Search - Frankie and Hazel on DVD

Movie Release: 2000 DVD Release: 04/09/2002 Format: DVD - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 32 mins Studio: Showtime Entertainment Total Copies: 7 Genres: Comedy Drama, Childhood Drama

Two friends get their first taste of adult responsibilities in this made-for-cable comedy-drama. Francesca (Mischa Barton) and Hazel (Ingrid Uribe) are two 12-year-old girls growing up in Percaucus, an economically depressed community that's seen better days. Hazel, who has an avid interest in politics and history, is upset with the slow decay of her hometown; she thinks new leadership would help, and when she discovers the city charter states no age requirement for the office of mayor, she decides to run against Mayor Harrison (Larry Musser), who has held the office for 28 years and is otherwise running unopposed. Meanwhile, Hazel's best friend Francesca loves the ballet, and has studied for years with the avid encouragement of her grandmother Phoebe (Joan Plowright). Phoebe has managed to get Francesca an audition for a scholarship with a prestigious dance academy; however, "Frankie," as her friends call her, also loves baseball, and has battled a sexist coach and dubious teammates to make it onto the local Little League team. Between her heavy schedule of dance practices and rehearsals, and her time with the team, Francesca's schoolwork is starting to suffer, and she realizes something will have to give. Frankie and Hazel was directed by actress-turned-filmmaker JoBeth Williams; it was produced for the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Joan Plowright - Phoebe
Mischa Barton - Francesca
Ingrid Uribe - Hazel
Richard Yniguez - Antonio

JoBeth Williams' made-for-cable film Frankie and Hazel comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original broadcast aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. There are no subtitles, but the soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include filmographies of the cast and crew (including the great Joan Plowright), and a photo gallery. Showtime has done a decent job with this release. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide