Alicia Goranson Movies

A lonely writer quits his job at a Princeton prep school and sets his sights on New York, where he forges an unlikely bond with an eccentric playwright who now earns his living as an escort for wealthy Manhattan widows. Upon arriving in New York City, Louis Ives (Paul Dano) quickly lands a job at an environmental magazine and leases a room from Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline), a celebrated playwright without a penny to his name. Later, as Louis attempts to strike up a relationship with his environmentally conscious co-worker Mary (Katie Holmes), his urban education gets a sizable jump-start thanks to Henry, who spends his evenings with high-society widows hanging off both arms. As the bond between Henry and Louis strengthens, the young protégé realizes he isn't the only one gaining something from their unusual friendship. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Alicia Goranson, Brendan Sexton III, and David Eigenberg star in director Adrienne Weiss' affectionate tale of sisterly devotion versus romantic yearning. By day, Queens native Myra (Goranson) has a reputation as hard-working firecracker of an office clerk who's not afraid to speak her mind, but by night, the outwardly hardened office worker goes soft as she lovingly caters to the needs of her artistically driven but emotionally unstable brother Ludlow (Sexton III). As Myra's burgeoning relationship with kind-hearted office employee Reggie (Eigenberg) begins to take a turn for the serious, the resulting tug of war waged for Myra's affection finds the emotional Ludlow lashing out and attempting to sabotage his sister's burgeoning romance. Though Myra's devotion to her troubled brother has always thus far resulted in a virtually non-existent social life, the prospect of following her strong feelings for the sweet and sensitive loner finds the encumbered sister struggling to find a comfortable middle ground between her senses of love, responsibility, and freedom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A young woman at a crossroads in her life finds herself receiving plenty of advice from her older and wiser counterparts in this drama. Finn Dodd (Winona Ryder) is a graduate student trying to finish up her doctoral thesis on women's folk art while deciding if she should marry her fiancé Sam (Dermot Mulroney); she's not sure if she's ready to settle down, and suspects that Sam is unfaithful to her. Needing time to sort things out, Finn chooses to spend the summer with her grandmother Hy (Ellen Burstyn) and great aunt Gladys Jo (Anne Bancroft). Hy and Gladys Jo are avid quilters, and with a group of their friends, they work on a special quilt for Finn's wedding; as the women work together, they share stories of their lives, and Finn finds herself learning as much from hearing them talk as she does from her schoolwork. Finn also receives a visit from her free-spirited mom Sally (Kate Capshaw) and finds herself infatuated with a good looking young man who lives nearby. Maya Angelou plays one of the quilters, as do Kate Nelligan, Jean Simmons, and Alfre Woodard. How to Make an American Quilt was the directorial debut of Jocelyn Moorhouse, and was based on a novel by Whitney Otto that itself began as a doctoral thesis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Season five of Roseanne contains some of the best-remembered episodes of the show, and marked the first of many Emmy awards (Laurie Metcalf won for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series in 1992). The season started in the usual dire financial straits, with the bike shop out of business and Roseanne out of work. Her mother, Bev (Estelle Parsons) moves into a retirement home in Lanford and helps to finance the sandwich shop, the Lanford Lunch Box. In the two-part season opener, Mark (Glenn Quinn) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) elope and move to Minneapolis. Right after they leave, Darlene turns 16 and quickly advances her relationship with David (Johnny Galecki), who ends up moving in with the Conners. Darlene dyes her hair black, stages an animal rights protest at the Lanford Lunch Box, and goes to the Daisy Chainsaw concert with new next-door neighbor Molly Tilden (Danielle Harris).This season contained some pretty heavy episodes, like when Roseanne and Jackie's father died or the two-part episode where Jackie left her abusive boyfriend, Fisher (Matt Roth). Also significant is the episode where Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) reveals that she's gay and introduces her lover, Marla (Morgan Fairchild). Other guest stars that appeared this season include Joan Collins, Loretta Lynn, Ed Begley Jr., and Red Buttons. The season ends when a business opportunity gets messed up by shady partner Roger (Tim Curry), and Darlene has to decide between staying with David in Lanford or going to art school in Chicago. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Season three of Roseanne opened following the media frenzy surrounding the infamous baseball game where Roseanne slaughtered the National Anthem on television. Married to Roseanne in 1990, Tom Arnold makes a few guest appearances and starts writing episodes as well. The Conner family's problems with money escalate in this season, when Dan (John Goodman) gives Arnie (Tom Arnold) a loan right before he finds himself in debt. Dan also gets injured at work and Roseanne starts working at the coffee shop. Becky's (Lecy Goranson) behavioral problems escalate significantly as she gets sent to the principal's office, runs away from home, throws a party, and steals Dan's motorcycle with her boyfriend, marking the first appearance of Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn). Darlene (Sara Gilbert) goes to her first school dance and develops an interest in boys, but she still would rather play baseball than wear a dress. Dan's father, Ed (Ned Beatty), proposes to their family friend, Crystal (Natalie West), who is pregnant with his child. Also, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) becomes a full-fledged police officer and breaks up with her boyfriend, Gary (Brian Kerwin). The season ends with Ziggy's (Jay O. Sanders) return to Lanford and the birth of the motorcycle shop. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

The first season of Roseanne served as an introduction to the working-class Conner family and their humorous struggles to get through the day in Lanford, IL. Roseanne is presented as the sarcastic head of the household, snapping rude comments to everyone and working full time at Wellman Plastics. Dan (John Goodman) is a freelance building contractor, but his salesman father (Ned Beatty) thinks that he should be doing more with his life. Frequently shouting back at her mother's comments, Becky's (Lecy Goranson) interests lie mostly in boys; during this season, she prefers the tougher Johnny (Tony Crane) to the wealthier Chip (Jared Rushton). Darlene (Sara Gilbert) is a tomboy who shares her mother's caustic wit and constantly fights with her little brother, D.J. (Michael Fishman ). Darlene approaches getting her first period with serious dread, and she appears to have developed a high propensity for manipulation. Neurotic Jackie (Laurie Metcalf ) works at the plastics factory and dates the manager, Booker (George Clooney). In the season finale, Roseanne finally quits her factory job. This season went through several writers, including Roseanne's first husband, Bill Pentland. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi