Henry Czerny Movies
One of Canada's most respected dramatic actors, Henry Czerny (pronounced ChiERRnee) has earned acclaim on stage, television, and in feature films, both in his native land and in Hollywood. Born and raised in Toronto, Czerny cut his professional teeth on Shakespearean and classical theater following his graduation from Canada's National Theater school in 1982. He also occasionally guest starred on such television shows as Night Heat and Hot Shots. His blood-chilling portrayal of an anguished, pedophiliac priest running an orphanage for young boys in the 1993 CBC-produced miniseries The Boys of St. Vincent provided Czerny with the needed star-making turn. The film was a hit and was released theatrically in the U.S. In 1994, the critically acclaimed role earned Czerny a 1994 Canadian Gemini award for "best performance by an actor in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries." He appeared in other esteemed television films, including Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story, Trial at Fortitude Bay, and Shattered Vows. Czerny entered feature films with small supporting roles in the Canadian-produced police thrillers A Man in Uniform and Cold Sweat (both 1993). He got his break in Hollywood after playing an incestuous father in the CBS telemovie Ultimate Betrayal: The Rodgers Sisters Story (1994). Shortly after signing to the William Morris Agency, he was cast as the manipulative and clever chief of CIA operations opposite Harrison Ford in Clear and Present Danger (1994). The film was a smash hit. Czerny has subsequently been kept very busy, appearing in Canadian and Hollywood feature films and in television movies. His film credits include Jenipapo (1995), Mission: Impossible (1996), The Ice Storm (1997), and Kayla (1998). He continued to work steadily in the 21st century on both the big and small screen in projects such as Possessed, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the remake of The Pink Panther, The Showtime series The Tudors, and the big-screen adaptation of The A-Team. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
A conservative Presbyterian mother reaches out to the gay community for support after driving her homosexual son to suicide in this made-for-television movie adapted from Leroy Aaron's 1995 novel. Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelley) hails from a devoutly Christian family. Lately Bobby's been questioning his own sexuality, and upon confiding this information to his older brother, the news quickly circulates to their parents and other siblings. While Bobby's father and siblings resolve to stand by him despite their opposition to his startling revelation, his mother Mary (Sigourney Weaver) believes that her son is committing a sin, and encourages him to change his ways with the help of the church. Despondent over his experiences in the church, Bobby decides that his best option is to move out of the family home, all the while hoping that his mother will find a means of accepting him for who he is. But Mary is staunch in her position, and when Bobby realizes he'll never live up to his mother's expectations he takes his own life. Devastated, Mary seeks consolation from her pastor but fails to find the answers she's looking for. In time, Mary begins a dialogue with the gay community, and discovers that sometimes support can come from the places we least expect. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, (more)
The Tudors presents the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII's nearly 40 year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547). In addition to his famous female consorts and 20+ year marriage to Catherine of Aragon to the infamous dalliance with Anne Boleyn, the series delves in to Henry's most notable political relationship and the deconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church in England.
- Starring:
- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Sam Neill, (more)
- 2003
American filmmaker Tim Hunter (River's Edge) directs the dark comedy The Failures, shot in HD video with a script from first-time screenwriter Hal Haberman. Chad Lindberg plays William, an alcoholic who works as a parking lot attendant. He makes up comic book stories about antidepressant drugs that come to life in the form of superheroes Depressor (Michael Ironside) and Elatia (Heather Marie Marsden). Ashley Johnson plays Lilly, a former cheerleader who starts to hate life after her mother commits suicide. William and Lilly start up a romance of sorts. The Failures was shown at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival as part of the market screenings. It also stars Babylon 5 cult figure Claudia Christian. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ashley Johnson, Chad Lindberg, (more)
In the tradition of Arthur Miller's McCarthy-era play The Crucible, this two-part TV dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials was heavily influenced by the present-day political scene. Rev. Parris (Henry Czerny), spiritual leader of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, needs a unifying issue to end the intramural squabbling between the town's Puritans. When the daughters of Ann and Thomas Putnam (Kirstie Alley and Jay O. Sanders) begin behaving in a bizarre, disruptive fashion, Parris knows that he has found something that can be transformed into a target of unilateral hatred for his flock. Before long, the Putnam girls and the family's servant Titubea (Gloria Reuben) have been labeled as witches, and eventually the hysteria spreads throughout the town, with anyone who doesn't agree with the status quo running the risk of public ostracism, and ultimately, execution for witchcraft (the eventual fate of 20 unfortunates). The climax is devoted to the notorious witch trials, staged at the behest of the Massachusetts colony's politically ambitious deputy governor (Peter Ustinov). Shirley MacLaine makes a rare TV appearance as the ill-fated Rebecca Nurse. Salem Witch Trials was presented by CBS on March 2 and 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Shirley MacLaine, (more)
A thief gains an unlikely fan in a security specialist in this independent comedy. Emily (Meredith Bishop) is a young woman who isn't sure what she wants to do with her life; while she has fuzzy goals of becoming an artist, she's most concerned with convincing her mother (Leigh Taylor-Young) and her analyst (Michael Nouri) that everything is just fine. But Emily has discovered a way to take her mind off of her anxieties -- shoplifting. She steals for enjoyment rather than necessity, and her graceful work at a department store has earned her the admiration of Nick (Jsu Garcia), head of the store's security team. Nick is sick of his job and wants to start his own business; however, a seemingly foolproof get-rich-quick scheme has backfired, leaving him deep in debt to a Russian gangster (Henry Czerny). Rather than have Emily arrested, Nick persuades her to go out with him, and as a tentative relationship grows between the two, they decide to team up for a raid on the store after Nick is fired from his job. Klepto was the first feature film from director and screenwriter Thomas Trail. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meredith Bishop, Jsu Garcia, (more)
- 2002
Based on a novel by Jodi Picoult, the made-for-cable The Pact is the story of two neighboring families, the Golds and the Hartes. Best friends for decades, Melanie Gold (Megan Mulally) and Gus Harte (Juliet Stevenson) have managed to envelop their husbands and their children in this strong and seemingly unbreakable bond of friendship. All this changes in a devastatingly tragic fashion when Melanie's daughter Emily (Meghann Henderson) and Gus's son Christopher (Eric Lively), who have grown up together, enter high school. For reasons that are not fully explained at first, Emily and Gus enter into an apparent suicide pact; ultimately, shots are fired, Emily dies, and Chris is put on trial for murder. Capped by a genuinely surprising denoument, The Pact made its Lifetime Network debut on November 4, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
As the result of a freak accident, Jay Berman (Barclay Hope) lies comatose in a hospital bed. Despite the admonitions of friends, family members and medical experts, Jay's steadfast wife, Lainey (Rebecca De Mornay), and the couple's young daughters refuse to accept the negative prognosis that Jay will never snap out of his coma, tenaciously holding on to the faint hope that he will somehow revive before the Christmas holidays. During her long vigil in the hospital, Lainey befriends Ted Merrick (Henry Czerny), whose own wife is in an irreversible coma, and whose response to the tragedy provides a startling contrast to Lainey's unswerving faith. Meanwhile, Lainey's loyal best friend, Alice (Melanie Mayron), experiences marital strife of a different variety as she tries to keep the Berman family's spirits up. Adapted from a novel by former nurse Elizabeth Berg, the made-for-cable Range of Motion was shown over the Lifetime network on December 4, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Armistead Maupin's colorful saga of life in San Francisco in the 1970s continues in this miniseries, the third following the characters of his serialized novel Tales of the City, which follows the story into 1981. After his relationship with Jon Fielding (Bill Campbell) comes to an end, Michael Tolliver (Paul Hopkins) throws himself back into dating, while Prue Giroux (Mary Kay Place) finds herself in a similar situation after her divorce. Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney) finds that moving ahead in her career in local television is an uphill battle, while her boyfriend Brian Hawkins (Whip Hubley) is feeling the strain of adjusting to his new job while staying faithful to Mary Ann. And DeDe (Barbara Garrick) has some startling news for Mary Ann that could have a major impact on her life. Produced for the Showtime premium cable network, Further Tales of the City also stars Olympia Dukakis, Bruce McCulloch, Henry Czerny, Sandra Oh, Parker Posey, Scott Thompson, and Joel Grey. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Olympia Dukakis, Paul Hopkins, (more)
This made-for-cable drama was adapted from the true story of the only exorcism sanctioned by the Catholic church to be performed in America in the 20th century. Father Bowdern (Timothy Dalton) is a Jesuit priest and military veteran still dealing with the emotional traumas of World War II as he tends to his flock in St. Louis in 1949. A strange case comes to Bowdern's attention -- a boy named Robbie who has strange markings on his body and appears to be under the influence of some otherworldly spirit. Robbie's family believes the child has been possessed by a demon, and in time Bowdern agrees. After receiving the consent of the Vatican, Bowdern attempts the torturous process of casting out the demon, which proves to be as much a test of his own powers as those of the devil. Possessed also stars Piper Laurie, Christopher Plummer, and Henry Czerny. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Timothy Dalton, Christopher Plummer, (more)
This Canadian movie about a boy and his dog during the early 1920s is set in the countryside southeast of Montreal. Twelve-year-old Sam MacKenzie (Tod Fennell) is the son of an Arctic explorer who vanished in the tundra. His mother Althea (Bronwen Booth) has remarried, but Sam isn't as close to his stepfather, country doc Asa Robinson (Henry Czerny), as he is to the wolf-like dog Kayla. Sam builds a dog sled to enter a race with Kayla, but he soon is stunned to learn a request was made to have local authorities kill Kayla. Peter Behrens' screenplay is based on the novel by Elizabeth Van Steenwik. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tod Fennell, Henry Czerny, (more)
- 1998
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One of the most sensational crime stories of the 1950s was the murder trial of Cleveland doctor Sam Sheppard, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his wife. Though he protested his innocence and insisted that he'd seen a "curly-haired man" leaving his house on the night of the crime, Sheppard was condemned in the court of public opinion long before the judge handed out his sentence. (This true story served as the basis for the long-running TV series The Fugitive.) Years later, Sheppard was released from prison after it was determined that he hadn't had a fair trial, but his name was never officially cleared. Forty years after the death of his mother, Sheppard's son Sam Reese made it his mission in life to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that his father was innocent. In this TV movie adaptation of the younger Sheppard's autobiographical book, Peter Strauss is seen as Dr. Sam Sheppard, and Henry Czerny as Sam Reese. My Father's Shadow: The Sam Sheppard Story made its CBS network bow on November 17, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Strauss, Henry Czerny, (more)
- 1998
Delroy Lindo and Henry Czerny star in this TNT Original about Matthew Henson, the unsung hero of Robert Peary's historic expedition to the North Pole. Shown from the vantage point of Henson, an African American who began the journey as Peary's valet, the film explores his role in the expedition, eventually painting him as its most valuable member. Unfortunately, after completing their successful journey, Peary earned international fame while Henson was all but relegated to obscurity. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- 1996
Comic actor Bob Saget served as producer and director of this made-for-TV film, inspired by the true story of Saget's sister Gay, who died in 1994 at the age of 47. Despite the pressures of single motherhood, schoolteacher Hope Altman (Dana Delany) seems to have her life in order until she is diagnosed with scleroderma, a disfiguring skin disease that causes her body's connective tissues to stiffen and atrophy, and will eventually paralyze her while eating away at her vital organs. There is no cure for scleroderma, and the survival rate is tragically low--and worse, neither the medical community nor the general public has a firm grasp on understanding the disease and its many victims (500,000, mostly female, in the United States alone). The film chronicles the manner in which Hope and her family handle the nightmarish situation, often with what Saget described as "irreverence and dark humor" (At one point, Hope's brother Alan--a comedy writer--quips that scleroderma sounds like "a deli entrée"). Sharon Monsky, who at the time ran one of the most prominent organizations for those suffering from scleroderma, appears briefly as herself. For Hope originally aired over the ABC network on November 17, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
Canadian defense attorney Gina Antonelli (Lolita Davidovitch) takes on her most unusual case--and her biggest professional challenge--when she agree to defend Pauloosie (Paul Gordon), a 19-year-old Inuit living in a remote Arctic village. Accused of sexual assault of a minor, Pauloosie has by the standards of his people alrady done penance for his crime (which in his eyes was not a crime), pleading unconditional guilt and offering a gift of atonement to the girl's family. But ambitious prosecutor Daniel Metz (Henry Czerny) intends to make an example of Pauloosie by demanding the maximum sentence under Canadian law, a move that has divided the region's political interests straight down the middle. It is up to Gina to burrow through a maddening maze of cultural conflicts and arrive at a legal decision that will satisfy both the government and the natives--and also will assure the fairest amount of justice for the stoic Pauloosie. Produced for Canadian television in 1994, Trial at Fortitude Bay first aired in the US over the Lifetime cable network on March 15, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
- Add Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story to Queue Add Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story to top of Queue
Dana Delany stars in this made-for-TV movie as Margaret Sanger, a nurse who, in 1914, became a pioneering crusader for women's reproductive rights after she published a booklet on birth control techniques that flew in the face of a law established by Anthony Comstock (Rod Steiger) forbidding the dissemination of information on contraception. Sanger later helped to establish America's first birth control clinic in 1916, and in 1925 was one of the founders of Planned Parenthood. Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story also stars Henry Czerny and Julie Khaner.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dana Delany, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1995
When government tax-auditor Alex Hartwell is sent to the hamlet of Walton to check the books of the Turnbull Chemical company, the last thing he expects is to find himself involved in corruption, murder, romantic mayhem and intrigue in this darkly slapstick Canadian comedy. Things go amiss right from the start when he arrives and finds that his pre-booked hotel room has been taken and he must then stay in the creepy, ramshackle Michelle Apartments in a room that belonged to a woman who died the night before he arrived. After settling into the unsettling place, Alex sends out his laundry and it comes back with a pair of purple undies belonging to Madeline, his seductive neighbor, who is married to a mentally unstable and insanely jealous Dean. Prior to Alex's arrival, Dean was incarcerated for fighting with his wife. The next day Alex meets with company-president Mr. Turnbull and finds him a few-cents-short-of-a-dollar. As he talks to the crazy CEO, he begins suspecting that the fellow has frequently helped himself to the company coffers. Later that night, Alex ends up necking with Madleine. Unfortunately, they are caught in mid-smooch by Dean who has just been released from the slammer. It's downhill from there and murderous chaos reigns. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1995
The fate of a remote Brazilian province will be determined by the passage of a reclamation bill. If the bill goes through the land will be destroyed. Fortunately, Father Stephen Lewis is working hard to stop it. For months he has led numerous high-profile protests, but then just a few days before the assembly retires to decide the bill, he simply vanishes. This off-beat political thriller chronicles the attempts of American reporter Michael Coleman to find the radical priest and interview him. Coleman, who works for a paper in Rio, is obsessed with finding Father Lewis for over the months the two have developed a tempestuous, argumentative relationship over the phone. Privately, Coleman wonders if the outspoken priest's actions mask ulterior motives. Still, he cannot help but respect the father's charisma and drive. So desperate is Coleman to find Lewis, that he stops at nothing, calling in every favor, and even resorting to dirty tricks. In the end it is his blatant abuse of media power that manages to keep the would-be land-grabbers from succeeding. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Czerny
- 1994
A family is torn apart when two adult sisters decide to take their father to court for sexually abusing them as children. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlo Thomas, Mel Harris, (more)
- 1993
Ben Cross plays hit man with the vestiges of a conscience in Cold Sweat. After killing the wrong person, Cahill (Cross) is all for packing it in. He agrees to one more murder, only to find that the people he's dealing with are far more morally bankrupt than he. The intended victim is a nasty businessman who is cuckolding not only his partner, but also Cahill's contact. The sex is a lot more intense than the violence in Cold Sweat, which just might explain the title. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shannon Tweed, Ben Cross, (more)
- 1992
Brian Dennehy makes one of his many TV-movie appearances as Chicago homicide cop John Reed in the two-part Deadly Matrimony. Reed's quarry this time is mob lawyer Treat Williams, who murders his wife and then effectively covers his tracks. The closer Reed comes to the truth, the more he's in jeopardy of losing his job (and possibly his life) thanks to Williams' friends in high places. Based on a true story, part one of Deadly Matrimony was first telecast on November 22, 1992. In part two, which debuted November 23, Reed is victimized by the crooked cops under Williams' thumb, but refuses to knuckle under to mob pressure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Lisa Eilbacher, (more)
- 1992
In this drama, based on a true story, an unconventional New England principal tries some radical new techniques to reform his high school and ends up unemployed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Tucker, Jill Eikenberry, (more)
In a 1950s-era alternate universe where domesticated zombies play a functional role in society by delivering the milk, carrying the mail, and even helping out with household chores, one boy is about to find out just how big of a personal responsibility "pet" ownership truly is. When the Earth passed through a cloud of space dust and the dead arose from their graves to devour the flesh of the living, it first seemed that all hope for humanity was lost. Society's rapid slide into chaos, however, was soon halted when scientists at a company called ZomCom created a special collar that turned the rampaging animated corpses docile. Now, thanks to ZomCom, everything is under control -- or is it? Timmy Robinson (K'Sun Ray) isn't quite convinced. Quiet and withdrawn, the skeptical young boy spends so much time locked away in his room that he's almost become invisible around the household. His mother Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) has recently purchased a zombie to help keep things tidy around the house though, and when the creature attempts to engage the curious youngster in a game of catch, a friendship is forged between boy and zombie that finds the amiable gut-muncher nicknamed Fido (Billy Connolly) practically becoming a part of the family. Things take a turn for the worse however, when Fido's collar malfunctions and Timmy's neighbors begin dying in droves. When ZomCom's top zombie control specialist Mr. Bottoms (Henry Czerny) moves in across the street from Timmy, the increasingly complicated situation threatens to place a serious stumbling block in the path of human-zombie relations. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Kaye, Jan Skorzewski, (more)
Two mismatched lawmen are on the trail of an unusually talented criminal in this crime thriller. Quentin Conners (Jason Statham) is a veteran police detective who is less than pleased when he's assigned a new partner, Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe). While Conners has been with the force for years, Dekker is a rookie, and it doesn't take Conners long to realize his partner has a lot to learn about the nuts and bolts of investigation. However, the two are forced to put aside their differences when they're given an important new case to crack -- a brilliant thief (Wesley Snipes) has masterminded a series of high-stakes bank heists, and the police are baffled as to how he seems to know what they're up to just as soon as they do. Chaos also stars Justine Waddell as a police officer who has become involved with one of the detectives. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, (more)
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