Debra Monk Movies
A classically trained actress with her roots in the theater, buxom performer Debra Monk spent years specializing in portrayals of matronly types, including aunts, mothers, and policewomen, on-stage and onscreen. Monk made one of her first film appearances as Aunt Dorothy in Norman Rene's fantasy comedy Prelude to a Kiss (1993) opposite Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan, then moved into a lengthy series of additional A-list Hollywood projects, including Fearless (1993), For Love or Money (1993), Quiz Show (1994), and Extreme Measures (1996). In the meantime, Monk also continued her stage work in such Manhattan-area productions as Death Defying Acts (1995) and Redwood Curtain (1997), for which she netted a substantial degree of acclaim. Monk found even greater success on the small screen, however, with two ongoing roles on popular series: that of Katie Sipowicz on Steven Bochco's NYPD Blue and that of Louise O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy. In 2008, Monk landed a supporting role opposite John Malkovich and Colin Hanks in the bittersweet show business drama The Great Buck Howard (2008). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A young man on his way up hitches his wagon to a middle-aged star on his way down in a comedy from writer and director Sean McGinly. Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) is a guy in his early twenties who has dropped out of law school and is pondering his next move. Troy has an interest in working in the entertainment business, and when he learns that a "celebrity performer" is looking for a personal assistant, Troy thinks he's found the ideal entry-level position. Troy soon discovers he's landed a job as a glorified gofer for Buck Howard (John Malkovich), a once-famous mentalist who appeared on The Tonight Show 61 times during Johnny Carson's reign as host. However, Howard hasn't been doing much lately, and he's hired Troy and new publicist Valerie (Emily Blunt) as he grooms himself for a comeback. While Troy is fascinated with Howard's creaky but still effective act, his boss has enough personal quirks and absurd demands to give anyone second thoughts about working with him for long. One thing that keeps Troy on the road with Buck is Valerie, who wastes no time in showing her sexual interest in him; however, Valerie is also the only one who harbors no illusions about Howard's prospects for a return to fame, and she isn't afraid to tell him about it. The Great Buck Howard also features Tom Hanks as Troy's father; as it happens, he's also Colin Hanks' real life dad. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, (more)
A pair of siblings are forced to set aside their discomfort with one another for the sake of their father in this low-key comedy drama from writer/director Tamara Jenkins. Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) is a struggling playwright living in New York City who works a day job to support herself and can't shake the feeling that she's failed as an artist. Wendy isn't especially happy about her love life either, gaining little self-esteem from her on-and-off affair with oversexed, married neighbor Larry (Peter Friedman). Wendy's anxieties about her writing career are intensified by the success of her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who teaches theater history at a college in Buffalo, NY, and has published a number of books. While Jon's life seems fine on the surface, a case of writer's block has stalled work on his latest project, and he's deeply upset that his girlfriend is soon to leave the United States to return to her native Poland. Wendy and Jon don't get along and prefer not to see one another, but an unfortunate circumstance brings them together -- their father, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco). Elderly Lenny has began showing signs of dementia, and shortly after he takes to smearing his feces on the walls of his Arizona home, his ailing long-term girlfriend suddenly dies. Wendy and Jon have little choice but to fly to Arizona and see what can be done for Lenny, but their long-simmering animosity makes it hard for them to deal with the realities of Lenny's condition. The Savages received its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, (more)
- 2007
In the first half of a two-part story, no sooner has George's father Harold O'Malley (Geoge Dzundza) nemerged from heart surgery than he must undergo another operation for cancer. Both Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) suffer mightily when Meredith's estranged father Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry) arrives in town to visit his other daughter Molly and his new granddaughter. While still putting off cashing her huge inheritance check from Denny, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) bonds with Heather, a teenager with a bad attitude, a worse case of spinal curvature, and no money for additional surgery. And the relationship between Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) reaches a whole new plateau. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
In the conclusion of a two-part story, things are sunny indeed (at least temporarily)for Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington), but things don't look so good for George's cancer-patient father (George Dzundza); even so, this medical crisis serves to bring George and Callie closer together. Elsewhere, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has harsh words for Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and even harsher ones for her estranged father Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry). Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is none too thrilled when she is forced to keep a secret. And the money for Heather's operation is provided by an anonymous source (Hint: which of the series' characters has just come into a multimillion-dollar inheritance?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Things become more strained than usual between Burke (Isaiah Washington), who has been offered the position of chief surgeon, and Cristina (Sandra Oh), who is still keeping Burke's tremors a secret. Elsewhere, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) must bite her tongue to keep several secrets from her half-sister Molly (Mandy Siegfried), who has been admitted as a patient. George (T.R. Knight) senses his father's vulnerability for the first time when the elder O'Malley (George Dzundza) undergoes surgery. And Mark (Eric Dane) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) must cope with conjoined twins (Jason Sklar, Randy Sklar) who refuse to be separated despite the consequences of not doing so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The ER is kept hopping by a spectacular traffic accident, which the wife of the driver blames on an "insane" car. Meanwhile, the burden of keeping Burke's hand tremors a secret is taking its toll on Cristina (Sandra Oh). Also, despite being on probation, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) cannot help but meddle in the matter of George's heart-patient father. And as for George (T.R. Knight), he has gotten on Burke's bad side by calling in Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith) as surgical consultant--the same Erica Hahn who made life miserable for Burke in med school, and who seems poised to do the same all over again at Seattle Grace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Directed by Walter Salles Jr., this remake of Hideo Nakata's supernatural psychological drama Honogurai Mizuno Soko Kara revolves around the plight of a single mother (Jennifer Connelly) whose messy divorce and subsequent battle for the custody of her five-year-old daughter is taking a heavy toll on her emotional well-being. Ultimately, the mother and daughter are able to relocate to an apartment, which, despite its excessively dilapidated interior, seems to be an adequate location for beginning a new life. Before long, however, what appears to be the spirit of a young girl begins to haunt them. No stranger to mental illness, the wary young woman brushes the visions aside as part of the inherent stress of making the transition from housewife to working, single mom. As time goes by and the apparent haunting does not subside, the apartment's new residents are forced to examine the history of its former tenants. Dark Water also features performances from John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, and Dougray Scott. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, (more)
After transforming his first motion picture into a smash Broadway musical, Mel Brooks brings the story of two would-be theatrical moguls turned con men back to the screen in this musical comedy. Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) was once one of Broadway's most successful producers, but a string of flops has thrown his career into a tailspin, and now he struggles to raise the cash to stage new shows by playing gigolo to lonely old ladies. While going over his books, accountant Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) notices that Bialystock raised more money than he spent for one show, and points out that if one raised enough money for a show that closed in one night, you could make more off a flop than a hit. This strikes Bialystock as a brilliant scheme, and he decides to give it a try, persuading Bloom to join him in staging the world's greatest flop. After discovering a truly vile script -- "Springtime for Hitler," a musical set in the Third Reich written by neo-Nazi pigeon fancier Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell) -- and giving a key role to the secretary Ulla (Uma Thurman), a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with only a tenuous understanding of the English language, Bialystock and Bloom are certain they have the disaster they need for their plan to work. But the scheme unexpectedly goes wrong when "Springtime for Hitler" becomes a "so bad it's good" hit. Mel Brooks co-wrote the screenplay for The Producers as well as producing it, but directorial chores were handed over to Susan Stroman, who also directed the Broadway show; Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick also repeated their roles from the Broadway production. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, (more)
Palindromes opens with the dedication, "In loving memory of Dawn Wiener," a reference to the lead character in writer/director Todd Solondz' early feature, Welcome to the Dollhouse. Aviva has just attended Dawn's funeral. Dismayed by her older cousin's untimely death, Aviva asks her mother (Ellen Barkin) for assurance that she won't grow up to be like Dawn. Aviva only dreams of one thing -- having babies. Lots and lots of babies. As a teen, while Aviva has no interest in sex, she eagerly loses her virginity to Judah (Robert Agri), the son of a family friend in hopes of getting pregnant. She does, but her mother insists that she have an abortion. Worse yet, due to a complication during the procedure, the doctor is forced to perform a hysterectomy. Unaware of her medical condition, Aviva runs away from home and is picked up by a truck driver (Stephen Adly Guirgis) who has his way with her and then abandons her at a roadside motel. She wanders in the wilderness until she meets up with Jiminy (Tyler Maynard), a friendly boy who lives with the "Sunshine Family," a group of disabled kids cared for by the cheerful Mama Sunshine (Debra Monk). The kids are also a Christian singing group. Aviva is happy until she learns that Mama Sunshine and her husband are virulently anti-abortion and that they are planning to murder a doctor. Solondz cast eight different actors in the lead role, each of whom play Aviva at different points in the story. Matthew Faber reprises the role of Mark Wiener from Welcome to the Dollhouse. Palindromes was shot at Bard College in upstate New York, using many film students as crew. It was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2004 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Barkin, Stephen Adly-Guirgis, (more)
Allan Mindel's Milwaukee, Minnesota is about con men hoping to take advantage of a fishing champion. Albert (Troy Garity) is the best ice-fisherman in Wisconsin. He is not the sharpest tack in the box, making him susceptible to the less than ethical advances of nefarious Jerry (Randy Quaid), Stan (Hank Harris), and Tuey (Alison Folland), who all want in on his tournament winnings. Albert's life becomes even more difficult after his loving mother (Debra Monk) dies in an unexpected traffic incident. Milwaukee, Minnesota was screened at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Troy Garity, Alison Folland, (more)
The precocious six-year-old Manhattanite of Kay Thompson's beloved Eloise books gets into the holiday spirit while playing cupid in this made-for-TV comedy. Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) resides at the Plaza Hotel with her parents, and like much of the hotel staff, she's excited about the upcoming marriage of Rachel Peabody (Sarah Topham), the daughter of the hotel's owner, to handsome Brooks Oliver (Rick Roberts). However, Eloise learns that Brooks' motivations for marrying Rachel are not sincere, and so the youngster tries to sway Rachel away from her fiancé and toward Bill (Gavin Creel), a good-hearted waiter in the hotel's restaurant. Eloise at Christmastime also features Julie Andrews, Jeffrey Tambor, and Christine Baranski. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sofia Vassilieva, Julie Andrews, (more)
Created by author/entertainer Kay Thompson in 1955, precocious six-year-old Eloise, who lived in the Plaza Hotel with her long-suffering nanny, her dog Weenie, and her turtle Skipperdee, was the heroine of several delightful children's books written by Thompson and whimsically illustrated by Hilary Knight. The charm of the "Eloise" books has proven elusive whenever the property is adapted for another media, as witness a disastrous musical version which aired live on Playhouse 90 in 1956. On this occasion, Eloise came off as a spoiled obstreperous brat, which was as much the fault of the child actress cast in the role (Evelyn Rudie) as the adapters. Disney decided to give little Eloise another chance 47 years later with the location-filmed Eloise at the Plaza, a two-hour movie presentation of ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney anthology. This time around, Sofia Vassilieva played the title role, with Julie Andrews as Eloise's nanny (something of a full-circle for Andrews, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of a rather different nanny in the 1964 Disney theatrical feature Mary Poppins). The plot finds Eloise insisting upon attending a debutante ball at the Plaza and further conniving to have a runaway foreign prince (Denis Akiyama) -- who isn't much older than she is -- as her escort. Our heroine also mends fences between a reluctant teenage deb and the girl's pushy mother. Jeffrey Tambor is typecast as the Plaza's supercilious concierge Mr. Salomone, whose dithering efforts to keep Eloise from nosing into other people's business avail him not one bit. Hilary Knight appears in a cameo role as himself. Eloise at the Plaza first aired April 27, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, Christine Baranski, (more)
A hit Broadway musical in 1957 and an equally successful Hollywood film in 1962, Meredith Willson's The Music Man was again brought before the cameras in this lavish made-for-TV adaptation. Standing in for the original's Robert Preston is Matthew Broderick as "Professor" Harold Hill, a glib traveling salesman who descends upon the town of River City, IA, in the weeks just prior to the Fourth of July celebration of 1912. Persuading the populace that the youth of River City is in great danger of being corrupted by the presence of a new pool table, Hill convinces them that their only hope for salvation is the organization of a boy's band, with himself as a leader. Naturally, this will require the parents to shell out good money for band instruments and uniforms, and in exchange, Hill promises to teach the kids how to make music by utilizing his revolutionary "Think System." There's only one problem: Harold Hill is an out-and-out con artist, who doesn't know one note from another. Even so, he manages to win over everybody in town except local librarian/music teacher Marian Paroo (Kristin Chenoweth) and thick-eared Mayor Shinn (Victor Garber). Ultimately, however, Marian joins Hill's camp -- mainly because he has brought her sullen brother, Winthrop (Cameron Monaghan), out of his shell -- but as July Fourth approaches, Hill faces exposure and arrest thanks to a vengeful anvil salesman named Charlie Cowell (Patrick McKenna). A meticulously faithful rendition of the Broadway original, The Music Man happily includes all of the show's wonderful songs, among them "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl," "Lida Rose," "Marian the Librarian," "Pickalittle," "Til There Was You," and "My White Knight" (which was not used in the 1962 movie adaptation). Though some critics found Matthew Broderick a bit too lightweight and Jeff Bleckner's direction a tad gimmicky, no one could fault the full-bodied vocal renditions, nor the consistently inventive choreography of Kathleen Marshall. Produced by the same team responsible for the 2003 movie smash Chicago, The Music Man debuted February 16, 2003, as an "expanded" episode of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, (more)
- 2002
Once again, a real-life tragedy proved to be grist for the Law & Order story mill. The detectives investigate the bizarre death of an 11-year-old girl. All clues lead to an unorthodox, and highly dangerous, "rebirthing" procedure recommended by a child therapist. This episode provides some choice acting moments for such recurring characters as Medical Examiner Rodgers (Leslie Hendrix) and police psychologist Dr. Emil Skoda (J.K. Simmons). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Still investigating the murder of a stripper, Danny (Rick Schroder) boozily spends the night with the dead woman's co-worker Kristin (Jenna Gering), who is being harassed by an obsessed fan. Andy (Dennis Franz) chews out Danny when he shows up with liquor on his breath the next morning. Nonetheless, Danny has the presence of mind to let Lt. Rodriguez (Esai Morales) know that he plans to worm his way into the confidence of Kristin's boss, Joey Shulman (Greg Grunberg), in hopes of solving the murder. And on another front, Greg (Gordon Clapp) and Baldwin (Henry Simmons) go after a gunman who murdered two people by mistake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
At the end of her rope after a series of emotional setbacks, Diane (Kim Delaney) decides to take a leave of absence, which doesn't please Danny (Rick Schroder). While investigating the murder of a stripper who sidelined in stolen jewelry, Danny becomes very close to the dead woman's co-worker Kristen (Jenna Gering) -- thereby setting the stage for a story arc that will lead inexorably to the series-finale cliffhanger. Meanwhile, Cynthia (Juliana Donald) expresses her hope that Andy (Dennis Franz) is doing the right thing by remarrying Katie (Debra Monk). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
After pulling in a couple of teenaged suspects who turn out to be innocent bystanders, Greg (Gordon Clapp) and Baldwin (Henry Simmons) try to solve the murder of a Chinese delivery man by checking cell-phone records. Investigating the claims made by IRS agent Victor Poole (Marty Rackham) that he has been kidnapped, Andy (Dennis Franz) ends up exposing Poole's secret life -- and is labeled "homophobic" for his troubles. Despite his headaches at work, Andy still intends to go through with his remarriage to Katie (Debra Monk). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Investigating the claims of a fellow cop who insists he was moonlighting when shot during a carjacking, Andy (Dennis Franz) and Danny (Rick Schroder) quickly learn that the victim was carrying on a high-maintenance double life. A holdup in a bodega run by a friend of Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) leads to a potential crisis for Greg when he tries to cover up the existence of an unregistered gun. Later, Andy has his first serious run-in with new precinct skipper, Rodriguez (Esai Morales). And Diane (Kim Delaney) makes a date with the doctor who treated her late husband, Bobby Simone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Esai Morales becomes a regular in the role of Brooklyn homicide detective Lt. Tony Rodriguez. Setting up shop at the 15th precinct, Rodriguez imperiously takes over the investigation of the murder of an ex-cop's daughter. But after two of his own detectives screw up, Rodriguez relaxes a bit and allows the 15th's own Sorenson (Rick Schroder) and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) to clean up the case. Elsewhere, Andy breaks up with Cynthia (Juliana Donald) and again considers getting back together with his ex-wife Katie (Debra Monk), if only for the sake of his son Theo (Austin Majors). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Worried about the well-being of his son Theo, Andy (Dennis Franz) considers remarrying his ex-wife Katie (Debra Monk). After breaking up with Mary (Sheeri Rappaport) for good, Danny (Rick Schroder) dedicates himself to keeping Diane (Kim Delaney) out of harm's way -- which Diane deeply resents. And a New York police captain (Richard Brooks), the husband of a woman cop wounded in a shoot-out, endangers the successful prosecution of the case by beating up the suspect. Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon makes her first appearance as new Assistant DA Valerie Heywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Season eight of NYPD Blue begins by picking up where season seven left off. Det. Jill Kirkendall is still missing in action, having slipped through the fingers of the IAB after the arrest of her drug-trafficking ex-husband, Don. Former police lawyer Leo Cohen (Michael B. Silver), now in private practice, endeavors to defend the other members of the 15th precinct during the IAB's probe of their "complicity" in the Kirkendall case -- but first, Det. Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) must put her life on the line to locate Don Kirkendall's partner in crime, corrupt cop Denby. And Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) tensely awaits the results of his son Theo's bone-marrow tests. In new developments, a suspect in a multiple murder begs the detectives to help him retrieve his daughter, whom he left as collateral with his drug dealer; also, Andy's troubled partner, Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder), tries to get back together with Diane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Andy (Dennis Franz) is relieved to learn that his son Theo is out of the woods regarding his medical condition -- at least for the present. Danny (Rick Schroder) and Diane (Kim Delaney), back together again, decide to keep their renewed relationship quiet. On the job, Andy and Danny investigate a series of violent attacks on cabbies; Capt. Brass (Larry Joshua) takes over Fancy's (James McDaniel) office for his new task force; and Diane's contact Danny DiSalvo (Jay Acovone) offers to "take out" drug smuggler Don Kirkendall (if and when he is ever found), thereby absolving the 15th precinct of any complicity in Kirkendall's activities. In a related development, the ex-wife of Diane's old nemesis Denby (Scott Cohen) may be able to clear up matters in the Kirkendall case -- or maybe not. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) continues to fret over his son Theo's bone-marrow test. Diane (Kim Delaney) confronts Jill (Andrea Thompson), forcing Jill to reveal why she has hidden the knowledge that her drug-running ex-husband, Don (Erich Anderson), is still alive. And in a tension-laden climax, Sorenson (Rick Schroder) prepares to nab Don, while Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Jones (Henry Simmons) set their sights on corrupt drug cop Denby (Scott Cohen). "The Last Round Up" and the preceding episode "Bats Off to Larry" were originally telecast as a single two-hour "special" episode, which served as NYPD Blue's seventh season finale -- not to mention the series swan song for actress Andrea Thompson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the first episode of a two-part story, it is revealed that Jill Kirkendall's (Andrea Thompson) ex-husband, drug trafficker Don Kirkendall (Erich Anderson), isn't dead after all -- and Jill knew it all the time. As Diane (Kim Delaney) tries to find out what Jill is up to, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Jones (Henry Simmons) investigate the beating death of a man in a domestic dispute, which leads to a disturbing case of rape. And in his efforts to cope with his young son Theo's serious medical problem, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) "talks" with his deceased older son, Andy. "Bats Off to Larry" and the subsequent "The Last Round Up" were originally telecast as a single, two-hour "special" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Having taken a paternal interest in his young partner, Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder), Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) extends a helping hand when the troubled Danny begins seeking solace in booze. Meanwhile, Mary (Sheeri Rappaport) is fed up with Danny's erratic behavior and wants to break off their relationship. Back on the job, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) unearths a gruesome "trophy" while investigating a tip about the activities of the Chinese Mafia, and Jones (Henry Simmons) uses gentle persuasion to prove that at least one member of an interracial couple is guilty of murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
