Kramer Morgenthau Movies

A teenager with a penchant for tall tales becomes tangled in his own complex web of deceit upon transferring to a new school in this cautionary comedy of little white lies starring Craig Kilborn, Carmen Electra, Teri Polo, and Ryan Pinkston. Sam Leonard (Pinkston) is the new kid at Bridgeport High. A few inches shorter and a little less athletic than his new classmates, Sam is sent knocking on the door of high-school guidance counselor after a particularly embarrassing locker room mishap. Upon determining that the only way to win over his skeptical new classmates is to convince them just how cool he truly is, the scheming student quickly begins to concoct a series of outlandish lies about his background. In Sam's new world, his father is a rock star and his mother a successful avant-garde artist. When Sam wakes up the following morning to discover that his vivid exaggerations have seemingly manifested themselves in reality, his priorities begin to shift as he discovers that there's much more to life than just being popular. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A group of friends living in suburban Oregon come into contact with a sensual free spirit named Chloe (Alexa Davalos), who changes their outlook on life in the most unexpected of ways in this ensemble drama adapted from the acclaimed novel by author Charles Baxter. As college professor and writer Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) sits quietly in the coffee shop of his tight-knit Oregon community, the local residents all around him all become swept up in the magical mischief of love. Coffee shop owner Bradley (Greg Kinnear) has a bad habit of looking for love in all the wrong places, and his relationship with wife Kathryn (Selma Blair) is a prime example of that penchant. Meanwhile, frazzled real estate agent Diana (Radha Mitchell) becomes ensnared in a taboo affair with a married man (Billy Burke), lovely newcomer Chloe attempts the formidable task of romancing troubled soul Oscar (Toby Hemingway), and Harry's own wife, Esther (Jane Alexander), affectionately tries to get through to her husband as he wrestles with the pain of losing a loved one. Fred Ward, Alexa Davalos, Stana Katic, Toby Hemingway, and Erika Maroszán star in a whimsical tale of intersecting lives inspired by Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and directed by Robert Benton (Nobody's Fool, The Human Stain). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The gimmick of the ABC procedural drama The Evidence was established at the beginning of each hour-long episode. It was explained via a videotaped police log that a murder had been committed, and that several clues were left behind by the unknown killer. As the camera froze on each clue, the viewer was treated to a flashback, placing that clue in context of the crime. Thus, the characters onscreen virtually competed against the viewers at home as to who would solve the mystery first. Orlando Jones and Rob Estes headed the cast as San Francisco police detectives Cayman Bishop and Sean Cole, who punctuated each investigation with kidding-on-the-square insults and clever quips, à la Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on the old spy series I Spy. Other regulars included Martin Landau as medical examiner Dr. Sol Goldman and Anita Briem as investigator Emily Stevens. The "backstories" of each character were revealed on a "need to know" basis in the course of each episode, showing how their personal experiences colored the direction of the investigation (much air time was devoted to the death of the wife of Sean Cole). Created by Sam Baum and Dustin Thomason, The Evidence made its network bow on March 22, 2006, only to be placed on hiatus after three episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Executive produced by Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo (who also wrote the theme music), the weekly, 60-minute Over There was the first TV war series to air while the war it was dramatizing was still being waged. Set in Iraq (with California and Mexico serving as location-filming substitutes), the series followed a platoon of the Third Infantry Division, most of whose personnel were serving their first tour of duty as part of "Operation Iraqi Freedom." The platoon was led by veteran soldier Sgt. Chris "Scream" Silas (Erik Palladino), who despite his profane gruffness cared deeply about his charges. Among the boots on the ground were Private Bo Ryder (Josh Henderson), a college football star who early in the campaign lost a leg in a roadside bombing; Pvt. Frank "Dim" Dumphy (Luke MacFarlane), a college boy born into privilege who had a lot of trouble adjusting to the horror and bloodshed all around him; Pvt. Maurice "Smoke" Williams (Kirk Jones, aka Sticky Fingaz), an abrasive, street-smart tough guy who held any form of idealism in the highest disdain; Pvt. Avery "Angel" King (Keith Robinson), a devout Christian who enlisted on an impulse and lived to regret it; PFC Tariq Nassiri (Omid Abtahi), a Detroit-born Arab-American, in many ways the most fervently patriotic member of the platoon; and two female soldiers, PFC Esmerelda "Doublewide" Del Rio (Lizette Carrion), a rambunctious Puerto Rican wife and mother, and Pvt. Brenda Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox), who'd signed up just for the military benefits and whose constant whining and complaining earned her the nickname "Mrs. B" (and it didn't stand for "Beautiful").

The graphic depiction of the carnage in Iraq alternated with scenes back at home, where we met Bo's wife, Terry (Sprague Grayden), who bravely dedicated herself to helping her amputee husband adjust to the new restrictions in his life; Dim's spouse, Vanessa (Brigid Brannagh), an alcoholic and serial philanderer; Frank's troubled stepson, Eddy (Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak); and Sergio Del Rio (Lombardo Boyar), Esmerelda's long-suffering husband. Although the producers insisted that the tone of Over There was apolitical, a certain amount of criticism aimed toward the Bush administration inevitably crept in. But what sustained interest were the various moral crises encountered by the platoon members, as they picked and scraped their way through a war like none other in recent American history. Prepared for the UPN network but ultimately picked up by the FX cable service (mainly because of the series' excess of violence and bad language), Over There launched its 13-week run on July 27, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mitch Albom wrote the screenplay for this made-for-television adaptation of his best-selling story, which offers a novel perspective on life, death, and the meaning of our existence. Eddie (Jon Voight) is an elderly maintenance man who has spent most of his life keeping the rides at an amusement park in good repair; Eddie has had a hard life, sustaining a serious injury during World War II and losing his wife, and he often wonders what the purpose behind it all is. One day, Eddie is killed while trying to save a young girl who has fallen from a ride, and in the afterlife, he's greeted by five people he knew during his lifetime, who explain to him what the key moments in his life were, and what was to be learned from them. The Five People You Meet in Heaven also features Steven Grayhm (who plays Eddie as a younger man), Ellen Burstyn, Jeff Daniels, Michael Imperioli, and Callum Keith Rennie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Paul (Greg Kinnear) and Jessie Duncan (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) have barely begun the grieving process when Dr. Richard Wells (Robert De Niro) attends the funeral of the Duncans' eight-year-old son, Adam (Cameron Bright), with a pressing question in tow. Head of the Godsend Fertility Clinic, Dr. Wells claims he can use Adam's rapidly dying cells to clone a replica of the boy, though the necessary DNA will only be viable for another 24 hours. The process in itself is completely illegal; not only must Jessie and Paul be forced to relocate, but they will also be forced to sever all ties with friends and family in order to ensure the secret remains so. Within the space of a day, the Duncans consider the legal and ethical implications of such a procedure, ultimately deciding that their love for Adam is enough to trump the law and any high-minded philosophical questions. After resettling in an idyllic town near Dr. Wells' clinic, Jessie is impregnated with the late Adam's living cells, while Paul is given a beautiful home and a more than suitable job. Shortly afterward, the new Adam -- seemingly identical to the original Adam in every way -- is born and lives a life quite similar to his predecessor until the morning of his eighth birthday. A series of night terrors is the first thing to disturb the Duncans' otherwise serene lifestyle. Adam's violent visions eventually mutate to ill temper, and an aura of menace permeates the aura of a boy who had otherwise been sweetness incarnate from the day of his birth. Eventually, Paul discovers that Dr. Wells is not a pediatrician, but a geneticist, and that their playing God may have been a Faustian bargain of epic proportions. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

In 1975, as the war in Vietnam finally draws to a close, a number of Vietnamese refugees seeking new homes in the United States find themselves housed at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in California, where Sgt. Jim Lance (Patrick Swayze) is put in charge of their care. Lance is a compassionate man who tries to afford the refugees as much dignity and respect as is possible; frustrated by his inability to speak with them directly, Lance strikes up a friendship with Tai (Don Duong), who worked with the U.S. Army as a translator during the war and now wants to settle in America. Tai helps Lance speak with the refugees, and coaches him in conversational Vietnamese. Tai and Lance soon come to realize how much they have in common, and how they are both still coming to terms with the emotional scars inflicted upon them by the war. Tai is looking after his nephew Minh (Trung Nguyen) and niece Anh (Jennifer Tran), who are waiting for their mother to arrive, but Tai is tortured with guilt, convinced he should have given her his seat on the flight to California. Lance, on the other hand, was stationed in America while his brother fought and died in Vietnam, and Lance believes he should have taken his brother's place. Meanwhile, Minh spends his days looking after Anh and wandering the camp; he strikes up a friendship with Addie (Forest Whitaker), a cook at the camp with a passion for art. Together, Addie and Minh try to brighten the refugees' area by creating a large and colorful mural that symbolizes the multicultural America they dream of. Green Dragon was written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui, whose brother Tony Bui helmed the acclaimed drama Three Seasons, which examined life in contemporary Vietnam. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Writer-director Gregory C. Haynes serves up a down-home twist on the traditional romantic comedy with this tale of a 30-something lawyer who starts to feel the marriage bug. Danny (Adam Trese) still harbors dreams of becoming a cowboy when his fiancée leaves him on the eve of their wedding ceremony. Luckily, not one, but two women come along to ease his suffering: the bubbly Jo Jo (High Art's Radha Mitchell) and the more traditional Candice (Mia Kirshner). Which woman will put an end to the tears in Danny's beer? Will he really trade in his briefs and torts for chaps and a lariat? Cowboys and Angels premiered at the 2000 L.A. Independent Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Filmmaking duo Michael Swanhaus and his brother Trip direct this gothic tale about teens in an East Coast mental asylum. Devon (Justin Pierce), who was unjustly committed, finds company with the cute Kayleigh (Galaxy Craze) and the sex-crazed Eve (Alison Folland). Pigeonholed was screened at the L.A./AFI Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Eric Schaeffer writes, directs, produces, and stars in this wacky sex comedy. Nine days away from his wedding, Spindell (Schaeffer) realizes that, though his future bride Tabitha (Callie Thorne) is both gorgeous and understanding, he no longer finds her sexually attractive. In flashbacks, we learn about the sexually precocious Spindell, including a time as a toddler when he tries to have oral sex with an electrical outlet. Later in college, he has a long passionate affair with Samantha, who is just as neurotic and sexually kinked as he is. Wirey Spindell was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

This documentary captures rhythms in the life and career of famed cinema choreographer Busby Berkeley (1895-1976). In the late '20s, Berkeley's work on Broadway led Eddie Cantor to recommend him to producer Sam Goldwyn for the film version of the 1930 Whoopee! (remade in 1944 as Up in Arms). After 42nd Street (1933), Berkeley's reputation in Hollywood was established. Reading from interviews by Dave Martin and critic Tony Thomas, Larry Robinson provides the voice of Berkeley. The hour-long profile intercuts interviews with Thomas, Esther Williams, director Kenneth Anger, film historian Richard Barrios, critic J. Hoberman, and others. After the December 1997 premiere of this documentary on the BBC, a re-edited version (eliminating rare footage of Florenz Zeigfeld) premiered in the U.S. on January 26, 1998 on Turner Classic Movies. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide