Randy Sutter Movies

A teenage zero becomes a high school hero after secretly becoming the school mascot at the behest of his best friend. Unable to carry on the family tradition of being the Hondo High School mascot due to the fact that he's allergic to the costume, teenager Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso) quietly recruits his best friend Pete (Jason Dolley) for the job. Reluctantly agreeing with the strict understanding that their pact will remain a secret, Pete dons the Chicken costume and goes to work. At first, painfully shy Pete isn't sure he's up to the task, but before long he's got the whole school cheering. The anonymity of the Chicken suit allows Pete to let go of his insecurities and embrace a newfound freedom, and as a result, a whole new personality begins to emerge. Trouble is, back in the classroom no one even knows his name. Now, as the students rally around Cleatus under the assumption that he is the Chicken, Pete must decide whether it's finally time to reveal the truth, or keep his beak closed and maintain the elaborate ruse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A popular high school girl wrestles with the possibility she may be HIV-positive after learning that her recently deceased boyfriend was an IV drug user who was apparently infected with the virus. Rachel Sandler (Andrea Bowen) is a 17-year-old girl living an upper-middle-class neighborhood. Her late boyfriend Jason was a respected athlete with a dark secret: he was a heroin addict who preferred to take the drug intravenously. But that's not the worst of it -- according to an anonymous source, Jason was also HIV-positive. Jason and Rachel had been intimate, and now Rachel is terrified that he may have transmitted the virus to her. Implored by her substitute teacher Sarah (Jennie Garth) to get tested, Rachel remains paralyzed with fear until she discovers that Sarah has been living with HIV for nearly a decade. When rumors about Rachel begin spreading like wildfire, she realizes her best bet is to summon her courage and take the test. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In the tradition of Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company and Growing Up Brady comes the telemovie Dynasty: the Making of a Guilty Pleasure: a slightly tongue-in-cheek docudrama that purports to tell the scintillating story behind the scenes of ABC's nine-season prime time soaper about the Carringtons and the Colbys. The feature (produced by ABC itself) reflects on the parent network's own lust after a serial drama in the face of drowning competition from Dallas. To solve this issue, producer Aaron Spelling (here played by Nicholas Hammond) and show creators Richard and Esther Shapiro (Ritchie Singer and Pamela Reed) conceive of a modern American dress version of I, Claudius about the corrupting influences of wealth and power in the Reagan era. The suits devise the scheming character of Alexis Carrington Colby and bring Joan Collins (Alice Krige) in to play her as a kind of feminine equivalent of J.R. Ewing. The main thrust of the story involves the program's rise to one of the top-tiered series on television, followed by its inevitable fall when it disrespects and underestimates its regular audience. John Bart portrays John Forsythe, Melora Hardin plays Linda Evans, and Robert Coleby is Rock Hudson. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Having survived a traumatic encounter with hordes of dangerous locusts, Dr. Maddy Reardon (Lucy Lawless), a specialist in the behavior patterns of voracious insects, accepts what she thinks will be a stress-free job as a professor at Tate University in Louisiana. Unfortunately, Maddy is once again forced to put her knowledge to use--and her life on the line--when the body of a student is found, drained of blood. Assisted by her husband Dan (Dylan Neal) and by several of her more courageous (or should we say foolhardy?) students, Maddy endeavors to prove that the death of the student was caused by a flock of particularly vicious vampire bats, mutated into monstrosity by a recent toxic waste dump. Timothy Bottoms costars as Mayor Hank Poelker, who is covertly in cahoots with the chemical company that has caused this calamity. (Can it be that Bottoms was cast because of his resemblance to President George W. Bush, whom the actor has also played on several occasions?) Originally slated to be filmed in New Orleans, Vampire Bats shifted production to Canada to avoid the anticipated onslaught of Hurricane Katrina; the made-for-TV thriller debuted October 30, 2005 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-cable "dramedy" represents a change of pace for comedian George Lopez), here cast as a nasty, vituperative Chicago radio "shock jock" sportscaster named Henry Ramiro. Although his show is Number One in the ratings, Henry has managed to alienate everyone around him with his relentless verbal assaults--and when we say "everyone", we also mean his long-suffering wife Diana (Lisa Vidal) and his insecure daughter Olivia (Bianca Collins). This is the status quo until 15-year-old Grant Michael (James Kirk), whose life-threatening illness has not dampened his zest for living and his relentless good cheer, shames Henry into being a nice guy for one whole day. Not surprisingly, Henry's ratings immediately tank--but he manages to learn a valuable lesson (with a few detours along the way) just in time for Christmas. Naughty or Nice was produced by the Hallmark corporation and telecast by the ABC network on December 11, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This three-hour TV biopic of actress Natalie Wood emulates Citizen Kane by beginning at the end -- the tragically ironic drowning death of the water-phobic actress in 1981 -- then recounts her life story in flashback. Justine Waddell plays the adult Natalie, with younger performers Elizabeth Rice, Candice Moore, and Nadia Scappa portraying the actress in various stages of childhood, adolescence, and puberty. Although little Natasha Gurdin's Russian-born mother and father (here played by Colin Friels and Alice Krige) had drive and ambition, it was the girl herself who energetically and enthusiastically promoted her career as a child star named "Natalie Wood," and it was Natalie herself who demanded that producer stop casting her in cute-kid and ingenue roles and take her seriously as an adult -- even before she technically was one. Naturally, the film recounts Natalie's marriage to actor Robert Wagner (Michael Weatherley), the breakup of the union as she pursued affairs with the likes of Warren Beatty (Matthew Settle), and Wood and Wagner's ultimate reconciliation and remarriage. One might assume that the "mystery" of the film's title is Natalie's death by drowning -- to this day, no one quite knows how she managed to end up in the water -- but it also manifested in the enigma of Natalie herself, a woman who despite her aggressive and unending pursuit of fame and stardom might well have willingly given it all up just to be a wife and mother. In fine old Hollywood-biography tradition, the movie boasts an endless parade of celebrity lookalikes impersonating such friends and colleagues of Natalie Wood as James Dean, Edmund Gwenn, Marilyn Monroe, and directors Irving Pichel, Elia Kazan, and Nicholas Ray, as well as several real-life celebs offering their reflections on the film's protagonist, notably Margaret O'Brien, Robert Vaughn, and Henry Jaglom. Directed by no less than Peter Bogdanovich, The Mystery of Natalie Wood first aired over ABC on March 1, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A suspense novel by Sue Miller was the source for the made-for-TV While I Was Gone, which made its CBS network debut on October 10, 2004. Boston veterinarian Jo Beckett (Kirstie Alley) feels trapped in her marriage to kindly but unexciting minister Daniel Beckett (Bill Smitrovich). Then, one day, a dog that may have to be put down is brought into Jo's office. The dog's owner turns out to be her old college friend Eli Mayhew (Peter Horton), with whom Jo shared a hippie pad along with several other shaggy students back in the 1960s. As she waxes nostalgic over her carefree youth, Jo considers leaving staid Daniel for footloose Eli, and goes so far as to set up a clandestine meeting with him. But Jo's dream romance turns into a nightmare with the revelation of a horrible secret from her past -- and the fulfillment of a strange "out-of-body" premonition which Jo had experienced in the opening scenes of the film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In June of 2002, 13-year-old Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her own bedroom in Salt Lake City, a crime witnessed by her younger sister Mary Katherine. The desperate search for Elizabeth evolved into a gigantic media event, as her anguished parents combined forces with the authorities -- and a number of top-rated cable talk show hosts -- to follow any lead, big or small, that would help them find their daughter. Eight months into the girl's disappearance, hopes for her safety were growing dim -- until, miraculously, she was spotted only a short distance from her home, accompanied by a pair of bizarre and seriously disturbed personalities, Brian David "Emmanuel" Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Originally telecast November 9, 2003, by CBS, the made-for-TV Elizabeth Smart: The Long Way Home is divided into two plains of action: the ordeal of the abducted Elizabeth and her uncanny ability to keep her wits and optimism intact despite the ever-growing possibility that she would never see her parents again; and the dogged determination of Elizabeth's parents Ed and Lois, who against all odds, never gave up hope that their daughter was still alive and well. The film was released shortly after Elizabeth's rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adam (George Eads) makes his living as a dog walker for the wealthy New Yorkers who live near the Central Park district. So dedicated is Adam to his work that his family and friends are worried that he will never emerge from his professional shell and find a suitable wife. At present, Adam is apartment-sitting for one of his best customers, millionaire executive A.J. Preston. While thus employed, the hero "meets cute" with fellow dog fancier Rachel (Jane Krakowski), who jumps to the obvious conclusion and assumes that Adam and A.J. Preston are one and the same. Smitten by Rachel, Adam wonders if he should tell her the truth and risk losing her affections. By the time the plot is resolved thanks to the intervention of Adam's agoraphobic neighbor Selma (Brenda Vaccaro), the plot has taken many an unexpected twist and turn, including an episode involving a mysterious Chilean businessman and a strange package. Filmed in Montréal under the title The Dog Walker, the made-for-cable Just a Walk in the Park premiered over the ABC Family Channel on August 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The second of two made-for-TV biopics on the same topic (the first was Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family), Inside the Osmonds was co-produced by Jimmy Osmond and Dick Clark, and as such can be regarded as reasonably accurate, if a tad on the hokey side. Matt Dorff's teleplay recounts the rise in popularity of the singing Osmond clan, from their humble beginnings in Utah onward. The act is strictly stag -- that is, it consisted largely of the Osmond Brothers -- until siblings Donny and Marie break out and matriculate to superstardom. Perhaps inevitably, the Osmond juggernaut begins to collapse under its own weight, due to dissension, jealousy, and the questionable financial escapade of the singers' father, George (played by Bruce McGill). The story ends in a tune-filled concert re-creation, featuring the real-life Osmonds (or as many as could be assembled herein). Standouts in the cast are Thomas Dekker and Patrick Levis as the younger and older Donny Osmond, Janaya Stephens as Marie, and Veronica Cartwright as the siblings' mother, Olive; there are also adequate Hollywood casting-service approximations of musician/politician Mike Curb and the Osmonds' longtime TV director Jack Regas. The abruptness of the continuity suggests that the film was originally much longer than its present two hours. Largely filmed in Toronto, Inside the Osmonds made its ABC network debut on February 5, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When their young daughter is killed in a tragic car accident, a devastated couple goes to extreme measures to bring love back into their lives in a heart-rending family drama starring Adam LeFevre, Valerie Mahaffey, Mary Beth Hurt, and Bridget Fonda. Chris (LeFevre) and Virginia Hytner (Mahaffey)'s once idyllic world has been shattered by the untimely death of their beloved daughter, and now, in order to let go of the past and find happiness once again, they choose to put their future in the hands of Dr. Amanda Gordon (Hurt) of the Center for Reproductive Medicine. Since Virginia is now over forty and the couple's chances of an uncomplicated pregnancy are slim, they have opted to attempt the unprecedented feat of cloning their deceased daughter. When a minor league reporter looking for a major league story (Fonda) transforms the Hytner's desperation into a sensationalistic headline, the firestorm of controversy that follows forces the couple and their doctor into the underground as it compromises the safety of their unborn child. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The top-rank performances of Lauren Bacall, Richard Chamberlain and Lindsay Frost elevate the two-part TV biopic Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke from the usual malaise of lurid, voyeuristic trash. As she lies near death in her luxurious mansion, 80-year-old tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Bacall) hardly seems to take notice of the sinister behavior of her boozing, control-freak butler Bernard Lafferty (Chamberlain). Ultimately, of course, Doris will die (in 1993), and the mysterious circumstances will cast suspicion on the redoubtable Mr. Lafferty (who himself died three years later). Before this happens, however, Doris flashes back to the sordid events of her life, whereupon the title role is taken over by a series of younger actresses, with Frost playing Doris from ages 20 through 50. We see how Doris' future is shaped by her loving, overindulgent father (Joe Don Baker) and her aloof, icy mother (Kathleen Quinlan). Though warned early on that Doris would always have to be wary of fortune hunters, she progresses through a string of highly publicized and largely unhappy romances, and also endures two disastrous marriages. All the familiar players in this real-life drama are in attendance, including writer Louis Bromfield (Brian Dennehy), international playboy Pofirio Rubirosa (Michael Nouri), and Doris' adopted daughter Chanzy (Mare Winningham) who is destined to break Doris' heart time and time again until the grieving millionairess finally worked up the courage to renounce the girl. Also touched upon are Doris' lifelong obsessions, which ranged from mysticism to belly-dancing. Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke was originally telecast by CBS on February 21 and 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Country singer Clint Black and his actress wife Lisa Hartman Black doubled as stars and producers in this fact-based TV movie. The career of champion rodeo cowboy Cadillac Jack Favor (Clint Black) comes to sudden and screeching halt when he is accused of a double homicide. As Jack languishes in prison, his loyal wife Ponder (Lisa Hartman Black), convinced of her husband's innocence, all but moves Heaven and Earth to clear his name and secure his freedom. But even if he is released, will Jack be the same man that Ponder married? Still Holding On: Legend of Cadillac Jack originally aired April 28, 1998, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi