Trini Alvarado Movies
A dark-haired starlet whose beauty recalls that of Andie MacDowell, multi-talented stage and screen actress Trini Alvarado has been appearing onscreen since the late '70s, though it wasn't until the following decade that her star truly began to shine. Born in New York City in July of 1967, Alvarado's father was a Spanish singer and her mother a Puerto Rican dancer. The precocious youngster made her stage debut in her parents flamenco troupe at age seven, and by age nine made her professional stage debut in the musical Becca. Alvarado would refine her skills at New York City's Professional Children's School, and subsequently continue her studies at Fordham University. By age 11, the burgeoning young actress had landed her first leading role on Broadway (in Joseph Papp's Runaways) and made her film debut (an uncredited role in 1977's The Magic Pony Ride). Blessed with a remarkable singing voice that virtually ensured a stellar career on Broadway, Alvarado would nevertheless gravitate ever closer to a career in film.Following an impressive lead as a child of divorce struggling to understand her situation in 1979's Rich Kids, it seemed that Alvarado celluloid career was on the rise. And though she would follow up with a handful of roles in made-for-television features in addition to roles in such notable theatrical releases as Mrs. Soffel (1984), Sweet Lorraine (1987), and Stella (1990), it seems that both critics and audiences had yet to recognize that talent so obvious to the directors who hired her. The release of 1994's Little Women proved a bit of a turning point in terms of audience recognition, and her role as the oldest sister was a perfect showcase for Alvarado's remarkable versatility and dramatic ability. Joining another, albeit more nontraditional family with the release of the following year's The Perez Family, Alvarado's turn as a Cuban refugee seeking asylum in the United States showed she could hold her own alongside such talented co-stars as Anjelica Huston and Alfred Molina. Though the following year's The Frighteners may not have been a box-office smash, Alvarado did fare well in the role of a grieving widow doing battle with the undead. With the exception of Paulie, Alvarado's subsequent roles were in the made-for-television features The Christmas Tree (1996), The Last Dance (2000), and Bitter Winter (2001). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The wealthy heir to a prominent real-estate magnate becomes caught up in a high-profile murder investigation in this thriller inspired by the real-life case of Robert Durst, who was suspected of murdering his wife, Kathie, after she vanished without a trace in 1982. Warned by his father (Frank Langella) that the common girl (Kirsten Dunst) he loves will never be accepted into high society, the young scion (Ryan Gosling) throws caution to the wind and marries her regardless. Later, when the girl disappears and politics enter the picture, a suspicious series of deaths leave a haunted cop convinced that the truth is closer than anyone realizes. Philip Baker Hall and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in this period mystery written by Marc Smerling and Marcus Hinchey, and directed by Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, (more)
After executive producing the acclaimed documentary Manda Bala and the J.M. Coetzee adaptation Disgrace, Julio DePietro makes his feature debut as a writer-director with The Good Guy, a drama about ambitious young Wall Streeters fighting each other -- and sometimes their own decent nature -- to get ahead in the world. Our narrator, Tommy (Scott Porter of TV's Friday Night Lights), is young, clever, charming, and attractive. He's got a smart, pretty girlfriend, Beth (Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls), an urban conservationist. He's also very good at his investment broker job, impressing his ruthless, cynical boss, Cash (erstwhile "Brat Pack" member Andrew McCarthy). When a key member of Tommy's sales team suddenly leaves for a competitor, Tommy needs to fill his spot quickly, and takes a chance on the bumbling Daniel (Bryan Greenberg, Bride Wars), a former Marine and computer geek who seems a bit naïve about high finance and a bit nervous around women. Tommy takes Daniel under his wing, showing him how to dress, where to socialize, and how to charm attractive women. Their relationship is threatened when Daniel begins spending more time with Beth, joining her book club, and becoming her confidant. Tommy begins to question his decision to share his wisdom with Daniel, while Daniel is forced to decide what success really means to him, and where his loyalties lie. The Good Guy also stars Anna Chlumsky (In the Loop) and Aaron Yoo (Disturbia). The film had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Scott Porter, Alexis Bledel, (more)
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Field teams with novelist Tom Perrotta to adapt Perrotta's acclaimed novel concerning the suburban malaise experienced by a handful of small-town individuals whose intersecting lives converge in a variety of surprising, and sometimes ominous, ways. Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, and Patrick Wilson star in a cinematic adaptation that doesn't aim so much to simply reproduce the book for the screen as it does to re-imagine the written word by exploring new possibilities for the characters and situations originally presented in Perrotta's 2004 best-seller. Sarah (Winslet) is a suburban outsider who, unlike the other playground moms, isn't afraid to approach the dreamy but long-absent father whom smitten housewives have taken to calling the "Prom King." Long days at the local community pool with their respective children soon find Sarah becoming acquainted with local husband and father Brad (Patrick Wilson) -- who seems to share in her seething discontentment with life in their quaint commuter town. An English literature major who never envisioned a fate as a soccer mom, Sarah has a growing dissatisfaction with her successful husband (Gregg Edelman) that parallels Brad's increasing frustration with his inability to pass the bar and connect with his wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a successful documentary filmmaker. It's not long before the dejected pair is meeting for a series of illicit afternoon trysts as their unsuspecting spouses work and their children lie quietly napping. Meanwhile, after the community is riled by the return of a convicted sex offender (Jackie Earle Haley) who leaves the concerned parents scrambling to protect their young ones, an attempt made by Sarah and Brad to legitimize their clandestine relationship by dining together with their respective spouses begins to awaken Kathy's suspicions about the fidelity of her husband. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
- 2000
The fabulous Maureen O'Hara delivers another stunning performance in this made-for-TV movie, based on Todd F. Cope's short story "The Shift." O'Hara is cast as Helen Parker, the former high school teacher of nurse Todd Cope (Eric Stolz). Like many others in his professional, Todd is having trouble devoting equal time to his job and to his family, and as a result has lost touch with his wife Denise (Trini Alvarado). Working overtime at the hospital, Todd is reunited with Helen Parker, who is suffering from a serious heart condition. When it becomes obvious that Helen has no one else to look after her, Todd assumes the responsibility himself--while Helen, sizing up the situation between Todd and Denise, sets about to prevent the couple from throwing away the golden opportunities in their lives...just as she had, so many years before. The Last Dance premiered October 29, 2000 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maureen O'Hara, Eric Stoltz, (more)
In the Babe tradition of talking animatronic animals, this comedy adventure gets underway when animal-research-lab janitor Misha (Tony Shalhoub) expresses concern for a Blue-crown Conure parrot named Paulie (voice of Jay Mohr) caged in a dank basement. Misha settles back as Paulie tells his life story, seen in flashback: When Paulie was owned by little Marie (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), the parrot helped the little girl get rid of her stutter. After Marie tried to teach Paulie how to fly, he wound up in a pawnshop owned by Artie (Buddy Hackett), where he got an education in one-liners. Paulie and Ivy (Gena Rowlands) learn Marie's family is in LA, so Ivy agrees to drive Paulie cross-country in her RV. However, Marie goes blind and dies. Paulie is forced to fly to LA, where small-time entrepreneur Ignacio (Cheech Marin), with an eye for talent, talons and tacos, puts Paulie to work as a dancer at his taco-stand, where Paulie gets a birds-eye view of a female parrot with pretty plumage. Unfortunately, researcher Dr. Reingold (Bruce Davison), convinced Paulie can bring him academic recognition, steps in with a false promise to link the parrot up with Marie. Betrayed, Paulie refuses to speak anything other than the standard "want-a-cracker" lines, resulting in solitary confinement. Misha, who knows why the caged bird talks, hopes to free Paulie for an eventual reunion with Marie. Animal stunt coordinator Boone Narr and Stan Winston animatronics brought Paulie to life. For another fine-feathered film, see Dean Riesner's Bill and Coo (1947); the film's all-bird cast (dressed in human clothing) brought a "Special Award" for producer Ken Murray during the 1948 Oscar ceremony. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Jay Mohr, (more)
Charlatan Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has genuine psychic powers, but he doesn't use them to help people. Rather, he generates cases for his supernatural private-eye firm by harassing a group of hapless ghosts (including a dearly departed Wild West outlaw and an undead judge played by John Astin) into staging hauntings and poltergeists in the homes of likely marks. Bannister's world turns on its head when he starts noticing real hauntings around town -- ghostly assassinations that seem to be tied to the execution 20 years earlier of a brutal serial killer. Lucy Lunskey (Trini Alvarado), the wife of one unlucky victim, teams up with Bannister to get to the bottom of the killings and find out what shut-in Patricia Bradley (Dee Wallace Stone) and her witchy mother (Julia McCarthy) have to do with the sinister spree. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, (more)
Old and new loves are turned upside down through a complex case of mistaken identities in this romantic comedy-drama. In 1980, Juan Raul Perez (Alfred Molina) is released from a Cuban prison after spending 20 years behind bars and is allowed to join a mass emigration to the U.S. While Juan was incarcerated, his wife Carmela Perez (Anjelica Huston) escaped to Florida with their daughter, and Juan lives for the day when they can be reunited. En route to Miami, Juan meets Dottie Perez (Marisa Tomei), a fiery young woman who wants to leave behind her career as a prostitute. Juan and Carmela miss finding each other when his boat reaches Miami, and immigration personnel mistakenly assume that Juan and Dottie Perez are husband and wife; when they learn that families tend to find American sponsors much faster than individuals, they play along with the mistake, even convincing other Perezes to pose as their child and grandfather. Juan discovers that trying to renew an old relationship isn't easy as one tries to start a new life, especially since Carmela has attracted the attentions of police lieutenant John Pirelli (Chazz Palminteri). Cuban jazz legend Arturo Sandoval contributed to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marisa Tomei, Alfred Molina, (more)
Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about a family of women in Civil War-era New England is again brought to the screen in this adaptation. The focus is on the March sisters, four young girls raised by their mother (Susan Sarandon) after their father leaves for battle as part of the Union Army. At the center is Jo March (Winona Ryder), an idiosyncratic would-be writer said to be based on Alcott herself, but the film also focuses on the stories of her sisters -- the more conventional Meg (Trini Alvarado), the innocent Beth (Claire Danes), and the precocious Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, who represent Amy at different ages.) The film spans years, following the girls' struggles with life's challenges and illustrating how their family connection remains strong in the face of tragedies large and small. Australian director Gillian Armstrong emphasizes the story's feminist elements, particularly in Jo's journey to independence. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
- 1993
- PG
Monty Python's Michael Palin plays an Oxford don with acute female trouble in American Friends. While on holiday in the Swiss Alps, Palin crosses the path of American tourist Connie Booth and her adopted daughter Trini Alvarado. Both women express an inordinate desire for the bookish Palin, leading to profound changes in the lives of all concerned. Michael Palin insists that the plot of American Friends was drawn from an actual incident in the life of his own great-grandfather. The film unfolds like a good novel; slow on the uptake, but fascinating once it gets going. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Palin, Trini Alvarado, (more)
John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of "Little Johnny", the largely fanciful tale of the invalid boy who promises to get well if Babe hits him a homer (as in Pride of the Yankees, the cured Johnny makes return a appearance as grownup). The most amusing fabrication is the casting of narrow James Cromwell as the Babe's orphanage mentor Brother Mathias, who in real life weighed 300 pounds. Many of the characters are composites, notably Bruce Boxleitner's Jumpin' Joe Dugan. At least Ruth's two wives--Trini Alvarado as Helen, who suffers Babe's many peccadilloes and dies under strange circumstances, and Kelly McGillis as Claire, who keeps Babe on a very short leash-are depicted with a modicum of accuracy. The baseball sequences are well handled (though there could have been less slo-mo) while Elmer Bernstein's charmingly old-fashioned musical score is right in tune with the film's approach to its subject. The Babe is rated PG; had this been the whole truth and nothing but, and R rating would probably have been in order. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, (more)
- 1989
American Blue Note concentrates on a Manhattan jazz quintet. Peter MacNichol, Carl Capotorto, Tim Guinee, Bill Christopher-Myers and Jonathan Walker play the five musicians, each with individual crosses to bear. Allotting themselves one year to get booked into a major jazz club or else they'll split, the quintet performs a lot of nickel-and-dime gigs in the meantime. But only one of the five makes it to the band's "Valhalla." Louis Guss, Zohra Lampert and Trini Alvarado appear in peripheral roles. Filmed in 1989, the independently produced American Blue Note didn't get a distributor until 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter MacNicol, Carl Caportoto, (more)
Bette Midler stars as Stella Claire, a working-class, fun-loving barmaid in northern New York State. A brief affair with handsome Stephen Dallas (Stephen Collins) produces a daughter, Jenny (Trini Alvarado), whom Stella insists upon raising alone, despite Dallas' marriage offer. As the years pass, Stella and Jenny are a happy pair. Stella gives up bartending to sell cosmetics, supported by her friend Ed (John Goodman), a bartender developing a crush on her and a problem with alcohol. Dallas has stayed involved with his beloved daughter from afar and is now a urologist in New York City, engaged to a book editor (Marsha Mason). As Jenny reaches adulthood, Stella becomes aware that life with her father would provide her daughter with opportunities that she'd never have otherwise, so she devises a painful, self-sacrificing scheme to drive Jenny from the nest. Although functional as a tearjerker, many of the themes in Stella simply don't make as much sense in a modern age of healthy, fractured families, muting the drama of the tale's earlier versions, specifically Stella Dallas (1937). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, John Goodman, (more)
TV's sitcom teen (Family Ties) Justine Bateman is cast as the leader of a four-girl/one-guy rock band who's first real gig is an all-summer job playing at a resort club. The gig includes living accommodations--one room--which the entire band shares for the summer. That memorable summer, with all its emotions, plans and pains, provides the substance of the film. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Justine Bateman, Liam Neeson, (more)
Al Capone's imprisonment opened the way for mobster Frank Nitti to become the underworld king of Chicago as related in this true story. (AKA Nitti) ~ Rovi
- 1988
- R
In this supernatural prison drama, a correctional facility is reopened after being closed for over twenty years. It was shut down after a terrible uprising culminated with the execution of the brutal warden in the electric chair. The new leader was the late warden's assistant and has vivid memories of it all. Like his predecessor, he is a rigid ruler with no tolerance for infractions. This causes all kinds of problems for the prison psychiatrist who seems to be a liberal on the side of the inmates. Unfortunately, things are not always as they appear; especially when the ghost of the old warden mysteriously reappears. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Coco, Trini Alvarado, (more)
The elderly owner of an aging but still beloved Catskill's landmark inn must decide whether to make necessary repairs to the hotel or to sell the land to developers. Meanwhile the owner's granddaughter toils in the hotel kitchen for the summer and the other staff members do their jobs. Essentially Sweet Lorraine is a plain-spoken but heartwarming slice-of-life drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maureen Stapleton, Trini Alvarado, (more)
Based on a true story, Mrs. Soffel is set in Pittsburgh near the dawn of the 20th century. Peter Soffel (Edward Herrmann) is the warden of a top security prison, and his wife Kate (Diane Keaton) often comes by to read the Bible aloud to the inmates, despite her fragile health. While making her rounds, she makes the acquaintance of the Biddle Brothers, Ed (Mel Gibson) and Jack (Matthew Modine), who are sentenced to death for murder and robbery. Ed has become something of a celebrity thanks to his letter-writing campaign, in which he appeals in the letter-to-the-editor columns of the popular press to stay the execution of his brother and himself. His good looks, intelligence, and charm make a strong impression on Kate, whose marriage offers her little excitement. In time, Kate finds herself falling in love with Ed, and she discovers that she's unexpectedly receptive to his suggestion that she help him escape. Mrs. Soffel was the first American film from noted Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson, (more)
- 1983
Though purportedly set in Argentina, Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Call Without a Number was rather obviously filmed in and around New York. Roy Scheider stars as the real-life Timerman, a Jewish Argentinian journalist who speaks out against the repressive government. In response, the authorities imprison and torture Timerman, then place him under house arrest for 18 months. Liv Ullman costars as Timerman's wife, who gives him the courage to persevere. Veteran scenarist Budd Schulberg was so taken aback by the changes made in his script that he had his name removed from the credits, in favor of the alias "Oliver P. Drexell Jr." The viewer will be likewise put out; advertised as a sociological masterpiece in the tradition of The Life of Emile Zola, Jacobo Timerman looks more like a cheapjack, cardboard product from the Dark Ages of live television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
In this melodrama, the experiences of a young recruit preparing to leave his family and friends to fight WW II are chronicled. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1982
Filmed on location in New York, Dreams Don't Die is a story of survival. Ike Eisenmann stars as Danny, a young "graffiti artist" whose talents do not go unnoticed by a sensitive cop (Paul Winfield). With no father of his own, Danny latches onto the cop. This in turn leads to an intensive effort by Danny to track down a local drug lord. In his last film role, James Broderick is uncharacteristically cast as the villain. Made for television, Dreams Don't Die premiered May 21, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1981
- NR
A young Trini Alvarado stars in this Emmy-winning ABC Afterschool Special as Alicia Mann, an aspiring folksinger. To realize her dream, teenaged Alicia takes a summer job at a coffee shop where she is allowed to perform without pay. Alicia's mother, Inez (Joanna Merlin), is appalled by this, insisting that Alice accept a "safe" job at the factory where Inez works. A crisis develops when Alicia is forced to choose between a singing career and a generous scholarship offered her by Inez' boss. Lynn Ahrens of Schoolhouse Rock fame wrote the original songs for this film, including "Great American Hit," "My City Song," and "Gonna Make My Dreams Come True." ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Trini Alvarado, Lee Curreri, (more)
Two runaway teens face life on the streets in New York City with a devil-may-care attitude and a punk-rock image. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Trini Alvarado, (more)
- 1979
- PG
The rich kids of the title are 12-year-old Trini Alvarado and her intellectual pal Jeremy Levy. Alvarado is down in the dumps because her parents are going through a divorce. She finds a kindred spirit in Levy, whose folks split up long ago. He points out the advantages and privileges of being a child of divorce-and is so persuasive that he almost convinces himself as well as Alvarado. An early project of director Robert M. Young, Rich Kids was produced through the auspices of Robert Altman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Trini Alvarado, Jeremy Levy, (more)
- 1979
A very young Trini Alvarado stars in this touching and sometimes amusing ABC Afterschool Special. The new kid in her high school, Dena McKain (Alvarado) is initially shunned by her classmates. Suddenly, however, she becomes the most popular kid in school and is showered with attention. Any other girl would be thrilled by this metamorphosis, but a wary Dena has been through all this before: It seems that the kids have just discovered that Dena's dad is the famous movie star Hal McKain (Frank Converse). This time around, will our heroine find out who her true friends are, or is she in for another crushing disappointment? ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Trini Alvarado, Frank Converse, (more)
Rating Systems
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