Lucy Butler Movies

Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) returns to town, only to get a very cold shoulder when Rory (Alexis Bledel) introduces him to Logan (Matt Czuchry). Even so, Jess' presence causes Rory to do some deep thinking about her future. Meanwhile, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) devotes all her spare time and energy to her dog Paul Anka in an effort to forget her troubles. And Luke (Scott Patterson) is shocked by the brutality of the middle-school girls' soccer team that he has agreed to manage. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This week it is Rory (Alexis Bledel) who chafes under the weight of personal travails, beginning with her anger when her Yale roommate Paris (Liza Weil) installs a balky printing press in their dorm room. Later, Rory tries to cope with the likelihood that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson) have fallen in love, all the while wrestling with own feelings about the still-married Dean (Jared Padalecki). And in a separate development, Jackson (Jackson Douglas) rebels against the tyranny of storekeeper Taylor (Michael Winters) by running for the office of town selectman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A man discovers that what he doesn't know can hurt him, especially when it comes to his wife, in this suspense drama. Ray Reardon (James Spader) is an architect who has just gone through a messy divorce; while his friends sing the praises of the single life, Ray would prefer to settle into a life of middle-class domesticity with a home, wife, and family. Ray meets a beautiful but mysterious woman named Lena (Madchen Amick) at a party, and for him it's love at first sight; while she remains elusive, Ray pursues her avidly, and before long he proposes, even though he doesn't know her especially well. A few years later, they're seemingly happily married with children. But Lena's behavior starts to become erratic and depressive, and she is no longer willing to account for where she's been or what she's been doing. Ray is convinced that Lena has been having an affair and begins doing some research into her past; he soon discovers her previous life bears little resemblance to what she told him and that she's been lying to him about nearly every part of her history and their relationship. Lena contends that she's just "a regular screwed-up person," but in time, Ray realizes that there's a purpose behind her duplicity: she's trying to convince people that he is insane. Dream Lover was the directorial debut of screenwriter Nicholas Kazan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Hypnotic regression prompts a pair of sisters to recognize that they've been abducted by aliens. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

In 1988, Nancy Klein, the pregnant wife of Long Island accountant Marty Klein, was involved in a car accident that left her comatose. Convinced that Nancy would never recover if she went to full term with the baby, Marty asked the doctors to perform an abortion. Almost immediately, Nancy Klein became a cause celebre for pro-life and pro-choice activists alike. Made for television, Absolute Strangers recreates this traumatic event and the drawn-out courtroom litigation that followed. Henry Winkler, who produced the film, returned to acting after a long absence to play Klein; others in the cast include Jennifer Hetrick as Nancy, Richard Kiley as Dr. R. J. Cannon, Karl Malden and Audra Lindley as Nancy's parents, and Patty Duke as a lower-court judge. Though it is clear that the filmmaker's sympathies are clearly on Marty Klein's side, the script remains even-handed throughout, observing that the pro-choicers can be just as narrow-minded and contentious as the "absolute strangers" who wish to usurp Marty Klein's rights concerning his wife's wellbeing. Written by playwright Robert Anderson (Tea and Sympathy, I Never Sang For My Father), Absolute Strangers premiered April 14, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season Five of Hunter begins as police detectives Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) try to break through the wall of silence surrounding a traumatized teenager. Danny Sanderson (Chad Allen) has not spoken a single word since witnessing the murder of his father and the wounding of his mother, presumably at the hands of a crooked sports agent with whom the father was doing business. Only after the main suspect is arrested and Danny's mother has recovered do the detectives realize that the case is far from closed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally broadcast as an installment of ABC's Disney Sunday Movie anthology, The Leftovers marked the TV acting debut of singer John Denver. He is cast as Max Sinclair, the director f a foster-care facility for older orphans who, for various reasons, no one has ever adopted. Described themselves as "the leftovers", the six kids form a strong bond, refusing to be farmed out to separate families, even though orders have come down for Sinclair to vacate his facility within five weeks. Amidst the seriocomic intrigue, Max falls in love with widow Heather Drew (Cindy Williams), the facility's housekeeper--and an orphan herself. A few potential stars can be glimpsed among the supporting players, notably a pre-Urkel Jaleel White as wisecracking "leftover" Jake. The Leftovers debuted on November 16, 1986. ~Saw Film/TV Guide/Internet/Marrill/Expert ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi