Donna Murphy Movies
One of Broadway's most celebrated actresses, Donna Murphy is a commanding, versatile performer whose credits also encompass film and television. A native of New York, Murphy was born in Queens on March 3, 1958, and grew up on Long Island as the oldest of seven children. She attended New York University briefly, dropping out at the age of 20 to try her luck on the New York stage.Work on and off Broadway followed, until in 1993 Murphy landed the greatest role of her career thus far. Picked by Stephen Sondheim to star in his musical Passion as Fosca, a bitter, consumptive woman caught up in unrequited longing for a handsome soldier, she earned stellar reviews and, ultimately, the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Now one of Broadway's most in-demand actresses, she went on to win yet another Tony in the same category, this one for her performance in the 1995 revival of The King and I.
In addition to her work on the stage, Murphy has also made a number of appearances on screens big and small, doing supporting work in such films as Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Nicholas Hytner's Center Stage (2000), the latter of which cast her as a demanding but ultimately warmhearted ballet teacher. The actress has also lent her talents to a host of TV shows, including Law & Order and The Practice.
~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Six of the world's most gifted vocalists of Broadway show tunes, with a plethora of Tony and Grammy awards between them -- Mandy Patinkin, Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Donna Murphy, Judy Blazer, and Richard Muenz -- pay homage to legendary tunesmith and conductor Leonard Bernstein in the concert film Leonard Bernstein's New York. Each of three segments features the cast members singing selections from one of Leonard Bernstein's Manhattan-themed shows, filmed live in the locations where the original scenes are set. The first, with extracts from the composer's late 1944 musical On the Town, has the ensemble singing "New York, New York"; Murphy, Blazer, and Patinkin singing "Ya Got Me"; Patinkin and Blazer singing "Come Up to My Place"; Upshaw singing "Lonely Town"; Patinkin singing "Some Other Time"; and Murphy singing "Ain't Got No Tears Left." The second segment, with musical extracts from Bernstein's 1953 musical Wonderful Town, has Muenz, Upshaw, and Murphy singing "What a Waste"; Muenz singing "A Quiet Girl"; Patinkin singing "Wrong Note Rag"; Blazer singing "Story of My Life"; and McDonald singing "A Little Bit in Love." The third, with musical extracts from Bernstein's 1957 West Side Story, has Upshaw and Muenz singing "One Hand, One Heart," and McDonald and Patinkin singing "Tonight." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1993
A wealthy older woman is found murdered in her apartment. By the time the police and the D.A.'s office catch up with the likeliest suspect -- the woman's much-younger lover, Steven Gregg (Richard Cox) -- he is fully prepared to accept a plea bargain. But the case proves to be far from cut-and-dried when further investigation reveals that Gregg was lying about the last time he saw the victim alive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An investigator seeking the truth behind the death of a noted art dealer uncovers a web of sexual deception in this erotic thriller. David Caruso plays David Corelli, a San Francisco District Attorney who faces a potential conflict of interest when he learns that the prime suspect in the murder is psychologist Katrina Gavin (Linda Fiorentino), an old flame who eventually married Corelli's close friend (Chazz Palminteri). Despite this, he continues on the case and discovers that the dealer owned a series of photographs showing prominent public figures in compromising positions with an enigmatic prostitute known only as Jade. As Corelli searches for the identity of this unknown woman, believing she holds the key to the murder's solution, he uncovers further secrets that ultimately threaten his own life. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
A soldier learns about himself and love in this made-for-TV filmed version of the Stephen Sondheim musical. Jere Shea stars as Giorgio, a soldier who has a passionate affair with a beautiful and married woman named Clara (Marin Mazzie). When Giorgio gets stationed in distant Italy, he is separated from Clara and attracts the attention of a homely, ill woman named Fosca (Donna Murphy). He at first repels Fosca's advances but over time he slowly warms up and not only accepts her love, but returns it. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Amazingly, Season Eight of Law & Order begins with the cast from Season Seven intact, with no additions or deletions. The case at hand: the murder of a pizza delivery man, which the detectives believe was deliberate and not a random shooting. As it turns out, the dead man was the victim of a thrill killing committed by a pair of teenagers (Rob McElhenney, Michael Marrona). Complications: Each teen blames the other for the murder, an eyewitness saw only one of the boys pulling the trigger, and the key clue is the recording of a Confessional -- which cannot be admitted as evidence. In the course of events, detective Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) receives some bad news. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The lawyers are forced to consult another law firm when they encounter a murder case. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Calista Flockhart, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
Star Trek: Insurrection manages to recall the original 1960s series' spirit of liberalism, while transcending it for sheer boldness, embracing issues that are on the political cutting edge in the 1990s and beyond. The fact that the first 30 minutes are presented as a mystery only makes the material more engrossing. While assisting a survey team of Federation allies observing the populace of a distant planet, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) seemingly goes berserk and attacks the survey team, exposing their existence to the populace and jeopardizing the mission. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) brings the Enterprise into orbit to try and apprehend Data and find out what happened . He discovers that the mission isn't one of observation, but the involuntary relocation of a small, peaceful population, undertaken by the Federation and its rogue planet allies the Son'a, supposedly to secure the planet's youth-restoring qualities. As it turns out, there's a much darker side to the plans of the Son'a, and a personal side to the carnage planned by the Son'a leader Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham). Picard and his officers, suitably outraged by this violation of the Prime Directive -- that no Federation mission may interfere with the natural evolution of an alien culture -- take matters into their own hands in an attempt to expose the plot to public scrutiny, risking their lives in the process. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, (more)
In this offbeat drama, a group of people who have nothing in common are having breakfast at the same diner, with Denise the waitress (Amanda Plummer) serving them coffee. As we view the unrelated strands of their lives, the patrons are suddenly and dramatically brought together when a lunatic with a gun opens fire on the diner, as a SWAT team attempts to bring him down and restore order while protecting the lives of the people inside. October 22 also features Colm Meaney, Ernie Hudson Richard Schenkman, and Tate Donovan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Science fiction blends with domestic horror in this thriller. Spencer Armacost (Johnny Depp) is an astronaut on a routine mission in space when something goes horribly wrong and it looks as if he's doomed. However, Spencer is rescued at the last moment and returns to earth a hero. He soon announces that he's retiring from space exploration to spend more time with his wife Jillian (Charlize Theron). Jillian has suffered from depression in the past and would like to start a family, so she's initially thrilled with Spencer's decision. Jillian soon finds herself pregnant, but she starts to notice something odd about her husband, as if the man who returned isn't quite the same person who went away. As her pregnancy advances, Jillian's anxieties increase, but has something really happened to Spencer, or have Jillian's old demons merely resurfaced? The Astronaut's Wife marked the directorial debut of Rand Ravich, who previously penned screenplays for such films as The Maker and Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, (more)
In this emotional drama, a team of young dancers are competing for places in a prestigious dance troupe. The dancers have to deal with the ups and downs of trying to find their place in the world, even as their profession also places an enormous physical and psychological challenge before them. They train with the rigor of championship athletes, and like most aspiring athletes, they know that only a tiny number of them will achieve the goal they've set for themselves. Director Nicholas Hytner) cast young dancers and athletes as his aspiring terpsichoreans, including Ilia Kulik, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating; the cast also includes Peter Gallagher as the leader of the dance troupe, Susan May Pratt, Amanda Schull, Eion Bailey, Debra Monk, and Sascha Radetsky. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana, (more)
- 2000
Traces of blood found in an apartment belonging to a separated couple (Tessa Ghylin, Michael C. Williams) suggest that the couple's missing baby may have met with foul play. The investigation is stymied when each parent claims that the other has the infant. The D.A.'s office takes over when the police find the body of the child, who has apparently starved to death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
The fine line between reporters objectively covering a political campaign and attempting to sway its outcome is explored in this made-for-cable drama based on the novel by noted television journalist Jim Lehrer. Newspaper columnist Mike Howley (James Garner) is asked to moderate a nationally televised debate between two presidential candidates. In collusion with fellow newspeople and debate panelists Barbara Manning (Audra McDonald), Henry Ramirez (Marco Sanchez), and Joan Naylor (Donna Murphy), Howley formulates a plan to boost the campaign of the Democratic candidate, whom they favor. They ask the Republican nominee a number of pointed questions about unsubstantiated charges that he has a propensity for violence, eventually prompting the candidate to leave the stage in a huff after throwing a microphone. Several weeks later, the Democrat carries the election. While the debate served the goals of the reporters, and boosted their public image, some observers have serious questions about what went on, and investigative reporter Tom Chapman (Peter Gallagher) is determined to bring the public the truth. A number of noted journalists and political figures served as consultants for The Last Debate and appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Peter Gallagher, (more)
- 2002
Hack was essentially The Equalizer as Cab Driver. The protagonist was divorced, disgraced ex-Philadelphia cop Mike Olshansky (David Morse). At the end of his financial rope, Mike found steady employment as a cabbie, though he was never completely successful in suppressing his strong sense of justice. Thus, he frequently became involved in the problems of his passengers, usually rounding up and clobbering bad guys in vigilante fashion. Though the series never overlapped into Travis Bickle territory, it did tend to resemble a Western with a ticking meter. So over-the-top that many viewers tuned in just for the (unintentional) laughs, Hack made its CBS debut on September 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Morse, Matthew Borish, (more)
An aggressive publicity campaign mounted by ABC in the fall of 1996 left no doubt that the first season of the network's new courtroom drama Murder One would break standard weekly series precedent by focusing on a single, solitary murder case throughout the entire season. Led by ruthless criminal attorney Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Benzali), a crack team of lawyers builds a persuasive defense on behalf of arrogant movie star Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick), who is the prime suspect in the murder of his drug-abusing girlfriend Jessica. Even as Hoffman and his associates Chris Docknovich (Michael Hayden), Arnold Spivak (J.C. MacKenzie), Justine Appleton (Mary McCormick), and Lisa Gillespie (Grace Phillips) move heaven and earth to get Neil off, the equally diligent prosecution team, headed by DA Roger Garfield (Gregory Itzin) and ADA Miriam Grasso (Barbara Bosson), are dedicated to establishing Neil's guilt. Complicating matters is the presence of another suspect: Richard Cross (Stanley Tucci), multimillionaire businessman and owner of the building where Jessica died. Even so, Avedon is tried and convicted -- but there's a breathtaking twist at the very end of season one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Benzali, Michael Hayden, (more)
Stan Lee's all-too-human superhero returns to the screen in this highly anticipated sequel to 2002's blockbuster hit Spider-Man. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is attempting to juggle college classes and his job as a photographer with the Daily Bugle while maintaining his secret life as costumed crime-fighter Spider-Man. Parker is also struggling to hold on to his relationship with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), who is beginning to enjoy success as a model and actress, and both Mary Jane and Peter have noticed he's beginning to buckle under the strain. Parker's friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) is also beginning to fray due to Peter's seeming alliance with Spider-Man, whom Harry blames for the death of his father, the nefarious Norman Osborn. As Parker weighs his responsibilities to himself and those around him against the obligations that come with his special powers, Spider-Man is faced with a new nemesis -- Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a deranged scientist whose latest project has turned him into the near-invincible cyborg Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man 2 was directed by Sam Raimi, who helmed the first film, and much of the original cast has also reunited for this sequel, including Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, and Bruce Campbell. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, (more)
Love at first sight has some interesting repercussions a few months down the line in this offbeat romantic comedy. Ira Black (Chris Messina) is a wildly neurotic thirtysomething who can't get his life in gear -- the son of a pair of therapists, Arlene (Judith Light) and Seymour (Robert Klein), Ira still hasn't finished his grad school dissertation, he's been in therapy for 12 years, and can't bring himself to settle down with his longtime girlfriend Lea (Maddie Corman). When both Lea and his analyst inform Ira that they don't want to see him anymore, he decides he needs to make some changes. Ira joins a health club, where he meets Abby Willoughby (Jennifer Westfeldt), who is supposed to sell memberships to the gym but is much better at listening to people's problems. The two discover they have a strong and immediate rapport, and Ira asks Abby to marry him only a few hours later. Abby says yes, and soon the couple are wed. However, it isn't until after they've been married for a few weeks that Ira discovers Abby has been divorced twice already, and it makes him very uneasy about their relationship. Despite more therapy, Ira asks Abby for a divorce, and it sends shock waves through their families -- Arlene begins having an affair with Michael (Fred Willard), Abby's free-spirited father, while Seymour commiserates with Abby's mother Lynne (Frances Conroy), and eventually parents and children are all meeting together in group therapy for couples. Ira and Abby was written by leading lady Jennifer Westfeldt, who was also screenwriter and star for the independent hit Kissing Jessica Stein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Messina, Jennifer Westfeldt, (more)
Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky switches gears from drug-induced urban malaise to abstract science fiction with this time-tripping symbolic tale of a man's thousand-year quest to save the woman he loves. Moving between representational stories and images, this meditation on life and death focuses on the concept of the mythical Tree of Life that is said to bestow immortality to all who drink of its sap. In one of the film's allegorical timelines, a 16th century Spanish conquistador played by Hugh Jackman sets out to find the tree in order to save his queen (Rachel Weisz) from the Inquisition. Another conceptual story finds Jackman centuries later, struggling with mortality as a modern-day scientist desperately searching for the medical breakthrough that will save the life of his cancer-stricken wife, Izzi. The third and most abstract concept finds Jackman as a different incarnation of the same character-idea, this time questing for eternal life within the confines of a floating sphere transporting the aged Tree of Life through the depths of space. Still more avant-garde than his breakthrough film Pi, The Fountain finds Aronofsky almost completely abandoning conventional story structure in favor of something more cinematically abstract. Though the film was originally slapped with an R by the MPAA, Aronofsky & co. re-edited it to conform to a PG-13 rating. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, (more)
Adapted from the best-selling novel, the whimsical, heartwarming comedy The Nanny Diaries concerns Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson), a recent college graduate from New Jersey whose nurse mother makes an unsuccessful bid to pressure her into a white-collared business career. Sidetracking this path for more colorful pursuits, Annie accepts a position as nanny and domestic servant for a wealthy couple on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, known only as "The Xs" (Paul Giamatti and a heavily coiffed and accoutred Laura Linney). Annie has her first real taste of servant life when she arrives at the family's residence and promptly sinks into Mrs. X's luxury tub, but is soon shuttled off to her own bare-bones room. Face to face, for the first time in her life, with the vast socioeconomic differences between herself and others, Annie must spend her days catering to Mrs. X's every whim, navigating the emotional land mines set by the domineering Mr. X, and tending to the demands of the couple's mischievous and bratty son, Grayer (Nicholas Art). The situation grows a bit more awkward and sticky when Annie begins to fall for a young man who lives near the Xs, whom she's nicknamed Harvard Hottie (Chris Evans), leading her to seriously reevaluate her career goals and priorities. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, (more)
Fate brings together two mismatched travelers in this comedy. Sherman (Michael Shulman) is a tightly wound, career-obsessed college student whose mother, Evelyn (Donna Murphy), is a successful politician who micromanages her own life as well as that of her son. Planning to spend a few weeks in Northern California with his girlfriend, Marcy (Lacey Chabert), Sherman instead discovers that she's dumped him for another, more fun-loving guy; adding insult to injury, Sherman's wallet and credit cards have been stolen and Evelyn decides it's time to cut off his allowance. With few options and eager to prove he can be free-spirited and self-reliant, Sherman decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles for an internship interview, and takes a ride with the first person willing to take him down the coast. Sherman's ride turns out to be Palmer (James LeGros), a former Olympic skiing champion-turned-footloose middle-aged bohemian who is more interested in keeping his vintage convertible in tune than in getting anywhere at any specific time. While Sherman and Palmer have next to nothing in common, before long the younger man finds himself learning some lessons about life from the scruffy stranger behind the wheel. Sherman's Way was the first theatrical feature from producer-turned-director Craig Saavedra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Shulman, James LeGros, (more)
