Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000)

Five California women struggle with personal problems as their own paths unwind in ways unexpected.

Director:

Rodrigo García

Writer:

Rodrigo García

Stars:

Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Close	...	Dr. Elaine Keener (segments "This is Dr. Keener" and "Fantasies about Rebecca")
Cameron Diaz	...	Carol Faber (segment "Love Waits For Kathy")
Calista Flockhart	...	Christine Taylor (segments "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight Christine" and "This is Dr. Keener")
Kathy Baker	...	Rose (segments "Someone For Rose" and "Fantasies about Rebecca")
Amy Brenneman	...	Detective Kathy Faber (segment "Love Waits For Kathy")
Valeria Golino	...	Lilly (segment "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight Christine")
Holly Hunter	...	Rebecca Waynon (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca")
Matt Craven	...	Walter (segments "Fantasies About Rebecca" and "Love Waits For Kathy")
Gregory Hines	...	Robert (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca")
Miguel Sandoval	...	Sam (segment "Love Waits For Kathy"
Noah Fleiss	...	Jay (segment "Someone For Rose")
Danny Woodburn	...	Albert (segments "Someone For Rose" and "Love Waits For Kathy")
Penelope Allen	...	Nancy (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca") (as Penny Allen)
Roma Maffia	...	Debbie (segments "Fantasies About Rebecca" and "Love Waits For Kathy")
Mika Boorem	...	June (segments "Love Waits For Kathy" and "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight Christine")

Storyline

Five loosely intertwined stories of the emotional issues facing individual middle-aged Angelenas are presented. In "This Is Dr. Keener", physician Elaine Keener is spending the day taking care of her invalid mother at home on the nurse's day off. Elaine, a scientist, seeks confirmation on what may be a turning point issue in her life by an unconventional means, namely a tarot card reading. Although the news Elaine receives through the reading is a largely accurate assessment of her current life, it is the news about that crossroads issue that takes her somewhat aback. In "Fantasies About Rebecca", thirty-nine year old Rebecca Waynon is outwardly in control of her life, from her job as a bank manager to her personal long term relationship with older Robert. A homeless woman named Nancy who hangs around outside the bank seems to have a clearer picture of what is truly happening with Rebecca than Rebecca herself, as is witnessed by Rebecca's ultimate reaction to an action in dealing with...

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Plot Keywords:

boxer shorts | f rated | lesbian | dwarf | suicide | 

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Taglines:

A man only sees what a woman wants him to know.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A Braille book that Carol Faber reads is "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez who happens to be the father of Rodrigo García, this film's director.

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Quotes

Carol: Maybe she was just tired of dead ends, phone calls that were never returned, promises that were never kept, tripping over the same stone.

User Reviews

crazy title - beautiful film

Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia's feature film debut "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" might have a jarring, if too long, title, but the son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez presents a passionate work of cinematic fiction. The film presents several short stories; snapshots of women at a crossroads. One story is of a doctor who has lost sight of spiritual meaning in her life, and has elicited the assistance of a tarot card reader to help her find her way. This card reader may assist people with getting through the future with clarity, but she has one foot in the past as she watches her girlfriend succumb to a debilitating disease.

Each story intersects and overlaps the others in unique and interesting ways. The all-star cast of female talent bring to their deliberately under drawn characters some of their strongest performances, especially Calista Flockhart (at the time, fresh from "Ally McBeal") who provides her psychic character with fairy-like innocence, Kathy Baker who brings good-natured humorous curiosity to a role that could have quickly become a sociopath stalker, and Holly Hunter in an understated performance as a bank owner who contemplates the ramifications of motherhood on her life.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 2000 (France)

Also Known As:

A nő ötször

Filming Locations:

Lacy Street Production Center - 2630 Lacy Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,433,668

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franchise Pictures, Avnet/Kerner Productions, LTZ II Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1