Laura Dern Movies
Playing characters ranging from wide-eyed virgins to willful sirens to drug-addicted losers, Laura Dern is among the screen's most interesting modern actresses. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and slender, Dern moves with a coltish combination of grace and gangliness that she uses to make herself alternately plain or beautiful, innocent or seductive, as her roles require. Her parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, are both successful actors but initially discouraged her from becoming involved in the profession. Still, acting was Dern's childhood goal, and after her parents divorced, she made her film debut at the age of six in White Lightning (1973).The following year, Dern played a bit part in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She got her first major role in 1980, playing a teenager in Adrian Lyne's Foxes. By 1983, she had appeared in more films, and in defiance of her parents' wishes, decided to get some formal dramatic training at the Lee Strasberg Institute, where she studied Method acting. She went on to appear in films such as Teachers (1984) and Mask (1985) and gained a reputation for realistic portrayals of goodhearted innocents. Dern could have easily been typecast into such roles had Joyce Chopra not cast her as a rebellious teen anxious to experience a sexual awakening in Smooth Talk (1986). The young actress' portrayal earned her a New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics. That same year, Dern became an even more marketable actress when she played a fresh-faced young sleuth in David Lynch's disturbing, groundbreaking Blue Velvet. She again worked with Lynch in the flamboyantly bizarre Wild at Heart (1990), in which she played an oversexed 20-year-old on the run with her lover (Nicholas Cage). The film proved to be a family affair, as Ladd played her villainous mother. The two appeared together again the following year in the beautifully wrought Rambling Rose. Dern's naturalistic performance as a troubled 19-year-old who wants love, but has confused it with sex, won her considerable acclaim that culminated in an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Ladd was also nominated, making it the first time a mother-daughter team had been so honored in the same year.
In 1993, Dern became a bigger star portraying a courageous paleo-botanist in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster Jurassic Park. Three years later, she played one of her most offbeat roles as a paint-huffing, spiteful, pregnant, and dumb as a box-of-doorknobs homeless girl who finds herself caught in the middle of a battle royale between pro- and anti-abortion groups in the black comedy Citizen Ruth. In 1999, she took on two very diverse roles, first playing a supportive high school teacher in October Sky and then returning to the realm of eccentricity -- and to sharing the screen with her mother -- as part of an unconventional Alabama family in Billy Bob Thornton's Daddy and Them. Though audiences were no doubt eager to see what Slingblade director Thornton had up his sleeve for the eagerly anticipated feature, Daddy and Them did recieve stateside release into a full two-years after production wrapped - and when it finally did find it's way into theaters critical and popular response was lukewarm at best. The disappointment was more than counterbalanced that year however when Dern and boyfriend Ben Harper gave birth to their first baby boy Ellery, and in addition to also returning to the land of dinosaurs with Jurassic Park III in 2001Dern essayed memorable supporting performances in a number of films including Novcaine, Focus and I Am Sam. Stepping back into the lead for her role as true life HMO whistle-blower Linda Peeno in the made-for-HBO film Damaged Goods, many found Dern's performance so moving that whispers of an Emmy nomination began to circulate. That wasn't in the cards however, and the following year Dern returned to feature work with the adulterous drama We Don't Live Here Anymore.
In addition to her film career, Dern has appeared on stage and television. In 1992, she won an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe award for performing in the HBO docudrama Afterburn. In 1997, she again proved her versatility by offering a convincing, Emmy-nominated portrayal of a lesbian who is comfortable with her sexuality in a landmark episode of the sitcom Ellen in which star Ellen DeGeneres "comes out of the closet." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Kevin Spacey and Bob Balaban headline Austin Powers director Jay Roach's all-star docudrama examining the events surrounding the most controversial presidential election in United States history. The highest office in the country is up for grabs, and the fate of the free world may hang in the balance. When the initial tallies from Florida voting polls prove inconclusive, the decision is made to hold a recount. But it's a controversial decision to say the least, and one that caused many skeptical voters to suspect foul play. Eventually the case would go all the way to the Supreme Court, and as the trial gets under way charismatic Texas republican James Baker (Tom Wilkinson) attempts to rally public support for the recount. But the Democrats aren't about to lie down and die just yet, because Al Gore's former chief of staff Ron Klain (Spacey) can play hardball with the best of the old elephants. Now, as these two opposing giants come to blows over the fate of the presidency, they gradually begin to develop a grudging respect for one another. Laura Dern, John Hurt, Dennis Leary, and Ed Begley, Jr. round out the cast for the film that blends actual news footage and verbatim dialogue into fictionalized recreations that are both highly entertaining and deeply dramatic. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Spacey, Bob Balaban, (more)
Assembled from more than two years of footage captured during the production of Inland Empire, this documentary portrait of director David Lynch offers a detailed glimpse into the life and career of the acclaimed filmmaker behind such surreal classics as Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, and Twin Peaks. In addition to offering fans the rare opportunity to follow Lynch as he immerses himself in the creative process, the film highlights precisely how the filmmaker has become a true master of exploring the haunting beauty of the abstract. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Lynch, Laura Dern, (more)
Damaged Care is fact-based drama about the managed care industry. It originally aired on Showtime. Laura Dern co-produced and stars in the film as Dr. Linda Peeno, who gives up her career after earning a medical degree, so that she can take care of her family. Her husband, Doug (James LeGros), is a successful OB/GYN. In 1987, when their children (from previous marriages) have gotten a little older, Linda decides to return to work, and gets a job as a medical reviewer at Humana Health Care. Patient claims that aren't approved by the UR (utilization review) nurses are forwarded to the doctors on the medical review team, who, Linda learns, are expected to rubber-stamp the UR nurses' decisions. Every decision Linda makes to cover a patient's care is questioned, sometimes angrily. The head of the UR department, Cheryl Griffith (Regina King) befriends Linda, and shares her unhappiness with the system. Linda has a crisis of conscience when she gets a call about an emergency heart transplant that needs immediate approval. Pressured by the company, she finds an out in the employer's healthcare booklet, and denies the claim. The patient dies. Eventually, Linda quits Humana (angering Doug), and Cheryl gets her a job at a smaller, non-profit company, Brothers Managed Care. The system is pretty much the same, though, and Linda comes into conflict with the cost-conscious head of the UR nurses, Gemma Coombs (Michelle Clunie). When a nurse (Suki Kaiser) is stricken with a series of crippling strokes, Linda takes a stand against the company to get her the treatment she needs. Eventually, Dr. Linda Peeno gets out of the system, and becomes an outspoken critic of the abuses of the health care industry. Dern's mother, Diane Ladd, and Adam Arkin also appear in the film. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
An orphaned goose adopted by a family of woodchucks begins to feel like an outcast, but experiences a notable confidence booster when she realizes that she can fly by herself. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Dern
A woman behind bars learns to reach out to someone with whom she has almost nothing in common as she begins to help others in this made-for-TV drama, inspired by a true story. Joan Thomas (Ellen Burstyn) is a woman whose life has been a long trip down a rough road; Thomas has a problem with drugs, and after being arrested for possession, she's sentenced to prison with a number of hardened criminals. Sister Pauline Quinn (Laura Dern) is a nun working with prison inmates who senses Thomas is at heart a good person whose life can still be turned around; while Thomas proves to be a tough nut to crack, in time Quinn is able to interest Thomas in a special program in which inmates help train dogs which will be used to help the handicapped. As Thomas works with Quinn and helps teach her dog the needed skills, she learns the positive aspects of connecting with others for the first time. Within These Walls was originally produced as part of the award-winning television anthology series The Hallmark Hall Of Fame; it first aired on August 20, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Laura Dern, (more)
- 2000
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Two-time Best Director Oscar winner and easily one of America's most popular directors, Steven Spielberg and his films, such as E.T., Jurassic Park, and Jaws, redefined the term "Hollywood blockbuster." This video biography highlights his high-flying career, featuring interviews with Jeff Goldblum, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Directors: Clint Eastwood profiles the acclaimed actor, director, and Hollywood icon. Eastwood has entertained generations of people, moving successfully back and forth between acting and directing. Here, Eastwood discusses his more commercial directing projects, such as Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, Absolute Power, and True Crime. Actors interviewed share one sentiment: when Eastwood requests their presence, they rarely refuse. The American Film Institute program, directed by Robert J. Emery, features interviews with Morgan Freeman, Laura Dern, Geoffrey Lewis, Donna Mills, Meryl Streep, and Ed Harris. The video serves as a good introduction to Eastwood's work for those unfamiliar and covers a lot of ground in one hour. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The Yuletide Season is anything but merry for Emily (Carla Gugino), who is forced to take charge of her nephew J.T. (Evan Sabara) and niece Alanna (Mae Whitman) when their drug-addicted mother (Laura Dern) O.D.'s and the kids are dispossessed. When it looks as though the kids will be sucked into the merciless maelstrom of the foster-care system, Emily packs them up and heads out of her home state, ending up in a little town that happens to be named Bethlehem Even though the authorities have been temporarily left behind, Emily will need a miracle to keep her family together. Enter a versatile guardian angel (Patty Duke), who assumes a variety of earthly guises to save the day for Emily, J.T. and Alanna--and also orchestrates a romance between Emily and a sympathetic local cop (David Conrad). Based on a novel by Marilyn Pappano, A Season for Miracles first aired as a CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on December 12, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, David Conrad, (more)
- 1998
For this TV movie, writer-director Jane Anderson adapted her own play contrasting biological and adoptive mothers. Impoverished and pregnant Wanda LeFauve (Laura Dern) lives in a trailer outside Shreveport with her four children and her unemployed husband Al LeFauve (Richard Lineback). When Wanda spots the classified ad of a couple who want to adopt a newborn baby, she responds with a phone call that puts her in touch with a wealthy Los Angeles Jewish couple -- Rachel (Stockard Channing) and Richard Luckman (Peter Riegert). The Luckmans arrive in Louisiana to meet the donors, and both couples deal with the legalistics, while also overcoming their fears and transcending the inevitable cultural and class barriers. Filmed in Vancouver, the film preemed August 23, 1998 on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Dern, Stockard Channing, (more)
- 1998
Comedian Ellen DeGeneres' decision to publicly announce her lesbianism as her onscreen character did the same, altered the way mainstream media portrays homosexuality. The Real Ellen Story, an acclaimed British documentary, provides an intimate view of the controversy surrounding DeGeneres' move. The film relates the behind-the-scenes look at the battle between DeGeneres and ABC/Disney executives regarding her sitcom, and explains how she managed the conflict. Interviewed are DeGeneres and family members, her partner Anne Heche, Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer, network executives, and others. This film covers a critical two-year period in the actress' life. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- 1998
When Sid (Sid Newman) dies, nearly all of the crew members of The Larry Sanders Show find themselves in mourning. Having just told Sid in a jealous rage that the audience was laughing "at" him instead of "with" him following a successful skit, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) is especially affected due to the fact that he feels partially responsible for Sid's death. As Hank vows to offer financial support to Sid's family, Larry (Garry Shandling) attempts to keep his relationship with Laura Dern a secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The tragic story of the Ruby Ridge "massacre" has been so thoroughly covered and disseminated by the mainstream press that to add anything here would be pointless. Suffice to say that the two-part TV movie The Siege at Ruby Ridge uses the facts at hand to show how the tragedy occurred, and how but for a multitude of blunders and miscommunications on both sides, it could all have been avoided. Randy Quaid stars as white separatist Randy Weaver, who for ten terrible days in 1992 barricaded himself, his family, and a number of zealous followers in a tiny refuge on a remote Idaho mountaintop, while 200 government agents surrounded Weaver's headquarters with orders to arrest Weaver's group alive -- if possible. The catalyst for the crisis is of course Randy Weaver himself, though his wife Vicki (Laura Dern) is shown to be just as rigid, stubborn, and foolhardy as her husband -- maybe even more so. Ultimately, blood is shed and lives are lost, the result of such gross ineptitude that the ramifications of the tragedy would reverberate for decades to come. Featured in the cast is Laura Dern's real-life mother, Diane Ladd, and, in the small role of the Weaver's daughter, a very young Kirsten Dunst. The Siege at Ruby Ridge first aired over CBS on May 19 and 21, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Laura Dern, (more)
- 1995
In the first episode of a two-part story, new KACL station manager Kate Costas (Mercedes Ruehl) cancels the staff's annual raises. On behalf of his colleagues, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) storms into Kate's office to register a protest. But one thing leads to another (as they often do), and before long Frasier and Kate are locked in a passionate embrace. Patrick Kerr makes a return appearance as Roz's nerdish admirer, Noel Shempsky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This documentary from the American Film Institute salutes Hollywood's premiere director Steven Spielberg by awarding him a lifetime achievement award. The most prolific filmmaker of all time, this video displays his three-minute childhood films through to his three-hour epic masterpiece Schindlers List. Hosted by Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks, Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, this tribute recognizes the genius of Spielbergs work. Highlights include everything from the bite he took out of audiences with Jaws to the horrific realism of the D-Day landing in Saving Private Ryan. With a slew of clips from his films and featuring most of Hollywood's A-list actors, this tribute is mandatory viewing for all fans of movies. ~ C. Dwayne Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1993
This film noir style, made-for-TV movie contains three parts, each based on stories by three different authors (Jim Thompson, Cornell Woolrich, and James Elroy). It looks as if a con-artist (Peter Gallagher) has finally met someone who can pull the wool over his eyes in "The Frightening Frammis." In "Murder, Obliquely," a shifty man (Alan L. Rickman) manages to win the affections of a woman (Laura Dern). Little does she know that his former girlfriend might have been murdered by his own hands. The mobster Mickey Cohen (James Woods) and Howard Hughes (Tim Matheson) both have their eyes on the same woman and Buzz Meeks (Gary Busey) has been contracted to seek her out in "Since I Don't Have You." ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted was originally presented on-stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City on November 10, 1989. The show was part of the opening reception for the school's annual New Wave Festival. Filmmaker David Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti created the live show based on the dreamy pop music of singer Julee Cruise. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern (who were shooting Wild at Heart at the time) star as a couple in the midst of breaking up. THe performance also stars Michael J. Anderson, who was the Little Man From Another Place on Twin Peaks. Most of the music from the performance can be found on the albums Floating into the Night and The Voice of Love, both released by Julee Cruise on Warner. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1989
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This 60-minute TV adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 doppelganger yarn stars Anthony Andrews as kindly London medico Henry Jekyll. Fascinated by the concept that within every man lurks two separate personalities--one good, one evil--Dr. Jekyll concocts a potion that releases his own nightmarish alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Contemporary critics noted that Andrews' Jekyll was so cloddish that his bestial Hyde came as something of a relief. Laura Dern co-stars as Jekyll/Hyde's long-suffering fiancee Rebecca. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde premiered as an HBO Nightmare Classic on October 29, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After Griffin Dunne's wife Brooke Adams is injured in a car crash, Dunne begins an affair with Adams' nurse Karen Young. You think that takes gall? Dunne also becomes best friends with Young's boyfriend Marty Watt. Believe it or not, Griffin Dunne is the most likeable character in the movie. After testing poorly at 110 minutes, Almost You was whittled down to 96 minutes. Those who have trouble wading through this prime example of mid-1980s self-indulgence are advised to keep an eye out for the brilliant monologist Spalding Gray in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Adams, Griffin Dunne, (more)
- 1984
Ralph Maccio plays teenaged Billy Grier, the victim of a rare degenerative disease that speeds up the ageing process. With only a few months left on earth-if that-Billy wants to realize three goals. He wants to be reunited with his long-gone father; he wants to play sax in a jazz band; and he wants to know a woman, in the Biblical sense. The story isn't as touching as the producers hoped it would be, but Macchio's character makeup (courtesy of Emmy-winner Michael Westmore) is astonishing. Made for television, The Three Wishes of Billy Grier was originally telecast November 1, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Todd Robinson's Lonely Hearts features John Travolta and James Gandolfini as Elmer C. Robinson and Charles Hildebrandt, a pair of homicide detectives who are on the trail of lovers on a crime spree. The evil duo of Ray Fernandez (Jared Leto) and Martha Beck (Salma Hayek) take advantage of elderly widows, stealing as much money as they can after gaining the victim's confidence, and then murdering their mark. Robinson becomes drawn into the case too deeply in order to help him confront his feelings, as his wife has recently killed herself. The story is based on the real life "Lonely Hearts" killers of the late '40s, the infamous couple whom the director's grandfather played a large part in bringing to justice. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, James Gandolfini, (more)
