Carrie Fisher Movies
Though she is a best-selling author and screenwriter, many fans will always associate Carrie Fisher with the role of Princess Leia from George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy. She is the daughter of movie stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher and grew up wanting to follow in their footsteps. When Fisher was quite young, her father left the family to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds raised Fisher and her younger brother, Todd Fisher, alone, but then remarried. As a performer, she started appearing with her mother on Vegas nightclub stages at age 12. When she was 15, Fisher left high school to focus on her show business career. The following year, she was a dancer in the Broadway revival of Irene, which starred her mother. Soon after that, Fisher enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama where she studied for 18 months.Fisher made her film debut playing a sexy young thing who succumbs to womanizing Warren Beatty's seduction in Shampoo (1975). Next came the Star Wars films. Her feisty portrayal of the courageous young princess made Fisher a star. But with sudden stardom came a price. In November 1978, she hosted the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. There she met and became friends with John Belushi, and with him got heavily involved with illegal drugs. Fisher became romantically involved with singer/songwriter Paul Simon and married him in the early '80s. Due in part to her drug problems, the marriage lasted less than a year. A near overdose led Fisher to drug and alcohol rehabilitation. She details her experiences with drugs and recovery in her witty first novel, Postcards From the Edge (1987). Two years later, Fisher adapted the tale for Mike Nichols' charming and moving screen version which starred Meryl Streep as a drug-addicted daughter trying to make a comeback and compete with a glamorous movie star mother (Shirley MacLaine) who always outshines her.
Throughout the '80s, Fisher continued appearing sporadically in feature films, but made little impact as an actress. By the latter part of the decade, her acting career began perking up again with such films as When Harry Met Sally (1989), in which she played Meg Ryan's best friend. Fisher appeared in a few more films and also in the television series Leaving L.A. through 1992 and then abandoned acting for the next five years to focus on child rearing and her writing career. Subsequent novels include Surrender the Pink, a semi-autobiographical novel exploring her relationship with Paul Simon, and Delusions of Grandma. In 1997, Fisher returned to feature films playing a small role in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. She also experienced renewed fame when George Lucas released restored and enhanced versions of his Star Wars series in 1996. Although she became better known for her writing than her acting, she continued to appear in movies such as Lisa Picard Is Famous, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Fanboys, and the 2008 remake of The Women. In 2010 her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, in which she recounted her career and her life, was filmed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 2010
- Add Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking to Queue Add Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking to top of Queue
Carrie Fisher's autobiographical stage production chronicles her life in and out of show business as the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actor Debbie Reynolds; her role in the early Star Wars films; her bipolar disorder; and relationships, including an on-again, off-again romance with singer Paul Simon. Taped at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, N.J. ~ Joe Friedrich, Rovi
A sorority prank gone wrong leads to a bloody murder spree in this slasher film featuring Rumer Willis, Audrina Patridge, and Carrie Fisher. It was supposed to be a practical joke, but no one was laughing after a girl in the prime of her life had been accidentally murdered. Desperate to go on with their lives and avoid taking responsibility for their actions, the surviving sisters and their male accomplice agree to dump the body and never speak of the incident again. Just after graduation, however, a mysterious killer begins stalking everyone who harbors the bloody secret, leading the survivors to fight for their lives against a masked maniac with a deadly modus operandi. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, (more)
- 2008
The colorful subject of the popular underground documentary Dancing Outlaw finds his outlandish life story adapted for the big screen in this biopic penned by Vice Magazine's Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti (Heavy Metal Baghdad), and directed by UK commercial veteran Dominic Murphy. West Virginia native Jesco White was just six years old when he started huffing gasoline and lighter fluid to get high. As a troubled adolescent young Jesco bounced between work camps and reform schools until the day his father, famed mountain dancer D. Ray White, taught him how to tap dance. That skill would prove indispensable in helping Jesco keep his wicked ways in check after his father is murdered and the demons come knocking. Lacing up his father's tap shoes and taking his show on the road, Jesco (Edward Hogg) eventually meets Cilla (Carrie Fisher), the woman he will eventually call his wife. But even true love can't prevent Jesco from being split by the double-edged sword of revenge and redemption, and for the man who craves both there is truly no peace. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ed Hogg, Carrie Fisher, (more)
Veteran producer/director Diane English (The Lathe of Heaven, Murphy Brown) helms this contemporized remake of George Cukor's beloved proto-feminist comedy drama The Women (1939), an adaptation of Clare Boothe Luce's play. The English version follows the gossip, bitchy wisecracking, and overall disillusionment that erupt among a group of socialite friends when their dearest and most envied learns of her husband's marital infidelity at the hands of a backstabbing shopgirl. The all-female cast is fronted by Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Candice Bergen, with supporting roles inhabited by Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, and Carrie Fisher. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, (more)
- 2007
A failed composer takes in an aspiring novelist/dilettante, only to find himself pushed to the edge of insanity when his charity is taken for granted in this simmering black comedy from director Alan Cumming. John Vandermark (Cumming) has a sizable weak spot for handsome young artists. Upon meeting down-on-his-luck writer Sebastian St. German (David Boreanaz), the sympathetic musician is stirred to help the budding novelist by offering him room and board. It doesn't take long, however, for the generous host to realize that his good will is being trampled by his brash young tenant. When Vandermark discovers that St. German has been sleeping with every woman in sight while casually brushing off his own thinly-veiled advances, the stage is set for an explosive confrontation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, (more)
A fanatical group of Star Wars devotees travel across the country on a mission to steal a print of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace from Skywalker Ranch and become the first fans to see the film in a rowdy, sci-fi-flavored road comedy starring Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, and Kristen Bell. Carrie Fisher, William Shatner, and Ray Park turn up for cameos in the one comedy that truly understands the fanboy mindset. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, (more)
Two recent college graduates hatch an ingenuous scheme to increase their income while having a bit of naughty fun on the side in this sexy comedy that proves just how wild lonely housewives can be when left unattended. For Spence and Hogan, the carefree days of college come crashing to an end when they are forced to go to work for a group of heartless divorce lawyers who seem to take great joy in tormenting the dejected young slackers. Subsequently presented the opportunity to start a club in which older women can discreetly experience the joys of being with a younger man, these two put-upon legal workers set about rounding up a group of their most libidinous young men to launch a successful start-up business that thrives on pleasure. Faye Dunaway, Carrie Fisher, Izabella Scorupco, and Joanie Lauer star in a scorching age-disparity comedy from cinematographer and special effects artist-turned-director Christopher Duddy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Jurman, Warren Kole, (more)
- 2007
Oscar-winning Hollywood visionary Steven Spielberg teams with reality television pioneer Mark Burnett for an unscripted series in which undiscovered filmmakers compete for the opportunity to win a development deal at DreamWorks -- the production company behind such major box-office hits as Dreamgirls and War of the Worlds. Each week the contestants are provided with the best resources that the film industry has to offer, provided with a limited budget, and given the assignment of completing various types of film projects. After completion, each film is screened in a one-hour episode and critiqued by three judges: director Garry Marshall, actress and screenwriter Carrie Fisher, and a special guest judge, such as Brett Ratner, Michael Bay, and D.J. Caruso. Though the professional critiques allow the contestants an opportunity to gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as filmmakers, the final outcome of the competition rests in the hands of the viewing audience -- who are given the opportunity to vote for their favorite film each week. The results of the vote are announced during the next week's episode, and the filmmaker(s) behind the feature with the fewest votes are sent home. In the end, the one director left standing is granted a one-million-dollar development deal at DreamWorks, which could allow the filmmaker the opportunity to realize his or her dream of becoming a major Hollywood director. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Two talented young people head to California looking for fame, but find love along the way in this romantic drama. Luke (Steven Strait) is a struggling rock musician who has decided to leave New York City for the seemingly greener pastures of Los Angeles. A few days before he leaves, he spots a beautiful girl on the subway who gives him a big smile, giving him brief second thoughts. However, Luke heads out to L.A. anyway, and after months of scuffling lands a gig -- and sees the beautiful girl, Brier (Pell James), in the audience. Brier is an aspiring actress who, like Luke, came to L.A. to boost her career; she's taking acting classes at a well-respected workshop, and has landed a less-than-glamorous but lucrative deodorant commercial. Luke and Brier strike up a friendship, though it's obvious he's interested in something deeper; as Luke tries to score a record deal, Brier and her best friend Clea (Ashlee Simpson) try to spruce up his image and create some buzz about his music. But as Luke falls hard for Brier, she develops greater qualms about getting involved with a musician who will spend half his life on the road, and their shared desire for that big break may be the thing that keeps them apart. Undiscovered also stars Carrie Fisher, Kip Pardue, and Fisher Stevens. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pell James, Steven Strait, (more)
- 2005
Bet you thought that Lois has been ignoring all of her baby son Stewie's attempts to kill these past four seasons, didn't you? In truth, Lois is fully aware of Stewie's homicidal streak--and she holds her husband Peter to blame for not spending enough quality time with his infant offspring. Thus it is that Peter and Stewie make a mutually uncomfortable effort to bond. . .and it's a frightening thing to see. On the other hand, some viewers might get a case of the creeps while watching the episode's subplot, in which Stewie's slacker brother Chris becomes friends with Herbert, one of the weirdest of Family Guy's many peripheral characters. All this, plus quickie references to Michael Eisner, Penelope Cruz, Captain EO and the internet "flash cartoon" Peanut Butter Jelly Time. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2005
Peter has landed a job at a beer factory (What? No Laverne and Shirley reference?), but soon finds that the work is not to his liking. Meanwhile, son Chris nervously anticipates a traditional hazing at his school. Not wishing to suffer the ordeal, Chris runs off to the jungles of South America, where he becomes a local hero by performing songs originally popularized by George Michael--and finds himself betrothed to a tribal chieftan's daughter. Before long, Peter "goes native" as well, but he isn't so far afield of civilization that he can't make a reference to the notorious "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
"A family walks into a talent agent's office..." So begins "The Aristocrats," a joke kept mostly secret by stand-up comedians for decades. An intentionally "bad" joke, the laughs in The Aristocrats aren't in the punch-line (one of the only elements that's the same every time), but in the set-up, made unique by each comedian who tells it in an attempt to fashion the world's dirtiest joke. The cat was finally let out of the bag by Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, the seasoned funnymen who gathered together a hundred people to tell a hundred different renditions of the bit. Among those presenting their personal take on The Aristocrats in this film of the same name are Jason Alexander, Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Stewart, Emo Philips, and Chris Rock. The Aristocrats premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
Directed by Reverge Anselmo, Stateside revolves around the unique love story of two very different teens -- namely, the rich but lonely Mark Deloach (Jonathan Tucker) and Dori Lawrence (Rachael Leigh Cook), a schizophrenic singer and actress -- whose lives spiral out of control in separate but nonetheless connective ways. After Mark's prank on a local girl (Agnes Bruckner) results in a deadly drunk-driving accident, and Dori's mental health continues to deteriorate, Mark is forcibly sent to the Marines as Dori is admitted into a mental hospital. Despite the state of havoc in their lives, however, Dori and Mark are drawn to each other -- it would appear that their mutual need for love and some semblance of understanding has bonded them more tightly together than all of their more traditional relationships combined. Of course, those very relationships are insisting the young couple stay as far apart as possible; Mrs. Hagen (Diane Venora), head of Dori's halfway house, is particularly insistent. When Mark is deployed to a combat unit overseas, it looks as though Mrs. Hagen's wishes have been granted. Unable to forget each other, Mark and Dori do their best to heal one another in spite of the distance between them. Stateside features supporting performances from Ed Begley Jr., Carrie Fisher, Val Kilmer, and Joe Mantegna ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rachael Leigh Cook, Jonathan Tucker, (more)
James Cox directs the sleazy Hollywood murder tale Wonderland, starring Val Kilmer as legendary porn star John Holmes. Using a non-linear plot structure, the film explores different perspectives of the quadruple homicide that occurred on July 1, 1981, in the Hollywood Hills. At the lowest point of his career and the height of his drug addiction, Holmes was implicated in the murders of the Wonderland gang: Ron Launius (Josh Lucas), Billy Deverell (Tim Blake Nelson), Barbara Richardson (Natasha Gregson Wagner), and Joy Miller (Janeane Garofalo). Launius' wife, Susan (Christina Applegate), was the only survivor. Led by Detective Sam Nico (Ted Levine), the police investigation reveals a dark criminal underworld surrounding Holmes, his disapproving wife, Sharon (Lisa Kudrow), and his innocent teenage girlfriend, Dawn Schiller (Kate Bosworth). Eric Bogosian stars as notorious Hollywood nightclub owner Eddie Nash. Wonderland premiered at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, (more)
- 2003
- Add The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch to Queue Add The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch to top of Queue
Monty Python-alum Eric Idle directs and stars in this sequel to his 1978 mockumentary, The Rutles. It's decades later and the Rutles are embarking on their final reunion tour. Along for the ride is S.J. Krammerhead (Idle) who, just like in the first film, interviews several notable celebrities who expound on the greatness of the "pre-fab four." Among those who appear as themselves are David Bowie, Billy Connolly, Carrie Fisher, Jewel Kilcher, Steve Martin, Mike Nichols, Conan O'Brien, and Salman Rushdie. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eric Idle, Neil Innes, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
- Add Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle to Queue Add Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle to top of Queue
The three most glamorous and butt-kicking private detectives in the business are back and ready to take on bad guys in this sequel to the 2000 blockbuster screen adaptation of the once-popular television series. Dylan (Drew Barrymore), Natalie (Cameron Diaz), and Alex (Lucy Liu) are once again summoned to the office of their boss Charlie (voice of John Forsythe), where they're introduced to his new right-hand man Jimmy Bosley (Bernie Mac) and given their latest assignment. It seems a pair of rings have gone missing and need to be recovered, but this was no ordinary jewel heist -- the rings have been coded with special information that can be used to access a list of every person in the FBI's Witness Protection Program, and when a handful of protected informants are murdered, the Angels are brought in to help crack the case. As the women search for the culprits, they encounter Madison Lee (Demi Moore), one of Charlie's former agents who decided that the wrong side of the law pays better, and Seamus (Justin Theroux), who once dated Dylan and wants revenge for her decision to turn him over to the police. Luke Wilson and Matt LeBlanc return as (respectively) Natalie and Alex's love interests, as does Crispin Glover as the Thin Man; John Cleese, Robert Forster, and Eric Bogosian also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, (more)
Four of Tinseltown's greatest glamour queens came together for this tartly comic made-for-TV movie which pokes gentle (and not so gentle) fun at their histories and reputations. Kate Westburn (Shirley MacLaine), Addie Holden (Joan Collins), and Piper Grayson (Debbie Reynolds) are three legendary Hollywood stars who in their heyday were known to audiences for their beauty, charm, and musical talent -- and, within the movie industry, for their short tempers and industrial-strength egos. The three stars only worked together once, on a musical made in the early '60s called Boy Crazy, but when the film becomes a cult sensation in a late-'90s re-release, Gavin (Nestor Carbonell), a network television executive desperate for a hit, gets the idea of staging a reunion special starring the three divas. However, there's a hitch -- the three women can barely stand each other, and while they share the same agent, Beryl Mason (Elizabeth Taylor), Beryl and Piper haven't gotten along since Piper's husband left her to marry Beryl. But Gavin is determined to make the project work, and hires Kate's son Wesley (Jonathan Silverman) to work with Beryl to pull things together. Against all odds, the three stars agree to do the special, but while there's no small amount of cat-fighting behind the scenes, in front of the camera the ladies discover time has not been kind to all of them. These Old Broads was written and executive-produced by Carrie Fisher and Elaine Pope; Fisher, of course, is the daughter of Debbie Reynolds, whose husband Eddie Fisher had an affair with Elizabeth Taylor (Fisher later married Taylor after he divorced Reynolds), and Fisher wrote a character based on her mother for the novel (and subsequent movie) Postcards From the Edge, which was played onscreen by Shirley MacLaine. No word on where Joan Collins fit into this formula. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, (more)
- 2001
- R
- Add Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to Queue Add Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to top of Queue
The frequently recurring title characters, employed by writer and director Kevin Smith as supporting players in several of his films, are put to rest with this comedy that focuses on them exclusively. Jay (Jason Mews) and Silent Bob (Smith) are a pair of stoned New Jersey slackers who have long been used as the templates for a pair of popular comic book heroes, Bluntman and Chronic. When they learn that their alter egos are to be turned into a major motion picture without their consent or compensation, the pair sets off for Hollywood to sabotage the production. Along the way, they encounter an ape, a nun (Carrie Fisher), the cast of Scooby-Doo, a Charlie's Angels-style band of sexy women who use them as stool pigeons in a diamond heist, and an unhinged wildlife ranger (Will Ferrell). They also meet up with some regulars from the Smith canon, including Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks, Jason Lee as Banky Edwards, Alanis Morissette as God, and actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in dual roles as themselves and two other familiar characters. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back co-stars numerous other recognizable performers in roles of various sizes, including Shannen Doherty, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Shannon Elizabeth, Tracy Morgan, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock, and George Carlin, among others. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, (more)
Actor-turned-filmmaker Griffin Dunne directs this mockumentary about the lives of struggling thespians. The film focuses on Lisa Picard (Laura Kirk), a fledgling actress about to burst on the scene thanks to a bit part in a made-for-TV movie. She is followed around by Dunne as she makes her publicity rounds with her friend Tate Kelley (Nat DeWolf), a writer/actor/militant gay activist. Famous is populated with several direct-to-camera interviews featuring the likes of Penelope Ann Miller, Charles Sheen, and Mira Sorvino. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel London
Wes Craven's Scream (1996) was a half-parody/half-tribute to the first wave of slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s, and since most of them spawned a large number of sequels, it's only appropriate that Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson produced a third installment of their Scream franchise. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), traumatized by the brutal murders of her friends, has left her hometown of Woodsboro and is working in California as a crisis intervention counselor. Meanwhile, "Stab," the novel by Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox Arquette), is spawning a series of successful horror films, and as Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro is being filmed in Los Angeles, a lunatic has gotten his hands on a copy of the script, and is murdering the characters in the same order that they die in the movie. But predicting who will die next is not as simple as it might seem, since the producers have circulated three different screenplays, with different endings. In addition to Campbell and Cox-Arquette, David Arquette returns from the first two films as less-than-bright "Dewey" Riley; new members of the cast include Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, and Jenny McCarthy. Kevin Williamson wrote the original story, but the screenplay was penned by Ehren Kruger. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Arquette, Neve Campbell, (more)
- 1999
The Unauthorized Star Wars Story is an entertaining and informative behind-the-scenes account of the making of one of moviedom's enduring classics. The documentary brims with fun and gossip that both devoted Star Wars fans and casual viewers will find amusing. Interview clips include conversations with Charles Lippincott, former vice president of Lucasfilm, George Lucas and Rick McCallum, producer of The Phantom Menace. The film's stars are also interviewed, including, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels who played C3PO, Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca and Kenny Baker, otherwise known as R2D2. From pranks on the set to the cult world surrounding Star Wars, this film tells all.
~ Sally Barber, Rovi
- 1998
Cory (Ben Savage) and Angela (Trina McGee-Davis) are accepted by Pennbrook College, Topanga (Danielle Fishel) gets acceptance letters from both Pennbrook and Yale. . .and Shawn is stuck on a waiting list. Feeling left out of things, Shawn declares that he isn't going to college as planned, but instead will take a job as a photographer's assistant. Thus, in keeping with the title of this episode,"things change"--and those changes include a major one in the life of Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.