Jeff Rice Movies

After a near-fatal 1995 motorcycle collision, Dan Haggerty (The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams) made his comeback with this time-travel tale. A Portland, Oregon, family on a camping trip arrives at a mountain where young Dylan (Dylan Haggerty) and his sister Nicole (Nicole Lund) explore a cave, get zapped 127 years into the past, and meet mountain man Jeremiah (Dan Haggerty), who offers to help locate their parents. However, developer Boss Man Burt plans to dynamite the mountain to bring the railroad to a nearby town. Jeremiah, the kids, animals, and local Indians all join forces to outwit Burt's villainous henchmen. Filmed at Crater Lake and Oregon mountains. The character named Jeremiah is a reference to Vardis Fisher's historical novel Mountain Man (1965), filmed by Sydney Pollack as Jeremiah Johnson (1972). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

In this gritty drama executive-produced by Gus Van Sant, a teenaged would-be stock-car driver gets more than he bargained for when he makes a pit stop in Las Vegas to earn a little cash. Almost as soon as he arrives in the city, high-school dropout Johnny (Jesse Bradford) finds himself victimized at the slot machines by a slick little vixen. His journey to glory on the racetrack thus sidetracked, he soon falls in with a group of hoods and street urchins. Befriended by solicitous hustler Steven (Jordan Brower) and condescended to by gay-for-pay stud Eric (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), Johnny gets a quick introduction to the sleazy Vegas landscape. At first he rejects his new acquaintances, but after a disastrous liaison with a buxom young lady (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), he finds himself the reluctant new best friend of the besotted Steven. Adamantly professing his own heterosexuality, Johnny tries to find female clients to bankroll his ticket out of town. But soon Eric arrives, promising big bucks from his wealthy male patrons, setting the stage for conflict with Steven and unexpected bloodshed. Shown during the Panorama program at the 1999 International Berlin Film Festival, Speedway Junky was the debut feature from writer/director Nickolas Perry. Daryl Hannah co-stars as an older ex-prostitute who serves as a sort of foster mother for both Johnny and Steven. The film also marked the acting debut of musical artist Warren G and features a cameo appearance from Patsy Kensit. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

A good-old-boy small-town sheriff in a New Orleans parish happens upon a murder case that threatens to end his career in Behind the Badge, the embattled second feature of writer/director Robby Henson (Pharaoh's Army). Billy Bob Thornton stars as Darl, a divorced lawman first spotted sleeping in his truck outside his favorite bar. Darl gets a call about a truck accident, and happily hands out shoes from the ditched tractor-trailer to win over the locals for his re-election. But then the body of a beautiful woman is found in the mud near the wrecked truck. The "woman" turns out to be a transsexual with a .22 slug in her back. Prejudice reigns in the small community, and no one seems to be taking the murder too seriously. Local politicians, including a powerful judge (William Devane), are focused on the upcoming election, and are also angling to build a casino in town, and so they want to keep the sordid murder quiet. The victim's wife, Scarlet (Patricia Arquette), a New Orleans stripper, shows up. Despite Darl's own prejudices, he finds himself attracted to Scarlet, and starts to look into the case. Soon he learns that his investigation and his big mouth have cost him his slot on the ticket. When he presses on, he finds himself jailed on a trumped-up statutory rape charge. Struggling with his own family history of disgrace, Darl considers making a deal with the local bigwigs in order to keep his job. But when he learns that Scarlet is in danger, he's forced into action. Sela Ward and Jena Malone also star. Behind the Badge was heading for theatrical distribution before production company Propaganda Films went bankrupt. The film was unable to find a new distributor and premiered on Starz cable on September 7, 2002. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

When a diverse group of lifelong friends comes together to celebrate the marriage of devoted couple Elise (Amy Adams) and Michael (Adam Garcia), the mixed-up relationships of the past pave the road to a weekend no one is likely to soon forget in the feature debut from filmmaker Matthew Cole Weiss. The setting is Los Angeles, CA, and the event is the wedding between a man and a woman who always seemed destined to be together. Unfortunately, all relationships can't be as healthy as Elise and Michael's is, and though best man and maid of honor Rich (Aaron Stanford) and Samantha (Melissa Sagemiller) seem to be preparing to take the plunge, the same certainly cannot be said for neurotic actress Lana (Mena Suvari). A free-spirited soul who has experienced flings with a variety of wedding attendees including the hapless Pockets (Jon Abrahams), alcoholic actor Simon (James Van Der Beek), and manic children's television program host Donovan (Ethan Embry), Lana attempts to sort out her past flings as lovelorn agent Quentin (Colin Hanks) pines for the bride's sister and the estranged father of the groom attempts to reconnect with his long-lost son. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A sport that once earned healthy ratings on television receives a long-overdue resurgence in popularity thanks to the colorful athlete who brings an invigorating sense of danger to the lanes in a 10-pin comedy from director Tommy Reid. When the fledgling career of an aspiring actor fails to take flight, his subsequent bid to establish himself as the bad boy of the professional bowling circuit has a much larger impact on the popularity of the sport than anyone could have ever anticipated. Ross Patterson, Tara Reid, Ray Wise, Vinnie Jones, and Rachel Hunter star in a comedy where picking up the most notoriously difficult spare could mean the difference between lasting fame and fleeting notoriety. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An Elvis wannabe attempts to woo his dream girl away from her insane boyfriend in this colorful romantic comedy written by and starring Gordon Michaels. Las Vegas native Harold is unlucky in love and prone to fantasy. When Harold meets Wanda, she has just run away from her boyfriend, Jake, an egotistical rocker who's stuck in the '80s. Wanda was doing some soul searching, but Jake wants her back. Now, in order to hold on to the girl of his dreams, Harold will have to convince Wanda that it's time to stop running, and start loving. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Like Lassie, another famous Hollywood pooch with a long shelf life, Rin Tin Tin was actually portrayed by numerous onscreen canines over the decades, but unlike Lassie or Benji, the first Rin Tin Tin actually experienced fantastic offscreen adventures to rival anything in the movies, before graduating to silver screen stardom. As directed by Danny Lerner, this fact-based drama recreates those events onscreen. The tale begins with Lee Duncan, a France-stationed World War I corporal who rescues a German Shepherd mother and her three puppies from a bombed-out European dog kennel. He gives the mother and two of the pups away to different owners, but keeps the third puppy (his favorite) for himself, and names the spunky canine Rin Tin Tin, after a toy that French children commonly gave to soldiers around the turn of the century. The general of the base expressly forbids Lee from keeping a high-strung dog on the premises, but Lee finds a solution by befriending one of the POWs - German dog trainer Nikolaus Egger, who agrees to train the animal despite initial resistance. Egger teaches Rin Tin Tin such amazing feats as rescuing wounded soldiers from the battlefield; later, the dog accompanies Lee back to the states and graduates to movie stardom in 14 features from 1920-31. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Wes Bentley and Winona Ryder star in director/screenwriter Geoff Haley's darkly comic romance centering on the relationship between a writer specializing in suicide notes and the unsuspecting sister of his most recent client. Evan Merck (Bentley) is a reclusive, Los Angeles-based writer whose unique way with words has earned him an unusual career as a professional suicide note scribe. One day, while attending the funeral of a dearly departed client, Evan forms a close connection with the deceased's sister Charlotte (Ryder). A free spirit who remains blissfully unaware of Evan's true connection to her late brother, Charlotte becomes fascinated by the introverted writer and the pair soon enter into a tenuous relationship. But Evan can't keep his secret from Charlotte forever, and as love continues to blossom between the unlikely pair, the writer quickly finds his snowballing deceptions growing into a rampaging avalanche that threatens to destroy not only his career, but his one true human connection as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A suburban housewife heads out for a quick trip to the local mall, only to find herself trapped in the forest and forced to fend for herself against four murderous hooligans. Kim Basinger and Lukas Haas star in a thriller produced by Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro and directed by Susan Montford. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The first collaboration between legendary filmmakers David Lynch and Werner Herzog, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done is loosely based on the true story of a San Diego man whose mystifying experiences lead him to commit a shocking act of matricide. Michael Shannon, Chloë Sevigny, and Willem Dafoe headline this psychological thriller written and directed by Herzog, produced by Lynch, and featuring Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier, and Brad Dourif. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The son of a slain NYPD officer joins the force, where he falls in with his father's former partner and a team of rogue cops. His new boss, Sarcone, will see if he has what it takes to be rogue through many trials and tribulations of loyalty, trust and respect. When the truth about his father's death is revealed, revenge takes over him and he won't stop until justice has been truly served.

A lawman is torn between justice and personal vengeance in this action drama. Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is a detective and forensic psychologist who works for the Detroit Police Department with his partner Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) and promising rookie Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols). While Cross is dedicated to his work, he's just as committed to his home life, and is excited to learn he and his wife Maria (Carmen Ejogo) will be welcoming a third child. When a wealthy and well-connected woman is found dead and partially dismembered in her mansion, police chief Richard Brookwell (John C. McGinley) assigns Cross and his team to the case, and they soon find themselves playing a cat and mouse game with a nameless psychotic (Matthew Fox) with a taste for torture and a grudge against some of the Motor City's wealthiest citizens. Clues point to French financier Leon Mercier (Jean Reno) as the killer's ultimate victim, but Cross and his team suspect Mercier has a secret he isn't willing to share, and the case becomes a personal obsession for Cross when the maniac first kills Monica and then Maria. Also starring Giancarlo Esposito and Cicely Tyson, Alex Cross marked Tyler Perry's debut as an action hero, playing the protagonist of James Patterson's series of best-selling crime novels; Cross was previously played on screen by Morgan Freeman in the films Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A crooked cop gets a second chance to go straight, but finds his shady past returning with a vengeance while tracking the violent thugs who are brutalizing the dancers at a local strip club. It's been a whole year since Detective Callahan (Stephen Dorff) was rescued by a stranger during a drug bust gone awry. Ever since that day, the detective has worked hard to clean up his reputation. But his life changes forever when that mystery hero emerges from the shadows to request a favor. The local strippers have recently fallen prey to a group of men who believe they are above the law. In order to bring them to justice, Detective Calahan must take caution not to reveal how his own previous actions helped to enable the perpetrators. Now the closer Detective Callahan comes to getting his men, the more he risks revealing the past misdeeds that he has worked so hard to cover up since cheating death, and turning over a new leaf. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi