John Slattery Movies
With his extremely tall, imposing figure and gray-white hair, character actor John Slattery specialized in utterly convincing portrayals of stoic businessmen, office workers, politicians, and other suits, whenever a film called for one. This typecasting rendered Slattery laudably versatile and prolific; his credits include such multi-genre blockbusters as City Hall (1996), Bad Company (2002), Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004, in the Jerry Orbach role of the disapproving father), and Flags of Our Fathers (2006). On television, Slattery memorably appeared in guest roles on such popular series as Sex and the City (as a politician wooing Carrie), Will & Grace (as Will's older brother), and Law & Order. He found work as a regular on shows like K Street and Jack & Bobby, and appeared in recurring roles on Ed (as a high-school principal) and Desperate Housewives, for which he again played a politician, this time wooing and marrying Gabrielle (Eva Longoria). In 2007, Slattery delivered a memorable evocation of an early-'60s slickster boss on the AMC network's ad-agency drama Mad Men. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie GuideThis tape collection consists of selected episode from the Fox Network TV series The Dirty Dozen. Per the title, the series was inspired by the popular 1967 theatrical film of the same name. During World War II, a group of GI prisoners with nothing to lose are taken from their "home" in Marston Military Prison. Ordered to whip this wild bunch into a crack special-forces unit, Lt. Danko (Ben Murphy) must instill discipline without completely diluting the prisoners' killer instincts. Instead of the rapists and perverts of the original film, each of the twelve misfits is blessed with highly developed individual skills: one is a master of disguise, another a strategist, still another a demolition expert (What price Mission: Impossible?) Inexpensively filmed in Yugoslavia, TV's The Dirty Dozen was originally broadcast April 30 to July 30, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The weekly, 60-minute TV adventure series Under Cover starred Anthony John Denison and Linda Purl as husband-and-wife secret agents Dylan and Kate Del'Amico. Employed by the National Intelligence Agency (read: CIA), Dylan and Kate were sent out on their various missions by head man Stuart Merriman (Josef Sommer). In this two-hour pilot episode, first telecast January 7, 1991, Dylan is tipped off to an assassination scheme in the former USSR. This means that, once more, the Del'Amicos must leave behind their "cover" as normal suburbanites to make the world safe for...whatever. Under Cover ran until February 16, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony John Denison, Linda Purl, (more)
A production of Hallmark Hall of Fame that originally aired on the Showtime Cable Network, this family drama tells the moving tale of a 19 year-old boy's attempts to reconnect with his estranged family. The story is set in Texas, 1910. The boy is Horace Robedaux. His real father died when he was 12; shortly thereafter his mother married a railroad worker, a man who accepted Horace's younger sister Lily Dale but booted the boy from his home. For the past seven years, Horace has deeply resented his stepfather and this complicates the reunion. The costume designer for Lily Dale, Jean-Pierre Dorléac received an Emmy nomination. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Guinee, Stockard Channing, (more)
Three A-list screenwriters -- (Nicholas Pileggi, Bo Goldman, and Paul Schrader) -- contributed to the script of this idealistic political drama. John Pappas (Al Pacino) is the popular, ethical Mayor of New York; Kevin Calhoun (John Cusack) is his even more idealistic and principled deputy. When a detective and mobster kill each other and an innocent six-year-old black child in a shootout, questions arise about what the cop was doing meeting with the gangster in the first place. The Mayor and his staff handle the situation ably, but Calhoun digs deeper and finds troubling evidence that even his seemingly incorruptible boss has not escaped the shadier aspects of political life. The Mafia boss (Tony Franciosa) whose nephew was the dead gangster, along with a Brooklyn political boss (Danny Aiello) with his own agenda, come into the story, becoming part of a series of larger links, secret relationships, and bonds of "honor" between men who, on the surface, would have no reason to be in business with each other. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, John Cusack, (more)
Top-notch action sequences and exciting stunt work highlight this fast-moving thriller. John Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a top agent in the U.S. Marshalls' Witness Protection Program; it's his job to "erase" the pasts of Federal witnesses under his watch and deal with anyone who tries to hurt them. Kruger's latest assignment is to protect Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), who while working for a major weapons manufacturing firm discovered evidence that the company was selling new, high-tech weapons to intentional terrorists groups with the cooperation of a faction of enemy agents within the United States government. However, when Kruger discovers that the Witness Protection Program has a rat in the house -- and that rat is his boss, U.S. Marshall Robert Deguerin (James Caan) -- Kruger has to guard his own life while trying to protect Lee's. The supporting cast is highlighted by James Coburn, Robert Pastorelli, and James Cromwell. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, (more)
This sly comedy drama follows the weekly ritual of three single men who gather at a local steak house to brag, and maybe lie, about their latest romantic adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lara Flynn Boyle, John Slattery, (more)
Barry Levinson directed this crime drama based on a controversial bestseller. Jason Patrick stars as Lorenzo, a New York reporter more commonly called "Shakes," a nickname courtesy of his three childhood pals from Hell's Kitchen -- Michael (Brad Pitt), John (Ron Eldard), and Tommy (Billy Crudup). As kids, all four were sent to reform school after accidentally killing someone during a cruel prank. There, the boys were raped and beaten by several guards, including Sean Nokes (Kevin Bacon), a fact that they've kept secret into adulthood. Michael is now a rising star in the district attorney's office, while John and Tommy are founders of the Irish gang the Westies. When Nokes walks into John and Tommy's hangout, they kill him in cold blood and go on trial, defended by a drug-addicted lawyer (Dustin Hoffman). Michael and Shakes conspire with childhood friend Carol (Minnie Driver) and local priest Father Bobby (Robert DeNiro) to free their friends and get even with the surviving guards. Based on a true story chronicled by Lorenzo Carcaterra in his novel of the same name, Sleepers stirred controversy when the veracity of the book was challenged by reporters who could find no documentation of the events described. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, (more)
In this TV comedy series, housewife Maggie Day (Ann Cusack), nearing middle age, finds little action in her 19-year old marriage to cheerful cardiologist Arthur (John Getz). Their only child, 17-year-old Amanda (Morgan Nagler), is friends with aspiring cartoonist Reg (Todd Giebenhain). Setting out to find a new life, Maggie returns to school, studies to become a veterinarian, and works at an animal clinic, where she develops an infatuation for veterinarian Richard (John Slattery). To deal with her problems, Maggie visits therapist Kimberley (Francesca Roberts). Filmed in LA, the series began August 18, 1998 on Lifetime. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Cusack, John Getz, (more)
Daniel Pyne directed and co-scripted (with John Mankiewicz) this satirical look at private eyes, originally planned as a TV series but instead later expanded into a feature. Before a switch to color, the film begins with a black and white prologue in which NYU film-school graduates Wilton Crawley (Mos Def) and A.J. Edison (John Livingston) bore the small audience at the Utica Township Film Festival with their 180-minute film about NYC water-supply sources. Realizing a stronger subject is needed for their next documentary, they focus on L.A. private investigators Joe Boone (Miguel Ferrer) and Murphy (John Slattery) and the agency's secretary Angela (Allison Dean) -- captured in the usual student-film techniques of hand-held subjective shots (plus Super 8 when their regular camera breaks). As the filmmakers shoot, they soon become intrigued by an unsolved case and look for a solution. Shown at the 1998 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miguel Ferrer, Mos Def, (more)
Originally aired on HBO and directed by Apollo 13 star and space enthusiast Tom Hanks, among others, From the Earth to the Moon explores the ups and downs of space travel, beginning with President Kennedy's famous speech before Congress on May 25, 1961, and chronicling the journey to putting the first man on the moon. This highly acclaimed, Emmy-nominated, 12-episode series is available in a six-tape VHS set and a four-disc DVD set. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Andrews, Bryan Cranston, (more)
The question of journalistic ethics is brought into play when the wife of a prominent New Yorker is murdered. The victim's husband blames the killing on a gossip columnist working for a widely circulated checkout-stand tabloid. In pursuing the case in tandem, the detectives and the lawyers again find themselves in the position of setting a precedent that may have long-range repercussions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Inspired by true events that occurred in France in the mid-'90s, this French-language feature explores the relationship between two best friends who come from opposite sides of the tracks. Delphine (Maud Forget) is 14 years old and shy, a delicate and studious high-school patron who comes from an upper-class background. After following around Olivia (Lou Doillon), the new student at her high school and a dreadlocked, outspoken outcast, the two develop a close bond. Olivia is from a broken home and has a free-spirited approach to life. One night, Olivia takes Delphine to a nightclub where they meet Laurent (Robinson Stevenin), a brooding teenager with whom Delphine falls instantly in love. Olivia similarly falls for Laurent's friend Alain (Maxime Mansion) and the four enter a free-wheeling world of parties, alcohol, and sexual experimentation. Delphine becomes immersed in the prospect of belonging to someone and begins to sacrifice some of her cherished beliefs to satisfy Laurent. Olivia, the more world-weary of the two, spots Delphine's blind dedication and tries to help her achieve happiness without succumbing to the indulgent depths to which the foursome is rapidly becoming accustomed. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maud Forget, Lou Doillon, (more)
Andy Yates (Wil Horneff) was born and raised in a farming community in rural Pennsylvania, where people know each other and value hard, honest work. Andy discovers that his seemingly conservative parents (Jeffrey DeMunn and Lisa Emery) have managed to hold on to the family farm through a secret source of income -- in addition to the food crops that have been their livelihood for generations, they're growing marijuana and selling it at a considerable profit. The Yateses are not the only family in the area raising pot in order to pay the bills, and in time the town sheriff (John Slattery) is visited by a DEA investigator (Mary McCormack) who is trying to ferret out the local drug growers. As Andy is forced to resolve his feelings about his parents' double life, the sheriff has to decide whether his greater loyalty lies with the law or with the friends and family he's known all his life. Harvest features a brief appearance by James Van Der Beek, who became a teen heartthrob with his roles in the film Varsity Blues and the TV series Dawson's Creek. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary McCormack, John Slattery, (more)
While on a location shoot, spoiled movie actress Sydney Clarke (Sela Ward) clashes with her equally temperamental director. Storming off the set in a snit, Sydney gets lost in the woods, then hitches a ride to a small New England steel town -- where, amazingly, no one seems to recognize her. Curiously enjoying her anonymity, she befriends bowling-alley waitress Joyce (Rebecca Jenkins), who helps her land a job as a nurse at the local steel mill, managed by a handsome, down-to-earth hunk named Ryan (Andrew Jackson). Upon learning that the mill is in danger of demolition at the hands of greedy corporate fat-cats, Sydney vows to save the community's only source of income -- but will the citizens rally behind her if they find out she's been posing as something she's not? Made for the CBS TV network, Catch a Falling Star premiered March 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Rebecca Jenkins, (more)
The real-life legal case that inspired the 1990 film Guilty by Suspicion would seem to be the source material for this episode. The detectives investigate the reasons behind a wealthy woman's comatose condition. Key players in this sordid drama include the woman's husband David Moore (David Dukes), her daughter Debbie (Marin Hinkle), and an "unrelated" third party. "Stiff" originally aired in tandem with another episode, "Vaya Con Dios," on May 24, 2000, bringing the tenth season of Law & Order to a close. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Dignified Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins tries the buddy action-comedy on for size with this typically slick and bombastic offering from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Hopkins stars as Gaylord Oakes, a CIA spy attempting -- along with his partner, Kevin Pope (Chris Rock) -- to secure a suitcase-sized nuclear bomb in Prague from a Russian black marketer (Peter Stormare). Just as the partners discover that another bidder for the device exists, they are ambushed and Pope is killed trying to protect Oakes. Desperate for the bomb's owners and their attackers to believe that Pope is still alive so that the deal can commence in ten days time, Oakes recruits his late partner's long-lost twin, ticket-scalping chess hustler Jake Hayes (also played by Rock), a small-time criminal who never knew he had a brother. Offered a sizable payday and the admiration of his student nurse girlfriend, Hayes agrees to undergo vigorous training and dangerous situations as he impersonates his brother and helps Oakes to remove the nuclear threat, but the new partners clash in every way possible, from personal discipline to musical taste. Meanwhile, the assassin of the real Kevin Pope sends another cadre of killers after the agent he believes is still alive. Bad Company co-stars Kerry Washington, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Gabriel Macht, and Matthew Marsh. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, (more)
Adapted from James Agee's posthumously published, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Death in the Family is set in Knoxville, TN, in 1915. The death of husband and father Jay Follett (John Slattery) in a car accident has profound and long-reaching effects upon his wife, Mary (Annabeth Gish), and his sensitive, seven-year-old son, Rufus (Austin Wolff). At the core of the crisis is Mary's prickly relationship with her own family, exacerbated by her late husband's unwillingness to "go with the flow" in terms of religion and race relations. The kindly intervention of Mary's free-spirited artist brother, Andrew (David Alford), enables her and her son to go on with their lives. Told from Rufus' point of view, the novel version of Death in the Family had previously served as the source for the Broadway play and film All the Way Home. This production, filmed on-location in Tennessee, was telecast by PBS on March 25, 2002 as part of Masterpiece Theatre's "American Collection." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Discovery Channel presents Before We Ruled the Earth: Mastering the Beasts. This historical nature program uses reenactments and computer animation to portray the earliest known humans. Watch the progress of human evolution from homo erectus to the Cro-Magnons, presented along with timelines, archaeological information, and fossil records. This episode shows how inventions like the spear and needle were integral parts of the early human's gradual dominance over animals. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
The Discovery Channel presents Before We Ruled the Earth: Hunt or Be Hunted. This historical nature program uses reenactments and computer animation to portray the earliest known humans. Watch the progress of human evolution from homo erectus to the Cro-Magnons, presented along with timelines, archaeological information, and fossil records. This episode shows the daily survival tactics of the early hominids to eat or be eaten. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Set in 1953, Mona Lisa Smile tells the story of Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), a new young art history professor at Wellesley College, an all-female campus with a prestigious reputation for academic excellence. Unfortunately for free-minded Berkeley grad Watson, her East Coast teaching stint comes during a less-progressive time that finds most of her students -- among them Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst), Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles), and Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) -- more interested in nabbing a good husband than achieving scholastic and intellectual growth. Watson challenges her students and the Wellesley faculty to think outside of the current mores of the community and redefine what it means to be a success; meanwhile, she tries to come to terms with her own heart's desires. Mona Lisa Smile co-stars Marcia Gay Harden, Juliet Stevenson, and, as Watson's conflicting love interests, Dominic West and John Slattery. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, (more)
Actor and playwright Tom McCarthy makes his feature film debut as a writer/director with the quirky comedy drama The Station Agent. In New Jersey, Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a four-foot-tall lonely man who chooses to live the life of a hermit in an abandoned train yard following the death of his friend. While he is there, he unexpectedly meets and befriends a couple of fellow loners. Troubled Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) is an artist devastated by the loss of her son and separation from her husband, while carefree and friendly Joe (Bobby Cannavale) runs a hot dog stand. The three unlikely friends each deal with their urge to connect compared with their individual need for isolation. Also starring Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, and Michelle Williams. The Station Agent won the Audience award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, (more)
Co-created by actor George Clooney and director Steve Soderbergh, the ten-part HBO series K Street was a docudrama about a political consulting firm in Washington. Each episode was based on a late-breaking political story, and each was edited just before telecast for the sake of topicality. It was often difficult to discern the line between fiction and reality, notably in an early episode wherein presidential candidate Howard Dean was provided with a witty retort by real-life political advisors James Carville and Paul Begala just before an important debate -- and indeed, this was the joke that turned out to be the highlight of the actual debate. Carville, his wife, Mary Matalin, and Michael Deaver, genuine professional D.C. consultants all, were among the executive producers of the series, appearing as "themselves" along with the fictional consulting crew, played by John Slattery, Mary McCormack, and Roger G. Smith. Filmed on location in the nation's capital (a fact that caused some controversy when the producers -- and their cameras -- were summarily booted out of the Senate building), K Street debuted September 14, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Carville, Mary Matalin, (more)
Not a sequel, not really a prequel, sort of a remake, more of a re-imagining, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights follows the blossoming love affair of young couple Katey (Romola Garai) and Javier (Diego Luna) against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution in 1958. Katey is an American girl living in Cuba with her parents who meets Javier, a local. Javier takes Katey to a nightclub where he teaches her how to dance dirty Cuban-style. The two grow closer and closer, but when Castro takes over, Katey's parents decide to flee for the U.S., leaving Katey to make the ultimate decision. Tying the film together with the classic 1987 original is Patrick Swayze who reprises the role of Johnny Castle in a cameo. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Romola Garai, (more)
Christopher Reeve directed this inspiring made-for-television drama based on a true story, which turned out to be his final project before his passing in 2004. When she was 11 years old, Brooke Ellison was involved in an auto accident that caused her extensive head trauma and serious injuries to her spinal cord. Doctors were uncertain if Brooke would survive, and while she pulled through, the young girl was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. However, Brooke was determined to live as close to a "normal" life as was possible, and to excel despite her condition. With the unflagging support of her mother, who attended classes with her every day, Brooke not only received top marks in high school, but graduated from Harvard with honors. The Brooke Ellison Story stars Vanessa Marano as young Brooke, Lacey Chabert as Brooke in her teen and young-adult years, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as her mother, Jean. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, (more)
- Starring:
- Christine Lahti, Matt Long, (more)































