Lisa Edelstein Movies

During his fourth season, the dyspeptic medical detective (Hugh Laurie) is consumed by his search for a new team of associates to replace Foreman and Cameron (Omar Epps, Jennifer Morrison), who quit on him, and Chase (Jesse Spencer), whom he fired. The winnowing process begins with an unmanageable 40 applicants, so House gives them numbers and behaves like Simon Cowell, MD: firing people arbitrarily (by where they are sitting, at one point) and ordering others to wash his car. Eventually, he narrows the field to Jeffrey Cole (Edi Gathegi), Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek), Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson), Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) and "Thirteen" (Olivia Wilde). He also hires a CIA doctor (Michael Michele) who doesn't want the job---only to fire her when she reconsiders. House dismisses Cole and Volakis (also known as "cutthroat bitch") as well, but she doesn't go away. Instead, she starts a relationship with Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). Meanwhile, House's sexually tense love-hate relationship with Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) intensifies, and Foreman, Cameron and Chase all return to Princeton/Plainsboro, although only Foreman returns to House's team. And through it all, House continues to perform his unique brand of medicine. In one episode, he diagnoses a psychiatrist (Mira Sorvino) who is stranded in an Antarctic research station via Webcam. And in another he kidnaps an unbelieving soap star (Jason Lewis) after noticing disturbing symptoms while watching him on television. ~ Paul Droesch, All Movie Guide

Season Two of House begins as the gloriously obnoxious and abrasive Dr. Gregory House, head nephrologist at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, stubbornly (and somewhat perversely) trying to save the life of a seriously ill death-row inmate over the objections of his colleagues. Perhaps House is being more contrary than usual because he doesn't like being forced to work in close quarters with his ex-girlfriend Stacy (Sela Ward). Elsewhere, House's colleague Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is herself faced with a life-or-death crisis when evidence indicates that she is HIV-positive; House's superior-in-name-only Dr. Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) clashes with him over the treatment of a man who suffered an injury while working on Cuddy's roof; neurologist Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) briefly becomes House's boss, with both men pushing the envelope to see which one will go ballistic first; and after separating from his wife, oncologist James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) moves in with House--who despite his anger over having to share his space with anyone is reluctant to let Wilson leave because the guy is such a great cook! And in the two-part episode "Euphoria", House races against time to determine the malady that is causing a wounded policeman to literally laugh himself to death--things getting uncomfortably personal when Foreman begins showing the same symptions! The second ends when House is shot and wounded by the husband of a former patient--and those fans aware of the series' many references to Sherlock Holmes will get a kick out of the name of the assailant. Among the honors bestowed upon House during its second season on the air was the prestigious Peabody Award for "Best of Electronic Media." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The misanthropic title character of the Fox hospital series House growls, grunts, glowers, winces and limps his way through a variety of curious and bizarre medical cases during the series' first season on the air. For starters, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) must determine if a schoolteacher is suffering from a fatal tumor that is somehow causing her to speak fluent gibberish. Other patients suffer from hallucinations, the consequences of rough sex, and a apparent case of stigmata. Through it all, House maintains his nasty, abrasive façade, breaking as many rules as humanly possible to get the right results and save the lives of his charges--even those who flat-out don't want to be saved. Among the season's high points is a wager made by Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's dean Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) that House can keep away from his precious Vicodin for a week, which results in unexpected side effects that may adversely affect House's patient. Then there's the story arc involving billionaire Edward Vogler (Chi McBride), who wants to purchase Princeton-Plainsboro and fire House as an economy measure--and, failing that, force the reluctant House to dismiss at least one member of his loyal medical team. Finally, House endures a visit from his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner (Sela Ward), whose husband may be dying and whose lingering presence will vex our "hero" throughout most of the next season. House closed out its successful first season by garnering an Emmy award for series writer-producer David Shore, honoring his teleplay for the episode "Three Stories". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Lex Luthor continues his campaign of revenge against the Justice League with the help of the android AMAZO, which is capable of mirroring the likenesses and special skills of the League members. Once AMAZO takes on the powers of Superman -- albeit with an evil twist -- there seems to be no stopping him. The only hope for our heroes' salvation is in the hands of J'onn J'onnz, "The Martian Manhunter," who unfortunately has soured on mankind and is no mood to come to anyone's rescue. ~ All Movie Guide

Literally "torn from today's headlines," this made-for-cable drama recounts the sordid story of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster (here played by Jason Gedrick), who, over a period of several years, used the "date-rape" drug GHB to render several impressionable young woman unconscious, at which point he raped them while a video camera recorded his assaults. Galvanized by Luster's first victim, herein identified only as Connie Doe (Marla Sokoloff), two other girls who had been drugged and ravished by the wealthy predator joined Connie in bringing about legal action against him. Although the girls were forced to relive their horrendous experiences during testimony, their combined efforts so moved the jury that Luster was convicted on 86 criminal charges and sentenced to 124 years in prison. At the time this film went into production, the real-life Luster was fugitive from justice; escaping from house arrest and skipping off to parts unknown, he was tried and convicted in absentia. In June of 2003, one week before filming on A Date With Darkness wrapped, Luster was recaptured in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, by bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman (played in the film by an uncredited stunt man). This necessitated a hasty rewrite of the film's final scenes and an equally hasty refilming (as evidenced by the patently false beard on the face of actor Jason Gedrick). In its final form, A Date With Darkness: The Trial and Capture of Andrew Luster debuted August 11, 2003, on the Lifetime Network; the telecast was followed by an impassioned warning against the dangers of GHB, delivered by the film's co-star, Marla Sokoloff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, Obsessed begins when Ellena Roberts (Jenna Elfman), a highly successful medical writer, is yanked out of her apartment and arrested on a charge of harrassment. It seems that Roberts has been dogging the trail of famous neurosurgeon Dr. David Stillman (Sam Robards), whom she met during a medical convention. According to Ellena, she and the very married Stillman had a torrid affair, whereupon Stillman promised to divorce his wife and marry her. When Stillman denied these charges, Ellena inaugurated a campaign of psychological warfare to reclaim the doctor for herself, going so far as to break into his house in the dead of night. The subsequent court trial boils down to a matter of he said/she said, with the neurotic but quick-witted Ellena certain that she can sway the jury to her favor -- even though her own attorney (Kate Burton) suspects that Ellena has merely imagined the entire affair. Much of the story is related through the conversations between Ellena and a fiercely feminist journalist (Lisa Edelstein), whose devotion to Ellena borders on the surreal. Something of a cross between Fatal Attraction and A Beautiful Mind, the made-for-cable Obsessed originally aired September 16, 2002, on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sci-fi novelist Bo Aikens (Jay Mohr) is fed up with life in Los Angeles. He heads out of the hustle and bustle of the big city to the small, idyllic town of Black River, where everyone is happy, contented and welcoming of strangers -- except for a burly redneck, but he'll be put straight soon enough. Not by Bo, but by an invisible force that rules the town. Troubled by various, peculiar Twilight Zone-ish twists of fate, Bo tries to leave Black River but finds he cannot -- at first because his car has been smashed into a cube, and later by deadly beams that rain from the sky. What's the sinister secret of Black River? Why is Bo being kept prisoner? And why is everyone so dang happy? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

A man finds himself getting an unexpected crash course in the psychology of contemporary women in this romantic comedy. Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a successful advertising executive living in Chicago who has long fancied himself a ladies' man, though he has precious little understanding of women beyond figuring out how to seduce them. One day, Nick receives a substantial electric shock in an accident in his bathroom; while he's not seriously injured, when he comes to, he discovers something remarkable has happened -- he can suddenly hear what women are thinking. At first, Nick finds himself learning all sorts of things he didn't want to know, but he also realizes how this can be used to his advantage -- especially after his old boss, Dan Wanamaker (Alan Alda) is replaced by a woman, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt). But Nick begins to feel differently about his unusual gift when he discovers Darcy is infatuated with him, and he finds himself falling for her. What Women Want also features Bette Midler as Nick's analyst, Delta Burke and Valerie Perrine as two of his co-workers, and Marisa Tomei as one of Nick's significant others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) keeps a dispute between President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson) from becoming a run-away story in the media, while Sam Seaborn continues to see a high-priced call girl (Lisa Edelstein) despite the warnings of nearly everyone on the president's staff. Political consultant Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) is unable to convince her senator client to act in his best political interests. Meanwhile, Bartlett selects Captain Morris Tolliver (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) as his new personal physician. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Dan (Josh Charles) is starting to sense that something bad is about to happen. First of all, Bobbi Bernstein (Lisa Edelstein) is back on the set for expanded coverage of the college basketball tournament and still maintains her story about having slept with Dan several years ago. Additionally, Dan ran downstairs to talk to Rebecca (Teri Polo), only to find her ex-husband Steve Sisko in the office with her. The rest of the crew has been half-heartedly working on a little welcome back party for Isaac's (Robert Guillaume) return from his extended vacation. While deciding on cakes, decorations, and whatnot, Casey (Peter Krause) and Dana (Felicity Huffman) continuously nitpick each other until they are forced to step outside and have the long overdue blow-up everyone has been waiting for. As Rebecca finally comes up to talk with Dan and reveal the true status of her marriage with Steve, the Sports Night crew begins to wonder why Isaac hasn't shown up on time. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide