Amos & Andrew (2001, DVD)

Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson have become famous and been in some popular movies. Samuel L. Jackson was in S.W.A.T. earlier this summer. Nicolas Cage s newest movie, Matchstick Men, was released recently. In 1993, neither actor was that well known yet. They appeared together in Amos & Andrew.

Andrew Sterling, a successful black writer, bought a summer home in a small New England town. He arrived at the house by himself one evening and started unpacking. His wife was visiting her family and would arrive in another day or two.

Phil and Judy Gillman lived next door to the house that Andrew bought. They weren t aware that the house had been sold. They saw lights on in the house and thought that their friends, the previous owners, had returned. Then Judy saw Andrew through a window carrying a stereo and she assumed he was a burglar because he was black. She and Phil called the police to report the burglary. They even said there was a hostage situation. Police arrived and surrounded the house. The local press also turned up.

One of the police officers set off the alarm on Andrew s car. He went out to turn it off. He and the police couldn t hear each other because of the alarm. The police thought that Andrew had a gun and shot at him when he tried to shut off the car alarm. Andrew got back in the house, thinking someone was trying to kill him. Police Chief Cecil Tolliver talked to Andrew on the phone and figured out what happened. Cecil panicked because the press was reporting that Andrew was in the house. Cecil came up with a plan to cover up the screw up.

Amos Odell was in the local jail for stealing a car. He had been heading for Canada, but he had a very bad sense of direction. Cecil made a deal with Amos, who would go into the house and pretend to be the burglar. Amos had his face covered with some kind of black paint or make up when he got in the house. He wasn t a genius, but he figured out what was going on. It took Andrew a bit longer to figure it out. Andrew saw an interview that Phil and Judy gave where they said a lot of racist things. Amos and Andrew didn t really like each other, but they worked together to get out of the mess they were in.

CAST

Samuel L. Jackson - Andrew Sterling
Nicolas Cage - Amos Odell
Michael Lerner - Phil
Margaret Colin - Judy
Dabney Coleman - Chief Cecil Tolliver

E. Max Frye - Director

Amos & Andrew was made in 1993. It was 96 minutes long and rated PG-13. I did rent the VHS version several years ago. I recently saw the movie again on television. It was edited, but I m not sure how much since it has been a while since I saw the movie. I think there was some swearing, but I can t remember for sure now. This really isn t a movie for young children to see. It could be all right for older children to see.

Amos & Andrew was an entertaining movie. There were some funny things that happened in the movie. Amos did some funny things at times. Cecil was funny at times as well. Most of Nicolas Cage s earlier movies were comedies, though he did make a few more serious movies as well. He seemed to become more popular after he stared to make more serious movies. He has also made several action movies that have been popular. This is the only comedy that I remember seeing Samuel L. Jackson in. He has been in mostly dramas and action movies.

There were a lot of racial issues in Amos & Andrew. Because Andrew was black, people automatically thought he was a criminal. I thought it was sad, and even disturbing, that Phil and Judy reacted the way they did. There is still a lot of discrimination in the world, and this movie illustrates, though it was silly about it at times. Unfortunately there really are people like Judy and Phil in the world. Some funny things did happen as a result of something one of them said or did. Some people could be offended by things that happened in the movie. Some characters, especially Judy and Phil, did say some very racist things.

The acting in Amos & Andrew was all right, but it wasn t outstanding. Nicolas Cage was good as the bumbling, clueless Amos, but he has had better roles. He was believable in the part. I didn t think this was one of Samuel L. Jackson s better movies, but he was fine in it. Dabney Coleman was very funny as the Chief. Cecil wasn t like Mr. Hart, the role Coleman played in 9 to 5, but when Cecil first showed up, I immediately thought of Mr. Hart. I always do when I see him in a movie. Michael Lerner and Margaret Colin weren t in as much of the movie, but they were believable as the racist couple. I have seen Colin in some other movies, most recently in a small role in Unfaithful.

None of the Characters in Amos & Andrew were developed much. All the characters were fairly one dimensional. Amos & Andrew were the main characters, but they were also flat. All that was really known about Amos was that he was a car thief with a very bad sense of direction. Andrew was a successful author. The Gillmans were nosy and racist. Cecil was worried about public opinion and his job once he realized the mistake that was made. There was nothing else to the characters.

CHARACTERS

Andrew - Successful author who was moving into his summer home in a small town. He was mistaken for a burglar by his new neighbors. Andrew seemed very shocked at the assumptions that were made about him.

Amos - Car thief with a bad sense of direction. He was in the local jail when the police chief approached him about pretending to be a black burglar to cover up a major mistake the police made. Amos wasn t too smart, but he did figure things out.

Judy and Phil Gillman - Andrew s new neighbors. They thought he was a criminal and said a lot of racist things to the police and the press. They enjoyed some different things in their marriage.

Cecil - Chief of police. He sent Amos into the house to cover up the mistake that was made about Andrew s identity. Cecil had no intention of honoring the deal he made with Amos. Cecil just wanted to protect himself.

I have seen better movies, but Amos & Andrew was entertaining. Fans of Nicolas Cage or Samuel L. Jackson may enjoy the movie.

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S.W.A.T. ~ Matchstick Men ~ Unfaithful ~