Joel Palmer Movies

Four men are changed forever by an act of mercy -- changes which have a profound impact many years later -- in this blend of horror and science fiction based on a novel by Stephen King. Jonesy (Damian Lewis), Henry (Thomas Jane), Pete (Timothy Olyphant), and Beaver (Jason Lee) were four friends who, as schoolboys, rescued a boy with Down's Syndrome, Duddits (Donnie Wahlberg), from a savage beating at the hands of bullies. Their experience with Duddits left the boys profoundly changed, as they discovered they had developed psychic powers which allowed them to wordlessly communicate with one another, read the minds of others, and see events in the future. The four remained close friends into adulthood, and meet every year for a weekend get-together at a remote hunting lodge. However, one year Jonsey is approached by the spirit of Duddits, which leads him into a severe auto accident, though his wounds heal with mysterious speed and are gone by the time he and the guys get together a few months later. As the guys drink and swap stories, a desperately ill hunter makes his way into the cabin, whose body has become the host for a horrible wormlike creature, which breaks free and soon goes on a killing spree, leaving only Henry alive. In the wake of this attack comes a massive snowstorm, and Henry learns that these events are the first signs of a major attack by a powerful alien force which can assume any form it wishes. As duplicitous military leader Col. Abraham Curtis (Morgan Freeman) comes in to quell the menace, Henry finds himself in communication with the late Jonsey, whose previous near-death experience gives him an unexpected advantage in stemming the alien tide. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

"1000 Tons of Steel! 200 Lives at Stake! 100 Miles per Hour! One Man to Stop it!" That's the situation as set up by the ad campaign for the thrill-packed TV movie Final Run. The action takes place on board the Grand Royale, a luxury train controlled by a supercomputer created by a shady electronics firm called American Rail. Inevitably, human error causes the computer to suffer a glitch -- and as a result, the Grand Royle speeds precariously out of control. It is up to hero Glen "Lucky" Singer (Robert Urich) to stop the train and rescue the human cargo of TV-movie stereotypes. Curiously, the original TV Guide listings for this film failed to provide a synopsis, perhaps assuming that the title spoke for itself. Final Run premiered October 10, 1999, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Small-town housewife Sarah Jenks (Melissa Gilbert) would hardly qualify as the most popular woman in her community: She constantly speaks her mind, contemptuously disdains those who aren't vegetarians like herself, and (horrors!) does not attend church on Sunday. However, no one would ever claim that Sarah was not a loving and devoted mother to her children--at least not until the day that a spiteful woman named Sandy Barlow (Joely Fisher) levies accusations that Sarah is guilty of child abuse. Never bothering to question Sandy's ulterior motives (the audience knows that she has sexual designs on Sarah's husband), the authorities take her charges seriously, and before long Sarah's children have been ripped away from her and placed into foster care. Inspired by actual events, this nailbiting made-for-TV movie exposes the dangers of taking people and events at face value, accepting baseless lies as Gospel and adhering to a rigid "rules are rules" mentality. Seduction in a Small Town made itsABC debut on February 9, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this made-for-television drama a woman bears a son in a hospital and is confident that the babe in arms she returns home with is her own. Later, she learns she was mistaken and launches a custody battle not only for the child she raised, but also for the one she should have. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A community is quick to condemn a father after his 11-year-old daughter claims he molested her, but during the ensuing courtroom trial, serious questions about the child's story and her motivation for telling it arise. This drama is based on a famous Canadian trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi