Kathleen Wilhoite Movies
Sturdy, dependable actress Kathleen Wilhoite adroitly tackled supporting roles in American films from the early '80s (amid her late adolescence) onward. She began with feature work, in pictures of somewhat dubious quality, such as the 1983 exploitationer Private School, the disappointing Sidney Lumet thriller The Morning After (1986), and the disastrous superhero saga Brenda Starr (1993). Wilhoite scored, however, on the small screen with three memorable series portrayals: Rosalie Hendrickson on L.A. Law, Chloe Lewis on ER, and Liz Danes on Gilmore Girls. She returned to features in 2007, with a supporting role in the quirky Michael Douglas comedy The King of California. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Three of the hallmarks of education in America -- nudity, teenage sex, and big, destructive gags -- are on plentiful display in this teen comedy. Christine (Phoebe Cates), a student at an exclusive all-girls private school, is in love with Jim (Matthew Modine), who attends an academy for boys nearby. Christine's archrival Jordan (Betsy Russell) also has her eye on Jim, and she is willing to do whatever she can to steal him away. Jim's über-slob buddy Bubba (Michael Zorek) is going with Betsy (Kathleen Wilhoite), Christine's cynical friend, though he would probably be unfaithful if any other woman were willing to get near him. Bubba and his pals sneak into the girls' school dressed in drag in hopes of reaching the Promised Land (better known as the women's shower room), while Christine and Jim run away together for the weekend, though their escapade isn't as romantic as they had hoped. Among the adults observing the chaos are Ray Walston, Fran Ryan, Martin Mull, and Sylvia Kristel; one of the sexy students on display is future scream queen Brinke Stevens. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, (more)
- 1983
This fact-based youth-oriented drama chronicles the courage and determination of a teenage girl who stands tall in the face of sexist traditionalism and fights for her right to play on the varsity football team. Not only does she succeed, she also manages to become the homecoming queen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Hunt, Don Murray, (more)
- 1984
In this made-for-TV movie, a group of lonely, unattached people meet up in a local bar in search of love and friendship. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Hack, Paul Michael Glaser, (more)
- 1984
On a bitterly cold January day in 1982, Air Florida flight #90 crashed into the Potomac River while approaching Washington DC. Though many passengers were killed, many more were rescued. Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac is the story of the survivors, the rescuers, and the anxious friends and relatives of both the living and the dead. The crash itself is never shown, while the icy Potomac is represented by a heated Hollywood pool and chunks of Styrofoam (the actors do their best, however, to appear to be chilled to the bone). Thankfully, the cast is comprised of character actors rather than stars or "celebrities," adding an air of authenticity to the proceedings. Made for TV, Flight No. 90: Disaster on the Potomac was first telecast April 1, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Louise (Isabel Sanford) is upset by the new tenant in 12-C, a young, slim "swinger" named Robin (played by future E.R. regular Kathleen Wilhoite). Her tranquility shattered by Robin's round-the-clock partying, Louise tries to rally her fellow tenants to lodge a formal complaint. She succeeds only in being labelled an "old killjoy" -- and the worst of it is, she's convinced that the accusation is right on target. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
- 1985
The endurance of an upper-middle-class family is put to the test in this well-made television drama about drug abuse. Based on the book of the same name by Beth Polson, Viveka Davis (Shoot The Moon) stars as Susan Bowers, the teenage daughter of a successful surgeon (George Segal) and homemaker (Stockard Channing). When innocent-looking Susan's secret life as a druggie comes to light, her parents try anything and everything to get her clean. Unable to make any headway, they turn to a strict drug-treatment center, where streetwise counselors deal with tough kids on their own terms. The Bowers soon learn that their daughter's rehabilitation will not only be a long haul but also an exercise in family dynamic exploration. Young Davis is compelling as the rebellious daughter, and Channing and Segal are wholly believable as the bewildered parents. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
In this horror film, the spirit of a young boy named David reaches out to Linda Brewster (Tawny Kitaen) while she participates in an Ouija board session at a party. However, when Linda unwisely uses the board alone to attempt to communicate with David, she summons the spirit of a brutal murderer, who begins to hunt down and kill her friends. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Todd Allen, Tawny Kitaen, (more)
An officer of the law becomes a wanted man while trailing a killer in this crime drama. Jack Murphy (Charles Bronson) is a police detective who helped to put Joan Freeman (Carrie Snodgress), a psychotic murderer, behind bars ten years ago. However, Joan is now back on the street and determined to get revenge on Jack. She kills Jack's ex-wife and her new husband, and she cleverly frames the detective for the crime. Jack is arrested and taken into custody handcuffed to Arabella McGee (Kathleen Wilhoite), a rough-and-ready young hoodlum picked up for theft. Jack is able to escape, and has to track down Joan in order to clear his name with Arabella as his unwitting accomplice. Murphy's Law also features Lawrence Tierney and Richard Romanus. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, (more)
- 1986
- PG13
This drama follows an unlikely "ratboy" (S.L. Baird) after he is discovered living in a makeshift shelter in a garbage dump. Along comes Nikki Morrison (Sondra Locke, also the director) who meets the half-rodent, half-human creature and takes him over. She talks to a Hollywood producer and holds forth about him on a television talk show but when she brings ratboy to a press conference, he bolts for freedom -- enough is enough. The garbage dump was better. From that point onward, Nikki begins to change her mind about her treatment of the misbegotten creature and he develops an ambivalent feeling for her. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sondra Locke, Robert Townsend, (more)
- 1986
- PG
Brook Shields plays the comic-strip journalist, Brenda Starr, who travels to a South American jungle on an assignment. It is there that she covers the story about a mad scientist who plans to blow up the planet with his newly developed rocket fuel. Also appearing are Timothy Dalton and Charles Durning, among others, who don Bob Mackie-designed costumes. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Timothy Dalton, (more)
In this excellent thriller, crisply directed by Sidney Lumet, Alex Sternbergen (Jane Fonda), a washed-up, alcoholic actress who never quite made it, wakes up one morning in an unfamiliar, luxurious loft apartment, only to find the corpse of a stranger next to her in bed. Alex can remember nothing of the night before. In a panic, she tries to flee but is unable to get a flight out of Los Angeles, and short of cash, she hitches a ride with Turner Kendall (Jeff Bridges), a disabled former policeman who happens to be fixing his car in the airport parking lot. Alex tries to get rid of Turner and returns to the loft which she cleans in a futile attempt to get rid of her finger prints. Turner continues to take an unappreciated interest in Alex and keeps turning up unexpectedly, much to her annoyance. Finally, desperate and on the run, and never sure that she didn't commit the murder, Alex allows Turner to help her. Alex also confides in and is helped by her ex-husband and friend Joaquin Manero (Raul Julia), the only man she completely trusts. Despite Alex's suspicion of Turner, she slowly falls in love with him. The movie quickly moves to a surprising conclusion, and creates a good deal of suspense, particularly when Alex is confronted with a corpse that just won't stay put. The highlight of the film is the performance by Jane Fonda reminiscent of her magnificent performance as Bree Daniels in Klute. The Morning After never rises to the quality of Klute, but Fonda's performance was strong enough to earn her an Oscar nomination. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges, (more)
- 1987
- R
When a police officer is killed while investigating the drug trade at a South Carolina high school, his partner, Sheffield (David Neidorf), decides to get even. With the help of officers La Rue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Sgt. Irwin Lee (Barry Corbin), Sheffield goes undercover to discover the source of the deadly drugs. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Neidorf, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
The time is the 1950s: seedy Brooklyn private eye Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by shady Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to locate a pop singer who reneged on a debt. Harry ventures into Harlem, the first step of a Heart of Darkness-inspired odyssey. Each time Harry makes contact with someone who might know the singer's whereabouts, he or she is killed in a horrible, ritualistic fashion; a Satanic cult seems to be at the bottom of all the carnage. Harry solves the mystery, all right. He just didn't know that he had the answer all along -- even before Louis entered his office. Also available in the "unrated" video version, Angel Heart is best known as the film that nearly got an X-rating due to a no-holds-barred sex scene involving Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, (more)
Todd Barrett (John Dye) is an Arizona State University student who needs money for tuition in this teen comedy. He recruits his handsome friend Bret Wilson (Steve Lyon) from the school diving team to pose for a series of photographs. The enterprising Todd uses the photos to print a calendar that quickly becomes a hot-selling item and ends his financial woes. This feature was shot on location at ASU. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Dye, Steve Lyon, (more)
Can an independent, contemporary woman find happiness with a guy who sells pickles? Isabelle Grossman (Amy Irving) is an attractive, intelligent Jewish woman in her early 30s. She has a good job and a nice apartment on the Upper West Side, and she values her independence; she often visits her grandmother Bubbie (Reiz Bozyk), who lives on the Lower East Side and wants Isabelle to meet a nice Jewish man and settle down. Bubbie goes so far as to obtain the services of Hannah Mandelbaum (Sylvia Miles), a matchmaker who finds the "perfect" man for Isabelle: a pickle salesman named Sam Posner (Peter Riegert). Isabelle thinks Sam is a nice enough guy, but she has a hard time imagining herself spending her life with the pickle man, and she isn't sure if she wants to pursue the relationship. However, Sam is taken with Isabelle and goes out of his way to change her mind. Crossing Delancy was directed by Joan Micklin Silver, whose breakthrough film Hester Street also examined Jewish culture on the Lower East Side, albeit from the vantage point of the 1890s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Irving, Reizl Bozyk, (more)
- 1988
- R
Jemma Redgrave is on the verge of marrying caddish Mark Greenstreet. Spending the night in her spooky old family mansion, Jemma stares into a mirror and begins experiencing terrifying dreams. She sees her past, present and future in a Bosch-like kaleidescope. And without knowing how or why, Jemma drags American tourist Kathleen Wilhoite, herself the victim of a troubled past, into her nightmarish visions. Its powerhouse opening sequence aside, Dream Demon tends to be rather slow going, despite some very convincing special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Wilhoite, Jemma Redgrave, (more)
Love, treachery, and broken furniture are the hallmarks of this rollicking action drama. Dalton (Patrick Swayze) has a Ph.D., but rather than make a living teaching Socrates at some university, he's opted to become a top-drawer "cooler" -- an expert barroom bouncer who can break up fights without getting himself killed in the process. Dalton is hired to keep the peace at the Double Duce, a rough-and-tumble honky tonk in Jasper, Missouri, where beer-soaked free-for-alls are a nightly event. Dalton is hurt on his first night on the job, and he is patched up by "Doc" Clay (Kelly Lynch), a beautiful woman working as the town's physician. Dalton and Doc immediately hit it off, but Dalton learns that another man, Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), already has his eye on her. Wesley is a man used to getting his way; he's an extortionist and crime boss who has nearly everyone in Jasper under his thumb, and he sets out to teach Dalton a lesson, while Dalton is determined to clean up the town like he breaks up brawls at the Double Duce. Sam Elliott plays Dalton's mentor Wade, and Red West, a one-time member of Elvis Presley's "Memphis Mafia," appears as Webster; Canadian blues-rock guitarist Jeff Healey leads the Double Duce house band. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, (more)
Private investigator Tom O'Toole (Nick Nolte) is reluctant to take on a case offered to him by cryptically offbeat Angela Crispini (Debra Winger), but he lets himself be seduced by her. Angela believes that Felix Daniels (Frank Military) was wrongly convicted of murdering his uncle. As O'Toole learns more about the crime, he becomes convinced that Felix was framed by corrupt local officials, including States Attorney, and old rival, Charlie Haggerty (Frank Converse). O'Toole also falls in love with Angela, who increasingly appears to be a psychologically disturbed woman who may have been involved with several of the principals. When Angela admits that she doesn't always know when she is telling the truth, she speaks to O'Toole's predicament and the film's theme: the dangers of relying on an unreliable narrator. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debra Winger, Nick Nolte, (more)
Successful LA marketing analyst Michael Boll (James Spader) seemingly has it all-except a sense of self-confidence. Enigmatic drifter Alex (Rob Lowe) enters Michael's life and immediately begins to exert a negative influence. As Michael's self-esteem zooms (aided by generous dollops of sex and drugs) he allows himself to be dragooned into a life of crime by the demonic Alex. The "doppelganger" aspects of Bad Influence, and the film's many unexpected twists and turns, echo films of Alfred Hitchcock, especially Strangers on a Train. The film's boldest stroke is to cast the likeable Lowe as the bad guy (albeit a charming one) and the often villainous Spader as the malleable milquetoast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Lowe, James Spader, (more)
- 1991
Plot twists abound in this suspenseful made-for-television thriller as a beautiful actress tries to save her cousin from the schemes of a conniving murderer who just may be her lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corbin Bernsen, Amanda Pays, (more)
- 1992
On the eve of his televised execution, a serial killer (Bruce Davison) takes a TV newswoman (Joanna Cassidy) hostage. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Davison, Joanna Cassidy, (more)
Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte give brilliant performances as parents trying to save the life of their son in George Miller's harrowing and heartbreaking Lorenzo's Oil. Based on a true story, the film begins as bright young Lorenzo (Zack O'Malley Greenburg) is leading a pleasant life on the Comoro Islands. But things start to go wrong with him -- he collapses, he raves, and he loses his hearing -- so his concerned parents, Augusto (Nick Nolte) and Michaela Odone (Susan Sarandon), take him to a doctor. The diagnosis is a death warrant; they are told that Lorenzo has been diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), an rare and incurable nerve disease that is always fatal. When Augusto and Michaela are told to be patient as they watch their son sink further into the debilitating illness, they take matters into their own hands and start their own investigation of the disease. Using rapeseed oil, they find their own treatment for ALD. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon, (more)
One of the most famous real-life UFO abduction cases on record becomes this character-driven drama from sci-fi screenwriter Tracy Torme. D.B. Sweeney stars as Travis Walton, a forestry worker who disappears one night during an encounter with a flying saucer. Authorities treat with skepticism the outrageous story related by the only witnesses to the event, Travis' five co-workers, who include his best friend and future brother-in-law, Mike Rogers (Robert Patrick). A state lawman (James Garner) finds a tabloid newspaper in the crew's pickup truck and quickly ascertains that tensions had arisen between Walton and a surly fellow logger (Craig Sheffer), leading him to conclude that a murder cover-up is underway. However, all of the men pass lie detector tests and the case becomes stalled until the shocking last-minute reappearance of Travis, who tells a literally fantastic story involving his whereabouts for the past week. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, (more)
- 1993
Desperate and unable to bear a child of their own, a young couple tries to adopt the child of impoverished parents. But when those parents resist, a huge custody battle ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Polly Draper, (more)
