David Stott Movies

The life of wealthy Ellen McCarthy (Marlo Thomas) is thrown into disarray when her husband Grove (William Devane) disappears at sea during a voyage on the family yacht. Evidence indicates that Grove has drowned, and the police have reason to suspect that Ellen was responsible. As the investigation proceeds, it appears as though Ellen and her husband having been living lie (unbeknownst to Ellen, of course), and that everyone around the couple have been covering up their own horrible secrets, possibly tied in with corporate intrigue. And what exactly is the story concerning Ellen's son Josh (Louis Corbett). First telecast by the Lifetime channel on March 15, 2004, the made-for-cable Deceit was based on a novel by Clare Francis, which had previously been adapted for British television in 2000 with Francesca Annis in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Which is more important -- loyalty to your friends, or making your dreams come true? A young girl is forced to make that difficult choice in this comedy-drama set in the early '50s. Elizabeth Wakefield (Sally Andrews) is a 12-year-old girl growing up in the small New Zealand town of Middleton. Elizabeth is fascinated by her namesake, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II, and when word gets out that The Queen may be visiting New Zealand, the schoolgirl sparks a letter-writing campaign to invite The Queen to Middleton, with the help of her best friend, Annabel (Anna Sheridan). The good news is that Elizabeth's plan works, and The Queen will indeed visit Middleton, but the bad news is it's not certain if Elizabeth will get to meet her. Elizabeth's father, John (Mark Clare), runs the town's biggest business, a cheese factory, and it looks like The Queen may pay the factory a visit, but Mrs. Hobson (Liddy Holloway), a pretentious sort who heads the ladies' gardening club, believes the local Rhododendron Trust might be a destination more befitting the Royal Family (it doesn't help that Mrs. Hobson has been having an affair with the mayor). Amidst all this confusion, a local eccentric makes her opinions known in a series of public rants -- Hira Mata (Vicky Haughton), a elderly woman of Maori descent who still holds a grudge against the British for the death of her grandfather at the hands of English colonials almost a century ago. Elizabeth gets to know Hira, and comes to the conclusion she's not as crazy as most folks have led her to believe, and she decides to stand by her new friend when Hira Mata is accused of vandalism, even if it might prevent the visit of her beloved Queen. Her Majesty was the first feature film for director Mark J. Gordon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Much against his better judgment, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) is drawn into a fight between Iolaus (Michael Hurst) and a band of toughs. This causes the humiliated Iolaus to challenge Hercules to a race to Thrace. En route, Iolaus is captured by what appears to be a band of Satyrs and attempts to escape in the company of another prisoner, Lydia (Lisa Chappell). Meanwhile, Hercules has an ominous encounter with his childhood sweetheart Nemesis (Karen Witter) -- who is forsworn to kill Iolaus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Produced with the help of the Sundance Institute, Alison Maclean's first feature, Crush, is a clever, gynocentric neo-noir. Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) stars as Lane, the film's conflicted femme fatale. The film opens with Lane speeding along a winding road. She's driving her best friend and lover, Christina (Donogh Rees), a literary critic, to meet with an author, Colin (William Zappa), at his home in the New Zealand countryside. In the midst of a snarky conversation, Lane is momentarily distracted and drives her car off the road. The car flips over, and Christina is badly injured, while Lane walks away with barely a scratch. She goes to Colin's house, where she meets Angela (Caitlin Bossley), his shy, tomboyish teenage daughter. Lane doesn't immediately identify herself, and Angela -- thinking that Lane is actually Christina -- takes her for a walk. The charmingly aggressive Lane begins flirting with the impressionable girl, and it's clear that Angela is smitten with the brash American woman. Later, Colin arrives home, and he agrees to let Lane stay in their home for a few days. Before long, Lane has seduced him. Angela is jealous and begins going to the hospital to visit Christina, who is recovering from a severe head injury. As she recovers, regaining control of her movements and the ability to speak, Angela tells her again and again that one horrible person is to blame for her condition -- Lane. But Angela is not prepared for the harrowing results when she brings Christina home for a visit. Crush is an amusingly twisted thriller from down under, rooted in well-drawn characters, along the same lines as Jocelyn Moorehouse's wickedly clever Proof. Maclean demonstrates great skill with actors and with complex material, which is also evident in her second feature, Jesus' Son. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide