Jacob Tierney Movies
- 2009
An unusually intense teenager gets the idea that his name defines his destiny in this offbeat comedy. Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel) is a young man who has made the discovery that his birth name is the same as that of Leon Trotsky, the celebrated Russian revolutionary and socialist theorist. This coincidence leads Leon to believe that he is the reincarnation of Trotsky and it is his destiny to follow his path as closely as possible -- which is a bit difficult when you have rich parents and attend an upscale private school in Montreal. Leon's father (Saul Rubinek) gives his son a part-time job in one of his clothing factories, and within a day Leon is leading his fellow workers in a sit-down strike. Father isn't amused and punishes Leon by making him attend public school, but there the world-be revolutionary finds new ways to battle fascism -- which in this case is represented by Principal Berkhoff (Colm Feore) and Mrs. Davis (Domini Blythe), a teacher eager to give her students detention. Leon's pursuit of social justice causes him to fall in with Frank (Michael Murphy), a burned-out activist turned college professor, but Leon also finds himself infatuated with Frank's current girlfriend -- who, like Trotsky's great love, is named Alexandra (Emily Hampshire) and is nine years older than himself. Directed by Jacob Tierney, The Trotsky was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Baruchel, Colm Feore, (more)
A trouble-prone teen navigates a treacherous world of witless gangsters and latex fetish wear in director/screenwriter Robert Cuffley's quirky comic noir. When Alberta (Leelee Sobieski)'s boyfriend is assaulted by thugs, the frightened teen flees to Vancouver in hopes of hiding out at the house of her good friend Celine (Tricia Helfer) - an aspiring dominatrix and wannabe actress currently planning her big move to Los Angeles. While Celine knows that helping out her old friend Alberta can only mean trouble, her kind heart eventually overpowers her better judgment. Celine soon remembers just why she was so hesitant to help her old friend, however, when Alberta ruins her best SS uniform. Later, Alberta tries to procure Celine a new SS outfit by posing as Celine and meeting her new client Paul (Jacob Tierney), only to find their kinky session rudely interrupted by the gangsters that were pursuing Paul in search of the $500,000 he was accused of stealing. If bickering henchmen siblings Aaron (Michael Eklund and Isaac (Michael Adamthwaite) could just stop arguing long enough to focus on the task at hand, perhaps they could finally track down the missing cash and avoid facing the wrath of their foreboding boss Rene (Lothaire Bluteau). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Tricia Helfer, (more)
After countless faithful translations to the big screen -- not to mention one timeless, Oscar-winning musical version -- Charles Dickens' tale of downtrodden London youth is given a gritty, contemporary spin in this independent Canadian production. This time told from the point of view of the Artful Dodger, Twist transposes the story of Oliver Twist to modern-day Toronto, where Dodge (Nick Stahl) is a smack-addicted male hustler working the streets when he comes across foster-home runaway Oliver (Joshua Close). The two strike up a fast friendship and Dodge makes the boy his apprentice, introducing him to a world of drugs, prostitution, and squalid, rent-free living, overseen by the formidable pimp Fagin (Gary Farmer). But Oliver finds his loyalties torn between his nascent attraction to Dodge and his son-like affection for Nancy (Michèle-Barbara Pelletier), the girlfriend of and pusher for the powerful drug dealer Bill Sykes. Written and directed by former child actor Jacob Tierney (The Neon Bible), Twist first made its appearance on the festival scene at the 2003 Venice and Toronto fests. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Joshua Close, (more)
- 2002
Gemini awards went to star Wendy Crewson, director Jerry Ciccoretti, writer Karen Walton and film editor George Roulston for their contributions to the fact-based Canadian TV movie The Many Trials of One Jane Doe. Crewson plays the title character, the fifth victim of the High Park Rapist, who has been systematically preying on women in Scarborough, Toronto, and Niagara Falls. After her ordeal, "Jane Doe" discovers that the police knew full well that the rapist was operating in the vicinity, but did nothing to prevent her attack; in fact, the authorities were all but using women like "Jane" as bait to flush out the perpetrator! Hiring Sean Dewart (Steven Mackintosh) as her attorney, "Jane" files suit against the police, only to be caricatured by a hostile press as a hysterical "man-hater" and irresponsible zealot--and thanks to the ruthlessness of the defense team, she is treated in court as though she were the criminal instead of the victim! First telecast by the CBC in 2002, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe subsequently received American airplay on cable's Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of several comedies at the 2000 Method Film Festival to focus on the socio-economic cross-section identified in its title, this film stars Sean Young as a determined Illinois mom who will do anything to provide a college education for her beloved son Mike Tony Denman. The first order of business, however, involves helping Mike avoid serving jail time for a prank he pulled with his inept buddy Lennie (Jacob Tierney). Lennie's grandfather (William Devane) is a high-priced attorney and might be the boys' ticket to beating the rap -- that is, if they can afford him. Their solution: stage a series of robberies around town. After some trepidation, mom and sleazy boyfriend (Jason London) decide to aid and abet the boys as they bumble one not-so-daring heist after another. The title of the film was inspired by the 1957 B-movie of the same name, although this 2000 version bears no common plot elements. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Young, William Devane, (more)
- 2000
Throughout his life, Max Rigney (Jacob Tierney) has been bullied by his wealthy father Sam (Jere Burns), who holds the family purse strings. Not only has Sam strongarmed Max into attending the same college as he did, but he has also forced his son to pledge to his old fraternity, which is notorious for its brutal hazing practices. Monica (Roma Downey) arrives on campus as a philosophy professor, which pleases the sensitive Max--but curiously strikes terror into the heart of Sam. Ultimately, Max must confront his father about a long-suppressed incident in the fraternity's past; and with the help of Monica's fellow angel Andrew (John Dye), the boy must also learn to make his own life decisions, based not on fear of what might happen, but on faith in himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Exploring concepts of fate and free will, Jerry Ciccoritti's contemplative drama shows the lives of a handful of random people during the 12 hours leading up to a bloody shooting spree in a posh coffee shop. Maggie (Emily Hampshire) is a waitress in the café whose acting career is going nowhere fast. Her co-worker Connie (Sarah Polley), who is learning to love her lawyer boyfriend, is supposed to have the day off. Sheena (Catherine O'Hara), who frequents the shop, is a lovelorn bridal consultant looking for a decent man. And Brian (Stephen Rea), an exterminator/philosopher, is still mourning the death of his daughter, who died a year ago. Their petty, everyday problems gain ironic resonance when juxtaposed with the day's bloody ending. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Rea, Catherine O'Hara, (more)
Paul Quinn scripted and made his directorial debut with this period drama about middle-aged schoolteacher Kieran Johnson (James Caan), who finds evidence indicating that his real father was an Irish farmer and not a French seaman as he had been told. Since his mute and paralyzed mother offers no answers, he investigates by traveling to an Irish village with his teenage nephew (Jacob Tierney). After this prologue, the film flashes back to the family roots: Kieran's mother Fiona Flynn (Moya Farrelly) back home from convent school, catches the eye of dirt tenant farmer Kieran O'Day (Aidan Quinn). Their romance gets underway despite disapprovals from family and friends. Shown at 1998 film fests (Montreal, Toronto). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, James Caan, (more)
Shimon Dotan directed this Canadian comedy-drama from Oren Safdie's screenplay based on Safdie's play, Hyper-Allergenic, set in a hospital room where a dysfunctional family awaits the results of surgery. Shirley Cooperberg (Ellen Burstyn) heads a Montreal Jewish family, and during her husband's operation, her brood arrives at the hospital -- failed writer Eli (Ted Levine), neurotic Susan (Amanda Plummer), and successful theatrical producer Edward (Mark Blum). Edward's wife Linda (Macha Grenon) is also present, as is Eli's ex, Diane (Mary McDonnell). An onslaught of one-liners find targets amid sibling rivalries and angst-ridden animosities. Shown at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Plummer, (more)
Eric Roberts stars in this drama about a police detective who is investigating the murder of a police sergeant's ex-wife. When he uncovers a hidden network of corruption, lies, and even murder, he soon realizes he's learned too much. But when both he and his son are framed by people who intend to keep him quiet, he realizes he can't just walk away. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Jacob Tierney, (more)
- 1997
- G
Lonely for a friend of his own, an 11-year-old boy invokes special plea to an ancient Egyptian goddess and has her turn his pet cat into a friend. Unfortunately, something goes a little haywire, for the boy's new pal acts like a 30-year-old man. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brent Carver, Michael Caloz, (more)
- 1995
Actor Bob Hoskins directs this children's fantasy. When Mike (Willy Lavendal) actually finds the end of a rainbow, his friends don't believe it until he shows it to them. After that, they figure out how to find the next time and place for a rainbow-landing, and together they go to it. When they bicycle onto it, they find themselves transported more than a thousand miles away, to Kansas. There, they run afoul of the local Sheriff (Dan Aykroyd) and only make it back to the rainbow and then to their homes in New Jersey in the nick of time. When they tell their parents where they have been, they are quite naturally accused of making it all up. However, strange phenomena begin to occur and color begins to disappear from the world. One of them has taken some golden nuggets from the rainbow, and the nuggets must be returned if the world is to survive. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- NR
A young boy comes of age in rural Georgia during the 1940s in Terence Davies' challenging, visually powerful drama. Acclaimed for his nostalgic, beautifully photographed reflections on England's past (The Long Day Closes, Distant Voices, Still Lives), Davies looks beyond his home country to America with this adaptation of a novel by John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces. The film is told through the eyes of David (Jacob Tierney), a teenage boy struggling to deal with life in a troubled family. He reflects on his youthful experiences of his father (Denis Leary), an abusive, impoverished worker who disappeared during World War II after enlisting in the army. David is left to care for his increasingly unstable mother (Diana Scarwid) with the help of his Aunt Mae (Gena Rowlands), a lively big band singer. With David's recollections making up the loose plot, The Neon Bible stresses memorably intense images over narrative momentum, with cinematographer Michael Coulter creating sharp, painterly compositions. Some viewers will likely be frustrated by the slow pace and elliptical style, though others may be transfixed by the often stunning photography and poetic approach. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Jacob Tierney, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
In this road movie, the motorists are a pair of preteens--brothers Josh (Jacob Tierney) and Sam (Noah Fleiss)--who hit the highway after their parents announce their pending divorce. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacob Tierney, Noah Fleiss, (more)
- 1989
- R
While on the routines of his job, a Montreal policeman (Michael Ironside) is tormented by flashbacks and hallucinations. He eventually traces the bizarre behavior to the LSD experiments of a CIA scientist (Christopher Plummer). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Ironside, Lisa Langlois, (more)
- 1989
True to the traditions of Canadian independent filmmaking, Horses in Winter is very much a one-person show. That person is Rick Raxlen, who produced, co-directed, wrote, co-edited and starred in this 90-minute remembrance of things past. From the vantage point of a crisis-ridden middle age, Raxlen thinks back to his eighth year, when, while on vacation with his parents, he nearly drowned. Jacob Tierney is seen in the flashback sequences as Raxlen's younger self. Lest anyone doubt the biographical nature or Horses in Winter, be advised that Rick Raxlen's character name is "Ben Waxman." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacob Tierney, Rick Raxlen, (more)
- 1988
- PG13
A grieving mother tries to track down the hit-and-run driver who killed her 12-year-old son in this well-performed drama. Dinah Middleton (Kerrie Keane) is divorced from husband Max (Daniel Pilon). The couple's skateboarding son Alex (Leif Anderson) is hit by Owen Hughes (Saul Rubinek), a New York businessman and later dies in the hospital. After the driver is tracked to the U.S., manslaughter charges are dismissed on a technicality, and Dinah learns the treaty between Canada and the United States will make extradition nearly impossible. The differences and attitudes of the two countries toward each other becomes part of the story in addition to Dinah's search for justice. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kerrie Keane, Daniel Pilon, (more)
An obscure and offbeat novel by Andrew Neiderman comes to life as this strange, disturbing, but fairly compelling psychological thriller. The title refers to a life-sized medical dummy (the name is short for Pinocchio) through which strait-laced physician and would-be ventriloquist Doctor Linden (Terry O'Quinn) communicates with his children, Leon (David Hewlett) and Ursula (Cyndy Preston). Although Pin seems to have served a useful purpose by providing the emotionally distant Linden with a means of opening up to his family, the mannequin's importance gradually becomes a decidedly unhealthy influence for Leon, whose latent psychosis emerges fully after his father's death and compels him to "adopt" Pin as a member of the household. As Ursula, now a beautiful woman, begins to enjoy a relatively happy love life, Leon is consumed with jealousy and, goaded by the 'Pin' aspect of his personality, turns to murder as release. In its depiction of a psychotic who loses his will to an increasingly lifelike dummy, Pin is remarkably similar in theme to Richard Attenborough's Magic (which itself owed a debt to films like The Great Gabbo). Though it breaks no new ground in this respect, this quirky horror film does present an irresistibly eerie charm (thanks in large part to Hewlett's fine performance) and generates a decent amount of suspense, building to a chilling, if not entirely surprising, climax. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hewlett, Cyndy Preston, (more)
