Helen Slater Movies
American actress Helen Slater was trained at New York's High School for the Performing Arts. In 1984 she was signed for the leading role in Supergirl, perhaps hoping that this modest special-effects fest would do for her what Superman did for another unknown, Christopher Reeve. Alas, Supergirl was a failure, not so much due to Slater's spunky but antiseptic performance as to an uninvolving script and lackluster direction. Since Supergirl, Slater has been seen to best advantage in supporting parts, notably the sweet-tempered kidnapper in Ruthless People (1986) and cattle-drive novice Bonnie Rayburn in City Slickers (1991). In 1990, Slater played cub reporter Anne McKenna on the three-week TV series Capital News. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2005
Lea Thompson is both star and director of this made-for-cable movie, another entry in the Hallmark Channel's series about a suburban housewife who leads a double life as a government agent. Not long after he is fired from the staff of a billionaire cereal-company mogul, former Central Security Agency operative Jim Monroe (Dorian Harewood) is found floating in a lake, the apparent victim of an accidental drowning. Suspecting foul play, CSA head Frank Darnell (Joe Penny) prevails upon his former colleague Cathy Davis (Lea Thompson) to investigate. Assuming her CSA identity as "Jane Doe", Cathy quickly deduces that Monroe was killed 48 hours before his alleged drowning. There's only one problem with this theory: Monroe was seen on a nationally telecast interview at the exact time of his death! In her efforts to crack the case, Cathy must once again delicately balance her high-risk espionage activities with her "normal" marriage to the long-suffering Jack Davis (William R. Moses). Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall was first seen on March 4, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Everyone seems to be having a Merry Christmas except the people at Seattle Grace. Izzie (Katherine Heigl) can't get into the holiday spirit because she's still p.o.'ed at Alex (Justin Chambers), who for his part is convinced that he'll fail again when he takes his board exams for the second time. Back at the hospital, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) maintains her backbreaking schedule despite her pregnancy; George (T.R. Knight) can't help but feel that his patient's obnoxious relatives are the root cause for her gastric ulcer; and Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) have a theological argument while trying to persuade a 10-year-old to undergo a heart transplant. Finally, though Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Addison (Kate Walsh) have reconciled for the umpteenth time, it doesn't last long--a fact that doesn't make Addison happy, but which may turn out to be the best Christmas present that Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) ever had. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Directed by Wallace Wolodarsky, Seeing Other People features Jay Mohr and Julianne Nicholson as Ed and Alice, a soon-to-be married couple with one rather significant problem facing them: Alice doesn't think she's had enough sex to excuse settling down with one man for the rest of her life. Though reluctant, Ed agrees, at Alice's insistence, to have a premarital free-for-all of sorts; a period in which both Alice and Ed are allowed to explore sexual and emotional relationships with other people. Complications ensue when it turns out that fooling around with multiple partners as a method of strengthening the sanctity of marriage isn't as easy as it appeared. Seeing Other People also stars Lauren Graham, Bryan Cranston, Josh Charles, and Matthew Davis. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Mohr, Julianne Nicholson, (more)
A woman must battle villains she cannot see in this thriller. Carly (Helen Slater) is a woman who has lost her sight in an accident. Still adjusting to her new circumstances, Carly is having a hard time handling things on her own and has come to depend on her boyfriend for help as she re-learns her daily routine. But when her boyfriend is called away, Carly must fend for herself for a few days, and as she struggles to find her way around the house, she finds that she's not alone -- a pair of thugs have broken into her home, and as they hold Carly captive, she must find a way to protect herself and stave off the intruders. Nowhere In Sight also stars Andrew McCarthy, Christopher Heyerdahl, Mark Camacho, and Richard Jutras. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Slater, Chris Heyerdahl, (more)
- 1998
Carolinian Sarah Cooper (Linda Lavin) and Texan Harriet Cahill (Gena Rowlands) are lifelong friends who are both widowed at virtually the same time. Although Sarah is financially well off, Harriet is struggling to make ends meet. In her efforts to help Harriet, Sarah is shocked to find out that her old friend has always been jealous and resentful of Sarah's comparative success in life--and that is not the only startling occurrence in the challenge- and crisis-ridden months that follow. Deflty managing to including such TV-movie standbys as adultery, old-age romance and terminal illness, Best Friends for Life made its CBS network bow on January 18, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this lighthearted family-oriented fantasy, originally made for the ABC anthology series The World of Disney, all business and unsympathetic dentist (Kirstie Alley) dies too young. Her angelic hosts believe she is not quite ready for heaven and return her to earth as the tooth fairy to give her a chance to redeem herself. At first she makes a rather acerbic wraith, but things change after she makes friends with a troubled child. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Dale Midkiff, (more)
Revenge after an investigation gone-wrong turns into a family affair in this made-for-television movie. When an FBI operation goes sour and lives are lost, a mobster (Michael Lerner) decides to avenge the death of his son by kidnapping the son of the agent (Russell Crowe) he believes to be responsible. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Crowe, Helen Slater, (more)
- 1995
- NR
In this comic British caper film, an LA computer whiz finds herself recruited by an eccentric British lawyer who wants her to use her skills to defraud a powerful London bank that has been using its money to exploit a Third World country for tourism. She accepts his offer and mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfred Molina, Helen Slater, (more)
The story of an intelligent, heroic collie and his young owner, previously featured in numerous films and a successful 1950s television series, was updated for the 1990s in this family feature. This time, Lassie is determined to help a cynical city boy named Matt (Thomas Guiry), who turns even more resentful when his family relocates to a small town in rural Virginia. Soon after this move, a bright collie enters the family's life and winds up with the name Lassie because of the television show, which Matt's younger sister (Brittany Boyd) watches passionately. Lassie sets out to cheer Matt up and introduce him to the wonders of nature, while also helping the family stand its ground against rich, unpleasant neighbors. There are also run-ins with vicious wild animals and a daring rescue over river rapids, but the main focus remains on the emotional relationship between Matt and the dog, a story that will seem old-fashioned and charming to some viewers while familiar and sentimental to others. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Guiry, Helen Slater, (more)
- 1994
Directed by Linda Yellen, this made-for-cable movie originally aired on the Showtime network and featured a star-studded cast including Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and James Belushi. The plot centers around several fraternity and sorority graduates who have decided to regroup at their alma mater. Nick (Belushi), a determined but gloomy reporter, attends on the sole hope of finding some good gossip. His highest hope lies within the career ties of his ex-lover Winnie (JoBeth Williams), who now serves as publicist to rising politician Rebecca Ferguson Stone (Patricia Wetig). Fellow alumni Charlie (Ben Gazzara) is returning for equally dishonest reasons--he's hoping to convince his ex Francie (Gena Rowlands) to pay off his gambling debts. Francie, however, has found herself more interested in bonding with a single mom/housekeeper (Ally Sheedy). All of their lives take a turn for the unexpected when the big man on campus mysteriously dies. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
A House in the Hills, is an offbeat, unusual film which can't decide if it is a love story or a thriller and ends up being neither. Waitress and aspiring actress Alex (Helen Slater) spends the weekend in a lavish house to study her role for a day-time soap opera. Alex is house-sitting for a family who wants to get away for the weekend to forget a murder that happened in the house next door. After a series of plot twists involving mistaken identities, deception and diamond theft, Alex and minor-league criminal Mickey (Michael Masden) fall in love just in time to confront the killer of the neighbor and solve the crime. All this could have been both romantic and exciting, but the overly complicated plot and the cliched, unconvincing dialogue makes the film both confusing and unbelievable from beginning to end. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Helen Slater, (more)
Based on a story by Richard Lupoff (a short filmization of the same story earned an Oscar nomination for 1990), 12:01 centers on a member of the personnel department in a science lab, who discovers that the world has become somehow trapped in a strange time warp that causes the same 24-hour period to repeat itself. During the course of that endlessly repeated day, Barry Thomas, the only one who seems to be aware of what's happening, must somehow figure out how to put time back on its normal course and solve the murder of a physicist, Lisa Fredricks (Helen Slater) with whom he is infatuated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
A group of seven women reunite three times a year to share their experiences with each other in this made-for-cable drama. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Divorcee Helen Slater doesn't mind single life, but she doesn't like being alone either. Her best pal Kelly LeBrock dutifully sets up a blind date. Outwardly charming doctor Billy Zane is Slater's companion for the evening, and things couldn't be rosier. But it turns out that neither Zane nor LeBrock are dealing from the top of the deck, and before long Slater and her daughter Heather Lind are embroiled in a life- threatening situation. This reasonably involving thriller was scripted by actor Robby Benson. Featured in the cast are Harvey Korman and Alan Thicke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Tapping into the Australian viewing public's ongoing fascination with aviators, this two-part miniseries dramatized the celebrated 1934 London-to-Melbourne MacPherson Robertson Air Race. American actor Barry Bostwick starred as entrepreneurial flyboy Roscoe Turner, who organized the race and invited such famous aviators as Amy Johnson (Caroline Goodall), Tom Campbell-Black (Robert Reynolds), Ray Parer (Gary Day), and Geoff Hemsworth (Jeff Truman). Although the script is topheavy with celebrity name-dropping, much of it is pure fiction -- except of course for the outcome of the race. Enhanced by the utilization of genuine vintage aircraft, Half a World Away originally aired in Australia in May 1991. It has since been released to video as The Great Air Race. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Bostwick, Robert Reynolds, (more)
City Slickers blends sight gags, one-liners, and sincerity, with both humor and drama arising from the characters and their situations. Mitch (Billy Crystal) is a radio station sales executive who finds himself in the throes of a mid-life crisis; accompanied by two friends, Phil (Daniel Stern) and Ed (Bruno Kirby) in the grip of similar problems, he heads to New Mexico for his birthday to participate in a two-week "vacation" cattle drive to Colorado. The three friends and the rest of their group, including an attractive, newly single young woman and two African-American dentists, are all urbanites lost when it comes to herding cattle and surviving on the prairie; it's up to authentic, almost mythic cowboy Curly (Jack Palance, who won an Oscar for the role), to whip them into shape. As various adventures occur along the way, including run-ins with outlaw cattlehands, treacherous natural mishaps, and Mitch's delivery of a newborn calf, the three "city slickers" open up to each other, learn to appreciate Curly's Old West values, and begin to resolve their midlife dilemmas. When Curly dies, it's left to Mitch, Phil, and Ed to bring in the herd. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, (more)
- 1990
Lloyd Bridges stars as a newspaper chief in this made-for-television movie about life in big-city journalism. This fast-paced movie, which was the pilot for a short-lived series of the same name on ABC, follows various plotlines as the reporters' personal and professional lives become intertwined. Executive producer David Milch brings a jittery tension to the newsroom, similar to his later work on NYPD Blue. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
In 1934, a time when it seemed as if most of the great feats in aviation had been accomplished and much of the world was gearing up for World War II, a challenge went out to pilots around the world -- an air race would be held to see who could make the best time flying from London, England to Melbourne, Australia, with a prize of 50,000 pounds going to the winner. Soon many of the world's best air aces (and a number of determined unknowns) entered the fray, hoping to win the trophy in this grueling 12,000 mile oversea voyage. The Great Air Race is a made-for-TV movie that presents a fictionalized version of this thrilling moment in the history of air travel; the cast includes Barry Bostwick, Helen Slater, and Caroline Goodall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG13
A college student clashes with his co-ed roommate, then falls for her in this romantic comedy. Sheltered freshman Chris Wooden (Patrick Dempsey) arrives at his university ready to hone his writing skills. His hard-partying roommate, however, proves to be a distraction. Alex Page (Helen Slater) -- short for Alexandra -- has been placed on a guys' floor by mistake, and the aspiring actress/good-time girl drives Chris crazy. Eventually, as both students hone their respective crafts and spend more time together, they become friends and finally lovers. But Alex's freewheeling ways put a kink in things; Chris is an old-fashioned guy, and he wants a plain-vanilla girlfriend. Things come to a head when a random biker Alex promised to marry shows up looking to rearrange Chris' face. Happy Together is one of the few feature credits of Mel Damski, who has directed countless TV movies since the late '70s. Astute viewers will notice a pre-Thelma and Louise Brad Pitt in a small role. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Helen Slater, (more)
- 1988
- PG
