George Segal Movies
George Segal kicked off his performing career as a boy magician in his Long Island neighborhood. An accomplished banjoist, Segal played with Bruno Lynch and His Imperial Jazz before enrolling at Columbia University. After three years' military service, Segal resettled in New York in 1959, and that same year was cast in his first off-Broadway play. Entering films with 1961's The Young Doctors, Segal quickly established himself as one of Hollywood's most accomplished young character actors; in 1967, he received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Nick in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. When one compiles a list of favorite films from the late 1960s-early 1970s, one usually spends a great deal of time exclaiming "Hey! Segal was in that, too." He played a hustling POW in King Rat (1965), a Cagneyesque hood in Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), ulcerated homicide detective Mo Brummel in No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), a neurotic New York Jewish intellectual in Bye Bye Braverman (1968), a straight-laced bachelor in love with a foul-mouthed hooker in The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), and a repressed lawyer saddled with an outrageously senile mother in Where's Poppa? (1970). During this same period, Segal had an arrangement with the ABC TV network, permitting him to star in television adaptations of classic Broadway plays: he was cast as George opposite Nicol Williamson's Lenny in Of Mice and Men, then switched gears as vicious escaped criminal Glenn Griffin in The Desperate Hours. Throughout this busy period in his life, Segal fronted the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, cutting several records and making a number of memorable Tonight Show appearances. In 1973, Segal's successful screen teaming with Glenda Jackson in A Touch of Class enabled him to demand a much higher price for his film services; unfortunately, many of the films that followed--The Black Bird (1975) and The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976) in particular--failed to justify Segal's seven-figure price tag. In the 1980s, Segal starred in two well-written but low-rated TV weeklies, Take Five (1987) and Murphy's Law (1989). His film career was lifted from the doldrums in the late 1980s with such plum roles as the pond-scum father of Kirstie Alley's baby in Look Who's Talking (1989) and the "pinko" comedy writer in For the Boys (1991). Segal's projects of the 1990s have included the syndicated TV adventure series High Tide (1994) and such film roles as the bemused husband of abrasive Jewish mama Mary Tyler Moore in the 1996 Ben Stiller vehicle Flirting with Disaster. In 1996, Segal found renewed success on television playing a well-meaning but rather duplicitous publisher whose estranged daughter comes to work for him in the razor-sharp NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me. Though he has yet to win an Oscar, Emmy, Tony or Obie, George Segal has been honored with the 1990 Jewish Cultural Achievement Award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2009
- NR
Frustrated at being stuck in a sexless marriage, a man gets seduced by his boss and attempts to even the playing field by getting his wife to cheat on him. Dan (Christopher Masterson) has a problem; he's just married the beautiful Marcie (Bijou Phillips) for three months, but they still haven't consummated their union. When Dan's sex-crazed boss Catherine (Lauren German) comes on to him during a marathon work session, he crumbles under temptation. Immediately regretting his actions but unable to simply admit his indiscretion, Dan schemes with his best pal Mike (Samm Levine) to get Marcie to wander astray, too. If Dan isn't the only one who cheated, he and Mike surmise, then Marcie can't be mad at him for doing so. But hatching the plan is one thing, and finding a guy who's willing to go along with his plan is an altogether different challenge. Later, as the plan finally starts to come together, Dan discovers the truth about why Marcie has yet to sleep with him, and comes to realize that they may actually be the perfect couple after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Bijou Phillips, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add 2012 to Queue
Disaster movie maven Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) crafts this apocalyptic sci-fi thriller following the prophecy stated by the ancient Mayan calendar, which says that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. When a global cataclysm thrusts the world into chaos, divorced writer and father Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) joins the race to ensure that humankind is not completely wiped out. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt round out the cast of this end-of-the-world thriller co-scripted by the director and his 10,000 B.C. writer/composer, Harald Kloser. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cusack, Amanda Peet, (more)
Peter Falk, Rip Torn, Bill Cobbs, George Segal, and Coolio star in director Charlie Picerni's geriatric road comedy following an adventurous group of four senior citizens as they set out to prevent the daughter of one from marrying the wrong guy. Gus Fitzgerald (Falk)'s daughter is about to tie the knot in Las Vegas; trouble is, she's tying it to a guy who isn't worth the price of your average buffet meal. But regardless of the fact that Gus may be retired and living the life in Florida, by no means is he averse to a little adventure. Now, after rounding up golfing buddies Joe Wallace (Torn), Marvin Jeffries (Cobbs), and Dominic Spinuzzi (Segal), Gus rents "The Ultimate Party Bus" and plots his path to Las Vegas. Along the way, Gus and his crew will dance the night away at a Miami Beach salsa club, give a ride to a rap superstar who goes by the name The Flo (Coolio), and eventually land free rooms at the lavish Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino - located directly in the luminous heart of Sin City. As the hour of the wedding draws near, Gus and his pals attempt to stay out of trouble long enough to break up the ceremony and rescue his daughter from a life of certain unhappiness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
- Add Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone to QueueAdd Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone to top of Queue
A boy and a dinosaur join forces to bring peace to their village in this animated feature inspired by the popular television miniseries Dinotopia. Kex (voice of Alec Medlock) is a 12-year-old boy who, after the sinking of the ship he's boarded, is stranded on an uncharted island. To his surprise, Kex finds himself in a land called Dinotopia, where dinosaurs have not only survived and developed the ability to speak, they've learned to live in harmony with human beings. Kex is befriended by a young dinosaur named 26 (voice of Alyssa Milano), who teaches him about life on the island, but when the powerful Ruby Sunstone is stolen by Ogthar (voice of Malcolm McDowell), a notorious villain on the island, both the young boy and his reptilian pal find themselves in great danger. Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone also features the voice talents of Jamie Kennedy, Kathy Griffin, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Diedrich Bader. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Jamie Kennedy, (more)
Ambitious young advertising man Phillip Fielder (Chad Lowe) has no time for relationships, and seems to have affection only for his creature comforts -- a source of great dismay for his erstwhile girlfriend, Holly Ford (Marin Hinkle). When his orphaned nephew, an autistic eight-year-old named Zachary (K'Sun Ray), comes to live in Phillip's lavish apartment, Phillip wants no part of surrogate fatherhood and tries to pass the youngster along to his cousin Rose (Miriam Flynn), who happens to live near a group home for special children. But Zach nixes this idea and insists upon living with Phillip, thus throwing together two extremely self-absorbed, obsessive-compulsive characters under one roof. This being a Hallmark Channel presentation, Fielder's Choice will undoubtedly work its way toward a happy and heartwarming finale, though it definitely takes some doing! The film made its TV bow on June 18, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A handful of New Yorkers find their paths crossing in ways that force them to examine their lives in this contemporary drama produced by Ismail Merchant. Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a twentysomething photographer who is supposed to marry her boyfriend, Jonathan (James Marsden), in a month. But Isabel has found herself wondering if marriage is the right thing for her. Meanwhile, her mother, Diana (Glenn Close), a well-known film actress, has learned her husband has been seeing another woman, and while they have an open relationship, Diana finds this hurtful. Over the course of the day, Diana meets Alec (Jesse Bradford), a handsome young actor, and Isabel is introduced to Peter (John Light), a journalist, and both women begin to question their current relationships. The first feature for director Chris Terrio, Heights also stars Michael Murphy, Eric Bogosian, Thomas Lennon, and Rufus Wainwright. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
- 2000
Photographer, Beatles wife, tambourine player, purveyor of vegetarian entrees: Linda McCartney led an undeniably remarkable life. The Linda McCartney Story, based on the book Linda McCartney: The Biography, attempts to present this life in all its glory. Scion of the George Eastman photography dynasty, McCartney is first shown as Linda Eastman, aspiring rock photographer. Flirting her way around the transatlantic rock scene with the likes of Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger, she eventually meets Paul McCartney during the heyday of mid-'60s Beatlemania. Thirty years of marriage, the Beatles' break-up, tambourine playing with Wings, and McCartney's ultimately unsuccessful battle with breast cancer follow, illustrating, over the course of 120 minutes, a life lived with both strength and aplomb. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Bakewell, David Bloom, (more)
- 1997
Having sustained serious injuries in a rodeo accident, a comatose Race Bannon is rushed to Questworld to be revived. Unfortunately, the Quest team had reckoned without their old nemesis Jeremiah Surd, who caused the accident in the first place, and who intends to get even with his lifelong enemy, Race, now that the poor man is unconcious and helpless. Technically the 39th episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, "To Bardo and Back" is listed in most sources as the 26th and final episode of season one -- even though it was telecast on January 2, 1997, well into the series' second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
In this bittersweet comedy drama, a man nearing the end of his life seeks closure with his family and friends, and he confronts the issues of the right to die. Nick Stark (Eric Roberts) is a successful architect who is openly gay. He was involved in a committed relationship with Brandon Theis (Gregory Harrison), a television director, until Nick discovered that he's HIV-positive. Nick's first question to Brandon is "You won't leave me, will you? I don't want to die alone." Brandon, however, doesn't have the emotional strength to deal with Nick's condition and soon moves on. Several years later, even though Nick has been mindful of his health, he begins to display symptoms of full-blown AIDS, most notably the brain lesions that indicate Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, an AIDS-related illness that has already claimed several of his friends. Wanting to go out with his dignity intact, Nick decides to throw one last party, which will give him the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends and family while he's still lucid -- shortly after which he intends to take his own life with painkillers. Nick attempts to make peace with his mother and father (Lee Grant and George Segal), who had difficulty accepting their son's lifestyle, and he enjoys a last laugh with his close friends, until Brandon -- who is hardly welcomed by the group -- shows up. Appearing as Nick's friends and family are Margaret Cho, Bronson Pinchot, Bruce Davison, Sally Kellerman, Marlee Matlin, Roddy McDowall, and Dennis Christopher. Writer and director Randal Kleiser loosely based It's My Party on his own personal experiences when his longtime companion was diagnosed with AIDS and opted to take his own life before his symptoms became too severe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Gregory Harrison, (more)
In this satirical comedy, Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) has a beautiful wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and a four-month old son, and on the surface his life is good. But something's been troubling him: Mel knows he was adopted, and he can't resolve his issues with the mother who gave him away years ago, much to the annoyance of his adoptive parents (George Segal and Mary Tyler Moore). Mel decides it's time he met his birth parents and resolved his feelings once and for all, and Tina (Tea Leoni), a psychology student, has offered to tag along to capture the event on video for a research project. But after a few minutes with Mel's "real" mother, they discover that a mistake has been made and they've been directed to the wrong person. A second meeting, this time with Mel's supposed dad, also turns out to be a mistake, and it's quite some time before Mel, Nancy, and Tina are finally face to face with Mel's biological parents -- a pair of burned-out hippies (played by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin) who support themselves by dealing blotter acid daubed onto pictures of Ronald Reagan. It doesn't help that Mel finds himself attracted to the very leggy Tina, or that Nancy's head is turned by a bisexual ATF agent (Josh Brolin). Writer/director David O. Russell previously made a splash with his independent debut feature, 1994's Spanking the Monkey. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, (more)
In this romantic comedy-drama, a couple learns that the relationship between the mind and the body can take many different forms. Rose Morgan (Barbra Streisand) is a plain and pudgy middle-aged college English professor who shares a house with her mother, Hannah (Lauren Bacall). Rose got the brains in her family, but her sister Claire (Mimi Rogers) got the good looks, and as Claire prepares for her wedding to Alex (Pierce Brosnon), Rose can't help but despair over the blank page that is her love life, especially since she's long had a crush on Alex. Gregory Larkin (Jeff Bridges) teaches mathematics at the same school as Rose, and he has come to the conclusion that sex serves no purpose but to complicate relationships between men and women; after a series of disastrous romantic affairs, Gregory is looking for an intellectual relationship with a woman -- and nothing more. One day, Gregory passes by Rose's lecture hall as she discusses the role of chaste love in literature, and he's intrigued; he takes her out on a date and is impressed by Rose's quick wit and broad range of knowledge. Gregory is so taken with Rose that he proposes marriage, but under the condition that theirs be strictly a meeting of the minds, without sexual relations. While Rose is very much attracted to the handsome mathematician, the prospect of spending the rest of her life either alone or with Hannah seems far worse than a marriage without passion, and she agrees to his proposal. However, Rose's affection for Gregory makes it difficult for her to stop with a handshake, and one night she puts on her best nightgown and attempts to seduce her husband, much to Gregory's annoyance and confusion. Gregory leaves on a lecture tour shortly afterward, and after Hannah reassures a heartbroken Rose that she was beautiful as a child, Rose goes on a crash course in self improvement. She goes on a diet, starts working out, changes her hairstyle, learns a few makeup tricks, and revamps her wardrobe, and by the time Gregory returns, he discovers that there's a very different woman in the twin bed next to his own. The Mirror Has Two Faces, based on the 1958 French comedy Le Miror a Deux Faces, was Barbra Streisand's third project as a director; she also served as co-producer and helped compose the film's theme song, "I Finally Found Someone." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, (more)
Originally planned as a silly vehicle for Chris Farley, in the hands of director Ben Stiller and star Jim Carrey, The Cable Guy became an opportunity for Carrey to flex some of his darker comedic muscles as stalker Chip Douglas. Matthew Broderick plays Steven, an average Joe who is forlorn over his recent breakup with girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann). When he moves into a new apartment, Steven comes in contact with Chip, who shows up to hook up the cable. Before he knows it, and whether he likes it or not, Steven has a new best-friend in the obnoxious and clingy Chip. However, Steven soon learns that obnoxious is a walk in the park compared to Chip's behavior when Steven tells him he doesn't want to be his pal anymore. What's worse, no one -- including Robin or his family -- believes Steven when he accuses the seemingly harmless Chip of being a malevolent menace. George Segal and Jack Black also star along with Stiller, who plays twins loosely-based on the Menendez brothers. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, (more)
- 1996
An oil expedition in Bermuda is terrorized by what seems to be band of phantom pirates. Sent to investigate, the Quest Team comes face to face with ghostly buccaneer Black Jack Lee, whose galleon, the Ivory Web, sank near the expedition site centuries before. As it turns out, however, Black Jack isn't quite as spooky as he seems. The first episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest to be telecast (though actually the fourth one filmed), "The Darkest Fathoms" got the new series off to a rousing start, with first-rate animation and character design. The program originally aired on August 26, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
The old Hanna Barbera cartoon adventure series Jonny Quest was given a new coat of paint -- and infinitely better animation -- in this daily, half-hour cable-TV offering, co-produced by Japan's Pacific Animation and several Korean cartoon firms. The basic characters -- spunky teenager Jonny Quest, his scientist dad Benton Quest, his muscular teacher-guardian Race Bannon, his mystical best pal (and now adoptive brother) Hadji, and his little dog Bandit -- remained intact, as did the original series' globetrotting-adventurer premise. This time around, however, there was whole new cast of voiceover actors, including (during the first season, at least) J.D. Roth as Jonny and George Segal as his dad. Also, there was a typically '90s emphasis on computer technology; in fact, Dr. Quest was now described as a "computer genius," ready and willing to use the vast resources of his Quest Foundation, and the limitless opportunities afforded him by his new virtual-reality domain Questworld, to battle the forces of evil. The scripters also broadened the appeal of the series by adding a strong, positive female character, Jessie Bannon, the teenaged daughter of Race Bannon (whose estranged spouse Estella Velasquez also showed up on occasion). Premiering August 26, 1996 and running until April 16, 1997, the 52 episodes of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest were first-run simulatenously on three different Ted Turner-controlled cable services: TBS, TNT, and The Cartoon Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, Quinton Flynn, (more)
- 1996
Jeremiah Surd, one of the Quest team's most persistent antagonists, makes his first appearance in "Escape to Questworld." Bearing a grudge against team member Race Bannon, whom he holds responsible for his present paralyzed condition, Surd takes over Questworld and prepares to release a deadly nerve gas upon the unsuspecting citizens of Chicago. Donning protective clothing, Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji try to prevent disaster from befalling the Windy City. This is the episode in which we learn that Hadji's last name is Singh. "Escape to Questworld" originally aired on August 27, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Estella Scheele asks the Quest team (minus Jessie) to locate her missing grandfather, a famed ornithologist. The heroes are unaware that Estella actually hopes to locate the legendary "city of gold" El Dorado, and she doesn't care who perishes in the attempt. A startling finale caps this beautifully rendered episode. Bandit, Jonny Quest's faithful bulldog, makes his first Real Adventures of Jonny Quest appearance in "In the Realm of the Condor," which made its American TV debut on August 28, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Critics were somewhat amused when this made-for-TV movie first aired over CBS on February 21, 1996. They could understand why someone would want to make a biopic about notorious "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss (here played by Tricia Leigh Fisher)--but of what possible dramatic value was a film about Heidi's father, California consulting pediatrician Paul Fleiss? Well, that question was sufficiently answered throughout the film's 90 minutes, told largely in flashback from the point of view of Dr. Fleiss, portrayed by Michael Gross. According to Karol Ann Hoeffner's teleplay, Fleiss was a good, caring, almost saintly family man, whose misguided liberal sympathies led him to excesses of self-indulgence when it came to raising his children. So far as as the spoiled and pampered Heidi is concerned, Dr. Fleiss doesn't believe in discouraging her on any issue, including sex--and this, coupled with the neurotic attitudes of Heidi's repressed, high-strung mother Elissa (Cindy Pickett) led the girl into her life's work, using sex for profit while remaining coolly detached from her work and using her associates and customers rather than ever allowing them to use her. That Heidi is clearly the villain of the piece is made obvious not only by actress Fisher's vitriolic performance, but also by the dramatic core of the story, in which Dr. Fleiss ends up being charged with fraud when Heidi pressures him into signing a highly suspicious bank loan application. The sweeping inaccuracies in The Good Doctor: The Paul Fleiss Story evidently didn't hurt its ratings, nor did the film lack viewers when it was subsequently rerun on cable TV under the title The Making of a Hollywood Madam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
First telecast August 29, 1996, "Rage's Burning Wheel" served to introduce "apocalyptist" villain Ezekial Rage to The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (voiced by both David Ackroyd and Michael Bell, who took over the role). Hijacking a space capsule, Rage intends to use the vehicle to destroy the earth's ozone layer. Fortunately for mankind, Dr. Quest and Hadji are on board the capsule, and they are able to communicate their plight to Jonny and Jessie back on earth. There's still more danger ahead in the form of Rage's fanatical disciples, who have overrun Questworld's Mission Control. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
In Tanzania, Quest team members Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji receive a summons from "beyond" to protect a pachyderm named Ndovu as it makes its final journey to the elephant's graveyard. En route, our heroes run afoul of poachers who intend to rob the sacred burial site of its rich ivory deposits. Parent alert: There are several deaths in this episode, though the actual violence is held to a minimum. "Ndovu's Last Journey" was first telecast on August 30, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
New York City is held in the grip of terror when a white tiger escapes from its underground home -- an abandoned subway tunnel -- and goes on a rampage. In their efforts to capture the beast, the Quest team must also contend with a slimy tabloid-TV host named Vince Vance, who intends to milk this potential disastrous situation for all it is worth. Another treat for fans of "real" animation (rather than the limited stuff usually foisted upon TV viewers), "Manhattan Maneater" was originally broadcast on September 2, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Several ships have vanished without a trace in the Indian ocean, near Christie Island in the Republic of Seychelles. The Quest team investigates the phenomenon, hoping to disprove rumors of a huge sea monster in the region. Inevitably, however, both Jonny and Hadji find themselves in the grip of an enormous squid -- and at the mercy of the squid's human "masters." "East of Zanzibar" made its first cable-TV appearance on September 3, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Benton Quest and Race Bannon are invited to attend a phenomenology conference in the Himalayas, little suspecting that the conference is a sham created by their old enemy Jeremiah Surd. With Quest Compound apparently unprotected by adults, Surd leads his henchmen on an assault of the Quest team's Maine headquarters -- and also enslaves the mind of Jonny's friend Hadji. With no other choice, Jonny and Jessie pretend to be their fathers, Benton and Race, in order to foil Surd's mad scheme. "Assault on Questworld" first aired on September 4, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Although the villainous Ezekial Rage first appeared in "Rage's Burning Wheel," episode four of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, the character was introduced in the episode that ended up as the series' ninth telecast, the appropriately titled "Ezekial Rage." A horribly disfigured former government agent, Rage has been driven insane by the deaths of his family during a botched covert operation. Swearing vengeance against the entire "evil" world, Rage happens to be cooking up his latest scheme in the same location where the Quest team has arrived in search of a missing naturalist -- and a giant bat. "Ezekial Rage" originally aired on September 5, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
