John Lawhorn Movies
- 2006
- PG13
- Add Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion to QueueAdd Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion to top of Queue
Actor and playwright Tyler Perry returns as Madea, a brash but loving African-American grandmother with her own way of doing things in this screen adaptation of his popular stage comedy drama. Madea has her work cut out for her when she finds herself dealing with a handful of family crises the same weekend that she's planned a massive family reunion. Her niece Lisa (Rochelle Aytes) is engaged to marry a handsome and successful man (Blair Underwood), but the good news is blunted when she reveals to her friends that he beats her. Another niece, Vanessa (Lisa Anderson), has been having romantic problems of her own, and isn't sure she should take another chance on love with a humble but good-hearted bus driver (Boris Kodjoe). Madea's older sister dies, with the funeral landing the same weekend as Lisa's wedding. And on top of all this, a court order forces Madea to look after Nikki (Keke Palmer), a troubled and angry teenager from a broken home. Madea's Family Reunion also stars Lynn Whitfield, Jennifer Lewis, Cicely Tyson, and Maya Angelou. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyler Perry, Blair Underwood, (more)
Nine-year-old Ociee Nash (Skyler Day) is living a carefree life in rural Mississippi, spending her days playing with her brother, Ben (Bill Butler), and her dog, Woofer. After she befriends a mysterious Gypsy, however, her single father (Ociee's mother has died) decides this tomboy existence is not the one she should be leading, and decides to send Ociee to live with her straight-laced Aunt Mamie (Mare Winningham) in Ashville, NC, in hopes that she can teach Ociee to become a proper young lady. While Ociee is not pleased with the situation, she soon finds interesting people and adventures in her new home. She befriends well-bred Elizabeth Murphy (Jasmine Sky) and meets colorful characters such as Nellie Bly (Donna Wright), Orville and Wilbur Wright (Sean Daniels and Ty Pennington), and even President McKinley (Daniel Burnley). She also manages to get herself into plenty of scrapes and misadventures, much to the displeasure of Aunt Mamie. Over time, however, Ociee and Aunt Mamie come to understand and appreciate each others' differences, allowing Ociee's true sprit and character to shine through. The Adventures of Ociee Nash is based on the novel A Flower Blooms on Charlotte Street by Milam McGraw Propst and adapted for the screen by sisters Amy and Kristen McGary (who also directs). ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Mare Winningham, (more)
This holiday drama stars Chrystale Wilson as single mom Nina, who moves to a new town in Georgia with her son, Mason. An older man named Gaitus (John Lawhorn) meets the boy and they begin an unlikely friendship by saving stray dogs. Also stars Bill Nunn and Thomas Jefferson Byrd. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chrystale Wilson, John Lawhorn, (more)
- 1991
In White Lie, a drama based on Samuel Charters' novel Louisiana Black, Gregory Hines plays Len Madison Jr., a New York-based mayoral press secretary who learns that his father was lynched in the South three decades earlier. Madison returns to the South, where he is intent on learning the truth about his father's death. Along the way, he is helped by a doctor (Annette O'Toole), the daughter of the white woman whom Madison's father allegedly raped and killed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1990
- R
Adapted from Night of the Living Dead scripter John Russo's pulp horror novel, this is a more old-fashioned living-dead romp in the mode of White Zombie. The story is set in the Deep South, where a diabolical, machete-wielding voodoo priest (Candyman's Tony Todd) is busily turning migrant farm workers into flesh-eating, living-dead slaves. His plans are disrupted by the arrival of two college students searching for a missing colleague -- who turns out to have been one of the priest's earlier zombie experiments. Good performances (especially from the menacing Todd) and creepy atmosphere are diluted by slack pacing, but the gory finale packs a horrific punch. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1985
When the local police won't do much to thwart the antics of vicious mob bullies led by a crazed leader (Paul Koslo), a Vietnam vet throws his hat in the ring and pledges to put an end to the rowdy bully-rule. Soon his Vietnam vet friends have joined, too, and together put their jungle combat training to work and do some serious butt kicking. This is a violent film, not for those who dislike face-altering altercations. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Stone, Andy Wood, (more)
This routine film should have been called the "rock singer's husband" because it is about the life of a baseball player affected by his love for a singer. Darryl Palmer (Michael O'Keefe) plays for the Atlanta Braves, and when he walks into a nightclub and sees an attractive woman singing (Rebecca DeMornay), he pulls up to home plate and is anxious to meet her. From then on, his persistence in courting her is unstoppable in spite of several unhappy setbacks, and finally their romance makes it to first base when she realizes she loves him too, and they are married. From that point onward, his career starts to soar, while her career begins to slide in the opposite direction. In fact, she has given up her job to go live with him on his home turf, and the sacrifice, in the end, proves to be too much. A separation is inevitable, and while he still has his teammates (Randy Quaid, Cleavant Derricks), he would rather have his wife back. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Keefe, Rebecca De Mornay, (more)
