Tommy O'Haver

When I'm working on the reference desk, I'm asked just as often for film recommendations as for book recommendations. If kids are with their parents, it's easy to send them to the shelves and the pounce on Bob the Builder, etc. But if it's just a mother coming in, or a father, bringing something home for their kids, it's a little harder. I don't really watch a lot of youth films, so I thought that Ella Enchanted would be a good one to add--it's aimed for a tween audience; girls from 9-12 show more years of age will really enjoy it. The plot is this: when she was a baby, Ella received the gift of obedience from Fairy Lucinda. It turns out to be more of a curse than a blessing, when Ella's stepsisters discover how to use Ella's gift to their advantage. Ella sets off in search of Lucinda, so that she can take back the gift, and runs into the Prince of the Kingdom, who falls in love with Ella. This was an enjoyable story, and easy to watch, until the end, when the entire cast burst into song. At that point, it became painful--I couldn't understand why they'd spoil everything by ending with a musical number. Anyway, this should be an addition to any youth DVD collection at a public library, if it isn't already. And once patrons have watched the DVD, you can steer them towards the book. Or vice versa! show less

Tommy O'Haver wrote and directed this gay lifestyle comedy about aspiring photographer Billy (Sean P. Hayes) who encounters rocky romantic roads intersecting among an assortment of Los Angelenos -- handsome Fernando (Armando Valdes-Kennedy), who has a steady boyfriend; blond waiter Gabriel (Brad Rowe), who has a San Francisco girlfriend; Billy's roommate Georgiana (Meredith Scott Lynn); and pal Perry (Richard Ganoung). Entranced by Gabriel, Billy takes him on as a model and introduces him at show more gallery openings and parties, only to see Gabriel leave for better modeling assignments with well-known fashion photographer Rex Webster (Paul Bartel). Fantasy sequences parody Vertigo, '30s musicals, and From Here to Eternity. Shown at 1998 film festivals, including Berlin and Sundance. Bhob Stewart show less