Kirk Cameron

The countdown to Armageddon continues as world leader Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie) brings peace to the world in this installment of the popular Left Behind series inspired by the best-selling books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. As world peace blossoms and the citizens of the planet attempt to put the horrors of war behind them, American president Gerald Fitzhugh (Louis Gossett Jr.) ensures his country that America will not stand in the way of the historical peace pact. When an assassin's bullet misses its mark and President Fitzhugh gets a horrifying glimpse into the future, he soon realizes that he has left his country defenseless against Nicolae Carpathia's deadly deception. Now, with the future of the entire planet hanging in the balance, President Fitzhugh must place his trust in investigative reporter Buck Williams' (Kirk Cameron) Tribulation Force to battle the powers of evil and dethrone Carpathia before the horrors of the Book of Revelation become reality. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Four people of faith must take it upon themselves to save the soul of humanity in this sequel to Left Behind. When millions of people around the world suddenly disappear into thin air, the entire globe is thrown into chaos, and in the midst of this confusion and uncertainty, Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), international media magnate and president of the United Nations, steps forward as the leader who will guide all the world's nations in this difficult time. However, television journalist Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) knows the truth behind what has happened -- the mass disappearances were the result of the Rapture, predicted in the Holy Bible as the beginning of the End Times, and Carpathia is, in fact, the Antichrist. Williams falls in with three remaining believers -- pastor and biblical scholar Bruce Barnes (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), airline pilot-turned-believer Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), and Steele's headstrong 20-year-old daughter, Chloe (Janaya Stephens). Calling themselves the Tribulation Force, the foursome travel the world, attempting to spread the word about Carpathia and tending to the needs of the wounded; in the course of their work, Buck and Chloe fall in love, while Barnes comes to terms with the loss of his wife and child. But when sinister events occur in Israel at the site of the Wailing Wall, the Tribulation Force suspects Carpathia may have some more unpleasant surprises up his sleeve. Adapted from the popular series of Christian thrillers by Rev. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, like the first Left Behind picture, was produced by Christian production company Cloud Ten Productions; both films were first marketed on home video, and later released to theaters to widen their public profile. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This program features popular recording artist Marie Osmond, who gets together with some of her musical family and friends to celebrate the Christmas holidays. Her party guest list includes Sally Struthers, Lee Greenwood, and Kirk Cameron. They gather around the crackling fireplace and festive tree to sing traditional Christmas carols, including "O Holy Night," "We Three Kings," "Silent Night," and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Hosted by Kirk Cameron, this video offers a video peek at the trials and tribulations of portraying jolly old Saint Nick. Besides the usual collection of holiday bloopers, this program also includes video of elaborate practical jokes. Included here are peeks at kids and the trouble they can submit Santa and his helpers to. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

The Miracle of the Cards is the true story of eight-year-old English youngster Craig Shergold (Thomas Sangster), who in 1989 is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although the prognosis is negative, Craig's mother Marion (Catherine Oxenberg) becomes convinced that somewhere in the world there is a cure for the boy's affliction, and that the means of finding that cure is to break the Guinness record for receiving greeting cards. Broadcasting a plea to everyone on Earth, Marion is successful in bringing a whopping 350 million cards to Craig's door -- and yes, one of those cards provides the key for Craig's ultimate salvation. Filmed in Vancouver, The Miracle of the Cards premiered November 10, 2001, over the PAX Network. Richard Thomas, the star of the PAX anthology It's a Miracle, is herein cast as Dr. Kassell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A millionaire's death leaves a dog and a pet psychic rolling in dough while the deceased's relatives are left to figure out how to get the money for themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A new production staff is at the helm as Growing Pains launches its seventh and final season. The most significant development this year occurs when aspiring actor Mike Seaver (Kirk Cameron) returns to his family's Long Island home accompanied by 15-year-old homeless youngster Luke Brower, played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio). Mike had met Luke while temporarily teaching at the inner-city Community Health Center, and felt that the boy could benefit by living in a loving and supportive family situation. Luke does his best to fit in with the Seavers, but he has serious honesty and behavior issues to deal with -- not to mention the unexpected return of his irresponsible father, George (Gary Grubbs). Mike himself has managed to land a role on the daytime soap opera "Big City Secrets," somewhat justifying his decision to pursue a show-business career to his doubting parents Jason (Alan Thicke and Maggie (Joanna Kerns) -- even though his TV character, "Strong Waverly," spends most of his time in a coma with no lines to speak. As for the other Seaver youngsters, 7-year-old Chrissy (Ashley Johnson) is now regularly attending school, making an effort to follow the rather dubious social and academic advice dispensed by her 16-year-old brother Ben (Jeremy Miller). Meanwhile, oldest daughter Carol takes leave of Columbia University to study abroad in London. This plot development was necessitated by the ongoing serious health problems of actress Tracey Gold, whose battle with anorexia had forced her to drop out of the series. Both Carol and Gold's absence were touchingly acknowledged in an episode wherein Ben cheers up his absent sister by sending her a family video that he has filmed. Of the season's guest stars, special attention should be paid to the actress playing the haughty Sasha Serotsky in the episode "Menage a Luke." Yes, it is Hilary Swank, long before either one of her two Oscar-winning film performances. The series ends with the two-part "The Last Picture Show," as the Seaver family prepares to move to Washington so that Maggie can accept a job as media-relations director for a prominent senator -- and in what is almost an afterthought, Mike finally proposes to his erstwhile girlfriend Kate Malone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Happy Birthday, Bugs: 50 Looney Years is a television special celebrating 50 years of Bugs Bunny cartoons, complete with testimonials from various celebrities and a terrific end-piece "50 Years of Bugs in 3 Minutes," which features a manic collection of highlights compiled by Academy Award-winner Chuck Workman (he won for his animated short, Precious Images). ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Jason (Alan Thicke) is the only member of the Seaver family who isn't upset that little Chrissy (Ashley Johnson) has invented an imaginary friend named Ike--a six-foot mouse. On the other hand, Maggie (Joanna Kerns) is worried that Chrissy is incapable of separating fantasy from reality. Can it be that the invisible Ike is actually a manifestation of Chrissy's forlorn wish that one of the Seavers start paying more attention to her? Without giving anything away, it can be noted that Ike is played by series regular Kirk Cameron, a.k.a. Mike Seaver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As season five of Growing Pains gets under way, neither psychiatrist Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) nor his TV-journalist wife Maggie (Joanna Kerns) are pleased that their son Mike (Kirk Cameron) has become engaged to Julie (Julie McCullough), the young woman whom the Seavers had hired as nanny for their infant daughter, Chrissy. As it turns out, the elder Seavers had nothing to worry about -- after considerable rumination, Mike and Julie decide to break off the engagement. Later on, Mike will begin attending acting classes, where he will meet and fall for fellow student Kate Malone (Chelsea Noble). In other developments this season, a crisis developments when Maggie gets promoted to head of the Channel 19 news team, meaning that Jason won't be able to accept a job at a prestigious Manhattan clinic; Mike manages to land a small part on a popular TV show, but his euphoria is short-lived when his appearance is cut to virtually nothing; and after failing to qualify for a summer semester at Columbia University, Mike's sister Carol (Tracey Gold) takes a job with a publishing company -- which, ironically, may force her to bypass her second opportunity to attend Columbia. In the season finale, Jason seriously contemplates a radical change in his lifestyle when he inherits a mountain cabin in Colorado. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The number of children in the Seaver family increases from three to four in season four of Growing Pains, as mom Maggie (Joanna Kerns) takes a brief leave from her TV reporting job to deliver a baby daughter named Chrissy (played by twin infants Kirsten and Kelsey Dohring). While Maggie's hubby Jason (Alan Thicke) and older children Mike (Kirk Cameron) and Carol (Tracey Gold) are delighted with this new arrival, youngest son Ben (Jeremy Miller) is put out that Chrissy had the bad timing to arrive on his own birthday. Elsewhere this season, Mike begins attending junior college, in the process moving out of the Seaver house -- and into the apartment just above the family's garage. He has good reason to stick around -- his parents have hired pretty 19-year-old Julie Costello (Julie McCullough) as Chrissy's nanny. Another character introduced this season is Jason's widowed mother, Irma (Jane Powell), who has become engaged to a guy named Wally (Robert Rockwell) -- a fact that Jason takes some time getting used to, especially since his father has been dead for only a year. Later on, the vivacious Irma has a memorable run-in with Maggie's more conservative parents Ed (Gordon Jump) and Kate (Betty McGuire). Guest stars during season four include Kirk Cameron's real-life sister Candace Cameron, somewhat ironically cast as Ben's party date; Jenny Lewis, as another of Ben's female acquaintance; Matthew Perry as a good-looking high-schooler whom Carol briefly falls for -- and who is ultimately involved in a tragic drunk driving accident; and Brad Pitt, who'd guested as another student a few seasons earlier, this time playing Ben's rock star idol Jonathan Keith in the appropriately titled episode "Feet of Clay." Closing the season is the two-parter "The Looove Boat," wherein the family attends Irma and Wally's marriage on an ocean cruise, an event that ends with a considerable amount of chaos -- and on a more upbeat note, with Mike proposing to Julie Costello. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide