Rosalind Chao Movies
A first-generation Californian, Rosalind Chao's parents ran a successful restaurant near Disneyland. It was Chao's father who encouraged her to audition for her first acting role on the early-'70s TV sitcom Here's Lucy. Enrolling in the communications department at U.S.C., Chao hoped to go into broadcasting, but returned to acting after a disillusioning year at the CBS-owned radio station in Hollywood. Remembering her work on an episode of the 1972 TV series Anna and the King, producer Burt Metcalfe hired Chao to portray Soon-Lee, the Korean war bride of Corporal Klinger (Jamie Farr), in the climactic episodes of the long-running M*A*S*H. She would repeat this role in the short-lived (1983-1984) spin-off series After M*A*S*H. Chao has also been seen as Miss Chung on Diff'rent Strokes (1982-1983) and Keiko O'Brien, the wife of transport chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992-1994) and Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (1992-1993). Rosalind Chao's later film roles include Rose in The Joy Luck Club (1993) and "the Chinese Mom" in North (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideChris Sarandon guest stars as Martus, an adroit swindler who poses a threat to DS9's resident rogue Quark. Possessing two qualities that Quark lacks -- looks and charm -- Martus sets up a competing bar. As if the resulting drop in business wasn't bad enough, Quark is further incensed by Martus' seemingly endless streak of good luck, until the inevitably surprising denouement. First telecast January 1, 1994, "Rivals" was scripted by Joe Menosky from a story by Jim Trombetta and Michael Piller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
O'Brien and Dr. Bashir set out to rid two warring planets of their stockpiles of harvesters, a deadly bio-chemical weapon. Their peace-keeping mission turns disastrous when a rebel attack strands the pair on the desolate planet T'Lani Three. Before long, Bashir and O'Brien come to the horrible realization that they're to be sacrificed as a gesture of peace. First telecast January 29, 1994, "Armageddon Game" was written by Morgan Gendel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Returning from a briefing on security measures for a peace conference in the Paradas System, O'Brien finds that the crew of DS9 has apparently turned against him. Even his own wife and daughter seem to be part of this mysterious conspiracy. As the Paradan meeting draws near, O'Brien gets desperate for answers, but everyone else on the station seems intent on stopping him. Written by Paul Robert Coyle, "Whispers" began making the syndication rounds on February 5, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Avery Brooks doubled as director for this episode, which was originally broadcast on December 3, 1994. DS9 hosts the annual Bajoran Gratitude Festival, with Next Generation's Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) among the guests. During the festivies, an epidemic of Zanthi Fever erupts, imbuing everyone on board with heightened romantic passions. No one is more susceptible to the fever than Lwaxana, who once again sets her cap for the Wrong Man, in this case, Odo. "Fascination" was scripted by Philip La Zebnik, from a story by Ira Steven Behr and James Crocker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The focus of this episode is O'Brien, who is arrested by the Cardassians on charges of smuggling and conspiracy. Though he is unaware of the charges levelled against him, O'Brien protests his innocence, to no avail, since the Cardassians have already found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Making matters worse is the overwhelmed body of evidence pointing to O'Brien's guilt, evidence that even the crew of DS9 is unable to refute. Written by Bill Dial and directed by Avery Brooks, "Tribunal" first aired June 4, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Quark's troubles begin when an inebriated Klingon accidentally dies in his bar. Hoping to improve his business and earn a little respect, Quark claims that he killed the man in combat. Unfortunately, Klingon law demands that Quark marry Grilka (Mary Kay Adams), the dead man's widow, a situation that catalpults Quark into a duel to the death to defend Grilka's honor and property. First telecast October 15, 1994, "House of Quark" was scripted by Ronald D. Moore, from a story by Tom Benko. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The 1939 Irene Dunne-Charles Boyer romance Love Affair, remade with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in 1957 as An Affair to Remember, became a vehicle for real-life couple Warren Beatty and Annette Bening in this 1994 rendition. The well-worn story remains the same, as a man and a woman, both engaged to other people, fall madly in love while traveling, indulge in a brief but intense affair, then agree to part and sort out their feelings. They are to meet again at the top of the Empire State Building if their feelings persist, but a series of unfortunate circumstances threatens to keep the lovers apart. Despite polished visuals and a time-tested narrative, this variation suffers in comparison to its two predecessors, not to mention the previous year's Sleepless in Seattle, which had drawn on An Affair to Remember for several of its most memorable sequences. It does features Katherine Hepburn's first film appearance in 13 years. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, (more)
A boy divorces his parents in this comic fantasy for the family. North (Elijah Wood) is the sort of kid most parents dream of -- he's bright, well-behaved, a good student, and a great baseball player. But North's Mom and Dad (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander) are so busy with their lives and careers that they barely have time for him. A man dressed as the Easter Bunny (Bruce Willis) who serves as North's conscience and advisor suggests to him that if he's not happy with his parents, maybe he could do better elsewhere. North hires a lawyer, Arthur Belt (Jon Lovitz), who presents his case to Judge Buckle (Alan Arkin); the judge declares North a free agent, and he gives North two months to find new parents, otherwise he'll be sent to the orphans' home. North finds himself travelling the globe auditioning prospective parents, while a boy named Winchell (Matthew McCurley) thinks that North's legal victory could be the first step in kids taking over the world. North's would-be parents include Kathy Bates, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McIntire, and Kelly McGillis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, (more)
Odo angrily tries to evict an old Bajoran enemy (Stephen James Carver). When the man later turns up dead in the holosuite, Odo is assigned to investigate, only to fall under suspicion when his own testimony incriminates himself. Meanwhile, Keiko tries to set up a school on Deep Space Nine, but does she intend to preach the Bajorian party line? Written by Michael Piller and Gerald Sanford, "A Man Alone" was originally telecast January 16, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Sisko has his hands full when the Bajoran insurrectionist group The Circle mounts an invasion of DS9. Meanwhile, Dax and Kira race to Bajor with evidence (gleaned in the previous week's episode) that The Circle is being covertly assisted by the Cardassians. Frank Langella and Louise Fletcher reprise their roles as the ruthless Jaro and Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek Wynn, respectively. Scripted by Michael Piller from a story by John Whelpley, "The Siege" first aired October 9, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Vidal Peterson guest stars as Rugal, an orphaned Cardassian boy who is rescued by DS9. Raised by the Bajorans, Rugal has been conditioned to hate all Cardassians. Even so, his own people demand that he be returned to his biological father (Robert Mandan), sparking a major diplomatic crisis involving Dr. Bashir, Garak, and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo). Scripted by James Crocker from a story by Gene Wolande and John Wright, "Cardassians" was first aired October 24, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A tried-and-true Star Trek plot device was trotted out once more in this episode, which was originally broadcast on May 15, 1993. The DS9 personnel are astonished to discover that their dreams and innermost fantasies are coming true. The initial euphoria turns to terror when it is discovered that these occurences may be linked to a potentially deadly galactic disturbance. "If Wishes Were Horses" was written by Nell McCue Crawford, William L. Crawford, and Michael Piller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The first season of Deep Space Nine came to a dramatic close with this episode, originally broadcast on June 19, 1993. Oscar winner Louise Fletcher guest stars as influential Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek Wynn. Appalled that Keiko is conducting her classroom in a secular manner, Wynn demands that she resume preaching the Bajoran philosophy. The intensity of this demand threatens to destroy the already shaky Bajor/Federation alliance. "In the Hands of the Prophets" was written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Wayne Wang and screenwriter Ronald Bass effectively interweave sixteen mother-daughter tales in their silken film version of Amy Tan's best-selling novel about the clash between generations. The film takes place in present-day San Francisco, concentrating on a group of late-middle-aged Chinese women. Ever since arriving in the United States after World War II, the women have gathered weekly to play mah-jongg and to tell stories, regaling each other with tales of their children and grandchildren, giving each other a sense of hope and renewal in the midst of poverty and hardship. The Joy Luck Club is made up of four women -- Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying Ying (France Nuyen), and An Mei (Lisa Lu). But when Suyuan dies, the three surviving members invite Suyuan's daughter June (Ming-Na Wen) to take her place. Along with the daughters of the other members -- Waverly (Tamlyn Tomita), Lena (Lauren Tom), and Rose (Rosalind Chao) -- June is a Chinese-American with only a passing interest in her rich cultural heritage. But through vignettes that switch back and forth in time, the daughters begin to appreciate the struggles of their mothers to start their families in the optimistic promise of the United States. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, (more)
Chevy Chase stars, though not always visibly, as Nick Halloway, a low-level businessman with an acerbic approach to life and work, whose humdrum existence utterly bores him. Nick gets an unexpected jolt of excitement when, nursing a hangover, he's the only one not to evacuate an office building that becomes a disaster area after a mishap involving nuclear testing equipment. An unexpected by-product of the accident is that it turns the molecules of the building, as well as Nick and the clothes he's wearing, transparent. When a team of shady government agents, led by David Jenkins (Sam Neill), notices that a human has been turned invisible, they try to take him into custody, planning to use him as the most dangerous secret intelligence agent the world has ever known. Distrusting their motives, the frantic and confused Nick escapes, and quickly begins learning new information about his unusual condition, such pragmatic details as trying to sleep when he can see through his eyelids and any unprocessed food he eats will give him away. Soon, however, he discovers that the scientist in charge of the experiments (Jim Norton) has no idea how to return him to normal, and begins plotting how best to live a semblance of a normal life while steering clear of his pursuers. Nick involves a beautiful woman he met the night before the accident (Daryl Hannah) in his dilemma, and soon she too becomes a target. Memoirs of an Invisible Man was adapted from a book by H.F. Saint. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, (more)
Riker, Troi, Data, and O'Brien investigate a curious distress signal from a supposedly deserted moon. Upon arrival, all but Riker are overtaken by a strange energy force. Returning to the Enterprise, Troi and Data suddenly stage a mutiny, leaving Riker and Picard to sort out the bizarre goings-on, and to fend off an uncharacteristically violent O'Brien. First telecast on February 29, 1992, "Power Play" was scripted by Rene Balcer, Herbert J. Wright, and Brannon Braga from a story by Paul Ruben and Maurice Hurley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hypnotic regression prompts a pair of sisters to recognize that they've been abducted by aliens. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crenna, Mare Winningham, (more)
The trouble begins when the Enterprise plays host to a delegation of Ullians, a race of telepathic aliens. In addition to reading other people's memories, the Ullians also have the capacity to retrieve those memories. Before long, three of the crew members -- Troi, Riker, and Dr. Crusher -- lapse into inexplcable comas. Written by Pamela Gray, Jeri Taylor, Shari Goodhartz, and T. Michael Gray, "Violations" originally aired February 8, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The phrase "second childhood" takes a bizarre turn in this episode, which first aired November 7, 1992. As a result of a freak transformer mishap, Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko are transformed into 12-year-old children. The youngsters' dilemma may prove beneficial in the long run when the Enterprise is captured by Ferengi raiders. The child actors chosen to portray the younger Picard and his associates so closely resemble their older counterparts that the effect is downright uncanny. Scripted by Alison Hock from a story by Ward Dru Botsford, Diana Dru Botsford, and Michael Piller, "Rascals" was directed by Adam Nimoy, son of Leonard Nimoy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Produced on a shoestring $2 million budget, documentary director Nancy Kelly and her husband, editor Kenji Yamamoto created this romantic western based on a true story. Rosalind Chao stars as Lalu Nathoy, a young woman sold into marriage by her impoverished father in late 19th century China. Lalu is transported to the U.S. by a slave trader, Jim (Dennis Dun), on whom she develops a crush. Although conflicted, Jim fulfills his professional obligation to deliver Lalu to Hong King (Michael Paul Chan), a saloon owner in a rough Idaho mining town. Refusing to participate in Hong King's plan to make her into an exotic prostitute, Lalu keeps her dignity about her and wins the adoration of Charlie (Chris Cooper), Hong King's white, alcoholic partner. Despite the prejudice of the locals, Lalu becomes a cleaning woman and a successful laundress. Though she dreams of marriage to Jim or escape to China, she recognizes Charlie's admirable qualities after a violent incident that casts him in a different light. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper, (more)
Dispatched to rescue the endangered science vessel U.S.S. Britain, the crew discovers that all but one of the crew members have perished. The survivor, Andrus Hagan (John Vickery), is in a catatonic state, experiencing an acute case of dream deprivation. Before long, the Enterprise has fallen victim to the same malady, which goads its victims into acts of insanity, violence, and murder. Scripted by Pamela Douglas and Jeri Taylor from a story by Shari Goodhartz, "Night Terror" initially aired March 23, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bob Gunton guest stars as Benjamin Maxwell, a renegade Federation starship captain. Acting on his own initiative, Maxwell makes a series of unprovoked attacks on Cardassian ships. To forestall a resumption of hositilities between the Cardassians and the Federation, Captain Picard may be forced to kill Maxwell, who happens to be an old comrade. First aired February 2, 1991, "The Wounded" was scripted by Jeri Taylor, from a story by Stuart Charno, Sara Charno, and Cy Chermak. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In a futuristic world, the U.S. is ruled by a repressive government that bans most forms of media. As part of the enforcement, a cop (Billy Zane) is sent to the rebel state of Megaville on an undercover mission to infiltrate an unlawful media organization. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, J.C. Quinn, (more)
In the tradition of the "letters from camp" episodes of M*A*S*H, this Next Generation installment is based upon Data's personal records of a typical day in his life on the Enterprise. In the course of events, Data is faced with two daunting tasks. First, he must give away the bride (Rosalind Chao) at O'Brien's wedding; and last but far from least, he must escort Vulcan ambassador T'Pel (Sierra Pecheur) to a vital diplomatic rendezvous. How he juggles one crisis with the other forms the nucleus of Harold Apter and Ronald D. Moore's teleplay. "Data's Day" was originally telecast on January 12, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wiemer, Ronald D. Moore, (more)

















