Rick Wallace Movies

Darwyn (Michael Ealy) and Farik (Oded Fehr) track Jim (Brad Greenquist), a trucker who is carrying a shipment of phosgene from Los Angeles to Newark. They intercept him when he stops at a motel to do business with a hooker. Pretending to be cops, they take Jim prisoner. Farik wires an explosive device to the truck, "just in case," so Darwyn has to surreptitiously phone his handlers to make sure they know to let the truck through. They bring Jim back to the warehouse, where Farik threatens to hurt his wife and child if Jim doesn't make daily calls to his dispatcher to tell them he is en route. Patrice (Sonya Walger) learns more about Farik's background from a captured terrorist. Farik gets an urgent call from his wife, Samia (Susan Pari), who has surprised him by coming to L.A. Darwyn convinces Farik to let the cell members have one last night on the town while he's away. Tommy (Blake Shields) agrees to stay behind to guard Jim. Christian (Alex Nesic) goes to a strip club before phoning his wife to leave a tearful goodbye message. Ilija (Henri Lubatti) goes to a karaoke bar for one last tribute to A Tribe Called Quest. Darwyn meets up with Patrice, and tells her the phosgene attack will take place on a Muslim holy day in two days, but he's still not sure of the location. Meanwhile, Farik begs his wife to let him do his "duty." "You're the only person who has a hope in hell of making me change my mind," he tells her, "and I can't." Later, Farik reveals the target, Dodger Stadium, and explains that simultaneous attacks will take place in two other cities. Darwyn also finds out he got the calendar wrong. The attack will take place tomorrow. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Gordon Dillit (Jeff Perry) stumbles into the 15th to report that he has been mugged, and that a valuable watch belonging to his wife has been stolen. During their investigation of this incident, the detectives uncover evidence placing Dillit in the apartment of a murdered "tranny," or transvestite prostitute. In another development, an 18-year-old Pakistani woman pays a terrible price for "disgracing" her family. And the tense domestic relationship between Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) reaches a breaking point. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Created by West Wing writer Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., the weekly, 60-minute political drama Mister Sterling was a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for the 21st century. Josh Brolin starred as William Sterling Jr., the idealistic young "reformist" son of a popular retired California governor (James Whitmore). Selected by his state's political machine to fill out the term of a dead Democratic senator, Mister Sterling arrived in the nation's capitol with a naïvely altruistic agenda -- and with no party ties, since he was a registered Independent (though in West Wing tradition, he tended to veer toward the left). Doing their best to educate Sterling to the facts of life about Washington, and sometimes expressing amazement at how much smarter he was than the "established" politicos, were his chief of staff, Jackie Brock (Audra McDonald); his legislative director, Tommy Doyle (William Russ); and resident techno-geek Leon (David Noroña). Mister Sterling was elected to office on January 10, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

If not the best new drama series of the 2001-2002 TV season, Philly bade fair to be the loudest and most abrasive. NYPD Blue alumnus Kim Delaney stars as idealistic law school graduate Kathleen Maguire, who, after her divorce from assistant DA Daniel X. Cavanaugh (Kyle Secor), put out her shingle as a Philadelphia defense attorney. When Kathleen's partner Marion (Joanna Cassidy) suffers a nervous breakdown, she reluctantly goes into business with highly unethical lawyer Will Friedman (Tom Everett Scott), thereby launching a series-long shoutfest between the two strange bedfellows. If Will weren't headache enough, Kathleen also has to deal with slimy clients, ill-tempered judges, and a seemingly endless parade of eccentric courtroom habitué, most of whom have nothing but sex on their brains. Providing a bit of moral support and affection to the long-suffering Kathleen is her outspoken ten-year-old son Patrick (Scotty Leavenworth). It should be noted that a number of genuine Philadelphia lawyers actively disliked the series, labeling it "unrealistic" and "insulting" -- but they never said it wasn't entertaining. Executive-produced by the prolific Stephen Bochco, the weekly, 60-minute Philly was supposed to have been unveiled by ABC on September 18, 2001, but the network's coverage of the World Trade Center tragedy pushed the debut date up to September 25. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This well-wrought made-for-TV comedy drama about a playboy divorced father who must take responsibility for his troubled daughter following his ex-wife's death is a great choice for those in need of warm-fuzzies and heart-tugging moments. With an inane but best-selling book, beaucoup bucks, a luxurious apartment and all the beautiful women he wants, pop psychologist Dr. Jason Fielder (Judge Reinhold) has been living the high life since his divorce. That all changes when his pre-pubescent daughter Sam (Stephi Lineberg) is forced upon him. Angry, alone and unable to deal with her grief, she proves a rebellious handful for Jason whose only solution is to try and buy her love with expensive gifts. In no time, both father and daughter have reached a seemingly insurmountable impasse. Fortunately, especially for Stephi, a winsome, wise guardian angel (Carol Kane) shows up to watch over her and help her reach out to her dad. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Comic actor Michael McKean delivers a powerful dramatic performance in Father's Homecoming. Long separated from his teenaged son (Jonathan Ward) and daughter (Marcianne Warman), Michael (McKean) comes into contact with them in a most unexpected fashion. He is appointed headmaster of the exclusive New England private school where they both are enrolled. Future Star Trek regular Nana Visitor has a good supporting role. Made for TV, Father's Homecoming was released with a remarkable lack of fanfare on June 19, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adapted from Mary-Lou Weisman's book Intensive Care, this made-for-television movie stars Liza Minnelli (in her first TV appearance) as a woman who must remain strong and contend with her son's muscular dystrophy and all the problems within the family that accompany the illness. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

In this Canadian drama, a band of government workers decide to make some fast bucks by making a blue movie. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi