Katie Jacobs Movies
- 2007
Dave Matthews) is cast as Patrick, a mentally challenged musical savant who begins suffering painful hand constrictions during a concert. House (Hugh Laurie) may be able to cure the ailment by alleviating Patrick's neurological disorder--but in the process, the patient may lose his musical genius, thereby imperiling a big fundraising campaign. Meanwhile, the staff is led to believe that House is suffering from brain cancer--especially after he heads out of town to conduct highly suspicious tests on a patient named "Luke N Laura" (the significance of this monicker will of course not be lost on General Hospital fans!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Matthews
- 2007
A married couple flees Cuba by raft so that the wife (Mercedes Renard) can be treated by House (Hugh Laurie). The raft flounders and the couple is rescued by the Coast Guard (to whom this episode is dedicated), but all of her medical records are lost at sea. Though he feigns indifference to the woman's plight, House agrees to treat her very delicate heart condition--and when she suddenly and inexplicably takes a turn for the worse, his first impulse is to blame his staff, an emotional outburst which yields unanticipated consequences. Meanwhile, a last-ditch effort is made to prevent Foreman (Omar Epps) from resigning. This final episode of House's third season comes to a jaw-dropping conclusion when it is revealed that Foreman is not the only clinic staffer who has made a sudden (and apparently permanent) exit! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Although he has recovered from the gunshot wound administered by the husband of a former patient at the end of House's second season, Season Three finds the unabashedly misanthropic Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) still suffering from a plethora of emotional wounds, wracked with self-doubt about his efficiency as a nephrologist specializing in unusual medical cases, and asking himself if he should actually start treating (and regarding) his patients as human beings. This self-reflection doesn't last long, and soon House is his old obnoxious self, the holy terror of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Nor does he let up on the overuse of prescription drugs like Vicodin and Ketamine to ease the agony of his leg pain (an experimental treatment to alleviate the pain this season only makes matters worse). In fact, one of the year's most omnipresent--and ominous--storylines involves a detective named Michael Tritter (David Morse), who enters the clinic as a patient and ends up as Inspector Javert to House's Jean Valjean, dogging the doctor's trail and persecuting his colleagues in hopes of ultimately throwing House in the slammer for drug abuse and falsifying perscriptions. In other major Season Three developments, a romance blossoms between House's longtime associates Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison). And after a medical misjudgment which totally shatters his self-confidence, Princeton-Plainsboro's ace neurologist Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) abruptly resigns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season Two of House begins as the gloriously obnoxious and abrasive Dr. Gregory House, head nephrologist at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, stubbornly (and somewhat perversely) trying to save the life of a seriously ill death-row inmate over the objections of his colleagues. Perhaps House is being more contrary than usual because he doesn't like being forced to work in close quarters with his ex-girlfriend Stacy (Sela Ward). Elsewhere, House's colleague Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is herself faced with a life-or-death crisis when evidence indicates that she is HIV-positive; House's superior-in-name-only Dr. Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) clashes with him over the treatment of a man who suffered an injury while working on Cuddy's roof; neurologist Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) briefly becomes House's boss, with both men pushing the envelope to see which one will go ballistic first; and after separating from his wife, oncologist James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) moves in with House--who despite his anger over having to share his space with anyone is reluctant to let Wilson leave because the guy is such a great cook! And in the two-part episode "Euphoria", House races against time to determine the malady that is causing a wounded policeman to literally laugh himself to death--things getting uncomfortably personal when Foreman begins showing the same symptions! The second ends when House is shot and wounded by the husband of a former patient--and those fans aware of the series' many references to Sherlock Holmes will get a kick out of the name of the assailant. Among the honors bestowed upon House during its second season on the air was the prestigious Peabody Award for "Best of Electronic Media." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, (more)
The misanthropic title character of the Fox hospital series House growls, grunts, glowers, winces and limps his way through a variety of curious and bizarre medical cases during the series' first season on the air. For starters, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) must determine if a schoolteacher is suffering from a fatal tumor that is somehow causing her to speak fluent gibberish. Other patients suffer from hallucinations, the consequences of rough sex, and a apparent case of stigmata. Through it all, House maintains his nasty, abrasive façade, breaking as many rules as humanly possible to get the right results and save the lives of his charges--even those who flat-out don't want to be saved. Among the season's high points is a wager made by Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's dean Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) that House can keep away from his precious Vicodin for a week, which results in unexpected side effects that may adversely affect House's patient. Then there's the story arc involving billionaire Edward Vogler (Chi McBride), who wants to purchase Princeton-Plainsboro and fire House as an economy measure--and, failing that, force the reluctant House to dismiss at least one member of his loyal medical team. Finally, House endures a visit from his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner (Sela Ward), whose husband may be dying and whose lingering presence will vex our "hero" throughout most of the next season. House closed out its successful first season by garnering an Emmy award for series writer-producer David Shore, honoring his teleplay for the episode "Three Stories". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, (more)
- 2004
Arguably the most irritating, infuriating and insufferable TV-series hero of all time, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), infectious disease and nephrology specialist at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey, brought a whole new spectrum of meanings to the words "obnoxious", "abrasive" and "misanthropic". Mercilessly ragging and browbeating colleagues and patients alike (when he actually condescended to speak to them, that is), House trusted absolutely no one, least of all himself. While it could be argued that his incessant anger and sarcasm grew from the fact that his leg was in constant pain, he had only himself to blame for much of the agony because he insisted upon using his cane incorrectly--mainly because it annoyed people when he did so (riding a motorcyle to and from work didn't help his physical wellbeing any either). Add to this the fact that House didn't seem to know what proper grooming was, and that he was addicted to Vicodin and other painkillers and wasn't above forging prescriptions to keep the drugs flowing, and you have a classic example of a sociopathic jerk who under normal circumstances wouldn't be worth the time it took to mention is name. Except for one thing: Dr. House happened to be a genius in his field, his brilliance shining brightest when solving complex medical cases that had thoroughly baffled all the other experts, and correctly diagnosing rare, obscure and highly lethal diseases, literally snatching his patients from the jaws of death at the last moment in many case. There is probably nothing more irksome that someone who thinks he's always right, and who turns out to BE always right: That was House. To his credit, he inspired great loyalty and admiration from his long-suffering staff, including neurologist Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), immunologist/allergist Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and intensivist Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer). And incredible though it seemed, he could boast a good and faithful friend in the form of oncologist Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), perhaps the only person to whom House ever turned for advice. Even his chief antagonist, hospital adminstrator and dean of medicine Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), grudgingly admitted that House always got results, despite her abhorrence of his behavior and methods. Though officially based on an article about a real-life diagonstician who specialized in unusual medical cases, star Hugh Laurie has admitted that the weekly, hour-long medical drama House was also heavily beholden to the "Sherlock Holmes" stories, and certainly the series contained numerous Holmesian elements: The similar surname of aloof, antisocial "detective" who doggedly scrutinized each and every detail of the case at hand, the Watsonlike best friend, and the reliance upon narcotics. As a bonus, several of the supporting character's names were lifted from the Holmes canon: In the very first episode, House's patient was named Adler (as in "Irene"); and when he was shot and wounded by the disgruntled husband of another patient at the end of the series' second season, his assailant was a Mr. Moriarty! Debuting November 16, 2004 on the Fox network, House (official title: House: M.D.) was the recipient of several industry awards, as well as the prestigious Peabody award for "Best of Electronic Media." As if Dr. House gave a damn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Vince Vaughn stars in this drama about a single father trying to balance career ambitions against personal responsibilities. In A Cool Dry Place, Vaughn plays Russell, a lawyer in a small town in Kansas who has been raising his five-year-old son Calvin (Bobby Moat) on his own since his wife Kate (Monica Potter) left him without notice. After a year and a half as a single man, Russell is starting to rebuild his personal life and begins dating Beth (Joey Lauren Adams), a pretty veterinarian's assistant who has taken a shine to him. However, Russell's new relationship runs into rough waters when Kate returns, looking to re-establish her relationship with Calvin, and Russell is offered a high-paying job with a law firm in Dallas, TX. Director John N. Smith, best known for Dangerous Minds, shot the Kansas sequences on location in Ontario, Canada; Dallas, however, plays itself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vince Vaughn, Joey Lauren Adams, (more)
A criminal trying to reform is forced to endure the most humiliating punishment of all -- hanging out with his son -- in this family comedy. Ray Gleason (Ted Danson) is a thief whose ambitions far outstrip both his skill and his intelligence; Ray is just bright enough to have realized this, and he's decided to go straight and open a bake shop (he learned how to decorate cakes during his last stay in prison). However, Ray needs to raise some working capital, so in association with his buddies Bobby (Saul Rubinek) and Carl (Gailard Sartain) he is planning his last heist, in which they hope to walk away with a highly valuable collection of rare coins. Ray also happens to have an 11-year-old son, Timmy (Macaulay Culkin), whose mother died several years ago; Timmy has been living with his aunt, but when she gets married and goes away on her honeymoon, Timmy ends up staying with Ray. Timmy is a lot smarter than his dad and quickly figures out what Ray and his cronies have been up to; he's long felt a great deal of resentment toward his father for not being around when he needed him, so Timmy steals the loot from the robbery and uses it to blackmail Ray into spending some quality time with him. Timmy also thinks that it's high time Ray settled down, so when he notices that Theresa (Glenne Headly), an undercover cop, has been following Ray's trail, Timmy tries to play matchmaker and bring them together. Getting Even with Dad would prove to be the next-to-last screen appearance for former pre-teen superstar Macaulay Culkin; he was 14 when this film was released, and within five years he was a married man attending the Rhode Island School of Design. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Macaulay Culkin, Ted Danson, (more)
Fatal Instinct is an Airplane-style spoof of the late-'80s, early-'90s cycle of erotic crime thrillers. Setting the plot in motion is a kinky murder. Armand Assante plays the cop assigned to the case; he's also the prosecuting attorney; the "Sharon Stone" part is essayed by Sean Young. A dash of Body Heat is thrown in the pot as Assante's wife Kate Nelligan plots her hubby's demise. Tony Randall has a bit as a judge, while the film's semi-mocking jazz score is provided by Clarence Clemmons -- who shows up on screen to toot his sax at various crucial plot junctures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
Composer Richard Parker (Kevin Kline) and his wife Priscilla (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) live an ordinary suburban life until they meet their new neighbors Eddy (Kevin Spacey) and Kay (Rebecca Miller). The two couples become friends until some mate-swapping is suggested by the men. The plot takes a nasty turn, however, when Richard sleeps with Kay -- who turns up, the next morning, bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat. Soon, Richard is charged with the crime and must prove his innocence. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, (more)
A hybrid cross-pollination of a Martin Scorsese and Frank Capra film, this feel-good comic fantasy is loosely based on the real-life story of a New York lottery winner. Anthony LaPaglia stars as Frank Pesce Jr., a New Yorker with a good-luck streak that is unmatched in his Little Italy neighborhood. When Frank throws a pair of dice in a game of chance, he doesn't just toss a winning hand, the dice land on top of each other. When he's stabbed in the chest by a girlfriend's brother, his doctors find a pre-cancerous tumor. Although he tries again and again to get rid of a vehicle he no longer wants, it is retrieved every single time by the authorities. So when New York announces its first statewide lottery in 1976, Frank buys one ticket and immediately becomes everybody's best friend. Unfortunately, Frank's good luck is matched by the equally bad luck of his hard-working father, Frank Sr. (Danny Aiello), who has run up a gambling debt to a local mobster. The wise guy is willing to forgive the note if Frank Jr. will just hand over his sure-to-be lucky ticket, leaving the city's luckiest Italian-American in a bit of a moral quandary. The real Frank Pesce Jr. executive produces and co-stars in 29th Street as his own police officer brother, Vito. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
