HotToastyRag Written, directed, and starring Alan Alda, Sweet Liberty follows, well, Alan Alda as he gets introduced to the wacky world of Hollywood. He plays an author—which foreshadows his real-life accomplishments, since he later wrote three memoirs and became a New York Times bestseller—whose novel is being adapted into a film. Even though he has his hands full with his personal life, when he becomes surrounded by the cast and crew, he learns an entirely new definition of drama.If you like movies about making movies, you'll probably want to rent this one. The lead actors of the film within the film are Michael Caine and Michelle Pfeiffer, and it's always fun to watch beautiful people on the big screen. A ninety-two-year-old Lillian Gish plays Alan's mother, and Lois Chiles and Bob Hoskins join the supporting cast. In general, I find this genre a little too over-the-top in the backstage "drama", and even though I love Michael Caine, this movie didn't really break the mold. But there are some pretty funny scenes, and if you don't take it too seriously, it can be fun with a bunch of your friends and a bowl of popcorn.

vincentlynch-moonoi This is a rather laid-back, but enjoyable movie; the type that more mature audiences will enjoy.The story is relatively interesting. Hollywood types decide to make a movie based on an historical book written by Alan Alda's character. Of course, the movie company cares nothing about the historical accuracy of the Revolutionary War era script, while Alda (and the community) care a great deal. Meanwhile there are various romantic situations involving Alda and the film's starring actress (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Alda's girlfriend (Lise Hilboldt) and the film's lead actor (Michael Caine; who did not get top billing here); although these assignations are handled in a rather urbane manner. Alda and the community get their revenge when the key battle scene of the movie is filmed. It's all very good natured.Alan Alda is very good here; just right for this kind of laid-back treatment of the story. It made me wish that more Alda's acting career had been in film, rather than in "MASH". Michael Caine is fine here, although the role is clearly a supporting role, rather than a starring role. Michelle Pfeiffer is satisfactory; quite appealing in some scenes, and then not so in other scenes; an uneven performance. Bob Hoskins has a supporting role as a decidedly unclassy screenwriter; nothing very notable. Lise Hilboldt is very good as Alda's girlfriend. It's a delight to see Lillian Gish in a role as Alda's eccentric mother; her next to the last film. Saul Rubinek plays the film's director; again, nothing special here.Is this a box office smash? No. A rather casual film with a decent script and goo acting. As at least one reviewer indicated, it could have been more satirical, but I don't think that was the intent. Particularly worthwhile if you enjoy Alan Alda,

theowinthrop As a follow-up to his wonderful FOUR SEASONS, Alan Alda wrote, directed, and starred in SWEET LIBERTY - a film that explores the way movies unmake books and historical accuracy, and film productions on location upset local populations. It's a good follow-up film, but not as good as FOUR SEASONS because that film had some serious underpinnings about friendship and aging at it's center.In SWEET LIBERTY Alda plays Michael Burgess, who lives is a southern college town with his mother Cecilia (Lillian Gish). He is a professor of history, who has just written a carefully researched best seller about the events in the region from 1779 to 1781 when the British under Cornwallis invaded Georgia and the Carolinas in the American Revolution. I have mentioned this somewhat forgotten aspect of the Revolution in other reviews on this board, and how Cornwallis' actually had a clever scheme that could have worked (there were far more loyal Tories among the population there than further North), but how through the jealousy and foot dragging of Sir Henry Clinton (Cornwallis' superior) the scheme slowly unraveled. Forced by the Americans under Nathaniel Greene into a series of "phyrric" victories, wherein he lost more men than the battles were worth, Cornwallis decided to fight his way to Virginia and to have Clinton pick up his men there. This led to his defeat at Yorktown. Burgess's book deals with the diary of a local woman who witnesses these events. It also deals with her having a love affair with Cornwallis' "Green Dragoon", the notoriously deadly Sir Banastre Tarleton.Tarleton has appeared under a different name in Mel Gibson's controversial THE PATRIOT, as the cavalry leader who did not mince words with the rebels. He exterminated them. The most notorious incident was when he ordered the massacre of rebels who had been captured at the Wraxhall River. But this was 1780 so war crimes trials were never heard of, and General Tarleton lived to die in his bed in 1833. By the way - Tarleton never ordered burning alive civilians in a church to set an example (that was a Gibson invention). Particularly an Anglican Church. King George III, as head of the Anglican Church (and a serious believer in the religious rights of his flock) would probably have ordered Tarleton's arrest and execution for such an act.Burgess sells the rights to his book to a film company, and soon realizes the hurricane he has released on his sleepy community. Burgess finds that he is working on the screenplay with Mr. Stanley Gould (Bob Hoskins), who loves the book - but is constantly changing it to fit film consumers attention spans. The director of the film is little better than a presumptive kid named Bo Hodges (Saul Rubinek), who has a ludicrous theory of what people want to see (it includes mayhem, buildings being blown up, and people who are naked). Burgess has a close understanding with a fellow teacher named Gretchen Calsen (Lisa Hilboldt), which may lead to marriage. But both find themselves enthralled by the film leads, Elliot James (Michael Caine) and Faith Healy (Michelle Phifer). Both are temperamental egotists, but they can lay on the charm to improve their roles or enjoy themselves. Soon Burgess finds himself approving changes in the script that benefit Healy (which leads to counter improvements for the insistent James).On top of all this Burgess has problems with his mother, a kindly woman who is partly insane. This also leads to him trying to resolve an issue regarding her past and a love affair she claims she had.The changes range from the ludicrous to the insulting. Remember that Tarleton was known as the "Green Dragoon". A wealthy man, he dressed his crack cavalry regiment in green outfits, not in red. Hodges has James wear the traditional red uniform - American audiences expect "red coats". The culmination of the film is the so-called turning point in the war in the south, the American victory over Tarleton at the battle of the Cowpens (a bit of farmland - the victor was General Daniel Morgan, and it has been called the best tactical victory of the war). But Hodges wants to make it comic, with the Americans running around stupidly as the British bombard them. This, and a nasty confrontation between the film extras and the locals sets Alda up for leading his own revolution, and showing the film people just where to get off.SWEET LIBERTY works as a comedy, and is worth viewing. Besides Alda's growing frustration at the extremes of movie making, Hoskins friendly but ruthless script reworking, and Gish's comic insanity, and the obnoxious Rubinek, Caine does wonders showing ego and charm in it's turn (see his rendition of "Knees Up Father Brown" when going out), and Michelle Phyfer's twisting Alda around her finger. It is certainly a fine film comedy.

John First of all, let me say that Michael Caine is pure genius in this film. His portrayal of a screen-idol that "makes the girls wet their pants" is perfect!Michelle Pfeiffer's part is a bit 2-dimensional, but she does have her moments. Even Alan Alda is surprisingly good (gee, I had never realized before that he could act!).Anyway, the film is very light-hearted and easy on the mind. Some good laughs, some nice scenes, etc. I'd recommend renting this, making a nice disgustingly buttered tub of popcorn, a nice big glass of sugared soda ... sit back and enjoy!