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- Nicely Detailed
- Blue Eyes
- 36" Long
- Soft Squeezable Piece
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
White Alligator Plush Toy 36" Long
Close to Home
- Inia divided city, friendship isitheir last line of defense. In the nation of Israel, military service is compulsory for all citizens. Now an award-winning drama offers an in-depth look at young women's lives in the service. Dutiful Mirit (Naama Schender) is assigned to a street patrol with the rebellious Smadar (Smadar Sayar). Plunged into the simmering tensions of Jerusalem, they find the
Bizarre, deranged, clever, and outrageously amusing--that's Close to Home. From the guy who keeps a Just Married sign on the back of his car to prevent getting speeding tickets, to the mom who installs a food court in the kitchen to keep the kids from whining about what's being served for dinner, to the students who are shrink-wrapped due to overcrowding at schools, John McPherson's quirky characters combined with his warped sense of humor help make the cartoon and the Close to Home 2012 Day-t! o-Day Calendar one of a kind. As an added bonus, each weekend page will feature an extra Close to Home cartoon on the back.
Bizarre, deranged, clever, and outrageously amusing--that's Close to Home. From the guy who keeps a Just Married sign on the back of his car to prevent getting speeding tickets, to the mom who installs a food court in the kitchen to keep the kids from whining about what's being served for dinner, to the students who are shrink-wrapped due to overcrowding at schools, John McPherson's quirky characters combined with his warped sense of humor help make the cartoon and the Close to Home 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar one of a kind. As an added bonus, each weekend page will feature an extra Close to Home cartoon on the back.
2011 debut full length from the Cincinnati, OH band. Despite a few struggles at the start, lately things have been constantly looking up for Close to Home, thanks to their mantra that is now the album ! name. Heading into recording, the band hooked up with Tom Denn! ey (form erly of A Day To Remember) to record demos, and the group instantly clicked. Denney signed on to produce. Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember, The Word Alive) was brought in to mix the album, and shortly after Close to Home signed to Artery Recordings. "Having this team together was literally a dream come true for us," said guitarist Josh Wells. It also helped the band create and develop their vision for the album, with Wells adding "It's basically the summary of our lives and who we are in pursuit of our dreams."By the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries...4th book in the Savannah Martin romantic mystery series, following A Cutthroat Business, Hot Property, and Contract Pending, by bestselling author Jenna Bennett AKA Jennie Bentley.
SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes, trouble hits too close to home.
Savannah's late. The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet.! And while it's a circumstance that should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe Collier, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.
Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah hopes. In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and when she gets in over her head, Rafe's not there to save the day.
ALSO IN THIS SERIES:
A Cutthroat Business (May 2011)
Hot Property (June 2011)
Contract Pending (July 2011)
Close to Home (September 2011! )
A Done Deal (December 2011)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR! :
< br />Jenna Bennett is the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime - written as Jennie Bentley - as well as the Savannah Martin/Cutthroat Business mysteries written as Jenna Bennett. A former Realtor® and home renovator, she makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee, with a husband, two boys, and a house full of pets.
ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR:
Fatal Fixer Upper, DIY-1 (November 2008) written as Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (August 2009) written as Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (March 2010) written as Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Murder (January 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
Flipped Out (October 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
By the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries...
4th book in the Savannah Martin romantic mystery series, following A Cutthroat Business, Hot Property, and Contract Pending, by ! bestselling author Jenna Bennett AKA Jennie Bentley.
SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes, trouble hits too close to home.
Savannah's late. The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it's a circumstance that should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe Collier, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.
Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah hopes. In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and when she gets! in over her head, Rafe's not there to save the day.
A! LSO IN T HIS SERIES:
A Cutthroat Business (May 2011)
Hot Property (June 2011)
Contract Pending (July 2011)
Close to Home (September 2011)
A Done Deal (December 2011)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jenna Bennett is the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime - written as Jennie Bentley - as well as the Savannah Martin/Cutthroat Business mysteries written as Jenna Bennett. A former Realtor® and home renovator, she makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee, with a husband, two boys, and a house full of pets.
ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR:
Fatal Fixer Upper, DIY-1 (November 2008) written as Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (August 2009) written as Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (March 2010) written as Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Murder (January 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
Flipped Out (October 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
Ferociously Close to Home delivers McP! herson's trademark take on the absurdities of everyday life. To say that his solutions to these perplexing situations is 'out there' is an understatement. Consider Gina, who decides a branding iron will be the ideal memory aid for her birthday date-challenged husband. And poor Lanny, whose treadmill session is interrupted when he inadvertently triggers the health club's offensive odor alarm.
McPherson has long walked the line between grotesque and goofy. But somehow, his figures with big noses and bulging eyes connect with readers with a surefire magnetic precision. Whether it's health care or parenting, dating or car repairs, Close to Home delivers McPherson's warped world without fail.(Drama) Two young, different female soldiers patrol the anxious streets of Jerusalem, questioning Palestinians and looking for suicide bombers. The rebellious one finds the army demeaning; the controlled one is obedient. Under intense pressure, against a backdrop of any-minute-now ! terrorist attacks, a friendship takes hold and roles reverse.
The Invisible Bridge (Vintage Contemporaries)
- ISBN13: 9781400034376
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he promised to deliver. But when he falls into a complicated relationship with the letter's recipient, he becomes privy to a secret that will alter the course of hisâ€"and his family’sâ€"history.
From the small Hungarian town of Konyár to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the despair of Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in labor camps, The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a family shattered and remade in history’s darkest hour.
Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2010: Even if thi! s weren't her first novel, Julie Orringer's Invisible Bridge would be a marvelous achievement. Orringer possesses a rare talent that makes a 600-page story--which, we know, must descend into war and genocide--feel rivetingly readable, even at its grimmest. Building vivid worlds in effortless phrases, she immerses us in 1930s Budapest just as a young Hungarian Jew, Andras Lévi, departs for the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris. He hones his talent for design, works backstage in a theater, and allies with other Jewish students in defiance of rising Nazi influence. And then he meets Klara, a captivating Hungarian ballet instructor nine years his senior with a painful past and a willful teenage daughter. Against Klara's better judgment, love engulfs them, drowning out the rumblings of war for a time. But inevitably, Nazi aggression drives them back to Hungary, where life for the Jews goes from hardship to horror. As in Dr. Zhivago, these lovers can't escape his! tory's merciless machinery, but love gives them the courage to! endure. --Mari Malcolm Carriers
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
Sounds Like a Plan
- Find out in this party game that's all about giving outrageous advice, select a card containing a piece of advice that best fits the judge's chosen activity
- 4 to 8 players
- Reinforces creativity and imagination
- Ages 10 and up
- Playing time: 30 minutes
Three-time Super Bowl and NASCAR champion Joe Gibbs’s Game Plan for Life is an “average Joe’s†guide to what the Bible has to say about the 11 most-important topics for men. Topics such as: finances, relationships, living a life of purpose, finding the right vocation, physical, emotional, and spiritual health, and overcoming sin and addictions. Edited by Jerry Jenkins, and featuring contributions from Randy Alcorn, Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Tony Evans, Chuck Colson, Josh McDowell, Don Meredith, Walt Larimore, Ron Blue, Ken Boa, and Os Guinness, Game Plan for Life shows readers how to live a balanced, God-centered, purpose-filled life, u! sing examples of Coach Gibbs’s own storied championship care! ers as a backdrop. A perfect blend of sports and basic theology, Game Plan for Life is designed to bring God’s word home to sports fans of all generations.
Three-time Super Bowl and NASCAR champion Joe Gibbs’s Game Plan for Life is an “average Joe’s†guide to what the Bible has to say about the 11 most-important topics for men. Topics such as: finances, relationships, living a life of purpose, finding the right vocation, physical, emotional, and spiritual health, and overcoming sin and addictions. Edited by Jerry Jenkins, and featuring contributions from Randy Alcorn, Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Tony Evans, Chuck Colson, Josh McDowell, Don Meredith, Walt Larimore, Ron Blue, Ken Boa, and Os Guinness, Game Plan for Life shows readers how to live a balanced, God-centered, purpose-filled life, using examples of Coach Gibbs’s own storied championship careers as a backdrop. A perfect blend of sports and basic theology, Game Plan for Life is designed! to bring God’s word home to sports fans of all generations.
