Once Around
The Bellas were one big happy family. Then Renata met Sam...
Richard Dreyfus and Holly Hunter lead an all-star cast in this critically acclaimed tale of life, love and chance. Jilted by her boyfriend, Renata (Hunter), the oldest daughter of a close-knit Italian-American family, falls in love with Sam (Dreyfus), an abrasive and forcefully charming businessman.
But neither her spirited sister (Laura San Giacomo), her down-to-earth father (Danny Aiello), or her supportive mother (Gena Rowlands) can tolerate Sam's often obnoxious intrusion into their family circle.
Aggressive and overwhelmingly generous, Sam proceeds - with only the best intensions - to disrupt and nearly demolish Renata's family.
Love, humor and forgiveness go once more around as the Bellas try to balance Renata's happiness with their family's survival in this funny and often touching story.
Member Reviews
Drippy Winter Hallstrom. - Spumco
I think there is something about America and Hallstrom that just comes off as drippy as opposed to his Swedish work which comes off as sentimental. I loved loved loved "My Life as a Dog". Once Around is no My Life as a Dog. I found the slice of life moments to be horribly piled on after Sam and Renata's relationship begins interjecting into her family. I did however, love the Bella Family and felt the story could have been better just centered around them. Danny Aiello is so warm in this and as far as Gena Rowland's "Twilight Years" mom of grown adult roles go, this is one of the better ones. It's the moments where Sam (Dreyfuss's character) is interjecting with the Bella's that I find indigestibly "slice of life". Holly Hunter does what she can--wish they would've explored why her character was so adrift and reliant on marriage as the pinpoint of her self-identity. There is one scene between the Bella sisters that is one of the only honest and frank depictions of real family dynamics in which both confront each other about their choices. A couple more scenes like this and it would've been an above-average movie.Unwatchable - 213468280576
Can't say much about this film because I couldn't even fast forward through this horror.. I think I bailed at about 30 minutes. Rented it for the cast but it is just a useless senseless waste of film stock... not a romantic comedy that I could tell just bleak, bleak, bleak.A little romance, a little family conflict - Fred_the_Philistine
This one's the daughter of a close-knit family that places great mistrust in outsiders. She confronts her long-time boyfriend about his plans for marriage. He replies he doesn't have any. She finds companionship in a very successful condominium salesman who is older, outgoing and forceful; all qualities her family does not feel comfortable with. Yet, he makes her happy. The rest is relatively predictable however the proceedings made touching and palatable by the skilled direction of Lasse Hallström.
Member Reviews
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Drippy Winter Hallstrom. - Spumco
I think there is something about America and Hallstrom that just comes off as drippy as opposed to his Swedish work which comes off as sentimental. I loved loved loved "My Life as a Dog". Once Around is no My Life as a Dog. I found the slice of life moments ...Unwatchable - 213468280576
Can't say much about this film because I couldn't even fast forward through this horror.. I think I bailed at about 30 minutes. Rented it for the cast but it is just a useless senseless waste of film stock... not a romantic comedy that I could tell just bleak, ...A little romance, a little family conflict - Fred_the_Philistine
This one's the daughter of a close-knit family that places great mistrust in outsiders. She confronts her long-time boyfriend about his plans for marriage. He replies he doesn't have any. She finds companionship in a very successful condominium salesman ...