Gary Hoffman Movies
- 2009
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Two mortal enemies must band together to defend the ranch they've both staked their claim on in this rollicking western comedy starring Dean Cain and Natasha Henstrige. When B.J. (James Tupper) wagered half of his ranch in a bet with Shea (Cain), he never thought he'd come out on the losing end. Now that ownership of the ranch is split down the middle, the two gamblers can't quite agree on anything. The most hotly contested debate to result from the wager isn't the ranch, however, but the hand of the lovely Liz Calhoun (Allison Hossack). Both men want Liz, but neither man can have her. When a gang of bandits makes a bid for the ranch, B.J. and Shea momentarily put their differences aside to fight shoulder to shoulder against a common enemy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Cain, James Tupper, (more)
- 2001
Based on a book by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, the made-for-cable The Big Heist endeavors to put a human face on the events surrounding a real-life robbery which occurred at JFK International Airport's Lufthansa terminal in 1978. Donald Sutherland stars as Jimmy "the Gent" Burke, a low-echelon Mafia gangster who yearns to make at least one big score before he dies. To this end, he gathers together a motley group of henchmen and masterminds the theft of eight million dollars right from under the noses of the JFK authorities. Amazingly, the robbery goes off without a hitch, and Jimmy exults in the possibility that he has at last attained the Criminal Hall of Fame. But things quickly begin to unravel when one of Jimmy's cohorts is whacked by the Mafia higher-ups because of an unrelated indiscretion. Before long, Jimmy's entire gang has been decimated, and it looks as if his own son will be next on the hit list. As a result, Jimmy is actually relieved when diligent detective Richard Woods (John Heard) finally catches up with him...but the "hero" is still not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. The Big Heist was broadcast by the A&E cable network on June 10, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Accomplished actress Anjelica Huston, daughter of John Huston, made her directorial debut with this absorbing, often wrenching story of child abuse in the 1950s American South. Based on a novel by Dorothy Allison, the film (narrated by Laura Dern) tells the tale of Bone (Jena Malone), a poor white girl so named because she was born right after her mother survived a terrifying car crash. While Bone is still a small child, her single mother, Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh), meets and marries the sweet Lyle (Dermot Mulroney), and the two add another daughter to the family before Lyle dies in an auto accident. Anney is next courted by the less good-natured Glen (Ron Eldard), who takes out his rage on Bone both physically and sexually, as Bone becomes even more disillusioned at her mother's inability to get away from her monstrous husband. Set in South Carolina in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Bastard Out Of Carolina touches on many aspects of life, family, and hardship amidst the poor white of the South. TNT owner Ted Turner refused to air the film, ostensibly because of its difficult subject matter, but the film goes out of its way to handle its material with as little exploitation as possible. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ron Eldard, (more)
This original HBO production documents, in dramatic form, the rivalry between Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson to see who would be the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Paige (played by Delroy Lindo) and Gibson (Mykelti Williamson) are more aggressive about seizing the opportunity that arose in the mid-'40s with the death of baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who had publicly avowed that the color line in baseball would never be broken. Branch Rickey (Edward Herrmann), the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is the first to seize that opportunity, sending his scouts to check out all the stars of the Negro Leagues. He narrows his choice down to Robinson, in part because of Paige's age (he was around 40) and Gibson's health (he behaved erratically in public, though it rarely affected his game). Rickey was looking for a player with the talent to compete in the big leagues and the character not to allow the inevitable harassment that would come his way to get to him. Robinson was signed in October 1945 and made his big-league debut in April 1947. Paige made it to the big leagues in 1948; Gibson died at the age of 36 in 1947 of a brain tumor. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Delroy Lindo, Mykelti Williamson, (more)
- 1995
Filmed on location in the Lone Star State, the made-for-TV In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy could be described as a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, except that its perverse plot twists are more reminiscent of Jacobean than Shakespearean tragedy. After being rendered paraplegic in an accident, wealthy young Luke Constable (Michael Hayden) is deserted by his socialite girlfriend. In an extremely vulnerable state, Luke falls in love with Laurette Wilder (Laura Leighton), the daughter of a working-class family. Determined to prove that she isn't merely a golddigger, Laurette encourages Luke to break away from his family and turn his back on their fortune. Her stubborn pride ultimately shatters their marriage, but the couple remains in love--so much so that the now-impoverished Luke, determined to "make good" for his wife's sake, is willing to commit murder. Produced for the Fox network, the fact-based In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy debuted September 12, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crenna
- 1994
In this made-for-TV action adventure, some criminals terrorize a Seattle-bound bus filled with innocent passengers after a kidnapping goes awry. Michael O'Keefe stars as Jack Boulder, a just-released ex-con who, along with some resourceful characters, helps his fellow bus passengers defend themselves against kidnappers who have been duped out of their ransom money. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Keefe, Linda Purl, (more)
- 1993
Following up the goofy big-screen comedies Dragnet and Delirious, director Tom Mankiewicz delivered this made-for-cable thriller starring Tony Goldwyn and Lynn Whitfield. After witnessing a murder, Goldwyn finds himself pursued by a group of thugs led by mafia boss Alan Arkin. Whitfield stars as the detective assigned to ensure that Goldwyn not only doesn't flee out of fear for his life, but stays alive long enough to testify at the murder trial. Along the way, as the two spend more time together, a romance ensues. Peter Boyle, George Segal and Will Patton round out the cast, and the film was scripted by Dan Gordon who would later gain noteriety as a scribe on 1999's The Hurricane. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Whitfield, Tony Goldwyn, (more)
- 1993
Tempestt Bledsoe is a long way removed from The Cosby Show in the made-for-TV Dream Date. Bledsoe plays gorgeous 16-year-old Danni Fairview, who is courted by suave Jim Parker (Kadeem Hardison). Alas, Jim's nerdish buddy Rudy (Pauly Shore) insists upon poking his nose into the proceedings. All of this is viewed with alarm by Danni's daddy Bill (Clifton Davis), who remembers what a rat with women he was in high school. Originally telecast October 9, 1989, Dream Date was re-issued on video in 1993 to cash in on the latter-day stardom of supporting player Pauly Shore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This made-for-TV drama, adapted from a book by Vincent Bugliosi, is based on a true story about an ex-cop who deceives and murders a number of women for their life insurance benefits. The video release includes scenes not shown in the original. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This version of the popular saga features two real teenagers playing the notorious killers Bonnie and Clyde who were also teens during the 1930's when they went on their mass killing spree. It was filmed on location at the actual crime scenes in East Texas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Ashbrook, Tracey Needham, (more)
- 1990
The Girl Who Came Between Them is still another "torn from today's headlines" TV movie. Anthony John Denison plays a Vietnam veteran, who is happily married to Cheryl Ladd and comfortably settled in a medium-sized American town. One morning, 13-year-old Vietnamese girl Melissa Chan shows up on Denison's doorstep. Convinced that Chan is his illegitimate daughter, Denison allows her to move into his home, driving a deep wedge between himself and his wife. The Girl Who Came Between Them debuted on April 1, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Robert Conrad grits his teeth and flecks his pecs--this time with motivation--in the fact-based TV movie Anything to Survive. Conrad plays a divorced father who takes his three children (Matthew LeBlanc, Ocean Hellman and Emily Perkins) on a sea journey to the Alaska panhandle. Disaster strikes, and Conrad is forced to brave the Alaskan wastes with his three citified youngsters in tow. 24 days pass: The authorities assume that the family is dead, but they couldn't be more wrong. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Anything to Survive is the fact that Conrad's character is dead wrong at times--and he's willing to admit it. The film was based on Elmo Wortman's book Almost too Late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Conrad, Matt LeBlanc, (more)
- 1990
In this thriller, a suburban housewife begins playing detective after she overhears a neighborhood conspiracy to kill someone on her baby's intercom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1980
- R
The Island, a turgid action drama directed by Michael Ritchie, revolves around the adventures of Maynard (Michael Caine), a newspaper reporter who tries to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Maynard, and his son crash-land on a remote island ruled by a gang of pirates who kill anyone who intrudes there. From beginning to end, The Island is slow, uninvolving and very bloody. The terrible script by Peter Benchley, who also wrote Jaws, is jagged and the dialogue is cliched. The film was an economic disaster and is only of interest because of a good score by Ennio Morricone. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, David Warner, (more)
