James McDonnell Movies
Popular high school student Mark Kinney (Scott Bairstow) wants to get even with tyrannical English teacher John Griffin (Jay Thomas) for humiliating him in class. Together with a group of like-minded friends, Mark hatches a plot to kidnap Mr. Griffin, using his girlfriend Susan (Amy Jo Johnson) as bait. All Mark wants to do is put a scare in Griffin and take a bunch of photographs that will show up the teacher for the fatuous phony that he seems to be. But the student prank goes horribly awry when Griffin turns up dead, the victim of heart failure! Now it falls upon Mark and his co-conspirators to furtively cover their tracks, lest they be accused of felony murder. Based on the bestselling novel by Lois Duncan, the made-for-TV Killing Mr. Griffin debuted April 7, 1997, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Bairstow, Amy Jo Johnson, (more)
- 1997
Greene (Anthony Edwards) treats mentally incompetent Sherry Dunleavy (Ann Hearn) without getting her consent. Benton (Eriq La Salle) publicly berates Gant (Omar Epps), an incident that will have long-ranging tragic consequences. Before leaving for Pakistan, Keaton (Glenne Headly) makes a parting shot at her most egocentric colleague. Carol (Julianna Margulies) is forced by budget cuts to dismiss two of her nurses. And when homeless teenager Charlie (Kirsten Dunst) pops up again at the ER, she accuses Ross (George Clooney) of beating her up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Television fans fed up with the state of TV talk shows might get a kick from the 1992 Perry Mason TV movie The Case of the Reckless Romeo. The title character, a video personality who's just written a tell-all autobiography, is played by none other than Geraldo Rivera. When the future O.J. Simpson-obsessed talk host is murdered, actress Amy Steel is accused of murder. Mason (Raymond Burr) sets about to prove her innocence. When first telecast on May 6, 1992, The Case of the Reckless Romeo was advertised with the tag line "Geraldo gets killed!" Reports of dancing in the streets remain unconfirmed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
The normally caustic Roz (Marsha Warfield) is beginning to show signs of fear and foreboding. The reason? Roz's male pen pal Alex is planning to pay a visit to the courtroom. Thing of it is, the man has formulated an image of Roz that is totally at odds with the facts--thanks to a few "tall tales" submitted by Roz herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Coopersmith is the title of a never-sold TV series, assembled by producer/writer Peter S. Fischer of Murder She Wrote fame. In the 2-hour pilot episode, Grant Show stars as insurance investigator C. D. Coopersmith. Nicolas Surovy costars as a homicidal race-car driver whose wife dies in a highly suspicious accident. Clever though Surovy may be, Coopersmith is a degree or two cleverer. Filmed in 1990, Coopersmith was finally given a network airing on July 31, 1992, to capitalize on Grant Show's newly acquired celebrity as costar of Melrose Place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this suspenseful drama set in a luxury resort, a psychotic teen-age girl working as a baby sitter there causes all kinds of trouble. The story is a remake of the 1952 Marilyn Monroe film, Don't Bother to Knock. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
