Ken Narasaki Movies

A belief in "angels on earth," not to mention a belief in oneself, may enhance the enjoyment of this made-for-cable drama. Jaclyn Smith stars as Kay Woodbury, a tough, no-nonsense judge whose intractability in legal matters is intensified by a number of personal crises, including a bitter feud with her jurist father and her anguish over the recent remarriage of her ex-husband. Thus, Kay is no mood to play nice when teenager Sally Powell (Lyndsy Fonseca) is brought before her. Harboring an intense hatred for the father who apparently abandoned her, Sally is a seemingly incorrigible delinquent who has already "flunked out" in four foster homes. Figuring that she could no worse than anyone else, Kay takes Sally home on a trial basis. The girl proceeds to behave as atrociously as possible, but surprisingly Kay does not decide to write her off as a bad job, but instead concludes that what the girl needs is someone to trust and something to believe in. In this spirit, Kay locates Sally's birth father (C. Thomas Howell), and, upon being convinced that he was not motivated by selfishness when he dropped out of his daughter's life, secretly contrives for Sally and her dad to reconnect -- and in so doing Kay finds her own way toward forgiveness, not only of those whom she feels have wronged her, but also of herself. Ordinary Miracles made its Hallmark Channel debut on May 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

John W. Huckert directed this thriller that begins when bearded Jack (Malcolm Moorman) picks up a young desert hitchhiker. Homosexual homicide detective Ray Vates (Noel Palomaria) hangs out at a bar where his ex, Doug (Arron Zeffron), is the bartender. As a rookie, Ray gets a razzing from other cops, so he doesn't discuss his gay way of life. Meanwhile, with bodies of various hitchhikers surfacing, Ray and his partner Ellis (Charles Lanyer) investigate. Ray's encounter with Jack doesn't go well, since Ray is seduced by Jack, who confesses to the killings but then leaves Ray handcuffed to the bed. It's an awkward situation, since Ray must "out" himself so he won't be viewed as a suspect. Homophobic reactions from the other cops (Ellis excepted) eliminates any possibility of police back-up during the final horrific showdown at an abandoned theater. Shown at the 1998 San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The made-for-television Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes recounts the August, 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima through the eyes of a number of survivors, including Japanese soldiers, citizens, and American prisoners of war. The film is partly based on Michihiko Hachiya's Hiroshima Diary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi