Eric Close Movies
Actor Eric Close found his breakthrough role on the prime-time serial drama Sisters (1991), opposite Julianne Phillips, Sela Ward, and Swoosie Kurtz. Close's performance as a policeman in the sixth season of the program established his onscreen reputation as a solid and reliable performer. Alongside that program, Close landed roles in low-rent films such as Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) and the made-for-television soaper The Stranger Beside Me (1995). The actor then received second billing after small-screen mainstay Michael Biehn in the Western series The Magnificent Seven (1998), joined the regular cast of the short-lived sci-fi drama The Sky Is Falling (1999), and scored a lead in Glenn Gordon Caron's eccentric, short-lived superhero series Now and Again. Close drew his largest audience, however, with his contributions to the outstanding crime-investigation drama Without a Trace, as Martin Fitzgerald, the missing-persons agent amorously, and perhaps unwisely, involved with colleague Samantha Spade (Poppy Montgomery). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Flight 323 has crashed in the Colorado Rockies, killing everyone on board. Was the disaster the result of carelessness, incompetence, malfunctioning equipment--or terrorism? To answer these question, a team of experts from the National Transportation Safety Board, headed by Al Cummings (Mandy Patinkin) painstakingly recreate the events leading up to the tragedy, and also trace the movements of the various passengers in the last hours on earth. As the impatient media and the victims' grieving families demand answers immediately, Cummings and company do their best to remain calm and detached while using a flight simulator and other such devices to try out innumerable scenarios, in the manner of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (and before that, Rashomon). A compelling example of "procedural" drama, with a logical if not altogether satisfying outcome, the made-for-TV NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 was originally telecast March 22, 2004, by ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the ten-episode, 20-hour miniseries Taken was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by cable TV's Sci-Fi Network, ultimately costing 40 million dollars -- a price that proved well worth it, inasmuch as the series posted the network's highest-ever ratings. Covering a period from 1947 to the present, the story focused on three different families, each of whom was profoundly affected by extraterrestrial visitation. The Keys family was headed by WWII bomber pilot Russell Keys (Steve Burton), who spent virtually his entire adult life haunted by his "close encounter" with aliens. The Clarkes were originally represented by lonely Texas waitress Sally Clarke (Catherine Dent), who was impregnated by a charming stranger (Eric Close) who turned out to be an alien survivor of the Roswell crash. And the lives of the Crawfords were dictated by ruthless Army officer Owen Crawford (Joel Gretsch), who was determined to prove that the government had covered up the truth about Roswell by dedicating his life to tracking down all space aliens and their half-human descendants. The story was narrated by Allie Keys (Dakota Fanning), a "hybrid" child of the present day, whose story determined the outcome of the final episodes. Boasting impressive computer-generated special effects and eye-popping facial makeup, Taken was seen over a two-week period, beginning December 2, 2002, and ending on December 13. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dakota Fanning, Alonso Oyarzun, (more)
Without A Trace is a fast-paced procedural drama about the Missing Persons Squad of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The sole responsibility of the special task force is to find missing persons by applying advanced psychological profiling techniques. The team reconstructs a "Day of Disappearance" timeline that details every minute of the 24 hours prior to the disappearance, following one simple rule: learn who the victim is in order to learn where the victim is. Senior agent Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) heads the dedicated team. His squad includes Samantha Spade (Poppy Montgomery), Vivian Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano), and Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close).
- Starring:
- Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, (more)
A woman gets a crash course in the realities of love and commitment when she gets some startling news about the child she's carrying in this made-for-TV adaptation of the novel by Luanne Rice. Dianne Parker (Kimberly Williams) is a lovely young woman who is engaged to marry Mark McCune (Eric Close), a successful and self-confident young businessman. Dianne isn't aware that Mark's brother, pediatrician David McCune (Campbell Scott), has also fallen in love with her, but David can't bring himself to break up his brother's relationship. After Dianne and Mark wed, she becomes pregnant, but routine tests reveal that the child will suffer severe genetic defects. Mark decides having an disabled child is not something he can bear and he leaves Dianne. Dianne decides to keep the baby and raise it on her own. She gets valuable help from her mother, Hannah (Blair Brown), but David also pitches in to help raise Dianne's child, and soon Dianne gets a greater appreciation of what love is truly all about as she struggles with David to care for her baby. Produced for the award-winning anthology series "The Hallmark Hall of Fame," Follow the Stars Home first aired on May 6, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- NR
Just how bad are things going to get for Emily Hall (Dedee Pfeiffer)? At 28, she's finally finished her first novel only to see it rejected by every publisher to whom it's submitted. However, this is small potatoes compared to her personal life. She's just broken up with her long-term boyfriend (Eric Close) who can't commit to a permanent relationship. Her best friend Amber (Laura Leighton) is moving to Mexico after being offered an acting job south of the border. And her mother (Teri Garr) has given her some very interesting news. Even though Emily has been told for years that her father is dead, it seems mother was lying and Dad is alive, well, and an aging hippie named Yogi (Howard Hessman) who wants to meet his daughter. Soon, Emily has sunk into such a deep depression that she cheers herself up by imagining her own death. Desperate to take her mind off her problems, Emily volunteers at a local hospital and makes friends with an elderly patient, Mr. Finch (Burt Remsen), who helps her to gain a new perspective on life. The Sky Is Falling features cameo appearances from Chris Elliot and Sean Astin, and was shown at the 1999 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- DeDee Pfeiffer, Teri Garr, (more)
- 1999
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Season two of the TV western The Magnificent Seven: The Series begins as the previously wide-open town of Four Corners is (ostensibly) provided with official law-and-order with the arrival of federal marshal Walter Bryce (Peter Firth). Reluctantly, Judge Travis (Robert Vaughn) orders the seven honest mercenaries who have been keeping the peace to disband. The group's leader, reformed gunslinger Chris Larrabee (Michael Biehn) reluctantly goes along with Travis--but secretly continues to convene with his six companions in order to be at the ready in case their services are required (which of course they are, week after week after week). In other developments, the youngest of the Seven, callow Easterner J.D. (Andrew Kavovit), begins a romance with the hoydenish Casey (Dana Barron)--the series' second such coupling, the first being the unspoken but obvious attraction between Chris and lovely widowed newspaper editor Mary (Laurie Holden). Also, smooth-talking con artist Ezra (Anthony Starke) purchases a saloon, only to find himself in direct confrontation with his own mother, the redoubtable Maude (Michelle Phillips); unabashed womanizer Buck (Dale Midkiff) finds himself facing the prospect of fatherhood when his Mexican sweetheart Inez (Fabiana Udenio) turns up pregnant; the taciturn Vin (Eric Close) enters into a potentially dangerous liason with the long-suffering wife (Kathryn Morris) of a brutish wagonmaster; ex-slave Nathan (Rick Worthy) tries to clear his father of a murder charge in the death of their former master; and defrocked priest Josiah (Ron Perlman) continues delivering dark prognostications of events to come. In the series finale, Chris finally learns the whole truth behind the slaughter of his family when a former flame (Kay Lenz) rides into Four Corners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Eric Close, (more)
- 1998
This western, a remake of the 1960 John Sturges classic, is set during the post-Civil-War period. Riding into a sleepy village, two gunslingers (Michael Biehn, Eric Close) stop the lynching of a former slave (Rick Worthy), deal with the bad guys, and then set out to save a Seminole tribe. Filmed in Newhall, California, the TV movie premiered January 3, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Eric Close, (more)
- 1998
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Season One of the TV western The Magnificent Seven: The Series begins with a 2-hour opener, set in the early 1870s, which details how seven "fast guns" were united under the guidance of reformed gunslinger Chris Larrabee (Michael Biehn) to protect a peaceful Seminole Indian tribe from being slaughtered by an insane ex-Confederate officer and his band of brigands. Reportedly, one of the Seven was to have been killed in the pilot and replaced by actor Francis Riley as Irish expatriate Darragh O'Malley, but the producers were so impressed by the chemistry among the leading actors that it was decided to keep the original cast intact. Once their job is done, Chris and his companions--tactiturn ex-bounty hunter Vin (Eric Close), ladies' man Buck (Dale Midkiff), defrocked priest and "mad prophet" Josiah (Ron Perlman), cynical Southern con-man Ezra (Anthony Starke), former slave Nathan (Rick Worhty) and Eastern-born naïf J.D. (Andrew Kavovit)--are invided by Judge Orin Travis (Robert Vaughn) in remain a team in order to safeguard the town of Four Corners from any and all outlaws, killers and other miscreants. Travis is willing to tolerate the the Seven's unorthodox (and sometimes downright) unethical methods, so long as they get results. Likewise grateful for the Seven's presence is Travis' widowed daughter Mary (Laurie Holden, editor of "The Daily Clarion", as well as local cowgal Casey (Dana Barron). In the course of the season's 10 episodes, our heroes rescue a group of "working girls" from their brutal overseer, redeem of professional safecracker, help Mary's son (Justin Travis) overcome a traumatic experience, and contend with the arrival of Ezra's equally larcenous mother (Michelle Phillips). Also, Chris is given an important lead to the man he holds responsible for the murder of his wife and child; an evil land developer (Tim Thomerson) shows up to gyp the locals out of their property; and in the season's final episode, the Seven square off against a corrupt sheriff (Cliff DeYoung) who is running an illicit prison camp and exploiting the convict labor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Eric Close, (more)
- 1994
The second of five made-for-TV movies starring Kevin Sorbo as legendary muscleman Hercules, this one pits the title character against his most fearsome enemy--his own immortal stepmother, Hera. Using a number of disguises, the villainess does her best (or worst) to thwart Hercules in his search for the lost city of Troy. Before long, it is apparent that our hero is surrounded by nothing but enemies, save for the beautiful and mysterious Deineira (played by future Xena: Warrior Princess regular Renee O'Connor)--but can even she be trusted? Anthony Quinn is seen as Hercule's Olympian father Zeus. Hercules and the Lost Kingdom was syndicated in the US beginning in early May of 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Anthony Quinn, (more)
