Alan Rachins Movies
Supporting actor Alan Rachins is best known for playing the insufferable legal eagle Douglas Brackman Jr. on the long-running drama L.A. Law (1986-1994), but he has also appeared in a few feature films. Born in Boston, Rachins studied at the prestigious Wharton School of Finance until he decided to be an actor in New York. While in the Big Apple, he studied under such acting teachers as William Ball, Kim Stanley, and Harvey Lembeck. Rachins made his professional debut on-stage and for ten years appeared frequently on and off-Broadway before leaving acting in 1972 to study writing and directing at the American Film Institute. From there he became a script reader and then a writer for shows ranging from The Fall Guy to Quincy to Hill Street Blues. He also occasionally directed television episodes. Rachins had his first major feature-film role in Henry Jaglom's Always (1985). Largely due to his work in this film, Rachins and his real-life wife, Joanna Frank, were cast as the Brackmans on L.A. Law. While on the series, Rachins occasionally branched out into television movies. He did not make another feature film until Heart Condition (1990). Since the demise of his series, Rachins continues to occasionally appear in feature films such as Leave It to Beaver (1997). On television, he was seen as a regular on the popular ABC sitcom Dharma and Greg and also continued to appear occasionally in regional theater. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
This two-hour TV movie served as a reunion for the cast of L.A. Law, a popular NBC legal series which originally aired from 1987 to 1994. Virtually all of the series' regulars were back on the job, with the noteworthy exception of Jimmy Smits. Most of the story takes place within the walls of the high-powered McKenzie-Brackman legal firm, which since the retirement of Leland McKenzie (Richard A. Dysart) had been controlled by the rule-bound Douglas Brackman (Alan Rachins). The main plot strand zeroes in on lawyer Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin), who in his efforts to save a former client from execution is pitted against his former partner -- and lover -- Judge Grace Van Owen (Susan Dey). Meanwhile, legal eagle Arnie Becker (Corbin Bernsen) is in the throes of a divorce action brought about by his wife (and ex-colleague) Abby Perkins (Michelle Greene); attorneys Stuart Markowitz (Michael Tucker) and Ann Kelsey (Jill Eikenberry) are being defrauded out of their life savings; and Roxanne Melman (Susan Ruttan) copes with the imminent death of her ailing ex-husband. Known variously as L.A. Law: The Movie and L.A. Law: Return to Justice, the film was telecast by NBC on May 12, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Retrievers stars Bettie White, Robert Hays, and Robert Wagner in the kid-friendly tale of a family who discovers a dog and her newborn litter of puppies. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Mel Harris, (more)
- 1997
A young father endures to learn that parenthood can be a rewarding venture despite the weight responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with the job in this heartfelt tale of fatherhood starring Brian Austin Green and featuring music by Mark Mothersbaugh. A typical teenage who divides his free time evenly between his band and chasing girls, Jason Kempler (Green) is shocked when a one night stand with Melanie (Nicholle Tom) suddenly leaves him an expectant father. Despite his desperate attempts to distance himself from both the mother of the child and the newborn baby itself, reality comes crashing down when Melanie leaves the child on his doorstep and disappears without a trace. Subsequently kicked out of his home by his father and stepmother in hopes that he will finally be willing to take responsibility for his actions, Jason soon discovers that he can't imagine a life without his baby. When Melanie re-appears demanding that Jason give up the child he has grown so close to, the prospect of losing his child deals a devastating blow to the now loving father. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The Cleaver Family makes the jump from the small black and white screen to color and Panavision in this updated version of the classic TV sit-com. Eight-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Cameron Finley) is a good natured kid with a habit of getting in trouble; he's not bad, mind you, just a bit absent-minded. Beaver lives with his 12-year-old brother Wally (Erik Von Detten), his father Ward (Christopher McDonald), and his mother June (Janine Turner) in a small town in Ohio. Beaver wants a new bicycle more than anything, but his father wishes that he had more of an interest in team sports; someone suggests to Beaver that if he joined the school's football team, Ward might be impressed enough to buy him the bike. Beaver signs up, but his skills on the gridiron fall somewhere between slim and none, and the experience proves more than a bit embarrassing for both Beaver and Ward. Before long, Beaver has quit the team, but he tries to hide this fact from his father. Beaver does get his bike -- but he doesn't get to do much with it before it's stolen by a bigger kid in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Wally's best friend, the mildly sleazy Eddie Haskell (Adam Zolotin), has fallen for a cute girl at school, Karen (Erika Christensen), and wants Wally to help him impress her; however, Karen seems to like Wally more than Eddie. This puts Wally in dutch with his best friend, and Wally feels even worse when he and Karen begin to quarrel. Ken Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell on the original TV series, plays Eddie's father here, and Barbara Billingsley, the original June Cleaver, appears as Aunt Martha. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher McDonald, Janine Turner, (more)
- 1997
It is not merely jealousy that prompts psychology major Darcy Canfield (Rena Sofer) to mistrust her widowed father Derek's new bride Joan (Linda Evans) and Joan's daughter Melinda (Bridgette Wilson). In fact, the audience is way ahead of Darcy: Joan is revealed early on to be a serial killer of wealthy husbands, who with the help of the equally sociopathic Melinda has bumped off a number of former mates for their money--and, of course, Dr. Derek Canfield (Alan Rachins) is loaded! This time, however, Joan falls in love with Derek and drops her plans to bump him off. Not so Melinda, who now takes it upon herself to eliminate not only her stepdad but also her own mother. In the end, it falls to Darcy to use her college-honed psych kills in a desperate effort to expose Melinda before she can kill again! Capped by one of those endings which suggests that "it ain't over till it's over", the made-for-cable The Stepsister was first broadcast May 7, 1997 by the USA network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Comic Rodney Dangerfield co-wrote and stars in this outrageous comedy. Wally Sparks (Dangerfield) is the host of a sleazy tabloid-style talk show who makes Jerry Springer seem genteel by comparison. Wally's show has become so foul that he's alienated his not-especially-discriminating viewers, and his ratings are taking a nosedive. Lenny Spencer (Burt Reynolds), head of the network carrying Wally's show, gives the host an ultimatum -- he has a week to clean up the show and boost his ratings, or his show gets cancelled. Wally's producer Sandy Gallo (Debi Mazar) comes up with an idea -- Floyd Preston (David Ogden Stiers) is the governor of Georgia and a staunch conservative known for his attacks on the lowbrow content of Wally's show, so what better way to show people that Wally is trying to change his ways than having Preston on the show as a guest? In order to persuade the Governor to appear, Wally attends a reception at Preston's mansion, where he makes the mistake of getting in a drunken game of strip poker with Preston's wife Emily (Cindy Williams) and somehow involving himself in a plot to blackmail the Governor. Meet Wally Sparks is packed with cameos in which noted show business figures play themselves, ranging from Tim Allen, Jay Leno, and Bob Saget to Michael Bolton, Ron Jeremy, and Jerry Springer himself. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rodney Dangerfield, Debi Mazar, (more)
- 1997
Having successfully escaped the parasitic Goa'ulds, the SG-1 team returns to earth. Along for the ride is O'Neill's (Richard Dean Anderson) new ally, the Jaffa Teal'c (Christopher Judge)--who, though he carries a larval Goa'uld in his belly, has renounced the parasites and their megalomaniac ruler Apophis. But O'Neill's superior officer Gen. Hammond (Don S. Davis) does not trust Teal'c and orders him to steer clear of SG-1. As it turns out, however, Teal'c may be the only one able to save O'Neill's comrade Kalwalsky (Jay Avocone), who has been infected by alien larvae--and who may have to be killed to prevent the larvae from passing through the Stargate. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
"I'm gonna dance," Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) insists in the opening scene of Showgirls, and dance she does. In this quasi-update of All About Eve, Nomi is a drifter whose sole ambition is to headline the "Goddess" topless dance show at the Stardust in Las Vegas. Of course, even Nomi must pay her dues, and she does so at the Cheetah, grinding poles and lap dancing her way to a future. Fortunately, her roommate, Molly, works at the Stardust and invites Nomi to see the show, where she meets Crystal Conners (Gina Gershon, in the Bette Davis role), with whom she immediately forms a love/hate relationship. Nomi soon learns what she must do to get ahead, and the rest of the film documents her cat-like crawl up the showgirl ladder of success. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, (Robocop, Basic Instinct, The Fourth Man), Showgirls was conceived as the first big-budget "adult" film since 1977's Caligula, and the first such production to wear the NC-17 rating; its failure at the box-office discouraged further attempts at large-scale adult productions. ~ Dylan Wilcox, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Gina Gershon, (more)
- 1995
- R
In this sci-fi drama, eight deep-space astronauts awaken from a century of suspended animation to discover that the human race no longer exists. To make things worse, someone or something has murdered their captain. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Rachins, Emma Samms, (more)
- 1994
- PG
A boy divorces his parents in this comic fantasy for the family. North (Elijah Wood) is the sort of kid most parents dream of -- he's bright, well-behaved, a good student, and a great baseball player. But North's Mom and Dad (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander) are so busy with their lives and careers that they barely have time for him. A man dressed as the Easter Bunny (Bruce Willis) who serves as North's conscience and advisor suggests to him that if he's not happy with his parents, maybe he could do better elsewhere. North hires a lawyer, Arthur Belt (Jon Lovitz), who presents his case to Judge Buckle (Alan Arkin); the judge declares North a free agent, and he gives North two months to find new parents, otherwise he'll be sent to the orphans' home. North finds himself travelling the globe auditioning prospective parents, while a boy named Winchell (Matthew McCurley) thinks that North's legal victory could be the first step in kids taking over the world. North's would-be parents include Kathy Bates, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McIntire, and Kelly McGillis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, (more)
- 1994
Television's fabulously wealthy amateur crime-fighting duo, Jennifer (Stephanie Powers) and Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) returns. This time the well-groomed twosome and their trusty valet Max team up with a Big Apple gumshoe to discover the identity of the villain who has been sabotaging Jennifer's play. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1991
She Says She's Innocent stars off as a standard "legal issue of the week" TV movie. Katey Sagal refuses to believe that her daughter Charlotte Ross is guilty as charged of murder. Usually this is a cue for a feature-length fight against the legal system: Not so here. Instead, Sagal spends the last 20 minutes of the film playing amateur sleuth to track down the real killer--and in so doing leaves herself open to a near-fatal confrontation. If the name of the director She Says She's Innocent seems familiar, it should; Charles Correll was the grandson of the radio actor of the same name--the man who, with Freeman Gosden, created Amos N Andy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Katey Sagal, David Lascher, (more)
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason represents a former student who is accused of murdering a singing star. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Jack Moony (Bob Hoskins) is a vice detective, but he is also an intense and crazed, racist lout. Jack has had a brief fling with a hooker named Crystal (Chloe Webb), but Crystal left him for Napoleon Stone (Denzel Washington), a suave, handsome, cosmopolitan lawyer, who becomes the object of Jack's rage, not simply because he has stolen his girl but also because he is black. Jack, who lives on cheeseburgers, beer, and whiskey, has a heart attack. This occurs the same night that Stone is killed in an un-accidental car crash. Thanks to a quick organ transplant, Jake ends up with Stone's heart. But to Jack's horror, he discovers the ghost of the lawyer has returned to earth to follow Jack around -- offering Jack nutritional advise, giving him tips on solving his murder, and suggestions on how to get back together with Crystal. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Denzel Washington, (more)
For all its state-of-the-art special effects, Always is essentially a remake of the 1943 Spencer Tracy-Irene Dunne fantasy vehicle A Guy Named Joe--minus the wartime context. Richard Dreyfuss stars as a reckless fire-fighting pilot who is killed in what was to have been his final mission. Ascending to Heaven, Dreyfuss is introduced to businesslike angel Audrey Hepburn (playing the equivalent of the Lionel Barrymore role in A Guy Named Joe). Hepburn instructs the spectral Dreyfuss to pass on his aviation knowhow to his young successor, Brad Johnson. Our ghostly hero also smoothes the course of romance for his earthly girl friend Holly Hunter, who after several months' worth of grieving has fallen in love with Johnson. John Goodman injects a dose of comedy relief as Dreyfuss' faithful buddy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, (more)
- 1989
In this drama, a psychotherapist takes a long, hard look at her life when she joins a support group for women involved with married men. She does this after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1987
