Mariclare Costello Movies
Redheaded character actress Mariclare Costello has been in films and television since 1967. Best known as Rosemary Hunter Fordwick, wife of Rev. Fordwick (John Ritter) on TV's The Waltons (a role she played from 1973 to 1977), Costello was also a regular on the TV weeklies Sara (1976) and The Fitzpatricks (1977). Of her many TV-movie appearances, she is most fondly remembered as the aggrieved wife of the title character in The Execution of Private Slovik (1974). Always a welcome presence, Costello has yet to win her long-overdue stardom. For a while, it looked as though Mariclare Costello's breakthrough would be the theatrical feature Ragtime (1981), in which she was cast as anarchist Emma Goldman; alas, her entire performance ended up on the cutting room floor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Adrian Lyne buffs the premise of Honeymoon in Vegas to a fine gloss in this yuppie melodrama that poses the conundrum of whether the loving husband of an equally loving wife will accept $1 million to allow his wife to spend one night with a billionaire who looks like Robert Redford. All the cynics please take a number and form a line at the right. Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson play Diana and David Murphy, high-school sweethearts who marry and who are doing very well -- Diana is a successful real-estate agent, and David is an idealistic architect who has built a dream house by the ocean -- until the recession hits. Suddenly, David loses his job, and they can't make the mortgage payments. Dead broke, they borrow $5000 from David's father and head to Las Vegas to try to win money to pay the mortgage on their house. At first, they get $25,000 ahead -- but inevitably the house always wins, and they end up losing it all. While Diana is in the fancy casino boutique trying to lift some candy, she is spotted by billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford), who is immediately attracted to her. John invites Diana and David to an opulent party, and it is there that John offers David $1 million for a night with his wife. David is wracked by this moral dilemma, but Diana finally makes the decision on her own, with ensuing consequences for their ideal marriage and their bank account. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Demi Moore, (more)
- 1990
The acting of its stars saves She Said No from the "lurid dreck" category. Judd Hirsch is a successful but utterly amoral attorney who rapes Veronica Hamel. She sues, but he uses his legal expertise to walk free. Then Hirsch turns around and sues Hamel for slander (or for libel, depending on whether you believe the ads or the synopsis)--to the tune of ten million dollars! The lizardlike lawyer comes acropper when he forgets the unwritten rule of jurisprudence and acts as his own attorney. Lee Grant plays the DA on the case, who was denied the opportunity to retry Hirsch and is smarting for a chance to show the creep up. She Said No is better written than it deserves to be by Michael O'Hara. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Appearances began life as a 2-hour TV pilot film. A Midwestern family tries to carry on after the sudden death of the family's son. Everyone puts up a brave public front, but the artifice results in gradual erosion of family solidarity. Ernest Borgnine fares best as the clan's patriarch. Appearances never developed into a series, though it has been released to home video. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Made for television, American Harvest is set in the heartland of Kansas. Two proud, stubborn families have not spoken to one another because of an incident in the distant past. Wayne Rogers, the patriarch of one of the families, is in danger of losing his wheat farm. He knows that his land will be saved if he patches things up with rival farmer Earl Holliman, but such a reconciliation is out of the question--at least, until the film's final twenty minutes. American Harvest premiered on January 16, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Disney's Double Switch stars George Newbern and....George Newbern. The plot revolves around a teenaged rock idol named Bartholomew (Newbern #1). Trapped by his celebrity, Bartholomew finds a way out when he meets the geeky winner of a Bartholomew lookalike contest (Newbern #2). In the tradition of The Prince and the Pauper, the two teens trade places, then refuse to go back to their true identities because they're having too much fun. A very young Elizabeth Shue costars as the "other" Bartholomew's girlfriend. Double Switch originated as the January 4, 1987 episode of TV's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Newbern
- 1986
Somewhere in the Deep South, young singer Matt Burns (Brian L. Green) has been arrested for the murder of local bully Ed Bonner (Jeffrey Osterhage), son of the town's most influential citizen (Stuart Whitman). Innocent bystanders to this developing drama are Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her friend and fellow writer Ames Caulfield (Craig Stevens), one of whose former students happened to be Matt's mother. At the request of Matt's girl friend (and the dead man's sister) Linda (Cindy Fisher), Jessica does her best to prove Matt's innocence--while an angry lynch mob begins to swarm around the town jail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
The career of boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini is the subject of the made-for-TV biopic. Doug McKeon plays Mancini, while Robert Blake co-stars as his father, Lenny Mancini. An excellent pugilist in his own right, Lenny's career is cut short by his wartime service. Son Ray carries on the tradition into the 1980s, battling his way towards the WBA crown. Heart of a Champion's executive producer was Rocky star Sylvester Stallone, who (it says here) staged the boxing sequences. This heartwarming "do it for the old man" effort was first telecast May 1, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Doug McKeon, (more)
- 1984
Actress Theresa Saldana plays herself in this gut-wrenching fact-based TV movie. The film begins with Ms. Saldana being savagely attacked by a stalking fan in her own home in 1982. Sustaining multiple stab wounds, Saldana lies near death for quite some time, but eventually pulls together physically and emotionally. But that's only the first half of the story. In the second, Saldana, determined to assuage the pain of others who've suffered from violent attacks, establishes Victims for Victims. The most sobering realization vis-a-vis Victims for Victims is the fact that Theresa Saldana's assailant may very well be paroled someday--a contingency that the actress, and her organization, has been forced to counteract ever since that fateful evening in 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
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Despite mixed reviews and a disastrous initial release that dumped the film into theaters for a week in the midst of the 1984 Summer Olympics, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension went on to become one of the major cult films of the 1980s, developing a rabid following after its release on videotape. Drifting between satire and improbable sci-fi adventure, the film stars Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai, the son of an American mother and Japanese father who is a combination physicist, neurosurgeon, martial arts master, secret agent, and rock star who travels with his band of assistants/backing musicians, The Hong Kong Cavaliers. As the story opens, Buckaroo is driving his car through a mountain to test his new invention, the Oscillation Overthruster. However, a race of boorish aliens called the Red Lectroids have been waiting for such an item to become a reality, as they need it to return to the distant planet they call home. One of Buckaroo's arch-enemies, Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow), who has been possessed by the Red Lectroids, attempted to created a similar device decades before; now escaped from an insane asylum, he is back at work with the Lectroids on a plan to control the world. Throw in Rastafarian aliens, unscheduled travel between dimensions, and the odd inexplicable watermelon, and you get a film that defies conventional synopsis. With its fast pace, quotable dialogue ("No matter where you go, there you are"), and barrage of gags (subtle and otherwise), you won't be bored even when you're not sure what's going on. The supporting cast includes Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey, a Cavalier with a snappy cowboy outfit, and Ellen Barkin as Penny Priddy, the twin sister of Buckaroo's late wife. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Weller, John Lithgow, (more)
- 1983
Divided into four separate independent films originally made as a television pilot, Nightmares begins with "Terror in Topanga," a story about a young woman who goes out one night to buy a pack of cigarettes, knowing full well that the infamous "canyon killer" is on the loose -- and sure enough, a subtly menacing store clerk (Anthony James) begins to loom large in the woman's journey. The second story, "Bishop of Battle" is a sequence with animation that details the saga of a video games champion who comes up against a supernatural opponent. The next vignette, "The Benediction" is about a priest who gives up on his faith and takes off down the highway, only to be confronted with a demonic minivan and good reasons for remaining a believer. The last story, "Night of the Rat" has the rodent that ate Manhattan looming large over the home of a young couple, but never fear, the husband is blasé enough to handle anything, or so he thinks. As might be expected, the low-budget production and facetious scripting of a few of these sequences work against the intended scary effect of the stories. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cristina Raines, Joe Lambie, (more)
- 1982
Skeezer is an irresistible dog with a special affinity towards handicapped children. Nurse/therapist Karen Valentine uses Skeezer to brighten the lives of the emotionally disturbed and mentally handicapped kids in her charge. The authorities aren't keen on Skeezer's presence, but rest assured they'll change their minds before the film's 97 minutes have elapsed. Skeezer is based on a true story, as chronicled in Elizabeth Yates' book Skeezer, Dog with a Mission. The made-for-TV film was first telecast as an NBC "Operation Peacock" special on December 27, 1982; it subsequently won an "outstanding children's program" Emmy award. Incidentally, the dog playing Skeezer was named O. J. (no wisecracks, if you please). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Made for television, the pacifist philosophy of a Georgia preacher (Kenny Rogers) and his nephew are tested when the nephew's girlfriend is raped. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The issue of forced school busing is explored with an unfortunately heavy hand in All God's Children. Richard Widmark plays a judge who is tortured with guilt after a school bus is stolen. The robbery was a prank, committed as a reaction to the judge's ruling that selected black students must be bused to white schools, and vice versa. The vehicle was appropriated by two high schoolers, one black, one white. The film's tension arises from the fact that a burned-beyond-recognition body was found in the wreckage; the families of both boys wait in anguish to discover the identity of a victim, while the rest of the community threatens to erupt into violence no matter what the outcome of the autopsy. All God's Children was first telecast April 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Future film star Madeleine Stowe (here billed as "Madeline") is cast as Annie Crane, a blind woman who miraculously achieves fame as a painter. An emotional crisis develops when Annie's long-lost biological mother shows up in hopes of a reconciliation. The embittered Annie refuses to have anything to do with the woman who abandoned her -- until she learns the real reason that she was abandoned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1980
Scott Baio plays the son of ex-hockey star Don Murray, who has reacted to the loss of his career with a steadily increasing reliance upon liquor. Baio begins to excel athletically in school, but when the inevitable disappointments set in, he begins to imitate his father's booze intake. Lance Kerwin plays Baio's best friend, who picks up on the early warning signs and tries to keep Baio from descending into alcoholism. Made for television, Boy Who Drank Too Much was intended as a "breakthrough" role for teen idol Scott Baio, who is in fact better than usual here. Based on a novel by Shep Greene, the film was cluttered up with too many superfluous subplots, including the pregnancy of one of Baio's teachers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robert Redford's directorial debut ended up the 1980 Oscar winner for Best Picture. It is a simple but painfully emotional story of the disintegration of a "perfect" family. Teenager Conrad (Timothy Hutton) lives under a cloud of guilt after his brother drowns after their boat capsizes in Lake Michigan. Despite intensive therapy sessions with his psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch), Conrad can't shake the belief that he should have died instead of his brother; nor do his preoccupied parents (Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore) offer much in the way of solace. The boy is brought out of his doldrums through his romance with Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern). A winner in every respect, Ordinary People (adapted from the novel by Judith Guest) scores highest in the scenes with Mary Tyler Moore, who superbly and perceptively portrays a blinkered, ever-smiling suburban wife and mother for whom outward appearance is all that matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, (more)
- 1977
As Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonough) prepares to graduate from high school, she despairs over being the only Walton who has no idea of what she wants to do with her life. She is also convinced that she has absolutely no marketable skills, which is even more depressing. Ultimately, the path to Erin's future is revealed purely by accident--and with the unwitting help of older brother John-Boy (Richard Thomas). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Raid on Entebbe constitutes one of two all-star made-for-TV reenactments of the Entebbe rescue of July 4, 1976. On June 27, 1976, a jet carrying an international mix of passengers is hijacked by pro-Palestinian revolutionaries. The plane lands in Entebbe, Uganda, where President-for-life Idi Amin (Yaphet Kotto) struts about feigning concern, though his sympathy toward the hijackers is obvious. Many of the passengers are released, but 103 Israelis are kept in custody, and it becomes apparent that the revolutionaries plan to use these unfortunates as a bargaining chip for the release of imprisoned terrorists throughout the world. With virtually no other option, the Israeli government gives the go-ahead for Operation Thunderbolt, a commando raid on the Entebbe airport. The cast includes Charles Bronson as General Shomron, Jack Warden as Mordecai Gur, Sylvia Sidney as ill-fated passenger Dora Bloch, and, as Prime Minister Rabin, Peter Finch, whose performance (his last) won him an Emmy nomination. Raid on Entebbe first aired on January 9, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Finch, Charles Bronson, (more)
- 1977
As John-Boy heads to New York to find out if his novel has been accepted for publication, he recalls the events leading to this critical and anxious moment. Presented as "flashback" are choice excerpts from the previous episodes "The Typewriter", "The Literary Man" and "The Burnout". This final episode of The Waltons' fifth season also marks the final regular appearance of Richard Thomas as John-Boy Walton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
We are told time and again in this 1977 TV movie that star David Janssen is the "sensitive, passionate man" of the title. But when Janssen, playing an aerospace engineer who loses his job, crawls into the booze bottle, there's little evidence that he's anything more than aloof and self-pitying. Angie Dickinson all but dons a wing and halo as Janssen's incredibly forgiving and understanding wife. The only people we truly care about in this film are the couple's children, played with a pleasing lack of affectation by Todd Lookinland and Justin Randi. As superficial as its title, A Sensitive, Passionate Man seems to argue that no matter how much emotional damage you incur, it's all OK if your family adores you. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Newly married to Dr. Curt Willard (Tom Bower), Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) begins to doubt that she is worthy of her husband--especially when she faints dead away while helping him during surgery. Elsewhere, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) comes to regret selling land entrusted to him by Grandpa when it turns out the property is going to be used for hydraulic mining. And Rev. Fordwick's pregnant wife Rosemary (Mariclare Costello) suddenly goes into labor just as a rainstorm comes hammering down on Walton's Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Disaster strikes the Walton family when their house is gutted by a raging fire. While the neighbors help John (Ralph Waite) rebuild, Olivia (Michael Learned) arranges for several neighbors to shelter her children in the interim, causing a great deal of friction between the younger Waltons and their temporary "families." Meanwhile, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) despairs over the possibility that his nearly-completed novel has gone up in smoke--and is wracked with guilt over the likelihood that he himself caused the fire. This is the first half of a two-part story, originally telecast as a single two-hour episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), the Waltons struggle to put their lives back in order in the wake of the fire that has gutted their house. John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is guilt-ridden over the likelihood that he was responsible for the blaze, while Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonugh) believes that she may have indirectly caused John-Boy's novel to be destroyed. Olivia (Michael Learned) worries that her family will be split up now that she has been forced to "redistribute" the children to various other households while John (Ralph Waite) and the neighbors rebuild the Walton home. And Ben (Eric Scott) comes to realize the value of rules and regulations after spending a few days with the footloose Yancy Tucker (Robert Donner). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Mixing humor and melodrama, this curiosity has a husband-and-wife detective duo investigating Satanic goings on in an American suburb, all the while bickering about their in-laws and other domestic problems. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
- 1975
As The Waltons begins its fourth season, Rev. Matthew Fordwick (John Ritter) and schoolteacher Rosemary Hunter (Mariclare Costello) are about to leave Walton's Mountain for their wedding and honeymoon. In their absence, John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) agrees to deliver the Sunday sermon, while his mother Olivia (Michael Learned) takes over Miss Hunter's classroom. The new responsibilities take quite a toll on both Waltons--especially John-Boy, who is convinced that he will never be able to come up with the right words to inspire the parishioners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
