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- 1991
CBS's scheduled resolution of a Murphy Brown cliffhanger (is she pregnant or not?) cut a vital portion of the audience for Living A Lie upon its initial September 1991 telecast. Those who did tune into this TV movie were in for a well-intentioned if preachy anti-prejudice piece. The scene is a rural Southwestern community, where Jill Eikenberry has been happily married to Peter Coyote for years. An Hispanic family moves into the area, and is promptly subjected to violence. The principal suspect is Coyote--who is, as Eikenberry discovers for the first time, a fire-breathing bigot. As the body of evidence increases, she finds it difficult to stand by her husband, as the community expects her to. Ultimately her conscience wins out over misguided matrimonial loyalty. ~ Hal Erickson, 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)
The crime comedy More Dogs Than Bones starts with female gangster Victoria Galetti hiding one million dollars in cash in the bags of Raj Lukla -- a foreigner flying into town in order to visit his nephew Andy. Victoria's underlings are assigned to retrieve the cash, but learn that the task is far more complicated than they expected after Andy's dog discovers the money first. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 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)
- 2011
- Add NFL: Top 10: NFL's Greatest Players to Queue Add NFL: Top 10: NFL's Greatest Players to top of Queue
This release from NFL Films profiles the ten greatest players in pro football history. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 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
- 2008
- Add National Geographic: Guns in America to Queue Add National Geographic: Guns in America to top of Queue
Experience the story of America's love affair with guns through from the perspectives of the citizens who also happen to be proud gun owners. The United States is a big country with a diverse population. Here, people own guns for a variety of reasons: some folks like to hunt, while others are just ordinary, law-abiding citizens who get a kick out of shooting at targets with these remarkable machines. But it can't be denied that some gun owners are extremely dangerous individuals, their threat against society made all the more serious by the weapons at their side. In this documentary from National Geographic, filmmakers explore the lives of five people with guns to reveal why these lethal weapons have become a crucial component of American society. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2009
- Add National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo to Queue Add National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo to top of Queue
Back in 2002, the naval base Guantanamo Bay became a historical flashpoint as the first wave of detainees arrived for incarceration. Dubbed "the worst of the worst," the offenders likely had no idea they would be entering the most infamous prison on the planet, and were frequently held for years without so much as a single charge being leveled against them. Some viewed the prison as a symbol of freedom protected; others viewed it as proof of freedom betrayed. Americans were fighting a new kind of enemy, and the government was playing their cards close to their chest. Nobody really know what was happening inside those heavily fortified barbwire fences, and at times, the inexperienced guard force and the frightened detainees threatened to turn volatile. Now, for the first time ever on camera, the day-to-day life at Guantanamo Bay is finally revealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 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
- 2000
In 1944, near the end of World War II, the Japanese submarine I-52 -- carrying cargo to Nazi Germany -- was torpedoed by American bombers. It sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, taking with it 100 people and two tons of gold. Half a century later, Paul Tidwell, a Vietnam veteran and adventurer, set off on a hunt for the sunken submarine in hopes of unraveling the mystery and salvaging the gold. As part of his research, Tidwell got in touch with the men who participated in the Navy's sinking of the submarine; they joined the expedition and recount their memories on film. The production includes dramatic shots of the broken remains of the sunken sub three miles underwater, along with scenes that show the numerous perils and tensions involved in carrying out this historic expedition.
~ Alice Duncan, Rovi
~ Alice Duncan, Rovi
- 1993
National Geographic Video: Survivors of the Skeleton Coast takes viewers on a scenic tour of the mysterious desert region of southwest Africa. Here, on the Skeleton Coast, desert elephants and giraffes make their home, ship graveyards add to the mystique, and sand storms and droughts stir up big trouble. Named after the wrecked hulls of ships that dot the coastline, Namibia's Skeleton Coast is not the most pleasant host to its native species. Des and Jen Bartlett, who have dwelled in this desert for years, document their homeland's unpredictable forces. ~ Betsy Boyd, Rovi
- 1998
- Add National Geographic: The Battle for Midway to Queue Add National Geographic: The Battle for Midway to top of Queue
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
- 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
What was once a brave frontier town has become a haven for enlightened oddballs in this unusual drama from director Michael Polish, written in collaboration with his twin brother, Mark Polish. Northfork is a small town in Montana which, in 1955, is soon to disappear in the name of progress; a massive hydroelectric dam is to be put in nearby, which will flood the entire village. A group of six men sent by the power company -- led by Walter O'Brien (James Woods) and his son Willis (Mark Polish) -- arrive in Northfork to evacuate the few remaining residents. If the men are successful, they'll each be given parcels of land on the banks of the new lake which will be where Northfork once stood. Most of the townspeople have already left, but a few remain, among them Father Harlan (Nick Nolte), a man of the cloth who is caring for Irwin (Duel Farnes), a strange, scarred boy apparently on his deathbed, and a handful of enchanted eccentrics who have taken over a local bar, including Flower Hercules (Daryl Hannah), Cup of Tea (Robin Sachs), Happy (Anthony Edwards), and Cod (Ben Foster). As Walter and Willis try to persuade the stubborn stragglers to move on, Walter must search for a new final resting place for his late wife, whose coffin is the last to be relocated after Northfork's cemetery is dug up. Northfork received its world premier at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Woods, Nick Nolte, (more)
The documentary Oil on Ice discusses various factors that are having negative effects on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The film explains how America's energy policy, the rights of Gwich'in Indians, animal rights, and global warming are all causing serious disturbances to the Refuge. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Although the feature length UFO documentary Out of the Blue first aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, the film takes a sober, clinical and surprisingly down-to-earth approach to its subject matter. Assuming that the audience already accepts the existence of UFOs, the producers -- and narrator Peter Coyote -- calmly offer spoken testimony of "close encounters" from several high-profile witnesses, among them ex-presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, retired American astronauts Gordon Cooper and Edgar Mitchell, and former Soviet cosmonaut Pavel Popovich. Also disseminated are previously classified government documents, and palpable evidence of UFO "interference" with American aircraft. One of the more intelligent and logical films of its kind, Out of the Blue will probably not convert any skeptics, but it won't make the True Believers feel foolish either. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
Two women with serious differences are forced to look out for each other in this anarchic comedy. Sandy (Bette Midler) and Lauren (Shelley Long) are a pair of struggling actresses who don't get along especially well -- and are even less fond of each other when they discover that they're both dating the same man, Michael (Peter Coyote). However, when Michael suddenly goes missing, they discover that he's actually an espionage agent working with a foreign government, and as they set out to find him, they learn that he has implicated them in his schemes. Now Sandy and Lauren are stuck with each other as they look for Michael while trying to outrun the law. Outrageous Fortune also stars George Carlin as Frank, a burned-out '60s holdover who the women meet along the way. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Bette Midler, (more)
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)
- 2003
Made for television, Phenomenon II is not so much as sequel to the theatrical feature Phenomenon as it is a remake--and as such, it is rather obvious that the film is the pilot for a proposed TV series. Christopher Shyer stars as California mechanic George Malley, who after being literally struck down by a bolt from the sky develops hyper-intelligence, mental telepathy, the ability to foretell the future, and a skill not covered in the first Phenomenon: the power to heal. Unfortunately, George also suffers from terrible headaches, suggesting that his "gift" is more bogy than blessing. Plus, try though he might to use his heightened senses to do good for others, he succeeds only in driving everyone away--including his own mother (Jill Clayburgh). Eventually, it is discovered that George's superhuman brilliance is the freakish result of a brain tumor that will eventually kill him. To best use the time he has left on earth, George hits the road, seeking out people in need of his peculiar talents. . .and, it is hoped, a cure for his fatal affliction. When Phenomenon II initially aired over ABC on November 1, 2003, it was introduced by the star of the original Phenomenon, John Travolta. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
An Internet entrepreneur looking to revolutionize the way the world wide web is utilized finds out that there's more to the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" than he ever imagined in this tale of innovation soured, helmed by greedy dot-com cynic Alan Ari Lazar. As the personal home-computer revolution reaches a fever pitch, visionary tech innovator John Elias dreams of shattering national borders and changing the way computer users communicate with the outside world; and with Robert Jennings closing the deal, it appears as if Elias may finally have the opportunity to make his dreams a reality. As fast as the money starts rolling in though, Elias quickly loses himself to the intoxicating effects of success, isolating himself from his business partners and girlfriend and losing site of his original goals. Despite the fact that Elias let fame go to his head, where there's a will to succeed there's a chance for redemption, and before the book on his success story reaches the final chapter, the well-intending dot-com king may finally make amends for the pain his greed has caused to those he cared for most. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Two people who've known the pain of loss and the sting of betrayal are brought together under trying circumstances in this romantic drama. Dutch van den Broeck (Harrison Ford) is a police detective based in Washington D.C. whose wife works for an upscale department store; flying to Miami on business, she dies shortly after takeoff in one of the worst aviation disasters in the city's history. However, Dutch finds out that his wife wasn't actually traveling on business: Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a prominent political figure whose husband was also killed in the crash, and Dutch and Kay discover that their spouses were on the plane together because they were having an affair. Random Hearts was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also worked with Harrison Ford on his previous film, Sabrina. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
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