Tracy Newman Movies
- 2001
Originally titled The Dad, the half-hour ABC sitcom According to Jim starred Jim Belushi as the title character, a middle-aged husband and father who found himself literally surrounded by women. Having long ago learned to adopt the least line of resistance, Jim was eternally acquiescent to his wife, Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith), and an overgrown kid at heart to his sister-in-law, Dana (Kimberly Williams) and his three children -- Ruby (Taylor Atelian), Gracie (Billi Bruno) and Kyle (Conner Rayburn). The laughs arose whenever Jim tried to exercise some macho-man authority, only to be figuratively (and sometimes literally) shouted down by the feminist majority in his household. Slated to debut on September 26, 2001, According to Jim was moved to October 3 due to late-breaking news events. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The titular first date takes place at the planetarium where Drew (Steve Carey) and Kate (Christa Miller) first met in grade school. When they trade stories about their most unforgettable experiences, Kate reveals that she once picked up a guy at the airport who was butt-naked except for a trenchcoat, a story that Drew cannot match no matter how hard he tries. Worried that now Kate will find him too dull for her tastes, Drew decides to prove he can be just as exciting as the next guy by duplicating the naked-under-the-coat incident; unfortunately, he has chosen the precise moment that Kate has invited him to a Greek restaurant with her grandparents! Meanwhile, Mrs. Louder (Nan Martin) offers to treat Mimi (Kathy Kinney) and Steve (John Carroll Lynch) to an expensive honeymoon--on condition that she be allowed to watch when the couple consummates their marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) eagerly anticipates a reunion with her high school sweetheart Mark, "the only man I ever loved." The gang at Cheers can't bring themselves to tell her how radically Mark has changed over the years (and since he is played by Harvey Fierstein, it should not be necessary to provide full details about his "transformation"). Meanwhile, Sam (Ted Danson) launches a support group with other people whose Corvettes have been stolen, and Kelly (Jackie Swanson) makes a bid to be one of "the guys." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Anxious to afford an engagement ring for Kelly (Jackie Swanson), Woody (Woody Harrelson) takes a part-time job as a gravedigger. Unfortunately, the extra work load -- combined with the spookiness of his new surroundings -- causes him to begin hallucinating, not a pretty sight to behold for Kelly's hypersensitive grandmother (Celeste Holm). Elsewhere at Cheers, it is Rebecca's (Kirstie Alley) turn to take a fantastic voyage into the furnace duct. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
It had to happen: Cliff (John Ratzenberger) finally introduces his mother (Frances Sternhagen) to his mixed-up girlfriend, Margaret (Annie Golden). Stranger than fiction, Mom takes an immediate liking to Margaret, even unto proposing to the girl on Cliff's behalf. Meanwhile, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) tries to expedite the baby-conception process by ordering Sam (Ted Danson) to don frozen fertility underwear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Making great fun of the '70s, this lively sci-fi comedy centers on a trio of time travellers who go into the past in hopes of retrieving the Constitution to celebrate America's 300th birthday. Unfortunately, the travelers end up in 1976 not 1776. The trouble is, they don't realize it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Cassidy, Olivia D'Abo, (more)
Michael J. Fox once more makes a courageous effort to shed his nice-guy image in Bright Lights, Big City. Fox plays an impressionable Kansan who comes to the Big Apple to take a job at a major magazine. It isn't long before he falls into the twin traps of drug and alcohol abuse. His only hope for redemption is in the hands of Vicky (Tracy Pollan), the cousin of his scuzzy drinking buddy Tad (Kiefer Sutherland). Jay McInerney's bestselling novel does not translate easily to the big screen, but Fox strives hard to please, as do all of his costars. The white stuff snorted by Fox wasn't really cocaine, but powdered milk. Watch for Frasier's David Hyde Pierce in a small role and Jason Robards in a significant unbilled cameo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
- 1985
- PG
This comedy fuses Three Stooges clips with a storyline about a "Stooge Maniac" who is so obsessed with the comedians his sanity comes into question. Josh Mostel plays Stooge devotee Howard F. Howard, and Melanie Chartoff is Beverly, the woman of his dreams. Howard's condition is analyzed by Dr. Fixyer Minder (Sid Caesar) and for awhile the Stooge fanatic spends some time in a mental institution. Will this damage his love affair with Beverly? And will he know it if it does? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Mostel, Melanie Chartoff, (more)
