Patrick Sullivan Movies
In this stark independent drama, Virgil (Clint Jordan) is a small-time thief with a bad temper and poor social skills who winds up in prison for armed robbery. But Virgil wants to make something better of his life, and when he makes parole, he's determined to get (and keep) a decent job, hoping to someday find a good woman and start a family. While living in a halfway house, Virgil meets Ruby (Kirsten Russell), a drug addict who sometimes turns tricks to support her habit. While Rudy isn't quite the sort of woman Virgil was dreaming of, they share a genuine affection for each other, and Virgil moves in with Ruby after getting a job as a janitor. Like Virgil, Ruby wants to straighten out her life, hoping to someday regain custody of her son, but both Ruby and Virgil find that a lifetime of emotional abuse and years of bad judgement are not simple things to overcome. Shot on digital video, Virgil Bliss had its premier at the 2001 Slamdance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Jordan, Kirsten Russell, (more)
- 2000
Mike McLoren was a teenager living in a California suburb who sometimes sold marijuana out of a shack he called his "clubhouse," while his close friend Jimmy Farris acted as his bodyguard when the boys threw parties. One hot summer afternoon in 1995, McLoren and Farris were hanging out at the clubhouse when a group of kids they knew from school showed up, including Tony Miliotti, Jason Holland, and his brother Micah Holland. A long session of beer-drinking followed, and in an incident no one involved remembers with much clarity, a fight broke out that left Farris dead and McLoren in serious condition after someone pulled a knife. McLoren later told police that Miliotti and the Holland brothers were responsible for the attack. Farris' father was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, and the local media gave the case extensive coverage. Miliotti and the Hollands soon found themselves aggressively prosecuted by the Los Angeles district attorney's office who, along with the L.A.P.D., was determined to put the three teenagers in prison for life. They succeeded, though many regarded the sentences as out of proportion to the nature of the crime, and it was widely believed that the D.A.. was less interested in justice than in winning a well-publicized case. Documentary filmmaker William Gazecki examines this case in the documentary Reckless Indifference, which takes a close look at the D.A.'s handling of the case and the use of a controversial California statute that mandates life imprisonment for those who commit murder during the commission of another felony. Gazecki previously directed the Oscar-nominated feature Waco: The Rules Of Engagement. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1982
- R
Based upon the true story of a woman's battle to raise her baby in prison after having become pregnant by a prison guard while serving a twenty-year stretch for robbery, Amy Madigan, in her debut film, delivers an impressive intensity and range as Terry Jean Moore, a wild young woman with a chip on her shoulder. The story begins as Terry is hitchhiking with her equally wild cousin Jesse (Lewis Smith). They are picked up by a passing motorist and Jesse tries to rob the motorist of five dollars. When they are caught, Jesse takes the rap for her cousin and winds up in jail. Her temperament does not endear her to the prison authorities, although she is befriended by a young lesbian, J.J. (Mackenzie Phillips), and a sympathetic guard, Jack Hensen (Beau Bridges). Jack and Terry fall in love and have an affair in prison. Terry becomes pregnant and fights to raise her child in prison. At the same time, being pregnant forces Terry to reconsider her life and adopt a more responsible attitude. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Madigan, Beau Bridges, (more)
In this legal drama from director Sydney Pollack, Sally Field stars as Megan, an ambitious newpaper reporter who, based on information from FBI investigator Rosen, played by Bob Balaban, writes a scathing article that implicates Gallagher, a reclusive business-owner played by Paul Newman, in the recent disappearance of a labor leader. When Gallagher confronts Megan and sets her straight, the two team together to prove his innocence and have a few romantic interludes along the way. Wilford Brimley and Melinda Dillon also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Sally Field, (more)
