David Duchovny Movies
Rocketing from obscure bit player to TV's resident über-sex god thanks to his role as FBI agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files, David Duchovny can claim to have had one of the 1990s' more remarkable career metamorphoses. Although his initial attempts to translate his TV stardom into celluloid success proved less than memorable, the tall, classically handsome actor has continued to enjoy a great deal of popularity, evidenced in particular by the countless estrogen-drenched internet shrines erected in his honor.Born in Manhattan on August 7, 1960, to a Jewish father and a Scottish mother, Duchovny did his undergraduate work at Princeton and then went on to pursue a Master's degree in English Literature at Yale. While working toward his degree, he began commuting to New York to study acting, and he was soon appearing in a few off-Broadway plays. His interest in acting ultimately eclipsed his dedication toward earning his degree, and Duchovny dropped out of Yale to pursue a career as a performer. He got his first break starring in a beer commercial, and in 1988, he made his film debut with a breathtakingly abbreviated appearance as a party guest in Mike Nichols's Working Girl. Work in a number of diverse and usually obscure films, including starring roles in Julia Has Two Lovers (1991), The Rapture (1991), and Kalifornia (1993), followed, but the actor was able to command a more steady paycheck from his TV work. Before The X-Files debuted in 1993, Duchovny was best-known to TV viewers as Dennis/Denise, Twin Peaks' resident transvestite detective.
As The X-Files steadily grew from cult favorite to mainstream success, becoming recognized as one of the most groundbreaking shows of the decade, Duchovny also began to enjoy both industry respect and huge audience popularity. Dubbed as the latest in a long line of thinking women's sex symbols, it was only a matter of time before he returned to the big screen, and with the 1997 thriller Playing God he did just that. Unfortunately, the film, which also starred Timothy Hutton and Angelina Jolie, was a huge flop, and aside from starring in the successful 1998 X-Files movie, Duchovny re-focused his energies on portraying his television alter ego. He returned to the screen in 2000 in the romantic comedy Return to Me, starring as a devastated widower who finds himself falling in love with the woman (Minnie Driver) who received his wife's heart in a transplant. Later that same year, Duchovny announced that he would be greatly diminishing his involvement with The X-Files, dismaying both fans and any number of 20th Century Fox executives; fortunately for all interested parties, he subsequently reached a settlement with Fox and announced he was returning full-time to the show. Lamenting the X-Files departure from storylines based on his popular character and citing respect for his fans, Duchovny vowed never to return to The X-Files in early 2001, though he did not rule out appearing in future features based on the popular series. That same year Duchovny appeared as a humorous varation on his "Spooky" persona in director Ivan Reitman's sci-fi comedy Evolution. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Veronica Hamel, who'd previously played a detective on the trail of a kidnapped baby, turns kidnapper herself in the made-for-TV The Baby Snatcher. After suffering a miscarriage, Hamel becomes convinced that she will lose her husband's love. Faking a new pregnancy, Hamel allows nine months to pass, then sneaks into the hospital maternity ward and steals another woman's infant. It takes the tireless efforts of Nancy McKeon, the baby's natural mother, to track down the clever but unhinged Hamel. Amazingly based on a true story, Baby Snatcher debuted on May 3, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Successful LA marketing analyst Michael Boll (James Spader) seemingly has it all-except a sense of self-confidence. Enigmatic drifter Alex (Rob Lowe) enters Michael's life and immediately begins to exert a negative influence. As Michael's self-esteem zooms (aided by generous dollops of sex and drugs) he allows himself to be dragooned into a life of crime by the demonic Alex. The "doppelganger" aspects of Bad Influence, and the film's many unexpected twists and turns, echo films of Alfred Hitchcock, especially Strangers on a Train. The film's boldest stroke is to cast the likeable Lowe as the bad guy (albeit a charming one) and the often villainous Spader as the malleable milquetoast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Lowe, James Spader, (more)
Feeling that something is lacking in their lives, the family of suburbanite Charles Grodin adopts a stray St. Bernard puppy. The cute lite beast grows up to be the less-than-cute Beethoven, a sloppy, slobbery, oversized and extremely destructive animal. Beethoven also brings with him a lot of hidden baggage in the form of evil veterinarian Dean Jones, who'll stop at nothing to steal Beethoven for the purposes of his insidious lab experiment. Several sequels followed, beginning with 1993 Beethoven's Second. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, (more)
- 2007
Former X-Files star David Duchovny played for laughs rather than chills in this Hollywood-based Showtime dramedy, which first aired August 13, 2007. Duchovny was cast as writer Hank Moody, whose highly acclaimed best-selling novel "God Hates Us All" had been made into an innocuous romantic comedy film with Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise named "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love." The novel, alas, may have been the summit of Hank's literary career; after a lengthy professional slump, he was suffering from the mother of all midlife crises. To boost his tattered self-esteem, Hank had turned to booze and drugs, to say nothing of his innumerable one-night stands with an endless parade of nameless starlets, waitresses, and assorted floozies. As a result, his relationship with his 12-year-old daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin), was somewhat shaky; while Becca's mother, Karen (Natascha McElhone), weary of Hank's self-destructive hedonism in particular and the L.A. scene in general, had become engaged to another man. At the same time, Hank's brief fling with a girl named Mia (Madeline Zima) would prove to sobering long-range ramifications...but we're getting ahead of ourselves. Rounding out the cast was Evan Handler as Charlie, Hank's agent and best friend (a unique combination in La-La Land!). The weekly Californication had originally been conceived as a theatrical feature by series creator Tom Kapinos, who'd been inspired by the famous cautionary bumper sticker "Don't Californicate Oregon." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Partly based on Charlie Chaplin's My Autobiography, this humorous and dramatic biopic features an all-star cast including Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Diane Lane, and Chaplin's real-life daughter, Geraldine Chaplin, who portrays his mentally ill mother. With the use of flashback, an elderly Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor (Hopkins), who urges him to be more vulnerable and emotionally honest with his memoirs while journeying through his poverty-stricken childhood, closest friendships, many marriages, merciless pursuit by J. Edgar Hoover (Kevin Dunn), and ingenious invention of "The Little Tramp." Highlighted works such as The Gold Rush (1925) and The Great Dictator (1940) illustrate significant turning points in Chaplin's prolific filmography. Director Richard Attenborough's film also explores the circumstances surrounding Chaplin's exile from America and his eventual return to receive an honorary Academy Award. ~ Lisa Kropiewnicki, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Downey, Jr., Dan Aykroyd, (more)
Actress and writer Nia Vardalos, who became an overnight sensation with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, returns to the big screen with this gender-bending comedy. Connie (Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) are best friends who've shared the same dream ever since they were teenagers -- making a name for themselves in the musical theater. However, after years of treading water on Chicago's dinner theater circuit and playing bottom-of-the-barrel nightclubs, the two are facing middle age with minimal career success. One evening after a performance, Connie and Carla have the misfortune of witnessing the murder of nightclub owner Frank (Michael Roberds) by low-level Mafiosi; the gals are seen by the shooters, and they hit the road in fear for their lives. Connie and Carla end up in Los Angeles, where they struggle to create new identities for themselves. After witnessing a drag review at a nightclub, they realize that even they have more talent than most of the men performing that evening, and they decide to pose as female impersonators in hopes of landing a gig. Connie and Carla's new act is an immediate hit, and soon they're the toast of L.A.'s gay community. But the women discover it's difficult to keep on fooling people into believing they're men, and things become even more complicated when the Mobsters discover that Connie and Carla are in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Connie finds herself falling for Jeff (David Duchovny), a regular guy looking for his cross-dressing brother who can't understand why he's developing a crush on a drag queen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, (more)
- 1991
- PG13
- Add Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead to QueueAdd Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead to top of Queue
Christina Applegate stars in this convoluted comedy that comes across as a teen fantasy combination of Home Alone and Working Girl. The premise is all in the title -- when the mother (Concetta Tomei) of a sniveling group of surly kids goes on a much-deserved summer vacation, she leaves her kids under the charge of an elderly distaff granny (Eda Reiss Merin). When granny ups and dies, the kids load her dead body in a trunk and deposit the package on the steps of the local funeral home. The kids are ecstatic thinking that with the big wad of cash Mom has left, they can have a summer of consumer madness. But when they find out that the money has been buried with the baby-sitter, the kids have to fend for themselves to make ends meet. Dream teen Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) tries working at a fast food restaurant but she can't stand the grease. So, she puts together a false resume and, posing as a twenty-eight-year old, she applies for a job as a receptionist at a garment manufacturing company. The company vice president, Rose (Joanna Cassidy), is so impressed by her resume that she hires her on the spot as her executive assistant. Her deception looks to be working out great -- Sue Ellen manages to hold off the office lady killer Gus (John Getz), avoids exposure by the embittered receptionist, borrows money from the company's petty cash box for household incidentals, and continues her relationship with restaurant employee Bryan (Josh Charles). But suddenly, the clothing firm is set to go under, and Sue Ellen must use her teen fashion sense to save the company and her job . . . and she has to get the rest of the brood involved. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, (more)
The spirit of the mega-hit Ghostbusters (1984) is intentionally recalled with this effects-heavy sci-fi comedy from the same director, Ivan Reitman, co-starring Dan Aykroyd and debuting on the 17th anniversary of the earlier film's release. When a meteor bearing single-celled organisms crashes to the Earth, the life forms are initially confined to a cave. Before long the creatures are evolving at an exponentially rapid rate, resulting in fearsome aliens running amok and possibly spelling mankind's doom, or at least the end of man's domination over life on Earth. Investigating the phenomenon is a community college professor, Ira Kane (David Duchovny), his geologist friend Harry Block (Orlando Jones), wannabe fireman Wayne Green (Seann William Scott), and government scientist Allison Reed (Julianne Moore). Evolution also stars Ted Levine, Ethan Suplee, and Katharine Towne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, (more)
- 1996
The eternally unlucky-in-love Roz (Peri Gilpin) begins dating one of Niles' (David Hyde Pierce) patients. Armed with the knowledge that Roz's new beau is a serial womanizer, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) agonizes over how to break the news to her without violating the standard psychiatrist-patient confidentiality. As a result of Frasier's veiled and somewhat convoluted warnings, Roz leaps to the conclusion that he himself has fallen in love with her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Described as a modern-day Hollywood version of Day for Night, director Steven Soderbergh's first digital video production was also shot employing a modified version of the frills-free Dogma 95 rules set forth by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, allowing a relatively small budget of about two million dollars. Julia Roberts and Blair Underwood star, respectively, as Francesca and Calvin, actors performing in a motion picture directed by David Fincher and co-starring Brad Pitt (who play themselves). Woven in and out of the film production story thread are several other subplots including one about a lovelorn woman, Linda (Mary McCormack); the self-absorbed Gus (David Duchovny); and a husband, Carl (David Hyde Pierce), whose wife (Catherine Keener) is falling for Calvin. Described initially as a follow-up to Soderbergh's independent breakout hit, sex, lies and videotape, Full Frontal isn't a sequel in the strictest sense of the word and is only thematically related to the earlier film in its exploration of voyeurism and sexuality. The film also stars Brad Rowe, Enrico Colantoni, and Nicky Katt. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, (more)
Actor David Duchovny made his debut as a director and screenwriter with this coming-of-age drama, in which a grown man looks back at his adolescence. It's 1973, and Tommy (Anton Yelchin) is a 13-year-old boy living in New York's Greenwich Village with his mother (Téa Leoni), who is still coming to terms with the death of her husband. Tommy's best friend is Pappass (Robin Williams), a mentally challenged man who is in his thirties, but is at the same emotional age as Tommy; Pappass delivers meat for a local butcher, and Tommy helps him out. Tommy has discovered women, and has a crush on Melissa (Zelda Williams), a cute girl in his class, but Pappass isn't much interested in the opposite sex, and can offer little advice on the subject. Tommy's lone confidante on this issue is Lady Bernadette (Erykah Badu), a woman locked up in the nearby Women's House of Detention who offers advice shouted from her window. When Pappass begins to realize that Tommy is falling for Melissa, he's convinced he's losing his best friend, and in a moment of anger he steals a bicycle. Tommy tries to protect Pappas by claiming he was the thief, leading to a series of serious repercussions. Years later, Tommy (now played by Duchovny) is a grown man who leaves his home in Paris, France, to pay a visit to the old neighborhood and come to terms with the life he left behind. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anton Yelchin, Téa Leoni, (more)
- 1991
- R
Most people hang up on wrong numbers, but a woman finds herself falling in love with one caller in this offbeat independent comedy. Julia (Daphna Kastner) is a writer specializing in books for children who shares an apartment with her boyfriend Jack (David Charles). Jack wants to get married, but Julia isn't so sure that she wants to commit to a permanent relationship. One day, Julia gets a phone call that turns out to be a wrong number; however, she finds herself striking up a conversation with the man on the other end, Daniel (David Duchovny). Julia finds herself attracted to the voice on the other end of the phone as she starts discussing the ups and downs of her relationship with Jack. After spending several hours on the line, Julia invites Daniel over to visit, and she ends up sleeping with him. The next day, Julia discovers that this wasn't as much of a chance encounter as she thought -- Daniel, who has been in therapy for some time, enjoys calling women he doesn't know and seducing them over the phone. He almost never sees them again, owing to his tremendous fear of commitment, but there's something about Julia that encourages Daniel to finally confront his problems. Julia Has Two Lovers was co-written by leading lady Daphna Kastner, and it afforded David Duchovny one of his first major screen roles, three years before his breakthrough on the TV series The X-Files. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daphna Kastner, David Duchovny, (more)
This debut feature film from music video director Dominic Sena is a romp through the world of serial killing, which in its bleakness and moral bankruptcy looks backwards to Terrence Malick's Badlands and forward to Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. Michelle Forbes plays hip, Mapplethorpe-esque photographer Carrie Laughlin, who wants to move to California for a fresh start. Her boyfriend, Brian Kessler (David Duchovny), is a writer who has an idea for a new book, a travel tome on the sites of serial murders. The two plan to go on a cross-country tour of the murder sites, with Brian writing the commentary and Carrie taking the pictures. But they need a couple to share the driving expenses; enter Grayce (Brad Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Juliette Lewis, in a warm-up for her role in Natural Born Killers). Grayce is an ex-con looking to jump parole, while Adele is a childlike naïf. Soon the four are off to California, but the yuppie couple doesn't realize how close they are to their serial killer topic. It seems Grayce has murdered his landlord before their trip and bodies begin piling up disturbingly behind them as they make their way across the country. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, (more)
Filmmaker Henry Jaglom plays the leading male role in his characteristically gabby New Year's Day. Jaglom is a writer who insists upon asking disturbing and intrusive questions to the revellers at a New Year's Eve party. His inclusion in the story is explained by having him sublet a California apartment where the previous attendants show no signs of leaving. The crazy-quilt Dramatis Personae include lesbian PR-agent Gwen Welles, erstwhile actress/activist Maggie Jakobson, and lustful fashion-photographer Melanie Winter. Periodically interrupting the steady stream of spontaneous-sounding conversation between these three is Jakobson's randy boyfriend David Duchovny and famed Czech director Milos Forman as a janitor (!). As always, Henry Jaglom is a matter of taste, but you'll very likely want to see New Year's Day for a glimpse at a pre X-Files David Duchovny. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Jakobson, Gwen Welles, (more)
After losing his license to work as a surgeon, synthetic-heroin addict Eugene Sands (David Duchovny) is on a downward spiral into the Los Angeles drug scene. One night, someone is shot in a bar, and Sands performs a life-saving medical maneuver on the spot. Word travels fast. A few days later, a limo drops him off at the Malibu den of counterfeiter-smuggler Raymond Blossom (Timothy Hutton) and his cupid-lipped moll Claire (Angelina Jolie). The bleach-haired Blossom needs someone to stitch up his hemorrhaging henchmen so they won't wind up answering questions at a hospital. He sees Sands as the ideal man to stop the flow of information and blood. It's a deal with the devil, but Sands accepts. Meanwhile, Claire has her eye on Sands, and FBI agent Gage (Michael Massee) has plans to bring down Blossom. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Timothy Hutton, (more)
- 2007
UCSB alumnus Rick Greenwald documents the final week of the Caltech basketball team's 2006 season. The Caltech team's 240-game conference losing streak has spanned two decades, and this season's lineup includes five valedictorians who never played high-school basketball. David Duchovny narrates as the determined athletes search for that ever-elusive single win. Despite being mocked by opposing fans and facing remarkable adversity, the Caltech players strive to maintain the dedication, discipline, and heart of a championship team. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Dow, Jordan Carlson, (more)
Born as a series of three-minute chucklers on Icebox.com (and aired later on the Showtime pay-cable network), veteran Simpsons-producer Mike Reiss' giddily irreverent tale of a homosexual duck (voiced by Jim J. Bullock) determined to re-define his sexual orientation comes flaming to life on the big screen courtesy of director/animator Xeth Feinberg. With special appearances by Conan O' Brien, Mark Hammill, David Duchovny, Tim Curry, Bruce Vilanch, and Billy West, this lightning fast collection of gags, pop-culture riffs, and catchy tunes follows the web-footed, unlucky-in-love fowl as he navigates the sometimes perilous gay scene. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim J. Bullock, Jackie Hoffman, (more)
In this romantic comedy, a man loses the love of his life, only to find her heart beating in the body of someone new. Architect Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) is happily married until his wife Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), a zoologist, dies in an auto accident. A year later, Bob is still dealing with his loss when he meets Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), a shy woman who waits tables in an Irish/Italian restaurant run by her grandfather Marty (Carroll O'Connor). Bob falls for Grace at first sight, and she's attracted to him as well, but what he doesn't know is that a year ago Grace was the recipient of a heart transplant -- and that Elizabeth was the donor. Return to Me was directed and co-written by actress Bonnie Hunt, who also appears in a supporting role as Grace's best friend Megan; the cast also includes Robert Loggia, James Belushi, and David Alan Grier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, (more)
Here's a fictionalized account of Jack Ruby's perspective of the events leading up to his assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. Danny Aiello appears convincingly as the nightclub-owner Ruby who (according to this telling) points the finger at an FBI conspiracy as the force behind the Kennedy assassination. The film includes some actual footage from Ruby's Oswald shooting. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 1995
This 1995 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by David Duchovny and features musical guest Rod Stewart. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Rod Stewart, (more)
- 1998
This 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by David Duchovny and features musical guest Puff Daddy. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Sean Combs, (more)
