Sarah Lancaster Movies

Given that the opening sequence of each Six Feet Under episode begins with the death of a future Fisher & Sons client, it's rarely a good sign to see a major character appear right after the credits. But exactly two seasons after the series pilot that chronicled his father's death, Nate (Peter Krause) bites the big one -- or does he? After poking around with his ghostly father (Richard Jenkins) in a number of alternate realities in which Nate dies, becomes an invalid, or was never even born, Nate finally settles into a timeline in which he survives his brain surgery, marries Lisa (Lili Taylor) and eases into domesticity. As for the other Fisher siblings, David (Michael C. Hall) ekes out emotional progress with Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) in couples therapy, while Claire (Lauren Ambrose) blows off art-school classes to hang out with a hot, tattooed musician (J.P. Pitoc) whom she meets in a crematory. Meanwhile, family matriarch Ruth (Frances Conroy) enjoys time with her granddaughter but butts heads with her new daughter-in-law over child-rearing methods. On the business side of things, Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) revels in his new role as full partner in the renamed Fisher & Diaz funeral home, while Lisa tries to attend to every whim of her shrill, high-strung movie-producer boss (Catherine O'Hara). As for Brenda (Rachel Griffiths), she's nowhere to be found -- except in the anesthetized dream in which Nate married her instead of Lisa. Originally broadcast March 2, 2003, on HBO, "Perfect Circles" marked season three, episode one of the made-for-cable drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

A gifted forger and confidence man attempts to stay one step ahead of the lawman determined to bring him to justice in this comedy-drama from Steven Spielberg, based on a true story. Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a 16-year-old high school student who finds himself emotionally cut adrift when his mother, Paula (Nathalie Baye), leaves his father, Frank Abagnale Sr. (Christopher Walken), after Frank Sr. falls into arrears with the Internal Revenue Service. One day at school, Frank Jr. attempts to pass himself off as a substitute teacher, and easily makes the subterfuge work. His small-scale success gives Frank some ideas, and he soon discovers bigger and more profitable ways of hoaxing others, passing himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor, and an attorney. Along the way, Frank learns how to become a master forger, and uses his talent and charm to pass over 2.5 million dollars in phony checks. Frank's increasingly audacious work soon attracts the attention of Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI agent who is determined to put Frank behind bars. Frank seems to enjoy being pursued by Carl, and even goes so far as to call Carl on the phone to chat every once in a while. While posing as a doctor, Frank falls in love with Brenda Strong (Amy Adams), a sweet girl working as a candy striper. When Frank asks Brenda to marry him, he decides to assume a new identity to impress her father, Roger (Martin Sheen) -- who happens to be the District Attorney of New Orleans, LA. Catch Me If You Can was based on the autobiography of the real Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who has a cameo in the film and today works on the side of the law as a top consultant on preventing forgery and designing secure checking systems. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One of the more difficult high school students in cinematic history moves on to college in this sexy thriller. Debbie Strand (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, in the role Rose McGowan played in the first film) was sentenced to a mental institution for the criminally insane after her previous murder spree, but she manages to escape, and while making her getaway by hitchhiking, she's picked up by Sydney Hollings (Christiana Frank), a student on her way to start classes at an upscale college nearby. Debbie murders Sydney and assumes her identity in hopes of avoiding the police, but Debbie's obsession with older men starts causing problems again when she becomes interested in Sam Decker (Jsu Garcia), one of her professors. Debbie soon learns that she has a rival for Sam's affections in Carla (Katherine Kendall), Sam's girlfriend, and this proves to be bad for the long-term health of all parties concerned. Debbie also finds she doesn't get along especially well with her new roommate, Laney (Jeanette Brox). Devil in the Flesh 2 was also screened under the title Teacher's Pet. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The most romantic place in town becomes the scene of a bloodbath in this grisly horror story. Mandy Anderson (Erin J. Dean) is a pretty teenager who has more than her share of emotional baggage to deal with. When she was five years old, Mandy's mother was killed by a psychotic who tore her apart with a metal hook. Adding shame to Mandy's shock, her mother was murdered at a notorious local make-out spot with her lover, while her husband, Tom (Matt Riedy), was the police officer sent to investigate the murder -- and young Mandy was with him while he was on patrol. Thirteen years have passed, and Mandy is attending high school along with Michael Lamson (Riley Smith) and Chloe (Sarah Lancaster). Mandy isn't especially close to either Michael or Chloe, as she's still trying to keep an emotional distance from the trauma of her past, but they're forced to come together when Mandy learns the man who killed her mother has escaped from a mental hospital and is on the loose. Incidentally, if you think the actress who plays Mandy's mother bears a striking resemblance to Erin J. Dean, there's a good reason -- she played both roles, crediting herself as Ann Jeider for the flashback at the beginning of the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Still enrolled at Bayside High School for the third season of Saved by the Bell: The New Class are students "Tommy D" (Jonathan Angel), Lindsay (Natalia Cigliuti), and Rachel (Sarah Lancaster). Missing are Bobby, Brian, and Megan, while newcomers include Ryan (Richard Lee Jackson), R.J. (Salim Grant), and Maria (Samantha Becker), the latter two having transferred from Bayside's traditional rival, Valley High. Remaining firmly ensconced as the principal of Bayside High is Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins), with former Saved by the Bell regular "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond) still interning as Belding's administrative assistant. Several of this season's episodes are reworkings of classic Saved by the Bell installments, notably "Acting Jealous" (adapted from the earlier series' "Snow White and the Seven Dorks") and "The Principal's Principles" (inspired by "Student-Teacher Week"). Other noteworthy episodes include "Maria's Movie Star," in which Lew Horn recreates his Saved by the Bell role as Mr. Moody; "No Smoking," which concludes with an anti-smoking plea by President Bill Clinton; and a multi-episode story arc in which the class spends a "semester at sea" on an ocean-voyage field trip. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A sequel to the popular NBC weekend seriocomic series Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which first aired September 11, 1993, was set not long after the familiar regulars from the original series had graduated from Bayside High School. During the sequel's first season, only the character of Principal Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) was carried over from the first Saved by the Bell. The sequel's initial episodes introduced Bayside's incoming sophomore class: Scott Erickson (Robert Sutherland Telfer), Barton "Weasel" Wyzell (Isaac Lidsky), "Tommy D." DeLuca (Jonathan Angel), Megan Jones (Bianca Lawson), Lindsay Warner (Natalia Cigiluti), and Vicki Needleman (Bonnie Russavage). Fans of the earlier series could not help but notice that the new cast bore many of the character traits associated with the Saved by the Bell regulars -- notably Scott, who came off as the new incarnation of the earlier show's inimitable Samuel "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond). This may be why Scott was among the characters eliminated during The New Class' second season, when, in a ratings-boosting move, "Screech" returned, this time as a college student working on a trial basis as Mr. Belding's administrative assistant. (Other Saved by the Bell favorites would pop up as guest stars in later New Class episodes.)

Each successive season of Saved By the Bell: The New Class found a handful of new students either joining the existing cast members or replacing departing regulars. Newcomers in season two included Rachel Myers (Sarah Lancaster, who'd played the role on a sporadic basis in the previous season), Brian Keller (Christian Oliver), and Bobby Wilson (Spankee Rogers). Season three brought forth R.J. Collins (Salim Grant), Maria Lopez (Samantha Becker), and Ryan Parker (Richard Lee Jackson). In season four we met Nicky Farina (Ben Gould), Katie Peterson (Lindsey McKeon), and Eric Little (Anthony Harrell). New to the cast in season five was Liz Miller (Ashley Lyn Cafagna). And in season six, Tony Dillon (Tom Wade Huntington) joined the student body. Plot-wise, Saved by the Bell: The New Class followed the formula established by its predecessor: zany comedy set pieces, intramural romances, seemingly insurmountable crises, brushes with such social problems as drunk driving, smoking, drug use, and premarital sex, impromptu musical numbers, and exotic "field trips" to faraway locales. Although only six seasons of The New Class episodes were produced, the series lasted seven first-run years on NBC, its final season split into two 13-episode segments and spread out over a two-year period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide