The Dress Code (2000)

Synopsis: Academy Award-winning actress and best-selling author Shirley MacLaine's directorial debut stars Alex D. Lintz as eight-year-old Long Island spelling prodigy, Bruno Battaglia. Bruno is experiencing... Academy Award-winning actress and best-selling author Shirley MacLaine's directorial debut stars Alex D. Lintz as eight-year-old Long Island spelling prodigy, Bruno Battaglia. Bruno is experiencing some difficulty. His divorced parents have a less-than-pleasant relationship, the kids at his Catholic school bully him about his overweight mom, and in a recent dream a holy angel appeared to Bruno imparting an inspiring message. Bruno believes that, like angels, he should wear dresses, which he calls holy vestments, and he wonders if the Pope can wear a dress why can't he. Bruno's grandmother (MacLaine) tries to understand his strong inclination to express himself in such a unique way but his father, Dino (Gary Sinese), is outraged by Bruno's embarrassing behavior. When Bruno's school, headed by Mother Superior (Kathy Bates), has a spelling bee, he demonstrates his incredible spelling talent--while dressed as Diana Ross. Newcomer Stacey Halprin plays Angela, Bruno's flamboyant dressmaker mom, in a beautifully acted role that plays perfectly against Oscar winners MacLaine and Bates and Oscar nominee Sinese. [More]

Starring: Alex D. Linz, Shirley MacLaine, Gary Sinese, Kathy Bates

Starring: Alex D. Linz, Shirley MacLaine, Gary Sinese, Kathy Bates, Stacey Halprin, Kiami Davael, Joey Lauren Adams, Jennifer Tilly, Brett Butler, Gwen Verdon, Lainie Kazan

Director: Shirley MacLaine

Director: Shirley MacLaine
Screenwriter: David Ciminello
Producer: David Kirkpatrick
Composer: Chris Boardman

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