Polly Draper Movies
An unstable man suffering from horrific nightmares discovers that his terror has just begun when he meets the woman of his dreams in director Ron Brown's terrifying psychological thriller. When the sun sets and the moon spreads its cool blue glow across the peaceful nightscape, John Totersohn's mind takes him to deeply frightening places. Soon after a series of sessions with a skilled psychologist begins to calm John's restless visions, the haunted man successfully courts a woman named Sarah into a tentative relationship with a little help from his good looks and his boyish charm. Thrust into a world of rage and anger upon discovering that Sarah is pregnant with his child, John then attempts to pull himself together long enough to propose to Sarah and set his life straight. It's all too little too late, though, and after humiliating Sarah in front of her family and friends, degrading her sexually, and tightening his grip on her to the point of suffocation, Sarah soon reveals that she has aborted the baby and wishes to make a clean break from the relationship. The only thing that has broken, however, is John's mind. Now convinced that his doctor and former fiancée have joined forces in a conspiracy to drive him mad, John offers living proof that no matter how well you may thing that you know someone, you never truly understand them until their absolute worst comes boiling to the surface. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Grenier, Leila Arcieri, (more)
- 2005
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A pair of pint-sized rock stars wrestle with the perils of stardom, icky girls, and too much soda pop in this mockumentary comedy. Nine-year-old Nat Wolff is the singer, guitarist and songwriter for a rock band known as the Silver Bullets, which features his six-year-old brother, Alex Wolff, on the drums. With the help of their equally youthful bandmates Joshua Kaye, Thomas Batuello, and David Levi, Nat and Alex have built the Silver Bullets into one of the most popular groups on Earth, thanks to the business acumen of their manager, Cooper Pillot, and despite the uncalled-for assistance of Nat and Alex's accordion-wielding father (Michael Wolff). But life at the top isn't always easy, and creative differences begin to drive a wedge into the group when Nat insists they record a love ballad dedicated to his nine-year-old girlfriend, Rosalina (Allie Dimeco), while his bandmates would prefer to cut Thomas' "Boys Rule, Girls Drool." As the squabbling continues and Alex becomes addicted to lemon-lime soda, the Silver Bullets break up, but will the pleas of their many fans encourage them to reunite? The Naked Brothers Band was written and directed by Polly Draper, who happens to be Nat and Alex's real-life mom; the Silver Bullets write and perform their own material, and Draper was inspired by her kids' pre-teen musical exploits. Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, and Cyndi Lauper make cameo appearances as some of the group's better-known fans. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nat Wolff, Alex Wolff, (more)
Writer Eric Weber (author of the infamous paperback How to Pick Up Girls) directs his screenplay Second Best. Set in New Jersey, the story concerns a group of fiftysomething men dealing with their feelings of inadequacy. Struggling writer Elliot (Joe Pantoliano) is the most desperate of the bunch, having failed in the publishing business and trying to finish writing a screenplay. The group prepares for a visit from their old childhood friend who is now a big-time Hollywood producer. Elliot hopes this visit will lead to bigger things in his own life. Also starring Boyd Gaines, Jennifer Tilly, and Bronson Pinchot, Second Best was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boyd Gaines, Jennifer Tilly, (more)
- 2002
A weekend vacation at a California seaside resort turns out to be business as usual for Monk (Tony Shalhoub), Sharona (Bitty Schramm) and Benjy (Max Morrow). The trouble begins when Benjy witnesses a murder--or does he? All existing evidence suggests that Benjy was either lying or hallucinating...especially when the "victim" shows up alive and well. But Monk smells a rat: Even by his own obsessive-compulsive standards, the alleged murder scene was way too clean for its own good! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Music may be the food of love, but a group of gangsters are singing a very different tune at a fancy New York dining room in this dark comedy. Louis (Danny Aiello) is the owner of an upscale restaurant in New York's Tribeca district where his son Udo (Edoardo Ballerini) has become the head chef. Udo's exotic recipes have made the restaurant the talk of the town and very profitable as well, though Louis confesses that he can't stand Udo's cooking. Louis has another son, Duncan (Kirk Acevedo), who runs with a bad crowd; Louis finds out just how bad they are one night when they stop by to dine, with Duncan in tow, informing Louis that his son owes them quite a bit of money and they aren't leaving until they're given part ownership of the restaurant -- or else someone will be killed. Dinner Rush was directed by Bob Giraldi, a noted director of commercials and music videos who also enjoyed success as a restaurateur. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, (more)
Actress Polly Draper, best known for her role on the TV series thirtysomething, wrote and co-produced this family drama, as well as playing the female lead. Draper plays Laura, a single mother whose ten-year-old son Miles (Christopher Marquette) is already displaying a remarkable gift as a jazz pianist. However, Miles suffers from a mild case Tourette's Syndrome, a disorder that's not life threatening but causes victims to display a series of pronounced physical and facial tics, as well as occasional emotional outbursts. Miles makes friends with two bartenders at a jazz club, who let the kid sneak in to see shows and eventually introduce him to acclaimed jazz saxophonist Tyrone Pike (Gregory Hines). It seems Tyrone and Miles have something in common -- Tyrone also has Tourette's, but unlike Miles he's learned to disguise his condition with a variety of mannerisms, and prefers not to discuss the matter. Tension develops between the two when Tyrone and Laura develop a mutual attraction, which creates tension between the two musicians and forces Tyrone to confront some personal issues he's spent much of his life avoiding. The Tic Code was shown at the Vancouver Reel to Real Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Hamptons Film Festival and the Giffoni Film Festival in 1999 before its run on the Starz! premium cable service. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1998
With Larry(Garry Shandling) struggling with his desire to ask out Gina Gershon and Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) hitting on the woman who performed his colonoscopy, it once again seems as if the cast of The Larry Sanders Show is feeling a bit lonely. Eager to date Gershon, Larry feels that it would be inappropriate to ask the comely actress on a date without the permission of her ex-boyfriend Jeff Goldblum. Meanwhile, Mary Lou (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is conflicted when it comes to vouching for her close friend Wendy's (Sarah Silverman) standup skills. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Vincent (Danny Aiello), aging, war-weary hit man for the Mob, becomes the target of Tommy (William Forsythe), the hot-headed son of the new family boss. While Vincent considers his options (retirement, of course, is not one of them) and reflects on his violent life, Tommy tries to find the wherewithal to slay the man he considers a lifelong father figure. Still, a contract's a contract. Can religion, loyalty, or money save Vincent from his apparent fate?
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Writer-director Joshua Beckett also stars in this romantic comedy, winner at the 1997 Hollywood Film Festival. Self-confident wedding photographer Nick Evans (Beckett) has a domineering Jewish mother, Muriel (Liz Sheridan) and a pregnant sister, Donna (Polly Draper). But womanizing maneuvers are Nick's central preoccupation. Thus, Nick is somewhat taken aback to find himself developing a more lasting interest in clothing-designer Anne Kidwell (Marcia Cross). They begin living together and all is well until Anne begins to question Nick's commitment. At the same time, Nick starts to contemplate his career choices. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joshua Beckett, Marcia Cross, (more)
- 1997
This comedy-drama is the feature theatrical debut of TV director Nell Cox. Manhattan lawyer Laura (Rya Kihlstedt) is on edge about her promotion to partner at her law firm, while husband Jeff (Robert Stanton) is tired of the grind producing TV commercials. They head upstate for a weekend with Laura's mother, sculptor Julia (Lois Smith), hoping to resolve their marital conflicts. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rya Kihlstedt, Robert Stanton, (more)
- 1996
The first of two CBS TV movies based on the novels of LaVyrle Spencer, Home Song stars Lee Horsley as school principal Tom Gardner. Happily married to wife Claire (Polly Draper), and the father of two children, Tom is taken aback when student Kent Arins (Stan Kirsch) transfers to his school. It seems that, two decades earlier at his bachelor party, Tom had slept with Kent's mother Monica (Deborah Raffin). Kent is aware of this untidy little secret as well; he happens to be Tom's illegitimate son. The situation becomes even dicier when Kent begins dating Tom and Claire's daughter Chelsea (Ari Meyers), who is blissfully unaware that she is being squired by her own half-brother! LaVyrle Spencer's Home Song premiered March 20, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Horsley, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1995
- PG
A teen from Los Angeles and her recently widowed mother move back to the family's Pacific Northwest home in 1980 to try to reassemble their lives. Young teen Beth at first hates country living, but then she meets the outspoken, defiant Jody and the two become fast friends. Jody has quite a reputation and has had to deal with the shame of having an alcoholic mother. Beth and Jody both adore Winnie the Pooh, and share an adventurous spirit. This spirit gets them into trouble when they decide to go explore the mysterious caves beneath Bear Mountain. Legend has it that in one of those caves, a very lucrative, 100-year-old lost gold mine can be found. This adventure chronicles Beth and Jody's experiences beneath the great mountain. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky, (more)
This comedy, set in the barrios East L.A. is loosely based upon Mark Twain's parable The Million Pound Bank Note. The new version tells the tale of Juan Lopez a nice, but uneducated hombre trying to earn enough money to support his little boy. Though Juan was born in the States, he lacks proper documentation and is sent back to Mexico. Now he sells oranges at an intersection. His life looks hopeless when a limousine pulls up and he is handed an envelope containing a check for one million dollars. He is told that he has one month. If he uses the money correctly he will get an award. Juan is suspicious and takes it to his immigration worker who encourages him to check it out. A Beverly Hills banker almost has apoplexy upon examining the check and Juan knows he has the real thing. Now the good-hearted Juan must avoid the temptations, and the greedy people that suddenly surround him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rodriguez, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1994
An autistic boy is a police officer's only hope at catching some robbers in this made-for-TV crime drama. Kelsey Grammer stars as Detective Frank Marlow, a cop assigned to track down some thieves who committed murder. He pins his hopes on a eight-year-old autistic boy (Keegan MacIntosh) who was the only one to see the murderer's face without a mask. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer, Polly Draper, (more)
As indicated by its title, this made-for-TV weeper was inspired by one of author Danielle Steel's innumerable best-sellers. The beautiful and talented Adrian (Polly Draper) is a writer for one of America's most popular TV soap operas. She is also pregnant, and when she refuses to abort her baby, Adrian's selfish husband (Kevin Kilner) deserts her. It falls to one of the soap opera's producers, the recently divorced Bill (John Ritter), to convince Adrian to give romance a second chance -- and, incidentally, to give her baby a new last name. Described at the time of its release as "a yuppie love story," Danielle Steel's 'Heartbeat' was originally telecast by NBC on February 3, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Desperate and unable to bear a child of their own, a young couple tries to adopt the child of impoverished parents. But when those parents resist, a huge custody battle ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1992
A man violates his premarital agreement when he leaves his newly pregnant TV-news producer wife. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Polly Draper, (more)
This sci-fi comedy from Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) director Susan Seidelman stars John Malkovich along with several other actors from his Steppenwolf Theatre troupe in Chicago. Malkovich stars as Dr. Jeff Peters, a scientist for the Chemtech Corporation who has invented an affable robotic clone of himself named Ulysses (also played by Malkovich). Unfortunately, Jeff is long on brains but short on personality or warmth, leaving his double an empty vessel, emotionally speaking. Believing that if Ulysses only had a bit more spark he could be utilized as a publicity gimmick and fundraising tool, Chemtech sends public relations executive Frankie Stone (Ann Magnuson) to train him in the ways of the heart and human interaction. What Frankie ends up with, however, is her own personal version of the perfect mate. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Magnuson, John Malkovich, (more)
With this rote but well-cast romantic comedy, writer-director James Toback began his long association with actor Robert Downey, Jr. The latter stars as Jack Jericho, a grade school teacher and smooth operator who zealously polishes his cliched pick-up lines in front of a mirror. Jack's come-ons even work on Randy Jensen (Molly Ringwald), a redheaded museum tour guide who dishes up a stream of retorts, matching Jack's verbal banter. After quickly trysting in the back of Jack's car, Randy flatly thanks him and walks off. Realizing that Randy is his soul mate, Jack gets his pal Phil (Danny Aiello) to find her. She's in Atlantic City, desperately trying to win $25,000 with her paycheck. Her father, Flash (Dennis Hopper), is an inveterate alcoholic who owes the money to a mobster, Alonzo (Harvey Keitel). Alonzo is willing to erase the debt if Randy will sleep with a South American kingpin, so she's trying to hit a jackpot that will get her and Flash off the hook. With a deadline of tomorrow, Jack sets out to get Randy's money and convince her that he's Mr. Right. The Pick-Up Artist was the final film appearance of actress Mildred Dunnock, who played Jack's grandmother. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Molly Ringwald, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
- 1986
- PG13
This modest teen comedy has the usual themes revolving around sex: how to handle it, how to relate to it, and how to do just about everything except engage in it. The focus is on two teenagers, one is the serious Natalie (Jennifer Connelly). She has her eyes set on becoming President of the U.S. and one day heads off to Washington D.C. on a special visit for "Future Leaders." A certain presidential aide brings a romantic touch to her idealized vision. The other teen is Polly Franklin (Maddie Corman) whose infatuation with a baseball player takes her to New York -- where a photographer steps in as a pinch-hitter. A few other subplots move circumstances around in the two teens' lives, though their romantic exploits take center stage. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Connelly, Maddie Corman, (more)
