Dominique Swain Movies
An actress who won a significant dose of notoriety for her title role in Adrian Lyne's 1997 adaptation of Lolita, Dominique Swain had the dubious honor of being caught up in the scandal of her feature film debut. Thanks to the content of the film -- which, unlike Stanley Kubrick's earlier version of Nabokov's novel, emphasized its more explicitly sexual aspects -- Lolita had great difficulty finding a U.S. distributor and was effectively consigned to video store shelves. However, many of the critics who did see the film were impressed with Swain's performance, remarking that she more than held her own opposite such seasoned costars as Jeremy Irons and Melanie Griffith.Born, according to legend, in the back of her father's Datsun somewhere on the Santa Monica Freeway on August 12, 1980, Swain grew up with three sisters (one of whom, Chelsea, is also an actress) in Malibu. Her interest in acting led to a role as a stunt double in The Good Son and an audition for the lead in Lolita; the fledgling actress was eventually chosen for the part by director Lyne over 2,500 hopefuls. Following her work in the 1997 film, Swain appeared as the rebellious daughter of John Travolta and Joan Allen in John Woo's Face/Off later that same year, and then starred as the eponymous heroine of Girl (1998), a coming-of-age drama about a spoiled high school student trying to make sense of sex.
Swain's growing popularity was more than adequately demonstrated in 2000, when she was involved in no less than eight screen projects. Included amongst them were The Smokers, in which the actress played one of a trio of teens who want revenge on their boyfriends, and Intern, which cast her in the title role of an intern who becomes the head of a fashion magazine. She went on to appear in Tart, Happy Campers, New Best Friend, Out of Season, Alpha Dog, Toxic, Road to Nowhere, and Nazis at the Center of the Earth. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Two-Lane Blacktop director Monte Hellman teams with frequent screenwriting partner Steven Gaydos for this thriller about a young film director (Tygh Runyan) whose mesmerizing leading lady (Shannyn Sossamon) may be responsible for the recent disappearance of a wealthy couple. Convinced that the recent scandal involving an aging North Carolina senator and his attractive young aide has all the makings of a hit thriller, director Mitchell Haven (Runyan) begins adapting the story for the screen. But when the time comes for Mitchell to cast his female lead, no Hollywood actress he auditions can make the cut. Desperate, the director recruits an unknown (Sossamon) who not only refuses to acknowledge herself as an actor, but whose reluctance to reveal any personal information leads some of the cast and crew to suspect that she may actually be the elusive femme fatale whose story inspired the film. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tygh Runyan, Shannyn Sossamon, (more)
A drunken gunfighter, a female outlaw, and three deeply disturbed women discover just what it takes to survive in the wild west when they're targeted by a relentless killer and a jealous husband in this western adventure starring Kevin Sorbo, Lance Henriksen, and Dominique Swain. Preston Biggs (Sorbo) used to be the law in Clearwater, but then his spirit died along with his wife. These days Preston is just another gun-toting drunk, but the new sheriff of Clearwater is about to offer him a deal: escort three women suffering from "prairie fever" back to civilization, and Preston can forget about the debt he incurred by busting up the local saloon. Lettie tried to kill her husband, Abigale proved far too fragile for prairie life, and Bible-quoting Blue just snapped one violent night out on the farm. These women simply can't function in such harsh living conditions, and as Preston leads the group across the prairie plains he happens across a desperate young woman named Olivia (Jamie Anne Allman). Olivia is desperate; she's just escaped from her vengeful partner Monte (Henriksen) and if she doesn't move fast he'll have her head. As chance would have it, Preston could use a girl like Olivia on this trip. But Monte isn't the only one searching for this coveted covered wagon, because Blue's ruthless husband is scouring the plains in search of his missing wife. When the bullets start to fly, this strange band of misfits must rely on each other to make it home alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo
A deadly seductress sets out to avenge her sister, in the process uncovering a dark conspiracy that makes her question everything she's been fighting for in this action thriller featuring Tom Berenger, Tom Sizemore, William Forsythe, and Michael Biehn. Raina (Stana Katic) was deeply in love with powerful crime boss Virgil Vadalos (Berenger) until she discovered that he was involved with her sister's disappearance. After that, their relationship met a violent end. Now Raina is determined to take out Virgil and his entire crew. With nothing more than unbridled fury and a particularly sharp knife, Raina starts at the lower rungs of Virgil's organization and methodically begins moving her way up through the ranks. But Virgil is no sucker, and in order to stop the slaughter he calls on crooked cop Beck (Paul Sloan) to stop Raina no matter what it takes. Now, as the streets of Los Angeles run red with blood, Raina and Beck discover that in this city, there is no escaping the tyranny of the corrupt. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Paul Sloan, (more)
Michelle Rodrigues, Jeremy Sisto, Jeremy Piven, and Dominique Swain lend their distinctive voices to this animated tale of an indoor cat named Marcello who longs to experience life from the other side of the window. Marcello (voice of Golden Globe-winner Troy Garrity) is a domesticated cat who spends most of his days wandering around his owner's sizable house and wondering what it would be like to explore the outside world with Jujube (voice of Rodrigues) - the pretty, outdoor-dwelling feline who lives next door. When his owner (voice of Swain) ventures away for a weekend trip and accidentally leaves a window cracked, curiosity gets the best of Marcello and he slips outside for the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, Marcello befriends a skittish squirrel or two, has his fair share of mishaps, narrowly averts disaster, and even shares a romantic moment or two with his lovely neighbor Jujube. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Rodriguez
Dominic Swain, Master P, Tom Sizemore, and Danny Trejo star in this flashy action thriller about a beautiful mental patient who embarks on a violent killing spree after learning that her own father has put a bounty on her head. Anyone who gets in this lethal lady's way is sure to pay with their lives, whether it be the nightclub owner, the bartender, the call girl, or even the exotic dancer. Who will be alive when her violent rampage has ended, and what will be left of them but a fleshy bag of broken bones? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Susan Ward, Corey Large, (more)
A drug dealer moves on to bigger crimes in an effort to settle a score with disastrous results in this drama inspired by actual events. Though barely out of his teens, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) has already built a lucrative career for himself selling drugs -- he has his own home, a luxury car, and posse of friends who do double duty as his crew, including Elvis (Shawn Hatosy), Frankie (Justin Timberlake), and Tiko (Fernando Vargas). While life at Johnny's house is usually a constant party interrupted by occasional dope deals, Johnny has lost all of his patience with Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), a regular customer who has run up a large tab that he can't pay. Determined to clear Jake's account, Johnny and his boys plan to kidnap Jake and hold him for ransom, but when they happen upon his 15-year-old stepbrother, Zack (Anton Yelchin), they impulsively decide to take the youngster instead. Jake's father, Butch (David Thornton), and his stepmother, Olivia (Sharon Stone), are already furious with their junkie son when they learn about Zack's disappearance, and aren't sure what they should do. Meanwhile at Johnny's place, Frankie takes a liking to young Zack, who already admires his brother's high-flying lifestyle, and introduces the kid to the joys of grown-up partying, which he takes to with dangerous zeal. Also featuring Bruce Willis as Johnny's father, Alpha Dog was based on the real-life story of Jesse James Hollywood, who at the age of 21 became one of the youngest people to ever appear on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, (more)
A medical student with mounting debts draws on her formidable poker skills in order to stay afloat in this gambling drama starring Dominique Swain and Michael Madsen. As a young girl, Alicia "Ace" Anderson (Swain) frequently accompanied her card shark father (Madsen) to clandestine gambling rooms for tense rounds of Texas Hold 'Em. As a result of her childhood spent watching her father fleece his opponents, Alicia became a fairly exceptional card player herself. These days Alicia has left behind the world of gambling in order to focus on medical school, but education doesn't come cheap and the tuition fees are fast piling up. Of course the one way that Alicia knows how to make a quick buck is to fall back on her old skills, and now with a bottomed out bank account and few options on the table the savvy student gambler enlists the aid of some fellow students in hitting it big at the local casino. Though her cohorts may be well schooled in the art of the bluff, this team will need much more than a good poker face if they truly intend to win out over some of the world's best card players. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Michael Madsen, (more)
First time writer/director Matt Nourse explores the uncertainty of the time when true identities begin to emerge in this tale of four friends attempting to come to terms with the loss of a dear friend. Eddy is a vagabond musician. Though he still comes off as his usual brash self even after the incident, it's obvious that his pain runs deeper when he skips town and asks his friends to mourn in his place. But Eddy's got no place left to run, and it isn't long before he comes back home with his tail between his legs. Meanwhile, guitar maker Barron is about as happy with his own picture-perfect life as he is with Eddy's decision to abandon his friends during such a tumultuous time. Barron's wife Farah is growing tired of her life as well, and though she's as striking and tempestuous as ever, the former dancer just can't seem to move like she used to. The only member of the group who seems destined for greater things is gifted painter Chelsea, who's currently making plans to move away and pursue a career. When Eddy returns to town to discover that his friends seem to have lost any remaining sympathy and fondness they once felt towards him, he flees to the Pacific ocean on an inward journey to embrace the loss that he never truly mourned. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Donowho, Dominique Swain, (more)
An unassuming group of vacationing high school students incurs the wrath of a relentless supernatural killer in this tale of terror from beyond the mirror starring Dominique Swain. They had no idea that such an innocent rhyme could conjure up so much death, but as the woman with an insatiable appetite for death methodically begins claiming their lives on by bloody one. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Chappelle's Show writer/producer/director Neal Brennan makes his feature directorial debut with this retro-minded comedy purported to have been produced in the 1980s but never released until 2006. As the Gunderson family sets out on a cross-country road trip to their new home, boyishly handsome Charlie (Mikey Day), blossoming dancer Lori (Dominique Swain), and highly intelligent Max (Trevor Heins) all have their own ideas of what life will be like in their new town. When Charlie is singled out as the least popular senior on the very first day of school, kindly outcast Billie (Nicki Clyne) amiably agrees to show him the ropes and provide him with an illuminating crash course in the clique system. Meanwhile, Lori is shocked to discover that dancing has been banned in her new town and the only place to cut loose is at the clandestine dance sessions held in the garage of current janitor and former dance instructor Gabriel (Chris Kattan). Immediately forbidden from attending the highly secretive shindigs, Lori stealthily sneaks out to be with the kindly Gabriel as her feelings for the dance instructor grow and the pair set into motion a clever plan to usher in a new era of dancing around town. When Charlie vows to win the heart of popular girl Kimberly (Brittany Daniel) by competing against her athletic boyfriend, Kipp (Joey Kern), in the upcoming school decathlon, lovelorn Billie quietly pines for the clueless newcomer from afar as he begins a rigorous training regiment with Japanese gardener Yamagashi (James Hong). As his family struggles to adjust to their new life, reclusive genius Max continues working on a highly advanced home computer that soon draws the attention of the CIA. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A once-promising snowboarder who suffered a crippling career setback takes one last shot of living his dream in an inspirational tale of adversity and determination starring Dominique Swain, Tom Sizemore, and Paul Logan. There once was a time when Alex Crow (Riley Smith) was set to become the next big thing in snowboarding. When family issues, a falling-out with his girlfriend Christie (Swain), and a series of disheartening losses to his nemesis Jason (Brent le Macks) take the air out of Alex's launch, he sets his snowboard aside in favor of supporting his family with a job at the local garage. Now more concerned with financial stability than following his dreams, Alex seems to have lost all faith in both himself and his abilities. Alex's close friend and trainer Peter (Logan) isn't about to sit idly by as his best friend's dreams die though, and with a little encouragement and plenty of hard work Alex soon realizes that he may have what it takes to win the upcoming pro-jam super pipe event after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Make-believe murder becomes all too real in this high-tech tale of terror. Jake Cummings (Jensen Ackles) is a stressed-out college student and computer technician who gets an unusual birthday present from one of his best friends -- an interactive video game called "The Pathway," which allows players to take part even when they aren't at their monitors. However, the nightmarish visions of the game begin haunting Jake's dreams and then taking over his waking hours as the violence of "The Pathway" stops being play and starts becoming reality. Has the game become possessed by malevolent spirits? And how can it be stopped? Devour also stars Dominique Swain and Shannyn Sossamon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2004
Less lurid than its title suggests, this made-for-TV movie was based on the true story of the trials and tribulations of three generations of New Orleans prostitutes. Ellen Burstyn stars as Tommie, matriarch of the "working girl" family which operates out of a brothel in an otherwise quiet, respectable neighborhood. Tommie is the domineering boss of her daughter Jeanette (Annabella Sciorra), who had followed in mom's footsteps (so to speak) because she had no alternative. Conversely, Jeannette's daughter Monica (Dominique Swain) is showing signs of rebellion, hoping to break free from her grandmother's grasp for the sake of her own daughter Navaeh. The family's internal squabbles are played against a backdrop of federal intrigue, as the FBI works overtime to nail Tommie and her family on charges of racketeering and drug trafficking. But just when it looks like the jig is up thanks to the testimony of a local doctor, Tommie saves herself by threatening to reveal a few unsavory secrets about a few highly placed male individuals. The real-life Jeannette Maier acted as the film's technical advisor, insisting in press releases that she and her mother ran a "clean, tight, business" and that the FBI's charges were so much applesauce (it is clear where the filmmakers' sympathies lie in those scenes wherein the Feds are shown wiretapping the ladies' business when they should be concentrating on capturing the terrorist perpetrators of 9/11). The Madam's Family debuted October 31, 2004 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
When a drifter named Simeon arrives in a small seaside town, it takes the locals some time to warm up to him. Eventually they do, but he carries a secret that could threaten everyone who comes into his path-including his new companions. Out of Season features Dennis Hopper and Gina Gershon. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Gina Gershon, (more)
Zev Berman's thriller Killing Edgar stars Dominique Swain as Inez Macbeth, a woman married to the volatile criminal Edgar (Henry Thomas). She has grown tired of their marriage and strays outside of her vows. Edgar finds out and proceeds to hold her prisoner in her own house with the help of his associate, Flowers (Arie Verveen). Inez figures out a dangerous escape plan, but will she be able to get away before it is too late? ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Henry Thomas, (more)
A fearsome mercenary finds her conscience getting the best of her after agreeing to fulfill one final contract in this action effort starring Kill Bill's Daryl Hannah. Murder for hire has been CJ's game for as long as she can remember, but before she retires from a life of killing she's obligated to carry out one final mission. As CJ sets her sights on her final mark, her conscience takes a premature grip. Will CJ be able to overcome her newfound morality to carry out her last contract and make a clean break from her bloody past or will she take the ultimate, and potentially deadly, stand for the righteous beliefs on which she has staked her future? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daryl Hannah, Brad Renfro, (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)
Adam Larson and Tony R. Abrams' directorial debut Pumpkin is an unconventional love story. College senior Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci) agrees to coach handicapped athletes from a local town in order to help her sorority win an award. She and her sorority sister Jeanine (Dominique Swain) are put off by the activity. Carolyn's discomfort begins to dissipate after meeting Pumpkin Romanoff (Hank Harris), a young man in a wheelchair who has dreams of competing in the shot put. Slowly, Carolyn falls in love with Pumpkin, sending her into conflict with her boyfriend Kent (Sam Ball), her sisters, and Pumpkin's mother (Brenda Blethyn). This film was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, (more)
Young, rich, and randy Gloria (Dominique Swain) takes the family motorboat for some fun in the sun off the coast of Brazil. Along with her are her longtime boyfriend Danny (Scott Bairstow), his best friend Jeff (Henry Thomas), and the son of an important and infinitely influential client, Marcos (Sebastian DeVicente). It probably wasn't a good idea to take three gorgeous men the same age out on a boat with a bikini-clad beauty who lately has been questioning her relationship with her main squeeze, but it gets even worse than expected. There's tragedy, betrayal, and more tragedy as the faulty value systems of the wealthy brats spin out of control. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
Cat Storm (Dominique Swain) is a bored high school girl in New York City who follows her petulant, rich friends from one coming-of-age adventure to another. They experiment with cruelty, rudeness, brazenness, and idiocy before moving onto sex and drugs. Cat's best friend, Delilah (Bijou Phillips), is kicked out of school for using cocaine (her father's), forcing Cat to become best friends with Grace (Mischa Barton), who guides her into the arms of William (Brad Renfro), the boy Cat's had a crush on for some time. Eventually they all wind up at a luxurious country estate for a weekend of drugs, passion, and, inevitably, gruesome murder. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Brad Renfro, (more)
Screenwriter Daniel Waters, who up-ended the traditional teen comedy with his cult classic Heathers, makes his directorial debut with this darkly humorous teen romp. It's summer at Camp Bleeding Dove, and when the teenaged counselors aren't busy watching their young charges or being verbally browbeaten by camp director Oberon (Peter Stormare), they're engaged in an ongoing game of musical cots, with nervous Talia (Emily Bergl) crazy about bad-boy Wichita (Brad Renfro), Wichita lusting after neat-freak Wendy (Dominique Swain), Wendy taking a longing look at Pixel (James King), and Pixel opting to pair off with Adam (Jordan Bridges), while lonely Donald (Justin Long) and Jasper (Keram Mailicki-Sanchez) watch from the sidelines. In the midst of all this hormonal overdrive, the various counselors barely have time to think about the campers, but suddenly they're forced to when Oberon is severely injured in an accident, leaving it up to them to run the camp and organize the activities -- which suddenly take a sharp turn off the straight and narrow. Happy Campers was screened as a last-minute entry at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, shortly after New Line Cinema, which financed the project, opted to turn the film back over to its producers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Renfro, Dominique Swain, (more)
Christina Peters directs this wacky comedy about a trio of evil teens. Based at Wisconsin's Lindenhurst Academy, Jefferson (Dominique Swain), Karen (Busy Phillips), and Lisa (Keri Lynn Pratt) like to smoke pot and rape men at gunpoint. Thora Birch appears as Jefferson's drug-addled sister. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Busy Philipps, (more)
Michael Lange directs this wacky comedy about Jocelyn (Dominique Swain), a young underpaid intern at an ultra-hip fashion mag, Skirt, who miraculously rises from the mailroom to the boardroom. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kathy Griffin, Peggy Lipton, (more)
Dominique Swain stars as spoiled, small-town high-school senior, 18-year-old Andrea Marr, who lives with her parents in an upscale suburb of Porter City, Washington -- where Andrea and her gal pals make the scene at various concerts and clubs. Before the summer ends and an Ivy League school takes her East, the virginal and somewhat confused Andrea hopes to achieve sexual satisfaction. She chooses Kevin (Channon Roe), but the encounter isn't quite what she was expecting, perhaps because she's more attracted to rocker Todd Sparrow (Sean Patrick Flanery). Absorbing advice from her friend Rebecca (Summer Phoenix), she plots a course of action and drops Kevin. After she succeeds in linking with her one-and-only, it's not long before she's disappointed to find that Sparrow has flown the coop. Swain's effective voiceover narration contrasts her careful plans with her impulsive actions. Shown in the market section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Sean Patrick Flanery, (more)
The third of John Woo's American-made feature films, Face/Off stars John Travolta as Sean Archer, an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), a criminal genius who years before killed Archer's son while trying to assassinate the agent. Archer's single-minded pursuit of Troy has caused serious harm to his marriage, but Archer thinks the light may have appeared at the end of the tunnel when a seriously wounded Troy is captured in a bloody shootout. However, it turns out that Troy has planted a time bomb, with a biological payload that could destroy the entire city of Los Angeles -- and Troy isn't about to say where it is. The only other person who knows the bomb's location is Troy's brother, Pollux (Alessandro Nivola), who is no more helpful than Castor. FBI scientists hatch a plan: they have developed an experimental surgery which would allow them to graft Troy's face temporarily on Archer's head and allow him to question Pollux as if he were his brother. But after Archer has taken Troy's face, Troy regains consciousness and forces the doctors to give him Archer's face. Now the criminal mastermind has the FBI at his disposal, and the lawman is underground with few places to turn. Along with Woo's usual elaborately choreographed action scenes, Face/Off features a number of notable supporting performances, including Joan Allen as Archer's wife, Colm Feore and C.C.H. Pounder as FBI scientists, and Gina Gershon as Troy's loyal but long-suffering girlfriend. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, (more)
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