Loretta Devine Movies
Born in Houston in 1949, actress Loretta Devine rose to fame on-stage in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls before parlaying her acclaim into a career in film and television. Her first major onscreen role came in 1987, when she was cast as a resident advisor on the Cosby Show-spin-off A Different World. Though she left the series after the first season, it was far from her final gig as a TV series regular.Throughout the early '90s, Devine appeared in small supporting roles in features films such as Class Act and Amos & Andrew as well as a number of TV guest spots on shows ranging from Roc to Picket Fences. In 1995, Devine's career was given a shot in the arm when she was cast as one of the leads in Waiting to Exhale, an ensemble film that proved to be a success with both critics and audiences. More supporting work followed, and in 2000 she was cast as a lead on David E. Kelley's Fox drama Boston Public, a show that would go on to be nominated for multiple Emmys over the course of its four seasons on the air.
Devine's career came full-circle in 2006 when she was cast in a small role in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, the stage musical that launched her career. The following year, she was cast as a regular on ABC's supernatural legal drama Eli Stone. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2009
The first collaboration between legendary filmmakers David Lynch and Werner Herzog, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done is loosely based on the true story of a San Diego man whose mystifying experiences lead him to commit a shocking act of matricide. Michael Shannon, Chloë Sevigny, and Willem Dafoe headline this psychological thriller written and directed by Herzog, produced by Lynch, and featuring Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier, and Brad Dourif. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Shannon, Chloë Sevigny, (more)
Follow Eli Stone (Jonny Miller) on his quirky quest for answers in this exciting and upbeat comedic drama. When Eli awakens to an unending George Michael soundtrack that only he can hear, gets dive-bombed by a WWI biplane on a busy San Francisco street, and faces a fire-breathing dragon outside his office window, there are two possible explanations: delusions caused by a potentially fatal brain aneurysm or the chance that something greater is at work. He might just be a prophet sent to change the world. Victor Garber and Loretta Devine lead an acclaimed supporting cast in this wonderfully wacky new series, ELI STONE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON. Complete with every Season One episode, exclusive bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage, this 4-disc box set will surprise, inspire and leave you feeling like you gotta have faith.
- Starring:
- Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, (more)
- 2007
Bailey (Chandra Wilson) announces plans to start a free clinic, and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) has the money to make this dream come true--provided that the clinic is named after the late Denny Duquette. Meanwhile, Cristina (Ellen Pompeo) receives a marriage proposal; George (T.R. Knight) expresses his grief over his father's death in a truly unique fashion, much to the delight of Callie (Sara Ramirez); and Addison (Kate Walsh) and Alex (Justin Chambers) take great pains to avoid each other. Also, the surgeons become emotionally involved in the plight of Jillian Miller (Jessica Stroup), a young Amish cancer patient torn between her strict parents and her "shunned" best friend (Rachel Boston). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
The results of the first-year exams are posted, and all but one the interns have passed. Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) are ready to march down the aisle and exchange vows--or are they? An important decision reached by George (T.R. Knight) and Callie (Sara Ramirez) is clouded by thoughts of Izzie (Katherine Heigl). Alex (Justin Chambers) has trouble hiding his feelings when the husband of Rebecca Pope--aka Ava, aka Jane Doe--shows up. It's anybody's guess where things stand for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) And as his wife (Loretta Devine) undergoes surgery, Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) announces the name of his successor. This cliffhanger finale of Grey's Anatomy's third season marks the final series appearance of Kate Walsh (Addison), who will headline the spinoff series Private Practice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
All but one of the interns are fully prepared to take the first-year exams. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and her father have finally come to an understanding, which is more than can be said for Meredith and Derek (Patrick Dempsey). Burke (Isaiah Washington) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) are just a few hours away from becoming husband and wife. Callie (Sara Ramirez) is beginning to figure out what went on between George (T.R. Knight) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) on that drunken evening. Ava (Elizabeth Reaser) finally regains her memory and identifies herself as "Rebecca Pope"--but this is anything but good news for Alex (Justin Chambers). And in addition to three injured mountain climbers, the hospital admissions room includes such familiar faces as Adele Webber (Loretta Devine) and Joe the Bartender (Steven W. Bailey). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the first half of Grey's Anatomy's two-part Season Two finale, Christina (Sandra Oh) is placed in charge of the ER just as several tense situations reach the crisis stage. It looks as if heart-transplant candidate Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) won't survive the night unless George (T.R. Knight) acts quickly; Derek races against time to safe the life of gunshot victim Burke; and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) tries to make a dying girl's dream come true--a particularly poignant moment, in that the girl is his own niece. And on the romantic scene, Callie (Sara Ramirez) demands to know how George really feels about her, while Derek and Addison (Kate Walsh) reach yet another crossroads. In keeping with the "ensemble" feel of this busy episode, the offscreen narration, traditionally the responsibility of Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), is handled by virtually everyone in the cast! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the concluding half of Grey's Anatomy's Season Two finale, Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) appears to have survived his heart transplant, and in the ensuing euphoria he proposes to Izzie (Katherine Heigl)--but we're still some distance removed from a happy ending. Elsewhere, the relationship between Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is soured a bit by the presence of Finn (Chris O'Donnell), while Callie (Sara Ramirez) and George (T.R. Knight) wonder if they can be in lust rather than love; Cristina (Sandra Oh), placed in charge of the ER, nearly suffers a meltdown over the plight of the seriously wounded Burke (Isaiah Washington); and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) arranges a "prom night" for his terminally ill niece. To keep audience interest piqued until the opening episode of Season Three, two life-changing events take place just before fadeout time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Code Black emergency remains in effect as Blake (Isaiah Washington) tries to remove a live bomb imbedded in the chest of a WW2 re-enactor--with a very nervous Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) holding the explosive steady lest it blow the hospital to smithereens. The strain proves too much for Dr. Webber, who suffers what seems to be a heart attack. Meanwhile, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) has gone into labor, but refuses to deliver her baby without her husband present--placing Derek (Patrick Dempsey), presently operating on the husband for injuries sustained in a car accident, in quite a quandary. And with the whole world crumbling around them, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and Alex (Justin Chambers) pick this time to express their love...in a linen closet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
As Season Three of Grey's Anatomy gets under way, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has only a few fleeting moments to ponder her romantic rendezvous with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) at the end of Season Two before Derek and George (T.R. Knight) are quarantined in the same room by a flu epidemic. In another unresolved issue from the previous season, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) is so devastated by the death of heart patient Denny Duquette that she decides to give up her medical career completely. Elsewhere, the wife (Loretta Devine) of surgery chief Webber (James Pickens Jr.) forces him to choose between the hospital and her; and two of the surgeons look after an infant found in a most unexpected place. This episode is highlighted by an extensive flashback to that wonderful night in 2005 just before the series' regulars began their "tour of duty" at Seattle Grace Hospital. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The OR staff has its hands full with the victims of a spectacular car crash caused by flagrantly careless driver Bob Seibert. In the course of events, it is revealed that Seibert is a drug abuser, wife beater and all-around louse--and he is also in desperate need of a liver transplant. Ironically, the perfect donor turns out to be the very man whom Seibert killed on the road, placing the surgical interns smack in the middle of a major ethical dilemma. Elsewhere, George (T.R. Knight) is forced to work side by side with the same nurse who gave him syphillis; Webber (James Pickens Jr.) gets what-for from his wife (Loretta Devine) for having brain surgery without her knowledge; Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) do their best to lose themselves in their work and forget their romantic travails; and we finally find out the reason for the rift between Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Addison (Kate Walsh). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One woman's odyssey through a hellish life of sexual abuse, drug addiction, and crime is resolved in faith in this tough but inspiring drama based on a true story documented by evangelist Bishop T.D. Jakes. Michelle Jordan (Kimberly Elise) was raised by a single mother, Cassie (Loretta Devine), who became involved with a cruel and opportunistic man named Reggie (Clifton Powell). Reggie began displaying an inappropriate interest in Michelle when she was only eight, and at 12 he began violating her on a regular basis. Stung by her mother's denials of Reggie's wrongdoings, Michelle ran away from home and ended up on a dead-end road of drug abuse and prostitution, which led to a stretch in prison for murder. While behind bars, Michelle hears of the teachings of Bishop T.D. Jakes and his work with abused women, and writes the noted preacher in hopes of someday meeting him. To her surprise, Jakes (who plays himself) pays her a visit, and as she shares with him the story of her blighted life, she takes the first steps on the road to emotional and spiritual recovery. Jakes arranges for Michelle to have a three-day furlough from prison so she can attend a revival he's hosting in the area; opting to stay in a half-way house rather than see Cassie and Reggie, Michelle reconnects with many of her old friends during her three days of freedom, including former stripper Nicole (Idalis de Leon), childhood friend and hairdresser Twana (Debbi Morgan), and former boyfriend Todd (Michael Boatman). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, (more)
Subtitled "The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs", Book of Love is a mockumentary following the lives of three L.A. bachelors (Eric K. George, Anthony "Treach" Criss, and (Richard T. Jones) as they recover from a series of unhealthy relationships. The team of average Joes are no match for their manipulative girlfriends (Robin Givens, Mari Morrow, and Salli Richardson) , however, and the over eager men are taken for all they're worth. It's this manipulative, self-serving treatment that drives the young bachelors into behaving like "dogs" themselves. Directed by Jeff Byrd, Book of Love was produced by both BET Studios and 5th Gear Entertainment, and eventually released by Strange Fruit Films. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric K. George, Salli Richardson, (more)
- 2000
Produced by the prolific David E. Kelly, the Fox network comedy-drama series Boston Public is as quirky, volatile and overpopulated with colorful and eccentric characters as any other Kelly effort. Set within the walls of Boston Public High School, the series is told from the viewpoint of the dedicated but harried principal Steven Harper (Chi McBride). The challenges facing Harper include aging teacher Harvey Lipshultz (Fyvush Finkel), whose often nonsensical rambling indicates that senility is quickly settling in; ongoing clashes between faculty and the students' parents, who are convinced that not enough/too much is being done for/to their youngsters; various student cliques, ranging from a girls' group that rates the potential sexual prowess of the teachers to a bunch of bullying punks; and such one-day-at-a-time crises as the teacher who decides to counter potential student violence by bringing a gun to class and firing it over his charges' heads. In addition to McBride and Finkel, the huge ensemble cast includes Loretta Devine as Marla Hendricks, Jessalyn Gilsig as Lauren Davis, Anthony Heald as Scott Guber, Rashida Jones as Louisa, Nicky Katt as Harry Senate, Sharon Leal as Marilyn, Thomas McCarthy as Kevin Riley, Joey Slotnick as Milton Buttle, and Sarah Thompson as Dana Poole. Boston Public first aired on October 23, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessalyn Gilsig, Chi McBride, (more)
- 2000
E! Entertainment's debut original TV production is an over-the-top depiction of Hollywood decadence and desperation. Five down-and-out women vie for a major award. The five include a drugged-out indie queen; a plumy British actress with a womanizing director for a husband; a porn star looking for a legit turn; an African-American chanteuse whose career is on the skids; and a lipstick lesbian with a wily publicist. The plot twists when a body turns up and all five are suspects. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Airlie, Maria Conchita Alonso, (more)
This made-for-TV movie focuses on the grassroots efforts of a Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to combat the entrenched racism of the segregated South. The film focuses on Owen Walker (Vicellus Reon Shannon), a youth who longs to address the injustices of his hometown in rural Mississippi. His father Will (Danny Glover) forswore his own previous attempts to organize local blacks. Owen resents his father, until he too realizes the true cost of protesting. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Vicellous Shannon, (more)
- 1999
After returning to her hometown to contemplate her troubled marriage, a woman finds renewed hope as she and the cousin with whom she was once best friends slowly reconcile their own fractured relationship. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfre Woodard, Loretta Devine, (more)
- 1998
This installment of the popular HBO Happily Ever After children's series employs the talents of Sinbad, Robert Guillaume, and Richard Lewis in a modern retelling of the classic Grimm's fairy tale. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
New Age masseur Poe Finklestein (Mario Van Peebles) has an appointment at the posh estate of widow Evelyn Heiss (Lesley Ann Warren), who lives with her gay stepson Dominique (Donovan Leitch) and her sister-in-law Alena Heiss (Louise Fletcher). The gardener (Melvin Van Peebles) is a bystander observing the con games, betrayals and schemes unleashed in this dysfunctional household. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Van Peebles, Lesley Ann Warren, (more)
- 1997
Four 20-somethings try to unravel the tangled mess of their love lives in this modern romantic drama. Larry (Leon) runs a nightclub, but he would rather be onstage singing than booking the talent. Larry used to be involved with his friend Renee (P. Pauley), an aspiring poet, but lately he's become infatuated with Annette (Nicole Eggert), who also works at the club. Meanwhile, Billy (Jon Seda) has fallen in love with Renee, unaware that she still carries a torch for Larry (or even that they were ever involved). With so much romantic confusion, nearly everyone can use all the advice they can get, and neighborhood spiritualist Jackee (Loretta Devine) and street singer Ben (Lou Rawls) try to pass along what wisdom they have to spare. The Price of Kissing was the first dramatic feature film for writer and director Vince Di Persio, whose previous background was in documentaries and television films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Eleven-year-old Clover is angry, confused, frightened, and sad. She didn't ask her father to fall in love with that Yankee white woman, and she certainly didn't expect her father to die in a car crash on his wedding day. Now she feels all alone, caught between her family, who strongly disapprove of her father's bride, and the well-meaning but culturally clueless stepmother who tries to win Clover's love and deal with her own grief. In an unexpected turn of events, it is the late father/husband himself who provides the catalyst for healing. An unusually well-wrought made-for-cable drama, Clover explores a family's grief and attempts to come together in a realistic, moving manner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth McGovern, Ernie Hudson, (more)
- 1997
Originally an episode of the Touched by an Angel spinoff Promised Land, this is the conclusion of a two-part story begun on Angel (and as such is included in the current Angel syndication package. Having been chosen to act as the "eyes" for temporarily inded angel Monica (Roma Downey), young Joshua Greene (Austin O'Brien) is himself rendered sightless in a drive-by shooting. Dr. Serena Hall (Lynn Whitfield) holds Michael Burns (George Newbern), the man who brought Joshua to the inner-city Denver neighborhood where the shooting occurred, responsible for the tragedy, but both Monica and friendly beauty-shop owner Queenie (Jenifer Lewis) do their best to alleviate Michael's guilt feelings. Meanwhile, Joshua's dad Russell (Promised Land star Gerald McRaney) rallies the neighborhood to take a strong stand against gang violence. Evidently, this episode was intended as the pilot for a new series starring George Newbern, which never got off the ground; however, the Denver-ghetto setting would be utilized again during Promised Land's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this first episode of a two-part story, Tess (Della Reese) pays a visit to the Greene family, the protagonists of the Touched by an Angel spinoff series Promised Land. She informs Joshua Greene (Austin O'Brien) that God has reserved a special purpose for him, specifically act as the "eyes" for the temporarily blinded Monica during her next assignment. Hitching a ride with one Michael Burns (George Newbern), Joshua and Monica end up in a rundown Denver neighborhood, where Michael's grandfather runs an inner-city mall. Here the travellers befriend lunch-counter owner Mary Harding (Esther Rolle) and her grandchildren Calvin (Sean Nelson) and Chanice (Myriah Darden), and also beauty salon proprietor Queenie (Jenifer Lewis). Unfortunately, the neighborhood is rife with tension over a dangerous band of "taggers" who have covered the walls with gang graffiti--and just before the episode ends, tragedy strikes one of the principal characters. Though the concluding half of this story originally aired as an episode of Promised Land, it is currently included in the Touched by an Angel syndication package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
