Ann-Margret Movies
Swedish siren Ann-Margret immigrated to the U.S. with her family at the age of seven, settling in a Chicago suburb and later studying Drama at Northwestern University. Despite an innate bashfulness, the girl set out to become a musical entertainer, making her professional debut as a singer at the age of 17. Fortunately, she was spotted by comedian George Burns, who hired her for his Las Vegas show and arranged for several professional doors to be opened for his protégée. Her first film was Pocketful of Miracles (1961), in which she played Bette Davis' daughter; this was followed by a lead in State Fair the following year. Ann-Margret tended to be withdrawn when interviewed, which earned her the media's "Sour Apple" award as least cooperative newcomer. But she was able to overcome this initial bad press via a show-stopping appearance at the 1962 Academy Awards telecast, which turned her into an "overnight" national favorite and encouraged the producers of Bye Bye Birdie (1963) to build up her role. Perhaps the best indication of her total public acceptance was her animated appearance in a 1963 episode of The Flintstones (as Ann Margrock).Ann-Margret's career faltered in the mid-'60s thanks to a string of forgettable pictures like Made in Paris (1966) and Kitten With a Whip (1964). (One of the few highlights of this period, however, was her appearance in Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas in 1964, which led to an offscreen relation with The King.) Her career in doldrums, Ann-Margret marshalled a comeback in the early '70s thanks to the tireless efforts of her husband and manager, former actor Roger Smith. Sold-out Las Vegas and concert performances were part of her career turnabout, although the most crucial aspect was her Oscar nomination for a difficult role in 1971's Carnal Knowledge. But the comeback nearly ended before it began in 1972 when the entertainer was seriously injured in a fall during her Vegas act. With the help of physical rehabilitation and plastic surgery (not to mention the loving ministrations and encouragement of Smith), the actress made a complete recovery and went on to even greater career heights. She received her second Oscar nomination for her bravura performance in the rock-opera film Tommy (1975), where, in one of the high points of '70s cinema bizarre, she sang a number while swimming in baked beans. Ann-Margret was equally impressive (though in a less messy manner) in such powerhouse TV movies as Who Will Love My Children? (1983) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1984).
The low point of Ann-Margret's early-80s career doubtless arrived when she agreed to act in Hal Ashby's lousy 1982 gambling drama Lookin' to Get Out (aside a scream-happy Jon Voight) -- and probably regretted it for years afterward. A few triumphs marked the 1980s as well, however, such as the actress's turn as Steffy Blondell in Neil Simon's enjoyably bittersweet comedy-drama I Ought to Be in Pictures, and her role as a barmaid who strikes up an extramarital affair with - and later weds - Gene Hackman, in Bud Yorkin's finely-wrought domestic drama Twice in a Lifetime (1985).
After Newsies (1992), Disney's glaringly awful attempt to revive the period musical, Ann-Margret took time out of her packed schedule to write her 1993 autobiography Ann-Margret: My Story, a work revelatory about herself and her own personal demons that nonetheless evinces respect toward her show-business mentors and co-workers. She exuded warmth as the bon vivant who falls in-between bickering Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1993 box office hit Grumpy Old Men and its lackluster 1995 sequel, Grumpier Old Men (and played a satisfying straight man throughout). Yet the high profile of the Old Men releases made them exceptions to the actress's output in the mid-late nineties and early 2000s, which - though of varying quality - placed infinitely greater weight on television work than Ann-Margret had at any earlier point in her career. (In fact, for a period of about ten years, she became a veritable telemovie staple on par with Mary Tyler Moore and Meredith Baxter-Birney). These titles include but are not limited to: Nobody's Children (1994), Scarlett (1994), Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story, Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story (1998), Happy Face Murders (1999), Blonde (2001) and A Place Called Home (2004).
One big-screen exception arrived in the late 1999 football drama Any Given Sunday, where Oliver Stone gave Ann-Margret her meatiest role since Carnal Knowledge, as the alcoholic mother of team owner Christina Pagliacci (Cameron Diaz. It entailed only a small part amid a massive ensemble cast (Dennis Quaid, Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, others), but provided an excellent showcase for the actress's craftsmanship. She landed a bit part as Wendy Meyers, the mother of Jennifer Aniston's character, in the Aniston-Vince Vaughn romantic comedy The Break-Up, and joined Tim Allen and Martin Short for that same year's Buena Vista holiday sequel Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG
- Add Old Dogs to Queue
John Travolta and Robin Williams team up in the Walt Disney Company's Old Dogs, a family comedy that pairs the two as close business partners whose lives are thrown into disarray when twin seven-year-olds are put into their care. Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, co-stars, along with the couple's daughter, Ella, who makes her big-screen debut here. Wild Hogs helmer Walter Becker directs a script by Evolution scribes David Diamond and David Weissman, with producing duties going to Andrew Panay, Peter Abrams, and Robert Levy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Robin Williams, (more)
- 2008
A rebellious socialite defies social conventions for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at true love, only to see her hopes for the future shattered after a priceless diamond vanishes into thin air in this romantic drama adapted from a long-lost Tennessee Williams screenplay. Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the debutant daughter of a wealthy Memphis plantation owner. She harbors a great distain for the narrow-minded elite who seem to worship the ground her father walks on, and takes great delight in shocking and insulting them whenever the opportunity to do so arises. Shortly after returning from studying overseas, Fisher is swept off her feet by lowly farmhand Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans), who works on her father's plantation. His father a hopeless alcoholic and his mother having long since lost her mental capacities, Jimmy seems destined to go nowhere in life until Fisher hires him as her escort for the lavish party season and attempts to pass him off as an upper-class suitor in order to placate her spinster aunt Cornelia (Ann-Margret), who's been placed in charge of the family fortune. When one of Cornelia's priceless diamonds suddenly goes missing, a storm of accusations and betrayals begins to brew, effectively threatening to destroy any hopes that Fisher and Jimmy may have had for a happy future together. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, (more)
A man with the ability to see into the past sets out to solve a dark mystery that has haunted his family bloodline for three decades in director Bennett Davlin's time-shifting thriller. Dr. Taylor Biggs (Billy Zane) has accidentally ingested a hallucinogenic powder that allows him to experience his ancestor's most vivid memories, and now he is seeing images of a nightmarish predator who abducts and murders young girls. As Dr. Biggs begins to realize that these memories come from a time before he was even born, his suspicions that the killer may in fact be the father he never knew continue to grow stronger with each passing day. Though his mother is still alive, her fading memory has grown increasingly foggy and clouded with the passing of time. With the horrifying final moments in each victim's life consuming his every waking thought, Dr. Biggs sets out to unravel the secrets of his past and unmask a killer who appeared to have, in life, gotten away with murder. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Ann-Margret, (more)
- 2006
- G
- Add The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause to QueueAdd The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause to top of Queue
Tim Allen returns as a regular guy-turned-Jolly Old Elf in the second sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who doubles as Santa Claus, has settled into his home at the North Pole with his new wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell), and is preparing for another Christmas when he receives a visitor -- Jack Frost (Martin Short), the cold-weather sprite who has been sent to help out St. Nick by Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler) and Father Time (Peter Boyle) after making a scene at a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. However, while Jack is supposed to acting as an assistant to Santa, he has a habit of making things go haywire, and as it happens this is no mistake -- Jack is hoping that an exasperated Santa will quit his position so Jack can take over and finally have a holiday he can bend to his will. Meanwhile, Scott has invited Carol's parents, Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret), over for a long-promised visit, but since he needs to keep his other identity a secret, he and his elves are forced to go to great lengths to convince them that they're actually in Northern Canada. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and Spencer Breslin also reprise their roles from the first two Santa Clause films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
A once-loving Chicago couple whose happily-ever-after quickly turned into a never-again finds their crumbling romance complicated when both parties refuse to move out of the pair's recently purchased condo. The Break-Up is a romantic comedy that starts where all the others end. The future once looked promising for thirtysomething couple Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn), but lately it seems like a series of increasingly petty and intolerable squabbles have snuffed any semblance of romance in their relationship. Their confrontation endlessly fueled by mean-spirited suggestions of revenge tactics from friends and family and their stubborn refusal to budge resulting in an excruciating stalemate, Brooke and Gary ultimately decide to spitefully stick it out as hostile roommates until the weaker party eventually admits defeat. As the competition to drive one another out grows increasingly intense and outrageous, however, Brooke eventually comes to the realization that she's not fighting for possession of the condominium as much as she is fighting to salvage her relationship with the man she once viewed as the love of her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was a genius of outlaw art who took America's obsession with all that is fast, loud and streamlined and built it into an empire. In the 1950's, Roth was a hot-rodder who moved from body work and helping guys fine-tune the look of their jalopies to building unique custom machines. Roth threw out the rule book of conventional automotive design and created fantastic visions of chrome, fiberglass and supercharged engines which took one of America's most conventional consumer items and turned it into a freaked-out vision of post-adolescent cool. Roth was also a gifted cartoonist, and along with his cars he also created freaked-out automotive cartoons which made the artwork in Mad Magazine look sedate; his trademark character was Rat Fink, a maniacal, grinning rodent who was usually seen popping the clutch behind the wheel of one of Roth outlandish cars. Between Roth's crazed automobiles which drew thousands of fans to auto shows, the reproductions of them (in the form of model kits) which sold in the millions, and the Rat Fink and Monster T-shirts (which are still on the market today), Roth was one of the most influential figures in popular culture in the 1960's, and Tales Of The Rat Fink is a documentary by Ron Mann which features interviews with Roth's friends and fans as well as animated sequences that bring his cars and creatures to life on screen. John Goodman, Tom Wolfe, Brian Wilson, Matt Groening, Jay Leno and Ann-Margaret are among those who contributed their voices to the project; acclaimed indie-rockers the Sadies composed and performed the musical score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
An inept cop suddenly gets a new partner in the person of a cabbie with attitude in this high-rolling comedy. Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) is a police officer who becomes the laughingstock of the department after a series of traffic accidents cause him to lose his driver's license. One day, Washburn gets an urgent call to head out to the location of a bank robbery; unable to drive himself there, he hails a cab. As it happens, the taxi is being driven by Belle (Queen Latifah), a single mom who, after making a name for herself as the fastest pizza delivery person in New York, has moved up to driving a hack. What begins as a wild ride to the scene of the crime gets even wilder as Washburn and Belle become unexpected allies while following the trail of a team of beautiful but reckless female bank robbers led by Vanessa (Gisele Bundchen). Adapted from a popular French action comedy with the same name, Taxi was Jimmy Fallon's first big-screen vehicle after leaving the cast of the popular sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, (more)
Michael Tuchner's A Place Called Home stars Ann-Margret as Tula Jeeters, a woman who is going blind. Her conniving nephew and niece are attempting to take possession of her estate so they can sell it for a small fortune. She fights for her own independence with the help of a father and daughter who she has taken in, and a social worker who discovers that she is attracted to the father. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret
At the beginning of Interstate 60, Neal Oliver (James Mardsen) has more questions about his future than answers. Though he would rather pursue a career in art, Neal debates whether or not he should set his goals towards a law degree, as his father would greatly prefer. He has a girlfriend, but he wonders if he should search for the mysterious woman (Amy Smart) who visits his nightly dreams and inspires his artwork. By the time his 23rd birthday roles around, Neal is no closer to choosing his life's path. He feels empty and unsatisfied, despite lavish birthday gifts, and wishes only for clarity as he blows out the candles on his cake. Rather than instant answers, Neal is given the opportunity to take a journey on a highway that doesn't exist on any map; a highway where the past, present, and future converge. Alongside him is One Wish Grant (Gary Oldman), the immortal offspring of a leprechaun and Cheyenne Indian, who has the unique ability to grant wishes to those he believes deserve them. Thus begins Neal's surreal road trip through the uncharted territories of his own potential destiny. Interstate 60 features a stellar cast with supporting performances and cameos from Kurt Russell, Michael J. Fox, Liv Tyler, and Christopher Lloyd. Bob Gale, co-writer/producer of Used Cars, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and, most notably, the Back to the Future trilogy, directs. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Marsden, Gary Oldman, (more)
The remarkable life and tragic death of Marilyn Monroe has fascinated film fans for decades, but this two-part TV miniseries, based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, takes an unusual approach, using dramatic license (the film announces itself as a work of fiction using the names of real people) to look inside the minds of Monroe and those around her to ponder the circumstances of her rise and fall. Young Norma Jeane Baker (Skye McCole Bartusiak) is raised by single mother Gladys (Patricia Richardson), who is unstable, uncaring, and poorly equipped to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood. As Norma Jeane grows up without a father and with little affection from her mother, she suffers from a poor self-image and craves attention; when she grows into a beautiful young woman who is unusually attractive to men, she falls into a number of romances and a short-lived marriage in search of the approval she needs so desperately. When Norma Jeane (now played by Poppy Montgomery) turns 20, she meets a photographer, Otto (Eric Bogosian), who sees star potential in her beauty. Otto's cheesecake pictures catch the eye of I.E. Shinn (Wallace Shawn), an agent who in turned introduces her to Mr. R (Richard Roxburgh), the head of a movie studio, who offers to make Norma Jeane a star -- if she would be willing to have sex with him. Norma Jeane unenthusiastically agrees, and Mr. R proves good to his word; renamed Marilyn, she becomes an major film star and an international sex symbol. But the adulation proves to be a poor substitute for the love she craves, and as she falls into relationships with any man who treats her with a modicum of respect -- including a famous baseball player (Titus Welliver) and an acclaimed author (Griffin Dunne) -- her life begins to spiral out of control. Blonde also stars Ann-Margret, Kirstie Alley, and Patrick Dempsey; the series first aired May 13 and May 16, 2001, on the CBS television network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Poppy Montgomery, Patricia Richardson, (more)
A comedy detailing the war of the sexes with some new twists, this film stars Angus MacFadyen as Houston Blackett, a men's magazine owner whose mother suddenly dies in the Rocky Mountains. His mother has evidently left the estate not to her estranged son, but to her lover, a local girl named Zane (Penelope Ann Miller). Houston is aghast at the news, and his machismo is put to the test in the form of Zane, who takes no guff, especially from an objectifying type, as well as the people near him, who also begin to turn on him, including a reporter (Kathryn Harrold) and her tough assistant (Mary Kay Place). The film also features Ann-Margret as Houston's unforgiving, harsh mother-in-law, veteran actress Millie Perkins as his housekeeper, and writer/director Karen Leigh Hopkins as a single mother caught up in Houston's dilemma. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angus MacFadyen, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
The Last Producer stars Burt Reynolds (who also directed) as burned-out Hollywood movie mogul Sonny Wexler. Once the fair-haired boy of Tinseltown, Wexler finds himself persona non grata in a city now run by younger, leaner, hungrier, and more ruthless studio CEOs. In a last-ditch comeback effort, Sonny tries to purchase a script from a novice scrivener that bids fair to be the hottest property in years. Unfortunately, the hero may be beaten to the punch by a nasty upstart executive who will stop at nothing -- not even murder -- to get his hands on the script. Most of the film is devoted to Sonny's frantic efforts to raise the necessary 50,000 dollars from his alleged friends, his estranged family members, and a handful of raffish-looking types with mob connections. And believe it or not, this is a comedy. Evidently intended for theatrical release, The Last Producer made its first appearance via the home-video market in Europe in 2000. The film was not widely shown in America until its USA Network cable-TV debut on February 6, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds
This made-for-TV miniseries recounts the muddled criminal investigation of the JonBenet Ramsey murder -- one of the most luridly publicized crimes in recent memory. As the crime unfolds, the Boulder police squad grow increasingly swamped by the elusive details of the crime and the unprecedented media attention. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kris Kristofferson, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
This ten-hour mini-series extravaganza originally aired on February 26, 2000 on NBC, and concerns the fate of a janitor, Tony (John Larroquette), and his lovely daughter Virginia (Kimberly Williams), who mysteriously find themselves in a land where fairies, trolls, and elves live. Their attempts to return home are thwarted by an evil witch (Diane Wiest). Appearing in supporting roles are Rutger Hauer, Warwick Davis, and Camryn Manheim as Snow White. The 10th Kingdom was rebroadcast on August, 2000, with a substantially trimmed running time of eight hours, which was shortened even further to six hours for the video release, after all commercials had been removed. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kimberly Williams, John Larroquette, (more)
- 2000
As New Year's Eve of 1999 approaches, a woman named Angela (Ann-Margret) dreads the inevitable moment that her longtime boyfriend Nick (James Read) intends to propose marriage. Not only is Angela pathologically incapable of making a commitment, but she also is unable to let go of her painful past. Posing as employees at a New Year's party, Monica (Roma Downey) and Andrew (John Dye) do their best to help Angela shed her past and look forward confidentally to her future--but first she is required to remember a promise made to her father made way back in 1955, and to honor that promise no later than January 1, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This video compiles screen tests of actor and actresses that went on to become icons and stars. Included is footage of Dustin Hoffman, Julie Andrews, Ann-Magret, Raquel Welch, and Sean Connery. The DVD release of this collection offers interviews. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Ann-Margret and Nicholas Campbell star in this suspense story based on actual incidents. Lorraine, a woman who enjoys mystery novels, is tired of being slapped around by her boyfriend and decides to tell the police he's guilty of murder. However, the detectives looking into the case are a bit confused when certain details in Lorraine's story keep changing. However, the real murderer, who is still at large, is even more puzzled by these events, which leads to danger Lorraine wasn't expecting. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Nicholas Campbell, (more)
Oliver Stone takes on professional football, a sport whose grace and delicacy are a good match for his filmmaking style. Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), the head coach of the Miami Sharks, won back-to-back championships four years ago. But new team owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) has little enthusiasm for the finer points of the game and is concerned only with the bottom line. The longtime strongman of Tony's team has been "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid), a 39-year-old quarterback, but Christina balks at renewing his contract. When Cap is injured during a game, third-string rookie quarterback Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx) goes on in his place and becomes a major star. But Beaman is mostly interested in fame and money, and he has little regard for Tony and his teammates. Any Given Sunday also stars James Woods as the team's doctor, LL Cool J as a star running back, Jim Brown as a former football great turned Sharks' defensive coordinator, Ann-Margret as Christina's alcoholic mother, Bill Bellamy as a wide receiver, Elizabeth Berkley as Tony's favorite prostitute, and Charlton Heston as the football commissioner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, (more)
- 1998
One of the most highly touted projects of the 1997-1998 TV season, Four Corners was introduced by CBS as a four-part miniseries, debuting February 24, 1998. Ann-Margret heads the cast as Amanda "Maggie" Wyatt, the headstrong widowed matriarch of a once-powerful California rancing family. Despite the encroachment of housing developments and ski resorts, Maggie is determined to keep Four Corners up and running. Unfortunately for her, Maggie's son Alex (Doug Wert) has evinced sympathy for the land developers; also, her best friend Carlota Alvarez (Sonia Braga) has cast her lot with a group of local migrant workers. In other intrigues, Maggie's amorous daughter Kate (Megan Ward) still hopes to get her lunchhooks into Carlotta's son Tomas (Kamar De Los Reyes), and never mind that he has become a priest; and Maggie's foreman Sam (Raymond J. Barry must deal with the return of his jailbird son Caleb (Justin Chambers). The plan was to follow the pattern set by the classic prime time soap opera Dallas by introducing Four Corners as a limited series, then go to a full weekly program once it had won the viewers' hearts. But those hearts turned cold in a hurry--and as a result only three of the four completed episodes had been telecast when CBS abruptly axed the project on March 3, 1998. Since that time, Four Corners has been rebroadcast as a two-part TV movie by the Lifetime cable network, under the title Homestead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Sonia Braga, (more)
- 1998
This film is based on the extraordinary and at times outrageous life of Pamela Digby Churchill Hayward Harriman (aptly played by Ann-Margret), who arrived in America from her native England. During her 40 years in the U.S. she managed to marry powerful and wealthy men and work her way into the highest echelons of New York and Washington's society. Part of her success was due to her ability to periodically reinvent herself to meet the changing face of society and the men she needed to feed her considerable ambitions. It was not until much later in her life that she discovered that she could find success on her own, without a man. The highlight of her new life was when President Bill Clinton appointed her the ambassador to France. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, David Dukes, (more)
- 1997
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This video charts director John Frankenheim's rise from working as an assistant director in television to directing such classics as The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- Add Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story to QueueAdd Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story to top of Queue
Inspired by a true story, director John Patterson's made for television thriller stars ageing screen siren Ann-Margaret the titular black widow, a deeply-disturbed, part-time Wisconsin schoolteacher who manipulates her students into killing her husband under the false pretences that he is an abusive tyrant who is about to end their marriage and send her packing from their lavish suburban home. The truth, however, is that Diane's husband Ruben (Peter Coyote) is just a regular guy who realized that his marriage was a mistake when his irrationally jealous wife fails to prevent signs of her acute instability from bubbling to the surface. While Ruben staunchly opposes divorce, he is increasingly drawn to the beautiful Claire (Leslie Hope), a married woman who effectively signs his death warrant after luring him into an adulterous affair. Meanwhile, back in study hall, Diane plies impressionable sixteen year-old student Doug Vest (Christian Campbell) with elaborate yarns of abuse and mistreatment, eventually spurring him into action lest she lose everything in the impending divorce. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1996
When Maggie Yearwood (Ann-Margret) threw her cheating husband out of the house, her son Peter (Corbin Allred) became so distraught that he attempted to kill himself--and after emerging from a coma, Peter had totally lost his hearing. Now enrolled in the Riverwall School for the Deaf in Arizona, Peter is a surly, resentful loner, as angry at his mother as he is at his current lot in life. Hoping to mend fences with Peter, Maggie pulls up stakes and moves to the town of Blue Dog, some 25 miles from Riverwall. Here she meets an enigmatic rodeo cowboy who calls himself Owen Wister (Kris Kristofferson)--and who has more than his own share of emotional baggage. How the fates of Maggie, Peter and Owen are interwined provides the dramatic substance of the made-for-TV Blue Rodeo, which was based on a novel by Jo-Ann Mapson and which originally aired October 20, 1996 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this sequel to the surprise hit Grumpy Old Men, life goes on much as it usually does in Wabasha County, Minnesota, with the only notable differences being that John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are getting along all right (or at least to the extent that they're capable of getting along with each other), and that John's marriage to free-spirited Ariel (Ann-Margret) is working out quite nicely. John and Max's great obsession in life remains fishing, and both are vying to reel in "Catfish Hunter," a trophy fish that local anglers have been trying to catch for ages. However, Max is outraged when Maria Ragetti (Sophia Loren) and her mother Francesca (Ann Morgan Guilbert) arrive in town and take over the local bait and tackle shop, only to announce that they're going to close it down and open an Italian restaurant in its place. Max goes to remarkable lengths to foil Maria's plans, but John thinks that his friend needs a wife, and that Max and Maria might make a good match. Grandpa Gustafson (Burgess Meredith) seems to think he'd be a good mate for Francesca, but then again he's not known for being very fussy about women. John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollak) are trying to work out their own plans to get married, and they might just make it to the altar if John and Max can stop interfering. Grumpier Old Men proved to be the last role for veteran actor Burgess Meredith, who died two years after it was released. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, (more)
- 1994
This much-ballyhooed TV miniseries sequel to Gone with the Wind finds former Agent 007 Timothy Dalton reprising the tough-to-fill shoes of Clark Gable's Rhett Butler, and former Val Kilmer spouse Joanne Whalley-Kilmer beating out thousands of hopefuls to play what was once Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara role. Loosely based on Alexandra Ripley's sequel novel, the film finds our heroine traversing the country to win back Rhett but inadvertently becoming pregnant with Rhett's baby and absconding to Ireland to raise the tyke. There, she becomes indoctrinated into a royal clan. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanne Whalley, Timothy Dalton, (more)
