Kelly McGillis Movies

The tenuous balance between humankind and the environment was explored, examined, and dissected on this seven-part PBS documentary series. Amidst clips of starvation, devastation, and ecological disasters, filmmakers Hal and Marilyn Weiner offered hypothetical alternatives to the depletion of the earth's natural resources and possible solutions to the overpopulation problem. Individual episode titles included "Rivers of Destiny," "Urban Explosion," "Land of Plenty, Land of Want," "On the Brink," "Seas of Grass," "Hot Zones," and "Future Conditions." Actress Kelly McGillis narrated the first four episodes, with actor Matt Damon taking over for the final three. Co-produced by PBS and South Carolina ETV, Journey to the Planet Earth debuted March 26, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A female detective discovers the dark side of the world of contemporary literature in this unusual thriller from Australia. Mickey (Abbie Cornish) is a brash young female poet who is gaining a potent reputation for her powerful verse about love and sex. When she suddenly disappears, private detective Jill Fitzpatrick (Susie Porter) is hired to help find her. Jill doesn't know much about poetry, so she starts her investigation by tracking down Mickey's teacher and mentor, Diana (Kelly McGillis), to learn more about Mickey and the circles in which she traveled. Jill is a lesbian, and quickly finds herself strongly attracted to Diana; though Diana is married to Nick (Marton Csokas), she finds herself equally infatuated with Jill, and the two are soon having an affair. When Mickey is found murdered, her parents ask Jill to step up the investigation, and Jill digs deeper into the facts of Mickey's life -- learning the young woman was willing to sleep with nearly anyone who could advance her career. She also discovers that the two older male poets with whom Mickey had become involved are not at all eager to answer questions about her disappearance. The Monkey's Mask is based on a mystery novel written in verse form by Dorothy Porter; the novel became an international bestseller and the biggest-selling book of poetry published in Australia since World War II . ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

New York architect Amy Benic (Mira Sorvino) meets blind masseur Virgil Adamson (Val Kilmer) and falls in love. As she learns his lifelong blindness may be curable through experimental surgery, she convinces him to undergo the operation. Virgil then learns vision may not quite be what he expected. At First Sight is directed by Irwin Winkler and also stars Bruce Davison, Nathan Lane, and Kelly McGillis. At First Sight is a romance adapted by writer Steve Levitt based upon the story To See and Not See from noted writer Dr. Oliver Sacks' collection, An Anthropologist on Mars. Dr. Sacks' work is also the basis for the Penny Marshall film Awakenings, starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams and the opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Michael Morris with music by Michael Nyman. In his original story, Dr. Sacks tells of receiving a call in October 1991 from a retired minister in the Midwest. His daughter was about to marry a fifty-year old man, Virgil, who had been blind since early childhood. He had thick cataracts and been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a disease which slowly eats away the retinas. As he could still make the distinction between light and dark, it was found he was misdiagnosed and simple cataract extraction could possibly restore his sight. While surgery was a success, Virgil, like his cinematic counterpart, found he would have to learn to use his vision much like an infant would, even though he was adept at relating to the world through touch. In his A New Theory of Vision, written in 1709, George Berkeley concluded there was no necessary connection between a tactile world and a sight world; a connection between them could be established only on the basis of experience. This same story was also adapted into the play Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide

A woman whom life has passed by finds love in a very unexpected way in this drama. Sam (Billy Zane), Darcy (Johnny Galecki), and Monroe (Henry Rollins) are three convicts who have escaped from a prison camp in the deep South, and are on the run from the police. Desperate to find money and a way out of the state, they happen upon the cabin of Vonee (Kelly McGillis), a hard-bitten spinster who lives alone in the woods. The three convicts invade Vonee's home and take her hostage, but they soon discover she isn't at all intimidated by them, and wouldn't be willing to give them money even if she had any. While Monroe is an ill-mannered musclehead and Darcy has a weak will and a short fuse, Sam is far more charming and generous than his circumstances in life would suggest, and Vonee soon finds herself falling in love with him; before long, Darcy and Monroe decide it's time to move on, but Vonee doesn't want Sam to leave, and she hides him from the police on her property. Morgan's Ferry also stars Roscoe Lee Browne and Muse Watson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

When a tornado takes her meteorologist husband's life, his wife and colleague devotes her own life to prove his theories that violent twisters are predictable. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama an ex-Texas Ranger and a Houston policeman team up to hunt for the maniac who has killed a string of businesswomen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this two-part suspenser inspired by Ken Follett's bestselling novel, university pscyhobiologist Jenny Ferrami (Kelly McGillis), in the process of studying a possible link between genetics and criminal behavior, stumbles upon a secret cloning experiment conducted by a major company. Figuring prominently in the proceedings is likeable law student Steve Logan (Jason Gedrick), who may or may not be the identical twin of a serial rapist. . .or possibly two rapists! It turns out that there are far more human "duplicates" in the world than Jenny could ever have imagined--and as she tracks down these clones to convince the public that there is dirty work afoot, sinister forces, tied in with a powerful triumverate, conspire to silence Jenny for keeps. Originally telecast by CBS, Ken Follett's The Third Twin first aired on November 9 and 11, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young French immigrant from the Middle-East struggles to grow up in the housing projects surrounding Paris in this drama. The young woman faces many obstacles. Though she is in her twenties, Mimouna is forced to live with her domineering father and his traditionally submissive wife. Her younger siblings have eschewed Algerian traditions, and so does Mimouna, but only to a point, for she can also see the value of keeping her cultural heritage alive. Whether or not she chooses to live a traditional Algerian existence or that of the modern Western woman, Mimouna realizes that her gender restricts her opportunities in life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This documentary chronicles the 200-year history and experiences of Irish-American immigrants. The film is comprised of a blend of still photographs, drawings, and on location re-creations. It also includes the personal stories of many famous Irish-Americans including modern actors Aidan Quinn and Liam Neeson. The film also includes interviews with historians and commentators. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The full title of this made-for-TV film was In the Best of Families: Pride and Madness. Based on a true story, the film details the bitter divorce between overly idealistic Keith Carradine and emotionally disturbed Kelly McGillis. Caught in the middle are the couple's sons, played by Erik Von Detten and Ira David Wood Jr. The crisis erupts into violence, resulting in a triple homicide. Roundly criticized for its lurid and sensationalistic aspects, In the Best of Families was originally telecast in two parts on January 16 and 18, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of "Little Johnny", the largely fanciful tale of the invalid boy who promises to get well if Babe hits him a homer (as in Pride of the Yankees, the cured Johnny makes return a appearance as grownup). The most amusing fabrication is the casting of narrow James Cromwell as the Babe's orphanage mentor Brother Mathias, who in real life weighed 300 pounds. Many of the characters are composites, notably Bruce Boxleitner's Jumpin' Joe Dugan. At least Ruth's two wives--Trini Alvarado as Helen, who suffers Babe's many peccadilloes and dies under strange circumstances, and Kelly McGillis as Claire, who keeps Babe on a very short leash-are depicted with a modicum of accuracy. The baseball sequences are well handled (though there could have been less slo-mo) while Elmer Bernstein's charmingly old-fashioned musical score is right in tune with the film's approach to its subject. The Babe is rated PG; had this been the whole truth and nothing but, and R rating would probably have been in order. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in 19th-century Louisiana, the made-for-cable film The Grand Isle is about a wealthy woman (Kelly McGillis) who discovers that she no longer believes in her pampered life as a socialite when she falls in love with a Creole artist (Adrian Pasdar). After she falls in love, she tragically tries to break away from her husband and his society. The Grand Isle is adapted from Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Santabear's First Christmas is an animated holiday short film about a polar bear cub who becomes friends with Santa Claus. Based on a story by Barbara Read, the film is narrated by Kelly McGillis and features music by Michael Hedges. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide