James Keach Movies
James Keach is the son of actor/producer Stacy Keach Sr. and the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach Jr. An actor himself, Keach has appeared with his brother in PBS' The Wings of Kitty Hawk (as Orville Wright) and in the 1980 theatrical feature The Long Riders (as Jesse James). He also worked on the script of the last-named project. Emulating his father, Keach has concentrated on behind-the-camera work as a producer and director. In the latter capacity, he has helmed such projects as False Identity (1991) Sunstroke (1991), Stars Fell on Henrietta (1994). In addition, James Keach has directed several episodes of the popular CBS TV series Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, starring his wife, actress Jane Seymour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
James Keach's romantic comedy Blind Dating concerns a 22-year old blind man named Danny (Chris Pine. Though Danny refuses to let his visual deficiency keep him from enjoying every aspect of life, he does shy away from women. When his brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) discovers Danny is a virgin, he makes every effort to lift that burden from him. Although a series of dates goes very wrong in a number of ways, Danny eventually meets a nurse (Anjali Jay), who agrees to go out with him, although her Indian family may prove a greater hindrance to their happiness than his medical condition. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Pine, Eddie Kaye Thomas, (more)
James Mangold's Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), focusing primarily on the long courtship he had with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). The film is structured as an extended flashback opening with Cash readying to take the stage at his historic Folsom Prison Concert. The film touches on his childhood, relating a horrific early incident from his life and establishing the troubled relationship he would have with his father (Robert Patrick). Cash joins the military and leaves home. During his time in the armed services he begins writing songs and romances a hometown girl (Ginnifer Goodwin). After the end of his duty he settles down and attempts to begin a music career, but his wife has trouble adjusting to his dreams. Cash auditions for Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), signs to Sun Records, and soon finds himself on tour with a roster of young soon-to-be legends that includes Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne). On this tour he meets June Carter, the daughter of the famous Carter family, and they take a liking to each other, although she refuses any serious advances from him. Cash gains world-wide fame thanks in part to the inspiration he gets from June, but eventually his marriage crumbles and he develops a serious drug addiction. The film is based on Cash's autobiographies. Phoenix and Witherspoon performed all of their own singing in the movie, just as Sissy Spacek and Beverly D'Angelo did in Coal Miner's Daughter a quarter-century before. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, (more)
- 2002
Based on a true story, Moms on Strike stars Faith Ford as Pam Harris, a working mother who barely has time to catch a breath between her professional work and her household duties. When her husband Alan (Tim Matheson) and her kids thoughtlessly forget her birthday, Pam rebels, refusing to do any cooking or cleaning until she is appreciated. Pam's strike ultimately becomes a nationwide cause, with her Grandma Betty (Florence Henderson) as her biggest booster. Filmed in Ontario, the made-for-TV Moms on Strike premiered March 17, 2002 on the ABC Family Channel cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faith Ford, Tim Matheson, (more)
- 2001
Made for television, Submerged is the true story of the U.S.S Squalus, a submarine which was immobilized some 230 feet below the Portsmouth Naval Yard in 1939. Taking into account the 59 crew members on board, a daring and dangerous plan was hatched to expedite a rescue, using a diving bell for that purpose. Inasmuch as this constituted the first rescue of a living crew from an American submarine (and, incidentally, the first time that such an event was covered live on television), there is little doubt as to the outcome, though enough suspense is engendered by the central situation that one wonders why it was deemed necessary to include a sappy romantic subplot. Sam Neill heads the cast as "Swede" Momsen, the grizzled old Naval officer who stage-managed the rescue. Based on Peter Maas' book The Terrible Hours, Submerged originally aired May 20, 2001 on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