This screwball urban comedy is about two dippy roommates, struggling musicians Lolly (Melanie Mayron) and Hattie (Helen Slater), who are asked by an equally spacey, drug-dealing friend-of-a-friend Diane (Loretta Devine) to baby-sit a bag containing nearly a million dollars while she scoots out of town in order to avoid trouble. Once the money is in their possession, however, temptation proves too much for Lolly and Hattie, who use the ill-gotten cash to pay the rent, buy new instruments, and embark on a shopping spree for earrings, clothes, and shoes. While the girls dig themselves deeper into trouble with every dollar spent, they also encounter a variety of eccentric characters, including a fellow musician (Danitra Vance), their ailing landlady (Eileen Brennan), Lolly's boyfriend (Christopher Guest), and a parking lot attendant (Stephen McHattie). The latter, however, is actually a cop who's keeping surveillance on them from across the street. Mayron co-wrote the script for Sticky Fingers (1988) with actress and first-time director Catlin Adams. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Slater, Melanie Mayron, (more)
Released at the height of his popularity on Family Ties and in the wake of Back to the Future and Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox stars in this "country boy in the big city" comedy, directed by Herbert Ross. After making the move from Kansas to New York City, Brantley Foster (Fox) secures a job in the mailroom at his uncle's large corporation. Doffing any plans of working his way up the corporate ladder the old fashioned way, Brantley begins impersonating an executive to impress a high-ranking female co-worker, played by Helen Slater. Once his oversexed aunt enters the mix, Brantley finds himself juggling two identities, two jobs, and two women. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, (more)
The last film to be co-directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Ruthless People stars Bette Midler (capitalizing on her comeback performance in Down and Out in Beverly Hills) as Barbara, a spoiled rich woman who is kidnapped by the kindly Ken and Sandy Kessler (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater). Barbara's forceful husband Sam (Danny DeVito) has ripped off the Kesslers and they decide to hold Barbara for ransom. Sam, who hates his wife, refuses to pay. Eventually Barbara befriends the Kesslers and together they figure out how to exact revenge upon the obnoxious Sam. Bill Pullman makes his film debut here as a very dim, would-be criminal. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, (more)
- 1985
- PG13
With their father dead and their mother busy trying to land a steady beau, pretty teen Billy Jean Davy (Helen Slater) and her younger brother, Binx (Christian Slater), spend their time riding Binx's moped and dreaming of life in Vermont -- several climate zones away from the humid, omnipresent heat of their Texas town. One day, on their way from their trailer park home to a swimming hole, the Davy kids run afoul of rich boy Hubie Pyatt (Barry Tubb) and his cronies, who steal -- and later trash -- the scooter Binx bought with his father's paltry life insurance benefits. Demanding payment from Hubie and his merchant dad (Richard Bradford) for the damage that's been inflicted on both the bike and her brother's face, Billie Jean narrowly escapes being raped by the elder Pyatt. In the ensuing scuffle, Binx accidentally shoots Mr. Pyatt, sending himself, Billie Jean, and their friends, Ophelia (Martha Gehman) and Putter (Yeardley Smith), on the lam. When the "Billie Jean Gang" becomes a media sensation, Pyatt capitalizes on their notoriety by selling T-shirts and bric-a-brac, while policeman Ringwald (Peter Coyote), who feels guilty for having refused to help Billie Jean, tries to bring the kids in without anyone getting hurt. However, when the gang mock-kidnaps rich amateur filmmaker Lloyd (Keith Gordon), unaware that he's the district attorney's son, the situation spins out of control. Soon, Lloyd's videotape of the suddenly crop-topped, Joan of Arc-emulating, eminently telegenic Billie Jean elevates a local headline into a national sensation, and even Lloyd's attraction to Billie Jean can't protect her from the media lightning rod she's become. The Legend of Billie Jean marks the screen debut of Christian Slater, who is no relation to co-star Helen Slater. Actor Gordon, who made his debut as a screenwriter with Mark Romanek's Static the year Billie Jean came out, would go on to direct a number of critically acclaimed films. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, (more)
A big-budget spin-off from the series of three successful Superman movies, this film stars Helen Slater as the counterpart to the famous comic-book superhero. Supergirl is Kara, Superman's young cousin. She is sent to Earth is search of a Krypton power source, a lost ring that has been turned into a paperweight. She disguises herself as Linda Lee, a meek high-school student. Peter O'Toole is Zaltar, a mad villain who wants to use the power of the ring to take over the world. Faye Dunaway plays the evil sorceress Selena, who is also plotting to get the gem and uses her incredible powers of black magic in service of her scheme. Linda Lee meets Ethan (Hart Bochner), who is under a spell cast by Selena, which causes him to fall in love with the first person he sees. Selena had intended to use the spell to make Ethan fall in love with her, and she is furious when his affections are directed toward Supergirl. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, (more)
- 1982
Amy's angel is her guardian angel who, seeing her in a despondent state (from her parents' recent divorce and a painful lack of friends) shows Amy the bright side of her life, helping Amy understand the wonder that's waiting in this world, just for her. ~ All Movie Guide
