Heather McComb Movies

Ryan Hurst, Jeremy London, and William Devane star in director Russ Emanuel's docudrama detailing the Federal Trade Commission's case against an independent sales organization seeking to redefine the way Americans use credit cards. Adam (London) and Ross Franklin (Hurst) were still in their twenties when they became millionaires by marketing electronic terminals for credit card transactions. It was the early '90s, and Americans were spending more money than ever before. But while Adam and Ross had ambition to spare, their refusal to acknowledge the demands of others more powerful revealed a certain lack of business savvy. Ignoring government warnings to "respond" to various complaints regarding their practices, the brothers built their modest startup company into a multi-million-dollar empire. But that empire would crumble when the FTC set out to destroy their company at the behest of powerful industry competitors. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A man who moves between two worlds but belongs to neither discovers that in order to find peace he will first have to achieve his own singular identity in this introspective drama from director Sarab S. Neelam. Amrit Singh is a turban-wearing Sikh who lives in North America. Lately Amrit has begun to feel as if his religion and his surroundings are completely at odds. But while this ambitious misfit knows that he possesses the drive to be a success, he must first strike a peaceful balance between Eastern philosophy and Western lifestyle. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Valerie (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) tries to keep a hostile witness (Adina Porter) in a drug case in protective custody by depositing the girl at Diane's (Kim Delaney) apartment. When tragedy strikes despite her precautions, the guilt-ridden Valerie seeks solace in the arms of Baldwin (Henry Simmons). Elsewhere, the suspect in a robbery-murder is confident that he will "play the system" and walk as he has done in the past. And Connie (Charlotte Ross) reveals that she has a daughter whom she gave up for adoption 15 years ago. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This three-part drama, produced for HBO, examines the changing tides of the lives of lesbians in America, both politically and personally, as we eavesdrop on three stories taking place in the same house over a span of five decades. In 1961, the house is home to Edith (Vanessa Redgrave) and Abby (Marian Seldes), an elderly lesbian couple whose lifestyle is not accepted or acknowledged by their families. When Abby suffers a serious stroke and is on the verge of death, her family rallies to her side, but not understanding the nature of her relationship with Edith, she is not included as her loved ones say their final good-byes. After Abby's death, her nephew (Paul Giamatti) and his wife (Elizabeth Perkins) arrive from out of state with plans to sell the house, without consulting Edith. In 1972, the house is now home to four college students, Michelle (Amy Carlson), Linda (Michelle Williams), Karen (Nia Long), and Jeanne (Natasha Lyonne), all of whom are actively involved in the women's movement and also happen to be lesbians. The four find themselves at odds with the campus women's group when they try to promote an all-women's dance, while the other members of the group feel that feminism, not lesbianism, should be the focus of the group. Similarly, Linda faces hostility from her friends when she becomes involved with Amy (Chloe Sevigny), a very butch townie; Linda's friends see Amy's masculine attire and attitude as a form of self-loathing against being a woman, and while Linda cares deeply for Amy, she's not always comfortable with her and isn't sure that she wants to be public with their relationship. In 2000, Fran (Sharon Stone) and Kal (Ellen DeGeneres), a happy and firmly committed couple, are sharing the house, and after much discussion, they decide that they want to take their relationship to the next level and have a baby. However, deciding that they want a child and dealing with the practicalities of getting pregnant are two different things; Fran and Kal first debate about going to a sperm bank as opposed to asking one of their male friends to help out, and later, either going to a doctor to perform the procedure or trying it at home. DeGeneres' significant other, Anne Heche, wrote and directed the final segment; the 1972 story was directed by Martha Coolidge, and the 1961 episode was directed by Jane Anderson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

So what do you do when your best friend is a brain-fried stoner named Freak who still lives with his parents -- and his life is making more progress than your own? That's the dilemma facing Dave (Josh Hamilton), who decided several years ago to get out of Syracuse, New York and make a new life for himself in Arizona. However, Arizona didn't work out well for him, so he ended up back in upstate New York, and things haven't gotten any easier for him. He doesn't like his job at a men's clothing store, his car keeps breaking down, he can't figure out what to do or where to go, his old girlfriend (Arabella Field) wants him to come back to Arizona, while one of his co-workers, a high-school girl named Nichole (Heather McComb), is a bit more interested in him than he'd like. Then there's his best friend Freak (Steve Zahn), owner of Syracuse's busiest bong and fond of philosophical statements like "I can't think of a single movie that couldn't be improved by a lesbian sex scene," who is starting to show disturbing signs of growing up and developing a sense of responsibility. Freak Talks About Sex was well received in its screening at the 1999 Seattle Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A group of students are in super-hero training in this made-for-television sci-fi adventure. Based on the comic by Stan Lee, a bunch of mutated teens with special powers, go into training to become super-heroes. Before they finish their education though, they must put their powers to the test and rescue a friend. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

An unhinged city dweller becomes a vigilante as he tries to protect a troubled teenager. The fellow is Ernest, who came to LA in search of his fortune and who ends up addicted to coke and managing a pornographic video store. When he makes an awkward play for the boss's daughter, he loses his job. Unable to deal with it, he becomes really unstable. He murders his drug dealer and then becomes friends with the teen Christiane who is trying to cope with a stepfather who molests her and a mother who doesn't care. Ernest takes Christiane away from home and then helps her try to find her long-lost sister. Along the way he makes sure that anyone who ever harmed her is made to pay. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The gargantuan St. Bernard finds love in this sequel to the box-office hit. Beethoven happens to meet Missy, another St. Bernard, in the park and the two find they share a certain chemistry. Unfortunately, Missy is being held captive by Regina (Debi Mazar), a spiteful ex-wife attempting to leverage ransom money from her wimpy former husband. Fortunately for the dogs, their visit was long enough for the stork to come calling (no one ever accused Beethoven of having slow paws), and soon Missy berths a litter of adorable pups. Regina decides at first to drown the pups (an apparent attempt by the screenwriters to justify whatever horrible fate befalls her later) but reconsiders when she learns of their monetary value. However, the Newton children (Christopher Castile and Sara Rose Karr) manage to rescue them, and the entire family heads off for a Montana resort, Beethoven and pups in tow. Somehow, Regina and her sleazy boyfriend (Christopher Penn) end up at the resort as well, setting the stage for the final showdown. Less appealing than the original, Beethoven's 2nd is still an innocuous hour and a half of fun for younger kids and hardcore dog lovers. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

The omnibus film New York Stories is the product of three powerhouse filmmakers. The film is divided into three stories, each exploring a different aspect of life in the Big Apple. Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorcese, is a Dostoevsky-like tale of the rarefied Art World, with Nick Nolte as a self-indulgent abstractionist who loves Rosanna Arquette, but can't bring himself to lie to her about her negligible artistic talents. Life Without Zoe, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is more than a little reminiscent of Kay Thompson's Eloise stories, with 12-year-old Zoe (Heather McComb) running amok at the Sherry-Netherland hotel while her parents are embarked upon a world-girdling vacation. The last and is Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, wherein a schnooky lawyer (guess who?) inadvertently "creates" the Jewish Mother From Hell: thanks to a misguided magic trick, Allen's mama (the incomparable Mae Questel) becomes a huge spectral vision on the New York skyline, telling everyone within earshot about her son's inadequacies. The cinematographer lineup on New York Stories includes Nestor Almendros, Vittorio Storaro and Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi