Jewel Staite Movies
Born in British Colombia in 1982, Jewel Staite began her career at age six when she was discovered at a Sears photography studio. At first the little girl was completely uninterested in appearing in a video, but once she was promised the chance to wear pretty clothes, she agreed. Staite soon appeared in commercials and on television shows such as Liar, Liar, The Odyssey, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and The X-Files. At age 14, she was offered the lead role on the Disney TV show Space Cases. She soon afterward took a recurring role on the series Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, as well as the troubled teen series Higher Ground. She continued to maintain her career through regular appearances on television until 2002 when Joss Whedon offered her a role that would help to define her as an actress. Playing the adorable, genius mechanic Kaylee aboard a space cargo ship on the TV series Firefly, Staite endeared herself to a feverishly devoted fan base. The cult audience that Firefly earned, however, was not enough for Fox to keep it on the air, and the series was pulled after only 11 episodes. Staite disappointed many fans when she was married in 2003. She regularly appeared on Wonderfalls, another "tragically canceled" show, before reprising the role of Kaylee in 2005 for the feature film adaptation of Firefly, Serenity. That same year, she also appeared on an episode of a show that shared a similar audience, Stargate Atlantis. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Season five of the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis kicks off with a boom as an off-world explosion leaves countless innocents in harm's way, and Carter spearheads a rescue mission to save the survivors. The season also includes such twists as awakened clones, scientists developing "digital" ascension, and debilitating illness with the ability to destroy the minds of the most powerful men. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, (more)
In Season 4 (2007-8), Stargate: SG-1 star Amanda Tapping crosses over as the new leader, joining the Atlantis cast as television's favorite astrophysicist, Commander Samantha Carter. Also returning is Jewel Staite, reprising her role of Dr. Keller, a physician who joins the Atlantis expedition. The fourth season also continues to chronicle the voyage of the Atlantis team: Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell), Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett), Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa), and Col. Steven Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi). The Season 4 set of this hit SciFi Channel series includes 20 episodes on five discs, and features cast and crew commentaries, deleted scenes, photo galleries, the first Atlantis blooper reel, and more.
- Starring:
- Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, (more)
The thrilling Stargate: SG-1 spin-off, Stargate: Atlantis, is set in the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy, built millions of years ago by the most advanced race in the Stargate Universe. Season 3's (2006-7) 20 episodes brim with adventure, throwing wild new challenges weekly at the ensemble cast: Joe Flanigan (Lt. Col John Sheppard); David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay); Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir); Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan); Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex); Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett); and Mitch Pileggi (Col. Steven Caldwell). Executive-produced by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the five-disc DVD set is flooded with bonus features including audio commentaries for 19 episodes, many behind-the-scenes featurettes, and photo and production design galleries.
- Starring:
- Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, (more)
- 2005
Although the made-for-cable drama Widow on the Hill was based on a true story, the film bears a strong resemblance to the 1947 Joan Crawford theatrical feature Possessed. Natasha Henstridge stars as Linda Dupree, an ambitious hospice nurse who marries Hank Cavanaugh (James Brolin), the very wealthy widower of one of Linda's former patients. Hank enrages his grown daughters by quickly installing Linda in the family's luxurious Virginia mansion, and even more so when he gives his new wife the most precious possessions of his former spouse. Not long afterward, Hank himself falls seriously ill and dies, leaving Linda one of the richest women in Virginia -- and also arousing suspicions that she not only knocked off Hank, but his first wife as well! More questions than answers are offered in this heavy-breathing melodrama, which made its Lifetime network debut on January 24, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natasha Henstridge, James Brolin, (more)
A band of renegades on the run in outer space get in more hot water than they anticipated in this sci-fi action-adventure adapted from the television series Firefly. In the 26th century, the galaxy has been colonized by a military force known as the Alliance, but its leadership has not gone unquestioned. The Alliance was once challenged by a league of rebels known as the Independents, but the Alliance emerged victorious after a brutal civil war, with the surviving Independents scattering around the galaxy. Also wandering the edges of the galaxy are the Reavers, who have won few allies due to their violent behavior and habit of ripping apart their enemies and eating them before they're dead. Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), who fought as an Independent in the galactic war, is the head of Serenity, a rogue frieghter ship whose crew includes Mal's first mate, Zoe (Gina Torres), who fought alongside him in the war, her husband, hotshot pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk), sunny but dependable mechanic Kaylee (Jewel Staite), and hard-nosed gunman Jayne (Adam Baldwin). The crew of Serenity wander the galaxy, taking on whatever work they can get, from criminal activities like smuggling and stealing to legitimately offering transport to travelers. Passengers aboard Serenity include professional "companion" Inara (Morena Baccarin) and holy man Shepherd Book (Ron Glass), but the real trouble aboard the ship comes with the arrival of Simon (Sean Maher) and his teenage sister, River Tam (Summer Glau). In time, the crew discovers that River has remarkable psychic powers and was being held captive by Alliance forces until Simon came to her rescue. Now the Alliance is hot on the heels of Serenity and its passengers, with The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a sinister Alliance tracker, leading the chase. Serenity was written and directed by Joss Whedon (in his directorial debut), creator of Firefly, which only lasted 11 weeks on the air but gained a powerful cult following who rallied to get the show released on DVD after its cancellation, leading to impressive home-video sales and and an eventual motion picture deal. A couple of months prior to Serenity's theatrical release, reruns of Firefly were picked up by the Sci-Fi channel, adding even more fans to its cult following. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, (more)
Co-director of the controversial 1998 documentary Frat House, Andrew Gurland attempts to follow in the teen-comedy footsteps of his partner on that film, Todd Phillips (Road Trip), with Cheats. The film centers on Handsome (Trevor Fehrman) and Sammy (Elden Henson), a scheming pair of best pals who cheat their ways through elementary school and junior high. Once in high school, the duo meets Victor (Matthew Lawrence) and Applebee (Martin Starr) and prove that in cheating, four heads are better than two. But when their principal catches them, they are put on probation. With that in mind, the gang must decide whether to pull off one final, grandiose cheat at the risk of being caught and having their college dreams squelched. Although intended for a theatrical release, Cheats had its premiere on Cinemax before being released on home video and DVD. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Fehrman, Elden Henson, (more)
Created by Joss Whedon (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Firefly was an "outer-space Western" set some four to five centuries in the future. Nathan Fillion starred as Captain Mal Reynolds, a disillusioned interplanetary-war veteran and outlaw of the Alliance, the current ruling government. Reynolds was skipper of the transport ship Serenity, a "Firefly-class" vessel. The cast of characters included Inara (Morena Baccarin), a doctor named Simon (Sean Maher), and a mystical preacher named Book (Ron Glass). Firefly made its American network debut on September 20, 2002, on Fox; it was cancelled after only 12 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, (more)
