Kit McDonough Movies

Joe (Tim Daly) and Helen (Crystal Bernard) can't stand living with Brian (Steven Weber) and Casey (Amy Yasbeck) while waiting for their new house to be built, so they buy another house. This turns out to be an extremely costly proposition--and worse, the couple they may not be able to unload the unfinished house to another buyer. A spectacular event eerily reminiscent of the season opener caps this final installment of Wings' seventh season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Following up on Streetwise, his powerful documentary on the homeless kids of Seattle, director Martin Bell returned to that city for a dramatic feature. Nick Kelson (Edward Furlong) is a troubled teenager whose mother has been dead for many years; he spends much of his time with other throwaway kids roaming the city. When Nick's father Jack (Jeff Bridges) is released from a long stretch in prison, the father and child reunion is a bumpy one. Jack senses an obligation to his son but is trying to focus on taking responsibility for his own life before he can extend himself. Nick is wary of his father's criminal background, but he also craves the stability of a real home life. Aware that a return to the city whose mean streets spawned his criminal career might pull him back into his old ways, Jack talks about moving to Alaska to make a fresh start, but it's not clear if Nick is part of his plan. The film's unsentimental look at its characters always on the verge of backsliding didn't endear it to ticket buyers, but it was lauded by many critics for its honesty and for Bridges' strong performance, which won an Independent Spirit award. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

In this touching drama, based on a magazine article by Mary Stuart, a wealthy socialite finds herself impoverished following her husband's sudden death. Across the street from her tiny apartment, there lives a bag lady in large cardboard box. The women, realizing that they have more in common than they thought, become good friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A rare attempt by a female director to attack the issue of rape from a woman's perspective, this drama is sure to cause varied reactions. A sense of the film's perspective can be garnered from paraphrasing its publicity: "Rapists have two problems and the 'Ladies Club' is about to remove them both." Statistics of the time note that a woman was raped every seven minutes while the conviction rate was an incredibly low 2%. A policewoman who was brutally raped and the sister of a rape victim who was incurably traumatized band together for a surgical attack on the offenders, aided by a physician whose own tragedy inspires her to lend her skill with a scalpel to the cause. The encounters with rapists, court hearings, and sneaking through police files to identify the men who got away bring suspense to this crusade for justice. Comic relief crops up now and again to leaven the seriousness of the topic. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Magnum (Tom Selleck) rescues a woman named Lauren Henderson (Cynthia Sikes) from drowning herself. Lauren claims that she has witnessed a murder committed by her husband Sam (Frank Converse), a powerful industrialist. As Magnum finds himself falling in love with the unfortunate woman, he is slowly but surely drawn into a sinister conspiracy. What's really going on here--and how does Sam's secretary Cindy (Kit McDonough) have to do with all the intrigue? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The messages referred to in the title are those conveyed on a Ouija board. The heroine (Kathleen Beller) conjures up these messages, which indicate that her future happiness is gravely in doubt. In point of fact, the words she spells out on the board are I-AM-GOING-TO-KILL-YOU. A mystery figure from the woman's past intends to fulfill this prophecy--with a dagger. Material like this only works if the producers have faith in it; Deadly Messages appears to have been made by people who found the premise amusing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Laverne's new boyfriend (Larry Breeding) makes his living as a glamour photographer. Jealous over the fact that her beau spends all his working hours with gorgeous models, Laverne (Penny Marshall) tries to invade the glamour world herself--and ends up strutting down the runway of a major fashion show with a balky "Liberty Bell" hat on her head! This episode was dedicated to guest star Larry Breeding, who had died in an auto accident several months before the episode's first telecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Three of Laverne & Shirley gets under way as the titular heroines (played by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams) prepare to take their first airplane flight. Laverne is a bit frightened at the prospect, but Shirley is thrilled by the experience. Unfortunately, things get a bit more "thrilling" than expected when the pilot (Roy Stuart) is accidentally knocked cold, forcing the girls to take over--with Laverne at the controls and Shirley as navigator! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide