Andy Wolk Movies

This made-for-cable drama is based on the true story of Marilyn Gambrell, a former parole officer determined to give the children of habitual criminals the opportunity to live the decent and worthwhile life that had been denied their parents. Jamie Gertz stars as Gambrell, who has signed on a social worker at Houston's Smiley High School, where virtually every one of the students has a least one parent in prison. Inaugurating a "No More Victims" program, Gambrell and her colleague Perry Beasley (Ernie Hudson) dedicate themselves to mentor those students at highest risk of following the same crooked paths as their parents. Unfortunately, the school's budget has been stretched to the breaking point--and Gambrell and Beasley have been given only one year to prove that their program can be successful. When originally telecast by the Lifetime channel on August 22, 2005, Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story was followed by a specially filmed public service announcement featuring both Jamie Gertz and the real Marilyn Gambrell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First telecast by CBS on November 28, 2004, When Angels Comes to Town is the third in a series of whimsical TV-movies featuring Peter Falk as an eccentric, all-purpose guardian angel named Max. Sent to a small town in Maine just before the Christmas holidays, Max immediately gets to work on what he thinks is his current assignment: To help Sally Reid (Tammy Blanchard) earn enough money so that she can adopt her orphaned brother Jimmy (Alexander Conti). Unfortunately, it turns out that Max has goofed: Instead of Sally, he was supposed to come to the aid of Karl Hoffman (Seann Gallagher), a misguided young man who is poised to lay off the artisans working at the glass factory run by his Uncle Gregory (Mark Anthony Krupa), an East German refugee. Thus it is that Max's heavenly superior, an attractive angel named Jo (Katey Sagal), descends to earth to untangle the mess. Subsequently, however, both Max and Jo come to realize that the ultimates fates of Sally and Karl are inextricably intertwined. As was the case in the earlier A Town Without Christmas and Finding John Christmas, the cagey Max adopts several disguises in the course of his assignment, at one point showing up in drag! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An intimate sexual act triggers further tension between two crime bosses in this episode of the HBO series. New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) ridicules his uncle and fellow mobster Junior (Dominic Chianese) on the golf course. Tony has heard about Junior's oral sex skills with his girlfriend, Bobbi, who has been gabbing to her friends about Junior's prowess while the two were on a vacation in Boca Raton, FL. In retaliation, Junior smashes a lemon meringue pie in Bobbi's face, breaking their 16-year relationship. He also tells his vicious top soldier, Mikey (Al Sapienza), a secret he's been keeping that he recently learned from his sister-in-law, Livia (Nancy Marchand): her son, Tony, is compromising family security by seeing a psychiatrist. Meanwhile, Tony and his friends make plans to convince their daughters' talented soccer coach not to accept a lucrative college job, until they learn that the coach has been sleeping with one of his underage players, a friend of Tony's daughter, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler). They take steps to teach the coach a lesson he'll never forget. "Boca" was first shown on March 7, 1999. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The second in a series of made-for-cable movies based on the once-popular TV series, The Defenders: Choice of Evils features Beau Bridges and E.G. Marshall as a pair of lawyers who this time are defending a reporter who has been falsely accused of murder and imprisoned. After he is mistakenly released from prison, however, he becomes involved in an incident that leads to the death of a police officer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

President John F. Kennedy issued the challenge to America in a speech to Congress in 1961: Land a man on the moon within the decade. This HBO mini-series, produced by Tom Hanks, chronicles the story of NASA's efforts to carry out the vision. In 1968, three astronauts orbited the moon. To achieve the goal of actually putting a man on the moon, NASA scientists had to design an ancillary craft to take an astronaut from the spacecraft to the moon's surface. Episode five looks at the building and success of the lunar module called Spider. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

While at home recovering from an accident, Olympic downhill skier Marti Gerrard (Tori Spelling) receives an unexpected phone call. It turns out to be a wrong number dialed by wealthy computer tycoon Connor Hill (Jason Brooks)--but Marti doesn't mind a bit, and for the next several minutes she and Connor enjoy a delightful conversation. Later on, Hill's wife is murdered, whereupon he approaches Marti with the realization that, thanks to the aforementioned phone call, she is the only person who can provide him with an alibi. This she does, gladly and willingly...but the story is far from over! Made for television, Alibi was first broadcast by ABC on March 16, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's an evening of togetherness as Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence) move in together, and Donna Abandando's sister Dana (future Will & Grace star Debra Messing) moves in with Donna (Gail O'Grady) and Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) -- whereupon Dana starts putting her on moves on Greg. In other developments, Simone (Jimmy Smits) has trouble believing the confession of his friend's son (Adam Hann-Byrd) regarding a school shooting. And while Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Lesniak (Justine Miceli) prepare to file charges against a man who knowingly transmitted HIV to his girlfriends, one of the man's victims grimly prepares her own brand of justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide