Vashirdfel
Simply A Masterpiece
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Matho
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
ejon49
I passed over Beautiful Joe at the video store for more than a year as I went through titles of non-first run films that I had not watched. After a year, I grabbed this one off the shelf and was pleasantly surprised by it. I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth that Billy Connolly gave his "beautiful" Joe character in his "adventures" with Sharon Stone and her two children. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the kids. Stone's "Hush" character kept the film consistent and on track. I enjoyed her sex appeal in her youth. I now appreciate the depth she brings to the roles she's been playing as a mature woman. I also liked how the director and screenwriter didn't bury Jurnee Smollett or Dillon Moen, Stone's two children, in the script. They had a closeness about them that made them feel like real brothers and sisters. Not a bad film. It's one I'd watch again.
dpratt5313
Billy Connolly stars a florist who finds out he has a brain tumor and that his wife wants a divorce all in the same day. Mr. Connolly's bad day is not over because he takes off from work in search of adventure and runs smack into Sharon Stone. Ms. Stone plays a woman with a gambling problem and drags along two kids with her that apparently have no father.
The only other movie I have seen Mr. Connolly in was an old Columbo episode where he was caught partially by the evidence of him marking the rum bottle with his thumbnail so he would know when he had enough. You will be marking your DVD with your thumbnail early on on this clunker because about 5 minutes of this stinker is 5 minutes too much. Ms. Stone's accent was almost enough to send my foot through the screen. It was the worst attempt at an accent since-well since Ms. Stone's accent in the remake of "Gloria".Mild SpoilersI think that anyone can figure out where this movie is going (Connolly will bond with the kids and eventually with Sharon Stone) but I did want to mention the silent kid. It reminded me of the old joke where the a kid has never said anything his whole life until he sees a bull charging at his father. He yells a warning out to his father who gets out of the way of the bull. He asks his son why he has never spoken before and his son replies that he never had anything to say before now. The boy in this movie speaks for the very same reason.Last thoughtIf a DVD can have features such as different languages- can't we get one where it can remove a bad accent from the movie and we hear the actress in their normal voice?rating 1 out of 10
Carcuss
Due to a special affection for Scottish comedy legend Billy Connolly, I saw Beautiful Joe. I love low budget film and I love a good heart tugging story. Connolly's Joe is a charming character that one can't help but like from the films opening. A Scot playing an Irishman amused me, particularly that the extent of his Irish accent was to say "Tanks" instead of "Thanks", but Connolly's charm sees this of little annoyance. Sharon Stone, who I normally don't care for, hits all the right notes in a very good performance as the tough as nails barhopping single mother. The two leads play off each other wonderfully without being drawn into the sentimentality of the piece. The two child actors are also first rate, particularly in their scenes with Connolly. Ian Holm, Dan Florek and Gil Bellows provide some lovely touches in their small roles. The problem? The script is quite predictable and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put it together. The unforgivable aspect however, is the constant view of the boom microphone in the shot. This doesn't happen just once, it happens several times and so obtrusively that it detracts from the viewers ability to get stuck into and believe the film (at least with this viewer it did). That aspect tainted the film badly, which is a shame because the work of Connolly and Stone is truly first rate. Visible boom microphone aside, Beautiful Joe is well worth seeing as a nice feel good film with some top notch acting.
davideo-2
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsAn intriguing casting decision to pit Sharon Stone and Billy Connelly together in one film,but still,Beautiful Joe is really not a winner.It runs for 94 minutes for what feels like 994,and there's a ametuerishly cliched feel to it,which feels very strange.Every major star seems dispensable in the movie business,and when names like Stone and Connelly would have drawn huge box office crowds as early as about 5 years ago,they're appearing in the equivelent of cable TV movies nowaday.Stone's still as great a sexy slut today as she's always been,but you really only need to admire the cover for that.**
