Dan Lerner Movies
- 2008
Debra Messing stars in this primetime comedy/drama based on the Emmy award winning mini-series of the same name. It focuses on the frequently wild experiences of Molly Kagan, once the wife of Hollywood royalty and now, a frantic divorcee struggling to figure out life on her own terms. Molly is faced with nothing but firsts, from raising her seven year old daughter Jaden as a single mom, to starting up a career in her 40's. The waters usually seem rough, but she's determined to stay focused on her future - even when her past keeps landing her in court. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debra Messing, Hart Bochner, (more)
Created by J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost) and Dana Stevens (For Love of the Game), the weekly, 60-minute dramedy What About Brian covered reliable territory previously staked out in the 1969 Broadway musical Company. Set in Los Angeles, the series starred Barry Watson as Brian O'Hara, who at age 34 was the only one in his circle of friends, six in all, who was neither married nor engaged -- and, of course, all of Brian's friends were anxious that he "join the club" and find the right girl. Actually, no one was more anxious for this than Brian himself, who was tired of feeling like a "seventh wheel." Brian ran a video business called Zap Monkey with Dave Greco (Rick Gomez), who had been married to wife Deena (Amanda Detmer) for 13 years. After having three children and pretty much wearing out each other's welcome, Dave and Deena were seriously considering experimenting with an "open" marriage, even while trying to convince Brian of the joys of matrimony. Elsewhere, Brian's best friend, Adam (Matthew Davis), had just become engaged to "perfect in every way" pediatric surgeon Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster) -- good news for Adam, but bad for Brian, who hadn't yet gotten over his own adoration of Marjorie. Finally, there was Brian's older sister, Nic (Rosanna Arquette), recently wed to much-younger hunk Angelo (Raoul Bova), and desperate to have children before her biological clock ceased ticking. What About Brian inaugurated its ABC network run on April 16, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Addison (Kate Walsh) is not happy when Sloan (Eric Dane) joins the staff, and in consequence suffers a severe attack of self-doubt just when her patient, a pregnant woman (Tina Holmes), needs her most. Cristina (Sandra Oh) wants Burke (Isaiah Washington) to continue his rehab, but he is anxious to prove that he's a capable a surgeon as ever, hand tremors or no hand tremors. Still unsettled in matters of the heart, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is ill-prepared for a medical emergency. And Izzie (Katherine Heigl) receives an astonishing "reward" from the father (Fred Ward) of the late Denny Duquette. Weaving through all this intrigue is the story of ailing car salesman Shawn Sullivan (Alan Blumenfield). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The third live-action TV series based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' immortal "King of the Jungle" (there had also been a few cartoon series and innumerable theatrical features), the WB network's Tarzan offered a few new up-to-date spins on the classic canon. Orphaned in the jungle as an infant, John Clayton (played by male model Travis Fimmel) was raised by apes and came to maturity as the resourceful Tarzan. All this changed when John/Tarzan was captured by his uncle, billionaire industrialist Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi), and flown to New York City, there to take his rightful place as the heir apparent of the vast Greystoke business enterprises. As uncomfortable as Tarzan felt in his new civilized surroundings, it was nothing compared to the discomfiture expressed by Richard Clayton's sister, acid-tongued publisher Katherine Clayton (Lucy Lawless), who wished that Tarzan would return whence he came so that she could take over Greystoke. At last fed up by all the inter-family squabbling and backstabbing, Tarzan escaped to the concrete jungle known as Manhattan, where he befriended feisty female NYPD detective Jane Porter (Sarah Wayne Callies). Ultimately, Me-Tarzan teamed with You-Jane to track down elusive criminals, while Jane's detective boyfriend, Michael Foster (Johnny Messner), and her official partner, Sam Sullivan (Miguel Nunez Jr.), expressed dismay at the girl's newfound bravado -- and while Jane's younger sister, aspiring actress Nicki Porter (Leighton Meester), lolled around awaiting her next "damsel in distress" assignment. The new Tarzan swung into view on October 5, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Travis Fimmel, Sarah Wayne Callies, (more)
- 2000
Based on the novel Fatal Exposure, this cautionary made-for-TV thriller stars John Corbett as dedicated scientist and ecologist Evan Thorne. When he tries to warn the authorities that the earth's ozone layer has eroded to such an extent as to endanger all mankind, Thorne is laughed off as a nut case and his career and credibility are destroyed -- largely thanks to the skulduggery of his rival Dr. Schiffren (Tom Irwin), a scientist who has sold his soul to the industrial community. But when whales begin dying at an alarming rate, airplanes crash, corpses catch fire, wildlife goes insane, and deadly insects threaten to engulf Los Angeles, it would seem that Thorne wasn't just whistling Dixie. Even so, it takes the combined efforts of Thorne, his politician ex-wife, Jennifer (Josie Bissett), formerly cynical reporter John Morgan (Bradley Whitford), and gorgeous female scientist Elizabeth Sorel (Jo Anderson) to bring the authorities to their senses and expedite rescue-and-evacuation proceedings. By film's end, the future of humanity rests in Evan's ability to construct a bomb that will restore the balance of nature. A standard disaster flick disguised as a profound pro-environmental screed, The Sky's on Fire was reportedly produced for cable TV in 1998, but did not formally premiere until it was telecast by ABC on July 15, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Corbett, Josie Bissett, (more)
- 1999
Created by thirtysomething's Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, the ABC drama series Once and Again starred Sela Ward as Lily Manning, who worked for a Chicago online company and who at the beginning of the series was in the process of divorcing her insensitive restauranteur husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling); and Billy Campbell as Rick Sammler, a prosperous Chicago architect who had long since divested himself of his troublesome wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson). Inevitably, Lily and Rick met and fell in love -- but wondered if entering into romance was a wise decision, after having had retained so much emotional baggage after their previous marriages. Even so -- and despite resistance from Lily's self-loathing older daughter, Grace (Julia Whalen), and resentful younger daughter, Zoe (Meredith Deane), and Rick's learning-disabled son, Eli (Shane West), and plain-spoken daughter, Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood) -- the couple was determined to make their relationship work. Throughout the series' three-season run, Lily and Rick were met with devastating personal and professional disasters at every turn, finding release of sorts by expressing their innermost thoughts directly to the camera in sporadic "confessionals," filmed in black-and-white. Also helping the couple weather their storms was Edward Zwick himself, who was cast in the role of marriage counselor Dr. Daniel Rosenfeld. Though Once and Again would have seemed more attuned to the angst-driven late '80s, the series actually ran from September 21, 1999, through April 15, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The life of affluent and well-connected wife and mother Joanna Kendall (Margaret Colin) begins to unravel when, while driving her car on a rainy day, she accidentally strikes down an eight-year-old child. Her first impulse is to leave the scene of the accident and search for medical assistance. When she returns, a crowd has gathered, angrily demanding justice against the "hit and run" driver who left the little girl without coming to her aid. Panicking, Joanna decides not to alert the authorities of her responsibility; nor is she able to tell her husband Doug (Drew Pillsbury), despite a half-hearted effort to confess. Only through the intervention of female police officer Lt. Rico (Lisa Vidal) is there any hope that the truth will out--and that Joanna will be able to redeem herself. During production of this made-for-TV drama, the fate of the young accident victim was not decided upon until the last day of filming, as the producers debated over the extent of audience sympathy they wanted to engender for the guilt-ridden Joanne Kendall. Clearly inspired by Crime and Punishment (as noted by more than one contemporary TV critic), Hit and Run originally aired January 11, 1999 on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Colin
- 1997
After holding up a convenience store, African American petty crook Joseph Grange (Giancarlo Esposito) races to his girlfriend's house to give her the money. Confronted by the girl's current bedmate, he gets into a scuffle and accidentally shoots the man. Now the object of a citywide manhunt, the desperate Grange stumbles onto a remote cabin occupied by Clair Ballard (Sharon Lawrence), a white woman. Though terrified at the prospect of being Joseph's hostage, Clair somehow senses that he is more frightened than she. Drawing upon lessons learned in her own troubled past, Clair tries to get at the root of Joseph's problems, not only hoping to defuse the situation but also to help the man come to peace with himself. And in the course of the next five hours, Clair also learns a lot about handling her own crises from her repentant captor. First telecast by NBC on October 5, 1997, Five Desperate Hours was based on a true story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A soldier discovers how elusive the truth can be in this first major film about America's role in the Gulf War. Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) was the commander of a unit during Operation Desert Storm who mistakenly ordered the destruction of what he believed to be an enemy tank, only to discover that it actually held U.S. soldiers, including a close friend. Since then, Serling has been an emotional wreck, drinking heavily and allowing his marriage to teeter on the brink of collapse. As a means of redeeming himself, Serling is given a new assignment by his superior, Gen. Hershberg (Michael Moriarty). Capt. Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) was a helicopter pilot who died in battle during the Iraqi conflict, and the White House has proposed that Walden be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Serling is asked to investigate Walden's actions on the field of battle, but he quickly discovers that no two stories about her are quite the same; Ilario (Matt Damon) says Walden acted heroically and sacrificed herself to save the others in her company, while Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillps) claims she was a coward who was attempting to surrender to enemy troops. Meanwhile, reporter Tony Gartner (Scott Glenn) is hounding Serling, trying to get the inside story on Walden and on Serling's own difficulties. Matt Damon lost 40 pounds to prepare for his role in Courage Under Fire, which resulted in a potentially life-threatening illness for the young actor. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, (more)
- 1996
In this drama, a rape victim must make a difficult decision regarding the fate of her unborn child. The baby's fate hinges on a genetic test as to whether the fetus belongs to her husband or her brutal attacker. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peri Gilpin, Jere Burns, (more)
- 1995
In this drama, a renegade lawyer struggles to save a man from Death Row after she learns that the condemned has been suffering from a mis-diagnosed mental illness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Donohoe, Kay Lenz, (more)
- 1995
Kellie Martin stars as a teen wrongly accused of setting a deadly arson fire in this made-for-television drama. Martin plays Billie Calhoun, a girl who has been held in a juvenile detention facility since being accused of killing her mother and sister in a fire. Up for a possible early release on her 18th birthday, Billie is again denied her freedom. Steadfastly denying any involvement and determined to find out the truth on her own, Billie escapes from the center. Out on her own, she disguises herself and befriends a young cop named Matt Samoni (Antonio Sabato Jr), and together they set out to uncover the truth. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1993
When Hurricane Bob roars over a sailboat and the boat capsizes, a pregnant women and a few hostile survivors are set adrift, and they must somehow work together until they are rescued. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Harris, John Schneider, (more)
- 1992
In this drama, a town finds itself unable to keep its shameful secret any longer when a meddlesome female lawyer roars into town aboard her motorcycle and begins encouraging a rape victim to press charges. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Donohoe, Dean Stockwell, (more)
- 1990
Maurice (Barry Corbin) is determined to transform Cicely into the "New Riviera," and to that end, cozies up to a pair of visiting Japanese businessmen who plan to build a local golf resort. Joel (Rob Morrow) is swept up in Maurice's ambitions, hoping to land a cushy job as the resort's resident physician. Meanwhile, the pregnant Shelly (Cynthia Geary) finally gets Holling (John Cullum) to propose -- but will he go through with the wedding knowing what he knows about the average lifespan of the women in his family? As a bonus, we learn that the enigmatic Chris (John Corbett) is an ordained minister...sort of. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Two brothers kidnap a boozy gangster and try to hold him for ransom in this psychological thriller. Harold (Albert Finney) is lured from a saloon by Treat (Matthew Modine) to their squalid tenement. He and his reclusive and agoraphobic brother, Phillip (Kevin Anderson), have no idea Harold is a mobster, only that he looks prosperous. Harold is reminded of his impoverished youth when he sees how the brothers live, and he offers to help the aspiring young thugs. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Matthew Modine, (more)
David Mamet's play Sexual Perversity in Chicago was adapted for the big screen by fellow Chicago citizen Tim Kazurinsky and became About Last Night... The film stars Rob Lowe as Danny and Demi Moore as Debbie. The pair meet and engage in a torrid sexual relationship, but then slowly negotiate if there is anything more between them. Lowe seeks advice from his loudmouthed friend Bernie (Chicago native James Belushi), whose offers little more than outrageous tales of his randy exploits. Debbie confides in her best friend Joan (Elizabeth Perkins), a bitter, single kindergarten teacher who has lost any hope of finding the right person on the dating scene. Although Danny and Debbie talk, they have trouble communicating. The film ends on a coda that suggests the pair are still unsure as to where their relationship may be headed. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, (more)