It is a strange conglomeration of humanity that is trapped together during a power outage in a suburban shopping mall. Among the "prisoners" are single mom/law student Kathy Robbins (Jane Seymour), her son Eric (Corin Nemec), and her daughter Blair (Alexandra Picatto). Fifteen-year-old Blair in particular has a lot to worry about when she is stalked by an unidentified psycho, who has armed himself in an abandoned sporting-goods store. By the time the audience is apprised of the identity of the would-be murderer, it is painfully obvious that Blackout can hardly be construed as "Family Fare." Directed by star Seymour's husband James Keach, this made-for-TV film first aired over CBS on January 24, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, Corin Nemec, (more)
- 2000
Jane Seymour stars in this made-for-cable biographical drama as Fanny Kemble, a popular British stage actress of the 19th Century who, at the height of her career, quit acting to marry Pierce Butler, a successful planter in the American South. Kemble was deeply disturbed by the treatment of slaves on her husband's plantation, which she soon discovered was par for the course in the South at that time. Eventually, her disgust led her to leave her husband, become an outspoken activist for abolition, and write a book about slavery in America -- Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation, which caused a scandal in her native England and led to British support of the Union during the Civil War. Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble also stars Keith Carradine and James Keach. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, Keith Carradine, (more)
A veteran detective and his novice assistant find some very unexpected mysteries in this offbeat comedy. Jack Potter (Leslie Nielsen) is a hard-boiled but absent-minded private detective who thinks it might be a good idea to retire soon. Potter is approached by Marty MacKenzie (Lochlyn Munro), a small-time actor wanting to research a role as a detective (while making some much-needed pocket money at the same time). Potter hires MacKenzie as a leg man and has him stake out a beautiful woman from Beaver Ridge, OR, whose husband is convinced she's cheating on him. Things quickly get far more complicated than Potter expected, and he has to rescue MacKenzie from Beaver Ridge, which is populated by freaks, lunatics, and two-headed livestock; it doesn't help that MacKenzie has also fallen in love with Cindy Davies (Vanessa Angel), the woman he was supposed to be watching. Camouflage also stars William Forsythe and Patrick Warburton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Lochlyn Munro, (more)
- 2000
Newly married psychiatrist Mary (Jane Seymour) is identified as the murderer of her husband, Paul (Robert Desiderio), by an unimpeachable eyewitness. Detective Russo (James Farentino) is all for putting the cuffs on Mary, but she convinces him to wait until more evidence is gathered. Conducting her own personal investigation in some of the seamier districts of town, Mary learns that the likely killer is a woman who looks, acts, and dresses very much like her -- and, more disturbingly, our heroine discovers that her husband was leading a most unsavory double life. Capped by a climax straight out of The Perils of Pauline, Murder in the Mirror was directed by James Keach, the husband of star Jane Seymour; the made-for-TV thriller debuted January 19, 2000 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, James Farentino, (more)
- 1999
Jane Seymour stars in this made-for-TV drama as Rebecca Blake, a bookstore employee who lives contently in San Pedro, California with her construction-worker husband Joe (A Martinez). A chance meeting with a woman named Lynn Wyman (Cathy Lee Crosby), coupled with her recent nightmares and searing headaches (one of which has prompted a spectacular collapse at her local grocery store), lead Lynn to the inescapable conclusion that she is an amnesiac--and that she might be Abbie Stewart, who has another family in Fillmore County. Journeying to Abbie's hometown to learn the truth, our heroine is put off somewhat by the curiously mixed reaction of the man who might be her "other" husband, school principal Chase Stewart (Bruce Davison). The key to mystery may not be the surrealistic dreams experienced by Rebecca/Abbie, but instead that painful-looking gash in her head. Produced for the CBS network, A Memory in My Heart initially aired on March 2, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
James Keach and Jane Seymour, husband and wife in real life, are teamed in this direct-to-cable update of Johann David Wyss' classic adventure tale The Swiss Family Robinson. While on a boat bound from Singapore to Sydney, the Robinson family is besieged by pirates, who set them adrift. Landing on a remote island in the company of a handful of other survivors, the family manages not only to survive but to flourish -- though their efforts to escape their new surroundings are continually thwarted by their pirate tormentors. Ultimately, the Robinsons save themselves with the considerable assistance of their new-found animal friends. Originally intended for a theatrical release, the PG-rated The New Swiss Family Robinson made its American bow via the Disney Channel cable network in 1999, nearly a full year after its completion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, David Carradine, (more)
- 1998
This romantic made-for-television drama is based on a novel by Georgia Brockoven and tells the story of a boy who dreams of having a complete set of parents and the two very-different adults who love him enough to grant his wish. The child's mother died when he was an infant, and since then he has been raised by his mother's sister Chris (Jane Seymour). Before he came along, she was a work-obsessed career woman. Seven years after taking custody of the boy, his father Mason (James Brolin), of whom his real mother had never spoken, shows up and sues for custody. The boy likes both of them and in court comes up with an outrageous solution. Rather than having to divide his time between the two, he suggests they marry. On the surface, Chris and Mason are polar opposites, but out of love for the child, they marry and much to their surprise find that their sacrifice has planted the seeds of lasting love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, James Brolin, (more)
- 1996
Clearly inspired by the events surrounding the Bill Clinton sex scandal, the made-for-TV The Absolute Truth starsJane Seymour as Alison Reid, crusading anchorwoman for the top-rated TV magazine show "Focus." Upon obtaining evidence that powerful senator and presidential candidate Jake Slaughter (Bruce Greenwood) has sexually harassed his press secretary Jean Douglas (Linda Purl), Alison wants to make her findings public--but fears that she will damage the reputation of Jean, who happens to be her best friend. Not so nobly motivated is the production staff of "Focus", which uses questionable tactics to bring the truth forward, thereby revealing that Slaughter has secured Jean's silence by threatening to expose an unpleasant secret from her own past. An ironic ending caps this feature-length ethical debate, which originally aired April 30, 1997 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- PG
This character drama follows the exploits of an aged oil seeker, known only as Mr. Cox, as he roams across Texas in search of black gold. He has a special gift for it and has helped many wildcatters strike it rich. Unfortunately, he has yet to find his own gusher. In 1935, Cox has only a suitcase and a cat to his name. During a tremendous windstorm, he is forced to seek shelter in a farmhouse, owned by Don and Cora Day. The Days have three daughters and must scramble to eke out a meager existence on their dusty farm, located near the town of Henrietta. While there, Mr. Cox begins getting that old feeling that tells him that there is a lot of oil on the Day's farm. They think he is plumb loco and ask him to leave, but Cox wants to find out if it is true. He goes to an old friend, Big Dave, who thanks to Cox, has become an oil tycoon, to help him do some test drilling, but Big Dave has a short memory and brushes Cox off as a "hopeless loser." The determined Cox then devises a scheme to force Big Dave to provide him with financial backing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 1993
Jane Seymour stars as a female serial killer in this made-for-cable thriller. Seymour stars as the unbalanced Linda Crandall, a woman who marries men only to kill them. She weds and kills five men before targeting widower Don Mc Andrews (Barry Bostwick). Her plans for a sixth murder are put into jeopardy when her soon-to-be sister-in-law becomes suspicious. Actor James Keach directed the film. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, Barry Bostwick, (more)
- 1993
While hiking with Sully (Joe Lando), Brian (Shawn Toovey) impulsively jumps out of a tree and sustains what at first seems to be a minor head injury. Already angry at Sully for allowing this to happen, Dr. Mike (Jane Seymour) is beside herself with rage and grief when Brian lapses into a coma. With only minimal aid, Mike must perform delicate brain surgery on her adoptive son -- a tense situation that exacerbates the already-raging argument amongst the townsfolk over who will build the community's new schoolhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lando, Chad Allen, (more)
- 1993
Sully (Joe Lando) is beaten up by a band of scurrilous buffalo hunters, hired to clear the land on behalf of the incoming railroad. Though paralyzed, Sully vows to wreak vengeance against his attackers and to stem their slaughter of the local bison herds. Meanwhile, a slick con artist, posing as a railroad advance man, is busily swindling the citizens of Colorado Springs out of their hard-earned property. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lando, Chad Allen, (more)
- 1993
Johnny Cash guest stars as Kid Cole, a famous gunslinger who hopes to live a life of peaceful retirement in Colorado Springs. The Kid's dreams are shattered when he is recruited as temporary sheriff. His first assignment: To prevent the outraged townsfolk from lynching Swedish immigrant Jon (Christopher Keene Kelly), older brother of Dr. Mike's (Jane Seymour) young friend Ingrid (Jennifer Youngs), for stealing cattle to feed his starving family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lando, Chad Allen, (more)
- 1992
In this drama, an avaricious city boy leaves his LA home to meet his estranged father on the family homestead in Quebec. They have both inherited the land from a recently deceased uncle. The father has stayed close to his rural roots and cannot understand why his son is so indifferent to his inheritance that he wants to sell it and return to the city with his profits. A conflict ensues, and eventually, the young man begins to appreciate the land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this made-for-cable outing, a woman desperately searches the Arizona desert for her kidnapped daughter. Falsely accused of murder and therefore avoiding the cops, she must go it alone until she meets a helpful but enigmatic wanderer who helps her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, Stephen Meadows, (more)
- 1991
Murder in High Places is a made-for-TV whodunit set at a Colorado ski resort ("High Places." Get It?). Adam Baldwin, an ex-football pro turned cop, is the investigating officer in a homicide case. He is aided and abetted by Ted Levine, an alcoholic ex-newsman (what price Hunter Thompson?) who is the new mayor of the Colorado resort town where the murder occurred. The preponderance of colorful supporting characters is a sure tip-off that Murder in High Places was meant to the pilot for a series. Whether or not the series could have afforded Adam Baldwin is a moot point, since no one, least of all the audience, was interested in the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of the largest crimes in history was the 1980 robbery of the Boston Depositors Trust by a group of policemen as related in this true story. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Ray Sharkey, (more)
- 1990
- PG
Waylaid and left for dead by an enemy agent, U.S. intelligence officer Harlan Erickkson (Stacy Keach) awakens with amnesia. Because his assailant had switched clothes and identification with him, Erickkson now believes that he's the enemy spy. The authorities think so too, and lock up Erickkson for nearly 20 years. Upon his release, Erickkson, still suffering from memory loss, is inexorably drawn to his home town. Once we meet his family, we can understand why Erickkson has blocked out his prior existence! The film segues from an espionage melodrama to a "family skeleton" affair straight out of Faulkner. Veronica Cartwright and Genevieve Bujold, cast respectively as Keach's bibulous sister-in-law and a local radio deejay, do what they can with impossibly written roles. False Identity was directed by star Stacy Keach's brother James. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stacy Keach, Geneviève Bujold, (more)
- 1989
The Forgotten deserves at least a small niche in TV history as the first-ever TV movie made especially for the USA cable network. Based on a story by Vietnam veteran Paul Staples, the film concerns six American Green Berets, held for 17 years in a Vietnamese POW camp. They are finally released in secret, during a delicate trade-talk session between Vietnam and the United States. Keith Carradine, the ex-prisoners' CO, begins to suspect that government-man Stacy Keach, who is in charge of the debriefing, may be pursuing a hidden agenda that will result in the early deaths of Carradine and the five men under his command. Stacy's brother James Keach directed Forgotten and also co-wrote the script with another of his stars, Steve Railsback. First aired April 26, 1989, The Forgotten set the "viewer discretion" standard for all future USA TV movies with its grim flashback sequences depicting the torture methods of the NVA. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG
In this comedy a Hollywood agent heads for Africa in order to convince a beautiful princess to sign a special release so her life-story can be made into a television movie. Instead he ends up entangled in a kidnapping scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Salinger, Joanna Pacula, (more)
