Richard Heus Movies

The surrealistic ABC cop drama Day Break was aptly characterized by most observers as "24 Meets Groundhog Day." Taye Diggs starred as police detective Brett Hopper, whom when first we met him had just endured the worst day of his life, culminating in his arrest for the murder of Assistant District Attorney Alberto Garza. Although he had an airtight alibi, Hopper was unable to convince anyone of his innocence, suggesting that his arrest was part of a conspiratorial frame-up. While being aggressively grilled by homicide detectives Spivak (Mitch Pileggi) and Choi (Ian Anthony Dale), Hopper suddenly lost consciousness, awakening in an other-worldly hideaway presided over by a sinister shadowy figure (Jonathan Banks) -- who "entertained" the protagonist by showing a tape in which Hopper's girlfriend Rita Shelten (Moon Bloodgood) died horribly.

At this point, Hopper was whisked back in time to the morning of his "worst day," only to find that he was condemned to live that same day over and over again until he was able to change its outcome. Alas, no matter how hard he tried to alter events, the day ended inexorably with his being arrested for murder and his witnessing of Rita's demise. Moreover, when the day started over again, Hopper found that the decisions he made during his previous "reliving" had had profound and disturbing consequences. In each episode, Hopper (the only person who knew that he and everyone around was trapped within the same ever-repeating time arc) was armed with knowledge he hadn't previously possessed, along with vital clues as to why all this was happening to him. Other players in this déjà vu nightmare were Hopper's partner, Andrea Battle (Victoria Pratt), who may or may not have been in on the conspiracy; his ex-partner (and Rita's ex-husband) Chad Shelten (Adam Baldwin), head of Internal Affairs and apparently a man with more than his share of dark secrets; Hopper's sister, Jennifer (Meta Golding), whose miserable domestic life weighed heavily on the plotline; and alleged gang leader Damien Ortiz (Ramon Rodriguez), who turned out to be even more a victim of circumstance than the hero. Created by Paul Zbyszewski, Day Break first aired on November 15, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Barry Sonnenfeld resurrects the retro hip '60s show Secret Agent Man and adapts it into a slick New World Order context. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A decade comes clean in the third installment of Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam's series. Apron strings became shackles for millions of American women during this time. Families, when faced with the reality of having it all, wondered if they really wanted it. David Halberstam's The Fifties, Vol. 3: Let's Play House uncovers the hidden burden of the perfect family. Traditional roles of men and women began to crumble in the '50s as dissatisfaction reared its ugly head. Author Betty Friedan helped feminists label their pain as Sloan Wilson shattered the myth of the stoic hero. As the freewheeling '60s approached, Americans imagined a different world. The result was the death of the nuclear family and the emergence of dysfunction as an art form. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi

David Halberstam's The Fifties cracks open the decade and exposes it for what it was. In many ways, the time period served as a test ground for an explosive future. In David Halberstam's The Fifties, Vol. 5: The Beat, poetry and music define a generation. A culture of cool emerged in the 1950s that was composed of rebels and freaks. Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg provided the language for a revolution. Shocking words were matched by the twirling hips of rock & rollers. Elvis' appropriation of African-American music took the world by storm. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be young. While bobby soxers fawned, beat students yearned to write the great American novel. The gathering storm clouds of the late '50s portend a dynamic next decade. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi

David Halberstam's The Fifties, Vol. 6: The Rage Within and the Road to the Sixties serves as a catch-all for the Pulitzer prize-winning author's final thoughts. Beginning with the civil unrest that rose in the South, the documentary picks up a number of themes. African-Americans began to fight back, scoring social acceptance with star athletes Willie Mays and Bill Russell. The battle for racial equality was just beginning as another race took off. Americans and Russians compete for dominance in space. Back on Earth, everyone seems to be in a hurry. McDonald's saves the day with the invention of fast food. The growing fascination with youth and speed is encapsulated in a new leader, John F. Kennedy. Finally, America gets itself in hot water with the Cuban Missile Crisis and the entry into Vietnam. The longest volume of the series, this release hits upon the more memorable parts of the '50s while offering glimpses into a turbulent future. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi

Loosely based on a true account, this family drama centers on a group of aimless Hawaiian teens who with the support of two inspirational teachers turn their lives around by building a solar powered car and racing it across the Australian outback during the World Solar Challenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

When the police don't seem to be giving their all in the investigation of a young woman's disappearance, her sister decides to look into the mystery herself. The more evidence she finds, the more the finger of guilt points towards her brother-in-law. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Hume Cronyn steals what there is to steal of Christmas on Division Street. Cronyn plays a smooth-talking skid row derelict who befriends wealthy Philadelphia "mainline" kid Fred Savage. Both the old bum and the young preppie have lost faith in themselves and the world. Both are redeemed by the spirit of Christmas and by the bonds of friendship. Made for TV, Christmas on Division Street is saved from being a heaping bowl of Yuletide mush by the ever-iconoclastic Cronyn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this made-for-television movie, the stability of an extended family is threatened by divorce. ~ John Bush, Rovi