John Livingston Movies
Produced for cable's Hallmark channel, The Long Shot stars Julie Benz as expert equestrienne Annie Garrett. Forced by her demanding mother, Bonnie (Laura Johnson), to live under the shadow of her sister, Katie, who won 37 blue ribbons for her horsemanship before her death in a freak accident, Annie is further burdened when her no-good husband, Ross (John Livingston), deserts her. With her seven-year-old daughter, Taylor (Gage Golightly), in tow, the cash-strapped Annie accepts a very difficult job as a groomer and trainer on the Colorado horse farm owned by the no-nonsense Mary Lou O'Brien (Marsha Mason). Despite her heavy workload, Annie thrives in her new environment, forming a strong "friendship" with a horse named Tolo, whom she hopes to ride to victory in a high-stakes contest. Alas, Annie's opportunity to finally live up to the accomplishments of her late sister Katie may be permanently scuttled when Tolo is suddenly struck blind. The Long Shot was first broadcast on April 18, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Benz, Marsha Mason, (more)
Mark Decena makes his directorial debut with the romantic comedy Dopamine. In San Francisco during the economic heyday of computer technology, Rand (John Livingston) works as a software designer. He and his co-workers, Winston (Bruno Campos) and Johnson (Reuben Grundy), have created a toy called Koy Koy, an A.I. cyber-pet that can respond to its owner's voice. Rand's love life hasn't been very productive, especially because his father (William Windom) has been repeatedly telling him that love is just a series of chemical reactions ever since his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. One day, Rand goes out to the bar after work and meets preschool teacher Sarah (Sabrina Lloyd), whom he feels strongly attracted to. When his company test markets his cyber-pet to little kids, Rand meets Sarah again and they are instantly connected. Despite their differing opinions on the chemical nature of love, Rand and Sarah begin a romance that puts their theories to the test. The film also stars Kathleen Antonia and Nicole Wilder. Shot on digital video, Dopamine premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sabrina Lloyd, John Livingston, (more)
When a bank robber takes up residence in a small town after having gotten away with half a million dollars, country life is disrupted by a former cop (James Spader) and a local police officer (David Keith). The two set off on a cat-and-mouse hunt for the robber and his true identity, as he was wearing a clown mask at the time of the holdup. The Stickup also features Leslie Stefanson. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Spader, Leslie Stefanson, (more)
- 2000
Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Sara (Jorja Fox) get more than they bargained for while investigating the kidnapping of a millionaire's wife (Jolene Blalock) in the desert. Back in Vegas, a 14-year-old girl is killed in a hit and run. Using the slimmest of leads, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Warrick (Gary Dourdan) go after the perp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- R
Three over-achieving students struggle to maintain their ultra-confident images in order to win the prestigious Sterling Chase award at stuffy, tradition-bound Chadley College. Senator's daughter Alexis (Nicholle Tom), tries to get back in the closet to appease her controlling parents, even if it means jettisoning her girlfriend Chris (Devon Odessa). As one of the college's few African American students, Darren (Sean Patrick Thomas) enjoys the seeming acceptance of his brothers in the frat-like Wolf Club, though he remains troubled by lingering suspicions that he is there just to fulfill minority quotas. Meanwhile, though Jenna (Alana Ubach), the campus' most outspoken and assertive feminist, actively pursues one-night stands as a part of her denouncement of the patriarchal oppression of women, she quietly reveals her vulnerable side by admitting to her friend "Buns" (John Livingston) the real reason she has thwarted commitment. During the course of a 48-hour period, the three reexamine their lives and learn a bit in the process. The Sterling Chase was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrea Ferrell, John Livingston, (more)
Daniel Pyne directed and co-scripted (with John Mankiewicz) this satirical look at private eyes, originally planned as a TV series but instead later expanded into a feature. Before a switch to color, the film begins with a black and white prologue in which NYU film-school graduates Wilton Crawley (Mos Def) and A.J. Edison (John Livingston) bore the small audience at the Utica Township Film Festival with their 180-minute film about NYC water-supply sources. Realizing a stronger subject is needed for their next documentary, they focus on L.A. private investigators Joe Boone (Miguel Ferrer) and Murphy (John Slattery) and the agency's secretary Angela (Allison Dean) -- captured in the usual student-film techniques of hand-held subjective shots (plus Super 8 when their regular camera breaks). As the filmmakers shoot, they soon become intrigued by an unsolved case and look for a solution. Shown at the 1998 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miguel Ferrer, Mos Def, (more)
A failed actor discovers how little it takes to be a V.I.P. in a small town -- and what can happen when you abuse that small amount of fame -- in this independent drama. Philip Van Horn (Trevor St. John) left his tiny hometown of Cuba, Missouri, to move to Hollywood, with big dreams of making it as an actor. Thirteen years later, Philip has nothing but a handful of walk-ons and bit parts to show for his ambitions, and he returns to Cuba to visit his mother Rose (Karen Black) feeling like a failure. However, most of the locals treat him as if he's a big shot -- after all, he's been in movies with Jeff Bridges and Molly Ringwald, so he must be some sort of star, right? Philip knows better, but he doesn't let on, since he hopes his new reputation in town will attract the attention of Dorothy (Mary Stuart Masterson), his unrequited crush from high school who still lives in Cuba. However, the last 13 years have been much crueler to Dorothy than Philip; she's now a depressed, alcoholic hairdresser involved with Ezra (Jon Favreau), a racist thug who thinks that blacks are to blame for his inability to get out of town. Dorothy and Philip soon fall into a romance, which does not please Ezra, who already has a number of local drug dealers after him. Karen Black and writer/director George Hickenlooper both won awards for their work on this film at the 1998 Hermosa Beach Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Stuart Masterson, Jon Favreau, (more)
- 1997
Some critics pigeonholed the made-for-TV melodrama Friends 'Til the End as a junior version of such theatrical features as All About Eve and Single White Female. A plain-looking, delusional college girl who calls herself Zanne Armstrong (Jennifer Blanc) goes to great lengths to befriend beautiful, popular coed Heather Romley (Shannen Doherty). Heather graciously allows the girl to enter her circle of friends, little suspecting that Zanne obsessed with "becoming" Heather, literally taking over her life and personality. The scheme is set in motion when Zanne joins Heather's campus band Dead Pink, and reaches a peak of sorts when the deranged girl manages to bed Heather's boyfriend--but the worst is still to come. Friends 'Til the End premiered January 20, 1997 on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Popular comic and television personality Ellen DeGeneres had her first starring role in a feature film in this black comedy. Martha Alston (DeGeneres) is a thirtysomething single working as a producer for a talk show. Ever since Martha's younger sister got married, her parents have been after her to settle down, but Martha has had little luck finding the right guy. On Valentine's Day, Martha is depressed and drinking at a bar when she meets Whitman Crawford (Bill Pullman), who seems like the perfect man -- he's good looking, sensitive, intelligent, and affectionate. However, when she makes the mistake of telling her new beau that he can be himself around her, she discovers the real Whitman -- he's a horrible poet, he likes awful music, he enjoys shoplifting ("Stolen beer just tastes better!"), and he's a borderline psychotic who doses her with LSD for fun. What's more, his mother (Joan Plowright) and ex-girlfriend (Joan Cusack) hate Martha's guts and don't mind telling her so. So how can Martha convince her friends and family that she wants nothing to do with the man of her dreams? More importantly, how does she convince Whitman? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman, (more)
- 1996
Seth Hazlitt (William Windom arranges for Cabot Cove to stage a rock concert benefit to save a local patch of woods. The star of the concert is Tommy Vaughn (eith Coulouris), a popular singer who is anything but popular to the people who work for him. Inevitably, a murder occurs, with an electric guitar as the weapon. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) plays a few detection riffs herself to find out which of the dead man's many enemies is the guilty party. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
