Peter Coyote Movies
There are several theories as to why Peter Cohon chose the stage name of Peter Coyote; for his part, the actor is reluctant to discuss an event that apparently was the end result of an evening's experimentation with controlled substances. In the late 1960s, Coyote quit his job as a dockworker to "turn on, tune in and drop out." With hair so long that he could sit on it (by his own admission), Coyote was a "fringie" with such varied organizations as the Grateful Dead and the Hell's Angels, and also worked for a while with a guerilla mime group. After years of deprivation, Coyote dropped back into society in 1975, accepting a job as a drama teacher at a public school. Rapidly approaching middle age, Coyote entered films with 1980's Die Laughing. Throughout the 1980s, he alternated between good guys, villains, and a vaguely defined stereotype known as "loser boyfriends." As the vengeful public prosecutor in The Jagged Edge (1985), Coyote turns out not to be the film's principal heavy; even so, we leave the picture disliking his character more than anyone else's. Leading roles came his way in such films as Exposure (1991), but even here he could not completely escape an aura of slime (his ostensibly heroic character burrows through the seamy underside of Rio in search of a prostitute's murderer). One of Coyote's few unconditionally "nice" roles was as the enigmatic scientist Keys in the champion moneymaker E.T. (1982). In the late 1990s, Coyote published Sleeping Where I Fall, a candid memoir of his years as a cultural drop out. In 1992 Roman Polanski tapped him to play the lead in his psycho-sexual black comedy Bitter Moon, and he continued to work steadily in a variety of projects after that such as Kika, Buffalo Girls, Patch Adams, and Sphere. With his deep, distinctive voice he became an in demand narrator for documentaries. He had a small but memorable turn in Erin Brokovich, and was cast in Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale. He was in the teen drama A Walk to Remember, and the Polish brothers cast him in their 2003 film Northfork. Although his big-screen appearances began to dwindle, he remained one of the most ubiquitous narrators of non-fiction films of various types. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2011
Ken Burns explores the history of America's prohibition era (1920-33), when alcohol was outlawed after the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1919. It was the culmination of a movement that began in the mid-19th century, but instead of truly banning booze it merely pushed it underground, giving birth to criminal organizations that traded in the commodity and turned ordinary men and women into outlaws. ~ Jeff Gemmill, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2011
- Add NFL: Top 10: NFL's Greatest Players to Queue Add NFL: Top 10: NFL's Greatest Players to top of Queue
This release from NFL Films profiles the ten greatest players in pro football history. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2011
- PG
In this documentary, filmmaker Tiffany Shlain examines how the Internet and social networking are not only changing the way we communicate but how we see the world around us, and the global impact that's being felt as a result. Using animation and archival material, Shlain offers a witty but thoughtful look at the paradoxical human desire for both independence and contact with others, and how the ease and speed of new communication is bringing about a change in out perceptions that's not just an evolution of societal norms but may be creating a fundamental shift in the way our brains process information. At the same time, Shlain explains how her father's battle with cancer upended her own notions of human connections, and her belief that 21st century humans need to strive not for independence but interdependence. Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death and Technology was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2010
- Add Brain Fitness: Peak Performance to Queue Add Brain Fitness: Peak Performance to top of Queue
Peter Coyote hosts this mental-fitness program, which offers a series of challenges designed to foster increased attention, sharpness, clarity, and memory recall, as well as general happiness, and a sense of well being. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2010
Narrated by Peter Coyote, this documentary explores the medical properties of cannabis. Featuring discoveries and insight from some of the leading scientists in the field of cannabinoid research, the film proposes that marijuana could play a key part in destroying cancer cells without harming the immune system. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Bartender and aspiring actress Diana Diaz (Elsa Pataky) leaves Spain and her best friend Maria to seek her fortune in Miami, only to get discouraged when her money runs out, and frequent casting calls lead to nowhere. Later arriving in Hollywood with the help of some newfound friends, Diana discovers that the price of fame is higher than she though after transforming herself into "DiDi" in one final shot at superstardom. DiDi Hollywood is the second chapter in director Bigas Luna's trilogy concerning women and success. The first installment was 2006's Yo soy la Juani. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elsa Pataky, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 2009
- Add National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo to Queue Add National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo to top of Queue
Back in 2002, the naval base Guantanamo Bay became a historical flashpoint as the first wave of detainees arrived for incarceration. Dubbed "the worst of the worst," the offenders likely had no idea they would be entering the most infamous prison on the planet, and were frequently held for years without so much as a single charge being leveled against them. Some viewed the prison as a symbol of freedom protected; others viewed it as proof of freedom betrayed. Americans were fighting a new kind of enemy, and the government was playing their cards close to their chest. Nobody really know what was happening inside those heavily fortified barbwire fences, and at times, the inexperienced guard force and the frightened detainees threatened to turn volatile. Now, for the first time ever on camera, the day-to-day life at Guantanamo Bay is finally revealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1911, Laura Archera led one of the most remarkable lives of the 20th century. A virtuoso violinist as a teenager - on such an advanced level that she performed flawless concerts for Carnegie Hall and various European crowned heads - Archera later built a career for herself as a critically-praised author and a psychotherapist. In 1956, at the relatively advanced age of 45, Laura married Brave New World author Aldous Huxley (taking his surname as her own), and that marriage set the stage for one of the most remarkable of all intellectual subcultures: the Los Angeles avant-garde, which blossomed and flourished at the Huxley home in the Hollywood Hills, drawing such legends as Orson Welles, George Cukor, Christopher Isherwood and Igor Stravinsky to Saturday lunch. Later, inspired by the mescaline-consuming experiments that had inspired Aldous to author The Doors of Perception in 1954, The Huxleys began searching for higher levels of consciousness with extreme mind-altering psychedelic drugs. Peter Coyote narrates this look at Laura's strange and fascinating life, which features interviews with John Densmore (of The Doors), Nick Nolte, Michael Murphy and Ram Dass. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2009
Discover the impact of the beef industry on Nebraska through the settlement and homesteading eras as filmmakers explore the first cattle drives into the Great Plains. After witnessing the rise of the cattle barons, viewers learn about the evolution of the modern ranch and the growing beef industry through two world wars, the devastating 1949 blizzard, and the tumultuous history of the Omaha Stockyards. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
Despite the centuries-old conflict between Arabs and Jews, each cultural group comes together for a shared musical experience organized by a French rock legend with a renewed sense of purpose. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
A panel of neuroscience experts expands on the phenomenon of "neuroplasticity", i.e., the process the human brain undergoes while completing various transformations, such as aging or recovering from an injury. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2009
- Add The New Science of Learning: Brain Fitness for Kids to Queue Add The New Science of Learning: Brain Fitness for Kids to top of Queue
This documentary takes an in-depth look at the latest breakthroughs in the realm of neuroscience, showing how it's possible to nurture and influence children's brain development in order to help maximize learning skills and alleviate issues associated with learning disorders. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2008
- PG
- Add Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief to Queue Add Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief to top of Queue
Maya Dolittle, a veterinarian hopeful with an over-the-top skill for dealing with animals, heads to the White House in this installment of the talking animals series. Maya delays her dream of going to vet school when she gets a call from the president himself, hoping to enlist her help in preventing the problem First Dog from becoming a canine catastrophe. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyla Pratt, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 2008
The 2000 presidential election -- marked by an extremely narrow margin of victory, troubles with ballots going missing, and mechanical problems with poorly designed paper ballots in the state of Florida -- led many pundits to debate how effective the mechanics of voting had become in America. However, many who have set out to "solve" these problems have in fact only made them worse; many commonly used electronic voting systems are significantly less accurate than their mechanical counterparts, a number of them offer no hard-copy backup of the votes cast, and one of the largest manufacturers of electronic voting machines, Diebold, is headed by Walden O'Dell, a man who told attendees at a Republican fund raiser in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president (George W. Bush) next year," leading many to question his objectivity and if certain problems with his machines occurred entirely by accident. A growing number of political activists are looking to the 2008 presidential race as a test of whether fair elections are still possible in the United States, and the battle to see that all votes are accurately counted and election laws are properly observed is explored in the documentary Stealing America: Vote by Vote. Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman weighs the evidence that political influence may have been used to leverage presidential election results in certain states, that a significant number of voters may have been illegally prevented from casting a ballot, and that the latest generation of electronic voting machines could be easily susceptible to tampering. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2008
This documentary shines a light on the seemingly effective practice of incorporating poetry into the lives of patients recovering from surgery and major illnesses. Spearheaded by Dr. John Graham-Pole and John Fox, this rather inexpensive addition to the healing benefit has had a positive effect on many lives. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
A terminally-ill con man and his estranged son endeavor to live on $5 a day during a cross country drive in this road trip comedy from director Nigel Cole (Saving Grace, Calendar Girls). Nat (Christopher Walken) may be a great con man, but as a father to Flynn (Alessandro Nivola) he always came up short. Informed by his doctor that he's suffering from a terminal illness, Nat learns of an experimental treatment that could offer him a second chance at life. But that's all the way on the other side of the country, and in order to make the drive he'll need a wheelman. Enter Flynn: the son Nat never really knew. Despite the bitterness Flynn feels toward his ailing father, he eventually agrees to take the trip. Unfortunately money is tight these days, and if Nat and Flynn hope to reach their destination without coming up short, they'll have to meet the sizable challenge of living on just $5 a day. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Alessandro Nivola, (more)
- 2008
- Add Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story to Queue Add Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story to top of Queue
Lena Baker (Tichina Arnold), a kindhearted black woman with a tumultuous past, goes to work for an alcoholic white man (Peter Coyote), but the two eventually develop a relationship that leads to violence and tragedy. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tichina Arnold
A dysfunctional New York couple inadvertently "adopts" a sailor during Fleet Week, only to find their lives affected by the young seaman in the most unexpected of ways. Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Coyote, and Ethan Peck star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Coyote, (more)
Inspired by a true story, director Dennis Fallon's emotional family drama tells the tale of a family attempting to cope with a tragic loss, and a young girl who finds the strength in the last place she ever expected. Twelve year old Belle (Vivien Cardone) has just lost her mother in a horrible auto accident, and she places the blame for that loss squarely on the shoulders of her grieving father Cody (Jason London). Unable to deal with his daughter's newfound rebellious streak and contend with his own sorrow at the same time, Cody sends Belle away to live with her grandfather Hock (Peter Coyote), a genuine cowboy who lives by a strong code of ethics. But Hock is unable to look at Belle without thinking about his deceased daughter, a sad fact that only deepens the young girl's intense feelings of alienation. Just as Belle begins to feel as if there's no one in the world with whom to share her sadness, along comes a loyal pup named Atticus that helps her to focus on the positive things in life. Perhaps with a little help from a kindly veterinarian, an empathetic farm manager, and a good-humored motel owner, this family will finally find the strength needed to move past their pain while building a joyous new life together. Patton Oswalt co-stars in a drama also featuring the final onscreen appearance of legendary actor Peter Boyle. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Jason London, (more)
- 2008
- Add National Geographic: Guns in America to Queue Add National Geographic: Guns in America to top of Queue
Experience the story of America's love affair with guns through from the perspectives of the citizens who also happen to be proud gun owners. The United States is a big country with a diverse population. Here, people own guns for a variety of reasons: some folks like to hunt, while others are just ordinary, law-abiding citizens who get a kick out of shooting at targets with these remarkable machines. But it can't be denied that some gun owners are extremely dangerous individuals, their threat against society made all the more serious by the weapons at their side. In this documentary from National Geographic, filmmakers explore the lives of five people with guns to reveal why these lethal weapons have become a crucial component of American society. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 2007
This 100 minute program takes a look at the brain and its ability to change and adapt itself based on what it's presented with. Dr. Michael Merzenich of the University of California and his team of scientists present a series of computer stimuli developed to encourage this growth and adaptation within the brain so that viewers can improve their own brain function. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
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