Patrick Bergin Movies
Patrick Bergin is a versatile actor who has yet to make it big in Hollywood. The son a trade union activist and founder of a political theater, Bergin was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, but left for London when he was only 17. There he worked at different jobs and eventually set up an experimental theater group. Originally a high-school drop out, Bergin returned to night school and by his early 20s had become a school teacher. He worked as an educator for five years and then quit to go on an extensive tour of Europe. Upon his return to Britain, he began working in repertory theater, and occasionally on television before appearing in a short British Film School production. Bergin made his feature-film debut in 1988 with The Courier; that year he also won acclaim for his role as an IRA informer in the TV movie Act of Betrayal. His success with the latter film lead director Bob Rafelson to cast him as Sir Richard Burton in his epic Mountains of the Moon (1990). While in Britain, Bergin typically played heroes, but in Hollywood he is usually cast as a villainous lowlife. He was particularly nasty as the obsessed, abusive husband in Sleeping with the Enemy (1991). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1988
The troubles in Northern Ireland are the backdrop for this made-for-television drama about an IRA hitman assigned to seek revenge against a defector. Patrick Bergin stars as Michael McGurk, an IRA terrorist who suffers from a guilty conscience after a bombing takes the lives of innocent citizens. After handing himself over to the police and turning on his former allies, McGurk and his family are shipped off to Australia as part of a witness protection program. Vowing to avenge the disloyalty to the Army, the IRA puts a hit out on McGurk and his family. Elliott Gould stars as Callaghan, the retired IRA hitman who is called upon to track down and murder the McGurks. Shot partially in Belfast, London, and Sydney, this political thriller has a running time of over three hours. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
During the Roman Empire, the wicked and crass Crassius (Patrick Bergin) rules his small province with an iron hand and a sharp sword. The only resistance in his domain is a tribe of women skilled in the martial arts -- Amazons -- who regularly whip Crassius' gladiators in defense of their freedom. One Amazon in particular -- the outrageously beautiful former slave dancer Serena (Nichole Hiltz) -- is bent on revenge, seeing how Crassius was responsible for the brutal death of her mother, the destruction of her childhood village, her enslavement, and the death of her boyfriend Lucius (Richard Norton). It all comes down to a no-holds-barred clash of Amazons and gladiators in a packed arena, with Serena and Crassius headlining the bout. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1997
A tale of lost-love, idealism and steadfast commitment that alternates between comedy and drama. Passionate and tragic Angela Mooney (Mia Farrow) is a woman prepared to die for her ideals and attempts suicide rather frequently, something that never fails to draw a crowd. Outwardly, her reason for killing herself centers on the local creamery, a business run by her husband, who has spent his life building it up, that is about to be taken over by the America-based Little Rooster Corporation. Angela is afraid that the American company will destroy the quaint character of the town. Unfortunately, Angela is alone in her struggle as everyone else supports the buy-out. Angela's real reasons for fighting are revealed via flashback and have to do with the handsome young Scottish soldier to whom she gave her virginity when she was an impressionable young girl. He was an idealist and transferred his sense of justice to her. Later he was run out of town and so moved to America where he became a wealthy tycoon. Years pass and now the soldier/business magnate prepares to return to the village, something that has caused a flurry of activity amongst the townsfolk. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Brendan Gleeson, (more)
An American research party on Scotland's Loch Ness believes it has sonar evidence that the fabled monster of the lake is active. They summon Case Howell (Brian Wimmer), a veteran adventurer, to help them capture the creature for further study. Meanwhile, a go-getting TV producer (Lysette Anthony) arrives to make a documentary about the news (and instantly gets a crush on Case). But the locals stir the beast, which suddenly becomes carnivorous, and the lake's Coast Guard official (Vernon Wells) refuses to keep people off the shoreline and boats off the water. As the body count begins to require a calculator, Case and his scientists become desperate to stop the thing, enlisting the help of Captain Blay (Patrick Bergin), an eccentric hermit who has motive for slaying the critter -- it killed his son 17 years earlier, but Blay was blamed in the tragedy. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
First-time Irish writer/director Sean Walsh spent ten years making Bl,.m (Bloom), an adaptation of James Joyce's infamously difficult 1922 epic Ulysses. Set in Dublin on the day of June 16, 1904, the film attempts to make a visual reconstruction of Joyce's stream-of-consciousness style. Following all the major themes of the original novel, it's bookended by the internal monologue given by the sexually driven Molly (Angeline Ball). Stephen Rea plays her husband, the introspective Jewish-Irishman Leopold Bloom. Hugh O'Conor plays the philosophical young writer Stephen Dedalus. Bloom premiered at the 2003 Taormina Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Rea, Angeline Ball, (more)
- 2000
In this steamy thriller, Taylor Lewis (Patrick Bergin) is a district attorney who is assigned to prosecute Angela Carter (Joan Severance) when she's accused of murdering her husband -- who just so happens to be the mayor's cousin. However, the longer Lewis investigates the case, the more he begins to question the widow's guilt; what's more, he imagines he may be compromising his integrity when he finds himself falling in love with her. Cause of Death also stars Michael Ironside and Larry Day.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin, Joan Severance, (more)
Veteran newspaper editor Alec Dodge (Patrick Bergin) isn't hesitant to break scandalous news about city hall corruption on his front pages, even if the alleged kingpin implicated is the owner of his newspaper. Naturally, he's fired. Just as things look their worse, Dodge meets Claire (Annie Dufresne), a beautiful French woman who picks him up at a bar and takes him somewhere to lift his spirits. Unfortunately, that somewhere is the newspaper publisher's home. In the morning Dodge is found unconscious with a gun in his hand and the publisher's bullet-riddled body nearby. And Claire, his only alibi, is nowhere to be found. Dodge has to escape jail, find Claire, and clear his name -- with the police and the real assassins hot on his trail.
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
A group of young adults attends an all-night rave only to discover it's a trap for a satanic cult that requires flesh for bloody sacrifices. After a night of being chased by masked members, the would-be victims find sanctuary in a small town and report their findings to the sheriff (Tim Thomerson) and Minister Seth (Patrick Bergin, whose name is misspelled on the DVD box). Big mistake. It's up to Susan (Ashley Jones), the last of her friends not captured, to put an end to the rivers of gore by battling the cult members on their own violent terms.
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin, Bryan Kirkwood, (more)
Dracula's Curse is a television miniseries directed by American filmmaker Roger Young, based on the famous novel by Bram Stoker. Set during contemporary times, the story involves American investment banker Jonathan Harker (Hardy Krüger Jr.) who lives in Budapest with his Italian fiancée Mina (Stefania Rocca). In order to secure a lucrative real estate deal of Carfax manor, Harker is called to Romania to visit the creepy Count Vladislav Tepes (Patrick Bergin). Looking to recruit more vampires, Tepes moves to Budapest and starts biting all of Harker's colleagues. Research scientist Dr. Enrico Valenzi (Giancarlo Giannini) tries to stop the vampires. Dracula's Curse was broadcast on Italian television in 2002. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1999
In this drama set in Ireland in the 1930s, Mark Doran (Matt Keeslar) is a young man who has grown up on a cattle farm and has fallen in love with lovely Annie Mullaney (Nancy St. Alban). However, Annie's father Fergus (Patrick Bergin) regards Mark as a callow youth and insists that he prove his manhood before Mark can ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Mark sees an opportunity to prove himself and help his family at the same time when he becomes angry with the low prices offered by a local cattle broker; Mark decides that he will instead drive his herd 40 miles to the next available market, where's he's sure that they will bring in more money. Mark sets out to play cowboy with his rough-and-tumble Aunt Maeve (Brenda Fricker) in tow, but they soon run into interference from angry ranchers unhappy with Mark's stunt. Durango was produced for television as part of the acclaimed drama anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Keeslar, Patrick Bergin, (more)
- 1999
Being careful about giving rides to strangers is just as important in outer space as it is on earth, as shown in this science fiction thriller. In the 22nd century, a pair of scientists who happen to be husband and wife, Nash (Peter Outerbridge) and Billie (Wendy Crewson), are sent on a special mission to study and record the activities of a dying red star from an observational space craft; accompanying them is their teenage daughter, Ronnie (Michelle Beaudoin). One day, Nash and Billie discover a small escape pod from a larger spaceship; they retrieve the tiny vessel and discover a man inside, Cal (Patrick Bergin), in a state of suspended animation. When the man is brought on board and revived, they soon make the unpleasant discovery that Cal is a murderous lunatic -- who happens to be attracted to their daughter, and who can't be gotten rid of easily. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin
- 1993
Filmed in Eastern Europe, this direct-to-cable adaptation of Mary Shelley's iconographic monster tale features Patrick Bergin as Victor Frankenstein, a medical genius obsessed with the secret of creating life, who uses a bizarre cloning apparatus to grow a complete human being (Randy Quaid) from his own cellular material. Though sensitive and intelligent, the rebellious humanoid is driven by a murderous rage against his creator, compelling him to destroy everything that he holds dear. Aside from the introduction of a psychic link between Victor and his monstrous genetic offspring -- a concept never satisfyingly explored -- this adaptation brings nothing particularly fresh or revolutionary to Shelley's novel. However, production values are admirably high and performances are superb throughout, particularly that of John Mills as the blind forest hermit who befriends the monster. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Canadian Timothy Bond directed this effort that was filmed on location in Zimbabwe. The topical plot concerns an army captain (Patrick Bergin) who is attempting to deactivate the land mines that litter the countryside following the conclusion of a civil war in Angola. He works in tandem with doctor Hildy Koller (Desiree Nosbusch) who must care for the many injuries incurred by locals from the land mines. This was one of the very first action films to be lensed in Africa by a predominantly African crew. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin
- 2001
Based on fact, the made-for-TV drama Jewel begins in 1945, a time when children afflicted with Down Syndrome were casually and cruelly dismissed as "Mongoloid Idiots." Already a mother with four healthy, normal children, 40-year-old Mississippi woman Jewel Hilburn (Farrah Fawcett) gives birth to daughter Brenda Kay, a Down's baby who will forever be challenged both mentally and physically. Urged by the local authorities to surrender Brenda Kay to an institution, Jewel defies the "experts" and packs herself and her family off to Los Angeles, where she hopes that her daughter will have a better chance at a normal life. But in her zeal to shower affection and attention on her "different little girl", Jewel sorely strains her relationships with her husband Leston (Patrick Bergin) and her other four kids. Cicely Tyson makes what the CBS publicity flacks labeled a "special appearance" in the role of a loving caregiver named Cathedral. Based on the novel by Bret Lott, Jewel originally aired February 7, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The greatest magician in the world isn't about to let a little thing like being over 1,500 years old stop him from saving England in this comic adventure. Miss Maxwell (Tia Carrere), an unscrupulous scientist from the United States, has arrived in England with a plan to use the manipulation of magnetic fields to bring evil sorcerer Mordred (Craig Sheffer) back from the dead and into the present day. Hoping to stop Maxwell's scheme before it's too late, the ancient magician Merlin (Rik Mayall) comes to the rescue; however, he's a bit too old to handle the job all by himself, and Merlin is forced to enlist the help of some friends from his salad days -- King Arthur (Patrick Bergin), Sir Lancelot (Adrian Paul), and Guinevere (Julie Hartley). Though set in rural England, Merlin: The Return was actually filmed in South Africa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rik Mayall, Patrick Bergin, (more)
- 1990
This unrelieved melodrama examines the nature of a child's experience of a domineering, volatile alcoholic parent. It is based on an autobiographical account by Carol-Ann Courtney. At first, the girl has some diversion from her intense and frightening relationship with her father in the person of her maternal grandmother, but that outlet is soon closed when her father bans her from their home. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin, Sue Roderick, (more)
A quaint small town that hasn't paid taxes since World War II draws the attention of an ambitious tax inspector in this comedy starring Billy Zane and Patrick Bergin. Putterton possesses all the charm of your typical small town without any of the irritations of modern city living: The crime rate is low, the cost of living is minimal, and everyone knows their neighbors by name. Everyone in Putterton is proud that their little corner of the world has retained its old world ambiance, but when beautiful tax inspector Caroline Deville comes to town the atmosphere quickly turns tense. No one in Putterton has paid a penny in taxes since 1945, and despite his best efforts there's nothing that George Putter (Zane) can do to bury this dirty little secret. Just as Deville begins auditing at will and the town teeters on the verge of bankruptcy, however, help arrives in the form of Consumer City President Vernon Fry (Bergion). Consumer City is a giant discount chain with stores all across the country, and Fry is willing to rescue Putterton from financial ruin if the residents will just allow him to open a store in their quiet little burg. The only problem with this solution is that the presence of a garish Consumer City store in town would most certainly detract from the old fashioned atmosphere that that has come to define Putterton. While George and Caroline may have their fair share of differences, the one thing they can both agree on is that Putterton shouldn't bow to Fry and his corporate Goliath. Perhaps if they could just find a way to work together, these two unlikely allies can ensure that Putterton doesn't become yet another indistinctive stretch of strip malls and fast food joints. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Valerie Valois, (more)
Initially conceived as a theatrical feature, but originally aired on television in the United States, Robin Hood puts slight, but effective, twists on the legendary tale. Starring Patrick Bergin in the title role, the film follows Robin and his group of bandits as they fight Prince John and save Maid Marion (Uma Thurman). This version is a little grittier than both Errol Flynn's classic movie or the contemporary extravaganza starring Kevin Costner, since Bergin is quite down-to-earth and Thurman makes Marion into a brat, not a helpless maiden. However, these qualities and the stately photography make the film quite entertaining, and it easily equals Costner's version, even if it can't match Flynn's timeless movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin, Uma Thurman, (more)
- 2002
Silent Grace, the debut feature from director Maeve Murphy, is based on actual events. In the early 1980s, a new inmate (Cathleen Bradley) is thrown into prison with a group of female IRA insurgents led by Orla Brady). Although the newcomer has been put there to destabalize the group, they convert her and begin the "dirty" protests, which involves the inmates refusing to clean themselves. Silent Grace was screened at the Hamptons Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orla Brady, Cathleen Bradley, (more)
- 1994
In this Canadian police drama, a lady detective goes undercover to try and trace a huge fortune in stolen church money back by breaking the thief responsible for the heist out of prison and then following him to his stash. Things don't go as planned when the gumshoe realizes that she has fallen in love with the crook. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bergin, Kate Vernon, (more)
This film covers St. Patrick's early life and the 30 years he later spent preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland. Actors Alan Bates, Malcolm McDowell, Susannah York, and Patrick Bergin breathe life into this remarkable man's story. Viewers will learn how St. Patrick left behind his early pagan beliefs and began embracing God's teachings while he was held captive during his youth. Before his death, St. Patrick established a number of new monasteries, churches, and schools. This entire film was shot on location in Ireland. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
