Let These Movies Be One! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Play Misty for Me, Myself, and Irene

The first film is "Play Misty for Me" (1971), the first directorial effort of Clint Eastwood. In this suspense thriller, the Oscar winner also stars as a disc jockey who has a one night encounter with an attractive woman (Jessica Walters). The woman turns out to be an obsessive fan who resorts to every dirty tactic available, just to get his attention.

The second film is "Me, Myself and Irene" which features Jim Carrey as Charlie, an affable cop who is protecting a woman (Renee Zelwegger) against a violent ex-flame. However, there is a twist. Charlie has Multiple Personality Disorder. His other self, Hank, is anything but nice. The film is fairly engaging and it offers a good dose of laughter.

Answer: The Minus Man on the Moon

The country is a vast land of people who are unhappy with their lives and Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) knows that. With his truck and his charming personality, the drifter moves from one place to another looking for people to murder. This is the premise of the first film in the question, "The Minus Man". This chilling film features Wilson in an uncharacteristic portrayal of a cold-blooded killer who preys on people's unhappiness.

The second film is "Man on the Moon", which is a moving take on the life and times of Andy Kaufman. Jim Carrey steps into the role of the eccentric comedian, whose resume includes a role in the hit tv show "Taxi" and a professional inter-gender wrestling professional. In between he finds time to beat women.

Answer: Stuart Little Miss Sunshine

A box-office winner in 1999, "Stuart Little" revolves on a cute mouse adopted by a warm, loving human family. His biggest rival is a cat who wants him out of the way at all costs. Also in the middle is the family's only son, George, who is a bit disappointed that the little brother who he wishes for turns out to be a mouse. Jonathan Lipnicki, Geena Davis, Chazz Palminteri, Nathan Lane, and Hugh Laurie headline the film which also boasts of Michael J. Fox's voice talent.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is both a box-office and critics' winner. Nominated for Best Picture at the 2006 Academy Awards, the comedic film follows the misadventures of a family who is bent on making their daughter a beauty queen. The adorable Abigail Breslin is cast as Olive, a seven-year old girl whose biggest dream is to win as Little Miss Sunshine. Together with her dysfunctional family, she embarks on a road trip that will test the true meaning of family. Supporting Breslin are Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin.

Answer: In the Name of the Father of the Bride

In the political drama "In the Name of the Father", 1993 Oscar Best Supporting Actress nominee Emma Thompson plays Gareth Pierce, a lawyer who is defending a man, Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is coerced to admit to IRA bombings. Found guilty, together with his father (Pete Postlewaithe), Gerry and his father spend fifteen years to prove their innocence. The film was nominated for seven Oscar Awards.

Steve Martin takes on the role of George Banks, a loving father who cannot seem to accept that his daughter (Kimberly Williams) is soon to wed, in the remake of "The Father of the Bride". Unable to accept his daughter's marriage, George mildly loses his cool and his sanity as the wedding preparations go under way. Diane Keaton, Martin Short, George Newbern and Kieran Culkin join the cast.

Answer: A Few Good Men in Black

The first film is "A Few Good Men", a courtroom drama which features Tom Cruise as a military lawyer and Jack Nicholson as an unscrupulous marine colonel. Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is a Navy lawyer whose reputation of plea bargaining his cases is well-known. When he is assigned to defend two marines for murdering another marine, Kaffee's integrity as a lawyer and as a man is ultimately put to the test. With a reliable team behind him and a merciless institution against him, he faces an uphill battle to prove his clients' innocence.
Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Noah Wyle, and James Marshall round up the big cast.

The second film is "Men in Black", which stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. In the box-office hit comedy, Smith and Jones are agents of a top secret organization who are monitoring aliens in the country. The dueling duo is tasked to save the world when an assassination plot against two ambassadors from different galaxies is uncovered.

Answer: American Beauty and the Beast

Winner of the 1999 Oscar Best Picture, "American Beauty" is a disturbing look on a dysfunctional family. On the outside, the Burnhams seem to have the perfect life. Little does one know that inside their home is a disintegrating familial relationship.
At the core of this family is Lester (Kevin Spacey), who is suffering from midlife crisis. His wife, Carolyn (Bening)is a real estate agent who is having an affair with a rival (Peter Gallagher). His only daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), has developed a close relationship with a withdrawn neighbor (Wes Bentley), whose father (Chris Cooper) is homophobic.
For his brave performance, Spacey won an Oscar for Best Actor.

As of the time this quiz has been written (2007), "Beauty and the Beast" has the distinction of being the only animated film feature to ever receive an Oscar Best Picture nomination.
In this well-loved Disney animation, a dutiful and beautiful daughter named Belle offers herself as a replacement to his father who is kept imprisoned by a beast in his castle. What she does not know is that the beast is actually a prince who has been cursed by an enchantress for his arrogance.

Answer: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Dead

Clint Eastwood directs "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" which features a stellar cast, including Jude Law, Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Kim Hunter, Irma P. Hall, Alison Eastwood, and Jack Thompson.
In the film, Cusack plays John Kelzo, a magazine writer who is assigned to cover a Christmas party hosted by the affluent Jim Williams (Spacey). His writing assignment turns from a social feature to a series of in-depth articles on murder when Kelzo's young lover (Law) is found dead.

On the other hand, director Sam Raimi's low-budget flick "Evil Dead" is considered by many as one of the most horrifying films of all time. The film centers on five friends who go to a cabin and end up unwittingly unleashing demons. One by one, these friends are possessed by this violent force.

Answer: The Lake House of Sand and Fog

A remake of a Korean hit film, "The Lake House" reunites Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Bullock portrays the role of a doctor who exchanges letters with an architect (Reeves) who used to live in his rented lake house. The strange thing is they are not living their lives not on the same year. He is living in 2004, while she in 2006. Puzzling? Check the dvd if you have not watched it.

Showcasing Oscar nominated performances from Ben Kingsley and Shohreh Aghdashloo, "House of Sand and Fog" is an absorbing tale of an Iranian family who is in conflict with the former owner of the house they bought.
All his life Amir Behrani (Kingsley) has been chasing the great American dream, which he finds in a beautiful house which he plans to resell at a higher price. His dream is slowly shattered when the former owner (Jennifer Connelly) wants it back.

Answer: Gone with the Wind That Shakes the Barley

The first film is "Gone with the Wind"...yes, that epic that traces the love story of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara.
As the American civil war rages and tears apart the country, the beautiful yet selfish Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and the aristocratic yet crafty Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) meet. Theirs is a love that is all too consuming, but somehow they manage to leave it unrequited.

The second film, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley", on the other hand, is less known. The film, which focuses on the events leading to the Irish independence, is the recipient of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or.
In Ireland at a time of unrest, two brothers are destined to fight for the independence of Ireland. The brothers are a sharp contrast to each other. While Teddy (Padric Delaney) is fighting as a guerilla, Damien (Cillian Murphy) is pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor. However, the brothers are united to fight for their country when, after witnessing the atrocities of war, Damien joins his brother.

Answer: Prom Night at the Museum

"Prom Night" is a slasher film from the 80s. Four friends, who are keeping the death of a young girl a secret, are stalked by a masked killer on the night of their prom. Jaime Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen are featured in this film.

"Night on the Museum" features Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, a newly hired security guard of a musuem. The unknowing Larry gets the shock of his life when the exhibits in the museum come to life at night. Madness further ensues when an artifact is stolen by three guards employed before him.

Answer: The Other Side of Midnight Madness

"The Other Side of Midnight" is an adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's best-selling novel of the same title. Released in 1977, the film revolves around a Greek tycoon's mistress, Noelle Page (Marie-France Pisier), and her search for the only man (John Beck) she has ever loved. With revenge in her mind, she finds him in the arms of the beautiful Catherine Alexander (Susan Sarandon).

On the other hand, Michael J. Fox makes his film debut in "Midnight Madness". The comedy follows a scavenger hunt participated in by five teams. Nerds, sorority girls, cheaters, and jocks compete for the grand prize as they search every nook and cranny of the city for clues.

Answer: For the Boys on the Side

Bette Midler earns an Oscar Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of singer Dixie Leonard in "For the Boys". The film follows the trials and tribulations of two American entertainers, Dixie Leonard and Eddie Sparks (James Caan) as they travel to entertain soldiers during World War II. The actress is supported by James Caan, George Segal, and Christopher Rydell.

In "Boys on the Side", a road trip is shared by three different women. The first (Whoopi Goldberg) is a lesbian , the second (Mary Louise Parker) is an AIDS victim and the third (Drew Barrymore) is running away from violence. Together, these three women share a journey that changes their life forever.

Answer: Bridget Jones's Diary of a Mad Housewife

Renee Zelwegger bags a well-deserved Oscar Best Actress nomination for her brilliant performance in "Bridget Jones Diary", which is destined to be a comedy classic. In the film, she portrays a British woman who is consumed with her battle against her weight, her age, and her colorless life. Things change when her handsome boss (Hugh Grant) takes notice of her. The quirky Bridget Jones realizes that her life is about to start.

On the other hand, Carrie Snogdress also earns an Oscar nomination for playing a lonely housewife in "The Diary of a Mad Housewife". Trapped in a marriage with an abusive husband (Richard Benjamin), Tina Balser (Snogdress) begins an affair with a successful writer (Frank Langella). However, her clandestine affair is not a bed of roses. The writer turns out to be as abusive as her husband.

Answer: Night and the City of Joy

Irwin Winkler's "Night and the City" joins together two of Hollywood's greatest actors, Robert de Niro and Jessica Lange. de Niro is Harry, an ambulance chaser who is a failure at what he does, while Lange is Helen, a woman married to a cafe owner. They meet and they start an affair that is doomed from the start. When Harry loses the case of a small time mobster, he knows he is in trouble.

"City of Joy", a Roland Joffe film, follows the story of an American doctor (Patrick Swayze) who leaves the comfort of America and ends up in a country of dire poverty. His life is soon changed when he meets an Indian man who is starting his life anew. Together they forge a friendship as poverty reeks around them.

Answer: Factory Girl with a Pearl Earring

Sienna Miller stars in "Factory Girl". The actress plays the role of a rich Radcliffe dropout who heads to New York to find fame. Her dream is slowly realized when she meets Andy Warhol, who turns her into a star.
Stepping into the role of Warhol is Guy Pearce.

Scarlet Johansson headlines "Girl with a Pearl Earring". In the film she plays Griet, a young girl who works as a maid of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). When Vermeer's wealthy benefactor (Tom Wilkinson) lays eyes on Griet, he commissions the painter to paint Griet. However, something else is in the benefactor's mind. He wants Griet for himself.
Whether Griet is actually the "Girl with the Pearl Earring" in Vermeer's painting remains a mystery as the film is based upon a fictional novel from
Tracy Chevalier.