Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #255430 in DVD
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
• Running time: 134 minutes

Amazon.com
This murky rumination on keeping faith in our troubled times was an early sign that writer-director Lawrence Kasdan (Silverado) was losing his once-powerful grasp on the art of storytelling. Set in modern Los Angeles--with all its random violence, venality, ubiquitous police presence, earthquakes, and dreams--the film concerns an unusual intersection of lives and chance occurrences that alter everyone's perspective on destiny. Kasdan, very understandably, is attempting to create an experience for viewers as intuitive as the undefined forces propelling his characters. But from the outside looking in, there isn't enough internal logic in the story to help us connect the dots. Steve Martin has an interesting part as a garish film producer who undergoes a change in priorities after being assaulted on the street. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Coming to the edge 10 years later
Ten years ago when GRAND CANYON was released many people snickered at a movie so overblown with making the world (read Los Angeles) seem so seemingly cruel and unjust. Some of us found the movie poignant and apocalyptic, but I think the press barred the public from taking the movie seriously. Well, here we are ten years laater watching this well crafted movie, surrounded by even more cosmic madness than ever before. A lot of contemporary prophecy films such as this need to be more widely viewed if we as a culture, as a world, are to survive. Living in this tenuous time where most fingers are on triggers, whether they be personal guns or national weapons, private or public disasters, or just on the thin strings that contain sanity - now more than ever we can benefit from films such as this. Caring, finding solace in acts of kindness shared at times of direst need, and yes, even putting it all in perspective by returning to the natural positive phenomena such as the Grand Canyon seems like our only reliable way of making it. This Kasdan film has more fine performances (Kevin Klein, Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodward, Danny Golover, Jeremy Sisto, etc etc etc) and drives relentlessly to a final ending of such beauty that even ten years later we can only say "Thank you " to Kasdan and crew.

A Slice of Life....
This review refers to the 20th Century Fox DVD edition of "Grand Canyon"(1991).....

Writer/Director Lawrence Kasdan(The Big Chill/The Accidental Tourist) together with Meg Kasdan once again weave for us a tapestry of life. How everyday events, the big and the small, the good and the bad, make us the people we are, and the effects on those around us is the focus of this endearing tale.

In "Grand Canyon", a lawyer(Kevin Kline) is on his way home from a Lakers game in Los Angeles, and instead of fighting the traffic decides to take a short cut. Bad luck, as his car breaks down, in a very dangerous part of town, and is in fear for his life as he is surrounded by a group of gang members. But Fate steps in to lend a hand in the form of the tow-truck driver(Danny Glover), and as he steps out of his truck in his cowboy boots and jeans, we may be reminded of Alan Ladd coming to save the day in "Shane".

These two men form a lasting friendship, that you just know will last a lifetime. Their deep appreciation of life spreads to those around them. Events occur that interweave the lives of their families and friends, and it seems that they were meant to be.

Lawrence Kasdan as always is wonderful at giving us a slice of life on film. It's a beautiful screenplay that looks at both the bright side and the dark side of life, and leaves you wondering whether things happen by chance or is there some other force that steps in, just at the right time. The brillant score(James Newton Howard) adds just the right flavor to the story, as it seems that sometimes, when things are at their worst, we hear a choir of angels(seemingly appropiate in Los Angeles) nearby to help out.An absolutely marevelous cast includes Mary McDonnell, Mary-Louise Parker, Alfre Woodard and Steve Martin.

20th Century Fox has once again made a beautiful transfer to DVD. The picture is crytal clear in all the scenes. It is presented in widescreen(Anamorphic), and the colors are gorgeous. Don't shy away because the sound is in 4.0 instead of 5.1.(It may also be viewed in Stereo surround, go to the language feature to set this up) The sound is terrific. Dialouge, background effects, and music all distinguished perfectly. There's a short featurette, with a few comments by some of the cast and crew, and it may be viewed in French(Stereo) and has subtitiles in English, and Spanish.

This little gem may have sneaked past Oscar but the Berlin Film Festival awarded it a "Golden Bear". It's an entertaining and a rewarding view.

Enjoy....Laurie

also recommended:
Captain Jack
The Stars Fell on Henrietta
The Ice Storm

Ignore the ignorant jibes...this film is truly outstanding.
I've just endured an unpleasant half hour trawling through the myriad reviews of "Grand Canyon", that are so misinformed as to be laughable.

Aside from the fact that the New York Times may have awarded this the "worst film of all time" (in a year that "Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves" was released?? - please!) I find these attitude of such reviewers quite lamentable. Grand Canyon is a magnificent film - and absolutlely NOT just the purview of "New Agers"! Anyone who has studied film to even a marginal degree will recognise the greatness in Grand Canyon. No, it's not "The Godfather"... yet it is still one of the finest films of its time. To those it touches (and there are many), it is unforgettable.

Kasdan had a vision that was unfortunately ahead of its time (and still appears to be in 2006, judging from some of the reviews here!). Certainly not "The Big Chill", Grand Canyon is a far more nuanced work - to those who understand its subtleties, it is sublime - to those still struggling to comprehend the mysteries, magic and meaning of our existance here, I can see how it might appear impenetrable or pretentious. That is no fault of the film itself - just as "Deuce Bigalow" is speaking to its chosen audience of prepubertal adolescents, so is Grand Canyon attempting to connect with those humans who choose to delve beneath the flimsy facade of modern existance. To the opinion-makers, it will naturally slip under their radar; don't let that be a reason for you missing this unmissable film.

To anyone considering this film, I implore you - do not be distracted by the inane ramblings of posters who wouldn't understand a truly meaningful film if they fell over it. Grand Canyon is for a select audience - it will never be widely popular; as if that were any true marker of what is important! Grand Canyon stands tall as one of the great achievements of the 1990s - watch it, and be moved. Watch it, and see a reflection of the world we currently find ourselves in - striving for answers, yearning for meaning... and looking all the while for the magic that defines our existance.

Absolutely five stars!