Word: ava
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...OCCUPATION:] Actor [MARRIAGES:] 8 [SHORTEST:] 100 days [LONGEST:] 22 years and counting [ODDEST MATE:] AVA GARDNER, the renowned, and tall, beauty...
Mary Jo Walker (Janet McTeer) is an energetic, itinerant Southern woman; she's been married three times, and when her relationships end, she simply packs up moves herself and her daughter elsewhere. Twelve-year-old Ava is less than thrilled when her mom plucks her from life in West Virginia and takes her across the country to Starlight Beach, Calif.; Ava wants a real home and stability, and for her mom to meet the right man and finally settle down. Mary Jo moves herself and Ava in with Jack (Gavin O'Connor), a seemingly nice trucker; Ava makes friends...
McTeer and Brown, as Mary Jo and Ava, completely nail their chemistry; few actresses have made more convincing mother-daughter pairs than these two. McTeer is an award-winning British stage actress, though you'd never guess to look at her here; her North Carolina-tinged accent is spot-on, and she's so at home in her sundresses and golden tan that you could swear she was a Southern belle in a past life. She's already nabbed an early award from the National Board of Review for her performance, and she'll probably be making quite...
McTeer and Brown also get a little help from some great supporting players. Gavin O'Connor, also in his debut performance, is good as the frustrated, traditional trucker Jack; kudos also to Jay O. Sanders, for his sensitive portrayal of Dan, and some great scenes with Brown's character Ava. Cody McMains is a delight as Ava's 12-year old, punk-haired boyfriend, and up-and-comer Laurel Holloman matches McTeer's spunk as a close friend of Mary Jo. Director O'Connor had some terrific talent to work with for this film, and gives each one of them...
...Ava keeps mice, plays Romeo (that's not a misprint) in the school play, and though occasionally exasperated by her mother, adores her funky, spunky spirit. As do we, for McTeer, the English actress who stunned Broadway in A Doll's House two seasons back, is a wonder--sweet and fierce, a creature of good instincts and bad (but reparable) judgments. She's probably never going to get anywhere very grand, but she's going to get there intact. You suspect her child--her only true love--may do better than that. Meantime, we have this movie--full of acceptant...