John Dossett Movies

At the time of Longtime Companion's release in 1990, the devastating disease of AIDS was seen as a mysterious and deadly scourge, replete with rumors, lies, and panic. As the first narrative film to examine the AIDS epidemic, screenwriter Craig Lucas and director Norman René place the disease in an historical context, dramatizing the impact of the disease through time in a series of vignettes involving seven gay men. AIDS first made its presence felt surreptitiously, as an article in The New York Times reported on a rare cancer attacking gay men called Karposi's syndrome. Then the Village Voice began a series of in-depth articles concerning a "gay plague" which later became known as AIDS. The film follows the AIDS crisis through the lives of the seven main characters so that they are only aware of AIDS in the historical framework of each episode. The characters include former gay couple Willy (Campbell Scott) and John (Dermot Mulroney), first seen partying at a Fire Island club, who don't pay much attention to the mysterious article in The New York Times but become intimately effected by the disease. There is also Sean (Mark Lamos), a soap opera writer whose mind is slowly deteriorating because of the disease, and his supportive friend David (Bruce Davison). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Havoc reigns supreme at a diabetes clinic where several patients suddenly die or go into a coma at an alarming rate. The detectives trace this disastrous situation to a hacker that has invaded the clinic's computer system. Then things take a surprising turn when a vengeance-driven blind man emerges on the suspect list. Without revealing any further cogent plot points, it can be noted that guest star Dana Elcar was legally blind in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

With nods in direction of Picture Perfect and Pretty Woman, this romantic comedy opens with classy corporate executive Jane (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) discovering her boyfriend/colleague John (John Dossett) in bed with another woman. Exiting into the New York night, she grabs a rundown Checker cab, driven by Nick (James McCaffrey). Jane's friend Vickie (Lisa Gay Hamilton), who thinks Jane should make John jealous, hatches a plan that would give taxi-driver Nick a fake executive background with an alias, "Nolan Miller." Falling for this, John suggests Jane invite Nolan to the annual company luncheon. Jane promises Nick an easy $1500 if he will go through with the charade, and he agrees. Then comes the gender-switch on Pretty Woman as Nick gets a Madison Avenue makeover. By this time, naturally, Jane is realizing she's attracted to Nick, and events become triangulated. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The then-current efforts to impeach President Bill Clinton were clearly the inspiration of this episode, the first in a two-part story. A Baltimore official is murdered in New York's Battery Park, compelling the NYPD's Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) to work side by side with Baltimore homicide cops John Munch (Richard Belzer) and Rene Sheppard (Michael Michele). It turns out that the victim was killed on Munch and Sheppard's home turf before being dumped in Briscoe and Curtis' backyard. The ensuing investigation involves a high-level Washington cover-up, a lesbian romance, and an FBI-protected witness, culminating in a clash between ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and duplicitous Independent Counsel William Dell (George Hearn, who, coincidentally, bears a strong physical resemblance to the redoubtable Kenneth Starr). This two-parter was Law & Order's third and final crossover with the NBC crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street; the conclusion originally aired as an installment of Homicide February 19, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the final episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's sixth season, the SVU team investigates when two police officers, both former army reservists who'd served in Afghanistan, lash out violently at their wives--after experiencing terrifying hallucinations and exhibiting suicidal tendencies. This bizarre behavior is linked to the anti-malaria drug Quinium, which is now apparently being peddled illegally. The climax finds Assistant DA Novak (Diane Neal) taking an unusually personal interest in proving that the Defense Department knew all about Quinium's disastrous side effects but had refused to reveal their findings; and at the same time, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) has a showdown with his estranged wife. Law & Order regular Fred Dalton Thompson makes a cameo appearance in his familiar guise as DA Arthur Branch. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An NYPD hostage negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) attempts to talk cop-turned-fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) down from a high ledge, but she learns that he may have a hidden motive for threatening to take his own life. A priceless diamond has been stolen, and the thieves responsible are using Nick as their scapegoat. An escaped convict with nowhere to run, Nick realizes that no one will believe he is innocent, and he decides to take extreme measures in order to expose the men who set him up. Stepping out on a ledge 25 stories above the bustling concrete streets of New York City, the notorious fugitive quickly becomes a media sensation as the entire world watches, awaiting his next move. Meanwhile, Nick's loyal brother races to help clear his sibling's name and ensure that the guilty pay for their crimes before the situation ends in tragedy. Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, and Ed Harris co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi