Product Details

• Actors: Alicia Witt, Harvey Fierstein, Brooke Langton, Johnny Galecki, Ivan Sergei
• Directors: Matthew Huffman
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• DVD Release Date: April 17, 2001
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059MQ1
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,687 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Playing Mona Lisa" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Alicia Witt (URBAN LEGENDS), Brooke Langton (THE REPLACEMENTS), Ivan Sergei (THE OPPOSITE OF SEX), and Johnny Galecki (BOUNCE) star in one sexy screwball comedy you'll really embrace. Claire Goldstein (Witt) has everything going for her -- the promise of fame, a great boyfriend with marriage on his mind, and an apartment of her own. And then reality shakes her entire world to pieces. Her moment of glory is snatched from her before it begins, her boyfriend drops her, and she's evicted. Condemned to find refuge at her crazy parents' house while her sister is blissfully planning her own wedding, Claire starts looking for love in all the wrong places. Filled with quirky characters, "I've-been-there" smiles, and witty dialogue, PLAYING MONA LISA is a delightful work of heart.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and Spontaneous, May 25, 2001

By	Jessica (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing Mona Lisa [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Playing Mona Lisa" is the story of a talented musician whose family is completly wacked out and whose personal life is even more so. Alicia Witt, who actually plays the piano pieces on and off-screen, plays the character tremendously. What a talented young woman! The rest of the cast, including Ivan Sergei, Brooke Langton, Johnny Galecki, Elliot Gould, and Marlo Thomas, add a wonderful humorous touch, each fitting his or her part flawlessly. One of my favorite characters from Seinfeld is present; George's mother, playing her typical hilarious obnoxious self. Perfect!

I have read a few critics' reviews of this movie, and I think that some are a bit too harsh. This is not an Oscar-worthy movie, so why treat it as one? Sit back and have fun, laugh at the ridiculous antics and play along with the at-times-unplausible yet intriguing story line. Bravo to the cast and crew for creating an uplifting, airy tale of life, love, music, and growing up.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing Movie, Crappy DVD, July 18, 2001

By	neilathotep (San Mateo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is the kind of DVD that makes me quite sad. Basically, the only advantage you have over the VHS version is that it is widescreen. Other than that, it really doesn't have any features, so the price seems a bit high.

The movie itself, however, is pretty amusing. Claire Goldstein(Alicia Witt) is a recent graduate in the field of fine arts -piano playing to be exact (which is appropriate since Witt plays the piano quite well in real life). When her boyfriend proposes to her, she is on the top of the world... and then falls all the way down when it turns out he was drunk and forgets all about it. Will her family and friends be able to bring her back up?

Some of the relatively minor characters are great, such as Estelle Harris, aka Estelle Costanza as Aunt Velva, and Elliot Gould and Marlo Thomas as Claire's parents. Overall, I'd say that this movie is more of a rental fare, unless your sure you'll watch it 8 or 9 times, given that there is no extended content on the disc.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my favorite all time movies!, April 11, 2003

By	Shanna (Saint Louis) - See all my reviews

I saw this movie on the Independent Film Channel on Direct TV just a few weeks ago and I must tell you that it is exellently writen and produced! It's a funny, emotionally moving film. It doesn't move too slow, had a wonderful cast and the cinematography/lighting/sound track perfectly fit the scenes and moods that the director wanted. I was totally impressed. I'm ordering 3 copies so I can give them to my closest friends. The story really speaks to women who have been in relationships that didn't work out or that had some rocky patches, and reminds us of the independance and self reliance that we each have within ourselves. It's really motivating!