Barbara Williams Movies
Lead actress, onscreen from the '80s. ~ All Movie Guide
A teen (Magda Apanowicz) is torn between becoming a veterinarian and the dream her father (Stephen Collins) has for her: becoming a rodeo star. Her dilemma peaks when her dad puts the family's future on the line by betting on her riding skills. ~ Brie Hearn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Collins, Magda Apanowicz, (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)
- 2002
A kidnapper delivers a gruesome "souvenir" to the squad to show that he means business. Acting on the kidnapper's orders, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) must accompany Roy Logan (Tom Irwin) as he delivers the one-million-dollar ransom to a prearranged location. If anything goes wrong, Logan's mistress will be instantly killed. But is this particular case merely what it appears to be on the surface, or is something else afoot? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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)
An aspiring comic, Neville (Larenz Tate) is burdened by drug abuse and memories of childhood traumas. He and his older half brother Matthew (Martin Cummins), a boxer, are unable to escape from the painful repercussions of their past, which includes their mother serving a prison sentence for killing Neville's father. Things seem to look up for Neville when he becomes involved with a gifted singer (real-life R&B chanteuse Deborah Cox), but still he must struggle to surmount a family legacy that has resulted in so much anger and emotional ruin. Screened at the 2000 Vancouver International Film Festival, Love Come Down features renowned Canadian actress Sarah Polley in a role as an unconventional nun. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larenz Tate, Deborah Cox, (more)
Todd Holland directed this Charlie Peters adaptation of Frank Parkin's novel. Respected anthropologist James Krippendorf (Richard Dreyfuss) and his wife, Jennifer (Barbara Williams), bring their three children along during their failed search in New Guinea for a lost tribe. After Jennifer's death, James reaches a zero point back in the U.S., having spent all his foundation grant money raising the kids as a single parent. Scheduled to lecture at a college and fearful he could be charged with misuse of grant funds, James concocts an imaginary tribe, the Shelmikedmu, and fakes a 16 mm "documentary" film, casting his children as tribe members and editing in footage of a legit New Guinea tribe. Anthropologist Veronica Micelli (Jenna Elfman) contacts cable-TV producer Henry Spivey (David Ogden Stiers), forcing James to continue creating fraudulent footage as the rival Ruth Allen (Lily Tomlin) gets suspicious. It seems a shame this racially insensitive film was made, while the once-announced plans to film anthropologist Kenneth Good's nonfiction Into the Heart (Simon & Schuster, 1991) never led to a production. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman, (more)
- 1998
Recalling (but not duplicating) the memorable Miami Vice, this TV drama series focuses on Miami Beach cop Vince Karol (Australian stage actor Marcus Graham). Fired after an adulterous escapade with his boss's wife, Miami Vince becomes a private investigator, remaining in touch with his police pal Freddie (Jose Zuniga) and also getting an assist from his bright attorney friend Sam (Barbara Williams). The basic premise here is that Vince does more than just bag the bad guys; he becomes obsessed with their true motives and inner feelings. Filmed in Miami, the series premiered July 19, 1998 on the USA Network. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcus Graham, José Zuñiga, (more)
- 1998
- NR
In this taut, gruesome thriller, a novelist (and former medical examiner) turns sleuth when he learns about a serial killer with a flair for filleting his victims alive and then keeping their bones. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Barbara Williams, (more)
- 1998
Rutger Hauer plays William Palmer, formerly the chief medical examiner of Chicago who now makes his living as a writer. Palmer has written a novel based on one of the more interesting cases he investigated, a psychopathic murderer who would remove the bones from his victims while they were still alive. In his novel, the fiend, nicknamed "Bone Daddy," is caught and brought to justice, but in real life he was never found, and after the publication of his novel, the real-life Bone Daddy is inspired to resume his grisly work. Palmer begins receiving revolting packages in the mail -- human bones wrapped in pages from his book -- and it turns out the bones belong to William's agent. William has to find out where Bone Daddy is while his friend might still be alive, especially since the police have developed the mistaken notion that Palmer's son might be the culprit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Barbara Williams, (more)
The lives of two closely linked, small town Illinois families dangerously intersect in this domestic drama set in the 1950s, based on a short story by Sue Miller and directed by Pat O'Connor. Though they are from the wrong side of the tracks, the working class brothers Jacey (Billy Crudup) and Doug Holt (Joaquin Phoenix) are in love with the wealthy and beautiful Abbott sisters. Shy and quiet Doug, who worships his womanizing brother, has eyes for the iconoclastic Pam (Liv Tyler), but Jacey's affections are more calculating; he's interested in whichever Abbott sister is interested in him. At first, this is Eleanor (Jennifer Connelly), the "wild" sister, but eventually Jacey sets his sights on the divorced oldest sister, Alice (Joanna Going). For Jacey, his conquest of the Abbotts is a form of economic revenge, as he believes that the head of the family, Lloyd (Will Patton), stole a patent that made him rich from the Holts' late father. When he's eventually revealed as an embittered cad, Jacey's mistreatment of the Abbott girls makes the genuine affection between Doug and Pam impossible for either family to accept.
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup, (more)
A priest has been murdered in the neighborhood of Inspector Paul Fein's youth, and it's up to the seasoned cop to crack the case in director David Greene's entry into the tense Family of Cops series. It's not going to be easy going back to the streets of his childhood, but despite the demons that linger in the shadows of every corner, this is one case he's not willing to let slip through the cracks. With all evidence pointing to the Russian Mafia as being responsible for the crime, Inspector Fein searches desperately for a witness who's willing to talk. As fear tightens its grip on the scared Russian community of Milwaukee, bodies continue to pile up and an unspoken code of silence threatens to stonewall the investigation. Now, with both his life and the lives of his family hanging in the balance, Inspector Fein must make the decision to pull back, or press forward and pray that the killer won't get to him before he gets to them. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Angela Featherstone, (more)
- 1996
The true story of fabled Canadian truck driver Diana Kilmury is vividly realized in this made-for-TV drama. Barbara Williams stars as Kilmury, a tough-talking, chain-smoking tyro who, as the first female vice-president of the Canadian Teamsters, fearlessly spearheads a movement to expunge the union of its most corrupt officials. Kilmury's professional struggles are counterpointed by her personal travails as the mother of a mentally challenged son. $Stuart Margolin is featured as Diana's longtime lover (and staunchest supporter) John, while the really Diana Kilmury makes an appearance at the end of the film. The winner of a cable ACE award, Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story aired on Canadian television before its American TV debut over the TNT channel on October 22, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Williams, Timothy Webber, (more)
In this made-for-TV thriller, Paul Fein (Charles Bronson) is a veteran police detective whose son Eddie (Sebastian Spence) is also a cop. Paul is assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman, and he soon learns that the field of suspects has been narrowed down to two -- the victim's sexually freewheeling wife Anna (Lesley-Anne Down), and Paul's wild-child daughter Jackie (Angela Featherstone). Neither Paul nor Eddie believe that Jackie could have committed the murder, and soon Paul is using himself as a decoy in a bid to find out more about what Anna does and doesn't know about her husband's death. Family of Cops was followed by two sequels. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A goofy slacker wreaks havoc after worming his way onto the jury of a high-profile court case in this broad comedy. The extremely unmotivated Tommy Collins (Pauly Shore) has found himself homeless after being kicked out by his mother, and he needs a place to stay. After hearing how the juries of important cases are sequestered in fancy hotels and provided with free meals, he decides that's the life for him and successfully volunteers for jury duty. Enjoying what he considers the high life and wishing to romance an attractive female juror (Tia Carrere), Tommy infuriates his fellow jurors by attempting to drag out the trial. Director John Fortenberry offers much obvious slapstick, along with a few attempts at topical jibes against media sensationalism, but even fans of Shore's lowbrow humor may be disappointed by the film's quality. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pauly Shore, Tia Carrere, (more)
- 1993
While en route to the planet Lyaar, Picard crash-lands on an all but deserted planet. Here he is rescued by beautiful castaway Anna (Barbara Williams), who falls desperately in love with him. Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, barbaric Lyaaran ambassador Byleth (Michael Harris) tries to goad Worf into violence. First telecast October 2, 1993, "Liasons" was scripted by Jeanne Carrigan Fauci and Lisa Rich from a story by Roger Eschbacher and Jac Greenspon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Spenser: Ceremony stars Robert Urich as Robert B. Parker celebrated private eye. The story involves Spenser and his partner Hawk (Avery Brooks) attempting to keep a teenage girl safe after her life on the streets leads her to discover criminal truths about a prominent politician who has a taste for teenage prostitutes. Barbara Williams portrays Susan Silverman, the only woman close to Spenser's heart. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, Barbara Williams, (more)
- 1993
This telemovie follow-up to ABC's hit Boston-based detective series Spenser: For Hire (1985-88) aired a little over five years after the original program wrapped. Adapted (like the weekly series) from mystery stories authored by Robert B. Parker, this outing finds ex-Beantown policeman Spenser (Robert Urich) visiting a New England small town to uncover the grimy truth behind a murder - and learning, in the process, that a syndicate of cocaine-running goons controls the town. He is assisted in his investigation by his girlfriend Susan Silverman (Barbara Williams). Parker and his wife, Joan H. Parker, co-authored the script.
~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, (more)
- 1992
A vigilante (Anthony LaPaglia) who is systematically killing the crime lords in control of the Chicago mob crosses paths with a veteran detective (Louis Gossett Jr.) in this made-for-cable thriller. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
- 1992
In this made-for-cable thriller, an unstable woman (Jennifer Beals) is drawn into the web of a scheming co-worker and the estranged husband (James Remar) of her boss. When her boss turns up the victim of a supposed suicide, things just don't quite add up. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this made-for-TV drama, a teenage girl named Sarah (Kathleen Robertson) is flying home to see her parents when she falls ill. While Sarah is convinced that she has simply come down with a bad cold, when she keels over and dies while crossing a street, an autopsy reveals that Sarah had in fact contracted the pneumonic plague. Dr. Nora Hart (Kate Jackson), the hospital's authority on epidemics and highly contagious diseases, now must track down as many people as possible who came in contact with the girl before the plague begins to spread -- including Calvin Phillips (Howard Hessman), a congressman Sarah met on her flight. Based on the novel The Black Death by Gweneth Cravens and John C. Marr, Quiet Killer also stars Jerry Orbach, Luis Guzman, and Al Waxman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This oddly unsettling PG-rated film stars Adam Hand-Byrd as Digger, a 12-year-old whose parents are going through serious domestic problems. To keep him out of the line of fire, Digger is sent to live with his crusty grandmother Olympia Dukakis in the Pacific Northwest. He has a great deal of difficulty adjusting to his new environment, but soon he and the locals are the best of friends. A subplot concerns grandma Dukakis' rollicking romance with suave Leslie Nielsen. Rodney Gibbons' script takes some curious side trips into the Morbid, with Digger making the acquaintance of some very tragic characters. Digger was completed in 1992, copyrighted in 1993, and finally given limited release in 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Hann-Byrd, Joshua Jackson, (more)
- 1992
- PG
A young man who fantasizes about an older woman discovers his daydreams may be turning into realities in this coming-of-age comedy-drama. Eric (Corey Haim) and Donald (Andrew Miller) are two teenage boys growing up in a small farming community in Canada in the mid-1950's. Eric and Donald are at the uncomfortable age where their interest in women far outstrips their knowledge of how to get women interested in them. Eric is also still recovering from the death of his mother, while he struggles to come to terms with the remarriage of his father, Thorvald (Kier Dullea), to Eva (Genevieve Bujold). As local gas jockey Mr. Todd (Robbie Coltrane) offers Eric and Donald advice on courting the fairer sex, Eric discovers Vera (Barbara Williams), the attractive wife of the farmer living next door, enjoys skinny-dipping with her daughters, and Eric digs a makeshift "hideout" where he can watch her undetected. Eric begins to strike up a friendship with Vera, while unknown to him, Vera becomes increasingly unhappy in her marriage. One day, Vera catches Eric as he watches her swimming, but rather than reacting with anger, she reaches out to the inexperienced youth. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Haim, Barbara Williams, (more)
- 1991
- R
A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life, written and directed by John Sayles. Nick Rinaldi (Vincent Spano), a lost soul usually high on drink and drugs, has spent his life in one New Jersey city, getting free rides from his connected father (Tony LoBianco) and hearing the locals talk of his brother's death in Vietnam. Searching for more control, Nick quits the cushy contractor's job provided by his Dad, feeling that major events are about to happen to him. That feeling proves accurate -- by film's end his life will change, as will the lives of many others. Nick is only the center of the movie's sprawling collection of people and plotlines; Sayles takes full advantage of this expansive landscape, as he often begins shooting one conversation, only to pull back and eavesdrop on another, in one smooth, intriguing shot. By listening in, we slowly learn about the citizens and their dilemmas, as the city's woes bubble to a narrative climax. Many of Sayles' regular players are on-screen (the movie features 52 roles), including Joe Morton as a frustrated councilman and David Strathairn as a disturbed street person. ~ Norm Schrager, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Spano, Joe Morton, (more)
- 1990
- PG
Adapted from a true story, West German investigative journalist Gunther Wallraff (Jurgen Prochnow) decides to fight sleaze with sleaze as he goes undercover at a tabloid newspaper to dig up the dirt on the paper's own unethical practices. Rising to the top of the hierarchy by working at the kind of journalism he despises, Wallraff soon discovers that the paper is waging a campaign against his true-life self; he must fight to emerge with his identity intact. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jürgen Prochnow, Peter Coyote, (more)
