Bryan Cranston Movies
A familiar face to a nation of television viewers thanks to his role as the more-than-slightly demented father on the popular FOX sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, longtime stage and screen actor Bryan Cranston has had a rich and varied career, lending his talents to everything from anime voice work (Armitage III and Macross Plus) to daytime television (as an original cast member of Loving). His commanding but off-kilter presence and quirky charm have easily provided Cranston with the necessary range to essay such diverse roles, and the longtime actor can always be counted on to inject a healthy dose of personality into his performances, no matter how large or small the role may be.Though the San Fernando Valley native made his television debut as a commercial actor at the age of eight, it wasn't until college that Cranston truly realized his calling as an actor. Following college graduation, Cranston's passion eventually drew him to Daytona Beach, FL, where the burgeoning actor appeared in such community-theater productions as Barefoot in the Park and Death of a Salesman. In 1982, he joined the cast of the then-new soap opera Loving, and though he would only remain with the daytime drama for a short time, appearances in Airwolf and Hill Street Blues, among various other series, found the actor maintaining a notable presence on television. Following a series of supporting feature performances, Cranston moved back to the small screen with a regular role in the 1988 sitcom Raising Miranda. In the years that followed, he would frequently shift between film (Clean Slate) and television (The Louie Show) while supplementing his income with voice-over work for such popular anime series as Armitage III.
Supporting performances in such high-profile features as That Thing You Do! and Saving Private Ryan helped to increase the busy actor's recognition factor, and in 1999, Cranston wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his first feature film, a low-key drama entitled Last Chance. Though the film failed to gain much attention, Cranston was soon receiving numerous positive notices for his Emmy-nominated role as the hapless father in the breakout television hit Malcolm in the Middle. His performance alternately eccentric and endearing, Cranston injected the role with the perfect balance of fatherly weirdness and down-to-earth charm, and the series embarked on a healthy run. In the years that followed, Cranston became an increasingly familiar face to television and film viewers, and in addition to offering vocal work for the short-lived animated television series Clerks, he would contribute to such family-friendly fare as 'Twas the Night and The Santa Claus Brothers. After taking the lead in the 2003 made-for-television feature Thanksgiving Family Reunion, Cranston could be spotted opposite screen legend Kirk Douglas in the 2004 drama The Illusion. He appeared in the 2006 miniseries Fallen, and had a bit part in the Oscar nominated Little Miss Sunshine.
However, in 2008 his career entered a whole new phase when he began work on the AMC series Breaking Bad, playing a chemistry teacher who becomes a meth dealer. His work on the critically lauded program would earn him three Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series. It also made him an in-demand character actor for movies and he worked steadily appearing in projects as radically different as Drive, Larry Crowne, Red Tails, John Carter, and Rock of Ages among many others.
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An elite police squad fights to save the city of Los Angeles from a power-hungry East Coast mobster in this gritty police-detective film set in the 1940s, and based on Paul Lieberman's seven-part Los Angeles Times series "Tales From the Gangster Squad." Jewish gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) is a Brooklyn-born boxer-turned-L.A. kingpin whose brutal ambition has earned him the respect of the Italian mob. He's the kind of crime boss who dines with judges and police chiefs, but still isn't quite sure which fork to use when it comes time for the main course. Just when it begins to look like Cohen owns every cop in the city, however, LAPD Chief Parker (Nick Nolte) enlists honest cop Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to assemble a top-secret task force that will burn the vicious gangster's thriving criminal empire to the ground. With the help of his pregnant wife Connie (Mireille Enos), Sgt. O'Mara handpicks smooth-talking Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), heroin-hating Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), deadeye Officer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), and brilliant wireman Officer Conwell Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) for the task at hand. Joined by Officer Kennard's tough sidekick Officer Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña) as they set out for their first job, the squad strike fast and hard at the core of Cohen's operation. Meanwhile, the charming Sgt. Wooters flirts with danger by starting an affair with Cohen's smoldering paramour Grace Faraday (Emma Stone). Shortly after learning that Cohen is plotting a power play that will cement his stronghold on the city, however, the squad are unexpectedly compromised, putting the lives of all of their families in danger and leaving them with little choice but to step up their efforts and target the ruthless gangster directly. Should they live to accomplish their mission, Sgt. O'Mara and his men will prevent L.A. from becoming a hive of criminal activity like Chicago or New York. But Cohen isn't going down without a fight, and if he falls, the entire city will feel the aftershock.
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, (more)
Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic tale of interplanetary adventure arrives on the big screen in this sweeping sci-fi spectacle marking the live-action debut of Oscar-winning director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E). Civil War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) was still haunted by the violence he witnessed on the battlefield when he inexplicably awoke on the distant planet of Barsoom (Mars). Upon learning that the inhabitants of Barsoom are bracing for a major conflict and that war appears inevitable, John finds out that love is a rare commodity on the Red Planet, and summons the courage to be the hero the Martians have been hoping for. Meanwhile, John falls under the spell of the enchanting Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), who struggles to suppress her compassion in a society known for its warlike ways. Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, and Mark Strong co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, (more)
The thrilling true story of the Tuskegee Airmen buzzes to the big screen in this epic war adventure from executive producer George Lucas and first-time feature director Anthony Hemingway. In the fire and chaos of World War II, the U.S. military recruits a fearless group of African-American fighter pilots to help reclaim the skies over Europe. Discriminated against both as citizens and as soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen take flight in planes distinguished by distinctive red tails, and fight to defeat the tyranny of the Axis powers. As a result of their bravery, the pilots emerge as true heroes, and prove that all men are truly created equal. Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Bryan Cranston star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding, Jr., (more)
When militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the height of the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) creates a fake Hollywood film production in order to rescue a group of American diplomats who have sought refuge at the home of the Canadian ambassador. As the six members of the embassy staff remain behind closed doors, armed militants conduct thorough searches of local homes, and kill anyone suspected of harboring the Americans. Realizing that it's only a matter of time before the six are identified and taken hostage, Mendez offers a unique - yet potentially dangerous - solution: posing as a Canadian film producer, he will enter into Tehran under the precipice of scouting locations for an upcoming science fiction opus, gather up the refugees, pass them off as his crew at the airport, and fly out of Iran right under the militants' noses. Shortly after touching down in Iran, however, Mendez contends with a few unexpected developments that threaten to erode the bond of trust he needs to establish with the refugees, and expose his deception. Meanwhile, even if they do manage to make it as far as the airport, government bureaucracy threatens to leave them hopelessly stranded in their most desperate hour. Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston co-star. Inspired by actual events. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, (more)
Originally adapted by director Paul Verhoeven in 1990, author Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale returns to the big screen in this remake starring Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, and Kate Beckinsale, and directed by Underworld's Len Wiseman. The planet has been decimated by nuclear war in the late 21st century, leaving only two nations -- the United Federation of Britain and the Colony. Douglas Quaid (Farrell) is a factory worker with a stable job and a loving wife (Beckinsale), but upon learning that a company named Rekall could grant him the memory of the ultimate espionage adventure, he decides that a virtual vacation is better than no vacation at all. But in the midst of having the new memories implanted, something goes haywire. Still strapped to the chair as the system breaks down, he's branded a spy as the authorities close in, and quickly flees for his life. Later, Quaid discovers that he has a secret identity, and he joins forces with rebel soldier Melina (Jessica Biel) on a mission to track down Matthias (Bill Nighy), the head of a fierce resistance movement that's been labeled a terrorist organization by the tyrannical Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). Cohaagen seeks to control the entire free world, and now the harder Quaid fights to defeat him, the clearer it becomes that his memory had been altered long before he walked into Rekall. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, (more)
Matthew McConaughey stars in this legal thriller as a low-rent defense attorney named Mickey Haller. Most of the time, Mickey barely keeps his head above water, representing low-life clients and working out of the back of his car. He thinks he's landed the case of a lifetime when he's hired to defend a rich playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who stands accused of rape and attempted murder, and eagerly accepts his new client and the massive payoff that's sure to come with him. But Mickey soon discovers that he's become ensnared in a twisted plot where no fee in the world is high enough to pay for the deadly workload, and his only hope of survival may just lay in his own skills as a long-practiced double-crosser. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, (more)
An amiable Navy veteran loses his comfortable job at a big-box store, enrolls in community college, and seeks to reinvent himself while falling for his apathetic speech professor in this romantic comedy re-teaming Academy Award-winning Charlie Wilson's War co-stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Larry Crowne (Hanks) has just been downsized. The unfortunate victim of a failing economy, Larry decides that his best option to avoid becoming idle is to take some classes at his local community college. In no time, Larry befriends a colorful group of moped-obsessed outcasts on the road to self-improvement, and begins working to sharpen his communication skills in a public speaking class taught by Mercedes Tainot (Roberts). Disenchanted with her job and bored in her marriage, Mercedes has begun to feel as if she's missing out on life. But whenever she's with Larry, all of her problems seem to disappear. Now, just as Larry and Mercedes are feeling as if their lives have been put on hold, they both discover that fate sometimes has a way of giving us exactly what we need, at precisely the right time. Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Pam Grier, and George Takei co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, (more)
Steven Soderbergh presents this look at what happens when an infectious disease threatens humanity through varied viewpoints from an ensemble cast, including Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, and Kate Winslet. The Informant's Scott Z. Burns provides the script. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, (more)
- 2011
- NR
- Add Detachment to Queue
An educator and the school where he works are both on the verge of collapse in this hard-hitting drama from director Tony Kaye. Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a gifted teacher whose psyche has been taking a beating -- he still bears emotional scars from his mother's drunken tirades while he was a child, and he's been forced to look after his grandfather (Louis Zorich) as he dies a slow, painful death. Henry has become a substitute teacher rather than fully commit himself to his students, but his latest assignment takes him to a high school where the building is in sad shape and the staff are faring no better. The principal, Carol Dearden (Marcia Gay Harden), is dealing with an unsupportive school board and a hostile husband (Bryan Cranston), Mr. Wiatt (Tim Blake Nelson) is being driven to the edge of a nervous breakdown, Mr. Seaboldt (James Caan) is too cynical to care about his work anymore, and guidance counselor Dr. Parker (Lucy Liu) spends more time insulting the students than helping them. As Barthes struggles to find a reason to continue, two troubled kids break through his wall of ennui -- Meredith (Betty Kaye), an overweight student who is a target for bullies among the students and staff, and Erica (Sami Gayle), a 15-year-old who has sex for money and is used as a punching bag by those around her. Detachment received its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adrien Brody, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
A lone-wolf Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) moonlights as a freelance getaway wheelman, and he finds his solitary existence taking on new meaning after befriending Irene (Carey Mulligan), the lonely wife of convicted felon Standard (Oscar Isaac), and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Standard gets released from prison and is strong-armed into committing a bold daytime robbery, the Driver offers his services in an effort to help the repentant ex-con cut his ties to the criminal underworld. Things get complicated, however, when the robbery goes unexpectedly awry, and the Driver just barely manages to escape alive. When the take from the job proves to be stratospherically higher than the Driver was led to believe, it quickly becomes apparent that they were set up. Later, thugs threaten to kill Irene and Benicio, and all evidence points to transplanted New York crime boss Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and his hot-headed partner Nino (Ron Perlman) as the masterminds. As the Driver attempts to turn the tables on them, it becomes clear that the chain of command goes much higher than he could have ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, (more)
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal comic book series, Batman: Year One, makes its way to the animated small screen with this Warner Premiere production. The story follows James Gordon (voiced by Bryan Cranston) during his early years on the force just as the vigilante Batman (Ben McKenzie) targets both the corrupt police officials and the crime-ridden streets for a clean-up. Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff lead the supporting voice cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Benjamin McKenzie, (more)
Things go from breaking bad to breaking worse for Walter White (Bryan Cranston), the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher, and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), his former student and partner-in-crime, in Season 2 of the drama about two methamphetamine cookers. Having watched drug dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz) "beat a dude to death...for nothing," Walt and Jesse decide they need to cut ties with the psychotic pusher. Impetuous Jesse devises a half-baked plan of attack, but cooler-headed Walt has a more surefire way to get rid of Tuco. Once free of him, Walt and Jesse face a new pair of problems. First, their business takes a financial hit, and second, Walt's brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank (Dean Norris), gets a major break in the investigation into the meth ring-and it just may put Walt and Jesse in his crosshairs. In response, Walt cooks up an elaborate ruse that has him spinning intricate webs of deceit and misdirection, while a rattled Jesse establishes a shaky alibi that places him in Hank's sights. To get their product back on the streets, Jesse organizes a crew of dealers, and one of them is jacked by two drug-addled losers who make off with his stash and cash. Arguably the season's most riveting episode, it ends in a shocking scene of crushing finality. Meanwhile, on the home front, Skyler (Anna Gunn) is extremely concerned about Walt's mysterious disappearances. When he finally makes overtures to reconnect with the family, she keeps him at arm's length, still wondering what he's been up to while he was away. As for Jesse's personal life, he once again finds himself on the streets, and his quest for living quarters not only proves successful, but lands him a girlfriend as well. ~ Ray Stackhouse, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, (more)
When a pudgy, bespectacled seven-year-old, Olive (Abigail Breslin), voices her desire to take home the coveted Little Miss Sunshine crown at an upcoming beauty pageant, her wildly dysfunctional family sets out on an interstate road trip to ensure her a clear shot at realizing her dreams in former music video directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' quirky feature debut, starring Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, and Toni Collette. Despite early career success as an outspoken motivational speaker, family patriarch Richard (Kinnear) continues to cling to his "Refuse to Lose" philosophy, much to the chagrin of his increasingly annoyed spouse, Sheryl (Collette). Add into the mix a Nietzsche-reading teenage son (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence until he finds his fate as a fighter pilot; a horny, heroin-happy grandfather (Alan Arkin) with a penchant for creative profanity; and a suicidal genius (Carell) and Proust scholar still reeling about losing both his male lover and his MacArthur Foundation genius grant -- and the stage is set for a road trip in which sanity is sure to take the back seat. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, (more)
- 2005
- Add Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon to Queue Add Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon to top of Queue
Twelve men who belong to one of the world's most exclusive fraternities -- people who've walked on the surface of the moon -- are paid homage in this documentary. Using newsreel footage, rare NASA photographs, and digitally animated re-creations, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon examines the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 which put astronauts on the moon. In addition to explaining the technological know-how necessary to take our fliers to the moon, the film shares the thoughts of astronauts about what they saw and experienced in space, taken from their speeches and writings and read by a cast of distinguished actors, including Paul Newman, Morgan Freeman, Scott Glenn, Bill Paxton, and many more. Narrated by Tom Hanks (who also co-produced), Magnificent Desolation was shot and originally exhibited using the IMAX high-definition film format. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2004
- PG13
- Add National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion to Queue Add National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion to top of Queue
If you thought your family was crazy, just wait until you meet the Snyders! Upon learning that he has a long-lost cousin living in Idaho, anesthesiologist Mitch Snider (Judge Reinhold) decides to pack up the family wagon and spend the upcoming Thanksgiving getting to know his free-spirited kin. Things go from bad to worse as the conservative Mitch and cousin Woodrow (Bryan Cranston) quickly clash, and between a turkey that won't die and an odd occurrence in the shower, it looks as if Mitch and his family are better off spending the holidays at home -- if they can make it out alive! ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director Michael A. Goorjian's Illusion tells the tale of a dying film director who, after leading a lavish life of fame and fortune, finds out too little too late what it truly means to live and be loved. Mr. Baines (Kirk Douglas) is a Hollywood icon who has agreed to grant one final interview before drifting into that good night. As Mr. Baines drifts wearily in and out of consciousness throughout the course of the interview, his long deceased editor returns to join him in going back over the footage of his life. While Mr. Baines never married, he did father an illegitimate son named Christopher (Goorjian) whom he abandoned as a child and never returned to. Now, on the screen before him, Mr. Baines watches mournfully as the tragic life of his long lost son plays out to its devastating conclusion. Upon viewing the heartbreaking footage Mr. Baines begins to realize that it was his own cowardice that ultimately fed his son's crippling sense of worthlessness and cemented the boy's grim fate. Despite Christopher's lifelong love of his childhood sweetheart Isabelle, an endless series of fateful mishaps constantly seemed to prevent the boy from finding true happiness with the ethereal beauty. As the film of Christopher's life careens towards tragedy time and again, the dying director implores his faithful editor to allow him the final cut that will save the picture. After living a lifetime of missed opportunities, the man who thought he had it all will now attempt to summon the dying might for one last opportunity to let his son know what it truly means to love, and be loved in return. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Michael A. Goorjian, (more)
Directed by Wallace Wolodarsky, Seeing Other People features Jay Mohr and Julianne Nicholson as Ed and Alice, a soon-to-be married couple with one rather significant problem facing them: Alice doesn't think she's had enough sex to excuse settling down with one man for the rest of her life. Though reluctant, Ed agrees, at Alice's insistence, to have a premarital free-for-all of sorts; a period in which both Alice and Ed are allowed to explore sexual and emotional relationships with other people. Complications ensue when it turns out that fooling around with multiple partners as a method of strengthening the sanctity of marriage isn't as easy as it appeared. Seeing Other People also stars Lauren Graham, Bryan Cranston, Josh Charles, and Matthew Davis. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jay Mohr, Julianne Nicholson, (more)
- 2001
- PG
The Ramayana, an enduring classic of Indian literature, comes to the screen in this animated adaptation that combines the visual styles of traditional Indian illustration with the bold look of Japanese animé. Ravan (voice of Tom Wyner) is the intolerant king of Lanka, who is determined to lay claim to any neighboring territories. Ravan, however, has yet to face off against noble King Dasharatha (voice of Mike R. Reynolds), who rules with the help of his sons Lakshman (voice of Richard Cansino) and Ram (voice of Bryan Cranston), the latter possessing magical powers and great strength. Ram is forced to do battle with the evil witch Tataka (voice of Catherine Battistone), but while he emerges victorious and wins the hand of the beautiful Sita (voice of Edie Mirman), a poor choice by King Dasharatha forces Ram and his new bride into exile alongside his brother. While in hiding in the forest, Sita is captured by Ravan, and Ram must find and defeat the corrupt monarch in order to rescue the woman he loves. While produced with the cooperation of Indian filmmakers, The Prince of Light: The Legend of Ramayana tones down the Hindu theological overtones of the original story in favor of its action and adventure-oriented narrative. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Edie Mirman, (more)
- 2001
In this holiday-themed comedy, Danny (Josh Zuckerman) is a teenage boy who doesn't always have the good sense to ignore the bad advice of his Uncle Nick (Bryan Cranston), a good-natured small-time con man. The night before Christmas, Danny and Uncle Nick make an amazing discovery -- Santa Claus has designed a new, state-of-the-art sleigh, and Danny and Nick can't resist the temptation to take it out for a ride. But once they head out, the question becomes: can they get the sleigh back in one piece -- and in time for Santa to deliver his toys? Produced for The Disney Channel, 'Twas the Night first aired on December 7, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Josh Zuckerman, (more)
- 2000
- R
John Ritter stars in this three-part horror anthology as Bob Carter, a real estate salesman trying to sell a home to a pair of young newlyweds. But each of the three available houses has been the site of a grisly murder, and Bob insists on recalling the grim details of each case for his potential customers. In the first story, when a man discovers his wife is having an affair, the cheating wife and her lover murder the husband, but he gets his revenge from beyond the grave. The second story concerns a little girl who finds a lost monkey and insists the family adopt it as a pet. Her father, however, discovers the monkey has a demonic mean streak. And finally, a teenager who has been having horrible visions of brutal murders has to convince his psychiatrist that they may have a basis in fact. Also starring Bryan Cranston, Carmine Giovinazzo, and Rachel York, Terror Tract was released on DVD as a video double-feature with the inventive slasher variant Cherry Falls. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Bryan Cranston, (more)
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