Rachel True Movies
New York City native Rachel True longed to be an actress from her youngest years, watching the performances of her stepmother, renowned stage actress Verona Barnes. True's own first break came when she was cast for several episodes of The Cosby Show in 1991, as a friend of Theo's. She would later score recurring television roles on Beverly Hills 90210, The Drew Carey Show, Once and Again, and HBO's Dream On.In 1993, True moved to Los Angeles, which kick-started her film career. Her first notable appearance was opposite Chris Rock in the rap parody CB4 (1993). She next starred alongside Alyssa Milano in Embrace of the Vampire (1994), then stayed with the occult theme for the more widely seen witch flick The Craft (1996). True plays the most underwritten of four young Wiccan worshipers (opposite Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, and Neve Campbell), one of several roles she has taken that was originally written for a white actress. She and Campbell became best friends as a result of working together on the project.
True ventured into indie filmmaking with Gregg Araki's Nowhere, the third installment in his "teen apocalypse trilogy," in which she won some acclaim for her portrayal of Mel, a sexually confused central cog of Araki's dystopian soap opera. She returned briefly to more commercial fare with Half Baked (1998), in which she plays Dave Chappelle's love interest and one of the few non-stoned characters. Since then it's been back to lesser-seen films -- most notably as a veteran rave girl in Greg Harrison's Groove (2000) -- as well as her television work. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Queen Latifah, and Terrence Howard star in a film concerning a young girl who implores a department-store Santa to find a new husband for her divorced mother for Christmas. Single mother of three Nancy (Union) has been putting the needs of her three children ahead of her own for as far back as she can remember, and lately her youngest daughter, Emily (Khail Bryant), has become acutely aware of her mother's palpable sadness. As Christmas draws near, Nancy takes her kids to the mall for a cheerful visit with jolly old Saint Nick. When it comes time for Emily's turn to sit on Santa's lap and make her Christmas wish, she selflessly remembers her mother's recent comment that a compliment from a man would be the best gift of all. Determined to make her mother happy again even if it means sacrificing her own wish, Emily relays the message to Santa (Chestnut), not realizing that the man beneath the beard is actually an office-supply salesman and ambitious singer/songwriter named Benjamin. Recognizing the daughter's love for her mother and sensing something truly special in Nancy, Benjamin cheerfully obliges the young girl, setting into motion a series of events that promise to make this the most memorable holiday in quite some time. Lance Rivera directs a film produced by Shakim Compere and Latifah through Flavor Unit Entertainment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, (more)
- 2002
The premise of this UPN sitcom was based on the notion that half-siblings never get along -- at least, not on black-oriented sitcoms with loud laugh tracks. Rachel True and Essence Atkins starred as half sisters Mona and Dee Dee who, despite their oil-and-water personalities (one was footloose, the other an uptight preppie), ended up living in the same apartment building. As if this wasn't hilarious enough, the girls, who shared the same father, were constantly besieged by their respective mothers Phyllis (Telma Hopkins) and Big Dee Dee (Valarie Pettiford), who likewise never saw eye to eye on anything. The air was thick with creative and sometimes amusing personal insults, enabling the series' writers to bypass such irritations as providing plots or character development. Half and Half debuted September 23, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rachel True, Essence Atkins, (more)
Three rich, pretty people befriend their poor, mousy classmate and live to regret it in this teen-centric thriller. Alicia (Mia Kirshner), Hadley (Meredith Monroe), Julianne (Rachel True), and Sydney (Dominique Swain) are four students enrolled in the same sociology class at Colby University, an exclusive and respected college in the Carolinas. Alicia is a local girl born into modest circumstances who struggles to make ends meet and rarely gets a second look from the male students on campus, while Hadley, Julianne, and Sydney are close friends who all come from wealthy families and seem more concerned with partying than their studies. Alicia and Hadley are paired up to work on their semester project for the class, which is to be centered around the theme "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way." As part of the project, Hadley decides to befriend Alicia, and brings her into her social circle. At first, Alicia seems more than grateful for the attention of her new friends, and blooms under the influence of Hadley, Julianne, and Sydney. But it isn't long before Alicia's personality begins to shift; she develops a powerful appetite for drugs and alcohol, and soon begins taking advantage of her new friendships. Things come to a head when Alicia seduces Sydney's boyfriend, Josh (Oliver Hudson), and soon Alicia ends up in the hospital after OD'ing on drugs. Artie Bonner (Taye Diggs), a local sheriff, begins looking into Alicia's case, convinced that her near-fatal accident with drugs was no accident at all. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mia Kirshner, Meredith Monroe, (more)
Following other indie films about the kinetic, drug-saturated rave culture such as Go (1999) and Human Traffic (1999) comes this ensemble movie, set in San Francisco. At the film's opening, the main characters are introduced at breakneck speed, including Leyla (Lola Glaudini) who recently arrived from New York, Neo-hippie Harmony (MacKenzie Firgens), who is celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend Colin (Denny Kirkwood), and Colin's nerdy brother David (Hamish Linklater), who would much rather read than rave. As the film charts David's first taste of chemically-induced ecstasy and his budding romance with Leyla, who serves as his trip guide, it also includes a small vignette of the tattoo and piercing set, including blissed-out drug dealers and their attempts at scamming on chicks, a skinhead looking for trouble, and a gay couple who just can't quite figure out where the blasted rave is. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lola Glaudini, Denny Lee Kirkwood, (more)
- 1999
Writer/director Martin Hynes also stars in this romantic comedy, in which love springs from the ruins of a failed marriage. Frank (Hynes) is a composer who works as a driving instructor to pay his bills. Tracy (Judy Greer) is a New York-born documentary filmmaker who is learning to drive. Soon the two are engaged, much to the astonishment of their friends. At the reception, the marriage gets off to a rocky start when Frank refuses to dance. Later, Tracy's own quirks begin to manifest themselves, such as not sleeping in the same bed as her husband and not wanting to introduce herself as his wife. After three months, they call it quits. But they soon realize that lingering affection remains, and they cautiously try one more time. The Big Split was screened at the 1999 AFI/L.A. Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Hynes, Judy Greer, (more)
Evan Oppenheimer writes and directs this Ten Little Indians-style murder mystery set in a student film festival. A British documentary filmmaker (Alan Cox) shows up at the festival just in time to discover a number of student directors turning up dead. Highlights include clips from student films including a Hindu version of Pulp Fiction (1994). ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Cox, Natasha Lyonne, (more)
- 1998
When the Buzz Beer tank explodes, Drew's next door neighbors Greg and Janet Clemens (Keith Diamond, Rachel True) generously offer to pay for the damage and pump new money into the business--provided that Greg is put in complete charge. The result: Not only is Drew (Drew Carey) worked to death at home, but thanks to a diabolical deal struck between Greg and Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson), he is run ragged at the office as well. Meanwhile, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) dates a pig--a human guninea pig for DrugCo, that is. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
It's the "Rush Limbaugh" episode, with the peppery right-wing radio host appearing as himself. In an effort to prove that she has enough "class" to be promoted to the position of Winfred-Louder's wardrobe buyer, Kate (Christa Miller) arranges a meeting with store owner Mrs. Louder (Nan Martin) at an elite salon--which Drew (Drew Carey) has set up in his own house. Alas, all hopes for promotion seem to be dashed when ultra-liberal Kate argues with ultra-conservative Mrs. Louder over the topic of free speech. It is up to "El Rushbo" (Limbaugh, that is), to show up as deux-ex-machina to resolve the argument--and will you be surprised by the way he does it! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Returning from a food run, kindly kindergarten teacher Kenny (Harland Williams) makes the mistake of feeding a massive amount of junk food to a tired-looking, diabetic NYPD horse, which drops dead. Tossed in jail, Kenny relies on his totally stoned roommates (Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, Jim Breuer) to devise a way to raise the 100,000-dollar bail. Their solution? Sell marijuana stolen from a government research lab. Cameos in this comedy include Stephen Wright, Janeane Garofalo, Stephen Baldwin, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Willie Nelson, and Jon Stewart. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, (more)
- 1998
Wendell Jon Andersson made his feature directorial debut with this drama. After a six-week affair, Alex (Kristoffer Winters) and Zoe (Marisa Ryan of Slaves to the Underground) end their relationship on a painful note. In a post-sex revelation, Zoe hurts Alex by informing him that she's leaving because her former boyfriend James (Dylan Roy) has returned from Europe. Alex knew of this possibility, but he lets Zoe know that their weeks together meant much more than sex. Even though the two split up, they continue to bump into each other. At the same time, Alex manages to avoid his irritating roommate Harold (Jim Lichstscheidl). Angered to see Zoe get a shabby treatment in public from James, Alex confesses his feelings to co-worker and friend Misha (Rachel True of Nowhere-). Zoe finds out that she's pregnant, but she doesn't know whether or not to keep the baby. When Alex learns he's the father, he becomes even more committed to Zoe, informing her that he's ready to start a family. Shown at the 1998 L.A. Independent Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristoffer Winters, Marisa Ryan, (more)
- 1998
With her marriage to Oswald (Diedrich Bader) only days away, Kate (Christa Miller) despairs over not being able to afford her dream wedding dress. Drew (Drew Carey) literally ponies up the necessary $5000 by agreeing to let his neighbors the Clemenses store a broken-down horse in his backyard. Alas, Drew's grand gesture is reward with hostility from Oswald, who has already purchased a cheap knockoff of the wedding dress and is convinced that Drew is trying to embarrass him in front of Kate. With all this going on, do we really need the drunken antics of the redoubtable Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson)? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Though Drew (Drew Carey) beats the drug rap thrust upon him by loopy Larry (Ian Gomez), the government seizes Drew's house and puts it up for auction, forcing our hero to take up residence with Larry and Oswald (Diedrich Bader). To extricate himself from his current financial mess, Drew follows the advice of Nicki (Kate Walsh) and declares bankruptcy, then contrives to win back his house by having Larry make the biggest auction bids. Unfortunately, Drew reckons without the connivances of his nasty neighbors--to say nothing of Mimi (Kathy Kinney). Meanwhile, there's trouble afoot in the relationship between Oswald and Kate (Christa Miller). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
- R
Described by director Gregg Araki as "A Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid" (with no suggestions of what it might be cut with), Nowhere is a companion piece with Araki's previous meditations on youth gone wild in the 1990s, Totally F***ed Up and The Doom Generation -- Araki's self-described "teen apocalypse trilogy." Nowhere follows 18-year-old Dark Smith (James Duval) as he goes through a fairly typical day in Los Angeles. Dark needs, but rarely gets, emotional support from his girlfriend Mel (Rachel True). Mel, however, is also involved with a girl named Lucifer (Kathleen Robertson), while Dark moons over hunky Montgomery (Nathan Bexton). Dark's best friend Cowboy (Guillermo Diaz) has troubles of his own, as his boyfriend and bandmate Bart (Jeremy Jordan) is back on drugs and spending most of his time with his dealer. Mel's friends include sugar junkie Dingbat (Christina Applegate), doomsday poetess Alyssa (Jordan Ladd), and Egg (Sarah Lassez), who is being unexpectedly wooed by a Famous Teen Idol (Jason Simmons). Egg's brother Ducky (Scott Caan) has a crush on Alyssa, but she's keeping company with a biker named Elvis (Thyme Lewis). Alyssa's assignation with Elvis gets a psychic boost by her twin brother Shad (Ryan Phillippe) and his tryst with Lilith (Heather Graham). The day continues on a roller coaster of kinky sex, hallucinogenic drugs, random violence, romantic misunderstandings, alien abductions, and (of course) a wild party, this time at the home of noted hipster Jujyfruit (Gibby Haynes). Like The Doom Generation, Nowhere features a wealth of pop culture icons in cameo appearances, including John Ritter, Traci Lords, Charlotte Rae, Eve Plumb, and Shannen Doherty. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Duval, Rachel True, (more)
- 1997
Continuing to exert her evil influence over her traumatized boss Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson), who remains locked in her house under the delusion that a tornado is still raging outside, Mimi (Kathy Kinney) has taken full charge of running Winfred-Louder. Drew (Drew Carey) is getting suspicous over Wick's disapperance, so Mimi fires him--which proves to be one dirty trick too many. Elsewhere, the relationship between Drew and Nicki (Kate Walsh) hits a snag, while the news that Kate (Christa Miller) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) are dating doesn't sit well with Larry (Ian Gomez). Finally, we learn the source of Larry's sudden spurt of wealth when DEA agents descend upon Drew's house and arrest everyone in sight! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Entering a contest held by a fast-food restaurant, Drew (Drew Carey) wins a replica of the famous Batmobile, only to become extremely paranoid thanks to his friends' admonition that he should have accept an alternate prize of $250,000. Then he goes into full "obsession" mode after Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) borrow the Batmobile for a joyride--and to make matters worse, jealous Nicki (Kate Walsh) concludes that Drew is more in love with the car than with her. In the end, however, it is Nicki who is sexually aroused by the Batmobile, with dire consequences for our hero! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
After killing her mother in childbirth, growing up in San Francisco with her father and stepmother, attempting suicide, and moving to Los Angeles, Sarah (Robin Tunney) makes a brief stab at popularity at her new Catholic high school. Ostracized due to the untrue kiss-and-tell tales of football player Chris (Skeet Ulrich), Sarah reluctantly befriends a trio of self-styled outsiders: the horribly scarred Bonnie (Neve Campbell), the trailer-trash Nancy (Fairuza Balk), and Rochelle (Rachel True), a frequent victim of anti-black prejudice at the hands of Laura Lizzie (former Marcia Brady and future Mrs. Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor). After exhibiting latent telekenitic powers in front of Bonnie, Sarah learns that her three new friends have chosen her as their "fourth corner," the final member of their supernatural coven. Using tools stolen from a local incense-and-candle-filled boutique for practitioners of magic, the quartet summons the power of Manon, a primitive deity, to exact revenge on their tormentors and transform their lives. Drunk with power, they watch their spells get out of control, and the new coven soon realizes that with magic, "whatever you give comes back three-fold." This mid-'90s horror flick scored first place at the box office its opening weekend despite its then-unknown cast and modest budget. TV star Neve Campbell, who didn't even receive top billing, would go on to become the '90s answer to '70s horror queen Jamie Lee Curtis in the Scream franchise. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, (more)
An innocent girl becomes the victim of an ancient curse in this erotic horror story. Charlotte (Alyssa Milano) is a beautiful but chaste college freshman who is nearing her 18th birthday. Charlotte's boyfriend Chris (Harrison Pruett) would like to take their relationship to the next level, but Charlotte isn't sure if she's ready. Meanwhile, Charlotte finds herself aggressively pursued by a mysterious new suitor (Martin Kemp). What Charlotte doesn't know is that she's the reincarnation of a Transylvanian princess (Rebecca Ferratti), and her new friend is a vampire who once loved her. The vampire will be able to retain his powers of eternal life only if he can seduce Charlotte before she turns 18 -- which only gives him three days. To weaken Charlotte's resolve, the vampire arranges for lovely Sarah (Charlotte Lewis) to introduce her to the pleasures of lesbianism. Embrace of the Vampire featured former child star Alyssa Milano in several nude scenes; a large number of internet fan sites began posting frame captures of Milano topless from the film after it was released on home video. Milano and her mother responded by taking legal action against web sites using her images without permission; as a result, she has since pledged not to disrobe onscreen again. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Martin Kemp, (more)
Comedian Chris Rock stars in this scattershot satire of rap music in the vein of This Is Spinal Tap. This film within a film begins with A. White (Chris Elliot) screening a rough cut of a documentary he has made of the notorious CB4 rap group -- consisting of group leader Albert, also know as MC Gusto (Chris Rock); Otis, also known as Stab Master Arson (Deezer D); and Euripides, also know as Dead Mike (Allen Payne). White charts the course of CB4's success, their superstar status a result of the fact that they are the only gangsta rap group who are, in fact, actual gangsters, coming direct from rap sheets to rap music. They are considered so bad that they even give rapper Ice-T pause: "I thought I was hardcore. But these guys are serious! What am I supposed to do now?" Unfortunately, at the height of their fame, their gangster pose is revealed to be a sham. Albert, Otis, and Euripides turn out to be a bunch of middle-class blacks striking a gangsta facade to look cool. But now they are in trouble. The real Gusto (Charlie Murphy), a neighborhood thug who went to prison on a drug bust, has broken out of jail and is coming for CB4. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chris Rock, Allen Payne, (more)
- 1993
Hoping to get off academic probation, Will (Will Smith) arranges a date between his recently divorced English professor Scott Burton (played by Phil Morris, best remembered as lawyer Jackie Chiles on Seinfeld) and his cousin Hilary (Karyn Parsons). But though Burton immediately warms up to Hilary, she can't stand the professor--and minces no words in telling him so! Meanwhile, Philip (James Avery) builds a crib for baby Nicky...sort of. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
Just after finding out that he has been accepted to grad school, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) attends a corporate recruting dinner--not really to scope out his future job prospects, but to gorge himself on the free food. Be that as it may, Theo so impresses an attending executive that he is offered a $30,000-per-year job in San Francisco! While Theo's parents are delighted that their son has come so far so quickly (or maybe not so quickly, considering his less than stellar high school record), the prospect of his departure proves distressing to Eugene (Eugene Byrd), one of the kids at the community center. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
A grim-visaged Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) puts his social life on hold in order to study for an economics exam that could very well place him on the Dean's List. Unfortunately, he is sidetracked by a pretty exchange student from Barbados, whom he impulsively invites to the party that he had previously turned down in order to cram for the exam. Vanessa Williams plays the girl who unwittingly throws temptation in poor Theo's path. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
Despite the title, this is a mild comedy which only alludes to sexual activity; it never displays it. In the story, three pairs of college students get together to film and update a 1937 etiquette book entitled A Girl's Guide To Sex in order to win a competition put on by the National Education and Resource Dept. (NERD). A prudish campus bigshot hears about the project and, assuming the worst (given the project's title), lays plans to thwart the students. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
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