Stockard Channing Movies
Born Susan Williams Antonia Stockard Channing Schmidt on February 13, 1944, Channing is the daughter of a wealthy shipping executive, and became interested in the dramatic arts while attending college at Radcliffe. After graduating in the mid-sixties, Channing joined Boston's experimental Theater Company. Several unsuccessful Broadway auditions later, she landed a lead role in a Los Angeles production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. Eventually, Channing made it to Broadway, and won a Tony for her performance in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg.In the early '70s, Channing appeared in several small television roles, and made her big screen debut in 1971's The Hospital. In 1973, the actress starred in the Joan Rivers-penned black comedy The Girl Most Likely To..., a TV movie about an overweight college girl who loses weight, gets cosmetic surgery, and sets off in hopes of getting even. Channing's first major film role came two years later, when she starred in Mike Nichols' The Fortune with Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty. It wasn't until 1978, however, that Channing would win her most memorable role to date -- tough gal Rizzo in the retro-musical Grease. Interestingly enough, although she was cast as a teenager, the actress was in her early thirties when she was chosen for the film. Around the same time, Channing starred in two similar and short-lived sitcoms: Stockard Channing in Just Friends and The Stockard Channing Show.
By 1980, Channing's film career was idling in neutral, so she focused her energies on the theater, though she began showing up in various supporting film roles in the mid to late eighties. In 1993, she was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for playing the formidable Upper East Side matron of Six Degrees of Separation; the role had also earned her a Tony nomination when she performed it in the film's stage version. Channing subsequently made steady appearances in both film and television, and co-starred as a witch in Practical Magic with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, as well as The First Wives Club, Moll Flanders, Edie & Pen, and An Unexpected Family. In 2000, Channing would play one of the more eccentric residents of a small Oklahoma town in Where the Heart Is. After filming Other Voices in 2001, which was screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, Channing would receive a solid amount of critical success for her role in The Business of Strangers (2001), in which she starred as a high-level corporate player who saves her own job only to find out her boss is a rapist. In between filming a variety of television and documentary appearances - namely, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (2002), A Girl Thing (2001), Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The William Haines Story (2001), and New York Firefighters: The Brotherhood of 9/11 (2002) -- Channing joined up with Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie in Stephen Herek's Life or Something Like It.
In 2003, Channing made a cameo appearance in Bright Young Things, and went on to co-star in Le Divorce with Kate Hudson, Glenn Close, and Matthew Modine during the same year. The actress also signed on with the legendary Woody Allen in Anything Else, in which she played a middle-aged mother determined to land a role in a cabaret production. She would find particular success on the small screen over the coming years, with a starring role as first lady Abbey Bartlet on The West Wing.
~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 2011
- Add Chautauqua: An American Narrative to Queue Add Chautauqua: An American Narrative to top of Queue
This program from PBS takes a look at the Chautauqua Institution's history and unique place in American culture, and highlights the "four pillars" of Chautauqua (the arts, education, recreation, and religion) through visuals from on-site and several interviews. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stockard Channing
A successful businesswoman (Alyssa Milano) engaged to a handsome actor is visited by her imaginary friend (Eric Winter) from childhood, whom she realizes is real and could be her true soul mate. Based on the novel by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. ~ Rhoda Charles, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Stockard Channing, (more)
A frustrated architect tries his hand at being a playwright when his life hits a disheartening plateau. New York City, 1979: Gabriel Richmond (Timothy Hutton) is a family man with a high-paying job. Lately, however, he's been skirting his responsibilities -- both at home and at work. Turning introspective, Gabriel decides to pen a play about his life and his family. The goal is to be as honest and objective as possible, and the process ultimately proves somewhat therapeutic as he revisits his past decisions and ponders how he'd live his life again if given a second chance. But just as Gabriel's play starts to come together, his life starts to fall apart. Mira Sorvino, Mario Van Peebles, and Stockard Channing co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, (more)
- 2008
- Add NOVA: The Bible's Buried Secrets to Queue Add NOVA: The Bible's Buried Secrets to top of Queue
Golden Globe nominated actor Leiv Schreiber narrates this feature-length documentary taking viewers on a remarkable scientific journey that began 3000 years ago, and presents findings that stand as the culmination of over 100 years of excavation and centuries of biblical scholarship. By delving deep into the origins of the Old Testament, archeologists attempt to find answers to such timeless questions as where the ancient Israelites came from, who wrote The Bible, and why the world that was once polytheistic began a gradual movement towards monotheism. As the biblical texts continue to resonate through history, The Bible's Buried Secrets takes viewers to the intersection of scholarship, science, and scripture in order to explore the questions that Christians and theologians have been asking for centuries. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, Stockard Channing, (more)
- 2008
- Add NOVA: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies to Queue Add NOVA: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies to top of Queue
This nature documentary from NOVA follows the epic migration of the monarch butterfly over 2000 miles, providing a butterfly's-eye-view as the two month journey passes over forests, swamps, desserts, and open water, eventually touching down at their destination in Mexio. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stockard Channing
Three stories, which offer differing perspectives on the AIDS pandemic, are featured in this anthology-drama. Sister Clara (Chloë Sevigny) is a young nun who is working with two, more experienced, missionaries (Olympia Dukakis and Sandra Oh) in a village along the African coast. Sister Clara finds herself struggling against ignorance and misinformation among the natives, but discovers she can only accomplish so much through traditional means and is forced to make a great personal sacrifice for the greater good. Denny (Shawn Ashmore) lives in Montreal and makes his living acting in pornographic movies -- a career he's kept hidden from his mother (Stockard Channing), who depends on Denny for financial support. Like most of his colleagues, Denny must present current HIV tests to producers in order to keep working. But unlike most of his fellow porn actors, Denny is actually carrying the AIDS virus, and presents fraudulent test paperwork in order to keep working. And Jin Ping (Lucy Liu) collects blood donations from villagers in mainland China, but while she claims that the blood will be used in government hospitals, Jin Ping is actually in cahoots with illegal private doctors, and she fails to use proper methods for safe blood collection. When Tong Sam (Tanabadee Chokpikultong) loses nearly all of his friends, family, and villagers to AIDS, he takes it upon himself to do something about Jin Ping and her reckless actions. Three Needles received its North American premier at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shawn Ashmore, Stockard Channing, (more)
Academy Award nominees Stockard Channing and Bob Hoskins co-headline the British romantic comedy Sparkle, the third outing by the critically-praised writing and directing team of Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger (Lawless Heart, Boyfriends). Neophyte Shaun Evans plays Sam Sparks, a young man who migrates from Liverpool to London proper with his single mother, Jill (Lesley Manville) - a chanteuse in local pubs. In need of a job, Sam makes the cut at a public relations boutique by sleeping with the sixty-something head of the agency, Sheila (Channing), then (in a Graduate-like twist) falls for a girl closer to his own age, Kate (Amanda Ryan) - only to discover with horror that she's Sheila's daughter. As the expected complications ensue, Vince (Hoskins), the sexagenarian who arranged Sam and Jill's apartment in London, nurtures a deep-seated passion for Jill and decides to make his feelings fully known to her. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stockard Channing, Shaun Evans, (more)
- 2005
- R
As three bomb-toting Muslim fundamentalists hold the citizens of a London restaurant hostage, the revelation that one of the terrorists has been researching a little-known Russian explosive known as "Red Mercury" promos authorities to handle the situation with extreme caution in director Roy Battersby's topical thriller. An informer has revealed that a trio of terrorists has been lying in hiding in the English capitol, and when chases breaks out the three bombers storm into a popular Greek restaurant and hold the frightened diners hostage. The perpetrators are Mushtaq (Alex Caan), Asif (Navin Chowdhry), and Shahid (San Shella). As the Gold Commander (Pete Postlethwaite) and counterterrorism expert Sofia Warburton (Juliet Stevenson) do their best to assess the situation from the outside, restaurant owner Penelope (Stockard Channing) and a pair of quick-thinking customers that includes American lawyer Sidney Lowe (Ron Silver) and author Neil Ashton (David Bradley) do their best to keep the heads cool on the inside. Later, when the authorities discover that the three terrorists are well-educated British citizens who were likely recruited by fundamentalists during their studies, Sofia finds that they have also come into possession with an extremely volatile Russian-produced explosive. With time quickly running as tempers begin to flare, the desperate counterterrorism expert contacts her ex-husband Lindsay (Nigel Terry) - a one-time mole whose inside information may prove vital in saving countless lives - in a last ditch attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Bradley, Stockard Channing, (more)
A woman finds herself drafted into the battle of finding the perfect man in this romantic comedy. Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) is a kindergarten teacher in her mid-thirties who is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of her divorce eight months ago. While her sisters, Christine (Ali Hillis) and Carol (Elizabeth Perkins), both think Sarah needs to start dating again, Sarah herself isn't so sure. Carol decides to force the issue by posting Sarah's photo and profile on an Internet dating site, and soon a number of seemingly eligible bachelors are sending her e-mails in hopes of a date. However, nearly every man she meets turns out to be a loser, with the exception of Jake (John Cusack), who is smart, good looking, and even brings along a dog for their walk in the park (though he doesn't tell her the pooch was borrowed for the occasion). However, Sarah also makes the acquaintance of Bob (Dermot Mulroney), the divorced father of one of her students, and she finds herself having to choose between two potentially worthwhile men. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father, Bill (Christopher Plummer), decides to give Internet dating a try, and lands himself a new steady in Dolly (Stockard Channing). Must Love Dogs is based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Claire Cook. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diane Lane, John Cusack, (more)
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Paola di Florio directs Home of the Brave, a documentary about the impact of Viola Liuzzo's murder. Detroit housewife and mother of five, Liuzzo was a civil rights activist who went to Alabama to help with voter registration in 1965. She was in town during the pivotal march organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which ended in violence at the Edmund Pettus Bridge near Selma. While trying to transport the tear-gased marchers in her car, she was shot by three members of the Ku Klux Klan. Suspects Eugene Thomas, Collie Leroy Wilkins Jr., and William Orville Eaton were found guilty of civil rights violations and later acquitted. The film also explores the FBI investigation in the aftermath of her death, as well as the reaction in the Liuzzo home. Home of the Brave was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the documentary competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Liuzzo, Tony Liuzzo, (more)
This documentary takes a look at diamonds, from their origin to the mining and sale of the precious gems. The program gives the viewer an up close look at many large and valuable diamonds including the largest flawless diamond in existence at the time of filming. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- 2004
- Add National Geographic: The Kennedy Mystique - Creating Camelot to Queue Add National Geographic: The Kennedy Mystique - Creating Camelot to top of Queue
Take a closer look at "Camelot" in this release that seeks to explore the Kennedy mystique through rare images, little-seen home movie footage, and interviews with White House staff, photographers, journalists, and biographers. Imbued with youthful energy and blessed with the kind of photogenic good looks that endeared them to millions, the youth culture that followed in the wake of the Kennedys helped usher in a new era of change and hope. In time, though, the nation would learn that all was not well beneath the glossy surface of these picturesque images, and in this release filmmakers attempt to shine an illuminating light on the real-life trials of the family who changed the face of a nation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The crises facing the various members of the Bartlet administration at the outset of The West Wing's sixth season include the ever-escalating hostilities between Israel and Palestine, with President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) refusing to exploit the situation by staging a preemptive strike against a longtime enemy; and the slow recovery of Donna Moss (Janel Moloney), assistant to Barlet's deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), after her surgery to remove a pulmonary embolism. Nor is this the only health crisis facing the staff: it is painfully clear that Josh's boss, veteran chief of staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is himself suffering from an as-yet-undetermined ailment. Alas, this doesn't take long to "determine": three episodes into season six, Leo has been rushed to the hospital to undergo an emergency bypass after suffering a massive heart attack. In his absence, press secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) is thrust into the responsibility of negotiating a peace accord in the Israeli-Palestine war with the UN and NATO. In another plot development, the race has begun for a worthwhile Democratic candidate to run for the Presidency now that Bartlet is winding down his second term. One of the leading contenders is the party's first Hispanic Presidential candidate, Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits). Emerging as the most viable Republican opponent is the venerable Senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), who, somewhat surprisingly, shares many of Bartlet's more liberal opinions. Amidst these and other intrigues, the series actually finds time to pause for a somewhat comic episode, "In the Room," featuring gonzo magicians Penn and Teller as "themselves" in a story which gently tweaks the nose of activists who equate desecration of the American flag with wholesale treason. The season climaxes at the Democratic National Convention, as Matt Santos vies with the two other leading candidates for the precious 2,162 votes needed to choose a nominee who can successfully halt the apparently invulnerable Arnold Vinick political juggernaut come November (the choice of the Democratic running mate is quite a surprise!); and the outgoing Bartlet finds he still has one final crisis to deal with, this one a matter of life or death in outer space. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, (more)
Set in New York and New England (but filmed in Newfoundland), Behind the Red Door stars Kyra Sedgwick as Manhattan-based photographer Natalie Haddad, who enjoys success with her strangely gloomy and foreboding camerawork. When her agent and best friend Julia (Stockard Channing) arranges for her to accept a lucrative contract with a Boston ad agency, Natalie discovers that she will be working for her own gay brother Roy (Kiefer Sutherland), whom she hasn't seen in a decade. Although Roy is insufferably snobbish and manipulative, he manages to exert a curious control over Natalie, forcing her to confront several disturbing, long-suppressed memories of her past (shown in black-and-white flashbacks). Before the film is over, Natalie is made to realize why Roy's behavior is so overbearing -- and also, the viewer learns just how intimately Julia is involved in the lives of both siblings. Underwritten by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation as part of an ongoing program to heighten HIV/AIDS awareness, Behind the Red Door made its Showtime cable-network bow on January 12, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyra Sedgwick, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
A young artist struggling with his career and his muse is getting more than a little aggravation from Cupid in this romantic comedy written and directed by Woody Allen. Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) is a promising 21-year-old comedy writer living in New York City. While Jerry has talent, he's having a hard time getting his career off the ground, which might have something to do with the fact his agent Harvey (Danny DeVito) is a well-meaning, but ineffectual, blowhard, and his mentor David Dobel (Allen) is an increasingly paranoid eccentric whose twin careers as a teacher and standup comic are both floundering. Poised at the top of Jerry's mountain of anxieties is his relationship with his girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci); from the first moment he saw her, Jerry has been in love with her, but Amanda's multiple neuroses, fear of commitment, and frustrating intimacy issues make her all but impossible to be around. Jerry is approaching his breaking point when the small flat he shares with Amanda becomes home to a third roommate -- Amanda's mother Paula (Stockard Channing), who has decided to come to New York to chase her dream of becoming a cabaret singer. Anything Else also features supporting performances from Jimmy Fallon, William Hill, and jazz vocalist Diana Krall. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Jason Biggs, (more)
The administration of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is still technically in charge of the United States as The West Wing enters its fifth season (and its first without the services of longtime producer Aaron Sorkin), but Bartlet himself is no longer commander in chief -- at least, not at the moment. To avoid conflict-of-interest charges after his daughter Zoey is kidnapped by Qumari terrorists, Bartlet had relinquished power to the next person in the chain of command. And since there is no vice president, that person is Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman) -- a powerful and rather cantankerous Republican! At Walken's orders, Qumar is bombed in retaliation for Zoey's abduction, prompting Bartlet's staff to seek out a new, less reactionary vice president as soon as possible. Once Zoey is safely home, Jed lobbies for the approval of his new vice president, Robert Russell (Gary Cole), but it won't be easy. Meanwhile, the first lady's new chief of staff, Amy Gardner (Mary-Louise Parker), ruffles many West Wing feathers with her damn-the-torpedoes attitude toward her job, with Presidential Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) particularly perturbed. Other major developments include the defection of a powerful Democrat to the Republicans, for which Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) must take the heat; another volatile hostage situation, this one in the Sudan; a move to legalize assisted suicide in Oregon; an even bigger move in both houses to abolish Social Security; the ramifications of the chief justice's serious and debilitating illness; Bartlet's outrage upon discovering that nuclear testing in the Indian Ocean has been given the go-ahead by someone in his administration; and a concerted effort by Press Secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) to counteract the intentions of Bartlet's troublesome former VP, John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), to run for president by slandering the entire Bartlet administration. The season ends as Bartlet girds up to tackle the (hopefully) last major crisis in his administration -- a possible all-out war between Israel and Palestine; and Josh's fiery assistant, Donna (Janel Moloney), faces critical injuries after her convoy is attacked by terrorists while she is on a fact-finding mission in Palestine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, (more)
Based on the 1997 National Book Award-nominated novel of the same name by Diane Johnson (co-writer of the script for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining), Le Divorce is a romantic comedy from director James Ivory. Revisiting the "Americans in France" theme that Ivory explored in 1998's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, the film stars Kate Hudson as Isabel Walker. When she receives word that her pregnant poetess sister Roxy (Naomi Watts) has been left by her philandering French husband, artist Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud), Isabel offers her help and moral support. As the depressive Roxy struggles with the separation proceedings -- which include the rights to ownership of a work of art that's a family heirloom -- Isabel takes a job with author Olivia Pace and has a fling with the bohemian Yves (Romain Duris). But things get complicated when the younger, more impudent sister decides instead to pursue Charles' uncle, the snooty, married diplomat Edgar (Thierry Lhermitte), and when a mysterious man (Matthew Modine) starts stalking Roxy. Eventually, the rest of the plucky Walker clan has to come to the aid of the siblings. Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, (more)
British actor Robert Carlyle stars as the 20th century's most infamous dictator in this two-part TV biopic. The film covers the life of Adolf Hitler from his childhood to his emergence as absolute ruler of Germany in 1934. Most of the ground covered should be familiar to history buffs: Hitler's failed efforts to become a great artist, his frustration at watching his adopted country fall apart at the seams during World War I, his resolve to put Germany back on its feet by exploiting the nation's horrendous postwar economic woes and its ingrained anti-Semitism, his 1923 arrest, the publication of Hitler's virulent screed Mein Kampf, the growing popularity of National Socialism, and the fatal error made by senile German chancellor Von Hindbenburg (Peter O'Toole) to "neutralize" Hitler by giving him a relatively unimportant political post in 1933. Also covered is Hitler's abortive romance with his half-niece Geli Raubal (Jena Malone) and his longer relationship with the estimable Eva Braun (Zoe Telford). Given the difficulties faced by actor Carlyle and the screenwriters to successfully convey pure, unadulterated evil, much of what we learn about Hitler is conveyed by the observations and reactions of other characters, notably crusading but ineffectual anti-Nazi journalist Fritz Gerlich (Matthew Modine), and especially German publisher Ernst Hanfstaengl (Liev Schreiber) and his wife, Helene (Julianna Margulies). Originally a staunch supporter of Hitler, Hanfstaengl eventually comes to realize the danger the man poses to the world ("He's not human. He simply studies others to become human."); in contrast, Helene, who at the outset is vaguely opposed to National Socialism, is ultimately seduced and swept up by the movement. Not surprisingly, this film stirred up a great deal of controversy even before it aired; some Jewish leaders and prominent Holocaust survivors worried that Hitler might come off as being sympathetic (a concern that may have dictated altering the film's title, which was to have been Hitler: The Early Years); and one of the film's producers was summarily dismissed after issuing a public statement which seemed to compare Germany's blind, unthinking allegiance to Hitler to America's rallying behind George W. Bush during the Iraq crisis. Hitler: The Rise of Evil originally aired May 18 and 20, 2003, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Carlyle, Stockard Channing, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
- Add Jack to Queue Add Jack to top of Queue
An adolescent who is sorting out his new sexual feelings is less than comforted by the example of his immediate family in this coming-of-age comedy drama. Jack (Anton Yelchin) is a boy in his early teens who is rolling headlong into puberty and trying to make sense of his feelings about girls, which are making themselves known at a less than opportune moment. Jack's parents, Paul (Ron Silver) and Anne (Stockard Channing), have just announced they're getting a divorce, which coincides with Paul's decision to come out as a gay man and move in with his boyfriend. Jack is certain his family has gone crazy, and tries to find suitable role models in his friends' families, although he soon discovers they have more than their share of their own troubles to deal with. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2003
- Add What the Universe Tells Me: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mahler's Third Symphony to Queue Add What the Universe Tells Me: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mahler's Third Symphony to top of Queue
Academy Award nominee Stockard Channing narrates this musical documentary from Video Artists International that explores one of the most renowned works of classical music ever composed. What the Universe Tells Me: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mahler's Third Symphony combines footage of the lavish scenery that inspired the piece with expert commentary and a performance of the music itself. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thomas Hampson
Once the fourth season of The West Wing gets past its semi-serious two-part opener, in which White House staffers Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), and Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) get lost somewhere in Indiana while campaigning for the re-election of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), the series hunkers down to more vital matters. Driving the action during the early stages of season four is, of course, the tense election battle between the Democratic Bartlet and his Republican opponent, Robert Ritchie (James Brolin). Despite the controversy surrounding the president's multiple sclerosis and his staff's presumed efforts to cover up his illness, Bartlet easily defeats his opponent. But the victory is not altogether sweet: First Lady Abby Bartlet (Stockard Channing) may put on a happy face for the public, but inwardly she is outraged that Jed reneged on his promise to serve only one term. The other major development this season is the defection of Bartlet's longtime deputy communications director, Sam Seaborn (played by Rob Lowe, who was reportedly dissatisfied that his role had become secondary to Martin Sheen's). Running for a seat in the House of Representatives, Sam is assured of full support by the Bartlet staff -- and he has been promised that if he loses, he would someday be invited back to the White House as senior advisor to the president. Meanwhile, Sam's replacement, Will Bailey (Joshua Malina), initially hired just to help write Bartlet's acceptance speech, calmly assumes the duties of his new post. Elsewhere, Bartlet's daughter Zoey (Elizabeth Moss) begins an ill-fated romance with a charming but slightly sinister Frenchman; Press Secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) tries to cope with her father's Alzheimer's; the president's new secretary, Debbie (Lily Tomlin), imperiously plays no favorites when it comes to honoring White House protocol; Bartlet courts international disfavor by condemning genocide in the war-torn nation of Kundu; and Mary-Louise Parker joins the cast as Amy Gardner, the first lady's new chief of staff. In the season's controversial closing episode, an anguished Jed Bartlet learns that his daughter Zoey has been kidnapped by Qumari terrorists -- forcing him to avoid a conflict of interest in handling the situation by invoking the little-used 25th amendment, which will place the reins of the government in the hands of Jed's second-in-command. And since the vice president has resigned, the power passes to Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman) -- a powerful Republican! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rob Lowe, Martin Sheen, (more)
- 2002
First aired on the Discovery Channel on March 8, 2001, New York Firefighters: The Brotherhood of September 11 focuses on the efforts of a team of rescue workers who gave their lives on September 11. Rescue Company Three consisted of eight men: Brian Hickey, Ray Meisenheimer, Christopher Blackwell, Don Regan, Joe Spor, Tom Gambino, Tom Foley, and Gerry Schrang. This documentary is narrated by actress Stockard Channing and directed by Peter Schnall, who knew the firefighters and was granted access to their fire station in the South Bronx for a few months following the attacks. The program investigates the rescue efforts of the team at Ground Zero as well as the impact left on their fellow firefighters and families. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- 2002
This fact-based TV movie explores the story behind the infamous Matthew Shepard gay-bashing case, in which a Laramie, WY, college student was brutally murdered by a pair of local boys in 1998. Sam Waterson and Stockard Channing star as Judy and Dennis Shepard, the parents whose agonizing decision over whether to ask for the death penalty for one of their son's killers provides the movie with its dramatic structure. Beginning with a slow-motion re-creation of the attack on young Matthew (Shane Meier), the script moves back in time to encompass the boy's troubled adolescent romance with another boarding-school student, his previous attack at the hands of a gang while on vacation, and his tentative shot at self-actualization among like-minded friends. These flashbacks are interspersed with the central drama, in which Shepard's parents sift through their son's belongings and slowly come to a surprising decision about what to say at his killer's trial. The Matthew Shepard Story premiered on NBC on March 12, 2002, a week after HBO's The Laramie Project first aired. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stockard Channing
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