Finding a copy of the 1999 movie Coming Soon feels like a digital scavenger hunt these days. It’s one of those weird, late-90s artifacts that sits in the shadow of American Pie, but if you actually watch it, you realize it’s trying to do something way more interesting—and frankly, way more honest—about female sexuality. Honestly, the Coming Soon 1999 cast is what makes the whole thing hold up, because looking back, this movie was basically a "who’s who" of actors right before they exploded into the mainstream.
It was a total flop at the box office. Barely anyone saw it in theaters. But if you were a teenager in the early 2000s catching this on cable, you probably recognized every single face on the screen. We’re talking about future Oscar winners, cult horror icons, and the guy who would eventually become the face of a billion-dollar legal drama.
The Core Trio: Gaby Hoffmann, Bonnie Root, and Tricia Vessey
The movie centers on three high school seniors at a wealthy Manhattan prep school who realize they’ve reached the end of their teenage years without ever actually experiencing an orgasm. It sounds like a cheap premise, but the cast grounded it.
Gaby Hoffmann, who played Jenny Simon, was already a veteran by then. You remember her as the kid from Field of Dreams or Sleepless in Seattle. In Coming Soon, she brought this specific, neurotic energy that felt very New York. Hoffmann didn't go the "Hollywood starlet" route after this. She took a massive break, went to Bard College, and then re-emerged years later to absolutely dominate the indie scene and prestige TV. If you’ve seen Girls or Transparent, you know she’s become one of the most fearless actors working today. She’s won Emmys. She’s been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards. She turned out to be the real deal.
Then there’s Bonnie Root, who played the more straight-laced, type-A Streamer. Root had a very "girl next door" vibe that worked perfectly against Hoffmann's cynicism. After 1999, Root became a staple of procedural television. You’ve definitely seen her face pop up in Cold Case, CSI, or The Mentalist. She didn't become a household name like some of her co-stars, but she’s had the kind of steady, working-actor career that most people in SAG would kill for.
Tricia Vessey played Nell, the third member of the group. Vessey had this ethereal, almost ghost-like quality that made her stand out in late-90s cinema. She was in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai the same year Coming Soon came out. She eventually stepped away from acting to focus on writing and producing, which makes sense because her performances always felt like she was thinking three steps ahead of the script.
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The Supporting Players Who Actually Became Huge
This is where the Coming Soon 1999 cast list gets genuinely wild.
First up: Ryan Reynolds.
Yes, Deadpool himself.
In 1999, he was just "that guy from Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place." In this movie, he plays Henry, a guy who is... well, he’s basically playing a prototype of the charming, slightly douchey but endearing guy he’d play for the next twenty years. It’s hilarious to see him here before the massive muscles and the Gin empire. He’s lanky, he’s wearing peak-90s fashion, and you can see the comedic timing even then.
And then we have Gabriel Macht.
Long before he was Harvey Specter on Suits, he was playing Walter in this movie. It’s a relatively small role, but looking back, you can see the beginnings of that "leading man" confidence. It’s strange to think that a movie that basically vanished from the public consciousness featured the two men who would eventually define "cool" for an entire generation of TV and movie viewers.
Why the Critics Hated It (and Why They Were Wrong)
When Coming Soon hit the festival circuit and had its limited release, critics were brutal. They called it a "female American Pie," which is such a lazy comparison. American Pie was about the "quest" to lose virginity as a trophy. Coming Soon was actually trying to talk about the pleasure gap.
Co-writer and director Colette Burson (who later created the HBO show Hung) was trying to make a movie about how young women navigate their own desires in a world that focuses entirely on male satisfaction. It was way ahead of its time. If this movie came out today as an A24 or Neon release, it would probably be a critical darling. Back in '99, the industry didn't know what to do with a movie that was both a "teen sex comedy" and a feminist critique.
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The cast had to walk a very fine line. If they played it too broad, the movie became a cartoon. If they played it too serious, it became a lecture. The chemistry between Hoffmann, Root, and Vessey is what saves it. They actually feel like friends who have known each other since kindergarten.
The Rest of the Ensemble
We can’t talk about the Coming Soon 1999 cast without mentioning the adults and the weird cameos.
- Mia Farrow plays Judy Hodell. It’s a small, somewhat eccentric role, but having a legend like Farrow in an indie teen flick gave the project some much-needed gravitas.
- Spalding Gray appears as Mr. Jennings. Gray was a monologist and a titan of the New York theater scene. His presence alone tells you the movie was aiming for something more intellectual than your average raunchy comedy.
- James Roday Rodriguez (from Psych) shows up as "Chad."
- Ashton Kutcher actually has an uncredited bit part. It was his first-ever film role.
It’s almost like a time capsule of the late-90s New York acting pool. You have these established icons like Farrow and Gray rubbing shoulders with a bunch of kids who would eventually run Hollywood.
The R-Rating Struggle
One reason the movie didn't find its audience initially was the battle with the MPAA. The film was originally slapped with an NC-17. Why? Because it depicted female pleasure. There was no graphic violence. No hardcore drug use. Just women talking about—and seeking—orgasms.
The producers had to cut significant chunks of the film to get the R-rating needed for a theatrical release. This butchered the pacing and some of the more nuanced character beats. When you look at the Coming Soon 1999 cast today, you’re seeing the "sanitized" version of their performances. There’s a whole other version of this movie that’s more raw and probably much better, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a "Director’s Cut" given the licensing nightmare these old indies usually fall into.
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Tracking the Legacy
If you’re trying to track down the film today, it’s a bit of a nightmare. It’s rarely on the big streaming services like Netflix or Max. You usually have to find a used DVD on eBay or find a grainy upload on a secondary site.
But it's worth the effort.
Watching Ryan Reynolds before he was a "Brand" is fascinating. Seeing Gaby Hoffmann before she became the queen of indie TV is a treat. The movie serves as a bridge between the John Hughes era and the more modern, "messy" female-led comedies like Booksmart or Bottoms.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of the Coming Soon 1999 cast or the film itself, here are the best ways to do it:
- Check the Resale Markets: Don't look for a 4K Blu-ray; it doesn't exist. Look for the original Lionsgate DVD from the early 2000s. It often pops up in "bargain bins" on sites like Decluttr or ThriftBooks because people don't realize the value of the cast.
- Follow the Director's Later Work: If you liked the vibe of Coming Soon, you absolutely need to watch Hung on Max. Colette Burson’s voice is much clearer there, and you can see the themes she was trying to explore in 1999 fully realized with an HBO budget.
- The Ryan Reynolds Completionist Path: For those doing a deep dive into Reynolds' career, this is a vital entry. It’s the missing link between his sitcom days and Van Wilder.
- Gaby Hoffmann’s "Modern" Trilogy: To see how far the lead actress has come, watch Coming Soon followed by the film Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus and then the series Transparent. It’s an incredible trajectory of an actor who refused to play by the "pretty girl" rules of Hollywood.
The movie might be a "forgotten" gem, but its influence and the sheer talent of the people involved make it more than just a footnote in 90s cinema. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, the industry doesn't know what it has until ten years later when half the cast is on the A-list.