Search - Mr. Deeds [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Adult Language, Slapstick Violence Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 10/22/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 37 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 88 Genres: Comedy, Slapstick, Romantic Comedy, Comedy of Manners See Also: Mr. Deeds [Fullscreen], Mr. Deeds [Widescreen] [with Zohan Movie Ticket], Mr. Deeds [UMD for PSP]

One of Frank Capra's best-loved stories gets a modernized and wildly slapstick reinterpretation in this romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler. When Preston Blake (Harve Presnell), a remarkably wealthy media magnate, dies with neither a wife nor children, the question on the lips of most of his associates is who will inherit the estate. The surprising answer turns out to be Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), a cheerful but half-bright proprietor of a small-town pizzeria, as well as part-time greeting card poet, who was a distant relative of Blake. In order to claim his 40-billion-dollar inheritance, Deeds heads to New York City, where Blake's former associates, Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and Cecil Anderson (Erick Avari), introduce him to the city while trying to figure out how to get their hands on his new fortune. Meanwhile, Mac McGrath (Jared Harris), the producer of a sleazy tabloid television show, wants to get the inside scoop on Deeds, and comes up with perfect way to get it: he sends beautiful but unscrupulous reporter Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder) to sweep Deeds off his feet while she's wired for sound. Convincing Deeds that she's from a small town just like himself, Bennett quickly wins his heart, but while his affection is sincere, hers is not. He also displays a curious eagerness to defend her good name with his fists which quickly gets him in trouble. Meanwhile, as Deeds becomes the new laughing stock of New York thanks to Bennett's stories, Deeds decides it's time he did something big with his money, while Cedar and Anderson think they've finally found a way to take control of Deeds' holdings. Mr. Deeds also features supporting performances from John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, and Conchata Ferrell. John McEnroe and Rev. Al Sharpton make cameo appearances as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adam Sandler - Longfellow Deeds
Winona Ryder - Babe Bennett
Peter Gallagher - Chuck Cedar
Jared Harris - Mac McGrath
Allen Covert - Marty
John Turturro - Emilio

The DVD for Mr. Deeds is typical fine fare from Columbia/TriStar, an early supporter of this digital format. The 1.85:1 anamorphic image is top notch, with rich warm colors and solid blacks throughout. Flesh tones are nicely recreated and overall detail is consistently strong. This is one of the earlier releases that also has a full-frame version. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack isn't quite as impressive, as there is little to no use of the surround fields to heighten the theatrical experience. The dialogue is clear and, for the comedy genre, that is all important. In a nice move, a number of decent supplements have also been added, including a spirited, screen-specific audio commentary with director Steven Brill and writer Tim Herlihy that runs the gamut from light technical talk to friendly banter. There are also three featurettes: "From Mandrake Falls to Manhattan," "Spare No Expense," and "Clothes Make the Man." The first, the longest at 18 minutes, is a general making-of documentary; the second is about the production design;and the third concerns costumes. Although they don't amount to a lot separately, they do give a certain amount of insight into the making of the film when viewed as a whole. Along with these are six deleted scenes that really don't amount to much and an outtake reel that is amusing, albeit very brief. In addition to a great music video for "Where Are You Going" from The Dave Matthews Band, there are theatrical trailers for this film, Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights, Master of Disguise, Men in Black II, and I Spy. Finally, a script-to-screen feature is available via DVD-ROM. This may not have been the hit that Adam Sandler and company had hoped for, but you wouldn't know it from this fine presentation. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide