Nick Paonessa Movies

Good Night, and Good Luck director George Clooney pulls double duty once again in this sports-oriented romantic comedy set against the formation of professional football in the 1920s. Dodge Connelly (Clooney) is a brash and handsome gridiron giant who is equally comfortable leading his team in a barroom brawl or charging for a touchdown in a packed stadium. But when Connelly's team loses their sponsor and the entire league appears set to collapse, the quick-thinking jock attempts a creative late-game comeback. If Connelly can convince former college football star and decorated war hero Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to join the team, there may be hope for the ill-fated team after all. Back in World War I, Rutherford single-handedly forced the surrender of multiple German soldiers -- a feat that firmly established the dashing young soldier as America's favorite son. Not only that, but Rutherford's unparalleled speed makes him a valuable asset to the team. To cub reporter Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger), Rutherford seems simply too good to be true, and she's determined to prove that her theory is correct. As Littleton digs deep into Rutherford's past, the two teammates enter into a fierce competition for her erratic affections. Now, as Connelly's plan begins to work better than he ever could have anticipated, the rowdy sport he always loved starts to take on a whole new look and feel. In the midst of holding his team together and simultaneously charming the girl of his dreams, Connelly discovers he may be able to use the same strategies he does to win on the field to win in love. Of course, there might be a few fouls as this game enters the fourth quarter, but like every good player, Connelly knows the value of always having a secret play to fall back on before the final score is called. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The cast of this made-for-TV melodrama is comprised almost exclusively of popular young TV personalities, virtually all of them cast radically against type. Candace Cameron Bure heads the cast as Melissa Connell, a shy college freshman who accepts an invitation to attended a party held by her brother's fraternity. Admidst the booze, tobacco and sexual intercourse running rampant during the festivities, Melissa is savagely date-raped by one of her brother's frat members, Scott Baker (Paul-Mark Gosselaar). Demanding justice for her humiliation, Melissa runs up against a conspiracy of silence, and can only stand by helplessly as her B.M.O.C. attacker is acquitted by a campus court. Still, she intends to get even with Scott--but first she must accumulate irrefutable evidence of his libidinous behavior. She Cried No made its NBC debut on September 23, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi