CHARACTER IN FOCUS: Suzie Quince, "Just Getting Started" (2017)

Rene Russo in Just Getting Started premiere: so beautiful!
(photo - Archive photo)

Just Getting Started, of 2017, is the second actor-director collaboration between Rene Russo and Ron Shelton (the first one was the movie Tin Cup, where Ms. Russo portrayed Molly Griswold). According to this talented actress, "Ron Shelton writes really strong women, but he always gives them a flavor.  I think he likes just a little bit of unpredictability. They’re totally together, but I love that he says they’re either hanging by a thread, or there’s a problem they’re trying to get through, so you get to see them get through it. It’s always exciting because it’s not one-dimensional. I love that about Ron. He’s so good. He’s such a good romantic comedy writer, and I love that he writes complicated women."

Rene Russo's Suzie Quince in action with her dog...
(photo - Broad Green Pictures)

What we most adore from this movie is that Suzie Quince, in the movie, she's always with her dog co-star, Romeo. For me, I can see every person with their dog or mascot on TV, but rarely on movies. But for Rene, there was only one difficult scene with this cute dog, where she was kidnapped by the thieves (that happened almost in the end of the film). 

... and with Morgan Freeman, who Ms. Russo worked previously in Outbreak (1995)
(photo - Broad Green Pictures)

And also, for Rene Russo, working with Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman, who worked with the last one previously on Outbreak, by Wolfgang Petersen, in 1995, was kind of cool. 

"They’re completely different, but they were both funny. Tommy’s funny was interior funny. Morgan’s funny was broad comedy that was just bigger. They were perfectly matched, in that way. They held their own. They’re both so strong. They’re equally as strong. I had no idea that that was what was gonna happen. When you get two actors together, you don’t know what the chemistry is gonna be. As I was watching them, I thought, “Oh, they have really good chemistry together.” I thought their chemistry was really good."

Hope u like it !
Loveuguys.

xoxoxo

ME. 

Just Getting Started (Movie Review)

Official poster for Just Getting Started, directed by Ron Shelton.
(credits - Broad Green Pictures)

Director: Ron Shelton.
Producers: Bill Gerber & Steve Richards.
Written by: Ron Shelton (who also directed the movie).

Main Cast:

Morgan Freeman ------ Duke Diver

Tommy Lee Jones ------ Leo McKay

Rene Russo ------ Suzie Quince

Glenne Headly ---- Margarite
Sheryl Lee Ralph --- Roberta

Joe Pantoliano ----- Joey

Jane Seymour ---- Delilah 

Johnny Mathis --- Himself

Rene Russo in action as Suzie Quince in Just Getting Started.
(credits - Broad Green Pictures)

Release Date: December 8, 2017 (USA).

Running Time: 91 min. 

Box Office: US$22 million / US$7.6 million (box office bomb).

Plot Summary: Duke Diver (Morgan Freeman),a defense lawyer, now manages the luxury resort Villa Capri, in Palm Springs, California. Leo McKay (Tommy Lee Jones, from The Fugitive and Men In Black), an ex-FBI Agent, arrives at the resort and beatens the lawyer at every competition.

Rene Russo between Tommy Lee Jones, director Ron Shelton and Morgan Freeman
in Just Getting Started premiere. (credits - Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Their competition extends to a rivalry over Suzie Quince (Rene Russo), the regional director of the resort chain. During the competitions Duke's life is put in danger multiple times and he realizes that the mafia has found him and is attempting to kill him. Duke and Leo must work together to defeat the mafia and save Duke's life during the Christmas season at Villa Capri.
At the end, after Suzie is rescued from the mafia, she, Duke and Leo end happily together.

Fun Facts about the Movie:

• The original title was called Villa Capri, until September 2017, when the film was retitled to Just Getting Started.
• And it's the second time Rene Russo worked together with Morgan Freeman, the first was in Outbreak (1995). And it was also the second time Rene worked together with Ron Shelton, the first time was in Tin Cup (1996).
• Just Getting Started was Ron Shelton's comeback movie since Hollywood Homicide, of 2003 (starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett).
• Rene Russo said about Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman in US programme Today Show, "I was intimidated by these two at first!"
• Even though the movie was appreciated by the public, it was panned by the critics.

Rene Russo with her dog Romeo in Just Getting Started.
(credits - Broad Green Pictures)

Critical Reception:

• IMDB: 4,3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 5% (unfavorable, 20 reviews).
• Metacritic: 21/100
• CinemaScore: C (A+ to F)

Hope u like it.

Loveuguys.

xoxoxo

ME

CHARACTER IN FOCUS: Molly Griswold, "Tin Cup" (1996)

Rene Russo along with Kevin Costner in scene of Tin Cup (1996)
(photo credits - Warner Bros. Pictures)

In the movie Tin Cup (1996), Dr. Molly Griswold, played by the gorgeous and lovely actress Rene Russo, was clinical psychologist with a difficult new client. She agrees to help down-on-his-luck former golf prodigy Roy McAvoy, played by Kevin Costner (great in Bull Durham, Dance with Wolves, The Bodyguard and many others) regain his confidence in exchange for golf lessons for Ms. Griswold. It’s unclear, though, whether he’s more interested in getting back on the golf course, or just for the love of the girl. But what Roy doesn't know is that Molly is David (Don Johnson)'s girlfriend. And David is Roy's longtime golf rival.

