Henry Winkler Movies
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, American actor Henry Winkler, born October 30th, 1945, first appeared on Broadway and in films (Crazy Joe, The Lords of Flatbush [both 1974]) before making the guest-star rounds on TV sitcoms. He worked several times for MTM productions, appearing in such roles as Valerie Harper's date on Rhoda and a charming thief undergoing psychoanalysis on The Bob Newhart Show. In 1973, Winkler was selected among hundreds of candidates (including ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz) to play the small recurring role of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, a leather-jacketed auto mechanic, on the new TV sitcom Happy Days. Though the series' stars were ostensibly Ron Howard, Anson Williams, and Donny Most, the bulk of the fan mail sent to Happy Days during its first season was addressed to "the Fonz." By the time the second season rolled around, Winkler was afforded second billing and a larger slice of screen time on each week's episode. Soon the more impressionable TV fans of America were parroting such Fonzie catchphrases as "Aaaaay" and "Sit on it!," while the nonplussed Winkler, who always regarded himself as a Dustin Hoffman-esque character actor, climbed to teen-idol status, complete with fan magazine interviews, posters, and Fonzie dolls. He also enjoyed a substantial salary boost, from 750 dollars per episode to (eventually) 80,000 dollars. At first, the off-stage Winkler could be as testy and sarcastic as his on-stage persona, but as Fonzie assumed "role model" proportions, the actor began comporting himself in as polite and agreeable a manner as possible. Accordingly, Fonzie became less of a Marlon Brando-type hoodlum and more of a basically goodhearted, moralistic young fellow who happened to be a motorcycle-racing dropout. By the time Happy Days ended in 1983 (by which time Winkler was elevated to top billing), Fonzie was a "drop-in," with a good job as a high school shop teacher and the possibility of a solid marriage. During his Happy Days heyday, Winkler was determined to prove he was capable of playing parts above and beyond Fonzie by taking film roles as far removed from his TV character: the troubled Vietnam vet in Heroes (1977), the vainglorious actor-turned-wrestler in The One and Only (1981), a '30s-style Scrooge in An American Christmas Carol (1982), and the timorous morgue attendant in Night Shift (1983). Following the example of his Happy Days co-star Ron Howard, Winkler also began working his way into the production and direction end of the business. In addition, Winkler used his name value for the benefit of others, remaining active in charitable and political causes. After several years away from the camera, Winkler returned to acting in the 1991 TV-movie Absolute Strangers, playing the husband of a woman caught in the middle of a volatile pro-life/pro-choice argument. And in 1993, Henry Winkler starred in the brief TV sitcom Monty, portraying a bombastic Limbaugh-type conservative TV personality. Winkler appeared in Little Nicky (2006) and You Don't Mess With the Zohan (2008), both times playing himself. Winkler continued to take small roles and guest spots on television and film throughout the 2000s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2010
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This animated adventure for kids tells the story of six heroes, whose home base is the mysterious Hero Factory in Makuhero City - a facility that sends out the toughest robot fighters on earth to fight bad guys. They may be the best of the best, but things still get messy when the group learns that their own nemesis has ties to one of their members. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Schneider, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
- 2008
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A modern-day female Scrooge gets a taste of Christmas romance in this family film from the Hallmark Channel. Jennifer (Brooke Burns) is a stressed-out single mom whose holiday spirit is awakened when her eccentric uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler) comes for a visit and brings along a handsome stranger, Morgan (Warren Christie), who was stranded at the airport. ~ Sandra Bencic, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Brooke Burns, (more)
A highly unlikely crime helps bring together two brothers in this nostalgic comedy drama. Rocky Plumm (Owen Pearce) is a five-year-old boy growing up in a small Montana town in the mid-'60s. In Rocky's eyes, there's no star bigger or brighter than local kid's show host Happy Herb (Henry Winkler), who appears on TV weekday afternoons with his puppet friend Froggy Doo. When the Froggy Doo puppet is stolen, Happy Herb's show goes off the air until the doll can be found, which only adds to Rocky's unease as his folks (William Baldwin and Lisa Guerrero) struggle to salvage their clearly failing marriage. Rocky's big brother, Elliott (Chris J. Kelly), isn't especially concerned about Happy Herb's problems or the forced hiatus of Rocky's favorite show, but when Haley (Morgan Flynn), a pretty girl with a yen for detective stories, moves in next door, he suggests they join forces to help find Froggy Doo. Before long, the youthful sleuths find themselves crossing paths with a pair of federal agents (Peter Scolari and Rick Overton) and a growing list of suspects as they follow the thief's trail. A Plumm Summer was the first feature film from writer and director Caroline Zelder. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Baldwin, Lisa Guerrero, (more)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless director Amy Heckerling returns to her position behind the camera for the first time in six years with this romantic comedy contrasting the age disparity romance of an older divorcée with the spring butterflies that her daughter experiences upon falling in love for the very first time. An aging professional (Michelle Pfeiffer) with little luck in love has finally found a fitting companion in the form of a much younger man (Paul Rudd). As her relationship threatens to move beyond something simply physical, her adolescent daughter (Saoirse Ronan) begins to wonder if the strange tingling sensation that she feels when she's in the company of a handsome local boy could possibly be the thing grown-ups refer to as "love." Of course anything is possible when Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman) is up to her old mischief, and with higher powers at play there's no telling what will come of the relationships experienced by these two love-starved souls. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, (more)
- 2006
- PG13
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A workaholic architect, frustrated in his job but determined to make a better life for his family, is bestowed with a powerful universal remote that allows him more control over his life than he ever knew possible in director Frank Coraci's high-concept fantasy comedy. On the surface, Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) seems to have it all, yet with all the demands forced upon him by his ungrateful boss (David Hasselhoff), Michael finds that setting aside time to spend with his loving wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two picture-perfect children, Ben (Joseph Castanon) and Samantha (Tatum McCann), has grown increasingly difficult. When a frustrating bout with the television remote leads the overworked husband and father to a nearby Bed, Bath & Beyond in search of a universal remote with the power to control all of his electronic devices, a curious peek into the back room leads Michael into the company of eccentric employee and talented inventor Morty (Christopher Walken). It seems that Morty has created a device that will not only allow Michael complete control over his television and stereo, but his entire life as well. As Michael discovers that the remarkable device has the power to muffle the barks of the family dog, zoom himself past an irritating quarrel with his wife, and even allow him to travel back and forth through time to different points in his life, the rush of being able to skip straight to the good parts in life soon leaves him feeling as if he's missing out on the total experience. Only when Michael begins to realize that the he has lost control of his life and the remote is now programming him does he finally learn that life is as much about the moments he'd rather forget as it is the moments he will always remember. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, (more)
This episode of the Nature documentary series follows two experienced dog trainers as they transform a pair of unruly pups into productive members of the canine world: chew-happy bloodhound Holly is patiently coached by trainer Larry Allen into working as a tracker for a law-enforcement agency, while bearded collie Herbie goes from attacking livestock to herding sheep thanks to the loving guidance of his trainer, Barbara Sykes. ~ Sandra Bencic, Rovi
A washed-up actor finds an unlikely path back to the big screen in this offbeat family comedy. Bill Williams (Tom Arnold) is an actor whose career has gone into a severe tailspin ever since his brief fling with fame -- a supporting role in the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle True Lies. Sinking into a well of alcohol and depression, Williams unsuccessfully attempts suicide before his agent (Henry Winkler) tells him he's finally found a project for him. Aaron Roman (Eric Gores) is a teenager with cerebral palsy who loves action movies, especially True Lies. Aaron's father, Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna), is a very wealthy man -- so wealthy that, as a present for his son's 18th birthday, he's going to bankroll a professionally shot action movie which will star Aaron. Would Williams be willing to write and co-star in Aaron's birthday movie? Williams isn't so sure this is a great idea, even with a million-dollar payday, until he meets Aaron. Charmed by the kid's pluck and determination, Williams signs on for the world's most expensive home movie. Williams and producer Susan Mandeville (Linda Hamilton) hire Wayne's World director Penelope Spheeris to helm the project, and persuade bikini model Arielle Kebbel to appear as Aaron's love interest, but what started out as strictly a job-for-hire becomes something more as Williams and his fellow cast and crew members get to know their challenged young star. The Kid & I actually was written by co-star Tom Arnold, and Penelope Spheeris directed the film as well as playing herself. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Shaquille O'Neal also appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, (more)
A young man is thrown into the center of the political and social tumult of the late '60s in this drama. It's 1968, and Ben Sweet (Nick Roth) is 18 years old and has just received his 1A draft classification. Ben does not want to go to Vietnam, and his father Sy (Henry Winkler) is understanding, though he believes Ben does have a responsibility to his country. As a compromise, Ben enrolls at the University of California in Berkeley, where he majors in economics but also hopes to indulge his interest in writing. Ben hasn't been in Berkeley long before his horizons are broadened by his childhood friend Mishkin (Sebastian Tillinger), who introduces him to marijuana and LSD, and Sadie (Laura Jordan), a classmate who takes him to bed for the first time. As Ben begins reconsidering the middle-class values he was raised with, he starts indulging his passion for playing guitar and joins a rock band with keyboard player Buddy (Wade Allain-Marcus) and drummer Blue (Tom Morello). Ben's political viewpoints also begin evolving when he meets campus radical Henry Wolf (Jake Newton), who believes a Marxist revolution is necessary in the United States -- and who steals Sadie away from him. On the rebound, Ben falls for Alice (Sarah Carter), the pretty blonde daughter of the college dean, but she bristles at his embrace of the counterculture as Ben becomes more deeply involved in music and politics. Ben's desire to write blossoms when he takes a class with Professor Hawkins (Bonnie Bedelia), a bohemian writing instructor who encourages him to explore his poetic side, but Ben's family are not entirely happy with the changes in his lifestyle. Nick Roth wrote and sang his own songs for Berkeley; he's also the son of director Bobby Roth. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nick Roth, Laura Jordan, (more)
The show business comedy Fronterz concerns three struggling actors who grow disenchanted with their profession after seeing so many rappers without any acting experience winning major roles. They decide to start their own rap act, the Large Money Mercenaries, and invent fake personalities to fit. Soon they are skyrocketing to fame, but leading double lives produces serious problems for each member of the trio. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reno Wilson, Dennis Pressey, (more)
A boy being punished for a crime he didn't commit learns there's more going on at a juvenile correctional facility than meets the eye in this comedy drama. Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf) is a teenager who has been told all his life that the men in the Yelnats family are cursed, thanks to a false promise his great, great grandfather made to a fortune teller. Given his frequent bad luck, and that which follows his father (Henry Winkler), Stanley has no trouble believing this. Stanley's bad luck hits a new low when a pair of sneakers literally falls out of the sky on him -- and turn out to be stolen. A judge sentences Stanley to a stay at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile correctional facility stuck in the middle of the desert, where he finds himself sharing a tent with a gang of misfits, including ringleader X-Ray (Brenden Jefferson), pushy Squid (Jake M. Smith), small but wiry Zero (Khleo Thomas), tough and stinky Armpit (Byron Cotton), paranoid ZigZag (Max Kasch), and thief-in-training Magnet (Miguel Castro). The Warden of Camp Green Lake (Sigourney Weaver) has her own ideas about rehabilitation, which consist of having the boys spend their days digging holes five feet deep under the desert sun. While well-mannered counselor Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson) tries to help the boys however he can, Mr. Sir (Jon Voight), The Warden's right hand man, is a heartless creep who enjoys making Stanley and his friends suffer. Before long, Stanley wonders if there's a good reason why the Warden seems so curious about what (if anything) the boys find during their digging, and in time he suspects there's something they haven't been told which might be connected to the Yelnats family curse. Holes was based on the award-winning book for young people by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, (more)
- 2002
This weekend-morning fantasy series for kids largely took place in a sinister-looking prep school called Blake Holsey High. Because of the preponderance of curious phenomena that occurred within the walls of the school -- from spontaneously combustible desks to mysteriously disappearing freshmen -- the place was known as "Black Hole High" to its students. The individual episodes dealt with the efforts of five teenaged detectives, members all of the school's science clubs, to solve the various paranormal mysteries occurring on campus. The main characters included the analytical Josie (Emma Taylor Isherwood), the overachieving Corrine (Shadia Simmons), the popular but strangely secretive Vaughn (Robert Clark), precocious conspiracy theorist Lucas (Michael Seater), and the cheerfully geeky Marshall (Noah Reid). In keeping with the prosocial edicts of American network television, the series was careful to balance its science-fiction content with a healthy dose of science fact. Filmed at Auchmar Estate, a 150-year-old former monastery near Hamilton, Ontario, Strange Days at Blake Holsey High debuted October 5, 2002, as part of the three-hour Discovery Kids on NBC Saturday-morning programming block. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emma Taylor Isherwood, Shadia Simmons, (more)
Based upon an allegedly factual story featured in the paranormal reality series Sightings, this made-for-cable chiller stars Beau Bridges as Derek, a cynical TV producer. Despite his own personal skepticism concerning supernatural activity, Derek agrees to visit a supposedly haunted house in Kansas for the purposes of a television documentary. With his field director Lou (Nia Long) and prominent psychic Allen (Miguel Ferrer) in tow, Derek launches his investigation of the "bad" house. Not unexpectedly, the trio soon learns that the haunting is genuine -- and in so doing, they solve a mystery that has baffled local authorities for 100 years. Heartland Ghost made its Showtime Network debut on October 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Randy Birch, Beau Bridges, (more)
- 2001
Henry Winkler guest stars as Mr. Newsome, the easygoing new owner of Winfred-Louder. Immediately connecting with Drew (Drew Carey), Mr. Newsome confides that he is planning to oust Mr. Wick as personnel manager--and put Drew in his place. He intends to make this announcement official at a board meeting, right after attending Drew's Halloween haunted-house party. Alas, Newsome takes one look at the phony bat flying through the house and drops dead of a heart attack--leaving Drew to utilize his newfound skills as a ventriloquist to (hopefully) carry the day at the board meeting! Meanwhile, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) is hideously deformed (or to be precise, more hideously deformed than usual) by a demented dentist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The youngest child of the family often has the most problems -- so why should things be different for the Prince of Darkness and his offspring? Satan (Harvey Keitel) is considering retirement, and is pondering which of his sons should take over the family business -- ambitious Adrian (Rhys Ifans), strapping Cassius (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.), or Nicky (Adam Sandler), an accident-prone demon who prefers to stay in his room playing his favorite heavy metal tunes. When Satan decides to stay on for another 10,000 years, Adrian is outraged, and leaves Hell to go to New York, where he and Cassius attempt to round up enough souls to vote Satan out of power. Satan, understandably upset, sends Nicky to bring Adrian and Cassius back home, but Nicky finds life on Earth is more complicated than he expected. Things don't get any easier when he develops a crush on Valerie (Patricia Arquette), a good-hearted mortal woman. Little Nicky also features Michael McKean as a city official trying to put Nicky behind bars, Kevin Nealon as Hell's gatekeeper, Rodney Dangerfield as Satan's father, Robert Smigel as the voice of Beefy -- a talking dog who is Nicky's guide on earth, Allen Covert as Todd -- Nicky's new roommate, and Peter Dante and Jonathan Loughran as a pair of metalheads who dig Satan. Jon Lovitz and Reese Witherspoon play cameo roles, and Regis Philbin and Ozzy Osbourne appear as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, (more)
This Big Apple-based romantic comedy charts the tumultuous relationship between liberal arts student and budding chef Al (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and his first girlfriend, Imogen (Julia Stiles), a self-possessed freshman who wants to become an artist. After meeting in a bar, the pair jump into a giddy, passionate affair that's grown-up enough to include face time between the young lovers and Al's DJ mom and TV-chef dad (Henry Winkler). After a summer abroad, however, Imogen feels like the relationship is robbing her of her youth, and the couple must struggle with romantic and domestic growing pains. Meanwhile, their wacky friends -- who include porn stars (Selma Blair and Zak Orth), stoners (Rosario Dawson), a mullet-haired lunkhead (Shawn Hatosy), and a Jim Morrison look-alike named Jim Morrison (Ashton Kutcher) -- provide laughs, advice, and sexual temptation. The debut film from writer/director Kris Isacsson, the teen-themed Down to You marked a change of pace for normally grown-up Miramax Films. In addition to a slew of recent rock and pop, the film prominently features music from such downtown New York fixtures of the past decade as Deee-Lite ("Groove is in the Heart") and Cibo Matto ("Moonchild"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joanna Adler, Freddie Prinze, Jr., (more)
Randy Quaid, Tim Redwine and Henry Winkler star in this sci-fi adventure for the family about a group of outcast teenagers who run afoul of an evil scientific genius. However, they are able to get ahold of his latest invention -- a special suit that gives superpowers to whomever wears it. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Tim Redwine, (more)
- 1999
Dill Scallion is a mock-documentary that chronicles the fast rise and even faster fall of a country singer whose IQ appears to equal the waist measurement of his jeans. Billy Burke plays a school bus driver in a small Texas town who becomes a Country and Western superstar overnight thanks to songs like "I Found Love At A Family Reunion" and his unique dancing skills; unfortunately, his dance style is the result of an injured foot, and Dill has to keep hurting himself to keep giving his audience what they want. The film includes cameo appearances from actual country stars (including Willie Nelson and LeAnn Rimes) and supporting performances from Jason Priestley and Henry Winkler; rocker Sheryl Crow contributed an original music score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Burke, Peter Berg, (more)
Ground Control follows the reluctant return to work of Jack Harris (Kiefer Sutherland), a retired air traffic controller who is still haunted by his role in a probably unavoidable plane crash that has left him guilt-ridden and professionally gun shy. When a Phoenix airport fighting budget cutbacks calls him in for emergency duty, he begins experiencing flashbacks to the night of the disaster, all while trying desperately not to lose concentration even for the single moment it would take to cause a fresh disaster. He is supported by a seasoned supervisor (Bruce McGill) but challenged by a cocky young controller (Robert Sean Leonard) who not so privately questions his mettle. All must put aside their differences and band together when stormy weather and failing equipment puts another flight in harm's way. The tension mounts as a resourceful mechanic (Henry Winkler) tries to paste together the outdated circuitry and give the skeleton crew technical support beyond their professional cunning. Ground Control also stars Kristy Swanson and Kelly McGillis. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Robert Sean Leonard, (more)
As with his previous films, comedian Adam Sandler and writing partner Tim Herlihy have conceived a simple premise, character, and title, and peppered their creation with visual sight gags. The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing, alligator-eating mom (Kathy Bates). Bobby is a water boy for the local college football team, and a damn good one, even good at turning a deaf ear at the ridicule he gets from the players and coach (Jerry Reed). But when Bobby is fired from his job, he is forced to continue his water management skills at the rival college, a losing team with a washed-up coach (Happy Days' "The Fonz," Henry Winkler). It's here that the coach teaches Bobby to channel his anger, and he makes a surprising discovery. The water boy can tackle like no one he's ever seen. Forced to keep his football talents from his mom, Bobby soon joins the college as a student and learns that there's more to life than alligator stew. He even falls for a perky ex-con (Fairuza Balk) who teaches Bobby about the birds and the bees. As Bobby leads his team toward victory, they get an invitation to play in the annual Bourbon bowl against his old college rivals. Bobby must choose between the love of his ailing mother and the glory of the final game -- or maybe there's a way he can get both. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, (more)
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