Steven Flynn Movies

Aldous Huxley's 1932 science fiction novel was previously adapted to film (a 1980 TV movie starring Bud Cort) and radio (a 1956 CBS Radio Workshop two-parter with an opening intro by Huxley) and again to TV in this 1998 production. In a high-tech city of a future time, humans are genetically engineered, monogamy is frowned on, and the drug Soma is consumed to eliminate stress in a society where the citizens are niched into rigid classes (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma). Scornful looks are directed at high-level Alphas Bernard Marx (Peter Gallagher) and Lenina Crowne (Rya Kihlstedt), a couple who have become interested in each other over and beyond the commonly accepted one-night stands. Bernard has climbed to the upper echelons at the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Center, while Lenina is employed in the educational conditioning field. When Bernard and Lenina visit an outlying Reservation, their copter crashes, and they are under attack by the locals when Shakespeare-quoting "savage" John Cooper (Tim Guinee) intervenes. When John takes Bernard and Lenina to the house where he lives with his alcoholic mother Linda (Sally Kirkland), Bernard is fascinated by John's retro way of life and his collection of literature. With automatic satellite tracking in play, a craft arrives in short order to return Bernard and Lenina to the city. For research purposes, Bernard takes the two back to civilization -- where John (aka "The Savage") becomes a media celeb, and Linda gets hooked on Soma. The Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning (Miguel Ferrer) considers Cooper a threat to society, but his superior, the Controller (Leonard Nimoy), who thinks the social order is secure, holds a progressive, thoughtful attitude regarding past, present, and future. Meanwhile, Lenina has a sexual attraction for John, who rejects her passionate advances because it "isn't love," and he soon becomes disenchanted with the unspiritual, hedonistic way of life he sees in this "brave new world." Premiered April 19, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Trace (Stephen Baldwin) is a cop who's just been assigned to a new unit led by Lt. Devon (Chazz Palminteri). Trace is alarmed at the tactics of his new partners, who shoot criminals to kill without warning and take bets on who will kill the primary target. The unit turns out to be a team assembled to dispatch drug dealers and mobsters, similar to the ruthless cops in Mulholland Falls or L.A. Confidential. When Trace protests, his teammates tie him up in a firing range and shoot near misses at him. Later, Trace spares a tough nightclub singer/prostitute (Tia Carrere), from a deadly raid, and both become hunted by the cops as well as the mob. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, Rovi

Peter Fonda received a richly deserved Oscar nomination for his superb performance as Ulysses "Ulee" Jackson, a Florida beekeeper forced to put his splintered family back together. Ulee is a Vietnam veteran whose wife died several years ago, a blow he's still learning to live with. His son Jimmy (Tom Wood) is in prison, and his daughter-in-law Helen (Christine Dunford) ran away, leaving Ulee to raise their two daughters by himself. Ulee is a quiet man who has a hard time displaying warmth and does not always deal well with the rebellious children put in his care. But he possesses an intense inner strength and a firm sense of loyalty and responsibility. One day Ulee gets a call from Jimmy; he's received word that Helen has fallen in with a pair of drug dealers and is in sad shape. While he doesn't much care for the idea, Ulee heads out to rescue her, only to discover the men who have her were Jimmy's partners in the robbery that put him behind bars; they threaten Ulee by saying if they're not given the $100,000 Jimmy has stashed away, they'll come after his daughters. Meanwhile, Ulee is forced to deal with Helen's painful withdrawal from drugs; he gets some help from Connie (Patricia Richardson), a divorced nurse who has recently moved into the neighborhood and seems to understand Ulee's lonely stoicism. Written and directed with subtle intelligence by Victor Nuñez, Ulee's Gold is a moving story about the trials and responsibilities of family ties, with Peter Fonda leading a fine cast that delivers uniformly impressive work. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the conclusion of a three-part story, Jonathan Clayton (Mitchell Ryan) is still in charge of Sandpiper Air, forcing Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) to dance to his tune. Expected to deliver a progress report to Clayton's board of directors, his son Cord (Jonathan Slavin) inexplicably vanishes from sight, compelling Joe and Brian to speak in his place. At the same time, Helen (Crystal Bernard) learns the real reason behind Cord's disappearance -- and it does not bode well for the Hackett brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A private detective becomes involved in a new cast when her partner's guardian is murdered. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

In the made-for-cable film Without Warning: The James Brady Story, Beau Bridges stars in the true-life story of the Ronald Reagan press secretary who was critically wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan by John Hinckley. Brady was left crippled by the shooting, and the film follows his recuperation process, as well as his fight for more stringent gun control. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

The fact-based NBC movie The High Price of Passion was adapted by Mel Frohman from the book by Russell M. Glitman. Set in and around Tufts University, this is a sad story of obsession and murder, focusing on middle-aged anatomy professor Williams Douglas (Richard Crenna) and greedy 21-year-old prostitute Robin Benedict (Karen Young). Hoping to literally buy Robin's love, Douglas showers her with money, ultimately squandering 67,000 dollars on the callous young woman. Not surprisingly, Robin plays Douglas for a sucker and laughs in his face, with tragic results. Told in flashback from the luckless Prof. Douglas' point of view, The High Price of Passion made its NBC debut on November 30, 1986 -- instantly stirring up a maelstrom of controversy when Tufts' board of directors strenuously objected to the film's suggestion that the University was located within shouting distance of Boston's red-light district. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri (Nicola Bryant) arrive at Tranquil Repose, a colony on the planet Necros, where the rich and famous can have their recently deceased loved ones cryogenically frozen. Unfortunately, Tranquil Repose currently houses the dormant body of Davros (Terry Molloy), creator of the dreaded Daleks -- but Davros is not quite as dormant as he seems. Written by Eric Saward, the two-part "Revelation of the Daleks" was originally telecast on March 23 and 30, 1985. This final adventure of Doctor Who's 22nd season was later re-edited as a four-chapter cliffhanger for American TV. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi