Search - Polish Wedding on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 03/16/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 47 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Total Copies: 2 Genres: Comedy Drama, Family Drama, Coming-of-Age, Domestic Comedy

Theresa Connelly makes her directorial debut with her own screenplay, a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy-drama, set in working-class Detroit, about a large Polish-American family run by matriarch Jadzia Pzoniak (Lena Olin). Her four boys obey her, but adolescent Hala (Claire Danes) is rebellious and independent. Although happily married to bakery worker Bolek (Gabriel Byrne), Jadzia engages in an almost-open affair with Roman (Rade Serbedzija). Hala sneaks off for late-night trysts with her handsome neighbor Russell Schuster (Adam Trese), resulting in her pregnancy. After her parents learn the news, Russell is forced to marry Hala, and a big Polish wedding is planned. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Lena Olin - Jadzia Pzoniak
Gabriel Byrne - Bolek Pzoniak
Claire Danes - Hala Pzoniak
Adam Trese - Russell Schuster
Mili Avital - Sofie Pzoniak

This low-budget independent film about a Polish family living in Detroit is also given a simple, low-budget release on DVD. The best thing about the disc is that the widescreen transfer looks sharp and crisp, making the film look more expensive than it actually is. The audio is Dolby Surround, but unfortunately not 5:1. Supplemental features are few. There's a theatrical trailer, decent cast bios, and nothing else. It's too bad, because this indie film could have benefited from commentary by director Theresa Connelly, who seems close to her material. As it is, only connoisseurs of Sundance Film Festival fare are likely to be interested in this sleeper. Language is in English only with subtitles in English and Spanish. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide