Stewart Arnott Movies
Two of the Disney Channel's brightest young sitcom stars, Hilary Duff (Lizzie Maguire) and Christy Romano (Even Stevens), team up for laughs and tears in the made-for-cable Cadet Kelly. The life of cool, artistically inclined 14-year-old Kelly Collins (Duff) is turned upside down when she is uprooted from Manhattan and whisked off to the campus of George Washington Military School in upstate New York. The move was instigated by Sir (Gary Cole), a retired general and the new husband of Kelly's mother. Hoping to impress her stepfather, Kelly enlists in the school, where her freewheeling eccentricities immediately run afoul of her hard-hearted, 17-year-old squad leader, Jennifer Stone (Romano). Though Kelly does her best, the pressure brought to bear upon her by military protocol is enough to have her contemplating desertion -- and even her growing fondness for upper classman, Brad (Shawn Ashmore), may not be enough to bring her back. Originally broadcast by the Disney Channel on March 8, 2002, Cadet Kelly made its ABC network debut on July 14, 2002, as an episode of the weekend "Wonderful World of Disney" anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Duff, Christy Romano, (more)
- 2000
Written by the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, Baby was produced for the TNT cable service. Set in New England, this is the story of the Malones, a family nearly torn apart by the death of an infant son. While trying to cope with this tragedy, Lily and John Malone are surprised by the arrival of an abandoned baby girl, left on their doorstep. Though at first reluctant to welcome the child into their home, the Malones soon become inextricably attached to her -- no one more so than 12-year-old Larkin Malone who, in a pathetic effort to use the baby as a replacement for her lost little brother, hides the letter written by the child's now-repentant birth mother. Despite such lighthearted scenes as a drunken tap dance rendition of "Singin' In the Rain", Baby is rather heavy going for the most part, especially in the scenes with the family's dying grandmother. Co-produced by actress Glenn Close, Baby was first telecast on October 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, Keith Carradine, (more)
- 1995
Assigned to protect a federal witness, Fraser (Paul Gross) learns to his chagrin that the man in question is Gerrard (Ken Pogue), who killed Fraser's father (Gordon Pinsent) back in Canada. With Gerrard at large in Chicago, Fraser is ordered to bring the fugitive back alive at all costs. As Fraser wrestles with his own vengeful impulses, he must also contend with a handful of rogue Federal agents who have no intention of allowing Gerrard to testify in court. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on December 22, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
Though this police and courtroom drama did not do well at the box-office, some reviewers thought that the lead performances by Burt Reynolds and Theresa Russell were first-rate. Joe Paris (Reynolds) is a policeman suspended from active duty. He awakens from an alcoholic binge to discover that he is being charged for a murder he has no memory of. Jenny Hudson (Russell) is his court-appointed defense lawyer, a young feminist eager to prove herself in the courtroom. After some initial difficulties, the two cooperate to unravel the tangled circumstances behind the murder. Michael Crichton directed but did not collaborate on the story or screenplay. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Theresa Russell, (more)
- 1985
In this taut action drama, an unbalanced Vietnam vet goes off the beam and takes over Central Park in this made for cable outing that was filmed entirely in Toronto. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Manhattan-based writer David Carradine falls victim to AIDS in As Is. Virtually abandoned by friends and family, Carradine is looked after by his gay lover, photographer Jonathan Hadary. Based on a play by William M. Hoffman, As Is wisely avoids editorial comment on the principals' lifestyle, nor does it wallow in the tragedy of the situation. As directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the film never quite overcomes the staginess of its source material; its principal strength lies in the byplay between its stars. The film was produced for cable television in 1985, and telecast early in 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
