John Goldsmith Movies

Discover the human side of one of history's most controversial figures in this National Geographic Television production starring Henry Ian Cusick and Frances O'Connor. Set in the year preceding the publication of On the Origin of Species, the film opens to find British naturalist Alfred Wallace poised to release a tome that bears an uncanny resemblance to Darwin's own life's work. As the two authors race to get their strikingly similar manuscrpts published first, one of Darwin's children falls ill with scarlet fever, and the other is infected with diphtheria. His life falling apart all around, Darwin leans on his beloved wife Emma to help him weather the storm. Despite the fact that her husband's work flies in the face of everything she believes as a Christian, Emma supports her husband and remains by his side even as scarlet fever claims the life of their beloved child. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The weekly Fox sitcom 'Til Death was fashioned as a vehicle for towering (6'8") comic actor Brad Garrett, who had just come off a long and successful run as a supporting player on Everybody Loves Raymond. Garrett was cast as Eddie Stark, a cynical, know-it-all schoolteacher who had been married for 25 turbulent years to wife Joy (Joely Fisher). The humor arose from the contrast between the combative Starks and their young neighbors, billing-and-cooing newlyweds Jeff and Steph Woodcock (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster), who at the outset of the series had been married a whole 12 days. In some cases, the marital crisis of the week was augmented with interviews showing real-life couples discussing love and marriage. Created by the husband-and-wife team of Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, both alumni of the Everybody Loves Raymond lookalike The King of Queens, 'Til Death joined the Fox lineup on September 7, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

24 star Kiefer Sutherland stars as celebrated French painter Paul Gauguin in director Mario Andreacchio's slice of life biopic. A highly successful Paris stockbroker, Gaugin decides to drop out of the rat race in favor of developing his self-taught painting skills. Despite his determination to use primitivism as a means to revolutionizing the world of modern art, Gauguin soon spirals down a disastrous drain of financial ruin. Realizing that a change of scenery is in order if he is to rekindle his creativity, the devoted artist travels to the South Seas in order to realize his true potential on the canvas. Nastassja Kinski co-stars in a fascinating look at one of the 19th Century's most celebrated artists. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

While 18-year-old Victoria (Victoria Hamilton) struggles to escape the rule of her domineering mother (Penelope Wilton), King William IV dies and the teenager assumes the throne as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India. With the help of sympathetic advisers and her lady-in-waiting, Baroness Lehzen (Diana Rigg), Victoria asserts herself, relocating her mother's living quarters and dismissing her mother's overbearing supporter, Sir John Conroy (Patrick Malahide). She then reluctantly agrees to invite her first cousin, Albert (Jonathan Firth), prince-consort of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Germany, to the royal household as a possible match for her. Remembering him from childhood, she thinks him a bore. But when grown-up Albert arrives, Victoria falls madly in love with him. After they marry, Victoria must counter troublemaking political schemers on the one hand while attempting to assuage a disenchanted Albert on the other. The problem is that he has nothing to do. He is merely an ornament, albeit a cherished one. He cannot even command a servant to clean a fireplace. However, when the administration of the queen's friend and adviser Prime Minister Melbourne (Nigel Hawthorne) collapses, Albert becomes Victoria's partner in government as well as in marriage. In time, she realizes that her husband is really a co-ruler: "A king," she says, "in everything but name." Together, they reign over their empire -- and their brood of nine children. It is Albert's task to supervise the country's Great Exhibition of 1851 to promote British pride, commerce, and industry. But his untiring efforts to make the exhibit a success take their toll on him, and he falls ill. However, he tenaciously clings to life -- and Victoria -- and lives another decade before typhoid fever claims him in 1862, leaving behind a distraught Victoria and a monarchy he helped rescue. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

Hot on the heels of the BBC's multipart 1999 adaptation of Charles Dickens' semiautobiographical novel David Copperfield came this American-financed version, prepared for the TNT cable network as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Child actor Max Dolbey and adult performer Hugh Dancy share the role of David Copperfield who, after enduring a tempestuous youth at the hands of his cruel stepfather Murdstone (Anthony Andrews), manages to survive into adulthood with the help and support of such sympathetic figures as Aunt Betsy Trotwood (Sally Field), the eternally-in-debt Mr. Micawber (Michael Richards), and loyal old Dan Peggoty (Nigel Davenport). Even so, David's later years are none too serene, thanks in great part to antagonists like the wheedling, "'umble" Uriah Heep (Frank MacCusker), and to his own star-crossed romantic misadventures. At the time of its first telecast on December 10, 2000, this two-part adaptation of David Copperfield was criticized for the "stunt" casting of former Seinfeld regular Michael Richards as Micawber, who is transformed into a Kramer-esque slapstick figure; however, one must remember that not everyone was enamored of W.C. Fields' now-classic interpretation of the same character in the 1935 film version. David Copperfield was lensed on location in Ireland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actress Anjelica Huston directed and stars in this drama based on Brendan O'Carroll's novel The Mammy. Set in Dublin in 1967, Agnes Browne (Anjelica Huston) is the mother of seven children, barely making ends meet when her husband dies, leaving her to figure out not only how to support the family, but also how to pay for a funeral. To cover the burial expenses, Agnes resorts to borrowing money from a loan shark (Ray Winstone) who isn't interested in special deals for widows or orphans. Agnes learns to scrape up a living selling fruit and vegetables, and makes sure her children get the best education possible, but self-sacrificing Agnes would like one small luxury for herself: Tom Jones will be playing a concert in town soon, and she'd like nothing more than to hear the man sing "It's Not Unusual" live and in person. A French baker with eyes for Agnes (Arno Chevrier) joins forces with her children to see that she gets her wish. Agnes Browne boasts an accurate portrayal of Ireland in the late 1960s, thanks in part to the fact that Huston spent a great deal of time there as a child; the film was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Lew Grade is the executive producer of this British-German co-production, a romantic drama that gets underway in Las Vegas with several casino cameos (Robert Wagner, Roddy McDowall, Jill St. John, William Hootkins). Lymphoma leaves Vegas croupier Maggie (Maria Pitillo) only a few weeks to live, so she sets out to visit a weeping Madonna statue in Italy where she meets American pianist Mike (William McNamara) while hitchhiking to Trevino. Monsignore Calogero (Tom Conti) orders the church closed, and the statue is found to be a fake. As Mike and Maggie hope for a miracle, Mike departs to participate in a Naples piano competition. Watch for composer Lalo Schifrin conducting his own two piano concertos in the final scenes. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A young boy learns a grownup's lesson in survival in this dramatic adventure. Alex (Jordan Kiziuk) is an 11-year-old boy who is living with his father Stefan (Patrick Bergin) and Uncle Boruch (Jack Warden) in a Jewish ghetto in Poland during WWII. While Alex has been able to hold onto some shards of his childhood innocence, he's all too aware of the dangers all around him, and his father has gone so far as to teach him how to use a gun for his own protection once the inevitable tragedy occurs. When Nazi troops begin clearing the Poles from the ghetto, Stefan tells his son to hide, and leaves him with the words, "No matter what happens, I will come back for you." Alex follows his fathers instruction to the letter; he makes a hiding place for himself in the loft of an old building, which he's able to furnish and can access with a rope ladder, while keeping a pet mouse who not only keeps him company but helps him find precious caches of food. With his favorite book, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, as his guide, Alex tries to outrun and outmaneuver the Nazi soldiers as he patiently waits for his father to make good on his promise. The Island on Bird Street was a multiple award-winner in its screenings at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this Disney version of Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell Trent is well cared for by her kind and gentle grandfather (Peter Ustinov) at his London curiosity shop. She, in turn, looks after him, cooking meals and keeping him company with her angelic smile and loving nature, vowing never to leave him. All is well, or so it seems. But unknown to 13-year-old Nell, Grandfather Trent has a dark and dangerous obsession: gambling. Having lost his savings to the spendthrift ways of demanding relatives, he now pins his hopes for financial solvency -- and Nell's future -- on the luck of the draw. Every night, as Nell sleeps safely and soundly, he puts on his top hat, takes his cane in hand, and makes his way through narrow alleyways to a wooden door. After knocking, he enters and sits down to a card game by candlelight. When he leaves hours later, his pockets are empty -- always empty. To pay his gambling debts and stake himself to new games, he borrows heavily from a predatory moneylender, Daniel Quilp (Tom Courtenay). One day, after Quilp discovers what's been happening to the loans, he lays claim to the curiosity shop and takes steps to imprison Grandfather Trent. Nell and the now penniless old man think Nell's best friend, Kit Nubbles (William Mannering), betrayed them to Quilp, which is untrue. To escape the wrath of the vicious Quilp, they run off, going from town to town and meeting an odd and colorful assortment of characters along the way. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide