Margaret Colin Movies
A versatile, no-nonsense actress, Margaret Colin has moved easily between TV and films throughout her career, from such acclaimed series as Chicago Hope to Hollywood blockbusters and independent features.Born in Brooklyn to a large Irish-Catholic family and raised on Long Island, Colin began acting in elementary school. Along with winning a drama scholarship to Hofstra University, Colin studied the craft at the Stella Adler Conservatory and Juilliard. Leaving school for a career in Manhattan, Colin soon landed on the TV daytime dramas Edge of Night and As the World Turns in the early '80s. Colin made the move to feature films playing one of teen icon Molly Ringwald's teachers in Pretty in Pink (1986) and psycho Ray Liotta's wife in Jonathan Demme's off-kilter romance Something Wild (1986). With substantial roles in the TV movies The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1987) and Warm Hearts, Cold Feet (1987), and the cop series Leg Work (1987) created as a vehicle for her, Colin was poised to become a small-screen star. Leg Work, however, didn't last beyond its first season. Nevertheless, Colin remained quite visible, appearing as Tom Selleck's love interest in the wildly popular feature comedy Three Men and a Baby (1987) and earning kudos for her turn as an intrepid investigator in the James Woods legal drama True Believer (1989). Back on the small screen, Colin starred in the well-received docudrama Goodnight, Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston (1990).
Though she decided to start a family with husband and erstwhile daytime TV colleague Justin Deas, Colin continued to work regularly. After sharing screen time with such stars as Demi Moore, Nicolas Cage, and Samuel L. Jackson in the ill-received feature comedies The Butcher's Wife (1991) and Amos and Andy (1993), and appearing as a regular guest on CBS's lauded hospital drama Chicago Hope, Colin landed roles in two high-profile movies. As the President's press secretary and addled scientist Jeff Goldblum's ex, Colin was a key part of the ensemble battling an apocalyptic alien attack in the flashy summer blockbuster Independence Day (1996). Harking back to her family's history in law enforcement, Colin was then cast as N.Y.C. Irish cop Harrison Ford's wife in the political thriller The Devil's Own (1997). Despite the presence of Ford and co-star Brad Pitt, however, The Devil's Own was a financial disappointment. Colin fared better, at least critically, with her role as the title character's mother in the indie teen comedy The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998). Cast as John Goodman's wife in CBS's supernatural spy series Now and Again (1999), Colin then seemed to be on the verge of regular TV series work again, but Now and Again failed to live up to the hype. After a handful of roles in independent and TV films, including coming-of-age drama and Sundance Film Festival entrant Blue Car (2002), Colin returned to glossy Hollywood product with an appearance as one of Diane Lane's friends in the infidelity potboiler Unfaithful (2002). ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
A disconnected accountant finds his mundane life injected with a new sense of urgency after striking up a friendship with a charismatic attorney in director Marcel Langenegger's sexually charged action thriller. Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) is an accountant who has lost his passion in life. When his powerful new lawyer friend, Wyatt (Hugh Jackman), introduces Jonathan to a salacious underground sex club called The List, the dejected accountant soon believes he has found the woman of his dreams (Michelle Williams). His newfound happiness takes a turn for the worse, however, when Jonathan is named the prime suspect in the woman's disappearance as well as the theft of 20 million dollars. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, (more)
A sardonic, gin-soaked detective contends with an odd cast of characters while tailing a mysterious, middle-aged man traveling with a Mexican boy from Chicago to Los Angeles in writer/director Noah Buschel's twisting neo-noir mystery. John Rosow is a Chicago gumshoe whose skill for cracking a case often comes with a price; he has a penchant for getting in over his head, but he never loses his cool. Contacted by influential lawyer Drexler Hewitt and asked to shadow a man who is currently en route to Los Angeles with a young boy, Rosow collects his cash and instructions from Hewitt's gruff assistant, Miss Charley, and sets out on his latest assignment. Upon arriving in Santa Monica, however, Rosow is caught off guard when he learns that his objective has been updated. He is now to bring the man back to New York. For his efforts, Rosow will receive the tidy sum of half a million dollars. Later, as Rosow attempts to track down his target, a Segway-riding LAPD officer and a cab driver with extensive knowledge of the Catholic saints offer some helpful clues to the man's whereabouts as meddling FBI agents close in and a sensual femme fatale follows his every move. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Shannon, Frank Wood, (more)
Want to know a secret? A really juicy secret? Look no further than the latest message from Manhattan's notorious blogger Gossip Girl. She keeps tabs on the city's most elite teens as they make the rounds from the preppiest school events to the most lavish, decadent parties. And between Serena and Blair's explosive friendship, Dan and Serena's budding romance, Nate and Blair's fairytale relationship (or is it?), Chuck's escapades and Jenny's introduction to the glamorous life, there's a lot to track! In this 5-disc, 18-episode Season One, friends, lovers, rivals and enemies abound. Even the darkest secrets don't stay hidden for long. You know you love it. XOXO!
- Starring:
- Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, (more)
- 2007
Six people become three couples in the wake of the emotional chaos of 9/11 in this three-part drama adapted from the off-Broadway play by Susan Charlotte. Hilary (Judith Light) is a fiftysomething movie buff who teaches film studies. On the afternoon of September 11, she discovers there's a hole in her shoe, and she turns to a cobbler (Danny Aiello) with a passion for opera for an emergency repair; while they don't get along at first, they bond over a shared love of the classic Italian film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Elsewhere, Nan (Margaret Colin) is a would-be actress who supports herself working at a travel agency who is trying to make sense of her on-again, off-again relationship with filmmaker Bob (John Shea). And a real-estate woman with a bad case of nerves (Laila Robins) has her expectations up-ended by a chatty taxi driver (Bob Dishy). A Broken Sole was the first feature film from director Antony Marsellis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Judith Light, (more)
A very special student deals with exams, first love, and national security issues in this teen-oriented romantic comedy-drama. Samantha MacKenzie (Katie Holmes) is a seemingly ordinary college freshman with one important exception -- her father happens to be the President of the United States (Michael Keaton). Samantha, however, would prefer to be as inconspicuous as possible as she begins her studies at Redmond University, so she asks a favor of her father -- remove the two Secret Service agents who follow her everywhere, and allow her to fend for herself at school. The president agrees, but out of concern for her safety, he sends in a young undercover agent, James (Marc Blucas), who will pose as the Resident Advisor at her dorm to keep an eye on her. Samantha and James strike up a fast friendship that grows into a romance, but when Samantha discovers the truth about James, she wonders if his love for her is real or just part of his cover. First Daughter was directed by actor-turned-director Forest Whitaker. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, (more)
The coming-of-age drama Blue Car is the directorial debut feature from actress Karen Moncrieff. Played by newcomer Agnes Bruckner, quiet high school student Meg lives in an apartment complex where she takes care of her troubled little sister, Lily (Regan Arnold), while her emotionally unavailable mom (Margaret Colin) is busy at work or school. Since her dad left, the family has been under financial strain and Lily suffers from starvation, delusions, and self mutilation. Meg maintains a calm demeanor and endures her responsibilities but unleashes her frustrations and pain through her poems, which she shares with her supportive English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn). With his encouragement, she wins a regional poetry competition and makes it to the finals in Florida. However, she is faced with repeating hardships as her sister's condition intensifies, she gets fired for stealing, and her mom kicks her out of the house. Temporarily staying with her friend Georgia (Sarah Beuhler), she meets the delinquent Pat (A.J. Buckley) and gets involved in some petty crime. Agnes eventually goes to Florida by herself, where she meets Mr. Auster's intelligent yet discontented wife, Delia (Frances Fisher), and she finds her relationship with him becoming more complicated. Blue Car premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Agnes Bruckner, David Strathairn, (more)
Diane Lane is a wayward wife and Richard Gere is her suspicious husband in Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful. Connie (Lane) leaves her suburban home on an errand, venturing into Manhattan during a wicked windstorm. On a trash-strewn Soho street, she literally runs into Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez), a handsome young Frenchman carrying a huge stack of books. Connie has a bad scrape on her knee, and is unable to get a cab, so Paul invites her up to his apartment. Paul is quietly flirtatious as he gives Connie some ice and a bandage for her knee. Connie phones home and explains to her son, Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan), that she's running late. Before she leaves, Paul gives her a book of Persian poetry, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. She mentions the encounter in passing to Edward (Gere), her husband, but it's clear that she's obsessing about Paul, and soon she's back in the city, with a pretext for calling him up. Soon, they are lovers, and they grow bolder and bolder in their passion. Edward begins to suspect, and eventually gets a private investigator (Dominic Chianese of The Sopranos) to follow Connie. His worst fears confirmed, Edward decides to confront Paul, a decision that will come to haunt him. While the screenplay for Unfaithful is credited to Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People) and William Broyles Jr. (Cast Away), the inspiration for Lyne's film came from Claude Chabrol's acclaimed 1969 film La Femme Infidele. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Diane Lane, (more)
Sam Pillsbury directs the CBS movie The Wedding Dress, a romantic drama about a magical wedding dress that involves six different couples. The television feature stars Neil Patrick Harris, Margaret Colin, and Tyne Daly as Joan Delano, the mother of romantic lead Zoey (played by Daly's real-life daughter Kathryne Dora Brown). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Neil Patrick Harris, Margaret Colin, (more)
Ten years after the sudden and mysterious "death" of her husband, Patrick (Jay O. Sanders), Elizabeth "Peachy" Welch (Margaret Colin) comes into possession of disturbing evidence that Patrick may still be alive. Even worse, it appears that Patrick faked his death and has assumed a new identity -- and is now the patriarch of a whole new family. Angered over the fact that Patrick has forced her to live a hardscrabble life as a single mother for over a decade, Elizabeth prepares for a showdown with the man who left her and their children in an advanced state of financial ruin. An unexpectedly sentimental finale caps the made-for-TV The Familiar Stranger, in keeping with the factual story upon which the film was based. The production first aired over the Lifetime cable network on March 12, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Margaret Colin, Jay O. Sanders, (more)
- 2000
- R
This modern, cross-cultural spin on Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) centers around a German-American housewife (Martina Gedeck) who gradually becomes enamored with her neighbor, David (John Corbett), leaving her two children and husband Bob (Vyto Ruginis) in the lurch. Luckily for her, David's wife Ellen (Margaret Colin) has designs on Bob. Private Lies was directed by Sherry Hormann, whose previous works have also explored the cultural differences between Germany (Hormann's country of residence) and the U.S. (her place of birth). Gedeck has long been a popular TV and film actress in her native Germany. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martina Gedeck, Vyto Ruginis, (more)
- 1999
- PG13
The life of affluent and well-connected wife and mother Joanna Kendall (Margaret Colin) begins to unravel when, while driving her car on a rainy day, she accidentally strikes down an eight-year-old child. Her first impulse is to leave the scene of the accident and search for medical assistance. When she returns, a crowd has gathered, angrily demanding justice against the "hit and run" driver who left the little girl without coming to her aid. Panicking, Joanna decides not to alert the authorities of her responsibility; nor is she able to tell her husband Doug (Drew Pillsbury), despite a half-hearted effort to confess. Only through the intervention of female police officer Lt. Rico (Lisa Vidal) is there any hope that the truth will out--and that Joanna will be able to redeem herself. During production of this made-for-TV drama, the fate of the young accident victim was not decided upon until the last day of filming, as the producers debated over the extent of audience sympathy they wanted to engender for the guilt-ridden Joanne Kendall. Clearly inspired by Crime and Punishment (as noted by more than one contemporary TV critic), Hit and Run originally aired January 11, 1999 on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Margaret Colin
- 1999
- NR
In this courtroom drama set in the near future, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently overturned the Roe vs. Wade decision and thrown the issue of abortion rights back to the individual states. Alabama has subsequently outlawed abortion on demand and has prosecuted Virginia Mapes (Lisa Gay Hamilton) for first degree murder after she opted to terminate her pregnancy. Mapes and her attorney have taken the case to the Supreme Court in hopes of keeping her out of prison, and with the court evenly divided on the issue, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Joseph Kirkland (Andy Garcia) looks to be the man who will cast the deciding vote in a case that could reinstate a woman's right to choose. Kirkland, however, finds himself surrounded by proponents of both the pro-choice and pro-life agendas, with his fellow justices, his secretary and even his wife trying to influence his vote. Produced for ABC Television, Swing Vote boasts a distinguished supporting cast, including Harry Belafonte, Robert Prosky, Milo O'Shea, Kate Nelligan, Albert Hall, and Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Harry Belafonte, (more)
- 1998
- R
- Add The Adventures of Sebastian Cole to Queue Add The Adventures of Sebastian Cole to top of Queue
Tod Williams made his feature directorial debut with this teen comedy-drama set in 1983. High school senior and writer wannabe Sebastian Cole (Adrian Grenier) survives a car accident in a remote Southwestern area near the trailer home of a Spanish-speaking woman. As she dresses his wounds, Sebastian looks back over the past year and his dysfunctional family life. After a divorce, Sebastian's near-alcoholic mother Joan (Margaret Colin) remarried. His architect father Hartley (John Shea) was more devoted to career than family. His sister Jessica (Marni Lustig) is off to the West Coast with her dullard boyfriend. Sebastian's stepfather Hank (Clark Gregg) plans a sex change. Since being married to a woman doesn't appeal to Joan, she returns to her native England with Sebastian. Months later, Sebastian moves back to his upstate New York hometown, rejoining Hank. However, Hank is now Henrietta, wearing makeup and women's clothing and serving as both a mother and father figure for Sebastian. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adrian Grenier, Clark Gregg, (more)
- 1997
The tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease is at the core of this heart-tugging made-for-cable drama, starring veteran actors Richard Kiley and Eva Marie Saint. Diagnosed with Alzheimers, the brilliant doctor Gerald Klooster (Richard Kiley) would sooner die immediately than endure the agony of a progressively failing memory. Thus, he asks his loved ones to do him one final favor and assist him in committing suicide. Everyone, including Gerald's wife Ruth (Eva Marie Saint), is willing to go along with this plan--everyone that is except his youngest son, who kidnaps the old man before his last wish can be granted and brings legal action against his mom. Based on a true story, Time to Say Goodbye? first aired over the Lifetime channel on September 1, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A policeman plays Good Samaritan to a visitor from Ireland, only to discover that he has a potentially deadly secret. Belfast-born Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) saw his father gunned down by enemy soldiers at the age of eight, and when he grew up he joined the Irish Republican Army, determined that one day his father's death would be avenged. An especially ruthless "volunteer," Frankie is responsible for the death of 13 British soldiers and 11 policemen. After a particularly bloody battle, Frankie sails to the United States in a ragged tugboat he has restored; with a huge bundle of cash, Frankie intends to buy a stock of Stinger missiles from an underground arms dealer in America, Billy Burke (Treat Williams). Upon arrival in New York, Frankie is met by a judge who is sympathetic to the IRA's cause and who arranges a place for him to stay. Using the name Rory Devaney, Frankie moves into the home of Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford), a scrupulously honest cop. Tom is already in the midst of a personal crisis; his friend and partner Edwin Diaz (Ruben Blades) recently shot a man that he knew was unarmed in the line of duty, and while Edwin wants Tom to help him cover up the matter, Tom's conscience will not allow it. When Tom begins to realize that "Rory" is not simply a man running from the violence of his homeland, he's torn between his sympathy for Frankie's tragic childhood and his desire to see justice served and prevent needless death in Ireland. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, (more)
- 1996
A romantic comedy with a few surreal/absurdist twists, the story centers on recent medical school drop-out David who is first seen aimlessly traipsing about Manhattan musing about the rest of his life when he runs into a strange woman who introduces herself as Nancy and asks if he would interested in spending the next couple of years helping her to produce and direct a small film. Another strange woman then appears and makes an equally odd request as does another and another. David chooses to work with Nancy and so goes to her place to begin writing the script. Suddenly, her strange Uncle Andre shows up in a panic. It seems he somehow acquired an enormous herd of cattle and must quickly get rid of them. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
A group of intrepid humans attempts to save the Earth from vicious extraterrestrials in this extremely popular science-fiction adventure. Borrowing liberally from War of the Worlds, Aliens, and every sci-fi invasion film inbetween, director Roland Emmerich and producer and co-writer Dean Devlin present a visually slick, fast-paced adventure filled with expensive special effects and large-scale action sequences. The story begins with the approach of a series of massive spaceships, which many on Earth greet with open arms, looking forward to the first contact with alien life. Unfortunately, these extraterrestrials have not come in peace, and they unleash powerful weapons that destroy most of the world's major cities. Thrown into chaos, the survivors struggle to band together and put up a last-ditch resistance in order to save the human race. As this is a Hollywood film, this effort is led by a group of scrappy Americans, including a computer genius who had foreseen the alien's evil intent (Jeff Goldblum), a hot-shot jet pilot (Will Smith), and the President of the United States (Bill Pullman). While some critics objected to the film's lack of originality and lapses in logic, the combination of grand visual spectacle and crowd-pleasing storytelling proved irresistible to audiences, resulting in an international smash hit. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Bill Pullman, (more)
- 1995
Hot on the trail of a serial killer known only as "The Roper", police detective Jack Brennan (Treat Williams) is seriously injured in an accident. When he awakens, Brennan can't remember what he has been doing, nor any of the clues he has been following up. As Brennan is nursed back to health by attractive psychiatrist Molly Nostrand (Margaret Colin), his memory begins returning in fits and starts--and he can't shake the disturbing premonition that The Roper is closer to him than he had ever imagined. This is the sort of TV movie in which you start worrying the minute a character says there's nothing more to worry about. In the Shadow of Evil originally aired February 7, 1995 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
When African-American professional Andrew Sterling (Samual L. Jackson) moves into a summer home on an up-tight all-white New England resort island, the snoopy white neighbors are sure he must be breaking and entering. They call the cops who get too rambunctious and break into Sterling's limo, tripping its security alarm. When Sterling shows up to stop the alarm and pulls out his keys to open the car, a skittish cop thinks he's pulling a gun and opens fire. Now things are really a mess, because not only have these cops screwed up big-time, they've screwed up big-time in an election year when their Police Chief (Dabney Coleman) just happens to be running for re-election. This mess-up smacks too much as a race-inspired melee, so Chief Tolliver arranges a cover-up to keep his reputation intact. He hires a drifter to pose as a thief so the cops will have a legitimate reason for "protecting" the vacationing Sterling. Things continue to complicate in this airbrush farce, that attempts to lighten with laughter, the delicate and combustible subject of American race relations. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, (more)
As a clairvoyant, Demi Moore awaits signs from beyond that her true love, whomever he may be, is waiting for her, somewhere. When New York butcher George Dzundza shows up on the tiny North Carolina island where Demi lives, she is convinced that he is the man predestined to be her husband. After the wedding, Demi moves into George's blue-collar neighborhood, where she successfully commisserates with such eccentrics as withdrawn teenager Max Perlich, frustrated singer Mary Steenburgen, unlucky-in-love actress Margaret Colin, over-analytical psychiatrist Jeff Daniels, and lesbian Frances McDormand. As Demi helpfully tries to chart the destinies of her new friends, she fails to notice that Dzundza is falling in love with Steenburgen. Though there are many traumatic detours along the way, Demi's psychic talents have very positive effects on at least one of the characters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels, (more)
- 1990
Based on a true events, this is the story of Charles Stuart, who claimed that a robber had shot him and killed his pregnant wife. Needless to say, the investigation started turning up some pieces that just didn't fit into this puzzle. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ken Olin, Margaret Colin, (more)
- 1990
- PG13
In the film adapted from a book by Frederic Brown, a music composer (Randy Quaid) receives an invitation to score an upcoming science-fiction film. When the piece is accidentally broadcast on the radio, it encourages a rather pedestrian invasion force from Mars. The legion of green men instead cause havoc around the globe just by having fun, and it is the composer's duty to send them packing. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin, (more)
The only True Believer at the beginning of this drama is idealistic young attorney Robert Downey Jr., who apprentices under the guidance of celebrated civil-rights activist James Woods. Alas, in the years since the sixties, Woods has become a disillusioned, dope-smoking ambulance chaser. Goaded by Downey, Woods takes up one last "lost cause:" that of Korean-American prison inmate Yuji Okomoto, who is about to be tried for the self-defense slaying of another prisoner. As Woods investigates, he unearths several iniquities in the trial that sent Okomoto to prison. Despite the fact that the one witness who might clear Okomoto is an unhinged conspiracy theorist, Woods endeavors to re-open Okomoto's case--which plays right into the hands of sharkish, politically ambitious DA Kurtwood Smith. Chock full of plot twists and last-minute shockers, True Believer was popular enough to inspire a spin-off TV series, Eddie Dodd. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Woods, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
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