Gema Zamprogna Movies

In this children's movie a 12-year old girl impersonates a boy so she can join "The Challengers," an all-male club devoted to mountain bikes and rock'n roll music. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Season two of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) begins as Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) reluctantly returns to Montreal after spending a happy year living with her relatives, the King family, in the Prince Edward Island village of Avonlea. But upon her arrival home, Sara discovers to her dismay that her wealthy father has been killed in an accident -- and to make matters worse, she is later kidnapped by a pair of greedy fortunehunters. After this ordeal, Sara's strict but loving aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) welcomes Sara back to Avonlea with open arms -- and even manages to persuade the girl's overprotective nanny (Frances Hyland) to let her stay. This season marks the introduction of Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen), a vagabond teenager from a poor (and mysterious) background whom Hetty selects as a test case to prove her schoolteaching skills when her job is placed in jeopardy by the "progressive" new provincial school supervisor, Muriel Stacey (Marilyn Lightstone). In a later episode, Peter Coyote guest stars as Hetty's onetime sweetheart Romney Penhallow, whose reunion with Hetty after all these years is a most bittersweet experience. Joseph Bottoms shows up in a subsequent story as the man who might have married Hetty's younger sister, Olivia (Mag Ruffman), if Hetty hadn't dismissed him as unsuitable; ironically, this fellow's return prompts Olivia to fall in love with an even less "suitable" character, local eccentric Jasper Dale (R.H. Thompson). Eventually, and with (surprisingly) Hetty's blessing, this alliance will become permanent by marriage (but not quite yet). Also, Hetty's brother Alec (Cedric Smith) is racked by guilt by a visit from his crippled brother, Roger (Andrew Gillies); Michael York guests in a brace of episodes as reclusive ex-sea captain Ezekiel Crane, who inadvertently delivers Gus Pike into the hands of Gus' outlaw father, and later makes up for this misstep by involving Gus in a search for hidden gold. And Madeline Kahn tears a passion to tatters as traveling actress Pigeon Plumtree, who nearly lures the impulsive Sara into a life upon the wicked stage. The season closes with the episode "Misfits and Miracles," wherein a desperate Sara has to improvise when her pregnant aunt Janet (Lally Cadeau) suddenly goes into labor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A 19th century Prussian boy still reeling from the untimely death of his mother finds his life thrown into chaos when his father is wrongfully imprisoned in a classical adventure tale written by Marlene Matthews and directed by Allan King. Lukas' (Zachary Bennett) mother has just died in childbirth, and as his embittered grandfather departs for Canada hoisting the brunt of the blame on Lukas' innocent father, Karl (Christian Kohlund), it appears as if his family will be torn apart forever. Things only get worse, however, when, after witnessing a murder by malevolent nobleman Count Otto von Lebrecht, Lukas learns that his father has been accused of Count Otto's bloody transgression. After being forced into indentured servitude for Baron von Knabig (Günther Maria Halmer), Lukas makes the acquaintance of Baroness Ursula (Gema Zamprogna), her kindly mother, and Nathan the Peddler (Jan Rubes), a generous man who aids the young boy in orchestrating a daring escape for himself and his father. When the escape goes awry and Lukas and his father aren't able to flee together, the young boy and Ursula begin a harrowing voyage to the New World as the vengeful Otto tracks their every move. As the young boy's father makes a desperate journey north to Canada in hopes of reuniting with his child, Lukas and Ursula struggle to survive a deadly smallpox outbreak, elude a pair of nefarious kidnappers, and find their way out of the vast Canadian wilderness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Season four of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) serves to introduce the Pettibone family, specifically widower Clive Pettibone (David Fox), the new schoolteacher hired to replace the semi-retired Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs); Clive's son, Arthur (Zachary Ansley), a talented veterinarian; and Clive's brilliant but oversensitive daughter, Isolde (Heather Brown), better known as "Izzy." The season opener finds an uncharacteristically nervous Hetty lending a helping hand when her pregnant sister, Olivia (Mag Ruffman), who the previous year had wed eccentric would-be inventor Jasper Dale (R.H. Thompson), goes into premature labor. In a subsequent episode, Hetty forms an unexpected bond with her successor, Clive Pettibone, when they discover that they are both writing children's books under assumed names. Later, Meg Tilly guest stars as Evelyn, the wife of an old school chum of Hetty's brother Alec (Cedric Smith), who, when she suddenly becomes a widow during a visit to Avonlea, turns to the married Alec for comfort -- and sets gossipy tongues a-wagging in the process. Also contributing a guest appearance is Treat Williams as traveling showman Zak Morgan, on whom Hetty's city-bred niece, Sara (Sarah Polley), develops a disturbingly serious crush. And the episode "The Disappearance" boasts two guest stars, Robby Benson and Diana Rigg, in the story of a young antiques collector who may or may not be heir to a vast fortune. In other plotlines, earthy but naïve Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen) continues to court the haughty but likable Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna) -- only to find himself in competition with newcomer Arthur Pettibone; Felicity's enterprising brother, Felix (Zachary Bennett), unexpectedly becomes a hero when he takes a job at the local White Sands Hotel; and Hetty and Jasper team up to make a home movie (this in 1906 or thereabouts) to prevent a covetous industrialist from taking over Avonlea. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season six of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) begins not in the titular Prince Edward Island village but instead in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna) has defied the standard gender expectations of early 20th century Canada by enrolling in medical school. While walking to class one day, Felicity is unexpectedly reunited with her hometown boyfriend, Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen) -- who in turn is accosted by a derelict woman who turns out to be his long-lost mother. This sobering discovery obliges Gus to leave Canada and head to the Caribbean with his mom -- but not before popping the question to Felicity for the umpteenth time. Back in Avonlea, Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley), fresh out of finishing school, pays a return visit, only to announce that she intends to leave again immediately to study in Paris -- which fact does not sit well with her aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) nor her old nanny, Louisa (Frances Hyland). In other developments, Felicity King's brother Felix (Zachary Bennett) has fallen in love with Izzy (Heather Brown), daughter of widowed schoolteacher Clive Pettibone (David Fox) -- who in turn has proposed to school superintendent Muriel Stacey (Marilyn Lightstone), much to Izzy's dismay; and orphaned siblings Davey (Kyle Labine) and Dora Keith (Lindsay Murrell) are taken in by Hetty after their guardian, Rachel Lynde (Patricia Hamilton) -- with whom Hetty has never gotten along -- suffers a series of debilitating strokes.

This season marks the introduction of Molly Atkinson in the role of Felicity and Felix's kid sister, Cecily King, a role hitherto played by child actress Harmony Cramp. Having been diagnosed with tuberculosis during the previous season, Cecily is now living in a New York sanitarium, anxiously awaiting the day that she is cured and will be allowed to return to her family. And speaking of new cast members, watch for Faye Dunaway and Maureen Stapleton, both making their one and only Road to Avonlea appearances in a story involving the simultaneous arrival in town of a glamorous European countess and a disheveled old lady who claims to be the mother of the local hotel owner -- and as it turns out, these two ladies have a lot more in common than one might think. As the season draws to a close, Felicity returns to Avonlea to serve her apprenticeship under Dr. Snow, an experience that proves so unnerving that she drops out of medical school. And Cecily has recovered sufficiently to return to her family -- only to dash off again with a disgruntled Felicity in hopes of catching up with Gus Pike, who at last report was still somewhere in the Caribbean. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Heralded as the first North American entry in the growing Dogma '95 canon, Canadian director Carl Bessai's riveting urban drama is raw, bare-boned, and bleak. Johnny (Chris Martin) is a street kid with an insatiable appetite to manipulate, charm, and coerce. After swiping a camera from his pal Albert, he soon becomes obsessed with making movies. He demands that his loyal gang of followers risk themselves and others for the sake of the dramatic scenes and for his own naked lust for power. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival and at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide