4 Movies Directed by Shari Springer Berman

Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's

Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1997-10-01

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

90 min

IMDB Ratings:

5.6 (204 Reviews)

Fullplot:

In 1995, Chasen's closed its doors after 60 years of serving chili to movie stars and visiting dignitaries, Presidents and the Pope. During its two final weeks, Chasen regulars (actors and producers), staff, and management sat for interviews. There's an Oscar party for 1500, footage and photos of famous diners, and time with Tommy Gallagher, the ebullient head waiter until retirement in 1994, his son Patrick, catering head Raymond Bilbool, general manager Ronnie Clint, hat check girl Val Schwab, ladies' room attendant Onetta Johnson, and foreign- born waiters, including Jaime. When he started in 1970, like other Latins, he wasn't allowed out of the kitchen. It's a family farewell.

American Splendor

American Splendor

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2003-09-12

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

101 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (40321 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Harvey Pekar (comic book series American Splendor)

Joyce Brabner (comic book series Our Cancer Year)

Shari Springer Berman

Robert Pulcini

Fullplot:

Harvey Pekar is file clerk at the local VA hospital. His interactions with his co-workers offer some relief from the monotony, and their discussions encompass everything from music to the decline of American culture to new flavors of jellybeans and life itself. At home, Harvey fills his days with reading, writing and listening to jazz. His apartment is filled with thousands of books and LPs, and he regularly scours Cleveland's thrift stores and garage sales for more, savoring the rare joy of a 25-cent find. It is at one of these junk sales that Harvey meets Robert Crumb, a greeting card artist and music enthusiast. When, years later, Crumb finds international success for his underground comics, the idea that comic books can be a valid art form for adults inspires Harvey to write his own brand of comic book. An admirer of naturalist writers like Theodore Dreiser, Harvey makes his American Splendor a truthful, unsentimental record of his working-class life, a warts-and-all self portrait. First published in 1976, the comic earns Harvey cult fame throughout the 1980s and eventually leads him to the sardonic Joyce Barber, a partner in a Delaware comic book store who end ups being Harvey's true soul mate as they experience the bizarre byproducts of Harvey's cult celebrity stature.

The Nanny Diaries

The Nanny Diaries

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2007-08-24

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

105 min

Rated:

PG-13

IMDB Ratings:

6.2 (45224 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Emma McLaughlin (novel)

Nicola Kraus (novel)

Shari Springer Berman (screenplay)

Robert Pulcini (screenplay)

Fullplot:

After graduating from Montclair State, New Jersey Girl Annie can't make up her mind about what to do with her life. After saving a little boy from being run over in the park, she is quickly employed as a nanny for a rich Upper East Side couple. Mr X is occupied with his business, Mrs X loves shopping, and neither really likes to spend time with their little boy Grayer. Annie quickly learns that she has more than her hands full taking care of him. Her busy schedule doesn't give her much spare time. Mrs X fired her last nanny because she was dating and that gives Annie problems when Harvard Hottie who lives in the same building asks her out on a date.

Cinema Verite

Cinema Verite

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2011-04-23

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

86 min

Rated:

TV-14

IMDB Ratings:

6.5 (2826 Reviews)

Genres:

Drama

Fullplot:

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the first American family to be the subjects of a reality TV show.

Become a Movie Insider

Join our mailing list and get access to expert analysis, trivia, and recommendations that will elevate your movie-watching experience.

View our privacy policy.