Brad Silberling Movies
A director who has distinguished himself on television as well as in feature films, Brad Silberling was born on September 8, 1963. The son of a television producer, Silberling studied his craft at the U.C.L.A. Film School, but began his career a year before graduating, landing a job as a production assistant on a children's television special in 1986. A short film he wrote and directed, Repairs, attracted the attention of executives at Universal Studios, and he was given a development deal with the studio. The deal failed to lead to a feature-film project, but his work did attract the attention of noted television producer Steven Bochco, who gave Silberling work directing episodic television. Silberling worked on a number of top television programs, directing installments of L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D., Civil Wars, NYPD Blue, and The Byrds of Paradise. Silberling's work on the acclaimed series Brooklyn Bridge attracted the attention of Steven Spielberg, who gave him his first feature-film assignment, directing Spielberg's production of Casper, based on the popular comic books and cartoon series about a friendly young ghost. The film was a box-office success, and Silberling moved on to a more serious project, City of Angels, an Americanized remake of Wim Wenders' Himmel Uber Berlin. While City of Angels was a major box-office success, Silberling continued to work on quality television projects, including episodes of Felicity and Judging Amy. In his personal life, Silberling was once romantically attached to actress Rebecca Schaeffer, and the couple were dating when Schaeffer was murdered by a disturbed fan in 1989. In the long standing tradition of artists channeling their pain and grief into works of remarkable beauty, Silberling used his memories of his former girlfriend's tragic and untimely death as the basis for his next feature, Moonlight mile (2002). A tender and touching tale of loss and the power of human connection, Moonlight Mile proved a positive experience for stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon in addition to drawing some of the best reviews of Siberling's career. More happily, Silberling fell in love with actress Amy Brenneman while working with her on the series NYPD Blue, and they became husband and wife in 1995. ~ All Movie Guide
This big-screen adaptation of Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall, a quantum paleontologist who has been discredited in the scientific world due to his strident belief in time travel as the cure for all of humanity's problems. After hitting an all-time low, giving a lecture to elementary school kids, Dr. Marshall meets an ambitious young scientist named Holly (Anna Friel), who tells him she has followed all his work and believes he's a genius. Spurred on by her enthusiasm, he finishes building the device that will allow him to time travel -- something he promptly does along with Holly, and white-trash fireworks salesman Will (Danny McBride), after Will leads them into a cave that seems like a promising place to test the new machine. They end up in a world full of dinosaurs, sand, and scary lizard-like creatures known as Sleestacks. They quickly lose the machine that brought them to this alternate universe, and if they ever want to return home, the trio must recover it with the help of Chaka (Jorma Taccone), the monkey-like friend they make in this strange place. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, (more)
A aging Hollywood icon whose fear of failure has smouldered his once-luminous star strikes up an unlikely friendship with an acid tongued checkout clerk while researching his latest role in City of Angels and Moonlight Mile director Brad Siberling's intimate drama. Crippled by his own, all-consuming fears, the man who was once Hollywood's hottest icon (Morgan Freeman) is forced to consider a role in a low-budget independent after a series of more lucrative prospects wither away on the vine. When his driver abandons him during a trip to Carson to research his upcoming role, the one-time showbiz supernova strikes up a lively conversation with Scarlet (Paz Vega), the outspoken check-out girl at a Latino community market. Now, stuck on his own far from Brentwood, the actor must rely upon the kindness of a common stranger to help him get back on his feet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, Paz Vega, (more)
- 2004
- PG
- Add Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events to QueueAdd Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events to top of Queue
The best-selling series of subversive children's books from author Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) come to the screen in this black comedy for the whole family (and how often do you get to see one of those?). The Baudelaire siblings -- gadget freak Violet (Emily Browning), bookworm Klaus (Liam Aiken), and baby Sunny (Kara Hoffman and Shelby Hoffman) -- were living a fairy-tale existence with their parents until they died in a fire that destroyed the family home. With few close relatives and a large fortune the children won't inherit until they reach adulthood, the Baudelaire children are left in the care of the peculiar Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an out-of-work actor who would love nothing more than to get his hands on the kids' money. It doesn't take long for the children to figure out that Count Olaf is up to no good, and they try to steer clear of his various murderous schemes with the help of wildly paranoid Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep) and snake-fancying Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly). Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events also features Catherine O'Hara, Timothy Spall, Cedric the Entertainer, and Luis Guzman; Jude Law narrates in the guise of author Snicket. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, (more)
