Search - Slums of Beverly Hills on DVD

Slums of Beverly Hills

Actor(s): Natasha Lyonne, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Corrigan, Eli Marienthal
Director(s): Tamara Jenkins
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Movie Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Profanity
Movie Release: 1998
DVD Release: 01/19/1999
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 33 mins
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Total Copies: 8
Genres: Comedy Drama, Coming-of-Age, Domestic Comedy

DVD Synopsis

Tamara Jenkins wrote and directed this comedy-drama depicting the experience of growing up poor in the 90210 zip code, told from the point of view of Vivian Abramowitz (Natasha Lyonne), a teen who lives a nomadic existence in the outskirts of Beverly Hills with her single, divorced father, Murray (Alan Arkin) and her two young brothers (David Krumholtz, Eli Marienthal). As Murray tries to keep the family in the Beverly Hills school district, the family moves into a one-bedroom apartment in a shabby complex. When sexually liberated Rita (Marisa Tomei), daughter of Murray's brother Mickey (Carl Reiner), checks out of a drug rehab and moves into the apartment, she becomes a "role model" for the young Vivian. Jenkins's semi-autobiographical screenplay was developed and refined during Screenwriters and Filmmakers Labs sessions at the Sundance Institute. Produced by Robert Redford and Michael Nozik, this film was shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Actors

Natasha Lyonne - Vivian
Alan Arkin - Murray
Marisa Tomei - Rita
Kevin Corrigan - Eliot
Eli Marienthal - Rickey

Editorial Review of DVD

Tamara Jenkins' witty coming-of-age film Slums of Beverly Hills arrives on DVD with a widescreen 1.85:1 image that faithfully reproduces the original theatrical aspect ratio. There is an English soundtrack rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a second English soundtrack and a French soundtrack are each available in Dolby Digital Stereo. English and Spanish subtitles are also accessible. The only real extra feature is the original theatrical trailer. The spartan bonus material is a disappointment, but the film itself more than makes up for it. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

Frank E. (realartist) from HENDERSONVLLE, NC wrote on 8/12/2009...

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Have any of you seen Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Mary Sunshine" ? if so, you recall what a cute and heartwarming movie it is. Well, Alan Arkin has done it again. Apparently Mr. ARkin has some clout in movie land, and can get a great little movie produced, in spite of the fact there are no meteor impacts, or cars hurtling through mid air smashing into a ball of fire with the action hero barely escaping the disasters again and again and again. No, this is just a little literary flight of fancy involving a divorced father, Alan Arkin, and his nutty kids, trying to survive in the otherwise too costly to even think about living in Beverly Hills. He's just a used car salesman, replete with tacky clothes, and has to skip out from one motel like apartment after another in order to avoid being evicted for non payment of rent! Poor kids. All so they can attend Beverly Hills schools and 'have a chance' in this world of duplicity, perfidy, vanity, and chicanery of every kind. it IS tinsel town, remember.
Featured in the story is a young girl just becoming a woman...with a really nice pair of breasts which she is frankly a little annoyed and embarrassed about. The subject of the breasts keeps coming up...and keeps being seen! which adds to the awkwardness and silliness of the movie-which is, after all a comedy where the players are not thinking that this is funny at all.
That's all I can say about the plot. I will underscore that this is one of those rare gems from tinsel town that will be a prize in your collection of obscure but great movies when you are in the mood for some light hearted fun.