What's the best plan for climbing Mt. Everest? How about the worst plan for making a million bucks? Find out in this party game that's all about giving outrageous advice! Select a card containing a piece of advice that best fits the judge's chosen activity. Score points if the judge takes your advice, but keep in mind that plans change with the roll of a die... You might have to give out bad advice, your grandma's advice, or even advice from a psychic! Take our advice and play today!For 4 - 8 players, ages 10 and up.Play Time: 30 minutesContents: 300 advice cards, 100 to do lists, 8 wooden pawns, 1 custom die, 1 game board and instructions.
Fools Rush In (Weddings by Bella, Book 1)
- ISBN13: 9780800733421
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 3-DEC-2002
Media Type: DVDOpposites attract in this conventional but refreshingly unpredictable romantic comedy. New York nightclub designer (Matthew Perry, from television's Friends) is in Las Vegas to supervise the construction of a new project when he meets a fiery Mexican beauty (Salma Hayek). It's lust at first sight, and their one-night stand takes an unexpected turn when she shows up three months later to announce that she's pregnant. They're determined to do right for each other, so they get married in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator as their witness. Then co! mes the hard part--trying to figure out if they're actually compatible. The plot complications are mostly familiar, but Perry and Hayek throw some bright sparks as their initial bliss turns to more realistic concerns for family and future. Along the way there's some sharp dialogue and a few good laughs to give this all-too-human comedy an enjoyable spin. --Jeff ShannonBella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban?
When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into pl! ace. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can t! he perfe ct Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding?
Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban?
When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) ! of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding?
Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.Millie Barnes is this close to finally achieving her perfect life…
Rewarding job as a local doctor on Cape Cod? Check. Cute cottage of her very own? Check. Adorable dog suitable for walks past attractive locals? Check! All she needs is for golden boy and former crush Joe Carpenter to notice her, and Millie will be set.
But perfection isn't as easy as it looksâ€"especially when Sam Nickerson, a local policeman, is so distracting. He is d! efinitely not part of her master plan. But maybe it's time for! Millie to start a new list…MAID IN MANHATTAN/FOOLS RUSH IN - DVD MovieMillie Barnes is this close to finally achieving her perfect life…
Rewarding job as a local doctor on Cape Cod? Check. Cute cottage of her very own? Check. Adorable dog suitable for walks past attractive locals? Check! All she needs is for golden boy and former crush Joe Carpenter to notice her, and Millie will be set.
But perfection isn't as easy as it looksâ€"especially when Sam Nickerson, a local policeman, is so distracting. He is definitely not part of her master plan. But maybe it's time for Millie to start a new list…Millie Barnes is this close to finally achieving her perfect life…
Rewarding job as a local doctor on Cape Cod? Check. Cute cottage of her very own? Check. Adorable dog suitable for walks past attractive locals? Check! All she needs is for golden boy and former crush Joe Carpenter to notice her, and Millie will be set.
But perfection isn't as easy as it looksâ€"es! pecially when Sam Nickerson, a local policeman, is so distracting. He is definitely not part of her master plan. But maybe it's time for Millie to start a new list…Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban?
When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy b! oots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding?
! Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.
Love and Basketball (New Line Platinum Series)
- From the playground to the pro leagues, Monica and Quincy taught each other how to play the game. Now, their commitment to the sport will force them to make a choice between each other and the game.between family and team.between Love and BasketballRunning Time: 127 min. System Requirements: Starring: Omar Epps, Debbi Morgan, Sanaa Lathan, Harry J. Lennix, and Alfre Woodard. Directed by Gi
Enter Ray (LL Cool J) an ultra-suave player's player, who is hired to make Eva fall madly in love with him. All goes according to plan until this ! ladies' man finds himself unexpectedly falling for this beautiful lady in this hip, fresh and funny comic romp.At a time when theaters were clogged with insipid romantic comedies for a predominantly white audience, Deliver Us from Eva offered a smart and sassy alternative. It's another variation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, beginning when Ray (James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J) accepts a $5,000 challenge to seduce Eva (Gabrielle Union), an alleged man-hater who dominates her three sisters and the men in their lives, who are desperate to be "delivered from Eva." It's a sitcom plot from start to finish, with no real surprises. What lifts Eva from its potential doldrums is the sensible negotiations that emerge between the would-be lovers, and a sharp screenplay that allows Ray and Eva to arrive at a mutual understanding that's richer and more mature than most comedies would bother to allow. By giving its characters an opportunity to sh! ow their truly attractive colors, Eva is delivered to ! us, claw s retracted, and ready for love. --Jeff ShannonHer sisters think she's a gift from heaven. Their husbands call her the sister-in-law from hell. But Eva (Gabrielle Union) is too busy being a smart, sassy, overprotective overachiever to really care what anyone thinks. That is until the guys decide the only way they will ever score any quality time with their women is to find single Eva a man. Pronto.
Enter Ray (LL Cool J) an ultra-suave player's player, who is hired to make Eva fall madly in love with him. All goes according to plan until this ladies' man finds himself unexpectedly falling for this beautiful lady in this hip, fresh and funny comic romp.At a time when theaters were clogged with insipid romantic comedies for a predominantly white audience, Deliver Us from Eva offered a smart and sassy alternative. It's another variation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, beginning when Ray (James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J) accepts a $5,0! 00 challenge to seduce Eva (Gabrielle Union), an alleged man-hater who dominates her three sisters and the men in their lives, who are desperate to be "delivered from Eva." It's a sitcom plot from start to finish, with no real surprises. What lifts Eva from its potential doldrums is the sensible negotiations that emerge between the would-be lovers, and a sharp screenplay that allows Ray and Eva to arrive at a mutual understanding that's richer and more mature than most comedies would bother to allow. By giving its characters an opportunity to show their truly attractive colors, Eva is delivered to us, claws retracted, and ready for love. --Jeff ShannonDeliver Us From Eva Her sisters think she’s a gift from heaven. Their husbands call her the sister-in-law from hell. But Eva (Gabrielle Union) is too busy being a smart, sassy, overprotective overachiever to really care what anyone thinks. That is, until the guys decide the only way they will eve! r score quality time with their women is to hire ultra-suave R! ay (LL C ool J) to make Eva fall madly in love with him. All goes according to plan until this ladies’ man finds himself unexpectedly falling for this beautiful lady in this hip, fresh and funny comic romp.
Something New Kenya McQueen (Sanaa Lathan) thought she had it all: a successful career, good friends and family. There was just one thing she didn’t have under control: her love life. All that changes when she meets sexy, free-spirited Brian Kelly (Simon Baker). But when her ideal man (Blair Underwood) arrives on the scene, Kenya must decide between the relationship everyone expects and the romance no one expected.
The Best Man Harper Steward (Taye Diggs) is a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun). Unfortunately for Harper, the timing couldn’t be worse. His new book is coming out, and it chronicles his college life with his friends in a less than perfect light. The wedding party reunites college bu! ddies Quentin (Terrence Howard), Mirch (Harold Perrineau) and love interest Jordan (Nia Long). As the celebration weekend nears, scandalous secrets begin to reveal themselves…for better or for worse.At a time when theaters were clogged with insipid romantic comedies for a predominantly white audience, Deliver Us from Eva offered a smart and sassy alternative. It's another variation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, beginning when Ray (James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J) accepts a $5,000 challenge to seduce Eva (Gabrielle Union), an alleged man-hater who dominates her three sisters and the men in their lives, who are desperate to be "delivered from Eva." It's a sitcom plot from start to finish, with no real surprises. What lifts Eva from its potential doldrums is the sensible negotiations that emerge between the would-be lovers, and a sharp screenplay that allows Ray and Eva to arrive at a mutual understanding that's richer and more matur! e than most comedies would bother to allow. By giving its char! acters an opportunity to show their truly attractive colors, Eva is delivered to us, claws retracted, and ready for love. --Jeff Shannon The game is on and the rules are out as Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, Jennifer Esposito and Gabrielle Union star in this outrageous comedy that rewrites the book of loveJamie Foxx proves a winning romantic lead in the surprisingly subtle Breakin' All the Rules. When Quincy (Foxx, Ali, Collateral) gets brutally dumped by his fiancee, he researches the psychology of firing employees to create a break-up guide--a guide to a kinder, gentler break-up. His cousin Evan (Morris Chestnut, The Brothers) is afraid that his girlfriend is going to dump him, so he asks for Quincy's help, setting in motion a web of mistaken identities that snares Evan's girlfriend Nicky (Gabrielle Union, Bring It On), Quincy's boss Philip (a wonderfully squirmy Peter MacNicol), and a blithe gold digger named Rita (Jennifer Esposit! o, Dracula 2000). Writer/director Daniel Taplitz gives his characters, if not three dimensions, then two and a half--comedy comes out of their personalities instead of lame gags. Add in some unpredictable plot twists, genuine chemistry between Foxx and Union, and the result is genuinely fun. --Bret FetzerKenya McQueen (Sanaa Lathan) thought she had it all: a successful career, good friends and family. There was just one thing she didn't have under control: her love life. All that changes when she meets sexy, free-spirited Brian Kelly (Simon Baker). But when her ideal man (Blair Underwood) arrives on the scene, Kenya must decide between the relationship everyone expects and the romance no one expected.The tricky topic of interracial romance gets a sexy, charming, and unexpectedly realistic treatment in Something New. Kenya (Sanaa Lathan, Out of Time, Alien Vs. Predator), a successful accountant, gets set up on a blind date with Brian (Si! mon Baker, The Ring Two)--only to discover that he's wh! ite, lea ding her to cut the date short. At a party, Kenya admires the garden and gets introduced to the landscape architect: Brian. Thus begins a bumpy but increasingly sparky relationship, despite opposition from Kenya's friends and family, as well as Kenya and Brian's own internal resistance. Make no mistake, Something New is a mainstream romantic comedy, with ridiculously attractive people grappling with problems that get solved with just a little too much ease--but along the way, Kriss Turner's script, Sanaa Hamri's direction, and Baker's and especially Lathan's performances ground the movie in something resembling the real world. Kenya's and Brian's emotional terrain has a genuine texture to it; the rhythm of the dialogue and the visual pacing allows their characters to breathe and become more genuine and vivid than your standard rom-com lovers. The strong supporting cast--including Alfre Woodard (Crooklyn), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Mike Epps (Next Friday! ), and Blair Underwood (Full Frontal)--doesn't hurt. But Lathan owns the movie; this actress deserves true stardom. --Bret FetzerAt a time when theaters were clogged with insipid romantic comedies for a predominantly white audience, Deliver Us from Eva offered a smart and sassy alternative. It's another variation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, beginning when Ray (James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J) accepts a $5,000 challenge to seduce Eva (Gabrielle Union), an alleged man-hater who dominates her three sisters and the men in their lives, who are desperate to be "delivered from Eva." It's a sitcom plot from start to finish, with no real surprises. What lifts Eva from its potential doldrums is the sensible negotiations that emerge between the would-be lovers, and a sharp screenplay that allows Ray and Eva to arrive at a mutual understanding that's richer and more mature than most comedies would bother to allow. By giving ! its characters an opportunity to show their truly attractive ! colors, Eva is delivered to us, claws retracted, and ready for love. --Jeff ShannonFrom the playground to the pro leagues, Monica and Quincy taught each other how to play the game. Now, their commitment to the sport will force them to make a choice between each other and the game...between family and team...between Love and Basketball.Gina Prince-Bythewood, a former college athlete, puts a spin on this one-on-one tale of Love and Basketball. Sanaa Lathan (The Best Man) is the fiercely driven, hot-tempered Monica, a tomboy who gives her all for basketball. Omar Epps (The Mod Squad) is Quincy, an NBA player's son who has pro dreams of his own. Next-door neighbors since first grade, they start as rivals (she flabbergasts the boy by outplaying him in a game of driveway pickup) and age into best friends and lovers. The romantic complications follow a familiar game plan, but the film throws a fascinating spotlight onto the contrast between men's and ! women's basketball. While Quincy plays college ball on huge courts to cheering, sold-out crowds, we see Monica's sweat, tears, and sheer physical dedication in front of tiny audiences in small gyms and second-rate auditoriums.
The story is pointedly set in the late 1980s, years before the establishment of the WNBA, so Monica's prospects for pro ball lie exclusively in Europe, while Quincy steps into the pros at home. It's a pleasure to see a character as passionate and fully developed as Monica, and Lathan gives a fiery portrayal (she had never played ball before the film, but you'd never tell from her performance). Prince-Bythewood favors her struggle over Quincy's and opens our eyes to her unique challenges with a sharp, savvy contrast. Alfre Woodard costars as Monica's harping mom (always trying to get her to be more ladylike) and Dennis Haysbert is Quincy's philandering father. Hoops fan Spike Lee produced. --Sean Axmaker
