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35 reviews in total

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
"WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!", 2 November 2004

Author: Sarah Humphrey from Toronto, Canada

My whole family from young to old have LOVED this movie. It is always a tradition in our household to watch 29th street at Christmas time, although it can be watched at any time of year. I just love it when people tell me they haven't seen this movie, and I get to show it to them...because it has the best ending ever! Just thinking about it now, gives me goosebumps. It is one of the best "feel good" endings I have ever seen. Don't worry I won't say what happens! Danny Aiello is wonderful as the father who is cursed with bad luck and Anthony LaPaglia is the best I've ever seen him as the son who is cursed with good luck. Some scenes are hilarious and others will break your heart. Just writing this out makes me want to watch it, and I just think I might!

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11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
"The Blue Grass of Kentucky", 29 October 2004
Author: mikeygoodlife (mikeygoodlife@yahoo.com) from Staten Island, NY

29th Street is a cult hit and one of the most underrated films of all time. It is the touching story about a nice Italian guy who is at the same time blessed and cursed with good fortune. The acting in this film is 1st rate. Everyone nails their role down. Danny Aiello, Robert Forster, Lani Kazan are magnificent, but the actor who steals the show is Anthony LaPaglia.

The film combines Old School Italian-American humor with traces of mob genre films to tell the story about the 1st ever New York State Lottery winner in 1976 Frank Pesce(LaPaglia). The script is 1st rate, George Gallo's directing is excellent, the music is perfect for the film.

Pay attention to the scene when Frank and his pals go to the draft physical in order to apply to the Vietnam war. IT IS SO FUNNY!!

This is the type of film that you can watch over and over again. My buddies and I continuously quote this film. Enjoy and you will feel a lump in your throat @ the end of the film.

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10 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Sleeper, 23 December 2004

Author: filmnd from United States

Although not highly rated by critics, this film has a great story with both poignant and funny moments. An excellent cast, I would recommend it to anyone. If you're an East coast born and bred Italian American, you'll especially love the ethnic comedy that many of us have seen or lived through. Danny Aiellos' portrayal of the out-of luck father is one of his better performances in this "based on a true story" tale. It will finally be available on DVD in 2005, and is great to watch around the holidays since the main storyline occurs at Christmas. The tag line on the packaging is right on stating it's "Goodfellas meets It's A Wonderful Life." This movie proves that the critics aren't always right!!

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9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Why haven't more of you seen this?!?!?!?????, 13 October 1998

Author: vulture from Rochester, NY

One of the reasons I was so excited about this site when I first found it was the fact that the top ten movies and my top ten were so close. I continually find that the users here are very discerning (at least to what I think is good). This said, I can not believe so few of you have seen this film.

If you need a finely crafted, well acted rental some night, you probably can't do better. Danny Aiello is superbly cast, and Anthony Lapaglia has rarely been better.

See this film!!!!!!!!

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Miracle on..., 22 August 2005

Author: janet-55 from United Kingdom

When I first saw this film many years ago I had no idea it was based on the true story of how Frank Pesce Jr. won the lottery, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago and found out that it was. It's a lovely, funny, poignant film about the relationship between father(Aiello) and youngest offspring (LaPaglia). As a seasoned film actor Aiello puts in a solid performance. More interestingly LaPaglia who must have been approx 34 and hadn't yet made those many films up to this point is staggeringly good at portraying Frank Pesce from age 16 to mid twenties. This is definitely one of his classier performances. I particularly liked the running joke about the father's pizzas. Also of interest is that the real life Frank Pesce plays his own older brother!! All in all the film is a little miracle.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
29th Street, 29 June 1999
Author: Tim Cox from Marietta, OH

First rate drama-comedy that is delivered beautifully to us like a Valentine in the performances of Aiello and Lapaglia, who are brilliant as father and son who dream of dreams and hope for anything to come along. Their dreams start to become reality when Lapaglia has a shot at winning big on the lottery. Based on the true exploits of Frank Pesce, who has a role in the film, this is moving portrait about family, love and that little thing called luck.

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
One lucky decision...., 25 December 2002
Author: gusmcrae from Maryland Heights, Missouri

Well here it is Christmas Day and I was just flipping through the channels. We don't have cable, so there wasn't much to choose from. I happened to stop on the end of a showing of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and by chance I decided to see the next movie that was showing-29th STREET.

This is a great movie, 10 out of 10. I have to say that first of all. I'm assuming this isn't the most well known of movies because it's not something I've ever heard of. I recommend it though. Despite some rough language (which was edited out of the tv viewing I got to see), it is a great family film. Did you like MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING? This film manages to capture that same ethnic family feeling, though in this film it is Italian, not Greek. The family, with Danny Aiello as the father, is charming in all it's quirkiness. I laughed a lot at the subtle humor that came out of the daily lives of the Pesce family.

The acting in the film is terrific. The characters are well developed in the writing and the actors used this to the fullest in bringing them to life. I was amazed to see that Frank Pesce actually plays in the movie in a fairly large role as the brother Vito. He does a good job. Anthony LaPaglia is excellent too. You'd think he'd really grown up in NYC with that accent of his.

If you happen to catch this on tv or see it at a movie rental place, don't pass it up. The story is simple-the world's luckiest man as he grows up. The ending runs high with emotion as you come to see the results of the decisions that this lucky man and his family makes. In the end though, it's a great holiday film, showing the true love that families have. It's great to see men (fathers) with lots of love and emotion for their families!

Check this out :D

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Wonderful Story, 30 May 2002

Author: Tasos Tz. from London, England

This is the story of the luckiest man alive. It's as interesting as it sounds. An undiscovered gem, with great acting and great actors, namely Danny Aiello and Anthony LaPaglia.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. You won't regret it.

10/10

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Loved this movie!!!, 12 February 2005

Author: barb57 from United States

I just happened to catch this movie on cable last night and watched it all the way through (until 3AM) as it held my attention all the way. 29th street is entertaining and funny. Being Italian I could really relate as I saw many of my own family members portrayed quite accurately by the actors. Of course, Danny Aiello is the best as always and a joy to watch. He can knock on my door anytime! I wish we could see more movies starring this fine actor. The lottery ticket theme held this movie together quite nicely with a few twists and turns. We all share this dream...to win the lottery... which makes the viewer eager to see the outcome. I found myself wishing I were the one holding that ticket and living out that dream of being "the big winner". The love between the father and son created a beautiful ending to a charming movie.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Don't underestimate this little gem of a movie..., 3 September 1999

Author: jhlurie

This movie is so under-rated its incredible. Sure, on the face of it the story of a guy winning the lottery sounds old and tired--but this was the very FIRST New York lottery and the story has much more to do with his relationship with his father then with winning the lottery. LaPaglia is very good and Danny Aiello is just incredible in this film. I've seen this movie shown on TV as filler on a slow holiday weekend, which is a shame because people ignored it.

Go and do yourself a favor and watch it... But gee is it even on video, I don't know? Wait... I looked it up and it is on Laserdisc and VHS. No DVD, but hey...

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