Brendan Fraser Movies
A muscular, darkly handsome actor who defies easy categorization, Brendan Fraser has an enviable versatility that has allowed him to be equally convincing in comedies, dramas, and adventure films alike. The son of a Canadian tourism executive, Fraser was born in Indianapolis on December 3, 1968. Thanks to his father's job, Fraser and his family led a fairly peripatetic existence, living in locales as varied as Ottawa, London, Rome, and Seattle. During his time in London, Fraser became interested in theater and eventually enrolled in Seattle's Cornish Institute for training.After an early appearance in Dogfight (1991), Fraser got his break in 1992's Encino Man as a Stone-Age man unfrozen in modern-day California. He went on to gain audience prominence in diverse roles such as a Jewish football player in an all-WASP environment in School Ties (1992), a grunged-out musician in Airheads (1994), a Harvard student who loses his thesis in With Honors (1994), and a quirky baseball phenom in The Scout (1994). Fraser has been quoted in one magazine article as saying that he seeks out roles combining "silliness and sexiness"; his work during the second half of the '90s certainly reflected this. Particular highlights were George of the Jungle (1997), a witty satire of jungle adventure films; Gods and Monsters (1998), the acclaimed rendering of the last days of director James Whale, for which Fraser earned particular praise in his role as Whale's strapping gardener; the romantic comedy Blast From the Past (1999); and a big-budget remake of The Mummy (1999) that effectively showcased Fraser as a hero well-suited to old-school adventure. So successful were the extravagantly computer generated exploits of the revived Mummy franchise that a sequel soon went into production, resulting in the decidedly Indiana Jones-flavored The Mummy Returns (2001). Pitting Fraser against not only the fearsome Imhotep but the dreaded Scorpion King (wrestling superstar The Rock) as well, The Mummy Returns upped the ante in terms of action and special effects, providing audiences with even more summertime chills and thrills than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for 2001's ill-received Monkeybone which, despite an energetic performance from Fraser, did not fare in the theaters as well as 20th Century Fox had hoped.
Luckily for him, Fraser's career remained intact despite Monkeybone and the equally mediocre Bedazzled (2000) with Elizabeth Hurley. In 2002, Fraser starred in the critically acclaimed The Quiet American, which featured the young actor as Alden Pyle, a naïve American who travels to Saigon as part of a medical mission. Fraser would rekindle his penchant for the silly in 2003, during which he made an appearance as himself in the David Spade vehicle Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and again in Looney Tunes: Back in Action with Steve Martin and Jenna Elfman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
This 1999 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Brendan Fraser and features musical guest Busta Rhymes. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Busta Rhymes, (more)
An assemblage of young Hollywood actors poised for stardom marked this tale of anti-Semitism at a 1950s prep school. Brendan Fraser stars as David Greene, a working-class Jewish quarterback from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who is offered a senior year scholarship to a prestigious New England academy. It's David's ticket to an Ivy League education and a way out of his Rust Belt hometown, but there's one condition: the school's elders ask him to be discreet about his religion. At first willing to do so, David struggles with his silence about his faith as his popularity grows. David strikes up a friendship with his roommate Chris Reece (Chris O'Donnell) and a possible romance with Sally Wheeler (Amy Locane), a student at a nearby girls' school. When jealous classmate Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon) learns David's secret at an alumni party, he exposes the school's new gridiron hero, and David faces the full force of religious intolerance from the prejudiced WASP institution. Also featuring early performances from Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, and Cole Hauser, School Ties was loosely based on the real-life experiences of producer Dick Wolf, creator of TV's popular series Law & Order. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, (more)
- 2000
- G
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This adventure story, created with state-of-the-art computer animation technology, follows the adventurer Sinbad (voice of Brendan Fraser) as he discovers a mysterious island ruled by King Akron (voice of John Rhys-Davies) and his daughter, Princess Serena (voice of Jennifer Hale). Their benevolent rule is being challenged by Baraka (voice of Leonard Nimoy), a vicious wizard who uses his powers to sway the island to his own evil purposes. Serena enlists Sinbad's help in a voyage to find the missing ingredients for a spell that will conquer Baraka once and for all. Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists was the first full-length animated feature using the 3-D Animated Motion Capture process, which allows computer animators to translate the movements of live actors into animated characters, providing a heightened degree of realistic, natural movement. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, John Rhys-Davies, (more)
Meaning to thwart the advances of a hometown boy, a college student takes her California surfer roomie to her Midwestern home for Thanksgiving and passes him off as her husband-to-be. After a few complications, the visiting couple falls for each other, the family finally accepts him and the suitor-hopeful is no longer a threat. Pauly Shore and Carla Gugino star in this light comedy. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, (more)
- 1997
This romantic fantasy from writer, director, and producer James F. Robinson, stars Brendan Fraser as Fletcher McBracken, a starry-eyed San Antonio puppeteer who, like his father and grandfather before him, has a mystical vision of the woman he's fated to marry. Believing that she'll be found in "Formosa" (the one-time name of Taiwan), Fletcher books a flight. During a stopover in L.A., however, he learns of a trendy bar called Formosa and decides to check it out. Sure enough, Fletcher sees his dream girl, Rosalyn Willoughby (Joanna Going), a con artist on the lookout for a new mark, a millionaire from Texas. Assuming that Fletcher is the man she's supposed to bilk, Rosalyn accompanies him to San Antonio, where she meets his tuba-playing grandmother (Celeste Holm) and his eccentric friends, including the Tree Man (Lou Rawls). Charmed against her will by Fletcher, Rosalyn considers a real romance with the daffy artist, but each of them has some revelations to make before a real relationship can begin. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Four stories, representing the emotional principles of love, pleasure, sorrow, and happiness, come together in this episodic drama from first-time director Jieho Lee. A powerful crime boss, Fingers (Andy Garcia), subtly controls the destinies of four people whose circumstances have brought them to a crossroads in their lives. A quiet business executive (Forest Whitaker) is told that an upcoming horse race has been rigged and bets everything he has on his belief that the story is true. A noted pop singer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) discovers her career is hanging in the balance when she's forced to sever ties with her manager. A doctor (Kevin Bacon) must set aside a physician's traditional guidelines when circumstances demand he treat the woman he loves after a serious accident. And a criminal (Brendan Fraser) has a powerful vision of the future, but can't decide if his premonitions are to be trusted. The Air I Breathe received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Brendan Fraser, (more)
A cynical New York salesman (Michael Keaton) finds his scornful ways unexpectedly softened upon falling for the fiancée of his new business partner (Brendan Fraser), a Midwest transplant attempting to find his footing in the city, in screenwriter-turned-director Michael Caleo's feature directorial debut. The Bindview Company is a firm comfortably nestled in a corporate park that specializes in a highly profitable product. Ted (Keaton) is a former Northwestern University literature professor who has since found his calling in sales. When fresh-faced Ohio native Jamie (Fraser) arrives at Bindview eager to acclimate to life in the big city, cynical Ted greets the cub salesman with a palpable sense of scorn. Though Jamie is currently engaged to be married to the pretty Belisa (Amber Valletta), the bride-to-be is beginning to view her prospective spouse as something of a loser, and soon sets her sights on his reluctant mentor Ted. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, (more)
Loosely adapted from the classic 1932 horror film starring Boris Karloff, The Mummy is set in Egypt, where over 3,000 years ago the high priest Imhotep (played by Arnold Vosloo) was given the all-important assignment of preparing the recently dead for their journey into the afterlife. However, Imhotep made one terrible mistake - he became smitten with Anck-Su-Namun, the mistress of the Pharaoh himself. Driven mad by jealousy and love, Imhotep murdered the Pharaoh, and his punishment was to be buried alive and suffer the torment of an eternal life in his wretched tomb. In 1925, a band of adventurers seeking fame and fortune - led by Rick O'Connel (Brendan Fraser), an American expatriate who has joined the foreign legion, and Evelyn Carnarvon (Rachel Weisz), an amateur archeologist - find a previously unknown burial site in Egypt. The team starts to dig, hoping to find lost riches, but instead they disturb the tomb of Imhotep, and soon the cursed priest rises from his grave to wreck vengeance on humanity. The Mummy was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, whose previous cinematic journeys into the past include The Jungle Book and The Adventures Of Huck Finn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, (more)
This big-budget sequel from writer/director Stephen Sommers navigates much of the same cliffhanger territory as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones franchise. It is 1933, eight years after the events of The Mummy (1999). Legionnaire Rick O'Connell Brendan Fraser has married his Egyptologist girlfriend Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and the couple has settled in London, where they're raising their young son Alex (Freddie Boath). The family's domestic tranquility is shattered when the 3,000-year-old mummified corpse of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), which has been shipped to the British Museum, is resurrected once again to resume his evil quest for immortality. In the meantime, another ancient threat emerges in the form of the Scorpion King (professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, aka. the Rock), a mighty warrior frozen in time with his supernatural army. In order to save his family, Rick is forced to seek a mythical pyramid of gold, facing marauding bands of pygmy skeletons, among other hazards. The Mummy Returns co-stars John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Patricia Velasquez. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
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The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen continues the tale set into motion by director Stephen Sommers with this globe-trotting adventure that finds explorer Rick O'Connell and son attempting to thwart a resurrected emperor's (Jet Li) plan to enslave the entire human race. It's been 2,000 years since China's merciless Emperor Han and his formidable army were entombed in terra cotta clay by a double-dealing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh), but now, after centuries in suspended animation, an ancient curse is about to be broken. Thanks to his childhood adventures alongside father Rick (Brendan Fraser) and mother Evelyn (Maria Bello), dashing young archeologist Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) is more than familiar with the power of the supernatural. After he is tricked into awakening the dreaded emperor from his eternal slumber, however, the frightened young adventurer is forced to seek out the wisdom of his parents -- both of whom have had their fair share of experience battling the legions of the undead. Should the fierce monarch prove capable of awakening his powerful terra cotta army, his diabolical plan for world domination will finally be set into motion. Of course, the one factor that this emperor mummy failed to consider while solidifying his power-mad plans was the O'Connells, and before this battle is over, the monstrous monarch will be forced to contend with the one family that isn't frightened by a few rickety reanimated corpses. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, (more)
- 1995
For his second outing as a director, filmmaker Philip Ridley once again enlisted the talents of Viggo Mortensen, who starred in Ridley's debut, The Reflecting Skin, and co-stars here with Ashley Judd and Brendan Fraser. Fraser plays Darkley Noon, a disturbed young man who received a sheltered upbringing from his strict Christian parents. When the elder Noons pass on, Darkly wanders off aimlessly until he is picked up by a passing truck driver named Jude (Loren Dean). Jude leaves the physically worn Darkly with Callie (Judd) and Clay (Mortensen), a young married couple. As Callie cares for Darkly, he begins to develop romantic and sexual feelings for her, feelings that threaten to turn violent when Darkly is taunted by the love between Callie and Clay. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Graham Greene's allegorical novel about America's role in the Vietnam conflict, and how it was perceived by the rest of the world, is brought to the screen for the second time in this adaptation directed by Phillip Noyce. Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is a British journalist who in 1952 is covering the early stages of the war in Indo-China for the London Times, not a demanding assignment since few in England are especially interested in the conflict. When not filing occasional reports, Fowler spends his time with Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a beautiful woman who shares lovemaking and opium with Fowler and is willing to accept the fact the married journalist will never make her his wife. Fowler becomes friendly with Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a cheerful and articulate if seemingly naïve American who is in Saigon as part of a medical mission. As Fowler and Pyle develop a closer friendship, Pyle is introduced to Phuong, and the American soon becomes infatuated with her. When Fowler's editors suggest he return to London, he responds by digging himself deeper in covering the war, and Pyle attempts to take Phuong away; she soon rejects him. Undaunted, Pyle continues with his work, but Fowler discovers that medical help is not what the American is bringing to Vietnam. Pyle is in fact a CIA operative who is helping to organize and finance a "Third Force" who will battle Ho Chi Min's forces as well as the French and their allies. Fowler also learns that Pyle is behind a series of bombings which are believed to have been carried out by Communist extremists, and faces the ugly fact that his American friend is in fact a terrorist killing in the name of Uncle Sam's political interests. While completed in the fall of 2001, The Quiet American went unreleased until late 2002; after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the film's producers felt the film's critical view of America's role in the Vietnam war might be considered especially offensive. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, (more)
After several weeks filming The Scout in the late 1970s, star Peter Falk and director Howard Zieff abandoned the project. Two decades later, writer Andrew Bergman gave his original script to Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who polished it as a vehicle for Brooks and director Michael Ritchie. Brooks stars as Al Percolo, a talent scout for the New York Yankees whose latest recruit (Michael Rapaport) has just vomited on the field and fled. Sent to Mexico as punishment by his boss (Lane Smith), Percolo finds phenomenal young pitcher Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser). Before he can get back to the Big Apple, however, Percolo gets pink-slipped by the Yankees, so he offers Nebraska as a free agent. After a stellar tryout, Nebraska is signed for millions. Soon after, he starts to exhibit odd behaviors that may be linked to psychological problems. A psychiatrist (Dianne Wiest) hired by the ball club wants Nebraska in daily therapy, so Percolo ends up babysitting a mentally unstable pitcher. Brooks' normally winning mix of laughs with psychological insights didn't add up to box office or critical success, despite cameos from real-life sports figures such as George Steinbrenner and Steve Garvey. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Brooks, Brendan Fraser, (more)
Co-written by Jonathan Tolins and based on his original stage play, this Showtime drama concerns the possible role of genetics in determining sexual orientation. Suzanne Gold (Jennifer Beals), a medical-school dropout who manages a clothing store, marries genetic researcher Rob Stein (Jon Tenney), the son of Orthodox Jews who disapprove of what they perceive as their son's meddling with God's prerogatives. When Rob submits his and Suzanne's unborn son to his colleagues' experimental test procedures, the baby appears to have a 90 percent chance of being homosexual. Suzanne confides to her mother, Phyllis (Faye Dunaway), that she fears for the added burden her new family will face. Mom's got a big mouth, and before long Suzanne's father, Walter (Garry Marshall), and gay brother, David (Brendan Fraser), are weighing in with their conflicting opinions about whether or not Suzanne should abort the child and what such an action would mean about David's place in the family. The strain of such a decision ruptures existing fault lines in both the Gold family and Suzanne's marriage, culminating in revelation, transformation, and a group hug. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Beals, Jon Tenney, (more)
This fascinating chronicle of the life and times of a twenty dollar bill was originally written by Endre Boehm in 1935 and languished forgotten on the shelf until his son Leslie resurrected it after his father's death, and updated the script. (Both received screenwriter credit for the released version). The scrap of currency's journey begins after it is spit out of a downtown Minneapolis ATM machine into the hands of a busy young mother. It's a windy day, and the crisp bill is blown out of her hands into those of a bag lady who uses it on the lottery because she believes the serial numbers are lucky. Unfortunately, the bill is plucked from her hands by a light-fingered skate boarder who uses the money at a local bakery. From there the bill's odyssey takes it to a wide variety of places including a wedding, a stripper's g-string, a con artist's scam, and a robbery. It ends up used as a note pad, a birthday present, a coaster, and a fishing contest trophy. Interestingly, every one who encounters the bill changes in some way. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Hunt, David Rasche, (more)
Harvard University graduate Alek Keshishian directed this tale about a homeless man who teaches some snotty Harvard students a thing or two about real life. Monty (Brendan Fraser) is a self-absorbed graduate student who is obsessed with finishing his thesis on government so that he can satisfy his demanding teacher, Professor Pitkannan (Gore Vidal). When Monty loses his precious thesis in the basement of the library's heating plant, it is found by a homeless man living there, Simon (Joe Pesci). Simon agrees to return the thesis one page at a time in return for certain favors. The relationship with the bearded vagabond changes Monty's view of life, and it also affects his housemates, who include Everett (Patrick Dempsey), a wisecracking radio host; Courtney (Moira Kelly), who is immature and sex-obsessed; and the studious nerd Jeff (Josh Hamilton). Simon becomes something of a father figure to Monty, argues history with Professor Pitkannan, and provides an earthy balance to the overly academic viewpoint of the students. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, (more)
- 1993
Jonathan Younger (Donald Sutherland) runs his offbeat storage facility as if it were an odd amalgam of a nightclub for the rich and famous and a pied a terre for The Addams Family. He greets each customer and potential customer with the flair and sinister graciousness of Bela Lugosi at the door of Castle Dracula. From time to time, mysterious organ music audibly emanates from the basement. His wife (Lolita Davidovich) has the messy business of making sure that this very ordinary business pays the bills. Both of them are hoping that their son (Brendan Fraser) will come back from his pricey college studies in England and take over the business. Things take a sharp left turn when some of his customers become media celebrities, suspected of killing the man in their family. This quirky black comedy was made by the director of the sublimely zany Baghdad Cafe. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Lolita Davidovich, (more)