A kept woman learns to live independently in this made-for-TV melodrama. Her troubles begin after her successful and much loved "sugar daddy" suddenly dies, leaving her with nothing but her own strong will and very few real job skills to survive. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Principal, Don Murray, (more)
- 1986
Though the series proper debuted on Friday, October 3, 1986, L.A. Law was heralded by a two-hour TV movie, which aired Monday, September 15. The Steven Bochco production gets off to a good start, with no fewer than three cases resolved within the first installment. We first meet law-firm partner Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin) compromising his personal values with an odious client; our introduction to Arnold Becker (Corbin Bernsen) finds him personally involved in a divorce settlement; and Ann Kelsey (Jill Eikenberry) and Douglas Brackman Jr. (Alan Rachins) spar over a pro-bono case. Also starring is Richard Dysart as senior partner Leland McKenzie, and Jimmy Smits as tyro lawyer Victor Sifuentes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
- PG
In this Road Warrior clone, an aging trucker spends his retirement mining an old cobalt mine with the assistance of his devoted grandson. A good friend lures the trucker out of retirement by offering him a quarter of a million dollars to drive some plutonium from Nevada to a high-security operation in Arizona. He begins his trek in a high-tech rig unaware that terrorist are waiting to ambush him and his deadly cargo. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Forrest Tucker, John Ireland, (more)
Henry Jaglom, the best professional "home movie" maker in the business, produced, directed, wrote and starred in Always. Also appearing is Jaglom's ex-wife Patrice Townsend, here cast as...his ex-wife. Showing up one night at Jaglom's home to finalize the divorce decree, Townsend is persuaded to stay by her former husband, who hopes to talk her out of dissolving the marriage. Sideline characters include Melissa Leo as Townsend's uninhibited sister, and Alan Rachins as a reclusive type. Mostly improvised, Always attempts to offer up a few sobering truths about relationships. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrice Townsend, Henry Jaglom, (more)
- 1982
- PG
In this horror outing, a California archaeologist has obtained the sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen and has taken it to his lab to be x-rayed. Unfortunately, the radiation levels he uses are too high and something begins to happen inside the coffin. Suddenly the mummy within storms out. Inside all the wrappings is an alien creature, the one who killed the king. He begins searching for the crystals he needs to return to his home planet. Frustrated, he begins a killing spree. Unlike movie mummies of old, this fellow is quite agile and can easily capture his human prey. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Murphy, Nina Axelrod, (more)
- 1982
- R
This martial arts action film is about Tom, a man conned into joining the CIA and then forced into fighting against it when his ethics lead him to protect those connected with an exposé of the agency. Danny has written the exposé and when he is taken into custody by the CIA, Tom sees his partner kill off an innocent witness -- and decides to join forces with Danny's side. From that moment onward, there are chase scenes and martial arts displays, as Tom and Danny's sister and the accusatory manuscript all fight for survival. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Thayer, Shawn Hoskins, (more)
- 1975
William Devane stars as John Henry Faulk, a popular radio and TV entertainer of the 1950s. In 1956, Faulk is blacklisted on the basis of an attack from the self-appointed anticommunist group AWARE. Fired by CBS, Faulk decides to sue AWARE for libel. His attorney Louis Nizer (George C. Scott) warns him that such a case will take several years to get to court, thus Faulk reluctantly takes a series of low-paying jobs to sustain himself during his "down period". In 1962, the case is finally brought before a judge, with several witnesses pointing out the idiotic iniquities of the Blacklist mentality (one child actor was prohibited from working because he had a name that sounded like that of an adult blacklistee). Appearing as themselves during the courtroom scenes are actress Kim Hunter, herself a blacklist victim, and producers David Susskind and Mark Goodson. Faulk wins his case, though his original award of $3.5 million in damages is later reduced to $550,000, and he is never able to completely return to his pre-blacklist prominence. Like several other filmic recreations of the "witch-hunt" era, Fear on Trial was first presented in the mid-1970s (October 2, 1975, to be exact), long after the most zealous of the 1950s anti-Red groups had fallen by the wayside. The film earned an Emmy award for screenwriter David Rintels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Devane, George C. Scott, (more)
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