Rene Russo and Linda Hart (left) in final scene of Tin Cup.
(photo credits - Warner Bros. Pictures)

What we know about Molly... she is intelligent, outgoing and confident. She lives by the advice she gives Roy: “Just be honest and take a risk.” (Molly said that line almost on the end of the movie). Of course, she told him that to help him ask out another woman, like Doreen (Linda Hart), but she’s starting to think that Roy has the potential to make her happy – as unlikely as that seems on the surface.

Rene Russo and Kevin Costner: romantic pair in Tin Cup.
(photo - Steve Granitz).

And after the movie... Kevin and Rene met again in 2015, on Critics' Choice Awards, when Kevin (Costner) received the honorary prize. Ms. Russo praised him and the movie: "It was a really good movie, and he is a really good kisser... I mean, he's a really good kisser." Both of them remain friends until today.

Hope u like it.

Loveuguys.

xoxoxo

ME

Tin Cup (MOVIE REVIEW)

Poster of the movie Tin Cup, directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo.
(photo credits: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Director : Ron Shelton (he worked with Rene recently in Just Getting Started, and also known working mainly in sports movies, such as Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump). 

Producer: Gary Foster.

Writer: Ron Shelton & John Norville. 

Main Cast: 

Kevin Costner ------ Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy

Rene Russo -------- Dr. Molly Griswold

Don Johnson ------- David Simms

Cheech Marin ------ Romeo Posar

Rex Linn ---------- Dewey

Mickey Jones ---- Turk

Linda Hart ------- Doreen

Cheech Marin, Rene Russo, Don Johnson and Kevin Costner at Tin Cup premiere.
(photo credits: Ron Galella)

Release Date: August 16, 1996 (USA) / November 1, 1996 (Brazil).

Running Time: 135 min.

Budget / Box Office: US$45 million / US$75,9 million (box office success).

Plot Summary: Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner, great in The Bodyguard, Dance with Wolves, Hidden Figures and many others), known also as Tin Cup, is a failed pro golfer who lives in a driving range along with sidekick and caddy Romeo Posar (Cheech Marin) in Salome, located in West Texas. One day, a beautiful woman called Molly Griswold (Rene Russo) comes in and appears at Mr. McAvoy's driving range for golf lessons. What Roy doesn't know is that the girl he loves is David Simms (Don Johnson)' girlfriend, and Simms is McAvoy's longtime nemesis.

Rene and Kevin Costner in action: chemistry in scene. (photo credits:
Warner Bros. Pictures)

Falling in love for Molly, Roy decides to become her patient; in order to earn her respect, he decides to try to qualify for the US Open, after starting off as Simms' caddy "for the benefit of his experience". MacAvoy's talent proves more then adequate, but over-confident negligence of risks, while pleasing the crowds, is murder on his scores, while Simms spits on the fans, and that proves when David refuses to sign an autograph for a child... and Ms. Griswold encouraged Simms to be himself.
After a wager against David, Roy won the bet and Molly's heart too. Now, with renewed confidence, Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy, a nobody from nowhere, shocks the golf world by breaking the U.S. Open record for a single round by shooting a 62, thus making the cut. Roy's third round is also excellent and moves him into contention, but on all three rounds, he refuses to lay up on the par-5 18th hole, hitting the ball into the water hazard each time.

Rene between Kevin Costner, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson: having fun at Tin Cup premiere.
(photo credits: Ron Galella/Getty Images)

And on the last day, Roy, David and golf pro Peter Jacobsen are on a battle to win the US Open... and once again, after the hitting the water hazard several times, McAvoy hits the green straight to the hole. 

And after the tournament, Molly gained lots of clients and prepares a career of helping players with the mental portion of the game.... Roy and Molly end the movie together, and both share a kiss. 

Fun Facts about the movie: 

• This movie saved entirely Kevin Costner's acting career, after the disaster of the movie Waterworld (1995).
• In 2015, when Kevin (Costner) received the honorary prize in the Critics Choice Awards, Rene Russo praised him and Tin Cup: "It was a really good movie, and he is a really good kisser."
• Many of Roy McAvoy's golf shots were done by Kevin Costner himself. 
• Kevin Costner is a master of sports movies. Besides Tin Cup, he did Bull Durham (1988), also directed by Ron Shelton; Field of Dreams (1989); For the Love of the Game (1999), and recently, MacFarland, USA (2015). 
• Some scenes of this movie were filmed in Kingwood, Texas; Tubac, Arizona; and Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Critical Reception:

• IMDB: 6,3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 69% (mixed to positive; 48 reviews)
• AdoroCinema (Brazil): 3,4/5
• Metascore: 60/100

On August 27, I'll talk about Molly Griswold on "Character on Focus"...

Hope u like it ...

loveuguys.

xoxoxo 

ME.