Harland Williams Movies
An unpredictable comic whose talents as an artist and writer of children's books frequently goes unnoticed in favor of such antics as appearing on the Late Show With David Letterman in peanut butter-covered boots, Harland Williams set the tone for his cinematic career as a urine-chugging state trooper in the Farrelly brothers' sophomoric smash Dumb and Dumber (1994).Born in Toronto, Ontario, the artistically inclined Williams aimed to refine his passion for drawing and painting at Canada's prestigious Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. Childlike curiosity combined with his love of art drove Williams to create a series of popular children's books in which a similarly curious young dinosaur named Lickety Split embarks on a series of amazing adventures and learns important life lessons in the process. Finding a creative outlet in poetry and painting while working as a forest ranger for five years after dropping out of Sheridan College, Williams set his goals to leave the forest as a standup comic and actor, soon moving to L.A. to pursue his newfound calling.
After his memorable debut in Dumb and Dumber, Williams appeared briefly in the television series Simon before attempting a starring vehicle with Disney's Rocketman in 1997. Trashed by critics and largely ignored by audiences, Rocketman may not have launched Williams' career into the stratosphere, but it did result in a number of memorably comedic roles in such popular comedies as Half-Baked (1998) and There's Something About Mary (1998). The new millennium also proved to be a busy year for Williams in both his career as a standup and an actor: serving as host of Comedy Central's Premium Blend, appearing in the Geena Davis Show, The Whole Nine Yards, and as an abrasive tyrant television star who learns the true value of love in Becoming Dick. In 2001, Williams appeared as the compound-fractured friend of a spastic Tom Green in Freddy Got Fingered. The following year found Williams as a gender-bending college student alongside co-stars Barry Watson and Michael Rosenbaum in Sorority Boys. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Georgia (Nia Vardalos) came to Greece to follow a man. A few years later, she's been cast aside -- alone and adrift in a foreign land. Eventually, her passion for history leads her to a job as a tour guide. But Georgia is bored, and has lost her "kefi" (Greek for mojo) to boot. When taciturn sasquatch Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis) replaces the regular driver at the last minute, the frazzled tour guide thinks that her luck has just hit rock bottom. Thankfully, Georgia's latest batch of tourists is a more lively bunch than she's anticipated, and in between bouts with rival tour guide Nico (Alistair McGowan), she manages to form a genuine connection with wisecracking widower Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), a solo vacationer who maintains a jovial facade despite the fact that he misses his late wife dearly. With a little help from Irv, Georgia comes to realize that true love may be closer than she thinks -- if she could just recapture her kefi and open her eyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, (more)
- 2008
- Add The Best of Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen to QueueAdd The Best of Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen to top of Queue
Byron Allen showcased numerous popular stand-up comedians as host of the program Comics Unleashed. This release compiles some of the best sets recorded on the show including routines by Dane Cook, Howie Mandel, Margaret Cho, Katt Williams, and Brad Garrett. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Brenner, Margaret Cho, (more)
- 2008
Audiences should be prepared for all-out anarchy when Harland Williams steps on stage. This stand-up/sketch comedy hybrid allows the performer to reveal all his comic talents. ~ Kimber Myers, All Movie Guide
An orphan who dreams of someday finding a family to call his own finds his fate taking an unexpected turn when a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson transports him into the future. Based on the book A Day With Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce, Meet the Robinsons tells the story of a boy with a lifelong wish to belong, and shows what happens when he meets an incredible collection of characters who just might have the power to make his wildest fantasies come true. The film's all-star cast of vocal contributors -- including Angela Bassett, Kelly Ripa, Tom Selleck, Adam West, Steve Zahn, and Laurie Metcalf -- brings the world of the future to life as never before seen on the silver screen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, (more)
- 2007
- Add Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen to QueueAdd Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen to top of Queue
Santa finds himself in serious trouble when Rusty Reindeer leaves the North Pole in order to do some soul searching in the big city, and a malfunctioning "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" leaves him unable to distinguish the good kids from the bad in this animated adventure for the entire family. Rusty Reindeer is having a personal crisis, and now he's hoping to find his true role in Christmas by venturing into the city and joining a support group for holiday icons. Meanwhile, as Rusty is trading stories with Albert the Thanksgiving turkey and Mr. C the ornery cupid, Santa's "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" goes on the fritz. Now a young boy who should have been on the good list has been mistakenly shifted to the bad, and in order to ensure that the child has a good Christmas Rusty will enlist the aid of moody Halloween ghosts Trick and Treat. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Savage, Fred Willard, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation to QueueAdd Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation to top of Queue
This sequel to the audacious 1984 comedy Bachelor Party comes 24 years after the original and stars Josh Cooke as Ron, a bachelor who falls in love and decides to get married with his girlfriend of two months. His soon-to-be brother in law doesn't approve of the match, however, and is determined to out Ron as a gold digger. Many uproarious and outrageous encounters follow, as Ron's future in-law sets up boobie traps that live up to their names in more ways than one. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Josh Cooke, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning to QueueAdd The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning to top of Queue
Hazzard County's two rowdiest siblings are back and stirring up more mischief than ever in this prequel to the 2005 comedy adventure that explores the origins of the General Lee while finding out just how Bo (Jonathan Bennett) and Luke Duke (Randy Wayne) first incurred the wrath of bumbling greedy businessman Boss Hogg (Christopher McDonald). Hogg is set to foreclose on Uncle Jesse's (Willie Nelson) farm, and in order to save their crusty kin from financial ruin Bo and Luke agree to deliver his potent brand of moonshine to Hazzard County's thirstiest residents. Unfortunately for Bo and Luke, the nefarious Boss Hogg doesn't take kindly to the newly arrived competition. Subsequently thrown in jail and sentenced to sweat out the remainder of the summer on work detail, the crafty Duke boys enlist the aid of sexy cousin Daisy (April Scott) in outrunning the car with the star and making Boss Hogg's life unbearable through a series of outrageous schemes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Bennett, Randy Wayne, (more)
Nearly anyone who performs in public on a regular basis is familiar with the notion of the audience member who makes their opinions loudly and clearly known during the show, and like most comedians Jamie Kennedy has dealt with his fair share of hecklers over the course of his career. However, when Kennedy moved from stand-up comic to actor, he encountered a new breed of heckler -- the on-line film critic who posts angry rants on the internet, taking Kennedy to task for nearly every aspect of such critically drubbed movies as Son Of The Mask and Malibu's Most Wanted. Kennedy teamed up with director Michael Addis to make the documentary Heckler, which explores the increasingly combative relationship between artists and their audience. Heckler features interviews with a number of comics and musicians discussing their experiences with loud-mouthed spectators (including Bill Maher, David Cross, Louie Anderson, Rob Zombie, Joe Rogan and David Allen Grier), but Kennedy goes a step further, confronting a number of the writers who've bad-mouthed his work and questioning their role in the creative process. Kennedy and Addis also talk with filmmaker Uwe Boll, who went so far as to challenge his critics to a boxing match. Heckler received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Kennedy, Louie Anderson, (more)
When a pair of ultra-competitive clerks at a discount super store discovers that a beautiful, newly-transferred cashier has a reputation for only dating employees who have won the coveted Employee of the Month award, their desperate efforts to earn the title and get the girl lead to a hilarious war of one-upmanship in this winner-takes-all comedy starring Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson, and Dax Shepard. Zack Bradley (Cook) and Vince Downey (Shepard) have been working at the cavernous Super Club for ten years and counting, but while the ambitious Vince has advanced to the position of head cashier and landed 17 consecutive "E of M" awards, laid-back Zack is content to simply sit back and enjoy the company of his fellow box boys. Longtime rivals whose conflicting attitudes as to what constitutes success has led to more than a few conflicts, Vince and Zack find their bitter battle for Super Club supremacy coming to a head when attractive new employee Amy (Simpson) transfers over from another store. When word quickly spreads that Amy only has eyes for the cream of the crop, slacker Zack attempts to clean up his act and break free from his box boy roots while uptight Vince tries to impress by maintaining his top dog position and keep cool in the face of competition. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson, (more)
The familiar Cinderella concept gets a sun-splashed makeover in Death to the Supermodels director Joel Silverman's wave-riding teen comedy. The misfits of Laguna Beach high school have suffered more abuse than they're willing to take at the hands of in-crowd bully Tyler Masters (Ryan Carnes), and as the senior trip draws ever closer their hunger to seek revenge for years of humiliation grows too powerful to resist. Enter newly arrived high school student Jordan (Corey Sevier), a former east-coaster who seems to be having a hard time fitting in at Laguna Beach. When Jordan learns that the highlight of the senior year is the annual surfing contest in Costa Rica, he soon hatches a plan that will give the downtrodden outcasts a much-needed ego boost while simultaneously serving Tyler with a well-deserved comeuppance. In order to do it right, though, Jordan will have to convince outcast hip-hopper Mo (Sisqo), morose Doris (Laura Bell Bundy), skate-punk Taz (Miko Hughes), and virginal Larry (Lee Norris) to break for Costa Rica a week early and train for the competition under the tutelage of loopy former surf pro Rip (Harland Williams). It's not going to be easy, but if Jordan can pull the troops together and make this wild plan work, he just might manage to leave his mark on Laguna Beach High after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Sevier, Laura Bell Bundy, (more)
It's not finishing school or a traditional upbringing that causes ten-year-old Opal to learn about the world outside of her own backyard, but rather a particularly awkward-looking mutt named Winn-Dixie. Based on a novel by Kate DiCamillo, Winn-Dixie and Opal not only become privy to the eventful, if eccentric, lives of their neighbors (including a librarian who fought off a bear with nothing but a novel, a blind woman who claims to "see" with her heart, and a sensitive ex-con turned pet store clerk), but Opal herself manages to reconcile some of the depression left over after her mother had abandoned the family seven years earlier. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, (more)
For this follow-up to their mega-hit Ice Age, directors Carlos Saldanha and Chris Wedge team with the screenwriting duo behind Parenthood and City Slickers, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. Robots stars Ewan McGregor as the voice of Rodney Copperbottom, an idealistic robot who wants to convince his electronic brethren to come together and work toward making the world a better place. As the story unfolds, Rodney faces opposition from an evil corporation headed by Big Weld (Mel Brooks) and finds some unlikely allies in the form of a ragtag group of misfit robots called the Rusties and voiced by the likes of Drew Carey and Amanda Bynes. Stanley Tucci and Dianne Wiest provide the voices of Rodney's parents, and Halle Berry portrays his love interest, Cappy. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, (more)
A guy takes one last shot at learning from his mistakes with women in this romantic comedy. Zach (Brad Hunt) has been in love with Abbey (Lauren Graham) as far back as he can remember. However, Zach is both shy and tragically inept around women, and has never had the nerve to tell her how he feels. When Zach learns that Abbey is moving away to pursue her career, he decides he has one last chance to win her over, so with the help of his even less romantically inclined buddy Bleckman (Harland Williams), Zach tracks down all of his former girlfriends to get a clearer picture of where he's gone wrong in the past, and how he might be able to win Abbey's heart. Lucky 13 also features John Doe, Debra Jo Rupp, and Brande Roderick. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Lauren Graham, (more)
A teenager looking to regain his self-respect and his relationship with his father finds the answer in an unexpected place -- go-kart racing -- in this family-friendly drama. Watts Davis (Will Rothhaar) is a 14-year-old boy who has been nothing but trouble since the death of his mother. Feuding with his father Vic (Randy Quaid) and causing problems at school, Watts has only one desire: to someday become a race-car driver. When Watts discovers IKF go-kart racing, he sees he's finally found a way to start living his dream and mend fences with his dad, who was a go-kart champ in his youth. With the help of Vic and fellow racer Scott (David Gallagher), as well as some unexpected moral support from Dhalia (Amanda De Martinis), a cute graffiti artist who has caught his eye, Watts has his eye on the local IKF go-kart championships. But can Watts beat Rodney (Joe Dinicol), the class bully who also happens to be a hotshot on the track? Kart Racer also features an appearance by comedian Harland Williams as Zee, the proprietor of a local video-game arcade. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Will Rothhaar, (more)
The time-honored "men in drag" concept gets a teen sex comedy makeover with this farce from director Wallace Wolodarsky. Dave (Barry Watson), Adam (Michael Rosenbaum), and Doofer (Harland Williams) are a trio of broke playboy misogynists who are accused of embezzlement by their frat brothers and kicked out. The friends quickly find themselves with only one option if they wish to remain on campus rent-free and nab the real culprits: the sorority known as Delta Omicron Gamma (D.O.G.), an institution widely known for its members' deficiency of physical beauty. After undergoing radical transformations thanks to wigs, makeup, and some serious depilatory efforts, the boys are soon passing themselves off as Daisy, Adena, and Roberta. It's not long before their past mistreatment of women has come back to haunt them, while Dave falls in love with Leah (Melissa Sagemiller), the head of the sorority, forcing him to consider when and where to confess the truth. In the meantime, the boys draw closer to learning the identity of the real thieves. Sorority Boys (2002) co-stars Heather Matarazzo. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Television star Tom Green makes his directorial debut with this gross-out comedy. Green stars as Gord Brody, a 28-year-old slacker who aspires to be an animator of Hollywood cartoons. After his dreams of working for studio mogul Dave Davidson (Anthony Michael Hall) temporarily wash out, along with his thankless job at a cheese factory, Gord returns home to live with his parents, Jim (Rip Torn) and Julie (Julie Hagerty). Jim wishes that Gord would simply grow up, move out of the basement, and get a real job like his younger brother Freddy (Eddie Kaye Thomas), who works in a responsible position at a bank. When the battle of wills between Gord and Jim heats up, Gord devises various stunt-like schemes to drive his father bonkers, including the bogus charge that their father molested Freddy as a youngster. Marisa Coughlan co-stars as Gord's wheelchair-bound, nymphomaniac, amateur rocket-scientist girlfriend Betty, while comedian and Green's fellow Canada native Harland Williams plays Gord's oddball neighbor Darren. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In this made-for-TV movie, shown on the E! network, Richard Breggs (Harland Williams) is a super-swell guy. An aspiring actor, he drives a taxi so that he can afford to buy his girlfriend Maggie (Elizabeth Berkley) a set of window shades for their apartment. All is dandy until Richard's friend Nick informs him that his niceness is the source of his career problems, and that he'll only be able to get ahead as an actor if he becomes a class-A jerk. Richard decides to give Nick's advice a try, and four years later he wakes up with amnesia to discover that he's the star of a monstrously popular TV show called, appropriately enough, "Dick." Living in a mansion, he is informed by his butler Edward (Robert Wagner) that yes, he has become a bonafide schmuck. This news horrifies Richard, who sets about trying to find Maggie and mend his wicked ways. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Robert Wagner, (more)
- 2000
NBC's animated series based on David Spade's stand-up material about his dysfunctional father. Viewers first encounter the Blake family when Hollywood star James (David Spade) attempts to prevent his mother (Julia Sweeney) from discovering that his father, Sammy (Spade again) is living with him. Unfortunately, neither James nor his brothers knows exactly what to do with the obnoxious old man. Maura Tierney and Andy Dick are among the other actors to contribute their voices to the show. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Spade, Harland Williams, (more)
In this black comedy, a criminal discovers a market for murder in the suburbs. After doing time in prison, mobster Jimmy the Tulip (Bruce Willis) moves to a suburban neighborhood. But Jimmy's new neighbors (Rosanna Arquette and Matthew Perry) soon figure out who he is. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, (more)
- 1999
- Add Insane Clown Posse: Big Money Hustla$ - The Movie to QueueAdd Insane Clown Posse: Big Money Hustla$ - The Movie to top of Queue
Everybody's favorite Faygo-swilling evil-clown rappers, Insane Clown Posse, invade your home entertainment center with their first feature-length motion picture. Big Baby Sweets (Violent J) is a notorious underworld kingpin who rules the streets of New York with the help of his loud-mouthed lieutenants Lil Poot (Monoxide Child) and Big Stank (Jamie Madrox). The NYPD have been unsuccessful in their attempts to bring down Big Baby Sweets, so the Chief of Police (Johnny Brennan) brings in the heavy artilery -- Sugar Bear (Shaggy 2 Dope), a hot-shot police detective who has cleaned up the mean streets of San Francisco. Along with Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope from ICP (and Monoxide Child and Jamie Madrox from their brother group Twiztid), Big Money Hustla$ also features appearances by wrestler Mick Foley, blaxplotation legend Rudy Ray Moore, punk rock pioneers the Misfits, and comic actor Harland Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- G
- Add The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland to QueueAdd The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland to top of Queue
One of the most popular characters on Sesame Street gets his own movie in this family comedy. Playful Elmo (voice of Kevin Clash) loves his blue blanket and would never want to lose it. So when it gets spirited off to parts unknown in the midst of a tug-of-war with one of his friends, Elmo sets out to find it and ends up in the grumpy kingdom of Grouchland, where Huxley (Mandy Patinkin) and the Queen of Trash (Vanessa Williams) rule over a dark and ill-mannered domain. Along with Elmo, several other favorite Sesame Street characters appear, including Oscar the Grouch (Carroll Spinney), Ernie (Steve Whitmire), and Bert (Frank Oz). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, (more)
Molly Shannon brings her Saturday Night Live character Mary Katherine Gallagher to the silver screen. A mildly hyperactive Catholic school student convinced that she smells bad, Mary Catherine has a dream: she wants a boy to kiss her. Not just any old sloppy teenage make-out party kind of smooch, but the sort of kiss that will make her tingle with joy from head to toe. The trouble is, boys aren't all that interested in Mary Catherine, especially not Sky (Will Ferrell), the boy she'd most like to be kissed by. So Mary Catherine has a goal: if she wants to be kissed the way boys kiss girls in the movies, then she must become a movie star. Not a bad idea, but how does one bring this about? Superstar co-stars Elaine Hendrix and former Kids in the Hall cast member Mark McKinney, while another Kids in the Hall alumnus, Bruce McCulloch, directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, (more)
