Judi M. Durand Movies
A middle-aged man finds a callow twentysomething usurping his professional life and worming his way into his family in this alternately funny and poignant comedy drama. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a middle-aged man who has spent 20 years as the head of advertising sales for "Sports America," a leading athletics magazine. Dan is happily married to Ann (Marg Helgenberger) and has a college-age daughter, Alex (Scarlett Johansson), whom he dotes on, but Dan's comfortable life is given a major shake-up when a large multimedia firm buys the magazine. Seen as a bit long in the tooth to be truly competitive, Dan is demoted to second in command of advertising, and his position is handed over to Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a 26-year-old who talks a good game about sales but has no practical experience in the field. Dan's wounded ego makes working with the arrogant Carter an uphill battle, but when he learns that Ann is expecting another baby, Dan is in no position to quit. Before long, Dan becomes aware of Carter's intense insecurities about his new job as the younger man reaches out to him for guidance, but this doesn't make Dan any less angry when Carter begins a romance with Alex after his marriage to Kimberly (Selma Blair) crashes and burns. In Good Company marked the solo directorial debut of Paul Weitz; he previously worked in collaboration with his brother Chris Weitz, who serves as producer on this film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, (more)
- 1996
Responding to a distress call in the Gamma Quadrant, Kira, Dax, and Bashir land on a planet that the Jem'Hadar had all but destroyed two centuries earlier. The planet has been contaminated with The Blight, a hereditary and terminal disease. As the last surviving inhabits endure the agonizing final stages of the illness, known as "the quickening," Dr. Bashir becomes obsessed with finding a cure. First broadcast on May 20, 1996, "The Quickening" was written by Naren Shankar and directed by Rene Auberjonois. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
Mysteriously rendered unconscious, Sisko, Dax, Oro, and Garak awaken to find themselves on an alternate DS9, seven years in the past. This is daunting enough, but even more perplexing is the physical state in which the four crew members awaken. Though they appear "normal" to one another, to everyone else they look and behave like Bajorans, and as such have been condemned to death for an act of treason. First telecast November 18, 1996, "Things Past" was written by Michael Taylor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
O'Brien is in for a shock when his wife Keiko returns from a visit to Bajor. Still speaking in her own voice, Keiko announces that her mind and body have been taken over by a mysterious alien entity. Threatening to murder Keiko from within, the ill-tempered entity demands that O'Brien sabotage DS9's communication and sensor systems. First broadcast October 28, 1996, "The Assignment" was scripted by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson from a story by David R. Long and Robert Lederman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
Convicted of espionage by the Argathia, O'Brien is punished by having memories of 20 years' imprisonment implanted in his brain. As a result, when he returns to DS9 he is convinced that two decades have passed, and he refuses to be persuaded otherwise. The painful false memories of his prison time not only threaten O'Brien's sanity, but also the safety of his fellow crew members. First broadcast April 15, 1996, "Hard Time" was scripted by Robert Hewitt Wolfe from a story by Daniel Keys Moran and Lynn Barker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
The alternate universe introduced in the 1995 episode "Through the Looking Glass" figures prominently in this episode, which originally aired April 22, 1996. Felecia Bell reprises her role as the duplicate image of Sisko's late wife Jennifer, who crosses over from her mirror universe into the reality of DS9. But it isn't a social visit; Jennifer kidnaps Sisko's son Jake, forcing Sisko to cross over himself. The climax finds Sisko commandeering a rebellion against the tyrannical Alliance, led by a villainous Worf. "Shattered Mirror" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Laurence Fishburne and Ellen Barkin star in this complex tale of former C.I.A. agents who now specialize in freelance espionage. As the film opens, Nelson Crowe (Fishburne) is being interviewed for a position with the Grimes Organization, which focuses on industrial espionage. He is hired by Margaret Wells (Barkin), who then takes Crowe to her boss, Grimes (Frank Langella). Grimes and Wells visit a man named Walter Curl (Spalding Gray) to tell him that they can bribe a state judge so that Curl's company doesn't have to pay a $25 million fine for the toxic poisoning of some children. The judge himself (David Ogden Stiers) is deep in gambling debts. Meanwhile, Wells aligns herself with Crowe and tries to convince him that the two of them could do away with Grimes and take over his entire organization. The plot thickens from there, with several surprises. The first-time original screenplay is by famous crime writer Ross Thomas, ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ellen Barkin, Susan Wooldridge, (more)
- 1995
Deep Space Nine inaugurated its fourth season with this two hour nail-biter. The story begins as a group of visiting Klingon warriors swarm through DS9, harrassing the passengers and obstructing the crew. Sisko hits upon an idea to solve the dilemma: Assign former Next Generation regular Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), a Klingon himself, to quell the disturbances. But though he has proven his loyalty to the Federation again and again, Worf is troubled by the notion of turning against his own people. Written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe, "The Way of a Warrior" was telecast on October 2, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
One of the most popular Disney animated musicals, The Lion King presents the story of a lion cub's journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba (voiced first by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, then by Matthew Broderick) begins life as an honored prince, son of the powerful King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones). The cub's happy childhood turns tragic when his evil uncle Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) murders Mufasa and drives Simba away from the kingdom. In exile, the young lion befriends the comically bumbling pair of Pumbaa the warthog (voiced by Ernie Sabella) and Timon the meerkat (voiced by Nathan Lane) and lives a carefree jungle life. As he approaches adulthood, however, he is visited by the spirit of his father, who instructs him to defeat the nefarious Scar and reclaim his rightful throne. Borrowing elements from Hamlet, classical mythology, and African folk tales, The Lion King tells its mythic coming-of-age tale with a combination of spectacular visuals and lively music, featuring light, rhythmic songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score by Hans Zimmer. Embraced by children and adults alike, the film also spawned hit songs ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "Circle of Life") and a hit Broadway musical. In late 2002, The Lion King was re-released in the large-screen IMAX format. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, (more)
- 1994
John Rhys-Davies, Rick Overton and Michael Des Barres star in this science fiction fantasy about a band of British knights at the time of the crusades, who are readying themselves to march on Jerusalem. Suddenly, an alien spacecraft lands outside their camp. The knights impulsively attack and invade the ship, and then command their interstellar hostages to fly them to the Holy Land! However, once airborne the aliens instead head for home with the knights in tow, where they'll have to do battle against an entire planet instead of an entire city. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1993
- PG
- Add The Nightmare Before Christmas to Queue Add The Nightmare Before Christmas to top of Queue
This stop-motion animated fable was a big hit when it was released -- not only at the box office, but critically. It was praised for its stunning originality and for the excellence of its execution. In addition, it was praised for being a completely absorbing fable that both grownups and children can enjoy, so long as the children are able to its handle scary bits (beginning perhaps at age seven or eight). In the story, Jack Skellington (voice of Chris Sarandon) is the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, a realm of reality where the inhabitants make it their life's work to scare humans on Halloween. He's good at his work, and is very popular around town, but it all bores him. In a funk one day, he wanders into a wood where every tree is the doorway to realms serving one or another human holiday, and falls through the doorway into Christmas. There, he sees scenes of such glee and good will that he is overwhelmed. He returns to Halloweentown with the inspiration to persuade his fellow citizens to kidnap Santa and do Christmas in their own Halloweentown way -- complete with snakes and shrunken heads. Despite strong arguments against this project by Jack's otherwise loyal girlfriend, Sally (voice of Catherine O'Hara), Santa (voice of Edward Ivory) is duly captured, and the townspeople prepare a very special Christmas for everyone. Jack is excited about the new plan, and at first doesn't notice that Sally isn't around much anymore. Meanwhile, Oogie Boogie (voice of Ken Page), a sinister opponent of Jack's, has re-kidnapped Santa and has captured Sally as well. Since Sally is the true love of Jack's life and (he eventually realizes) the only one who can be relied upon to tell him the truth in every circumstance, a confrontation with Oogie Boogie becomes inevitable. In addition to being a monumental work of animation (it took over 120 animators and many more technicians more than two years to film it), this show features ten very appropriate musical numbers by composer Danny Elfman, who also supplies Jack's singing voice. In October 2006, fans of the innovative animated classic got to experience The Nightmare Before Christmas in a whole new dimension when the film was re-released into theaters in Disney Digital 3-D -- a process developed to add remarkable new depth to films that were originally released in standard 2-D. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, (more)
- 1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine began its seven-season run with this two hour episode. The episode harked back to the classic 1990 Next Generation season-ender "Best of Both Worlds," wherein the insidious Borg took over the mind and shape of Captain Jean-Luc Picard to launch an attack on the Federation. Three years later, Benjamin Sisko, survivor of the Borg attack, is assigned as commander of Deep Space Nine, a run-down former Cardassian space station in Bajoran territory. Sisko's first assignment is to oversee repairs of Deep Space Nine, but as the story progresses, he finds that he has been predestined to repair the tattered remnants of Bajor's ruined economy. Patrick Stewart guest stars in his familiar role of Captain Picard, who the embittered Sisko holds responsible for his own wife's death. Written by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, "Emissary" was originally telecast on January 2, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
Odo angrily tries to evict an old Bajoran enemy (Stephen James Carver). When the man later turns up dead in the holosuite, Odo is assigned to investigate, only to fall under suspicion when his own testimony incriminates himself. Meanwhile, Keiko tries to set up a school on Deep Space Nine, but does she intend to preach the Bajorian party line? Written by Michael Piller and Gerald Sanford, "A Man Alone" was originally telecast January 16, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The first mainstream animated feature film directly aimed at African American audiences, Hyperion Productions' Bebe's Kids is based on a comedy routine by the late Robin Harris. Voiced by Faison Love, Harris endures a "date from hell" when he goes out with the lovely Jamika. His romantic rendezvous is ruined when he is stuck with Jamika's son-as well as Bebe's kids, three little horrors spawned from three different fathers. The worst of the batch is unhousebroken baby Peewee. The film manages within its 74 minute timeframe to skewer such topics as Hip-Hop music, urban riots and whitebread theme parks. Further proof that this is not a Disney flick was provided by the folks from the Motion Picture Production Code office, who bestowed a PG-13 rating upon the film. Bebe's Kids was released theatrically in tandem with the cartoon short Itsy Bitsy Spider, which was later spun off into a TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Faizon Love, Vanessa Bell Calloway, (more)
Screenwriters Ted Tally and Alvin Sargent adapted the novel by Glenn Savan into this intelligent comedy-drama about a May-December romance where the woman is the senior partner. James Spader is Max Baron, a 27-year-old St. Louis advertising executive who has completely shut himself off from the world in the two years since the auto accident death of his wife. When he meets free-spirited, 43-year-old burger joint waitress Nora Baker (Susan Sarandon), his attraction to the earthy, outspoken woman is immediate and overpowering. The difference in age isn't their only obstacle happiness: Nora's into Marilyn Monroe, drinking beer, and lives in Dogtown, the city's low-rent district, while Max is cultured, sophisticated, and wealthy. Despite their differences, Max and Nora are alike in their suffering and in their deep need for connection, but their charged relationship is put to the emotional test when it becomes clear that Max is hiding his affair with Nora from his upper middle-class, Jewish social circle. White Palace co-stars Renée Taylor, Eileen Brennan, Kathy Bates, Jason Alexander, and Corey Parker. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, James Spader, (more)
- 1988
In his search for inspired and non-released songs written by an early rock legend, a down-and-out musician has to overcome the a bunch of airhead bimbo party girls. ~ Rovi
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