Robert Lane Movies
Hollywood's hottest canine commodity has gotten hopelessly lost after wandering away from his master, and now the former movie star has become the beacon of hope for a small-town firehouse on the verge of collapse. Rex is the dog that every child in America has fallen in love with. A pompous A-list barker whose list of perks overshadows that of even the most esteemed Hollywood actor, Rex 's fate takes an unexpected turn when a skydiving stunt goes awry and his handlers assume that their cash-canine has perished as a result. Now, despite being very much alive, the former doggie diva has become just another mangy stray wandering the streets in search of a home. Lost in an unfamiliar city and pursued by animal control, Rex seeks refuge in a run down building that soon goes up in flames. Shane Fahey (Josh Hutcherson) is a rebellious preteen whose single-parent father, Connor (Bruce Greenwood), is struggling to care for his son and cope with the death of his brother, the former captain of the local fire department. Pressed with the responsibility of getting the crumbling inner-city fire house back in working order while helping his 12-year-old son deal with the untimely loss of a beloved family member, Connor just can't seem to convince Shane to keep his grades up and stop ditching school. Upon rescuing the unidentified Rex from the four-alarm blaze, Connor attempts to teach young Shane the meaning of responsibility by charging him with the task of locating the dog's owner. Despite an initial clash of personalities, the headstrong mutt and the disobedient adolescent soon form a strong bond. Subsequently adopted as the scrappy fire department's new mascot, Rex proves just the catalyst needed to reenergize the dejected firefighters and reform the once-tenuous bond between father and son. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josh Hutcherson, Bruce Greenwood, (more)
Produced for British television, Daniel Deronda was adapted from George Eliot's final novel, written in 1874 (and first filmed in 1921). As was her habit, Eliot laid bare the hypocrisy and venality of Victorian-era "class culture," at the same time admitting that a certain amount of conformity was necessary if one hoped to survive in a world where nonconformity was not only looked down upon but actively suppressed. Essentially, both the novel and the TV presentation are comprised of two separate stories, linked together by the titular Daniel Deronda (Hugh Dancy), a young man of Jewish heritage. In the main narrative, Daniel is attracted to the spoiled, headstrong Gwendolen Harleth (Romola Garai), who is reluctantly poised to enter into a marriage of convenience with the wealthy, snobbish, and intensely anti-Semitic Henleigh Grancourt (Hugh Bonneville). This romantic intrigue is played against the curious relationship between Daniel and the Zionist visionary Mordecai (Daniel Evans), who tirelessly proselytizes in favor of a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. Things come to a head when Daniel finds himself falling in love with Mordecai's sister Mirah (Jodhi May). Originally telecast in three parts on the BBC beginning December 7, 2002, Daniel Deronda was re-edited as a two-parter for the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre, where it first aired on March 30, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Probably the most filmed of all Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle's 1901 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles was given another go-round with this BBC television production. Richard Roxburgh, best known as the libidinous nobleman in the 2001 theatrical feature Moulin Rouge, is cast as The Great Detective, with Ian Hart as Holmes' friend, assistant and chronicler Dr. John Watson. The game is afoot when Holmes and Watson head to gloomy Baskerville Manor near the forbidding Grimpen Moor, the new home of young Sir Henry Baskerville (Matt Day). A number of curious events have led the detectives to the conclusion that Sir Henry's life is in danger -- that, in fact, he may at any time be torn asunder by a gigantic, vicious hound. Is this the fulfillment of "The Baskerville Curse," brought about by villainous debauchery of Sir Henry's ancestor, or is the would-be murderer a human being, using the legend of the Hound as a smoke-screen? Taking quite a few liberties with the original, The Hound of the Baskervilles was a nonetheless entertaining "shorthand" version of the Doyle classic. Making its British broadcast debut on December 26, 2002, the film was curiously premiered over Canadian television some five weeks earlier, on November 18. In the United States, The Hound of the Baskervilles was first seen as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre anthology on January 19, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart, (more)
Made for British television, this two-part adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adventure-fantasy novel The Lost World adroitly combines a straightforward retelling with an abundance of slyly satirical grace notes--not to mention deliberate echoes of such earlier films as Jurassic Park, Planet of the Apes and even Apocalypse Now. The basic plotline details the efforts of feuding scientists George Challenger (Bob Hoskins) and Summerlee (James Fox) to prove that dinosaurs still exist on a remote plateau somewhere in the Amazon jungles. They succeed in this endeavor, and also stumble upon a lost tribe of primitive humans, whose hearts and minds are captured by a mad missionary (Peter Falk). Though the film does not flinch in the special-effects department, there is still plenty of time left over for a quaintly old-fashioned romantic triangle involving sportsman Lord Roxton (Tom Ward), the lovely Agnes Mooney (Elaine Cassidy) and dashing Edward Malone (Matthew Rhys). And while there is action aplenty, the film remains scrupulously within the "suitable for children" category. Originally broadcast as the 2001 Christmas offering by BBC1, The Lost World premiered in the US over the A&E cable network on October 6 and 7, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A distinguished cast highlights this made-for-TV adaptation of one of Charles Dickens' best-loved novels. Young David Copperfield (Daniel Radcliffe) is loved by his mother Clara (Emilia Fox), but does not get along with his foul-tempered stepfather, Murdstone (Trevor Eve). After biting Murdstone during a fight, David is forced to attend a boarding school operated by the vicious and humorless Mr. Creakle (Ian McKellen). After Clara suddenly dies, David is sent to work; while his labors are tiring and poorly compensated, he finds a benefactor in the good-hearted Mr. Micawber (Bob Hoskins) and his wife (Imelda Staunton). However, Micawber does not manage money well, and winds up in a debtors prison. Left to his devices, David sets out to find one of his few surviving relatives, his eccentric Aunt Betsy (Maggie Smith). The years pass, and the grown-up David (Ciaran McMenamin) has struggled to build a better life for himself, with the help of Betsy's attorney, Mr. Wickfield. David also becomes friendly with Wickfield's daughter Agnes (Amanda Ryan), but he finds a nemesis in the lawyer's clerk Uriah Heep (Nicholas Lyndhurst). David also marries a simple woman named Dora (Joanna Page), but their union brings him little happiness. David Copperfield was a co-production of the BBC and WGBH Boston. It received its American premier on the acclaimed anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, (more)
Based on the true story of Graham Young, a young British psychopath of the early 1960s, this is the offbeat feature film debut of writer-director Benjamin Ross. Hugh O'Conor plays Young, who narrates the story in a sullen voice-over. He is an isolated, studious young adolescent who is increasingly absorbed in his chemical research projects and estranged from his annoying family. After his greatest experiment blows up, he seeks revenge on his stepmother, who has falsely accused him of hiding pornographic magazines. The boy poisons her chocolates and then his sister's eye drops, partially blinding her. He next poisons his stepmother's stomach medicine. Graham lets her discover the notebook in which he has documented his work, but she can no longer speak, and she dies unable to communicate the truth. Young then starts to poison his father -- but lets himself be discovered and is sent to an insane asylum. There, he is befriended by a psychologist, Dr. Ziegler (Anthony Sher), an optimist who hopes for a recovery by exploring Young's dreams. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugh O'Conor, Antony Sher, (more)
A crazed sniper picks off motorists at random, then taunts the authorities by providing cryptic clues to a radio psychiatrist. Sarah "Sunny" Harper (Darlanne Flugel), the fiancee of one of the victims, tries to piece together the evidence without official help, hopefully to beat the psycho at his own game. Directed by Francis Delia, Freeway was inspired by a series of real-life freeway shootings in the Los Angeles area. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Darlanne Fluegel, James Russo, (more)
