Jonathan Potts Movies

Based on the 1999 bestseller by K.C. McKinnon, this touching Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation stars Alicia Silverstone as Dee Dee, a single mom and professional candlemaker who returns to her Maine hometown after a lengthy absence. Having left town with a somewhat sullied reputation, she returns with apparently the best of intentions--bringing her 12-year-old son Trooper (Matthew Knight) along for the sentimental journey. Dee Dee's reappearance is initially met with hostility by veterinarian Lydia, whose husband (and coworker) Sam had once been Dee Dee's sweetheart. Ultimately, however, Lydia warms up to both her "rival" and her son--just before Dee Dee poignantly reveals the real reason for her unexpected homecoming. Filmed for television on location in Nova Scotia, Candles on Bay Street was first broadcast by CBS on November 26, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In June of 2002, 13-year-old Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her own bedroom in Salt Lake City, a crime witnessed by her younger sister Mary Katherine. The desperate search for Elizabeth evolved into a gigantic media event, as her anguished parents combined forces with the authorities -- and a number of top-rated cable talk show hosts -- to follow any lead, big or small, that would help them find their daughter. Eight months into the girl's disappearance, hopes for her safety were growing dim -- until, miraculously, she was spotted only a short distance from her home, accompanied by a pair of bizarre and seriously disturbed personalities, Brian David "Emmanuel" Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Originally telecast November 9, 2003, by CBS, the made-for-TV Elizabeth Smart: The Long Way Home is divided into two plains of action: the ordeal of the abducted Elizabeth and her uncanny ability to keep her wits and optimism intact despite the ever-growing possibility that she would never see her parents again; and the dogged determination of Elizabeth's parents Ed and Lois, who against all odds, never gave up hope that their daughter was still alive and well. Released shortly after Elizabeth's rescue, the film could have been cheap and exploitive, but was admirably produced and very well acted, especially by Amber Marshall as Elizabeth, Dylan Baker and Hannah Lochner as her parents, and Tom Everett and Hollis McLaren as her captors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Spinsterish New England college professor Gwen Barry (Frances Fisher) takes advantage of a prison work furlough program by hiring soon-to-be-released convict Dalton Roy (Derwin Jordan) as a handyman. As time goes by, Gwen falls in love with Dalton, and he reciprocates. Upon his release, however, Dalton breaks off with Gwen in favor of a sweetheart closer to his own age, college student Tamara (Kandyse McClure). But by now, Gwen's affection has morphed into an unhealthy obsession, and she is fully willing to destroy Dalton rather than see him slip through her fingers. Filmed in Nova Scotia, the made-for-cable Passion and Prejudice debuted April 17, 2001 on the USA network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Where else but Minnesota, a state that has brought us creative minds as diverse as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Garrison Keillor and Paul Westerberg, could a man like Jesse "The Body" Ventura be elected governor? The Jesse Ventura Story follows the inarguably remarkable career of its title character (played by Nils Allen Stewart) as he overcomes an unhappy childhood and strained relationship with his father to find success as a Navy SEAL, a bouncer, a bodyguard, a disc jockey, a professional wrestler and a second-string action movie star, concluding with his most remarkable feat to date: winning Minnesota's 1998 gubernatorial race as a third-party candidate. Produced for NBC television, The Jesse Ventura Story was a model of production efficiency; it was first aired in May 1999, a mere six months after the real life Ventura won the Minnesota election, with Toronto standing in for the Twin Cities. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A case of mistaken identity goes too far in this made-for-television romantic comedy. Tea Leoni stars as Gina Nardino, a young store clerk who pretends to be an Italian countess in order to impress a rich man of society. Her charade starts to fall apart though when his brother gets wise to her schemes. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Originally seen as a component of the Nintendo-inspired cartoon series Super Mario Brothers Super Show, The Legend of Zelda is the 13-episode saga of a feisty 15-year-old Princess, a bold adventurer of the same age named Link, and all-around sidekick Spryte. The "good guys" (actually two guys and one gal) are dedicated to keeping the Triforce of Wisdom out of the clutches of the evil Ganon and his Moblin flunkeys. In the opening episode "The Ringer", Ganon creates a monster to capture Zelda, thereby distracting Linky and Spryte from safeguarding the Triforce. In "Cold Spells", poor Sprite falls under Ganon's control. "The White Knight" shows that Zelda should know better to fall in love with anyone named Prince Façade. A kiss from a beautiful maiden has the reverse effect than the one expected, transforming Link into a frog, in "Kiss 'N' Tell." "Sing for the Unicorn" finds Link and Zelda uniting with a sylphlike girl, whose unicorn was stolen by Ganon, to rescue Zelda's dad the King. In "That Stinking Feeling", an unscheduled trip to the Underworld spoils a special moment for Link and Zelda. Then in "Doppelganger", Gannon summons the "Evil Zelda" and her own Moblins from an magic mirror. Link and Zelda are forced into a perilous trek through Ganon's domain in "Underworld Connections." An elaborate con job is called for when Ganon tries to get his mitts on Link's enchanted sword in "Stinging a Stinger" A black-magic necklace and a hard-working castle handyman figure into "Hitch in the Works". In "Fairies in the Spring", Link and Zelda call upon the Triforce to allow them to breathe underwater when the King is kidnapped (again!). Link's body is separated from his spirit, courtesy of Ganon's Evil Jar, in "The Missing Link" Finally, "The Moblins are Revolting"--and that's putting it mildly--when Ganon is toppled from power...or is he? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide