Andy Garcia Movies
Born Andrés Arturo García-Menéndez, actor Andy Garcia was five-years-old when he fled with his family from his native Cuba to Miami, where Garcia's father, a former lawyer, established a successful cosmetics business upon becoming an American citizen. Following his graduation from Florida International University, Garcia moved to L.A. and performed briefly as a standup comic, working as a furniture expediter and waiter when jobs were scarce. While his TV debut was a small role in the 1981 pilot of Hill Street Blues, Garcia did not have to travel far from his adopted hometown for his film bow, Blue Skies Again (1983), which was shot on location in Florida. (Also making her first screen appearance in this forgettable baseball comedy was actress Mimi Rogers).It was not until he was cast as a drug kingpin in Hal Ashby's 8 Million Ways to Die (1985) that Garcia's career really took off. After turning in strong roles in both The Untouchables (1987) and Stand and Deliver (1988), he achieved an additional degree of stardom when he was cast as Michael Corleone's hot-headed nephew in The Godfather Part III (1990), a role for which he earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. The range of Garcia's talents was impressive enough for screenwriter Henry Bean to write the script for the 1990 police-corruption drama Internal Affairs with the actor specifically in mind. But after several years of on-the-edge characters, Garcia softened his screen image as the too-good-to-be-true husband of an alcoholic (Meg Ryan) in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994).
Garcia's career waned a bit during the second half of the '90s, and the actor concentrated some of his energies on starring in various made-for-TV movies and such Spanish-made films as Death in Granada (1997). Although Garcia found his place in American cinema -- indeed, he was one of the few Latino stars to successfully cross over into Hollywood films -- his deep connection and loyalty to his Cuban heritage was illustrated by his involvement in projects that reflect that sentiment. He has produced and directed a tribute to Cuban mambo artist Cachoao entitled Cachoao: Like His Rhythm There Is No Other, and, at one time, he planned to direct and star in a film adaptation of The Lost City, an epic novel of revolution and exile by Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante. A devoted family man, Garcia lives outside of the spotlight with his wife Maria Victoria (also a Cuban immigrant) and their three daughters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Jeff Bridges plays an LA sheriff who loses his job due to his inability to stay away from booze. While attending an AA meeting, Bridges is invited to attend a party, where he meets the beauteous Alexandra Paul. Also at the party is an old enemy of Bridges', druggie Randy Brooks. It doesn't take long for Bridges to figure out that Brooks is a pimp and Paul is one of his hookers. She begs Bridges to help her break away from Brooks. Not long afterward, Paul is killed, and Bridges crawls back into the bottle. Eventually sobering up, he vows to avenge Paul's death. Much blood is spilled before the killer is revealed (it isn't who you think); along the way, Bridges gets a new lease on life when he falls in love with ex-hooker Rosanna Arquette. An enormous flop, 8 Million Ways to Die is redeemed by Jeff Bridges' powerful performance. One hopes that the orignal Lawrence Block novel wasn't quite as confusing as the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
Veering off in several thematic directions at once, A Night in Heaven starts with a torrid student-teacher romance which becomes somewhat derailed by adding on a failing marriage, political allusions related to NASA, a frustrated sister of the teacher, and several additional characters, many of whom are stuffing bills into male dancer's jock straps. Faye (Lesley Ann Warren) has just flunked a student in her speech class when she goes out that night to the "Heaven" nightclub and lo-and-definitely behold, there is Rick (Christopher Atkins), the failed student in his incarnation as a successful male stripper. This was a view of the student that Faye had never expected, and before anyone can flip a $20, the two are making mad, passionate love. While this may satisfy a few fantasies, events lead to an ultimate confrontation between the teacher's husband (who worked for NASA) and Rick that is even less believable than the student-teacher sexual liaison. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Atkins, Lesley Ann Warren, (more)
In this thriller, television reporter Kate Ryan de Melendez (Amy Irving) investigates the death of two radical Puerto Rican activists, whom she begins to believe may have been framed and murdered by undercover American agents. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Irving, Robert Duvall, (more)
In this youthful martial arts adventure, a young ninja teams up with his master to save a scientist's daughters from kidnappers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
American Roulette a routine, but exciting action feature directed by Maurice Hatton, involves a death plot against an exiled South American President. The President, hiding in London, finds that he is the target not only of death squads from his own country, but also the CIA and the KGB. The good cast includes Andy Garcia and Susannah York. Andy Garcia, in one of his earlier pictures, is excellent, and Susannah York also gives a good performance. The color photography of this film adds appeal, but does not make up for a lackluster plot or slow pacing. Devotees of action films will find this action thriller worth a view, if only to see Andy Garcia. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Kitty Aldridge, (more)
Directed by Martyn Burke, Avenging Angelo centers around the life of bodyguard Frank (Sylvester Stallone) and his client, neurotic socialite Jennifer (Madeleine Stowe). Frank must constantly fight his emotions in order to maintain a strictly professional relationship with Jennifer, who has recently broken if off with her unfaithful husband. Matters are complicated further when Frank accidentally leads the sworn enemies of Jennifer's father, Mafia bigwig Angelo (Anthony Quinn), to her doorstep. Things are looking up for Jennifer, or so she thinks, when she meets Marcello (Raoul Bova), whom she believes to be a novelist. Unfortunately, Marcello is not what he claimed to be, and she finds herself in danger once more. With Frank by her side, she takes on the mob, and eventually, her feelings. Avenging Angelo was the late Anthony Quinn's final role. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Madeleine Stowe, (more)
A pampered Chihuahua accustomed to the living the good life in glamorous Beverly Hills must rein in her heiress instincts and rely on the kindness of strangers in order to find her way back home after becoming hopelessly lost in Mexico. Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) is a diamond-clad toy dog who favors traveling in her wealthy owner's purse over frolicking in an open park, and Papi (voice of George Lopez) is the kind of independent pup that she doesn't afford a second glance. When a vacation mishap leaves Chloe stranded in Mexico, the Chihuahua who doesn't speak a lick of Spanish must rely on street-smart German shepherd Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia) to guide her back home before she wanders any further south. Meanwhile, brave Papi races to the border intent on proving his love for Chloe by tracking her down and escorting her home in style. Along the way, Papi is joined by an enthusiastic pack of helpful pooches (voices of Luis Guzman, Plácido Domingo, and Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo) a pair of concerned humans (Piper Perabo and Manolo Cardona), an anxious iguana (voice of Paul Rodriguez), and a crafty rat (voice of Cheech Marin). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, (more)
Under scrutiny by his superiors for allegedly dipping into confiscated drug money, New York vice cop Michael Douglas can expect no sympathy from his ex-wife, who is gouging him for alimony. Douglas gets a chance to redeem himself when he is assigned to escort Japanese mob boss Yusaku Matsuda back to his own country to stand trial. Upon arriving in Osaka, Douglas and his partner Andy Garcia are tricked into releasing their prisoner. Now on the outs with both the American and Japanese police authorities, Douglas is forced to deal with the Yakuza-the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia-to retrieve the elusive Matsuda. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, (more)
- 1983
This is a baseball comedy with a twist. This time, the young player striving to make it big in the major leagues is a plucky, talented young woman who attends spring training camp. The team's wealthy owner is a male-chauvinist bachelor who finds himself attracted to the young second baseperson's personal manager and finds he must re-evaluate his gender bias. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Hamlin, Mimi Rogers, (more)
- 1993
Andy Garcia's directorial debut features the music of fellow Cuban Israel "Cachao" Lopez. Cachao lived most of his life in the communist country building an international reputation as composer and bass player. His specialty, Afro-Cuban dance music, eventually swept the world and created acclaim for the modest player. The resulting style became known as the mambo. The documentary film captures a now-legendary concert played in the summer of 1992. Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos includes the music of Latin legends Nestor Torres, Paquito D'Rivera, Alfredo Valdes Jr., Combo Silva, Chocolate Armenteros, Nelson Gonzales, Jimmy Bosch, and Gloria and Emilio Estefan. The soundtrack won a Grammy award while the film garnered international praise. Translated as "His Rhythm Is Like No Other," Cachao's life story is a lesson in music history. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
- 2008
For decades, Cuban musician Israel Cachao López held court as the preeminent bassist of his native country, his finesse prompting many in-the-know to dub him "The Picasso of the bass." Employing a unique approach - the film presents itself as half-documentary portrait, half concert film - director Dikayl Rimmasch's Cachao: Uno Más intercuts performance footage of López, shot at the Bimbo 365 Club in San Francisco (wherein the great man delivers a live set with the assist and backup of numerous musical legends including Lázaro Galarraga, Justo Almario and Orestes Vilató, with interviews featuring Latin music experts, the musician's colleagues, and his friends. Each subject delves into anecdotal recollections of López and discusses his immeasurable impact on Latin culture and popular music per se. López then takes center stage as an interview subject, reflecting candidly on his boyhood and the Golden Age of Cuban music. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2008
Interviews with Wyclef Jean, Quincy Jones, and Andy Garcia offer insight into the rich legacy of legendary Cuban vocalist Celia Cruz in this documentary exploring how one woman's voice shattered the barriers of racism and sexism across the globe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2009
A dysfunctional family living on a picturesque island in the Bronx spares no expense in avoiding the truth about their messed-up lives in writer/director Raymond de Felitta's dark family comedy. The family patriarch, Vince (Andy Garcia) is a prison guard who is secretly plotting a new career as an actor. Meanwhile, as Vince takes acting lessons on the down low, his daughter moonlights as a stripper and his younger namesake harbors a secret fetish that involves the family's 300-pound neighbor. Under normal circumstances Vincent's wife Joyce (Julianna Margulies) would be the family rock, but lately she's been preoccupied with uncovering the identity of the hired help, a secret that only her husband knows. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, (more)
Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock re-teams with that film's producers Heather Winters and Joe Morley to produce Sara Sackner's documentary concerning the arts education crisis in America. As arts programs continue to disappear at an unprecedented rate across the country, Sackner examines the role that teachers play in ensuring that creativity and education alive and well in the public school curriculum. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay W. Jensen
This made-for-TV film was originally titled simply Clinton & Nadine when it made its debut on May 28, 1988. Andy Garcia plays Clinton, who is eager to find his brother's murderer. To do so, he enlists the aid of Nadine (Ellen Barkin), a high-priced call girl. Clinton and Nadine get sucked into a plot to smuggle guns to the Contra forces in Nicaragua. The credited screenwriter for the film, Willard Walpole, was actually Robert Foster, who wasn't happy with the film and insisted his real name be removed from the credits. Clinton & Nadine was produced for the HBO cable service. The film is unrated, but contains heavy doses of violence and sexual suggestiveness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Ellen Barkin, (more)
James Foley directs the slick crime caper Confidence, written by first-time screenwriter Doug Jung. Told in flashback, smooth-talking con man Jake Vig (Edward Burns) relates an elaborate scheme orchestrated by his gang :Gordo (Paul Giamatti), Miles (Brian Van Holt), and Big Al (Louis Lombardi). The crew pulls off a swindling job stealing money from a guy named Lionel (Leland Orser), who turns out to be a mob accountant for the crazy crime boss known as the King (Dustin Hoffman). After the damage has been done, Jake and his crew attempt to pull off an even bigger scam to make up for their mistake. This time the con involves the King's enemy, the mob-connected banker Morgan Price (Robert Forster). Two corrupt cops (Donal Logue and Luis Guzman) join Jake's team while the King appoints his henchman, Lupus (Frankie G.) to oversee the operation. Rachel Weisz plays Lily, Jake's love interest who is also in on the scam. Eventually, Andy Garcia shows up as FBI Agent Gunther Butan, who has been perpetually chasing after Jake. Confidence premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, (more)
Set in contemporary Los Angeles as well as the Los Angeles of the 1940s, Dead Again explores a romance between two star-crossed lovers -- and the doomed passion they shared in their last lifetime. Los Angeles detective Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) comes to the aid of mute, amnesia-victim Grace (Emma Thompson) and falls in love with her. He sets out to discover her true identity and the source of her terrible nightmares. Mike is aided in his investigation by hypnotist/furniture dealer Franklyn Madison (Derek Jacobi) who discovers that in a past life Grace was Margaret Strauss (also played by Thompson), who may have been mudered by her husband Roman (Branagh). ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, (more)
- 1997
- R
Drawing its basic story from author Ian Gibson's investigation into the real-life murder of Andalusian poet Federico Garcia Lorca at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War, this English-language thriller begins in 1935 as exiled Spanish journalist Ricardo and his family resettle in Puerto Rico. For most of his life Ricardo has been obsessed with the poet. In 1954, Ricardo returns to Spain to look closely into the circumstances of Garcia Lorca's death. His father advises Ricardo not to go, but the writer, who wants to do a book about the poet, disregards him. Ricardo is also driven by his desire to ease his guilt about a close friend who was shot by the Nationalists. While doing battle with tight-lipped government officials, Ricardo is followed by Centeno, a member of Franco's security team. He is also followed by an amiable taxi driver who has an uncanny knack for showing up when Ricardo needs him most. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Esai Morales, (more)
Although he enjoyed great critical success with crime dramas and slice-of-life pictures, director Barbet Schroeder continued dabbling in the thriller genre with this action-oriented film. Andy Garcia stars as Frank Conner, a widowed San Francisco police officer whose young son Matt (Joseph Cross) is suffering from leukemia. Without a bone marrow transplant, Matt will die, but Frank isn't a donor. In fact, the only potential match is prison inmate Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton), a psychotic but charming serial killer. At first, McCabe refused to participate despite Conner's pleas, but eventually, the convict relents and agrees to the procedure. It is all a ruse, however, as McCabe has discovered a clever way to escape the confines of the operating room where Matt's oncologist, Dr. Hawkins (Marcia Gay Harden) is scheduled to perform the transplant. Faced with the dual nightmare of his son's deteriorating condition and a mass murderer on the loose in a major metropolitan hospital, the frantic Conner finds himself bending and even breaking the law to bring McCabe down and save Matt's life. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, (more)
- 1998
Ross (George Clooney) wants to trick Carol (Julianna Margulies) with a surprise marriage -- but is instead surprised by Carol, and none too pleasantly. Newly revealed facts about the business methods of Syngergix causes a rift between Weaver (Laura Innes) and Ellis West (Clancy Brown). Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) forms a strong bond with Anspaugh's (John Aylward) ailing son, Scott (Trevor Morgan). And Carter (Noah Wyle) tries to come to grips with the fact that his cousin Chase (Jonathan Scarfe) is a heroin addict. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
- Add For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story to QueueAdd For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story to top of Queue
World-class trumpeter Arturo Sandoval was a shining light in Cuba's exciting jazz scene and championed by jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie as one of the greatest musicians he'd ever heard. But as Sandoval's fame grew, so did his discomfort with Fidel Castro and Cuba's Communist leadership. Though Sandoval longed to leave Cuba and emigrate to the United States, where he could enjoy political freedom and make the most of his gifts as a musician, one thing held him back -- his love for his wife and children, whom he could not bear to leave behind. For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story is a made-for-cable drama based on the true story of Sandoval's career, his eventual flight to the United States with his family, and the unexpected roadblocks that nearly prevented him from becoming a naturalized American citizen. Andy Garcia stars as Arturo Sandoval, with Mia Maestro co-starring as his wife Marianela; Gloria Estefan, Tomas Milan, and Miriam Colon highlight the supporting cast. The biographical drama was produced for the HBO premium cable network and first aired on October 18, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Mía Maestro, (more)
- 2001
Normally a man who does not back down from a confrontation, Martin (John Mahoney) just stands and takes it when his new boss Rich (M. Emmet Walsh) bullies him on the job. Sympathizing with his dad's frustration, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) decides to intervene -- the last thing in the world that Martin wants him to do. As the situation develops, Frasier learns a whole new meaning for the old adage "Like Father, Like Son." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Stephen Frears' Hero is a contemporary re-working of a Frank Capra-styled fable about a two-bit criminal named Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) who saves several passengers from a plane crash and leaves the scene without being identified, leaving only a lost shoe for identification. One of the passengers happens to be news-reporter Gale (Geena Davis) who is intent on finding her savior, and offers a million dollars to the "hero" of the crashed flight. Bernie has since given his remaining shoe to a homeless man named John (Andy Garcia) who decides to cash in on the offer. A handsome, charming man, John wins the hearts of the entire city. Soon, Bernie realizes that he's been cheated out of a million dollars, and he begins an effort to get his proper recognition--and his money. Hero manages to be quite funny and satirical while sticking to a story that is essentially a Hollywood fable. That is to the credit of director Frears and the cast, who turn in uniformly excellent performances. Nevertheless, Hoffman is superb as a bitterly comic and spiteful variation on his classic Ratso Rizzo character. By the way, be on the lookout for Chevy Chase in a very funny cameo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, (more)
