Monica Keena

A twenty year old man at a crucial crossroads in life finds himself caught between two worlds and two women in director Francois Velle's feature adaptation of author Tom McLoughlin's original novel Heart of the Old Country. Mike Manadoro (Kevin Zegers) is a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn shutterbug who lives with his father Vinny (Vincent D'Onofrio), a former Department of Sanitation worker who is now retired on disability. Despite the fact that Vinnie is officially retired, he still manages to draw a healthy income thanks to his side job as Bay Ridge's main numbers runner. It's Mike's job to drive his father on his "rounds," and while Vinnie is taking care of business Mike passes the time by snapping pictures of the neighborhood locals. Seeing great promise in Mike's impressive portfolio, an influential professor offers the amateur photographer a partial scholarship to a high profile university in Manhattan. It's the opportunity of a lifetime to be sure, though Mike soon finds out that there are strings attached. Unfortunately for Mike, Vinny is a proud man who refuses to allow his son to seek out financial aid. But Vinnie has underestimated his son's desire to accomplish something more in life, and before long Mike is leading a double life in order to forge ahead into the future. Unbeknownst to his father, Mike accepts a job delivering "packages" for a local mobster named Tony (Titus Welliver). But while the job does help Mike bring in the cash he needs to cover his tuition, his two worlds begin to collide after he meets beautiful and refined fellow student Kathy (Sophia Bush). Unfortunately Mike's longtime girlfriend Gina (Monica Keena) is none happy about this latest development, and the situation quickly begins to spiral out of control. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A privileged man with a profitable job, a beautiful girlfriend, and a loving family becomes hopelessly entangled with a vengeful drug dealer who assumes the role of his best friend before revealing his diabolical true colors. Tristan Price (Jesse Metcalfe) has a bright future, but when the shade begins to eclipse the sun, things turn bad more quickly than he could have ever anticipated. It seems that sometimes the most stable of folks are also the ones who crave adventure most, and Jesse is a prime example of that penchant. When Jesse meets up with charismatic cocaine dealer Sebastian Cole (Corey Large), the allure of fast cars, fast women, and automatic weapons find the thrill-seeking everyman suddenly drawn into a dangerous world of sex, drugs, and violence. But Jesse's new best friend is also his new worst enemy, and if he has any hope of pulling out of his current tailspin and salvaging relationship with his faithful girlfriend (Monica Keena) he will have to confront the man that could take it all away with the lightening flash of a finger on the trigger. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A devoted family man with a successful career in software unwittingly falls into a hopeless pattern of corporate slacking, lavish business trips, and beautiful prostitutes after being promoted to middle-management in this humorous tale of ambition and redemption starring Breckin Meyer. Ted (Meyer) was the kind of guy who always put his family first, but now that he's been promoted his priorities are beginning to shift. His new manager (Adam Scott) seems more interested in cutting corners and taking advantage of the high life than getting any real work done, and it isn't long before Ted becomes wrapped up in the perks of his new position as well. As much fun as he may be having at the moment, however, Ted will eventually have to return home and answer to his increasingly lonely wife. It's only a matter of time before Ted's corporate affairs come back to haunt him, and when they do will they really have been worth it? Laura Harris, Monica Keena, and Bess Armstrong co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This collegiate farce directed by Theo Avgerinos had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. After a party thrown by his roommate, Coleman (John Hensley), violates their dorm-room probation, college freshman (at a thinly veiled New York University) Darren (Lou Taylor Pucci) loses his scholarship money and scrambles to raise the funds by selling 50 ecstasy pills given to him as an apology by Coleman over the course of a hectic day. While loading the pills off on fellow college students, friends, family, and Coleman's customers -- including a dominatrix named Petunia (Monica Keena) and an insanely off-kilter stock trader (Eddie Kaye Thomas) -- Darren must also finish a paper on Dante's Inferno, deal with his parents (Jane Lynch and John Kapelos) in New Jersey, who think he's gay, elude the mysterious Soul Man (Ron Yuan), and try to convince his crush, Grace (Kristen Bell), that he's not a sleazy drug dealer. Darren's crazy day comes to a head when some stupid but vengeful thugs led by Eduardo (Michael Pena) track down both Coleman and Darren at their dorm while the stock trader shows up looking for more pills. ~ Michael Buening, All Movie Guide

Monica Keena (Abby Morgan on television's Dawson's Creek) headlines the direct-to-video psychological thriller Long Distance. She plays Nicole Freeman, an average young woman who walks into a waking nightmare when she accidentally dials a wrong number one evening, "interrupting" a murder-in-progress. The psychopathic perpetrator spots Monica's name and number on the caller I.D., and repeatedly phones her back. He then stages a trail of homicides across the country that lead to Monica's Boston house, and implicates her in each murder. Ivan Martin, Kevin Chapman and Tamala Jones co-star; Marcus Stern directs, from a script by Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen and Glenn Cooper. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A planned romantic rendezvous for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) is interrupted by a train wreck which brings dozens of victims into Seattle Grace. Among these are a twentyish woman named Bonnie (Monica Keena) and a middle-aged man named Tom (Bruce A. Young), who form an unusual bond while impaled together on a pole. Meanwhile, a critical operation is put on hold while Cristina (Sandra Oh) searches for the patient's missing leg; Addison (Kate Walsh) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) struggle to save the life of a burn victim's unborn child; and Alex (Justin Chambers) tries to care for his patient Mary (Juliette Jeffers), despite the obnoxious interpolations of Mary's friend Yvonne (Kym Whitley)--whose ceaseless carping about Alex's medical skills and bedside manner cause him to wonder if he has chosen the right profession after all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The perks and pressures of sudden stardom weigh heavily upon hot young actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) as the quasi-reality show Entourage begins its first season on HBO. Having skyrocketed to fame with his new picture "Head On," Vince would be well advised to put his future in the hands of his harried, hardworking agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Instead, Vince tends to let himself be swayed by the self-serving opinions of two of his pals from his old Queens neighborhood: his half-brother "Drama" (Kevin Dillon), who clearly hopes to coast to his own acting career on Vincent's coattails, and his lifelong chum Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who enjoys luxuriating in Vincent's sumptuous lifestyle without having to do any of the heavy lifting himself. Conversely, Vincent's friend Eric (Kevin Connolly) is not impressed by the trappings of celebrity, and is interested only in making sure that his friend doesn't screw up or ruin his life. In the course of season one's eight episodes, Ari expresses resentment that Vincent listens more to his pals than to him, though he must also curry favor with his client's entourage if he wants to keep his job; Vincent agonizes over his reviews, even the good ones; our hero has a wild time on a talk show hosted by his onetime nemesis Jimmy Kimmel; the boys of the entourage are given a jolt of reality when they meet a onetime popular actor who is now working as a caterer; Vince and company have hissy fits over script revisions that are unsuitable to his "image" (whatever that is); and in a crossover of sorts with another faux "reality" show, Vincent has a meeting with Larry David, the star/creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In addition to the aforementioned Jimmy Kimmel and Larry David, a number of "big names" appear in cameo roles during Entourage's first season, beginning with the series' executive producer/co-creator Mark Wahlberg, and continuing with Jessica Alba, David Faustino, Luke Wilson, Gary Busey, and Scarlett Johansson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, a high schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Recalling both The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and American Beauty (1999), this teen drama recounts the trials and tribulations of one very dysfunctional family. Roseanne Skolnik (Monica Keena) is a popular high school student who is dating Jimmy (James DeBello), the football captain. She also lives in a family where her embittered mother Maggie (Ellen Barkin) is plotting to murder Roseanne's violent drunken stepfather Fred (Michael Ironside). After a smashed Fred rapes her, Roseanne starts plotting her stepfather's demise too. She ropes her boyfriend into doing the deed, and soon she finds herself under arrest and on trial for the crime. With all of her friends shunning her, she confides in her creepy voyeuristic neighbor. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

A federal agent is demoted to a less challenging assignment, only to have it become the most dangerous mission of her life in this action-thriller. Alex McGregor (Mariel Hemingway) is a Secret Service agent who once guarded the President of the United States, Jonathan Hayes (Gregory Harrison). But after a series of misunderstandings following an attempt on the President's life, McGregor has been reassigned to oversee security for Hayes' teenaged daughter, Jess (Monica Keena). Jess has been chafing under the pressures of having a team of agents following her everywhere, so when she makes plans to go on a white-water rafting trip, the President requests a minimal compliment of Secret Service agents. This proves to be a mistake when Jess and her companions are kidnapped by a gang of right-wing terrorists. McGregor is forced to join forces with scruffy wilderness guide Grant Carlson (Doug Savant) in order to find Jess and return her to safety. Though set in the United States, First Daughter was shot in Australia, and had its premier on American television. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In an obvious homage to The Breakfast Club, this episode of Dawson's Creek finds Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Joey (Katie Holmes), Pacey (Joshua Jackson), and Jen (Michelle Williams) serving an eight-hour Saturday detention along with class bad girl Abby (Monica Keena). After tensions between Pacey and Dawson, as well as Jen and Joey, heat up for a variety of reasons, a game of truth or dare ends in a kiss that may cause all kinds of emotional ramifications. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Once upon a time, pursuing wolves frighten horses drawing a carriage, and it tumbles down a hill. Dying, the pregnant woman inside orders her grieving husband Frederick (Sam Neill) to cut the baby from her womb, so that at least it might live. Years later, the infant is now headstrong young Lilli (Taryn Davis), who is resentful of her father's upcoming marriage to Claudia (Sigourney Weaver). Claudia is devoted to the memory of her own mother and installs a magic mirror that belonged to her in a wardrobe in her private room. More time passes; Lilli is now an adult, but her relationship with the now-pregnant Claudia has never improved, though Claudia has never done her any ill. Claudia loses her baby, and on the same night, gazes into her mother's mirror, which shows her an image of herself young and beautiful. She determines to rid herself of Lilli. Lilli is walking near the forest when Claudia's mute brother Gustav (Miroslav Taborski) draws a knife and chases the frightened young woman into the forest. She evades him, so he kills a pig and takes the heart to a delighted Claudia, who believes it to be Lilli's heart. She has Gustav put the heart in a stew cooking in the kitchen, and that night as she dines with Frederick, Lilli eats the stew with great pleasure. Later, Frederick and some men search for Lilli in the rainy forest.

Lilli takes refuge from wolves in a ruined castle, where she's confronted by seven vagabonds who've banned together to seek a lost gold mind. Will (Gil Bellows), scarred during the Crusades, is around Lilli's own age and resents her presence, but the older Lars (Brian Glover) is friendlier to her. The mirror tells Claudia that Lilli is still alive, so in the forest where Claudia keeps a shrine to her dead baby, she casts a spell designed to kill her stepdaughter. Lilli, helping the men in their mine, is almost smothered in a cave-in; she's rescued, but one of the men dies. The mirror again tells Claudia that Lilli still lives. Whirling in a black gown, Claudia conjures a wind that strikes the forest; giant trees topple all around Lilli and the men, killing Lars, but Lilli still lives. So the mirror now transforms Claudia into a bald old hag, and she goes into the forest herself. She offers an apple to Lilli, who takes one bite and falls into a trance that no one can tell from death. She's placed in a stained-glass coffin and lowered into the ground, but the agonized Will, who's fallen in love with her, lifts her from the coffin and a piece of apple falls from her mouth. She returns to life, and they all head for the castle. She arrives in time to interrupt Claudia in the act of slashing Frederick's throat, then confronts Lilli in a room full of mirrors. (There's a hint that Claudia had a part in the death of Lilli's mother.) Lilli stabs not Claudia but her mirror image. It bursts apart, shredding and burning Claudia to death.

This bold movie out-grims the Brothers Grimm, telling their oft-told tale as a horror movie/adventure -- and it works. In fact, the weakness of the movie is precisely that the story is so familiar, but the changes wrought by the writers and director keep it fresh for most of its length. It's handsomely designed, using real locations and costumes that are never too grand for the setting. Weaver is clearly having a great time as the not-so-wicked stepmother who eventually becomes a vengeful witch. Especially for a fairy tale, the characters are complex and not necessarily always likable; even Lilli (who is never called "Snow White") has a hard edge, and her "Prince Charming" is a bitter, scarred commoner. It's a shame this attractive, imaginative film didn't have any theatrical release in the United States; originality, especially in a field as well-ploughed as fairy tales, should be encouraged. ~ Bill Warren, All Movie Guide

Supernatural forces hover over the courtroom in this devilish drama adapted from the novel by Andrew Neiderman. Attorney Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) doesn't heed the Bible-based warnings of his mother (Judith Ivey), who views New York City as "the dwelling place of demons." Instead, he leaves Gainesville, Florida, with his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) to put his legalistic skills to the test at a leading Manhattan law firm run by John Milton (Al Pacino). It all goes smoothly -- with Milton urging them to stay, putting Kevin on a $400-per-hour salary, and moving the couple into a luxurious apartment in his own building on Fifth Avenue -- where Mary Ann falls under the influence of neighbor Jackie (Tamara Tunie). After Kevin defends a weird animal sacrificer (Delroy Lindo, uncredited), he moves up to an important case with an apparent murderer, real-estate tycoon Alexander Cullen (Craig T. Nelson). Ignored by Kevin, the troubled Mary Ann has some disturbing experiences, verging on the occult, while Kevin, at work, becomes attracted to redhead Christabella (Connie Neilsen). Dazzled by his entrance into paradise, Kevin doesn't grasp who handed him this Big-Apple success. Could it be...Satan? The film features demonic creatures by Rick Baker. Cameos (Senator Alfonse D'Amato, Don King, others) add to the ambiance of ambition and power in the canyons of Manhattan. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide