Helen Shaver Movies
Classically trained at the Banff School of Fine Arts and celebrated in her native country for her brilliant stage interpretations of Shaw and Ibsen, Canadian actress Helen Shaver made her American debut in, of all things, a TV sitcom -- 1980's United States. Neither this nor her second series Jessica Novak (1981) was successful, but she remained in demand in films and theatre productions in both the U.S. and Canada. The best of Shaver's many movie roles include fortyish Ann MacDonald in In Praise of Older Women (filmed in 1978, when she was 25) and Paul Newman's ever-patient lady friend in The Color of Money (1986). Additionally, Shaver was showcased in several made-for-TV movies, among them Lovey: A Circle of Children 2 (1978) and This Park is Mine (1985). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A man who is suddenly without feelings is motivated by a love he isn't quite sure is there in this offbeat independent comedy. Hudson (Matthew Perry) is a screenwriter who has enjoyed a modest success in Hollywood, but one day he suddenly and inexplicably sinks into a strange funk -- he feels strangely removed from the world around him, as if reality has slipped away and he can't physically or emotionally feel his surroundings. Hudson's writing partner Tom (Kevin Pollock) is more than a bit disturbed by the sudden change in Hudson's demeanor, and on his advice he begins seeing the first of several psychiatrists, most of whom prescribe a dizzying variety of drugs, except for Dr. Blaine (Mary Steenburgen), who is turned on by Hudson's condition and ends up having an affair with him. As Hudson seems to be running out of ways to reconnect with himself, he meets Sarah (Lynn Collins), a beautiful woman who is quite taken with him and decides to introduce him to as many positive and compelling experiences as possible. The first feature-length directorial project for screenwriter Harris Goldberg, Numb received its North American premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Perry
Deep within the soundproofed confines of his secluded country home, an upstanding police officer harbors a dark secret in director Paul Lynch's tense tale of unjust imprisonment and unhinged madness. On the surface, Lieutenant Krebs (Dennis Hopper) is a respected law enforcement officer with close ties to his community. A glance into Krebs' crippled psyche, however, reveals another, much more malevolent persona. Drifting exotic dancer named Gina (Asia Argento) has been brutally attacked in a near-fatal assault. Offered a ride to the local bus station by the outwardly amiable Lieutenant Krebs after issuing a statement to the local police force, Gina awakens to discover that she is being held captive in an escape-proof basement jail cell with all the discomforts of the county detention center. In the days and weeks that follow, world weary dancer Gina will be forced to wage mental warfare against her increasingly unstable captor if she ever hopes to escape the oppressive lockdown of his basement dungeon and live to tell the tale. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento, (more)
- 2004
The Lighthouse's reopening is threatened when its liquor license is turned down due to improprieties on the part of co-owner Jimmy (Tate Donovan). Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Seth (Adam Brody) try to comfort Marissa (Mischa Barton) after she learns the truth about Julie (Melinda Clarke) and Luke (Chris Carmack). Recovering from his near-fatal accident, Luke makes an effort to come clean before exiting the O.C. for good. And in keeping with the title of this episode, Caleb (Alan Dale) startles everyone by proposing to the love of his life. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2004
Tom and Diana investigate a supermarket employee who returned from his 18-month odyssey with enhanced strength and reflexes and is using his powers to combat crime in his neighborhood. Elsewhere, the pregnant Lily believes her baby can communicate with her; and Diana, concerned about 8-year-old clairvoyant Maia, invites the girl to live with her. ~ Jeanette Martin, All Movie Guide
The topic of teen pregnancy is covered in this made-for-Showtime melodrama directed by actress Helen Shaver. Clara Bryant stars as Mary Faith, a small-town good girl, and the last person that anyone in her community would expect to find herself with child. When news of the pregnancy gets out, Mary Faith is faced with judgment from the locals as well as her family. Due East also stars Cybill Shepherd, Kate Capshaw, and Robert Forster. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clara Bryant, Kate Capshaw, (more)
- 2001
Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss made his long-awaited weekly TV series bow in CBS' weekly, 60-minute The Education of Max Bickford. In the tradition of Dreyfuss' theatrical feature Mr. Holland's Opus, the series focuses on an irascibly liberal-minded but rigidly tradition-bound professor of literature at a prestigious women's college. Passed over for a promotion in favor of his former student (and lover) Andrea Haskell (Marcia Gay Harden), Max Bickford (Richard Dreyfuss) begins to wonder if his 23 years of steadfast academic service were truly worth it. All but deserted by his best friend Steve -- who has been reinvented as "Erica" (Helen Shaver) after a sex change -- and his Gen-X daughter Lyla (Katee Sackhoff), who happens to attend the college where Max teaches, our hero finds himself drawing closer to his 13-year-old son Lester (Eric Ian Goldberg), a chip off the old block if ever there was one. The producers describe the series as "a drama about a man who realizes life has passed him by and has to re-examine a lot of his assumptions." Debuting September 23, 2001, The Education of Max Bickford was one of the few new series of the 2001-2002 season whose premiere was not delayed by coverage of the World Trade Center bombing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
In this family drama, Clara Collier (Alfre Woodard) is a lawyer who pays a visit to her hometown in the Georgia farm country when her mother (Mary Alice), a well-regarded local storyteller, dies. Mother's death has brought the family together for the funeral, and when Clara meets with her family and friends, she leans of the legend of "The Magic Man," a mysterious stranger who guides people lost in the woods back to safety. While Clara is dubious about this story, she soon learns the truth when a youngster is hurt while hiking in the brush. Directed by acclaimed Czech filmmaker Ivan Passer, The Wishing Tree also features Helen Shaver and Blair Underwood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfre Woodard, Mary Alice, (more)
- 2000
Harvey Fierstein, Terrence McNally, and Paula Vogel each wrote episodes for this three-part made-for-cable drama which examines changing attitudes and issues facing the gay and lesbian community in the small town of Homer, Connecticut. Opening in the 1950s and leading up to the present day, Common Ground features Eric Stolz, Mimi Rogers, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Margot Kidder, Edward Asner, Beau Bridges, Jason Priestley, and Steven Weber, as well as co-writer Fierstein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Beau Bridges, (more)
- 2000
20 years ago, Gideon Banks (Joel Grey) was working on the Neural Archiving Project (NAP), which transferred human engrams to computers, when his family was killed in a car accident. Since that time, Gideon has "borrowed" robot fragments from NAP to re-create his dead son Simon (Riley De Meyer). Gideon's niece Zoe (Mikela J. Mikael) stumbles upon the robotic Simon -- and immediately suspects that the "boy" may not be the lovable little angel that her late cousin had been. "Simon Says" first aired on March 10, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this dark independent drama, Michael (Darcy Belsher) is an out of work actor who has been trying to pull himself out of a downward spiral of drug abuse that set in after the death of his mother. Michael's best friend Kris (Martin Cummins) is, if anything, in even worse shape; a gifted artist, Kris' appetite for drugs has all but silenced his muse, and his girlfriend Ryan (Francoise Robertson) has little interest in helping him control his dangerous appetites. The drug-related death of a close friend and a bizarre experience with a junkie prostitute (Helen Shaver) convinces Michael that he needs to clean up once and for all, but Kris may be too far gone to save. Written and directed by Martin Cummins (who also plays Kris), We All Fall Down also features a distinguished supporting cast, including Barry Pepper and Rene Auberjonois. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francoise Robertson
- 2000
Eleven-year-old Emily (Kaitlyn Burke) is an environmental activist in training, having saved a bear cub wounded by poachers and nursed it back to health . When Emily's 16-year-old sister Melissa (Kimberley Warnat) -- another would-be environmentalist -- and her high school pal Daniel (Kristian Ayre) go to the woods to document evidence of a shady millionaire's (Alan Thicke) clear-cutting operation, Emily follows her and promptly gets washed away down a fast-flowing woodland river. Soon everyone is looking for the lost girl, including Melissa and Scott (Eric Johnson), a hunky slice of logger beefcake. With only the trusty bear cub -- now grown into a 700-pound adult named Masha -- as her guide, Emily struggles to make it out of the woods alive. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kaitlyn Burke, Michael Ontkean, (more)
- 1999
According to the truce drawn up after the interplanetary war of 2050, the Hing invaders are allowed to control selected portions of the Earth, while the "native" earthlings control the rest of the planet. It is an uneasy truce, especially in the neutral city of Archangel, where the Hings mingle with the expatriate scum of the earth. Michael Ryan (Nathan Fillion), hardboiled owner of the Heaven coffee bar, prefers to mind his own business -- until a woman from his past gets him involved in a patriotic scheme to rid the world of the Hing menace once and for all. Clearly inspired by a certain Humphrey Bogart picture, "Star Crossed" originally aired on August 13, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Hypochondriac Mona Bailey (Jane Adams) suddenly develops the ability to read her neighbors' minds. Rather than misuse her miraculous new gifts, Mona decides to use them to unite her neighbors against the mysterious corporation that is slowly pushing all of the tenants out of her apartment building. Instead, she succeeds only in turning her neighbors against her -- in fact, they'd like nothing better than to kill the well-meaning Mona. "What Will the Neighbors Think?" first aired on April 23, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Two brothers (Jake LeDoux) and Brendan Fletcher) are still reeling from the traumatic death of their father when their mother (Wendy Crewson) decides they'll spend the summer at the family's cottage by a Georgia lake. A retired back physician (James Earl Jones) is also spending his summer by the water, and he strikes up a friendship with the younger of the two boys. However, a ugly racial incident from the village's past comes to light, and the siblings find themselves at odds over the doctor's friendship. Summer's End marked the directorial debut for actress Helen Shaver. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Earl Jones, Brendan Fletcher, (more)
- 1998
One wonders if the creators of this Outer Limits episode ever saw the 1933 fantasy film It's Great to Be Alive, since both share essentially the same fantastic plot line. Cryogenically frozen for 40 years, Major Jason Mercer (David Keith) awakens to discover that the earth is now populated exclusively by women; all the men have been killed in an apocalyptic war. Before long, Jason is at the center of a heated debate: Should the female scientists attempt to revitalize the male race -- or should they leave well enough alone, lest the world face total annihilation? "Lithia" first aired on July 3, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
For three decades, the fate of the earth has been held in the balance due to a fragile truce between the Free Alliance and the Coalition of Middle-Eastern and Pacific States. The same delicate balance exists on the planet Mars, which the earth has colonized. A sudden series of explosions on earth suggests that the truce has come to a violent end -- and the soldiers camped on Mars prepare for the worst. Originally telecast in Canada on October 26, 1998, "Phobos Rising" was seen in the U.S. on December 4, 1998 -- the first Outer Limits episode to be shown in syndication before its scheduled Showtime cablecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Stuart Margolin, who won an Emmy Award for his work on the TV series The Rockford Files (1979-80 season), directed this film for children. The Sweetest Gift takes place in a region of Southern Florida where racial conflict makes peaceful co-existence almost impossible. This story portrays two families living on the fringes of society, one black and the other one white. The white family, The Martins, consist of a mother and three children whose father left them a few years ago. They have to work hard to make ends meet, and to top it all off their goat has run away. They eventually find their goat in on neighbor's farm, which is owned by the black family, The Wilsons. Local customs dictate that white families do not go near black families, but all that changes when the children start to warm up to each other. However, Mrs. Martin is not so happy at first about these new developments. The story has a good moral value and it is supported by convincing acting by well-known Canadian actress Helen Shaver as Mrs. Martin. Screened at the Children's Film Festival of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Shaver, Diahann Carroll, (more)
- 1997
Middle-aged Frank Martin (Peter Onorati) is shocked when he meets his son Danny's (Fred Savage) new girlfriend, Jade (Sandrine Holt). The young lady is an exact double for a woman whom Frank rescued from a secret military lab 20 years before. Yes, there's a mystery afoot, but Frank will have to relive some extremely unpleasant memories before arriving at any sort of a solution. "Last Supper" originally aired on January 31, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A man must decide how long can he hold onto his dream in this drama. Tiff Wood (Colin Ferguson) is a world-class amateur rower whose dream is to compete in the Olympic games. While competition is fierce and Wood suffers more than his share of disappointments, in 1980 he makes the U.S. Olympic team and is thought to be a sure thing to bring home a gold medal in the Moscow games. Political tensions heat up between the United States and Russia, however, and President Jimmy Carter announces that America will be boycotting the Olympics. Crushed, Tiff sees only one option available to him -- to train himself to beat younger and stronger rowers so he can make the team in 1984. Based on the book The Amateurs by David Halberstam, Rowing Through was jointly produced by Japanese and Canadian production companies; the supporting cast includes Leslie Hope, Helen Shaver, and Peter Murnik. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Ferguson, Leslie Hope, (more)
After killing her mother in childbirth, growing up in San Francisco with her father and stepmother, attempting suicide, and moving to Los Angeles, Sarah (Robin Tunney) makes a brief stab at popularity at her new Catholic high school. Ostracized due to the untrue kiss-and-tell tales of football player Chris (Skeet Ulrich), Sarah reluctantly befriends a trio of self-styled outsiders: the horribly scarred Bonnie (Neve Campbell), the trailer-trash Nancy (Fairuza Balk), and Rochelle (Rachel True), a frequent victim of anti-black prejudice at the hands of Laura Lizzie (former Marcia Brady and future Mrs. Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor). After exhibiting latent telekenitic powers in front of Bonnie, Sarah learns that her three new friends have chosen her as their "fourth corner," the final member of their supernatural coven. Using tools stolen from a local incense-and-candle-filled boutique for practitioners of magic, the quartet summons the power of Manon, a primitive deity, to exact revenge on their tormentors and transform their lives. Drunk with power, they watch their spells get out of control, and the new coven soon realizes that with magic, "whatever you give comes back three-fold." This mid-'90s horror flick scored first place at the box office its opening weekend despite its then-unknown cast and modest budget. TV star Neve Campbell, who didn't even receive top billing, would go on to become the '90s answer to '70s horror queen Jamie Lee Curtis in the Scream franchise. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, (more)
The unbreakable bond forged between a troubled boy and a gorilla forms the basis of this family-oriented children's adventure. Fourteen-year old Rick has become quite rebellious since his father abandoned them. Margaret Heller, his mother, is a behavioral scientist who studies communication with gorillas. She is finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with the sullen, isolated Rick. The story opens just as Rick, who had stolen his mother's van for a joyride, is released from jail. To punish him, Margaret forces him to clean out the animal research lab. Rick is especially loathe to clean out the gorilla cage. In that cage is a gorilla adept at sign language, Katie, whom Rick immediately despises. In time, he and Katie begin conversing, and the two become friends. But then Katie's legal owner, the cruel Gus Charnley, reclaims her and forces her to perform caged up in a carnival act. The degradation of his friend is more than Rick can handle, so he frees her and together they hit the road. Mayhem and adventure ensues until the two end up in court where Katie makes a touching plea on their behalf. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wil Horneff, Helen Shaver, (more)
The Graboids are back in this sequel to the campy comedy horror hit that finds luckless Earl Basset (Fred Ward) and survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) teaming up to destroy the monsters that are wrecking havoc in the Mexican oil fields. It's been a good few years since Earl and Burt saved the town of Perfection, Nevada from the strange pre-Cambrian predators, and these days Earl is doing his best to find success as an ostrich farmer. Trouble is, none of Earl's birds want to breed, and it looks as if the farm is about to go under. Just when it seems that things couldn't get any worse for this monster-slaying cowboy, a pair of visitors arrives with a rather unusual proposition. According to the strangers, the Graboids have recently resurfaced in Sonora, Mexico, and they're currently getting fat on a steady diet of frightened oil field workers. Local businessman Carlos Ortega is willing to pay $50,000 a head for each worm killed, but Earl isn't so sure he wants to put himself in harm's way like that again. Still, Earl knows that he's the right man for the job, and after a bit of goading from ambitious cabbie Grady Hoover (Christopher Gartin) the pair are loading up their weapons and heading for the border. Upon arriving in Sonora, Earl quickly warms up to beautiful geologist Kate White (Helen Shaver), but the Graboid population has grown faster than suspected so in order to be successful this group will need the kind of firepower that only Burt Gummer can supply. Ever since Burt's wife walked out on him and the threat of World War III went away, the lonely survivalist has lost all direction in life. This is Burt's chance to prove that he's not just a useless middle aged man. But what the humans have failed to realize is that the Graboids have evolved to become deadlier than ever before, and they're not staying underground anymore. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
