Lauren Tom Movies
A multi-talented actress who's just as comfortable on the stage as she is before the cameras, Lauren Tom has built quite an impressive resumé by establishing herself as one of the most prolific small-screen players of her generation. While fans of such popular television sitcoms as Friends and Men in Trees are no doubt familiar with her face, Tom has also crafted an impressive voice-over career thanks in large to work on such animated television series as Batman Beyond, Futurama, and King of the Hill.Though she would first gain notice as the dutiful daughter of an Asian-American family attempting to bridge the gap between the past and the present in The Joy Luck Club, Tom had already been acting in film and television for over a decade -- her career gradually gaining momentum thanks to bit parts in such films as Wall Street, Blue Steel, and Cadillac Man. Two years after her breakout performance in The Joy Luck Club, Tom would shine in her recurring role as Ross' girlfriend Julie in Friends. While her onscreen presence was indeed captivating, audiences would soon discover that Tom's unique voice could be a huge asset to any number of animated productions. Though in the following years, Tom's voice could be heard in a variety of animated releases, onscreen performances in shows like Monk and movies such as Bad Santa proved that the increasingly active voice-over artist was still very much committed to her onscreen career as well. In 2006, Tom made a sizable impression on theatergoers by relating her quest for inner peace in her Dramalogue Award-winning one-woman show 25 Psychics. With a Broadway background that has included performances in A Chorus Line and Hurly Burley, Tom has a ready comfort on the stage that has allowed her to focus on her impressive storytelling skills.
In 2006, Tom was back in front of the camera keeping television viewers in stitches as mail-order bride (Mai) to crusty pilot Buzz (John Amos) in the rural comedy drama Men in Trees. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Matt Groening's cult hit series Futurama takes its killer wit to DVD with this full length movie consisting of a brand new story with all new animation and the complete, original voice cast. As the crew of Planet Express prepares for Xmas 3007, a race of evil, nudist, internet scammers launches an attack on Earth, discovering the secret of time travel tattooed on Fry's butt. Using their sinister hacking skills to control Bender, the aliens seize control of the robot and send him back in time to loot ancient Earth of its treasures. The crew encounter true love, a hostile takeover, and Al Gore before their race against time to save the world as they know it is over. Futurama: Bender's Big Score also features guest voice-appearances by actors and comedians like Sarah Silverman, Mark Hamill, and Coolio. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
The religious drama God's Waiting List concerns a brother and sister who have become business rivals. When a suspicious, horrific accident causes a serious injury to the sister, she begins to work on her relationship with the Almighty. However she can't shake the suspicion that her brother might be responsible for her condition. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicki Micheaux, Roger Guenveur Smith, (more)
- 2006
Workaholic Cristina (Sandra Oh) feels stiffed when the hospital "celebrates" the New Year by imposing a mandatory work limit. Back at Seattle Grace, patient Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan in his first series appearance) looks forward to receiving a heart transplant--and to express his ardor for Izzie (Katherine Heigl). Other patients include a disgruntled novelist who literally eats his words, and a 14-year-old hemaphrodite girl frustrated over her inability to reach puberty. Meanwhile, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) pays a visit to Meredith's mother Ellis (Kate Burton)--without telling Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Season nine of the animated redneck comedy series King of the Hill begins as Peggy Hill briefly leaves Arlen, TX and returns to her Montana hometown when her mother is threatened with losing her land as the result of an influx of Hollywood movie stars -- including Henry Winkler, heard as himself. Another Happy Days alumnae, Marion Ross, can be heard as the title character in the next episode, "Ms. Wakefield." In later episodes, Hank Hill is outraged when Peggy buys a lawn gnome; the world of conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble collapses when he becomes convinced that the Warrren Commission has been right all along; Bobby Hill tries to unlock the Fox network on the family TV (so that he can watch his own show?); the Hills' niece Luanne begins dating a good ol' boy named Lucky (voiced by Tom Petty); Native American John Redcorn tries to open up his own gambling casino; the "Smoking Bandit" strikes when all tobacco consumption is banned in Arlen's restaurants; and Bobby thrills his macho dad Hank when he makes the school track team -- but not for the right reasons. In the season's final episode, Hank and his pals try to save their barber buddy Bill when his obsession with his hobbies threatens his job. In addition to the celebrity voices mentioned above, the ninth season of King of the Hill also boasts the vocal talents of Jason Bateman, Trace Adkins, Mac Davis, Tone-Loc, Henry Gibson, and Brendan Fraser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Mulan II, the direct-to-video sequel to the Disney hit Mulan, begins with the title character becoming engaged to General Shang. Before they can begin a life of wedded bliss, they must escort a trio of princesses to weddings of their own in order to facilitate a peace between warring nations. Mulan begins to believe her mission may be less than noble upon discovering that the women are being forced into arranged marriages against their will. Mulan ends up opposing her beloved General Shang in order to fight for what is right. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ming-Na Wen, B.D. Wong, (more)
A middle-aged man finds a callow twentysomething usurping his professional life and worming his way into his family in this alternately funny and poignant comedy drama. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a middle-aged man who has spent 20 years as the head of advertising sales for Sports America, a leading athletics magazine. Dan is happily married to Ann (Marg Helgenberger) and has a college-age daughter, Alex (Scarlett Johansson), whom he dotes on, but Dan's comfortable life is given a major shake-up when a large multimedia firm buys the magazine. Seen as a bit long in the tooth to be truly competitive, Dan is demoted to second in command of advertising, and his position is handed over to Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a 26-year-old who talks a good game about sales but has no practical experience in the field. Dan's wounded ego makes working with the arrogant Carter an uphill battle, but when he learns that Ann is expecting another baby, Dan is in no position to quit. Before long, Dan becomes aware of Carter's intense insecurities about his new job as the younger man reaches out to him for guidance, but this doesn't make Dan any less angry when Carter begins a romance with Alex after his marriage to Kimberley (Selma Blair) crashes and burns. In Good Company marked the solo directorial debut of Paul Weitz; he previously worked in collaboration with his brother Chris Weitz, who serves as producer on this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, (more)
The Christmas season just got a lot less joyous in this very dark comedy. Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a con man and a thief who teams up with his friend Marcus (Tony Cox), a midget, for a very special scam each year during the holiday season. Willie gets a job as Santa Claus at a shopping mall, his pal tags along as an elf, and they use their employee status to crack mall security and rob stores blind just before Christmas. However, there's one flaw to this plan -- Willie is a bitter, foul-mouthed and perpetually grouchy alcoholic who doesn't care for kids, and it's all he can do to keep himself from getting fired while on the job. The mall's manager (John Ritter, in his last film appearance) is certain something's wrong with the Santa he's hired, so he asks the mall's chief of security (Bernie Mac) to do some research on Willie. Meanwhile, one of the kids Willie is forced to talk to becomes a regular customer; overweight, awkward, and the frequent target of bullies, the boy manages to arouse something like sympathy from Willie, who tries to give him some advice and develops something vaguely resembling Christmas sprit along the way. Bad Santa was directed by Terry Zwigoff, who enjoyed previous success with Crumb and Ghost World. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, (more)
When Jill (Janeane Garofalo), the sister of reformed womanizer and former high-profile fashion photographer Jack (Nestor Carbonell), leaves her 17-year-old son with his uncle in an unstable bid to find herself, her brother and sister face an increasingly uncertain future in this dark drama from director Bobby Roth. Bored of working an endless string of weddings and bar mitzvahs and longing to return to the success he experienced before his luck took a nosedive, Jack attempts to connect with both his teenage son and nephew while pulling his life into focus. To make matters even more complicated, Jill's jobless ex-husband, Eli (John Ritter), has also decided to move in with Jack. Will the hapless photographer be able to keep his sanity as his dysfunctional family forces itself into virtually every aspect of his increasingly chaotic life? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nestor Carbonell, Janeane Garofalo, (more)
- 2003
Brad Pitt provides the voice of a fellow named Path, the brother of supremely inarticulate good ol' boy Boomhauer, in the opening episode of King of the Hill's eighth season. In subsequent episodes, Texan Hank Hill regrets forcing his son Bobby to join a "positive" Christian youth group (their voices supplied by Sum 41); likewise, wife Peggy suffers the consequences when she secretly administers testosterone medication to Hank. Later on, Hank, Bobby, Boomhauer, Dale Gribble, and Bill Dauterive embark upon a road trip to Arizona; Peggy creates the Strickland Propane Company mascot "Probot"; the Hills' niece Luanne leaves college to jump-start her career as a beauty stylist; Peggy coaches Tom Landry Middle School's cheerleading squad; the entire town is imperiled by a flood, not to mention Bill Dauterive's unexpected bout with megalomania; Hank gets in trouble when he stages a revisionist version of the Battle of the Alamo; and in the season finale, Bobby winds up as an advice counselor for the girls in his school. Other guest voices heard during King of the Hill's eighth season include Gene Simmons, Fred Willard, Chris Elliot, George Strait, Travis Tritt, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Ben Stiller, Christina Applegate, Melissa Etheridge, Elijah Wood, Ben Stein, Johnny Depp, Marg Helgenberger, Tom Petty, Laura Prepon, Lindsay Lohan, and Alyson Hannigan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Nine San Franciscans have been murdered in what seems to be a random homicide spree. Only after two more people have died does Monk (Tony Shalhoub) discover the unifying link of the eleven homicides: All of the victims had served on the same jury. Normally, the most likely suspect would be the defendant in the trial--except that said defendant had been found not guilty! Racing against time, Monk tries to figure out if the twelfth juror is the actual culprit...or the next intended victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Redneck reactionary Hank Hill should by rights be delighted that his "not right" son Bobby has a new girlfriend named Jordan as King of the Hill launches its seventh season; unfortunately, Jordan's parents are the "progressive" kind -- and if there's anything that Hank is opposed to, it is progress! In later episodes, Hank's barber buddy Bill joins the International Federation of Competitive Easting; Peggy Hill's new hairdo literally makes Hank sick just before Thanksgiving; Hank accidentally cuts off the finger of his conspiracy theorist buddy Dale Gribble; Peggy opens a combination bookstore and gun shop; the owner of a pork sausage empire obsessively forces a fashion makeover upon the Hills' niece Luanne (in an episode titled "Pigmalion"); John Redcorn wants Hank to take Joseph (who is John's biological son) on a "vision quest," while Joseph's supposed dad, Dale, still doesn't know what has been going on between his wife Nancy and the redoubtable Redcorn; Bobby is sent to a politically correct boot camp; Peggy is forced to use insecticides after going on a pro-ecological kick; and a black handyman accuses the Hills' dog of racism. The season ends with an episode wherein Bobby's tarot card hobby attracts the attention of a bizarre coven. Guest voices heard during King of the Hill's seventh season include Debra Messing, Eliza Dushku, Milla Jovovich, Elizabeth Perkins, Kid Rock, Lucy Liu, Allison Janney, Michael Keaton, Tom Arnold, George Foreman, Bruce Dern, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Kennedy, Bernie Mac, and Janeane Garofalo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, (more)
- 2002
A freewheeling animated spoof of the "hard-boiled private eye" school of fiction, Fillmore revolves around the adventures of seventh grader Cornelius Fillmore, a safety monitor in an extremely accident-prone middle school. Under the guidance of safety chief Vellejo, and with the help of sidekick Ingrid Third, Fillmore wages endless war against those who would despoil the sacred walls of learning with graffiti, or who would leave oil-soaked rags in the vicinity of matches, or who would operate a baseball-card black market threatening the financial well-being of his fellow students. As in most cartoon series of the era, this one abounds in pop-culture spoofs, notably a Silence of the Lambs takeoff involving a grafitti artist who'd been sentenced to permanent detention. Created by Scott Gimple of Disney's Pepper Ann fame, Fillmore joined the ABC Saturday-morning lineup on September 14, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orlando Brown, Tara Strong, (more)
Season six of the animated redneck sitcom King of the Hill begins as 13-year-old Bobby Hill, unable to enroll in the Arlen YMCA's boxing class, takes the next available slot in a women's self-defense class, convincing his macho dad Hank all the more that Bobby "ain't right." In other episodes, Hank's substitute-teacher-spouse Peggy takes her students on a field trip to Mexico and ends up being arrested for kidnapping; a carpenter with the initials J.C. performs a miracle during the Christmas episode; the incomprehensible Boomhauer gives Bobby advice on how to handle women, but proves even more tongue-tied than usual when he himself falls in love for the first time in his life; Peggy foments a feminist rebellion at a Renaissance fair; Hank wins the privilege of carrying the Olympic torch through his neighborhood; military-post barber Bill Dauterive steals a tank when he finds out the Army has been using him for a guinea pig; still unaware that Native American John Redcorn is the real father of his son Joseph, conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble becomes convinced that Joseph is actually a space alien; Hank becomes the token white at an all-Asian country club; and the Hills' niece Luanne joins a Stepford-like sorority. In the season's two-part finale, the Hills head to Japan so that Hank's war veteran dad Cotton can make amends to the wife of a soldier that he killed -- and Hank discovers that he has a Japanese half-brother! Guest voices heard during King of the Hill's sixth season include Gary Busey, Bruce Jenner, Laura Dern, Alan Rickman, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Jeff Goldblum, Ed Asner, Megan Mullally, Laura Linney, and Keith Carradine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, (more)
One man's insatiable appetite for sex begins upending his life in this biting independent comedy. Jack (Nestor Carbonell) is a photographer known to his friends as "Jack the Dog," thanks to his compulsive womanizing; Jack seems incapable of staying with one partner for long before he finds himself attracted to someone else, and given his good looks and easy charm, Jack doesn't have much trouble convincing the women he meets to spend the night with him. Deep inside, Jack wants to change, and he tries to put himself on the straight and narrow by marrying Faith (Barbara Williams). Jack and Faith soon have a son, Sam (Andrew J. Ferchland), whom Jack dotes upon, but Faith turns out to be a poor advertisement for long-term monogamy; she's not especially warm or forgiving, and she's started to show her age, which only intensifies Jack's taste for younger women. Jack soon slides into chronic infidelity, and Faith leaves him, relocating to London and leaving Sam behind. This is good news as far as Jack's concerned, but as he tries to watch over his son, while also seducing an endless parade of beautiful women, Jack finds himself increasingly puzzled by the opposite sex, and he wonders if he might have a problem he hasn't learned to deal with. Jack the Dog received its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nestor Carbonell, Barbara Williams, (more)
- 2000
In the season finale episode, "Anthology of Interest I," Professor Farnsworth unveils his "What-if" machine and Bender, Leela, and Fry each get a chance to ask it a question. Bender asks what it would be like if he were 500 feet tall, so he becomes a giant and flies to Earth to the tune of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man." He befriends a boy (Fry) and accidentally destroys the city in a take on The Iron Giant. The Professor then makes Dr. Zoidberg a giant so they can fight each other. Leela asks what it would be like if she were more impulsive, so she ends up killing the Professor in order to get his fortune. As people find out about the murder, she is forced to kill them one by one until she has killed almost everyone. Fry asks what it would be like if he were never cryogenically frozen in 1999. He ends up meeting the Action Rangers -- made up of scientist Stephen Hawking, Vice President Al Gore, Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, and Dungeons and Dragons creator Gary Gygax. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
- 2000
In the episode "The Deep South," the Planet Express crew goes fishing on their day off. Bender catches huge fish and ends up sinking the whole ship. The crew experiences their version of the lost city of Atlantis myth by landing in Atlanta, an old U.S. city that now exists at the bottom of the ocean and is populated by mermen and mermaids. The '60s folk-rock star Donovan sings a reworking of his pop song "Atlantis." Fry falls in love with the mermaid Umbriel (voice of Parker Posey), which is a reference to Ariel from The Little Mermaid, as both Ariel and Umbriel are satellites of Uranus. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
- 2000
In the episode "Bender Gets Made," also known as "Bendfellas," the Planet Express crew sit in the guest audience during a cooking show hosted by Bender's hero, Elzar. Bender blasts Leela in the eye with a spice weasel and she gets temporarily blinded as a result. In order to make it up to them, Elzar offers to cook them a meal at his restaurant. However, he doesn't end up paying the huge bill and they get arrested. Bender works off his debt and ends up meeting some members of the Robot Mafia: the Don-bot, Clamps, and Joey Mousepad. The Don-bot hires Bender to help them steal a cargo of cigars, but it ends up being on the Planet Express ship. Leela and Fry get tied up and the Don-bot orders his men to burn down the ship. Bender gives up his dreams of joining the Robot Mafia and saves his friends. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
The fifth season of King of the Hill opens as the Hill family of Arlen, TX eagerly prepares to meet then-governor George W. Bush, in an episode ironically titled "The Perils of Polling." In later episodes, Peggy Hill gets into a fierce blood-donating competition with her Laotian neighbor, Minh; Bobby Hill turns 13 and has a vicious attack of puberty; Arlen's Thanksgiving celebration is blighted when mention is made of the cannibalism in the history of John Redcorn's Native American tribe; Hank Hill's obstreperous father Cotton moves out of his retirement home; big-hearted barber Bill Dauterive is victimized by a wheedling juvenile delinquent; a trip to Austin on the occasion of Bill's birthday ends up disastrously when Hank moons former Texas governor Ann Richards; Hank learns to his horror that he isn't a native Texan; and Peggy and Bobby become hopelessly addicted to charcoal-grilled burgers. Also: Hank befriends a pretty co-worker and finds himself accused of being a pimp; the Hill's niece Luanne signs up for her church's "born again virgin" program, prompting an unexpected confession from Peggy; and Dale Gribble's wife Nancy turns 40, loses her job as a TV weather girl, and tries to sue a cigarette company for making her homely. In the season finale, Bobby poses as a high school student, thereby enmeshing himself in a plan to get the rock group No Doubt to play at the prom. Guest voices heard during King of the Hill's fifth season include Carl Reiner, James Brown, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Amy Hill, John Ritter, Jack Carter, Ellen Barkin, Tom Poston, Snoop Dog, Renée Zellweger, Lisa Kudrow, Owen Wilson, and Robert Stack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, (more)
- 2000
After they go to the planet of the Moochers, the Planet Express crew stop for food. They discover a tasty delicacy and bring it home, naming them Popplers. Teaming up with fast food mogul Fishy Joe, they plan to market the Popplers and make a lot of money off them. Then Free Waterfall Jr. (voice of Phil Hendrie) from Mankind for Ethical Animal Treatment (MEAT) starts protesting because he believes Popplers are intelligent, living creatures. Leela joins his cause when she makes friends with a Poppler baby. Leela, Fishy Joe, and Free Waterfall Jr. appear on a talk show to discuss the ethics of eating Popplers just as New New York is invaded by the Omnicronians, led by Lrrr. They plan to eat the people of New New York because the humans have been eating their babies. After a negotiation with Zapp Brannigan, the Omnicronians agree to eat just one human in a live televised event. Leela is selected to be eaten, but the Poppler baby comes to her rescue. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
- 2000
On Mother's Day, all the robots buy presents for Mom, the corporate owner of Mom's Friendly Robot Company. However, when the robots get together for her annual speech, she uses a remote control to reprogram them in order to take over the world. Robots everywhere start rebelling and refusing to help humans with their usual menial tasks. She reveals that the reason behind her plan is revenge because Professor Hubert Farnsworth broke up with her many years ago. Mom's sons -- Walt, Larry, and Igner -- seek out Farnsworth and ask him to take her back. He agrees to meet her for a date with the intention of getting into her bra, where she keeps the remote control to the robots. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy West, Katey Sagal, (more)
