David Atkinson Movies

2006  
PG13  
Add Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest to QueueAdd Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest to top of Queue
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) returns to the screen for another round of supernatural adventures on the high seas in this spirited sequel to the 2003 Disney hit, which re-teams original director Gore Verbinski with original screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. As Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) prepare to exchange vows at the altar, their wedding plans hit rough waters with the arrival of sea-bound scallywag Jack Sparrow. It seems that Sparrow owes a substantial blood debt to half-octopus sea captain Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), and that the only way for the flamboyant sea rover to elude the wrath of his otherworldly pursuer is to seek the aid of mysterious and powerful voodoo priestess Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), whose ability to resurrect the dead and gaze into the future may provide just the advantage needed to avoid a waterlogged fate in the locker of his legendary nemesis. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Johnny DeppOrlando Bloom, (more)
2006  
PG13  
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A regular guy finds out just how hard breaking up can truly be when attempting to call it quits with a clingy female crime fighter who doesn't want to let love die in director Ivan Reitman's super-powered romantic comedy. Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) was looking for love when he first met pretty brunette Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), and at the time it seemed as if he may had finally actually found it. Jenny isn't just your typical girl, though, because despite her outwardly normal appearance she is actually a powerful superhero dedicated to ridding the streets of crime. Her outward strength betrays a deep-rooted insecurity, too, and when Jenny begins to become a bit too possessive for Matt's laid-back taste, the troubled boyfriend does his best to end the relationship amicably. They say that breaking up isn't easy to do, however, and when your girlfriend is a superhero, that sentiment holds twice the truth as it does under any normal circumstances. Matt is determined to get on with his life, though, and as his budding romance with beautiful co-worker Hannah (Anna Faris) begins to get serious, jealous Jenny scornfully slips into G-Girl mode to prove that hell hath no fury like a woman superhero scorned. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Uma ThurmanLuke Wilson, (more)
2005  
 
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of a series starring John Larroquette as McBride (no first name), a hard-nosed cop turned compassionate defense lawyer, specializing in "lost causes." A brutal murder has been committed, and the victim is prominent Beverly Hills madam Heather Bradley. The most likely suspect (who of course is McBride's client) is virginal Omaha girl Marilyn Fletcher (Claire Coffee), a failed actress who out of desperation became a call girl, and who may have been seeking vengeance against Heather after her first "John", who was supposed to have been gentle and respectable, turned out to be anything but. Poring through the dead woman's cryptic e-mails, McBride finds out that she was not only a procurer, but also a big-time blackmailer--and thus the suspect list grows by leaps and bounds! McBride: It's Murder, Madam debuted March 4, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2005  
 
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of a series starring John Larroquette as McBride (no first name), a hard-nosed cop turned compassionate defense lawyer, specializing in "lost causes." This time, McBride's client is Leo Eckert (David Bowe), who is convinced that he accidentally shot and killed his therapist George Prescott (Richard Fancy) after Prescott double-crossed him during Eckert's courtroom efforts to gain custody of his child. Rushing to the "murder scene", McBride finds that Prescott's body has disappeared--and in fact keeps on disappearing no matter where it turns up. Confronted with a plethora of suspects who like Eckert had more than enough reason to want the therapist dead, McBride comes to the conclusion that Eckert may have shot Prescott when the victim was already dead--then fine-tunes his conclusion a bit when it begins to look like Prescott may still be alive! Gigi Rice, who'd costarred with John Larroquette on the latter's eponymous sitcom of the early 1990s, make a significant guest appearance. McBride: The Doctor Is Out...Really Out first aired on June 12, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2005  
PG13  
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One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in this historical drama. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh (David O'Hara) of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke's most valuable allies is Tristan (James Franco), Marke's protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland's presence in England, Tristan has a secret he's been hiding from Marke -- after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), King Donnchadh's daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when King Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation's greatest warriors, with an extreme and rather personal surprise in store for Tristan.
Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
James FrancoSophia Myles, (more)
2005  
 
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of a series starring John Larroquette as McBride (no first name), a hard-nosed cop turned compassionate defense lawyer, specializing in "lost causes." Serving on a jury in the trial of Claire Harriman (Paula Trickey), McBride is not persuaded that Claire attempted to poison her business-tycoon husband. Though the proceedings end in a mistrial, Claire's reputation is in tatters, and she turns to Bride in hopes of proving her innocence during the inevitable retrial. Although it turns out that practically everyone who knew Claire's late husband--especially the members of his immediately family--had ample motive and opportunity to bump him off, McBride begins to wonder if he has allowed his heart to rule his head, and that Claire may just be guilty after all. McBride: Murder Past Midnight initially aired February 4, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2004  
PG13  
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Directed by Mike Mitchell, Surviving Christmas finds Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) uneager to spend another lonely Christmas in his own home. Longing for holidays past, Drew travels to his childhood home intending to relive the experience of a family Christmas -- unfortunately, his family no longer lives there. This represents only a small snafu to Drew, who offers the Valco patriarch and his wife (Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) a huge amount of money if they consent to pretend they are his parents and that he is a cherished member of the family. This entails participating in Latham family traditions, such as Christmas tree selection and crowded holiday shopping excursions. Though the Valcos reluctantly go along with Drew's requests, Alicia, their eldest daughter, arrives at home and refuses to comply with her "brother's" wishes. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Ben AffleckJames Gandolfini, (more)
2003  
 
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Unjustly arrested and sentenced to a 99-year-term, grizzled half-breed bounty hunter John McKay (Burt Reynolds) is serving hard time in Yuma Territorial Prison when he is swept up in a prison break engineered by sadistic vigilante leader Billy Bucklin (David Figlioli). Once on the outside, Bucklin and his brigands cut a swath of terror and murder throughout the Arizona Territory, then head to Mexico, there to link up with a despotic revolutionary leader. Given an opportunity to redeem himself by helping track down and capture Bucklin, McKay reluctant teams with ageing Sheriff Nate Hutchinson (Bruce Dern) -- the very man who sent McKay up in the first place. Among McKay and Hutchinson's tiny posses are feisty Liz Kennedy (Amy Jo Johnson), who after her family is murdered by Bucklin has a personal score to settle (if she can ever get accustomed to riding a horse or wielding a rifle, that is), and Hutchinson's deputy Joshua (Seth Peterson), McKay's own son. The made-for-cable Western Hard Ground premiered July 12, 2003, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2003  
 
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The old "wrong person answers the 'object-matrimony' ad" story device was refreshingly brought up to date in this made-for-TV romance. Jilted by her boyfriend, professional photographer Jordan Donovan (Teri Polo) decides that her problem is one of bad location; though a New Yorker for several years, she still feels like a fish out of water. Meanwhile, Jordan's roommate, Laurie (Patricia Kalember), ever searching for a suitable mate, has put an ad in the personals column of a national magazine. When a widowed rancher answers the ad, Jordan (with Laurie's blessing) answers the letter herself and heads to Wyoming. Upon meeting Jordan, taciturn rancher Tyler Ross (Andrew McCarthy) is disappointed, and lashes out with a steady stream of preconceptions about New York girls. Recoiling, Jordan lets Tyler know exactly what she thinks of "cowboys." Naturally, this means that the two lonely people are crazy about each other -- but before a happy ending can transpire, Tyler must overcome a profound feeling of guilt over his first wife's death, fueled by his spiteful father-in-law. Originally slated to debut over the Hallmark Channel on February 14, 2002, Straight from the Heart was curiously held back for nearly a year, finally premiering on February 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Teri PoloAndrew McCarthy, (more)
2000  
PG13  
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The true story of the formation of the Texas Rangers provides the backdrop for this youth-oriented Western. In 1875, after the Civil War, Leander McNelly (Dylan McDermott) organizes the Texas Rangers to battle the outlaws terrorizing Texas, notably crime kingpin John King Fisher (Alfred Molina). With a team of experienced gunmen (Robert Patrick and Randy Travis) and enthusiastic but green recruits (James Van Der Beek, Usher Raymond, and Ashton Kutcher), McNelly and his Rangers bring law and order to the wild Texas plains; McNelly must also keep order among his charges when two rangers fall in love with the same woman, Caroline Dukes (Rachael Leigh Cook). Tom Skerritt and Vincent Spano are also featured in the supporting cast; the screenplay, adapted from a script by John Milius, was at one time set to be filmed by Sam Peckinpah, shortly before the legendary Western director's death in 1984. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
James Van Der BeekDylan McDermott, (more)
1980  
 
In the late 1970s, Grendel by John Gardner was a highbrow best-seller that everyone with pretensions to intellectual sophistication was reading. In it, the author retold the epic Anglo-Saxon hero myth of Beowulf from the point of view of the monster the hero killed, rather than from the hero's vantage point. In so doing, he scored numerous points about the violence and intolerance of human beings and raised more profound philosophical issues. This animated feature was adapted from Gardner's book and never quite found its audience; too simplified for the literati, it was definitely not a children's feature and was not aimed at mainstream audiences. Taken on its own merits however, reviewers lamented that it deserved a better fate than the obscurity to which it was consigned. Peter Ustinov provides the voice for the beleaguered monster. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Peter UstinovKeith Michell, (more)
1957  
 
The prestigious CBS dramatic anthology The U.S. Steel Hour digressed from its usual format to present this lively musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of manners, The Importance of Being Earnest. The story, about two love struck young men who both pretend to bear the name of Earnest to please their respective sweethearts, remains substantially the same. However, the emphasis is shifted away from nominal leading man John Worthing (David Atkinson) and his aristocratic fiancée, Gwendolen Fairfax (Louise Troy), so that the characters of scampish Algernon Moncrieff and impressionable ingénue Cecily Cardew become the major roles. Edward Mulhare (who was at the time occasionally spelling Rex Harrison as star of the Broadway smash My Fair Lady) is seen as Algernon, with Dorothy Collins, an American vocalist best known for her work on Your Hit Parade, top-billed as Cecily. Also in the cast is Martyn Green, who in 1957 was the foremost interpreter of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, in the somewhat expanded role of Rev. Chasuble. The original songs, by Lee Pockriss and Ann Crosswell, include "Mr. Bunbury," "Perfection,," "My Eternal Devotion," "A Wicked Man," "Metaphorically Speaking," "Lost," and "My Very First Impression." "Who's Earnest?" was originally broadcast live from New York. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Dorothy CollinsEdward Mulhare, (more)

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