Peter Coyote Movies
There are several theories as to why Peter Cohon chose the stage name of Peter Coyote; for his part, the actor is reluctant to discuss an event that apparently was the end result of an evening's experimentation with controlled substances. In the late 1960s, Coyote quit his job as a dockworker to "turn on, tune in and drop out." With hair so long that he could sit on it (by his own admission), Coyote was a "fringie" with such varied organizations as the Grateful Dead and the Hell's Angels, and also worked for a while with a guerilla mime group. After years of deprivation, Coyote dropped back into society in 1975, accepting a job as a drama teacher at a public school. Rapidly approaching middle age, Coyote entered films with 1980's Die Laughing. Throughout the 1980s, he alternated between good guys, villains, and a vaguely defined stereotype known as "loser boyfriends." As the vengeful public prosecutor in The Jagged Edge (1985), Coyote turns out not to be the film's principal heavy; even so, we leave the picture disliking his character more than anyone else's. Leading roles came his way in such films as Exposure (1991), but even here he could not completely escape an aura of slime (his ostensibly heroic character burrows through the seamy underside of Rio in search of a prostitute's murderer). One of Coyote's few unconditionally "nice" roles was as the enigmatic scientist Keys in the champion moneymaker E.T. (1982). In the late 1990s, Coyote published Sleeping Where I Fall, a candid memoir of his years as a cultural drop out. In 1992 Roman Polanski tapped him to play the lead in his psycho-sexual black comedy Bitter Moon, and he continued to work steadily in a variety of projects after that such as Kika, Buffalo Girls, Patch Adams, and Sphere. With his deep, distinctive voice he became an in demand narrator for documentaries. He had a small but memorable turn in Erin Brokovich, and was cast in Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale. He was in the teen drama A Walk to Remember, and the Polish brothers cast him in their 2003 film Northfork. Although his big-screen appearances began to dwindle, he remained one of the most ubiquitous narrators of non-fiction films of various types. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1994
Quite possibly the world's most beloved animal, the Chinese Panda is nevertheless threatened with extinction. Human development destroys more of their range every year. Zoo breeding programs are disappointing as cubs rarely survive, and yet one in ten of the world's population of pandas lives in captivity. However, a dedicated team of Chinese scientists spent 10 years in the wild, observing the animals in their natural habitats to learn how to save them. Miraculously, the team found a newborn cub, which they named Hope, and her mother, called Double Lucky. Follow the team as they live in a difficult forest environment to learn everything they can to ensure the survival of the species, both in the wild and in protected areas. ~ Leslie Birdwell, Rovi
- 1994
This film, set in a small Australian community, is adapted from a novel of the same name by Tim Winton. It tells the story of a troubled family offered help by a caring stranger whose intentions are not as selfless as they seem. The Flack family lives a peaceful existence on their farm beside a river. They consist of parents Alice and Sam, their two children Tegwyn, an adolescent girl, and Ort, a curious and sensitive 12 year old boy, and the senile grandmother. The family's happiness is shattered when Sam falls into a deep coma following an auto accident. When stranger Harry Warburton suddenly shows up, Alice who has been exhausted by trying to care for her husband and upset family, gladly accepts his proffered assistance. Harry, who claims to be an evangelist, is quickly accepted into the family by all but Tegwyn who questions his intentions. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Lisa Harrow, (more)
- 1994
- PG13
This made-for-cable movie tells the story of a military wife in jeopardy. Tom Verica stars as Lt. Ted Lutz, an Army soldier who has been transferred to a Utah base. When power-hungry commanding officer Col. Andrew Case (Peter Coyote) develops an interest in Lutz' wife Helen (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Lt. Lutz is suddenly shipped off-base, leaving Helen alone on the base to defend herself and fend off the advances of the colonel. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
A star-studded cast appears in this made-for-television movie about Calamity Jane and her cohorts. Anjelica Huston stars as the infamous cowgirl Calamity Jane, a colorful Western character who, among other things, starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The movie explores her unconventional lifestyle and friendship with brothel madame Dora DuFran (Melanie Griffith). Sam Elliott stars as Wild Bill Hickok, one of Jane's lovers, and country singer Reba McEntire appears as Annie Oakley. The film was nominated for many Emmy Awards (but won only one) and co-stars Elliott and Griffith picked up Golden Globe nominations. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
A woman dealing with an unexpected death has to help her friends with their own crises in this comedy-drama. Rebecca Lott (Elizabeth Perkins) gets an unpleasant surprise while waiting for her husband to return from his daily jog -- he was hit by a car and instantly killed. A handful of Rebecca's friends and relatives rally around her, including her close friend and neighbor Sylvie (Whoopi Goldberg), her former stepmother Alberta (Kathleen Turner), and her younger sister Lucy (Gwyneth Paltrow), but she has a hard time accepting the fact that she's now a widow (or, as she prefers to put it, "the 'W' word"). It also seems that the women trying to offer Rebecca emotional support could use some of their own; Sylvie's marriage is hanging by a thread, and Lucy is depressed and cynical owing to her inexperience with men. But romance begins to find its way back into Rebecca's life when a handsome younger man (Jon Bon Jovi) -- hired to paint the house -- takes a shine to her. Moonlight and Valentino was based on a play written by Ellen Simon, daughter of comic playwright Neil Simon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Perkins, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- 1995
National Geographic: Cyclone inspects the specific causes and attempts to make sense of some of nature's most frightening spectacles. Director Richard J. Wells and his crew make extensive use of real-life footage of particularly famous tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes in order to capture the authentic terror and ruin that storms are capable of inflicting. Storms from the Midwest's infamous Tornado Alley are examined, and there is a lengthy investigation of Hurricane Andrew, the enormously destructive storm that hit South Florida in 1992. In addition, featured scientists in the video discuss their past and future efforts to understand these natural disasters. ~ John Schietinger, Rovi
Set in a near-future world in which "cybersex" has become all the rage and in which wealthy men can have women cloned to match their every fantasy, this thriller centers on the exploits of Pamela, one of the most famous actresses in the virtual porn industry. Because she is so popular, many fans want clones of her, and greedy but brilliant bio technologist Dr. Vivyan is hell-bent on getting a sample of her DNA. Determined to remain unique, Pamela attempts to flee but ends up protected by police sergeant Bobby Chase. Despite his efforts, Vivyan successfully abducts Pamela and holds her captive inside a dangerous virtual reality game, To save her, Chase must enter the game and win. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lorenzo Lamas, Chris Sarandon, (more)
Iconoclastic director John Dahl used a screenplay by John Geddie as the basis for this far-fetched story of a man -- suspected of killing his wife -- who borrows murder victims' memories to track the real culprit. Ray Liotta plays Dr. David Krane, a Seattle medical examiner charged with murdering his wife Cara (Caroline Elliot). Charges are dropped because a police officer mishandled evidence. Krane has recovered from alcoholism and is obsessed with proving his innocence. While investigating a store shooting, he discovers clues that convince him that the murderer also killed his wife. Krane attends a lecture by researcher Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino), who is studying a technique to transfer memory that involves injecting rats with the spinal fluid of other rats combined with a serum that she has perfected. Krane steals the serum, breaks into a police evidence room and steals his wife's spinal fluid, and injects himself, even though Briggs has warned that the technique may lead to heart attacks in humans. It's not until Krane has injected himself with the fluid of the store shooting victims that he gets a clear picture of the presumed killer, Eddie Dutton (Kim Coates). ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
Farrah Fawcett delivers a dramatic tour de force in the title role of the made-for-TV Dalva. As a teenager, Dalva had fallen in love with Native American Duane Stonehorse (Jesse Borrego). Unbeknownst to her, Duane was her half brother -- a fact that came to light when she delivered Duane's baby. The child was forcibly taken from Dalva by the adoption authorities, whereupon Duane committed suicide. Thirty years later, Dalva returns to her home state of Nebraska, hoping to find her long-lost son. Impeding her progress is her growing relationship with dissolute historian Michael (Peter Coyote), whose latest book is based on Great Plains history as set down by Dalva's great grandfather, and another romance, this one with fiercely independent Native American Sam (Powers Boothe). Adapted from a novel by Jim Harrison, Dalva first aired March 3, 1996, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, Powers Boothe, (more)
- 1996
- R
- Add Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story to Queue Add Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story to top of Queue
Inspired by a true story, director John Patterson's made for television thriller stars ageing screen siren Ann-Margaret the titular black widow, a deeply-disturbed, part-time Wisconsin schoolteacher who manipulates her students into killing her husband under the false pretences that he is an abusive tyrant who is about to end their marriage and send her packing from their lavish suburban home. The truth, however, is that Diane's husband Ruben (Peter Coyote) is just a regular guy who realized that his marriage was a mistake when his irrationally jealous wife fails to prevent signs of her acute instability from bubbling to the surface. While Ruben staunchly opposes divorce, he is increasingly drawn to the beautiful Claire (Leslie Hope), a married woman who effectively signs his death warrant after luring him into an adulterous affair. Meanwhile, back in study hall, Diane plies impressionable sixteen year-old student Doug Vest (Christian Campbell) with elaborate yarns of abuse and mistreatment, eventually spurring him into action lest she lose everything in the impending divorce. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1996
In this suspense drama, journalist Jennifer Kingsley (Alberta Watson) believes that artist Raymond Crawford (Joe Lando) has been railroaded when he's put behind bars for the murder of a model. While Jennifer is convinced of Raymond's innocence and wants her former boyfriend Henry Dexter (Peter Coyote), a detective with the police, to help her prove it, Henry is not as convinced, and Jennifer is forced to do her own research on Raymond. The result is a series of articles that lead to Raymond's release. However, her actions soon have deadly consequences. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Joe Lando, (more)
- 1996
In the tumultuous history of the American West, gloriously chronicled by this epic nine-part series, there are many events that "changed everything." Episode five, covering the years from 1868 to 1874, explores what is undoubtedly the biggest of these big events -- the building of the Pacific railroad. Stretching from Omaha to Sacramento, this incredible feat of engineering and hubris utterly transformed the lands it connected -- previously remote prairies, suddenly there for the taking, attracted peasant farmers who began to plant wheat; cattle ranchers transported their vast herds to markets in the east; swaggering buffalo hunters pillaged native lands; Abilene, Wichita, and Dodge became boom towns. Furthermore, thanks to the increased pace of commerce and the easy accessibility between coasts, the United States became a real contender for world power. Specific topics in this volume include: the politics of funding and commissioning the railroad project, the recruitment of Chinese labor and the appalling death toll, Charles Goodnight and the birth of the cattle-driving industry, the national celebration at the driving in of the final stake, Emmeline Wells and the winning of women's suffrage in Utah, the loneliness and determination of foreign immigrants, and of course, cowboys. The documentary features firsthand accounts such as diaries and letters, as well as interviews with historians and cultural experts, and stunning cinematography of the still-untamed West. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- 1996
The ninth volume of Ken Burns and Stephen Ives' The West covers the years from 1887 to 1914. At the dawn of a new century, after having seen earthshaking changes and terrible strife, the American West was more or less settled -- only five generations had passed since the Louisiana Purchase, and already the lands beyond the Mississippi were dotted with industrialized towns, prosperous farms, and vast herds of cattle. The West still had many surprises up its sleeve, but its fate was now inextricably tied to that of the Eastern states -- the United States had finally become one nation. Specific topics include: the Oklahoma land rush; the Dawes Act and the legal divvying up of Indian land; turn-of-the-century life in towns like Guthrie, Oklahoma and Butte, Montana; Sitting Bull's murder and the massacre of the Lakota; the Columbian Exposition of 1893; the courtship and marriage of homesteaders John G. Love and Ethel Waxham; William Mulholland's aqueduct and the Los Angeles water supply; Mariano Vallejo and his fight to preserve the Mexican legacy in California; Charles Goodnight and the problem of how to record the West's history on film; and the labored process of adaptation and forgiveness among native peoples. Told through first-hand accounts as well as moving testimony from the descendents of the West's greatest figures, this tribute to the dreams and the eternal promise of a nation is both a landmark documentary and an invaluable tool for the teaching of balanced and relevant history. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- 1996
This first episode in filmmakers Ken Burns and Stephen Ives' epic nine-part series focuses on the various peoples who inhabited or desired the lands of the West prior to 1806. From the natives whose identity and culture were continuous with the vast, rugged landscapes -- the Comanches, the Hidatsas, the Zunis, the Kiowa -- to the explorers coming in search of glory for God and country, these are tales of origin, myth, ownership, and the collision of worlds. Director Ives uses memoirs, journals, letters, and breathtaking live cinematography to recreate the spirit and tumult of a time when the seductive freedom and wilderness of the Western landscape -- not to mention the souls of its people -- were put up for grabs. A startling glimpse into America's rocky past and an invaluable tool for educators. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- 1996
While California's Death Valley is an often forbidding environment, it's home to a surprising variety of plant and animal life that has learned to thrive in the valley's hot, arid conditions. Ends of the Earth: Death Valley is a nature documentary that brings a camera crew to the California desert to record the region's flora and fauna, as well as exploring such mysteries as the Moving Mountain Range and Furnace Creek, one of the hottest spots on Earth. Actor Peter Coyote narrates. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Real estate agent Maceda (Chris Sarandon) once testified against drug trafficker Orosco (Miguel Najera). Now Orosco is out of prison, and Maceda has a problem. He flees, hiding out at a near-vacant California Central Valley inn where innkeeper Kat (Mariel Hemingway) is happy to have him sign the register. His presence, however, arouses the suspicions of lone cop Gilchrist (Dennis Hopper). Meanwhile, Fed agent Gere (Peter Coyote) hopes to track Maceda before Orosco's thugs pick up the scent. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1997
In this science-fiction-tinged drama a wily serial killer leads the FBI to take extreme measures: in order to catch him, they implant cells from another woman's brain into the head of a rookie agent. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nicollette Sheridan, Stacy Keach, (more)
- 1997
Originally aired on PBS, Nature: John Denver -- Let This Be a Voice follows the late Denver piloting a private plane above American scenery. The singer was known for his great appreciation of nature's splendor, and the soundtrack is supplemented by several of his songs. Ironically, Denver died in a plane crash shortly after the filming. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 1997
This video takes the armchair traveler to the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The park covers over six million acres in the Alaskan range. It is home to myriad species of plants and animals. The film surveys the sweeping majesty of the landscape, from alpine meadows to tundra fields to rugged mountains. The most celebrated of these peaks is Denali, formerly called Mt. McKinley. Denali, "the high one," is the Athabascan Indian name for this highest peak in North America. Its summit reaches 20,320 feet, with a vertical relief of 18,000 feet, the greatest of any mountain in the world, including Mt. Everest. The film shows many of Denali Park's inhabitants, including wolves, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, deer, lynx, wolverines, frogs, and birds. Northern lights dazzle the viewer with their brilliant display. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
Larry Brothers scripted this adaptation of the James Lee Burke novel that begins in a Louisiana penal colony during the 1830s. After middle-aged Allison (Kris Kristofferson) and young Holland (Scott Bairstow) make an escape, they take along Sana, a Choctaw (Irene Bedard, of Disney's animated Pocahontas) and head for the encampment of Sam Houston (Tom Skerritt) in East Texas. When Holland and Sana get too close, Allison tells Holland to drop her, and the two ride off, leaving her in the dust. Eventually, they link up with Houston and Allison's longtime pal Jim Bowie (Peter Coyote), but Bowie is off to confront General Santa Anna (Marco Rodriguez) at the Alamo. After the battle, Allison and Holland meet widow Dickinson (Karey Green) at the Alamo ruins. This TV movie premiered January 18, 1997 on TNT. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kris Kristofferson, Scott Bairstow, (more)
- 1998
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This National Geographic documentary follows Dr. Robert Ballard, his crew, and four surviving veterans as they search for sunken Japanese and American warships. As Dr. Ballard sails toward Midway Island and the area of the famous World War II battle, a brief history of the conflict is shown using actual wartime footage, maps, and commentary from the four survivors (two Americans and two Japanese). Dr. Ballard's search for five Japanese ships is fruitless, but the team does manage to find the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier. The film follows Ballard down to the wreckage as he takes a mini-sub and team of underwater robots and dives 17,000 feet beneath the surface. ~ Ed Atkinson, Rovi
The fact-based story of an unconventional physician who attempted to heal patients with laughter, based on his own book and mixing equal doses of scatological humor and pathos. Robin Williams stars as Hunter Adams, a troubled young man who commits himself to a mental institution in the late 1960s. His experiences there convince Adams to become a doctor, and he enrolls in medical school, where he is appalled at the cold, clinical professionalism that alienates patients from their caregivers. Determined to provide emotional and spiritual relief as well as medicine, Adams clowns around for his patients, getting to know them personally. Although his efforts seem to work wonders and the hospital nursing staff is grateful for the levity Adams provides, his methods alienate his uptight roommate Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as well as the staff and faculty of his school. Adams perseveres, however, even starting his own low-cost rural clinic called the Gesundheit Institute, and wooing a pretty fellow student, Carin (Monica Potter). Tragedy strikes, and Adams' career is put in jeopardy, forcing him to defend his style and philosophy before a board of jurists determined to bar him from practicing medicine. Patch Adams (1998) was produced by former M*A*S*H (1972-83) star Mike Farrell, who met the real-life Adams when the offbeat doctor served as an advisor to the actor's popular TV series. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Daniel London, (more)
Two lawmen find the call of corruption too loud to ignore in the drama Route 9. Booth Parker (Kyle MacLachlan) and Earl Whitney (Wade Williams) are two deputies in a small town who discover a crime scene along a deserted highway. There appears to have been a shoot-out with no living witnesses, and left in the dust by the side of the road are a van filled with illegal drugs and $1 million in cash. Booth and Earl are too weak to resist the urge to take the money, but when a federal agent (Roma Maffia) arrives to look into the case, they soon discover there's more to the crime than they originally expected. The knots become even more tangled when another sheriff (Peter Coyote), whose wife has been sleeping with Booth, starts sticking his nose into the case. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Peter Coyote, (more)
Barry Levinson directed this $100+ million adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction novel about the investigation of a half-mile-long spacecraft sitting on the South Pacific ocean floor. Government functionary Barnes (Peter Coyote) assembles a crack scientific team -- psychologist Dr. Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman), who wrote a presidential report on alien contact; biochemist Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), once involved romantically with Goodman; mathematician Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson); and astrophysicist Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber). After descending a thousand feet, they set up housekeeping at their underwater Habitat base, suit up, and enter the craft, finding evidence that it's a U.S. ship from the future. However, the craft's cargo of a shimmering, golden sphere is definitely alien. After Harry contrives to enter the sphere, Norman notes his odd behavior. When the Habitat computer system receives an email message from the sphere ("I am happy"), it's not long before the messages from this entity take a threatening turn ("I will kill you all"), triggering fears to surface along with violent attacks to the Habitat. The film is divided into chapters, such as "The Ride Down," "The First Exchange," and "The Monster." Shot on soundstages at the abandoned Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California), the effects combine animation, miniatures, prosthetics, animatronics, and digital images. Ed Asner reads the Sphere audiobook. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, (more)
- 1998
- R
An alcoholic cop turned private eye falls for the woman he's hired to investigate in this thriller produced for cable network HBO. Monied Zachariah Dodd (James Read) wants to divorce his wife, Eve (Gloria Reuben), so he hires recovering drunk Michael Nash (Luke Perry) to spy on her, hoping to prove she's an adulteress. Michael instead learns that she's a kindly woman who takes care of her elderly mother -- and endures physical abuse at Zachariah's hands. When Eve tries to commit suicide by drowning herself, he rescues her. Soon, the investigator and his subject find themselves caught up in a passionate affair. One night, Eve shows up claiming to have killed her husband after another domestic incident. Michael helps her cover up the crime and soon finds himself under suspicion of murder. Only attorney Beth Sussman (Lisa Edelstein), Michael's friend and employer, can save him from the meticulous detective (Peter Coyote) who's out to get him. Director Marc Bienstock previously collaborated with screenwriter Vladimir Nemirovsky on another thriller, 1997's The Beneficiary. Nemirovsky himself appears in the cast of Indiscreet, alongside Beverly Hills 90120 vet Luke Perry and ER actress Gloria Reuben. Indiscreet bears no relation to any of the earlier films of the same name -- not even the 1931 musical starring a different Gloria -- Gloria Swanson. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Perry, Gloria Reuben, (more)
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