Sela Ward Movies
Brunette leading lady Sela Ward graduated from the University of Alabama, where among many other activities she was a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide football team. Heading to New York, Ward determined to either become an airline stewardess or a model; a fear of flying led to her choosing the latter vocation. She proved she could act as well as pose when she was cast in the 1985 Burt Reynolds vehicle The Man Who Loved Women. Beginning in 1991, Ward portrayed Teddy on the weekly TV "dramedy" Sisters, a role that earned her a 1994 Emmy award. Sela Ward's additional television credits include the title role in the 1995 cable TV biopic Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, as well as Once and Again, for which she would win the Best TV Series Actress in a Drama Award at the 2000 Golden Globes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG13
- Add The Stepfather to Queue
When a teenage boy (Penn Badgley) begins to suspect that his new stepfather (Dylan Walsh) is a notorious serial killer who preys on broken families, he races to gather the evidence that will back up his radical claim before it's too late. The 1987 thriller that shot Lost star Terry O'Quinn to cult stardom serves as inspiration for this remake penned by J.S. Cardone and directed by Nelson McCormick. Sela Ward, Jon Tenney, and Amber Heard co-star in a Screen Gems release. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, (more)
While 34-year-old "supermom" Margo Dalton (Juile Warner) is being treated for uncontrollable muscle spasms, her daughter Stella (Ellie Fanning) runs amok throughout the clinic. The doctors are unable to find the reason for Margo's bizarre affliction, mainly because (surprise!) she has been lying to her husband about her medical condition. As for House (Hugh Laurie), he and Stacy (Sela Ward) have come to an "understanding" which permits him to wallow in misery as only he can, while Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), who has had plenty of romantic misadventures of his own, tries to help House pick up the pieces. And after her run-in with AIDs patient in the earlier episode "Hunting", Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is worried that she is now HIV-positive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
While House (Hugh Laurie) and Stacy (Sela Ward) are in Baltimore to explain House's highly suspect Medicaid billing practices, journalist Fletcher Stone (Michael O'Keefe) is rushed to the New Jersey clinic. After suddenly collapsing during a reception, Stone has begun speaking in gibberish, and Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Foreman (Omar Epps) are unable to agree on the cause of the man's affliction. The three doctors contact House by phone in hopes of getting him to return to the clinic, but he is snowed in at the Baltimore airport. Worsening the situation is the fact that Stone has been hiding certain details of his medical problems from his wife (Erica Gimpel)--and now is unable to say anything at all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A decorated Coast Guard search and rescue specialist still haunted by the death of his teammates during a disastrous mission off the coast of Alaska is charged with the task of training the next generation of Coast Guard rescue swimmers in director Andrew Davis' ocean-bound adventure drama. Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) was the best swimmer of his graduating class, but upon surfacing as the sole survivor of an Alaskan rescue mission attempted during a Category Three storm, his outlook on life has grown increasingly jaded. Now, as hotshot young swimmer Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) arrives at Coast Guard rescue school looking to accomplish something meaningful with his life, he will be forced to endure the rigorous training methods of a man who expects nothing less than the very best in order to become a member of one of the most elite rescue squads on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, (more)

- 2006
- Add Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed to QueueAdd Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed to top of Queue
Discovery Atlas invites adventurous armchair vacationers to explore the world one person at a time with this release that offers unprecedented insight into the geography, religion, culture, and people of Brazil. This is Brazil as seen through the eyes of the people who call the largest country is South America home, and whether exploring the beaches, climbing majestic mountain peaks, or traversing the jungle, viewers will truly experience this magnificent landscape as never before. High definition photography and blockbuster-quality computer animation bring the landscape to life as a soccer-playing maid locks her eyes on the prize, a river trader makes his way down the Amazon to sell his wares, and a young dancer shares his passion for capoeria. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Sela Ward makes her first appearance as Stacy Warner, former lawyer for the Princeton-Plainsboro clinic--and ex-girlfriend of Dr. House (Hugh Laurie). Stacy's husband has fallen mysteriously ill, and she hopes that House can find out why. But House seems more preoccupied with delivering a lecture to three medical-school diagnostics--an assignment he was forced to accept, but one which he tackles with his usual mean-spirited gusto. As he presents the trio with a hypothetic medical dilemma involving three patients with aching legs, we are treated to a succession of bizarre fantasy sequences. Carmen Electra appears as herself in this episode, which won both an Emmy award (for "best writing") and the Humanitas Prize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Six months after the death of patient Kaya McGinley (Alison Smith), whose illness was misdiagnosed by Chase (Jesse Spencer), a disciplinary hearing is held to probe the situation. Prior to being grilled by a panel of his superiors, Chase is questioned about the incident by Stacy (Sela Ward), as are House (Hugh Laurie) and Cameron(Jennifer Morrison)--and to say that their stories don't quite match up is putting it mildly. Making matters worse is the fact that Chase isn't being completely up-front about his relationship with Kayla. Also on the schedule is some behind-the-scenes chicanery involving a famous transplant surgeon (John Rubinstein) with a roving eye for the ladies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Alfredo Ignacio Serricho), the handyman working on Cuddy's house repairs, suffers an apparent athsma attack and falls off her roof. Feeling responsible, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is unable to treat the man, so House (Hugh Laurie) takes over. But before any treatment can be implemented, Alfredo develops a stunning array of horrifying symptoms, each one seemingly cancelling out the last--leading House to the conclusion that neither the fall nor the "athsma" is the root cause of the man's plight. Elsewhere, Foreman (Omar Epps) nervously seeks out a "politically correct" treatment for a hypersentive black patient (Charles Robinson) suffering from high blood pressure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The opening episode of House's second season finds misanthropic medico Greg House (Hugh Laurie) still mulling over the possibility of rekindling his romance with lawyer Stacy Warner (Sela Ward)--and never mind that Stacy is very much a married woman. The major medical crisis of the evening concerns death-row inmate Clarence (LL Cool J), who collapses shortly after claiming to hear the voices of all his victims. Despite the stiff opposition of Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and Foreman (Omar Epps), House and Stacy conspire conspire to sneak Clarence into the clinic so that House can save his life in time for the execution! And in another development, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) finds herself peculiarly incapable to inform her patient (Christie Lynn Smith) that she has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
House (Hugh Laurie) is flummoxed by the plight of his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner (Sela Ward), who can't understand why her husband Mark (Currie Graham) is suffering from abdominal pains and mood swings--nor why Mark is vividly recalling events during his honeymoon that never actually happened! It's not stress, and it's not Alzheimers...but it could be fatal if House makes the wrong diagnosis. As this final episode of House's first season approaches its cliffhanger climax, it looks as if there still may be a few romantic sparks between the ill-tempered doctor and his former sweetheart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
House (Hugh Laurie) faces a possible lawsuit after a confrontation with a gay "stalker" named Kalvin (Matthew John Armstrong). It is soon established that Kalvin is a victim of AIDS, but his symptoms are most confusing--as are those suffered by the patient's father (Wings Hauser). The situation reaches the crisis stage when Kalvin coughs blood all over Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), who may become fatally infected as a result. Elsewhere, House finds a rather unorthodox way to spend time with Stacy (Sela Ward) despite her decision to remain with her husband--and his strategy involves "tampering" with Stacy's pet rat! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
House (Hugh Laurie) is certain that champion cyclist Jeff Foster (Kristoffer Polaha) is suffering from respiratory problems because he's been taking enhancement drugs--but he's ordered by Foster's handlers to keep his theories to himself. The diagnosis keeps changing as new information continues to turn up, culminating in a public brouhaha when the word "cancer" is mentioned. Meanwhile, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) holds a grudge against Foster for betraying his devoted fans by not telling them the whole truth, and her attitude casts a pall over the entire proceedings. Elsewhere, House prepares to confront Mark Warner (Currie Graham), the husband of his ex-lover Stacy (Sela Ward), at a group therapy session. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Directed by Roland Emmerich, this mega-budget, special-effects-laden epic revolves around the onset of an international series of crises brought on by the long-term results of the greenhouse effect. At the eye of the storm is paleoclimatologist (a professor dedicated to the study of weather patterns throughout the ages) Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), who voluntarily takes on the preservation of the world in the dawn of the next ice age and all the disaster that comes along with it -- violent hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, massive floods, etc. Hall must also contact his son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), who was in the middle of an academic competition in New York City when the chaos begun. In addition to facing the largest-scale onslaught of natural catastrophes in the history of humankind, Jack, in his journey north, must contend with the masses fleeing south in an attempt to resettle in a warmer climate. The Day After Tomorrow also features Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward, and Joe Cobden. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, (more)
Based on a true story, this made-for-TV drama concerns Clara Harris (Elizabeth Peña), a successful dentist and mother of twins, who hires a private detective, Bobbi Bacha (Sela Ward), to keep tabs on her husband David (Brett Cullen). Clara has suspected for some time that David has been unfaithful to her, and when he hires a sexy new secretary, it isn't long before Clara learns the two are having an affair. Clara hires Bobbi to catch David in the act, but when Clara sees David out on the town with his mistress, Bobbi ends up getting something unexpected on videotape -- footage of Clara running over her husband with her car not once, but three times. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Elizabeth Peña, (more)
Not a sequel, not really a prequel, sort of a remake, more of a re-imagining, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights follows the blossoming love affair of young couple Katey (Romola Garai) and Javier (Diego Luna) against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution in 1958. Katey is an American girl living in Cuba with her parents who meets Javier, a local. Javier takes Katey to a nightclub where he teaches her how to dance dirty Cuban-style. The two grow closer and closer, but when Castro takes over, Katey's parents decide to flee for the U.S., leaving Katey to make the ultimate decision. Tying the film together with the classic 1987 original is Patrick Swayze who reprises the role of Johnny Castle in a cameo. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Romola Garai, (more)
A good-old-boy small-town sheriff in a New Orleans parish happens upon a murder case that threatens to end his career in Behind the Badge, the embattled second feature of writer/director Robby Henson (Pharaoh's Army). Billy Bob Thornton stars as Darl, a divorced lawman first spotted sleeping in his truck outside his favorite bar. Darl gets a call about a truck accident, and happily hands out shoes from the ditched tractor-trailer to win over the locals for his re-election. But then the body of a beautiful woman is found in the mud near the wrecked truck. The "woman" turns out to be a transsexual with a .22 slug in her back. Prejudice reigns in the small community, and no one seems to be taking the murder too seriously. Local politicians, including a powerful judge (William Devane), are focused on the upcoming election, and are also angling to build a casino in town, and so they want to keep the sordid murder quiet. The victim's wife, Scarlet (Patricia Arquette), a New Orleans stripper, shows up. Despite Darl's own prejudices, he finds himself attracted to Scarlet, and starts to look into the case. Soon he learns that his investigation and his big mouth have cost him his slot on the ticket. When he presses on, he finds himself jailed on a trumped-up statutory rape charge. Struggling with his own family history of disgrace, Darl considers making a deal with the local bigwigs in order to keep his job. But when he learns that Scarlet is in danger, he's forced into action. Sela Ward and Jena Malone also star. Behind the Badge was heading for theatrical distribution before production company Propaganda Films went bankrupt. The film was unable to find a new distributor and premiered on Starz cable on September 7, 2002. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton
Despite having been burned by unhappy previous marriages, architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) and online company worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) have tied the matrimonial knot and are reasonably happy as husband and wife as the third and final season of Once and Again gets under way. Unfortunately, the pressures of living under the same roof are causing friction between Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), and daughter, Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood), and Lily's daughters, Grace (Julia Whalen) and Zoe (Meredith Deane). Also working against the newlyweds' peace of mind are the woes brought about by Lily's mom's losing her battle with Alzheimer's, and the ongoing challenges posed by Lily's mentally challenged brother, Aaron (Patrick Dempsey). Things aren't much rosier for Rick's ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), who is seriously injured in a traffic accident. On the plus side, Lily finds a measure of personal success as host of a radio talk show; Lily's sister, Judy (Marin Hinkle), has a new boyfriend named Samuel Blue (Steven Weber), who happens to be Rick's co-worker; Lily's ex-husband, Jake, becomes a father again, thanks to girlfriend Tiffany (Ever Carradine), and by season's end has married Tiffany; Rick's daughter, Jessie, has formed a strong and supportive bond with new friend Katie Singer (Mischa Barton); and Karen meets the love of her life in the form of Henry (DB Woodside), the physical therapist who has helped her recover from her injuries. More good news comes Lily's way when her radio program is picked up for national syndication, and she discovers that she's pregnant. But dark clouds begin a-forming when Rick opts to accept a lucrative architectural assignment in Australia -- without making provisions to take Lily along with him. Through the series' three-year run, the characters have occasionally paused, stared straight at the camera, and delivered pithy "confessionals," expressing their innermost hopes and fears. The final episode of Once and Again takes this "nouvelle vague" cinematic technique one step further by having the actors drop character and express their real feelings about what has occurred during the past three seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
At last divested of her insensitive husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is certain that she can devote her full time to her budding romance with divorced architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) as Once and Again enters its second season. Alas, Rick is suddenly socked with a major crisis of his own: his work on the lucrative Atlantor architectural project comes to a screeching halt thanks to the legal duplicity of developer Miles Drentell -- a scabrous character introduced on Once and Again creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick's previous series thirtysomething, with David Clennon repeating his role herein. When it turns out that the only way Rick can extricate himself from this dilemma -- and a possible prison term -- is to rely upon the largesse of his spiteful ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), Lily despairs, reasoning that she has now struck out twice in the love department. Happily, however, things manage to smooth out sufficiently for Lily and Rick to finally march down the aisle near the end of season two -- and the couple's respective children, so resistant to their union in season one, have (temporary) smiles on their faces during the ceremony. Even so, the smile comes a bit hard for Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), whose best friend Carla (Audrey Anderson), a heap of neuroses throughout the season, is compelled to leave town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
While on a location shoot, spoiled movie actress Sydney Clarke (Sela Ward) clashes with her equally temperamental director. Storming off the set in a snit, Sydney gets lost in the woods, then hitches a ride to a small New England steel town -- where, amazingly, no one seems to recognize her. Curiously enjoying her anonymity, she befriends bowling-alley waitress Joyce (Rebecca Jenkins), who helps her land a job as a nurse at the local steel mill, managed by a handsome, down-to-earth hunk named Ryan (Andrew Jackson). Upon learning that the mill is in danger of demolition at the hands of greedy corporate fat-cats, Sydney vows to save the community's only source of income -- but will the citizens rally behind her if they find out she's been posing as something she's not? Made for the CBS TV network, Catch a Falling Star premiered March 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Rebecca Jenkins, (more)
In the process of divorcing her restauranteur husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), who refused to regard himself as "part of the problem," computer-service worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is reluctant to re-enter the dating scene as season one of Once and Again gets under way. Lily also doesn't want to injure the sensibilities of her 14-year-old daughter, Grace (Julia Whalen), who is going through a typically pubescent period of self-loathing, nor her nine-year-old daughter, Zoe (Meredith Deane), who is still holding out hope that her parents will get back together again. But Lily's attitude toward midlife romance changes when she meets successful architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell), himself divorced from a contentious spouse, a woman named Karen (Susanna Thompson), who blames everyone but herself for her sorry lot in life. And like Lily, Rick has a problem child, a 16-year-old son named Eli (Shane West) with a learning disability and a poor self-image (Rick's 12-year-old daughter, Jessie [Evan Rachel Wood], is reasonably well adjusted by comparison). Clearly, Lily and Rick are kindred spirits, and clearly they are going to fall in love, hoping to beat the odds against lasting happiness. Most of the first season finds Rick waiting patiently for Lily to settle her marital dispute with Jake. He also makes a valiant effort to win over Grace and Zoe, who are markedly resistant to his charms. Other stories focus on a trio of secondary characters: Jake's new girlfriend, Tiffany Porter (Ever Carradine); Rick's business partner, David Casilli (Todd Field); and Lily's sister, Judy Brooks (Marin Hinkle), who operates a wine-and-cheese bookstore. And, of course, every so often the characters express their feelings in the form of Truffautesque "confessionals," delivered directly to the camera (and, by extension, to the viewers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
Robert Allan Ackerman's Passion's Way stars Sela Ward and Timothy Dalton as former lovers who are reunited under less than ideal circumstances. When they find each other again, he is deeply involved with one of her employees. The two women engage in a series of psychological battles in order to defeat each other in this battle of the heart. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Timothy Dalton, (more)
Mark Christopher wrote and directed this look back at the Disco Era when the popular Studio 54 was at its apogee in the late '70s. With obvious comparisons to Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997) and Whit Stillman's The Last Days of Disco (1998), the story introduces working-class 19-year-old Irish-American Shane O'Shea (Ryan Phillippe), who has lived with his father and siblings since the death of his mother when he was 12. Shane quickly rises from busboy to bartender at Studio 54, co-owned and managed in a paternal manner by entrepreneur Steve Rubell (Mike Myers). Busboy Greg Randazzo (Breckin Meyer) and Greg's wife, Anita (Salma Hayek), the club's coat check girl, become Shane's new friends, and he encounters the possibility of romance with soap star Julie Black (Neve Campbell). The story spans the summer of 1979 until the decline of Studio 54 a year later with IRS investigations, followed by the arrest and jailing of Rubell. Costumes by Ellen Lutter capture the glitter and glam-glitz of the period. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, (more)
Two inspiring true tales comprise this feature. Both center on ordinary people who risked everything during WW II to save Jewish people from the Holocaust. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Perkins, Martin Donovan, (more)
Season five of Frasier opens as the titular radio psychologist (Kelsey Grammer) spontaneously bids a brief adios to Seattle and flies off to Acapulco. Here he is smitten by voluptuous supermodel Kelly (Sela Ward) -- but of course it isn't all about sex, or so Frasier tells himself, since Kelly is also extremely intelligent, a Ph.D candidate in zoology. Back home, Frasier's brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), father Martin (John Mahoney), and Martin's live-in caregiver Daphne (Jane Leeves) become convinced that Kelly (whom they've never seen) is merely a product of Frasier's hyperactive imagination! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust, a book by Gay Block and Malka Drucker, this made-for-cable drama was intended as the first of a trilogy inspired by the same literary source. The film is divided into two segments, both set in Europe during WWII. Scripted by Ernest Kinoy, "Mamusha" stars Elizabeth Perkins as a Polish-Catholic nanny who saves her orphaned Jewish charge by literally hiding the child in plain sight, posing as the child's mother. And "The Woman on the Bicycle," adapted by Susan Nanus, features Sela Ward and Fritz Weaver in the story of a fearless French resistance fighter who smuggles secret papers for the Allies while going about her daily cheese deliveries (this same character was fictionalized in the 1963 theatrical epic The Longest Day). Executive-produced by Barbra Streisand and directed by Peter Bogdanovich, Rescuers: Stories of Courage -- Two Women made its Showtime cable debut on October 5, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Perkins, Sela Ward, (more)





















