoltz, Peter Riegert
• Directors: Roger Hedden
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: January 12, 1999
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305223122
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,836 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Hi-Life" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Roger Hedden's charming romantic comedy works where so many like ensemble projects fail--on the strength of its amiable characters. The simple but clever plot, which involves a gambling debt, a bartender collecting overdue IOUs, and a tangled web of lies, sets in motion the trajectories of a dozen or so characters wandering the streets of New York one chilly December night. Against this backdrop they pair off, group up, and slowly wind their way back to the very bar where it all started. Hedden's sharp ear for dialogue comes out in lilting, low-key conversations (he previously cowrote Sleep with Me and Bodies, Rest & Motion), but his greatest triumph is the casting. Campbell Scott, at his understated best as the warm, winsome center of the film, strolls through a series of Big Apple watering holes with all the quiet confidence and affable friendliness a wounded romantic can muster. Equally fine are sweetly sincere Moira Kelly as his sister, thoughtful debt collector Peter Riegert, goofy barfly Katrin Cartlidge, conniving creep Eric Stoltz, and especially the often misused Daryl Hannah, who sends sparks as Scott's old girlfriend. Hedden's leisurely pace gives us time to hang with the characters, who are fine company and never overstay their welcome (the film clocks in under 90 minutes). It's the kind of movie Hollywood has forgotten how to make, a modestly endearing little piece that eschews big drama for delightful characters and enchanting moments. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hidden gem..., April 13, 1999

By A Customer

I saw this film at the Chicago Film Festival last year and was simply floored as to how funny it was. From the description listed here on Amazon it may seem like a clunker but trust me, it's not. Me and my friends still recite lines from the movie a la "Swingers" and "Mallrats." After multiple viewings you too will be using phrases like "Everybody stand back this man's been shot!" and "It's times like these I thank God I'm Jewish." They may not seem funny now but come back and read this after seeing it and you'll still laugh. The only draw back is that the DVD runs full frame instead on widescreen (16:9). It's kind of stupid to have a DVD that's isn't widescreen, but then again I'm just happy to see this movie distributed nationally.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Charming and Warm, April 6, 2003

By	DonMac "butchm" (Lynn, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This is a GREAT little indie. It has a fairly simple plot which sends the characters running around NYC one night at Christmas time - each with his or her own misunderstanding of what is going on. The dialogue is warm and witty and the actors are wonderful. There is not one bad perfomance in this film. Campbell Scott and the late Katrin Cartlidge make a very enagaging duo as they spar and flirt their way through the evening. Eric Stoltz is a great warm-hearted heel and Kelly gets a chance to deliver some great one-liners and zingers that give her character a real zest. This is the kind of small, sweet, funny film that doesen't get made that often and when they do - rarely this well. Spend and hour and a half with this one and make some new friends. I have honestly ended up curled up on the couch watching this more times than I ever imagined. Get it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Such a fun story to watch unfold in front of you, November 23, 2002

By	R. Shaink "teamcbt" (Keene, NH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I watched this movie ...and once it finished I decided I had to log on to Amazon and buy it up. This film is so well done, from the characters, the actors, the dialogue and the stories. A pure enjoyment to watch. I hope everyuone sees it at least once.