Janet Jackson Movies

Ntozake Shange's Obie Award-winning play exploring the plight of black women makes the leap from stage to screen with this ensemble drama directed by Tyler Perry, and starring Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Hill Harper, Thandie Newton, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, and Macy Gray. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A couple (Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson) that goes on a therapeutic annual winter vacation designed to help couples work through their marital problems in a group setting finds the usual routine thrown into chaos when one of the wives arrives with a sexy young temptress in tow. Now, as the Colorado snow falls gently outside of their window, one couple will experience a bout with infidelity that will cause the entire group to question the validity of their own respective marriages. Diary of a Mad Black Woman mastermind Tyler Perry writes, produces, directs, and stars in this comedy drama that explores the complexities of modern marriage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Janet Jackson, who also serves as the musical guest. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi

This second feature from Boyfriends' directors Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger explores intertwined relationships in a sleepy seaside resort in the U.K., broken up into three segments. The film centers around the funeral of Stuart (David Coffey), the gay partner of Nick (Tom Hollander), who owns a local restaurant. Stuart's brother-in-law Dan (Bill Nighy) is a depressive farmer who lives with his wife Judy (Ellie Haddington) and becomes smitten with a French woman named Corinne (Clementine Celarie), a local florist. As Dan and Judy attempt to settle Stuart's estate, Dan gives into having an affair with Corinne -- but then ends up cheating on her with an amorous stranger (Sally Hurst). Meanwhile, Nick offers Stuart's straight best friend Tim (Douglas Henshall) a place to stay. Nick is furthermore disrupted by the advances of Charlie (Sukie Smith), a free-spirited woman who takes a liking to Nick and introduces him to hetero intercourse. The final section of the film centers on Tim who, after being abroad for several years, has a dalliance with shop owner Leah (Josephine Butler), who happens to be the former girlfriend of his adopted brother David (Stuart Laing). Also featured in the film are Dominic Hall, June Barrie, and Peter Symonds. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Overweight scientific genius Sherman Klump and his extended family are back in this sequel to the 1996 comedy smash The Nutty Professor. Sherman (played once again by Eddie Murphy) has come up with a discovery that ought to make him a multimillionaire: a youth serum that turns back the user's body clock. Sherman has also found time for a social life and has fallen in love with Denise Gains (Janet Jackson), a brilliant woman involved in DNA research. Sherman and Denise are engaged, but Sherman is still troubled by Buddy Love, the dark side of his personality that he wants to purge from his psyche forever. He persuades Denise to help him by splicing Buddy out of his DNA structure, but the experiment doesn't go as planned: instead of destroying Buddy, Sherman and Denise free him, and Buddy's first order of business is to get his hands on Sherman's youth serum, which Sherman has hidden at his family's house. In addition to Klump and Love, Murphy also plays Mama, Papa, Grandma, and nephew Ernie Klump, thanks to the makeup magic of Rick Baker. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

R&B superstar Janet Jackson displays her total mastery of the stage in this 1998 live video, which combines lights, dancing,and an incredible stage show with Janet's remarkable music for a one-of-a-kind event. Songs include "Velvet Rope," "That's the Way Love Goes," "Let's Wait Awhile/Again," "Black Cat," and "Miss You Much." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Heather Locklear and features musical guest Janet Jackson. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi

Janet Jackson's self-titled 1994 album is widely viewed as one of, if not the most defining moments of her career. Audiences and critics alike found themselves viewing Jackson as an individual rather than the youngest of the iconic Jackson pop family. This VHS documents the making-and after effects of Janet, and includes a variety of behind-the-scenes footage, old home movies, music videos, and infrequently seen alternate music videos. Among the tracks included are "If," "That's the Way Love Goes," "Again,", "Any Time, Any Place," and "You Want This." ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Ruby L. Oliver's indie debut is a semi-autobiographical drama focusing on the struggles of woman living in the ghetto of Southside Chicago who must cope with an alcoholic husband and three troubled children (two layabout sons and an unmarried, pregnant daughter). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Far more popular in syndication than it had ever been on the NBC network, the weekly musical drama series Fame returns with a fourth season of 25 hour-long episodes. New to the student body of New York's High School of the Performing Arts this season are a young, pre-superstardom (and pre-"wardrobe malfunction"!) Janet Jackson as multitalented Cleo Hewitt; Nia Peeples as singer-dancer Nicole Chapman; and Jesse Borego as Jesse Velasquez, ex-street gang member, gifted dancer, and soon to be the protégé of senior student Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray). This season also introduces a new after-school hangout for the kids: Lou's Lanes, owned and operated by genial Lou Mackie, played by B-picture cult figure Dick Miller. In the season opener, the school's two zaniest students, aspiring playwright Doris (Valerie Landsburg) and would-be comic Danny (Carlo Imperato), begin dating. Later on, stalwart recurring player Ann Nelson is elevated to costar status in the role of ditsy school secretary Mrs. Berg. Also, officious vice principal Morloch (Ken Swofford) continues to mold the school's gifted pupils into his antiquated idea of "perfect" students, most memorably by introduced ROTC classes to the curriculum in the episode "Tomorrow's Children", inasmuch as Joan Baez is guest star on this occasion, and the musical numbers include highlights from "Hair", guess how long ROTC remains on campus! In other episodes, Anthony Newley guests as Doris' childhood idol, TV actor Trevor Kane; the teachers strut their stuff in the obligatory faculty variety show; Jesse is revealed to be an illegal alien, requiring an "instant" marriage to the pliable Doris; chubby tuba student Dwight (David Greenlee) falls hard to Holly; Danny goes the "Cyrano de Bergerac" route with Nicole on behalf of Jesse; Holly has a bout with anorexia due to problems at home; and former series regular Erica Gimpel returns to the role of Coco Hernandez--just long enough to qualify for her diploma in an episode that also features Milton Berle (NOT as one of the students!) As in seasons past, two of the Season Four episodes are comprised of footage from recent live "Kids from 'Fame'" concerts: "Heart of Rock and Roll" and "Heart of Rock and Roll". And with "School is Out", the series' only "clip show" comprise of highlights from past episodes, the fourth season of Fame comes to a close. Oh, and did we mention that the series managed to pick up yet another Emmy award, this one for Jim McElroy's videotape editing? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Assured that the character played by her co-star Jimmie Walker, brash, budding inner-city artist J.J. Evans, had become more mature and responsible during her year-long absence, actress Esther Rolle agreed to return to the role of J.J.'s mom, Florida Evans, as Good Times launched its sixth season. Conspicuous by his absence was Moses Gunn as Florida's second husband, Carl Dixon, whom she ostensibly married at the end of season four -- and with whom she'd been living in Arizona while "missing in action" throughout season five. When Florida made her comeback to the Evanses' tiny Chicago apartment, it was minus Carl, with no explanation given as to what had happened to him; indeed, it was if Carl had never existed. The series' scripters contrived to bring Florida back into the Evans fold by having her invited to the wedding of her daughter, Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), and up-and-coming, award-winning football flash Keith Anderson, played by new Good Times regular Ben Powers. It was hoped that Keith's impending contract with the Chicago Bears would enable the Evanses to at last leave the Projects and move into more attractive surroundings. Alas, no sooner had Thelma and Keith said "I do," than Keith tripped and broke his knee, thereby effectively squashing any hopes he had for a pro football career. Thus did Keith move into the increasingly crowded Evans apartment, contributing to the family's meager finances by working as a cab driver. Since Keith could only work a few hours a day, and J.J. had just been fired by the ad agency where he worked, former maid Florida had to go job-hunting, landing a part-time position as a school bus driver. J.J.'s efforts to make ends meet caused him to cross paths more than once with brutish neighborhood loan shark "Sweet Daddy" Williams, played by Theodore Wilson, a formerly recurring character who graduated that season to semi-regular status.

As for the other cast members, younger brother Michael Evans (Ralph Carter) continued to seek out his niche in the world; neighbor Willona (Ja'net Dubois) was relatively content in her new role as single adoptive mother to the precocious Penny (Janet Jackson); and usurious landlord Bookman (Johnny Brown) continued to pinch as many pennies as possible in maintaining the Evans apartment. Beginning the season in a "death" time slot opposite NBC's Saturday-night league leader, CHiPs, Good Times continued to lose viewers at an alarming rate. Having already gone on a brief hiatus in November 1978, the series left the air entirely in December, resurfacing in May 1979, only so that the remaining episode could be played off, thereby avoiding a total loss of CBS' investment. In a Wednesday-night time slot that was no more beneficial than its previous Saturday berth, the series died a quiet death on August 1, 1979, with one of the most outrageously unrealistic "happy" endings in TV series history: To make a long story short, everything turned out all right. Only 21 of the 24 episodes filmed for the 1978-1979 season were telecast by CBS; the three "orphaned" episodes would not be seen until Good Times entered local syndication in the fall of 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi