F. Murray Abraham Movies
Of Italian/Syrian heritage, Pittsburgh native F. Murray Abraham attended the University of Texas, then studied acting under Uta Hagen in New York. The peripatetic Abraham made his stage debut in a Los Angeles production of Ray Bradbury's The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, and, shortly before reaching the age of 29, made his New York bow in The Fantasticks. An archetypal example of the "working actor," Abraham managed for more than ten years to make a good living at his craft without ever truly achieving fame. Appearing on television in everything from All in the Family to Kojak, he was seen on several commercials, including a now-famous spot for Fruit of the Loom underwear. His big-screen roles include 1975's The Sunshine Boys (a garage mechanic); 1976's All the President's Men (one of the arresting officers at the Watergate Hotel); 1976's The Ritz (a gay bathhouse patron); and 1978's The Big Fix (a fugitive '60s activist). Abraham's "overnight" stardom came about in 1984, when he was cast as the covetous Antonio Salieri in Amadeus, and his brilliant, bravura performance won him an Oscar. Abraham remained busy throughout the 1980s and '90s, appearing in such efforts as The Name of the Rose (1986), in which he playing a 14th century monk deliberately made up to look like a "living gargoyle," and the otherwise awful Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), in an uncredited, albeit pivotal, role of a prosecuting attorney. One of the most versatile actors in the business, Abraham has nonetheless never quite escaped the long shadow cast by his unforgettable portrayal of Salieri. Indeed, in Arnold Schwarzenegger's genre spoof The Last Action Hero, Abraham was pinpointed as the mystery murderer because he looked just like "the guy that killed Mozart." Onece again hamming it up in that same year's National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, Abraham freaquently alternated big-budget Hollywood fare and more low-key, performance driven dramas and comedies through the remainder of the decade. While apprearances in such films as Mimic (1997) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) kept Abraham a familiar face to a new generation of moviegoers, roles in such small screen efforts as Dead Man's Walk (1996) and the following year's The Color of Justice allowed him a venue to display his true skills. In 1995 Abraham portrayed famed gangster Al Capone in not one but two films; Dillinger and Capone and Baby Face Nelson. Heading into the new millennium with roles in Finding Forrester and 13 Ghosts, Abraham appeared alongside an impressive cast in The Bridge of San Luis Rey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In addition to the reputation afforded him in the centuries following his death as a world-shaking scientific provocateur, Isaac Newton was also extraordinarily devout, and something of a mystic. As one who did his life's work during an unusual period when both modern science and theology were on the upswing, he simultaneously invented calculus, laid the foundation of alchemy, attempted to predict the date of Christ's return based on Biblical clues, and disclosed grave heresies buried deeply in Catholicism and Anglicanism -- to name only a few among hundreds of gifts that Newton brought to the world. He also established himself as one of the most profound mathematicians in world history, attaining the wickedly difficult Lucasian mathematics post at Cambridge and acquiring a professorial reputation that terrified prospective students by virtue of Newton's genius and esotericism. And the great irony is that a number of Newton's key discoveries have never been publicized, thanks to his unwillingness to make known many of his thoughts and conclusions. An episode of the critically and popularly acclaimed long-running PBS series that has instilled an adoration of science in hundreds of thousands of viewers during its 32-year run, NOVA: Newton's Dark Secrets plunges into the bizarre and brilliant corners of Newton's scientific genius, offering a fascinating, unflinching look at the many facets of this deep and complicated man. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Thornton Wilder's award-winning novel is given a lavish screen adaptation in this historical drama from writer and director Mary McGuckian. In Peru in 1714, a rickety bridge collapsed as five people were attempting to cross, forcing them to plunge to their deaths. Brother Fray Juniper (Gabriel Byrne) is a Franciscan monk who has been given the duty of looking into the tragedy by the archbishop of Lima (Robert De Niro), and to learn what he can about the victims. It is Juniper's belief that these particular people died for some reason, and that it is his duty to determine why God chose these five people to perish, while others in the vicinity survived. After five years, Juniper delivers his findings to the archbishop as well as the viceroy of Peru (F. Murray Abraham), as Juniper tells them of the lives of the troubled Dona Maria (Kathy Bates), the nun Pepita (Adriana Dominguez), warm-hearted Uncle Pio (Harvey Keitel), street kid-turned-actress La Perichola (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), and others involved in the tragedy. The Bridge of San Luis Rey also features Geraldine Chaplin, John Lynch, and brothers Mark Polish and Michael Polish. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, F. Murray Abraham, (more)
- 2003
Originally intended as a four-part miniseries, Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites made its U.S. debut as a two-part PBS special on May 14 and 21, 2003. Narrated by Keith David, with character voices provided by an impressive lineup of prominent actors, the program is dedicated to the thesis that the Israelites and the Jewish faith changed human history "as much as any empire that ever existed." Persecuted and slaughtered for practicing monotheism at a time when the prevailing belief was in multiple gods, the Kingdom of David kept itself united and solvent by passing along the history and traditions of its elders in written form (the "religion of the book"). Among the subjects explored are the formation of the laws of the Jews, the origins of their customs, and their strongly held and strictly enforced moral values. Individual episode titles include "By the Rivers of Babylon," "The Book and the Sword," "The End of Days," and "The Gifts of the Jews." As often as possible, Kingdom of David was filmed on the exact locations where the historical events described herein occurred. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith David, Jeremy Irons, (more)
- 2003
- Add Try To Remember: The Fantasticks to QueueAdd Try To Remember: The Fantasticks to top of Queue
This documentary documents the final performance of the off-Broadway show The Fantastics and takes a look back at its 42 year run. Some of the revolving cast members in this show later went on to enjoy success in film and television such as Liza Minnelli, Glenn Close, and Ricardo Montalban. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
A mysterious stranger brings both spiritual comfort and a certain level of distrust to a small community in this drama based on the spiritual best-seller by Joseph Girzone. A mysterious man named Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) arrives in the small Midwestern town of Auburn sometime in the late 19th century. Joshua sets up a carpentry shop in Auburn, and soon develops a reputation for his kind and unselfish nature; after bad weather nearly destroys a church in the town's African-American neighborhood, Joshua offers to help repair the building, and has soon persuaded much of the community to offer their support, including Father Pat (Kurt Fuller), a priest at Auburn's Catholic church. Father Pat's superior, Father Tardone (F. Murray Abraham) is also struck by Joshua's talent, charm, and humble desire to help others, and asks him to carve a new statue of Saint Peter for their church. However, while much of the town is following the good example set by Joshua, when people begin to ascribe supernatural powers to the town's new carpenter, Father Tardone begins to become suspicious, and wants to know who Joshua really is and what he really intends to do in Auburn. Joshua features an original song score by popular contemporary Christian musician Michael W. Smith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, (more)
This haunted house chiller is the second feature from Dark Castle Entertainment, the mid-budget outfit put together in 1999 to remake the cheesy horror genre pictures of William Castle by his daughter, Terry Castle, and producers Gilbert Adler, Robert Zemeckis, and Joel Silver. Financially ravaged and widowed by a fire that is consuming him with guilt, Arthur Kriticos (Tony Shalhoub) is left to raise two kids on his own: beautiful teenager Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and grade school student Bobby (Alec Roberts). Good news suddenly drops into their lives when a lawyer visits and reveals that they have inherited a lavish home from a late uncle, Cyrus (F. Murray Abraham), an eccentric ghost hunter. The Kriticos family moves into the remote house only to discover its odd secret: the dwelling contains a state-of-the-art, elaborate system of moving glass walls that trap spirits inside. Soon the ghosts, which can only be seen through the use of special high-tech spectacles, are loose in the elaborate contraption and are none too thrilled about their predicament. With the exits sealed, the family members try to learn the secret of Uncle Cyrus' bizarre mansion and survive supernatural assaults with the help of sassy housekeeper Maggie (Rah Digga), neurotic psychic Rafkin (Matthew Lillard), and Kalina (Embeth Davidtz), an activist championing the civil rights of ghosts. The eyeglasses through which the spirits can be viewed in Thirteen Ghosts (2001) were part of a ballyhoo gimmick involving pairs of spectacles handed out to audiences for screenings of the 1960 original, which was presented in "Illusion-O." ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, (more)
- 2001
- Add American Experience: The Great San Francisco Earthquake to QueueAdd American Experience: The Great San Francisco Earthquake to top of Queue
In April of 1906, the grand and thriving city of San Francisco was host to luminaries including writer Jack London, world-class opera tenor Enrico Caruso, and movie star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. At 5:30 in the morning on April 18, one of the most disastrous earthquakes in U.S. history shook the city to its foundations, demolishing hundreds of city blocks. London, Caruso, and Arbuckle survived, but the fire chief was mortally wounded and gas-fed blazes burned out of control. In the end, as this PBS documentary shows, estimates of casualties from the quake and the resulting fire ran to around 3,000. Of the city's 400,000 citizens, 225,000 were left homeless. Highlights of this program from The American Experience series include commentary by historians, archival motion picture footage, and photographs. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A handful of young knights are given the grave responsibility of rescuing one of the most sacred relics in Christianity in this lavish historical epic. In the year 1272, the bloody swath of the Crusades has swept much of Europe, and King Louis IX of France dies after a battle in Tunisia. After the king's demise, the Holy Shroud (the cloth with which Jesus' body was believed to have been wrapped following his crucifixion) goes missing, and four young knights who served under him -- Simon of Clarendon (Edward Furlong), Rainiei di Panico (Marco Leonardi), Vanni delle Rondini (Thomas Kretschmann), and Jean de Cent Acres (Stanislas Merhar) -- take it upon themselves to find the shroud . Travelling with the knights is Giacomo (Raoul Bova), an assistant to Rondini who learned from a wicked blacksmith a valuable secret -- a method for making magical swords that cannot be broken. As the knights scour the land in search of the shroud, they encounter Delfinello (F. Murray Abraham), another searcher attempting to find the shroud, who persuades the knights to join him as he sets sail to the Holy Land in his quest. I Cavalieri Che Fecero L'impresa was shot in Italy with an international cast and crew; while the original version was filmed in Italian, an English-language version of the film was also shot with an eye towards an American release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Furlong, Raoul Bova, (more)
In the spirit of his Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant directs this tale of the unlikely bond that develops between an aging, reclusive novelist named Forrester (Sean Connery) -- who hasn't written anything since winning a Pulitzer Prize decades earlier -- and Jamal (Rob Brown), a 16-year-old with a hidden desire to be a writer. When Jamal is cited for his athleticism in basketball by an elite Manhattan prep school, he is forced to adapt to an environment far from his South Bronx upbringing, and a small mishap leads him to the eccentric, uneasy Forrester. After their initial apprehension of each other, they begin to fuel each other's fire for writing, and become unlikely friends despite their ages and backgrounds. Forrester's devotion to Jamal becomes enhanced when he must defend allegations of plagiarism enforced by Professor Crawford (F. Murray Abraham), jeopardizing Jamal's future. The film also features Anna Paquin, Busta Rhymes, and Zane Copeland, Jr.. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Rob Brown, (more)
The tenth in a series of made-for-TV movies based on stories from the Bible, this drama stars Louise Lombard as Esther, a common Jewish woman who rose to wealth and power when she captured the heart of the King of Persia. Eventually, Esther opted to use her influence to win freedom and a better life for her people. Esther also stars F. Murray Abraham as Mordecai, Jurgen Prochnow as Haman, Ornella Muti as Queen Vashti, and Thomas Kretschmann as King Ahasuerus. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louise Lombard, F. Murray Abraham, (more)
- 2000
A poor man learns that obtaining wealth through evil means can command a terrible price in this made-for-TV horror story. Jeff Obold (Aiden Gillen) is a struggling auto mechanic whose personal life is a good bit more rewarding than his career; he has a lovely wife, Marla (Nina Siemaszko), and a seven-year-old daughter Casey (Skye McCole Bartusiak) whom he dotes on, even though he has a hard time providing for them. One day, while looking for parts for a vintage muscle car, Jeff makes the acquaintance of Bruno Rubin (F. Murray Abraham), a mysterious but charming stranger. Jeff and Bruno learn they share an interest in classic cars, and Bruno invites Jeff and Marla to visit him at his estate. The couple soon discovers that Bruno is very wealthy, and soon Bruno shares with Jeff the source of his wealth and power -- a strange demonic creature called a "darkling." The darkling can bestow untold material fortune on anyone willing to be its companion, but Jeff finds doing the darkling's wishes has a price when his association with the demon costs him his beloved Marla -- and Casey's life may be next. The Darkling was produced for the USA cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- F. Murray Abraham, Aidan Gillen, (more)
- 1999
- PG
- Add The All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy to QueueAdd The All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy to top of Queue
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy return -- well, sort of -- in this comedy for the whole family. Bronson Pinchot plays the look-alike nephew of Stan Laurel, while Gailard Sartain appears as a man who bears a striking resemblance to his uncle, Oliver Hardy. Just like their uncles, when the younger Stan and Ollie get together, comic chaos is the inevitable result, especially after the duo travel to South Africa and encounter a mummy. F. Murray Abraham also appears in this film, which is not a biography of Laurel and Hardy or a remake of one of their classic films, but a new story inspired by the characters they created. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bronson Pinchot, Gailard Sartain, (more)
At long last, the secret of just what the Great Gonzo happens to be is revealed! As Gonzo and his friend Rizzo hit the road in search of their roots, Gonzo makes a shocking discovery: his parents are actually space aliens from another galaxy. After announcing this startling news on Miss Piggy's talk show (hey, if Ricki Lake and Rosie O'Donnell can do it, why not Miss Piggy?), Gonzo finds himself the subject of a dark and mysterious government conspiracy, led by the nefarious K. Edgar Singer (Jeffrey Tambor). In time, Gonzo is forced to choose: should he hop on board the UFO and sail off to live with his family, or stay on Earth with the friends he knows and loves? Muppets From Space once again pairs the late Jim Henson's creations with a stellar cast of human beings, including F. Murray Abraham, David Arquette, Ray Liotta, and Andie MacDowell. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Goelz, Jeffrey Tambor, (more)
A noble judge attempts to put an end to the corruption that plagues Palermo in director Ricky Tognazzi's adaptation of Alexander Stille's best-selling novel detailing the hazardous career of real-life judge Giovanni Falcone. The setting is Palermo, Italy, and the decade is the 1980s. As the grip of corruption tightens like a vice on the city, one judge has vowed to bring down the Mafia even if it costs him his life. Judge Falcone (Chazz Palminteri) knows well that honest-minded judges have a notoriously short lifespan, but he also knows what's right, and he's not willing to go down without a fight. As the intense pressure to call off the investigation and look the other way increases from all sides, the good judge vows to stay the course and ensure that the citizens of Palermo don't fall prey to the ruthless racketeering of a criminal organization whose power is only exceeded by their brutality. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The biblical story of Noah and the Great Flood gets a decidedly unusual retelling in this film, produced as a two-part TV movie and first aired on NBC in May 1999. Noah Jon Voight is an ordinary laborer who one day begins receiving messages from God. It seems the Lord has a special assignment for him: since God is planning on destroying the world with a massive flood, he wants Noah to build a giant ark and fill it with one male and one female of each animal on earth. So why Noah of all people? As God tells him, "You fit the bill. Good times, bad times, you believe in me." And why a 500-foot-long ark? "I think big! I made the world in seven days!" Joining Noah on the trip of a lifetime is his wife Naamah (Mary Steenburgen); those not invited along for the ride are F. Murray Abraham as Lot, Carol Kane as his wife Sarah, and James Coburn as a peddler. Some video versions run 140 minutes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, (more)
Star Trek: Insurrection manages to recall the original 1960s series' spirit of liberalism, while transcending it for sheer boldness, embracing issues that are on the political cutting edge in the 1990s and beyond. The fact that the first 30 minutes are presented as a mystery only makes the material more engrossing. While assisting a survey team of Federation allies observing the populace of a distant planet, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) seemingly goes berserk and attacks the survey team, exposing their existence to the populace and jeopardizing the mission. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) brings the Enterprise into orbit to try and apprehend Data and find out what happened . He discovers that the mission isn't one of observation, but the involuntary relocation of a small, peaceful population, undertaken by the Federation and its rogue planet allies the Son'a, supposedly to secure the planet's youth-restoring qualities. As it turns out, there's a much darker side to the plans of the Son'a, and a personal side to the carnage planned by the Son'a leader Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham). Picard and his officers, suitably outraged by this violation of the Prime Directive -- that no Federation mission may interfere with the natural evolution of an alien culture -- take matters into their own hands in an attempt to expose the plot to public scrutiny, risking their lives in the process. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, (more)
- 1997
Forces of politics and nature converge to throw a poor nation into chaos in this drama. Sam (Cyril O'Reilly) is a photojournalist from the United States who is on assignment in the South American country of San Pedro. While his stated goal is to cover a visit by the Pope, Sam also hopes to score an exclusive interview with Marcos (Carlos Carrasco), the leader of an insurgent band of revolutionaries. While Sam's attempts to track down Marcos earn him the enmity of President Mendoza (F. Murray Abraham), San Pedro's brutally repressive leader, he also makes the acquaintance of Luisa (Patricia Velazquez), a doctor who has devoted her life to helping the poverty-stricken peasants living in the mountains. With Luisa's help, Sam finally meets Marcos and is able to document his brave struggle on film, but as a full-scale revolution is on the verge of toppling Mendoza's regime, a long-dormant volcano comes to life and threatens all of San Pedro's residents, regardless of political affiliation. Roger Corman served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
