The (In)Complete Jennifer Jason Leigh: Introduction and Film List

You may, just may, have spotted over the years that I'm a bit of a Jennifer Jason Leigh fan. A profile of her was one of the earliest pieces I ever wrote for the site, and I've written several features on her during this blog's lifetime. Well now, over the next God knows how long, I'm going to attempt something pretty insanely ambitious... I'm going to try to watch as many of her films as I can possibly get hold of, and review them all, in chronological order.

A handful of reviews may be re-published (where the original review is recent, detailed, and still reflects my feelings on the film after a re-watch), but the vast majority will be newly written for this series.

The series won't be on any specific timescale, but I'll try to get to it as regularly as possible. I'll focus on Leigh's feature films (though I will cover her early TV work as well). I won't, for example, be tracking down the one episode of the Superman animated series she did a voice in (though I do have the Spawn series on order, it was 1p and I couldn't resist). Before we start, here are a couple of lists, first of the films I either own already, have on order, or otherwise have access to, and second a list of those films I still need to source. If you have any of these, and would be willing to either let me have or let me borrow a copy then please get in touch to sam@24fps.org.uk Anyone who helps me source a film will receive a cool thank you present in the mail, along with my grovelling thanks and credit on the review.

FILMS SOURCED AND AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW
Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
The Killing of Randy Webster (1981)
The Best Little Girl in the World (1981)
The First Time (1982)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
ABC Afterschool Special: Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents? (1983)
Easy Money (1983)
Girls of the White Orchid [a.k.a: Death Ride to Osaka] (1983)
Grandview USA (1984)
Flesh + Blood (1985)
The Hitcher (1986)
Sister Sister (1987)
Under Cover (1987)
Heart of Midnight (1988)
The Big Picture (1989)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989)
Miami Blues (1990)
Buried Alive (1990)
Backdraft (1991)
Crooked Hearts (1991)
Rush (1991)
Single White Female (1992)
Short Cuts (1993)
Luck, Trust and Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country (1993)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Georgia (1995)
Kansas City (1996)
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
Washington Square (1997)
A Thousand Acres (1997)
The Love Letter (1998)
The Gulf War [a.k.a: Thanks of a Grateful Nation] (1998)
eXistenZ (1999)
The King is Alive (2000)
The Anniversary Party (2001)
The Quickie (2001)
Crossed Over (2002)
Hey Arnold! The Movie (2002)
Road to Perdition (2002)
In the Cut (2003)
The Machinist (2004)
Palindromes (2004)
Childstar (2004)
The Jacket (2005)
Rag Tale (2005)
Margot at the Wedding (2007)
Greenberg (2010)

There are a few things missing from that list that I'll have no trouble sourcing, but there are also some things I could really use some help with.

FILMS NEEDED
The Young Runaways (1978)
Angel City (1980)
CBS Afternoon Playhouse: I Think I'm Having a Baby (1981)
The Man With the Deadly Lens [a.k.a: Wrong is Right] (1982)
The Men's Club (1986)
Picnic (1986)
Partners in Life (1990)
The Prom (1992)
Inside the Actors Studio (1999)
Searching for Debra Winger (2002)
Easter Sunday [Short] (2005)

So that's the potential list of titles, I'll try to have new reviews of  The Best Little Girl in the World and Fast Times at Ridgemont High posted over the weekend. I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I imagine I'll enjoy watching and writing it, and if you can help source films, as I said: gratitude and presents.