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
- 2008
- PG13
- Add The X-Files: I Want to Believe to QueueAdd The X-Files: I Want to Believe to top of Queue
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with this long-delayed big-screen continuation that revives the series six years after it headed off the air in 2002. Creator Chris Carter returns to direct, co-writing the script with series veteran Frank Spotnitz for 20th Century Fox. Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit co-star in the stand-alone sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
A woman who lost her husband in a random act of violence and a heroin addict who was a lifelong friend of the dearly departed discover that the beloved husband and friend's unfortunate passing is actually a blessing in disguise in Open Hearts director Susanne Bier's Dogme-style drama. When her husband (David Duchovny) was killed, Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) didn't think she would be able to summon the strength to carry on. Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro) is a heroin addict who was one of the recently deceased's oldest friends in life, but as a result of his addiction Jerry has lost everything that ever mattered to him. When Audrey discovers that Jerry is the one man who could help her move beyond the dire cycle of grieving that she has fallen into, her offer for him to move in with the family provides the addict with just the incentive he needed to finally get his life back in order. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, (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
- 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)
Inspired by the Japanese drama Himitsu (which was in turn based on the novel by author Keigo Higashino), director Vincent Perez's supernatural drama tells the tale of a mother who discovers some shocking secrets about her teenage daughter after being killed in a tragic car accident and seeing her soul inexplicably transplanted into the body of the troubled young girl. Benjamin (David Duchovny) and Hannah (Lili Taylor) are happily married soul mates, yet neither parent realizes that their adolescent daughter Sam (Olivia Thirlby) is leading a desperate double life. One day, seemingly out of the blue, Benjamin and Sam find their lives changed forever when Hannah is killed in a violent car accident. But at the moment of death, Hannah's soul is somehow propelled into Sam's body, giving the mother a chance to know her beautiful daughter more intimately than she ever did in life. Unfortunately the things that Hannah discovers about Sam are deeply disturbing; Sam has been leading a secret life - a life that neither Hannah nor Benjamin ever knew anything about. Meanwhile, back at home, Hannah and her grieving husband receive one last chance to rekindle their romance and say their last goodbyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Lili Taylor, (more)
Two couples demonstrate that breaking up can be just as hard as staying together in this romantic comedy drama. Rebecca (Julianne Moore) and Tom (David Duchovny) are a seemingly happy married couple living in New York City -- she's a successful actress, while he stays home with the kids. However, beneath the surface, things are not going well. Rebecca is no longer amused with her husband's appetite for porn and constant sexual demands, while he's seriously considering having an affair. Rebecca's brother Tobey, (Billy Crudup), is in a more openly dysfunctional relationship; he's been dating Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal) for seven years but has no interest in marriage, while she's desperate to settle down and start a family. Tobey and Elaine decide to call it quits, as Tobey hooks up with an old friend from college (Eva Mendes) who is looking to cheat on her husband, and Elaine starts dating a handsome musician (James LeGros) who may be in need of a green card. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Tom go into couples therapy, which creates as many problems as it solves. Trust the Man also features Ellen Barkin, Garry Shandling, and Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, (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)
Writer/director Jake Kasdan's showbiz comedy The TV Set stars David Duchovny as Mike Klein, a television producer who in the beginning of the film successfully sells a network on a story idea. The film follows Klein as he must actually put the show together, navigate the corporate minefield of the network, and figure out what aspects of his show he is willing to compromise. Sigourney Weaver plays the demanding president of the network, Justine Bateman plays Klein's wife, and Judy Greer plays his manager. The TV Set had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, (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)
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)
- 2002
William, the infant son of Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson), is attacked by a strange man who injects the baby with a syringe. Rushing William to the hospital, Scully is assured that the child is unharmed -- and yet, there is considerably more iron in William's system than usual. Could all this have something to do with alien super soldiers who have driven Scully's former partner Mulder into hiding? Among the many pleasures of this X-Files episode is an oblique but pointed reference to the possibly long-dead Cigarette Smoking Man. Written and directed by former series regular David Duchovny -- who, of course, played Mulder -- "William" debuted on April 28, 2002. ~ 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)
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)
Comic actor Ben Stiller co-wrote, directed, and stars in this spoof of the fashion industry that began as a short skit for the 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards. Stiller is Derek Zoolander, an intellectually challenged but bone structure-blessed male model who's despondent after being eclipsed in popularity by an equally vacuous rival, Hansel (Owen Wilson). Upon his reluctant retirement, Derek is invited to a day spa by previously standoffish fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), where the befuddled model is brainwashed by the mysterious Katinka (Milla Jovovich) into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia. In addition to Stiller's real-life wife Christine Taylor, Zoolander co-stars his father Jerry Stiller, along with Jon Voight, David Duchovny, Andy Dick, and Fabio. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, (more)
- 2000
Having proven that they were not above self-parody with the earlier episode "X-Cops," the folks responsible for The X-Files served up another dose of satire with the April 30, 2000, episode "Hollywood A.D." Agent Mulder is hired as a technical adviser when one of his previous X-Files cases is transformed into a Hollywood movie. Presented in flashback, the actual events of the case are amusingly contrasted with the movie version, in which Garry Shandling plays Mulder and Téa Leoni (real-life wife of series star David Duchovny) portrays Scully. As production of the film continues, the real Mulder and Scully try to solve a few mysteries left dangling during their original investigation of the case. In addition to his usual duties as Mulder, Duchovny also wrote and directed "Hollywood A.D." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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)
- 1999
Originally broadcast November 14, 1999, The X-Files episode "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" concluded a three-part story that had begun with the sixth-season cliffhanging finale "Biogenesis." Still in a drug-induced coma, Mulder is placed in a "kind of witness-protection program" because he apparently knows too much about an ancient UFO unearthed in Africa. As Mulder experiences a series of bizarre and possibly symbolic dreams, Scully picks up the UFO investigation where her partner left off. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that the fate of the world may well rest in her hands. Meanwhile, such recurring characters as Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), rogue agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea), and the possibly duplicitous Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers) converge upon the storyline, bringing things to a shattering climax. "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" was co-written by X-Files star David Duchovny and series creator Chris Carter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
While checking out old New Mexico newspaper obituaries, Mulder and Scully come across a 1947 death notice for Josh Exley (Jesse L. Martin), a Negro Baseball League player who boasted a truly incredible batting average. The two agents want to know why the picture accompanying the obit showed Exley standing side by side with X-Files founder Arthur Dales (M. Emmet Walsh) and the ineluctable alien bounty hunter (Brian Thompson). Written and directed by series star David Duchovny, the flashback-laden "The Unnatural" first aired April 25, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The seventh season of The X-Files offered more input from its lead characters than any of its predecessors; Gillian Anderson penned and directed the spiritual "All Things," while David Duchovny did the same for "Hollywood A.D." Aside from the actors' directorial jaunts, however, the series became even further immersed in an already-impossible amount of conspiracy theories, government cover-ups, and alien-born afflictions. The season picks up with Scully rushing to find a cure for Mulder's rapid neurological decline, and later offers viewers a resolution to a mystery seven years in the making -- the fate of Mulder's sister, Samantha. There is also no lack of classic X-Files fare; Scully and Mulder are caught on a Cops-style television show as they hunt for what appears to be an escaped werewolf in "X-Cops," and they go on to unearth a complicated heist arranged by rival magicians in "The Amazing Maleeni." To the delight of fans, Mulder and Scully finally consummate their romantic feelings for one another. The X-Files: Season Seven is also notable for being the last season of the series to feature David Duchovny as a lead actor. Though he continued to make appearances in the show's final seasons, the role of Scully's partner would ultimately be filled by Robert Patrick as Special Agent John Doggett. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
- 1998
Desperate for an A-list guest as his final show draws ever closer, Larry (Garry Shandling) determines that he must overcome his discomfort with affectionate old friend David Duchovny in order to secure an appearance from the X-Files star. Meanwhile, Artie (Rip Torn) struggles to keep the emotional staff afloat in hopes of producing a memorable swan song for The Larry Sanders Show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
This 60-million-dollar science fiction suspense drama (marketed with an additional 25 million dollars), was adapted from the popular TV series The X-Files -- arriving in theaters while the Emmy-winning series was still being aired, continuing plot threads familiar to many of the series' 25 million viewers, and featuring several familiar recurring characters introduced during the previous five TV seasons. In 15,000 B.C., a strange creature attacks a caveman. Cut to present day, when a boy at the same North Texas spot falls into a pit and is contaminated by a black substance. When a bomb threatens the Dallas Federal Building, special FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) locate the device but are unable to prevent the explosion. The agency blames Mulder and Scully for the disaster, subjecting them to lengthy interrogations while trying to sever their partnership. In a bar, conspiracy theorist Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), a friend of Mulder's father, tells Mulder about the group behind the explosion, the cover-up of the boy's death, the bodies of four infected rescue workers removed from the Federal Building, the secret government, and the forthcoming plague. Mulder and Scully set out to find answers, and their investigation becomes a foray into the fantastic. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
