Diane Lane Movie:

Editorial Review:
Debbie (Diane Lane) is the wife of a blandly good-looking doctor (Stephen Collins), and lives in a New Jersey suburb where the houses back up to a golf course and all look the same. She has an offbeat yet friendly goofball neighbor named Skippy (James LeGros), but that's about the only weird thing that intrudes on her pastel-perfect life. That is, until her husband brings home a handgun--for her own protection, of course--and then things get very chaotic very quickly. Skippy "borrows" the handgun for purposes unknown, Debbie's husband shoots himself in the foot (and gets food poisoning to boot), and suddenly Debbie finds her life turned upside down by Skippy's mysterious motivations, which turn decidedly romantic. Plus, it looks as if somebody wants to do Skippy and his space-cadet mother (Tess Harper) serious harm, and Debbie may be in the way.

Stacy Cochran's debut feature is a wonderful slice of independent-film life, back in the days of the early '90s, when independent movies were about quirky characters and amiably meandering plots, not about sexy, slicked-up "Will it sell at Sundance?" panache. Her deadpan writing and directing style is reminiscent of cult fave Hal Hartley, but without the willful and calculated weirdness. My New Gun is more organic, the plot slowly growing out of the wry situations and idiosyncratic characters, from protoslacker Skippy, whom LeGros invests with boy-next-door sweetness and slightly dangerous sexiness, to Debbie's lone female friend, Myra (Maddie Corman), a blushing bride-to-be who can't even drink alcohol at her own wedding reception. As Debbie, Lane (the model turned actress of The Outsiders and Rumble Fish) gives a standout performance of one woman's awakening to her less-than-perfect life. This film marked a new beginning for an underrated actress who consistently delivers spellbinding performances (A Walk on the Moon, Lonesome Dove)--she's a phenomenal talent to watch. And look for Philip Seymour Hoffman (Magnolia) in a small part as Skippy's fast-food coworker. --Mark Englehart

My New Gun [Region 2] Reviews:
Disappointment
2009-01-09 - The whole movie was a huge disappointment and was nowhere related to any kind of comedy,it is based on a very starnge relation between Diana Lane and a weird neighbor who she permit to have access to every detail of her life though she is supposed to be having a happy merriage..in general, a disappointing performance by Lane, and a very boring movie's scenario.

Disappointed
2008-06-28 - I bought this movie because my husband and I enjoy Diane Lane very much; this particular vehicle did not do justice to her acting talents. The story was lame; looked like a low-budget film. The acting was clumsy; I just would not recommend it.

Enjoyable
2008-06-04 - I have so much fun watching this movie. One of the reason I like independent movies is because they don't waste time on unnecesary things in telling a story. Diane Lane is really good in this movie as well as James LeGros. I don't think of LeGros as a leading man type of guy but in this movie I found him very sexy and could see why the Lane character was attracted to him. Its another movie I have watched at least a dozen times and will probably watch another dozen if not more.

Get "Gun"
2003-12-01 - I have watched the video of "My New Gun" three times, and each time I have discovered more interesting, telling details. The plot doesn't drive the film; instead, it seems to evolve almost by happenstance from the characters themselves. Although there is no "crack-me-up" humor at all, if you think about what is going on as it happens, this movie is hilarious. Diane Lane, James LeGros, and Stephen Collins all shine.

Diane is wonderful
1999-09-23 - I agree with the previous reviewer. Diane Lane is better than most of the actresses out there. She was a gifted child actress and has continued to shine over the years. Please Hollywood, stop casting the same familiar actresses (Roberts, Diaz, Barrymore). There's nothing wrong with them at all, but Diane deserves to be there too!