Dan Byrd Movies

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is re-imagined as a contemporary high school comedy in this tale of a scheming student who plots to give her popularity a boost by painting herself the easiest lay in school. Like most high school kids, Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) just wants to be popular. So much so than when her best friend, Rhiannon (Aly Michalka), asks Olive how her weekend went, the bored teen decides to whip up a spicy white lie just to make things interesting. But that minor exaggeration begins to take on a life of its own when it reaches the ears of motor-mouth gossip Jesus freak Marianne (Amanda Bynes), and in no time the entire student body is abuzz over unassuming Olive's unrepentant weekend of debauchery. Of course not a word of it is true, but that doesn't stop everyone in school from talking, and an amused Olive from deciding to go with the flow. Playing the role of the hussy to the hilt, the girl who used to be invisible begins dressing provocatively and turning heads in the hallways. The students aren't the only ones taking notice, either; Olive's English teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), is concerned that the kind of attention she's receiving isn't healthy for a developing girl, and his wife (Lisa Kudrow), the school guidance counselor, is in full agreement. The only people who seem remotely interested in the truth are Olive's trusting and open-minded parents (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson). As Olive takes note of the parallels between her own situation and the plight of the Scarlet Letter heroine Hester Prynne, she realizes that she may be able to manipulate her newfound notoriety to give fellow classmate Brandon's (Dan Byrd) popularity a much-needed shot in the arm. Olive never thought her little game could possibly have any negative effect on anyone but herself, but when loose lips start sinking ships all around her, she realizes that it's high time for the truth to come out. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The great nephew of famed outlaw Butch Cassidy sets out to redeem the family name and discover his distant uncle's true fate in this Wild West adventure for the entire family. Legend has it that Cassidy died during a late night gunfight in Bolivia, but some historians remain convinced that the elusive outlaw eventually managed to make his way back to the United States - where he was rumored to have lived well into old age. When inquisitive teen Roy Parker discovers an antique belt buckle that once belonged to his notorious uncle, he makes it his mission to uncover the truth about his Great Uncle Leroy and finally lay the legend to rest. But dispelling old rumors isn't Roy's only motivation, because Great Uncle Leroy was said to have hidden a rather substantial buried treasure before his death as well. Now, as Roy, his best friend, the girl of his dreams, and his arch nemesis set out to solve the greatest mystery of the Old West, they quickly find themselves forced to outrun a dastardly varmint who is intent on claiming the treasure as his own. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Alexandre Aja directs this remake of Wes Craven's film The Hills Have Eyes. In this update, a family is taking a cross-country road trip when their trailer breaks down, leaving them stranded in the desert of New Mexico. There, they find themselves under attack by the savage "hill people," who were deformed by radiation during nuclear testing. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

A feisty octogenarian on the verge of his ninetieth birthday invites his three grown children to his upcoming birthday celebration with the explicit understanding that when the festivities end, so does his life, in a dark but light-hearted family comedy directed by Jeff Hare and starring Peter Falk. Morris (Falk) has lived a full life, but now the time has come to end his impressive run. When Morris goes to mortal extremes to reunite his three estranged children, his morbid declaration helps his offspring to realize that, even in old age, the importance of one individual should never be underestimated. David Paymer, Laura San Giacomo, and Judge Reinhold co-star in the one comedy that proves you're never too old to stir up a bit of mischief. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cute but geeky high-school student Samantha Martin (Hilary Duff) is knocked off her feet by her father's untimely death, which leaves his diner and Samantha's well-being in the care of Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge), Sam's thoroughly wicked stepmother. Not one to take on such menial tasks as dishwashing and mopping floors, Fiona exploits Sam's dependence as a method of hoisting any dirty work off her own shoulders. School is hardly a break for Samantha, particularly when Shelby (Julie Gonzalo) is around; spoiled, wealthy, and popular, Shelby treats Samantha nearly as badly as Fiona does. Samantha's life is irrevocably changed, however, by two events: a makeover of epic proportions and a sudden electronic correspondence with a mysterious young man. Due to a misplaced cell phone and a series of fateful coincidences, Samantha and her Prince Charming develop a romance through text messages and e-mails, and ultimately promise to meet face-to-face at the biggest school dance of the year. Of course, getting there doesn't go smoothly, and Samantha may miss her chance to meet her dream date -- none other than Austin (Chad Michael Murray), the most popular boy in school. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

A Las Vegas photographer is murdered and his befouled corpse is dumped at a rural "body farm," the location where the CSI team normally studies cadavers of crime victims. Grissom (William L. Petersen) investigates, and as is customary, he finds more than first meets the eye. This time, however, Grissom is working at a disadvantage: several members of his own staff have lodged complaints about his job performance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Its titled derived from a circus term describing an inexperienced performer in his first season, director Paul Sirmons film is adapted from author Gail Radley's popular novel of the same name. The story centers on the friendship between an eleven year old foster child named Cory (Dan Byrd) and an elderly nursing home patient named Carlotta (Julie Harris). Cory has been bounced from foster home to foster home, and he's never felt like he's had a real family. Carlotta feels like she's been forgotten by the world, and rails against the strict rules of that the nurses try and enforce on her. Together, Cory and Carlotta run away to join a traveling circus. Now, under the guidance of the energetic circus owner (Mickey Rooney), this old has-been and young spring chicken prepare to dazzle the crowds and start a new life. Charles Nelson Reilly co-stars as a kindly clown who helps mentor Cory, and Joe DiMaggio appears as a mysterious stranger who encourages the young boy to chase his dreams. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This TV drama, Lifetime's first original dramatic series, explores the relationship of white Mary Elizabeth O'Brian (Annie Potts) and black Rene Jackson (Lorraine Toussaint) who grew up together as good friends in segregated Alabama of the early '60s -- with Mae Middleton portraying Mary Elizabeth as a girl and Shari Dyon Perry in the role of the young Rene. After Mary Elizabeth became pregnant at 19 by her childhood sweetheart Collier Sims (Chris Mulkey), she and Rene drifted apart. With the death of Rene's civil-rights lawyer father, James (Courtney B. Vance), Mary Elizabeth attends the funeral, and their friendship begins anew, even though the two women followed divergent paths: Attorney Rene chose a career over a family, while Mary Elizabeth has several children from her beer-swilling hubby. Intercutting past and present, the series advances on a dual track, contrasting present-day progress with Alabama attitudes during the Civil Rights era. With music by Bob Hilliard, Burt Bacharach, the Temptations, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the series premiered August 18, 1998 on Lifetime. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi