Matthew Dixon Movies

This two-part HBO miniseries is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo. Having long since sacrificed youthful ideals and values to remain in his New England hometown for the sake of his family, middle-aged Miles Roby (Ed Harris) finds his "secure" little world disintegrating when his wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), divorces him. Equally vexing is the emotional and financial pressure exerted by domineering town matriarch Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), who owns (among other things) the Empire Grill, the little diner that Ed has run for several years. As he reflects on what he considers to be a wasted life, Ed flashes back to memories of his curmudgeonly father, Max (Paul Newman, who also executive-produced the miniseries); his long-dead mother, Grace (Robin Wright Penn); his scapegrace brother, David (Aidan Quinn); his blossoming daughter "Tick" (Danielle Panabaker); and Francine's late husband, C.B. Whiting (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Also tied in with Miles's reminiscences is the spectacular saga of the rise and fall of Empire Falls, a once-prosperous mill town that has fallen into disrepair -- as have the town's once-rigid and inviolate social barriers. Despite the initial bleakness of Miles' plight, and the revelation of innumerable family skeletons as the plot progresses, the story is ultimately both heartwarming and life-affirming. Filmed on location in Maine, Empire Falls originally aired on May 28 and 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this noirish crime thriller, deeply troubled screenwriter/director Elliot Callahan, who made a brilliant debut with the innovative thriller "Criminal Intent," finds himself tormented with writers block that prevents him from starting on his eagerly awaited sophomore film. His studio is about to sue him for missing several key deadlines and someone else has accused Callahan of stealing the script for "Intent" from a popular Hong Kong action film. In order to find the respite he needs to write again, Callahan slips off to Nantucket island. There he encounters a beautiful Realtor who looks to him for much needed excitement. He also hooks up with his former writing crony Tim and his sculptor girlfriend Julia. Finally Callahan encounters the mysterious Henry, an aspiring screenwriter who is trying to sell his own chilling and realistic script about a serial killer. Callahan reads it and finds it so true-to-life that he begins believing that Henry himself is a killer. Wanting to exploit that angle, Callahan endeavors to steal the script for himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi