Shannen Doherty Movies
Known for portraying conniving TV vixens, dark-haired actress Shannen Doherty started her career at age ten after moving to Los Angeles with her family. When Michael Landon saw her guest-starring appearance on the TV drama Father Murphy, he cast her as Jenny Wilder for the 1982 season of Little House on the Prairie. In 1985, she played bratty little sister Maggie in the teen movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun with Sarah Jessica Parker. She continued playing a bratty kid in the TV drama Our House as Wilford Brimley's granddaughter Kris before graduating to bratty teenager in the supreme black comedy Heathers with Winona Ryder. But her most recognizable role came in 1990 with Aaron Spelling's FOX series Beverly Hills 90210. As the twin sister of Jason Priestley's Brandon Walsh, the character of Brenda Walsh became one of television's meanest teenagers. She left the show in 1994 in a much-publicized huff due to some disagreements, causing the producers to digitally remove her from episodes and promotional materials. For the rest of the '90s, she appeared in forgettable films and horrible made-for-TV movies, but somehow remained in public view due to her frequent arrests, cameo appearances, turbulent romantic life, and tendency to get into fights with celebrities. In 1998, she found a place for herself as the witch Prue Halliwell on the TV series Charmed, with fellow grown-up child stars Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs as her witch sisters. Several TV movies followed, including Satan's School for Girls and Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay. In 2003, she hosted the reality-based program Scare Tactics and starred in the made-for-TV thriller Nightlight. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Frustrated with the Walt Disney studio's reluctance to produce full-length animated films, Don Bluth and a number of animators left the studio in the early '80s with the intent of creating movies in the style of Disney's classics. The Secret of NIMH is the first film Bluth produced after leaving the studio. Adapted from Robert C. O'Brien's acclaimed children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H., the film is about a widowed mouse whose home is threatened; also, one of her children is gravely ill. On her way to find help, she discovers NIMH, a secret society of highly-intelligent rats who have escaped from a nearby science lab. The rats help the widow to protect her family and home. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Hartman, Dom DeLuise, (more)
- 1982
- Add Little House on the Prairie: Season 09 to QueueAdd Little House on the Prairie: Season 09 to top of Queue
Little House on the Prairie commences its ninth season with a new title -- Little House: A New Beginning -- and minus the series' longtime stars Michael Landon and Karen Grassle. When Charles Ingalls (Landon), his wife, Caroline (Karen Grassle), and their younger children (both "natural" and adopted) leave the family farm and move to Burr Oak, IA, the only Ingalls left in Walnut Grove is daughter Laura (Melissa Gilbert), now the wife of Almanzo Wilder (Dean Butler). The Ingalls' old farm is sold to blacksmith John Carter (Stan Ivar) and his wife, Sarah (Pamela Roylance). Having recently given birth to daughter Rose, Laura becomes surrogate mother to her orphaned niece, Jenny (Shannen Doherty), and of necessity must give up her teaching job to new schoolmarm Etta Plum (played by Leslie Landon, daughter of Michael Landon). Meanwhile, the bitter loneliness of the Ingalls' longtime friend Isaiah Edwards (Victor French) is relieved when Edwards adopts an abused young sideshow performer named Matthew (Jonathan Hall Kovacs). In other developments, Laura begins her literary career; her adoptive brother Albert (Patrick Laborteaux) shakes a serious morphine addiction and makes plans to become a doctor; and the formerly bratty Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim) returns to town for a confrontation with her youthful "clone," Nancy (Allison Balson). Although the nine-year Little House saga ends on a bittersweet note, the property would return for a trio of uplifting and forward-looking TV movies, produced during the 1983-1984 season. ~ All Movie Guide
Straight-laced Henry Winkler takes a night-shift job as a morgue attendant. Winkler falls under the spell of wheeler-dealer coworker Michael Keaton, whose catchphrase "Is this a great country or what?" is the clarion call for his many get-rich-quick schemes. His latest plan is to turn the morgue into a nocturnal brothel, for the benefit of anything-goes hooker Shelley Long-and incidentally, to line their own pockets. Director Ron Howard and his frequent scripters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel turn the potentially lurid story material of Night Shift into an endearing comedy, with winning performances from its three often miscast stars. Keep an eye out during one of the party sequences for Kevin Costner as a carousing college boy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton, (more)
- 1983
Owing his life to washed-up pugilist Leon Platt (Denny Miller), T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) enters a bare-knuckle boxing match, intending to use the prize money to save Leon and his daughter Ima (a pre-Beverly Hills 90210 Shannen Doherty) from being tossed into the street. Figuring that T.C. hasn't got a chance, Higgins summons aid from Magnum--who happens to be several thousand miles away on assignment in his home town of Detroit. Even so, Magnum is able to save the day with the eleventh-hour assistance of two celebrity benefactors. And wait until you see what sweet little Ima Platt does to Higgins' prize dobermans Zeus and Apollo! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
A baby kidnapping strikes the Ingalls family in this made-for-television movie which was based on the popular series Little House on the Prairie. In this story, Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and her husband Almanzo's (Dean Butler) baby, Rose, is kidnapped during the Christmas holiday season. The family goes in search of the child and finds a woman who stole the baby because she wanted a child of her own. In keeping with the show's family-values tone, they try to help the woman find a needy child at an orphanage. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
On her first day at an all-girls Catholic High School in Chicago, shy and reserved Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica Parker) meets the wild and wacky Lynne Sands (Helen Hunt). Even though her oppressive dad, Col. Glenn (Ed Lauter), won't let her go, Lynne talks her into sneaking out to try out for a spot on the beloved show Dance TV. Janey wows the judges with her gymnastic ability and makes first cuts, conveniently assigned to a cute dance partner: blue-collar bad boy Jeff Malene (Lee H. Montgomery). They compete against the bratty rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier), who sabotages them because she wants Jeff and the contest for herself. Janey and Lynne get revenge by inviting punks and street kids to crash her debutante ball. Natalie then resorts to making her wealthy industrialist dad, J.P. Sands (Morgan Woodward), threaten Jeff; If he doesn't let Natalie win, his dad (Biff Yeager) could lose his job at the factory. It all leads up to the live television broadcast of the Dance TV contest, right when Janey's dad races to the studio to stop her. Also starring Shannen Doherty as Jeff's little sister, Maggie. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Montgomery, (more)
- 1985
In this drama, a marketing director at a publishing house is assigned to represent an author. In his presence, she soon forgets her marital vows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A deliciously nasty black comedy, Heathers is set at a cliquish high school in Ohio. The most exclusive of those cliques is the Heathers, comprised of the prettiest and most popular girls in town. The group's leader is the manipulative Kim Walker, who orchestrates the humiliation of anyone who fails to meet her standards. Eventually, Heathers member Winona Ryder begins to exhibit a conscience; together with her hardcase boyfriend Christian Slater, Ryder plots to avenge all the unfortunate victims of the group. Before long, Heather (Kim Walker) ends up dead along with Kurt and Ram, with poignant suicide notes posted near their bodies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, (more)
One of the definitive, landmark shows of the 1990s, "90210" quickly became an important fixture on the FOX and in the popular discourse of adolescents and young adults. The first season's main characters, Dylan, Kelly, Donna, Steve, David, Andrea and twins Brandon and Brenda all attended West Beverly Hills High School. Brandon and Brenda Walsh and their parents, transplants from Minneapolis, were the stable nuclear family with strong values; their home was a safe haven for the whole gang and the center of much of the drama. The show dealt with a steady stream of love triangles and other romantic entanglements and occasionally touched on more serious issues as well.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
The prime television destination for many younger viewers during the early '90s, Beverly Hills 90210 delivered scandal, controversy, and sexy story lines on a weekly basis. The series centered on the lives of the teenage Walsh twins, Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Brandon (Jason Priestly), who move with their parents from rural Minnesota to drama-rich Beverly Hills at the beginning of Season 1. Learning to assimilate to the California lifestyle isn't easy; it takes the help of their high school friends Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), Steve (Ian Ziering), Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris), and David (Brian Austin Green), as well as bad boy (and teen heartthrob) Dylan (Luke Perry) to get Brenda and Brandon to come out their shells. Season 2 (1991-92) of the Aaron Spelling/Darren Star-created drama features a pregnancy scare for Brenda; Dylan's rehab stint; the truth about Steve's birth mother; an accidental shooting; and the introduction of the fascinating but troubled Emily Valentine (Christine Elise). Also new to the scene is Jake Hanson (Grant Show), who eventually went on to anchor the 90210 spin-off Melrose Place, which launched in the autumn of 1992. Bonus features in this eight-disc include: "Our Favorite Valentine," Elise's look back at Emily; "Meet the Walshes," during which actors Carol Potter and James Eckhouse discuss their roles as the "perfect" Beverly Hills parents Cindy and Jim Walsh; and "Everything You Need to Know About Beverly Hills 90210 Season 2," featuring pop-culture experts and comedians Michael Colton and John Aboud.
- 1992
The made-for-TV Freeze Frame stars Shannen Doherty, who in 1992 was still a "good girl" on Beverly Hills 90210. Doherty plays Lindsay Scott, a reporter for her high-school TV station. While on a standard fact-finding mission, Scott uncovers a major economic-espionage conspiracy. When the authorities refuse to believe her, Scott and her friends arm themselves with minicams and hidden mikes to tear the story wide open by themselves. Designed for a preteen audience, Freeze Frame is a traditional "girl reporter" yarn with a message: It's smart to be smart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of the definitive shows of the 1990s, Aaron Spelling's Beverly Hills, 90210 joined the elite TV club in 1992, spinning off the slightly more grown up ensemble soap Melrose Place. The series focus remains on the lives of the teenage Walsh twins -- Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Brandon (Jason Priestly) -- who move with their parents from rural Minnesota to drama-rich Beverly Hills. Season 3 marks senior year for Brenda, Brandon, and their high school friends: Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), Steve (Ian Ziering), Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris), David (Brian Austin Green), and bad boy heartthrob Dylan (Luke Perry). Naturally, they all get closer together as they make the high-stakes decisions for their post-graduation lives. Every juicy moment from 1992-93's Season 3 is highlighted on this 8-disc set, including the prom, overseas travels, addictions, summer jobs, secret liaisons, and of course, graduation.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
- 1992
In this drama, a middle-aged philanderer gets involved with a deceptively sweet young thing who coyly manipulates him into a very dangerous situation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannen Doherty, William Devane, (more)
- 1993
This 1993 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Shannen Doherty and features musical guest Cyprus Hill. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannen Doherty, Cyprus Hill, (more)
The ensemble drama about young adults growing up in Beverly Hills is a blend of romantic drama and subject matter that crosses all cultural boundaries. The storyline has followed the Walsh family as they moved from a middle-class Midwestern neighborhood to wealthy and glamorous Beverly Hills, maturing from high school to college students, facing new challenges as they continue to grow and discover more about themselves and their personal ambitions. As their worlds evolve, old friendships will be tested as new relationships develop, but no matter how complicated their worlds become, they will always share in their strengths and experiences.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
- 1994
- PG13
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The further misadventures of bumbling Los Angeles police Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) are chronicled in this third installment in the popular Naked Gun comedy series. This by-the-numbers entry begins with Drebin as a happily retired house-husband called back into action when an evil terrorist organization threatens Los Angeles. As in the other Naked Gun films, this plot is merely an excuse for an unhinged, rapid-fire succession of gags, ranging from satirical lampoons of cop movies to broad slapstick, all played with a perfectly straight face. Nielsen provides his familiar combination of complete witlessness and oblivious dignity as Drebin, and the film attempts to match the earlier Naked Gun films -- and the Police Squad! television series that inspired them -- in the number of jokes. However, the film proved less successful than its predecessors, as some viewers found that the freewheeling comic style of the earlier films had solidified into its own formula, now mildly entertaining but disappointingly predictable. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, (more)
A 15-year-old cheerleader named Angel (Shannon Doherty) falls for Tony, a dope-smoking, leather-clad punk (Antonio Sabato Jr.). He robs two stores, making her a local pariah. Her family moves to Bakersfield to make a new beginning, and she falls in love with a local jock. But Tony breaks out of jail, kills a cop and comes hunting for her. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1994
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This made-for-television movie tells the story of Margaret Mitchell, the well-known author of Gone With The Wind. Young TV-star-turned-Hollywood-bad-girl Shannon Doherty stars as Pulitzer Prize-winner Mitchell, whose impulses and insecurity inspired her passionate work. John Clark Gable, son of legendary Gone With The Wind star Clark Gable, is also featured in this biopic, which was generally panned by critics for Doherty's portrayal of Mitchell. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
Kevin Smith's follow-up to his unexpected hit Clerks details the pointless story of T.S. (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee), two suburban New Jersey slackers who decide to head to the mall in search of solace after being dumped by their girlfriends (Shannon Doherty and Claire Forlani, respectively). There the two young men machinate to appear on a game show being staged and also manage to meet comic-book magnate Stan Lee. However, complications arise when the girls show up. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, (more)
- 1996
Were it not based on a true story, this two-part TV movie could well have been dismissed as a grotesque nightmare. The story begins in 1988, when the Chicago home of Cindi and David Dowaliby (Shannen Doherty, Kevin Dillon) is invaded by person or persons unknown, who kidnap and murder their daughter Jacklyn while the couple sleeps. Once the crime is reported, the grief-stricken Dowalibys find themselves accused of their daughter's murder. The authorities are cruel and relentless, public opinion is hostile, the media is doggedly one-sided, and the family's very expensive lawyers more interested in their fee than in justice. Ultimately, Cindi is "cleared", but David is sentenced to a 45-year prison term--and both the couple's surviving child and Cindi's newborn baby are taken away from them. The rest of the film concerns Cindi's tireless and apparently futile battle to win back her children, secure her husband's release and restore the family's mud-splattered reputation. Originally telecast by CBS on February 25 and 27, 1996, Gone in the Night may indeed end on a small note of triumph, but by no means is the tragic situation completely resolved. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Professional nurse Rebecca Dubrovich (Shannen Doherty) is swept off her feet by charming millionaire Dick Strang (Tim Matheson), and the two begin a passionate romance. Only when it is too late does Rebecca discover that Strang has, to put it mildly, a dark side: He's a bigamist, a control freak, a pathological liar, and a vicious sadist. Breaking off the relationship, Rebecca is subsequently stalked by the obsessive Strang, who ultimately injures her so severely that she is confined to a wheelchair. During her painful recovery period, Rebecca falls in love with orthopedic surgeon Jerrold Petrofsky (David Bowe), and ultimately dedicates her life to helping other victims of abusive relationships. Based on a true story previously dramatized on the television anthology Unsolved Mysteries and then released in book form, the made-for-TV Sleeping with the Devil originally aired April 22, 1997 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