Frequent television director Brad Silberling directs the romantic drama Moonlight Mile. Set in a Massachusetts town in the early '70s, Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) is distraught after the death of his fiancée. He moves in with her parents, Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and JoJo (Susan Sarandon), while trying to sort out all of the legal troubles and painful details of the wedding cancellations. While trying to locate the wedding invitations in the mail, Joe meets Bertie (Ellen Pompeo), whose boyfriend has been MIA in Vietnam. Despite his growing relationship with his late fiancée's parents, Joe begins to foster a romance with Bertie. Also starring Dabney Coleman and Holly Hunter. Moonlight Mile is based on Brad Silberling's real-life situation following the murder of his TV-star girlfriend Rebecca Schaeffer. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, (more)
An angel must decide if love is more important than eternal peace in this Americanized adaptation of Wim Wenders' modern classic Wings of Desire. Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an angel who hovers over the city of Los Angeles, listening to people's thoughts, observing their lives, and guiding them to the next world when they die. While Seth and his fellow angels try to offer comfort to people as they can, they are discouraged from direct contact with humans and are usually invisible to them. While at a hospital, Seth sees Maggie (Meg Ryan), a dedicated heart surgeon who attempts to save the life of a patient Seth was to call upon. Maggie is distraught after the patient passes, and her agony touches something inside the reserved Seth; he finds himself falling in love with her, and he decides to make himself visible so he can communicate with her. As Maggie gets to know the strange visitor in black who has suddenly appeared in her life, she finds herself torn between her new feelings for Seth and her attachment to her fiancé Jordan (Colm Feore), a fellow doctor. Seth, on the other hand, has a serious choice to make -- between immortality and giving it up in order to know both the pleasures and pains of being a human being. City of Angels also stars Dennis Franz as Messinger, a patient at the hospital who has some important advice for Seth. The film's soundtrack featured two Top Ten hits, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls and "Uninvited" by Alanis Morissette. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, (more)
- 1996
Detective Stu Morrissey (Conor O'Farrell) thinks that a father knows more than he's letting on about a missing baby. Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) makes a bet that he can lose more weight than Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) campaigns to be elected the squad's union delegate. Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) has a run-in with Henry (Willie Garson) when a woman is killed outside the building Simone inherited from Henry's aunt. And Bobby and Dianne Russell (Kim Delaney) talk over their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the popular cartoon character, this family-oriented "ghost story" is about a not-so-scary spirit who bonds with a little girl (Christina Ricci). The eternally irritable Ms. Carrigan (Cathy Moriarty) discovers that the only thing she's been left in her recently departed father's will is a rickety old house in New England. Naturally, the woman is furious about this, until her "close personal friend" and assistant, Dibbs (Eric Idle of Monty Python fame), discovers a secret message that a treasure may be concealed somewhere in the house. The two take off for Maine, only to learn that the house is haunted by Casper "the friendly ghost" and his three ghostly uncles Stinky, Stretch, and Fatso. After futilely recruiting an exorcist (Don Novello, more or less reviving his Father Guido Sarducci character from Saturday Night Live) and a "professional ghost exterminator" (Dan Aykroyd), she brings in a "ghost psychiatrist" (Bill Pullman) and his daughter Kat (Ricci). Innocently attracted to the young girl, Casper befriends Kat as they try to save the ghosts' home from the evil Carrigan. Eye-popping special effects highlight this magical story that touches (albeit lightly) on the theme of what lies at the heart of human desires. Clint Eastwood, Rodney Dangerfield, Mel Gibson and The Crypt Keeper (of Tales from the Crypt) all make cameos as apparitions in the mirror Bill Pullman looks into in the house. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, (more)
- 1993
Kelly (David Caruso) investigates when one of his friends is killed and another arrested after a fracas during a pickup basketball game. Still prosecuting the Giardella case, Laura (Sherry Stringfield) senses that she is somehow being set up. Sipowicz suspects that a man whose wife was murdered is withholding evidence. And Janice (Amy Brenneman) saves Kelly's life during a drug bust. This was the first NYPD Blue episode directed by Bradley Silberling, who subsequently married series regular Amy Brenneman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) draws what seems to be the easiest duty of the week: tracking down the Academy Award statuette stolen from a veteran screenwriter. Meanwhile, Sipowicz's colleagues investigate the brutal slaying of a wealthy family, and Janice (Amy Brenneman) is again ordered to infiltrate the Mob. This last turn of events doesn't sit well with Kelly (David Caruso), who has a bitter confrontation with Janice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
