Elizabeth Mitchell

A minor crook finds himself in major peril when a "hot" weapon goes missing in this violent crime thriller. Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) is a low-level "mechanic" in the Mafia who hopes to rise through the ranks by doing whatever is needed. One night, a drug deal goes very wrong when police show up and try to close down the operation; shots break out and a battle ensues, with a pair of of cops meeting a particularly violent fate at bad end of a gun barrel. Joey is given the gun that killed the policemen and is told to make it disappear so it can't be used as evidence; however, before he can do that, the weapon is stolen by Oleg (Cameron Bright), a friend of Joey's young son, who takes the pistol and uses it to shoot his abusive stepfather. Now that the gun is implicated in high profile crimes, it's vitally important that Joey find it as soon as possible, but his search for the firearm is complicated by the fact that Oleg's stepdad is affiliated with a rival gang of Russian mobsters, and that Rydell (Chazz Palminteri), a seriously corrupt police detective, is hot on Joey's trail. Joey's search for the gun takes him through the grim criminal netherworld of the city, where he must face off against nearly every sort of crook, con artist, and deviate that has ever walked the earth. Running Scared is from writer-director Wayne Kramer, who made a name for himself with the well-reviewed independent feature The Cooler. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Barry Pepper stars as stock-car racing legend Dale Earnhardt in this made-for-cable drama. Dale was raised by Ralph Earnhardt (J.K. Simmons), a proud man who worked at a mill to feed and clothe his family but found true satisfaction rebuilding jalopies in his garage and racing them at local events on the weekends. Ralph was a minor legend in Southern stock-car racing, and when Dale dropped out of high school to follow his own passion for racing, he started out in his father's shadow -- and with no illusions about the odds stacked against him. But after more than a decade of struggle, Dale finally began to break into the big leagues in the late '70s, and in time he became the biggest money maker in NASCAR history, tying with the great Richard Petty as the winner of the Winston Cup trophies. But the lessons Dale learned from his father took on a deeper meaning when his own teenage son, Dale Jr. (Chad McCumbee), also decided to take up racing at the age of 16 -- and Dale tried to keep his hot-headed son away from the track. Named for Earnhardt's racing number, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story debuted on the ESPN cable network on December 11, 2004, and was released on home video shortly afterward. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Having exited his role on The West Wing in a flurry of largely negative publicity, Rob Lowe quickly resurfaced as the star of the NBC legal drama The Lyon's Den. Lowe was cast as Jack Turner, an idealistic attorney who hoped to make a name for himself separate from that of his prestigious state-senator father (Rip Torn) by helping the poor and downtrodden on a pro bono basis. A stroke of fate obliged him to accept a full partnership at a high-profile D.C. law firm, populated almost exclusively by ruthless glory-grabbers, bottom-feeding backstabbers, and hedonistic sexual predators. Would Jack be able to do the sort of work he loved while surrounded by expensively dressed sharks? The Lyon's Den opened for business on September 28, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Eight years after getting a crash course in the fine art of personifying Christmas, Tim Allen returns as Kris Kringle's replacement in this sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. While Scott Calvin (Allen) initially had mixed feelings when he became the new Santa Claus, after eight years on the job he's come to enjoy being Father Christmas, and he and the Elves are looking forward to another holiday season when things begin going a bit wrong. Scott finds he's becoming less and less "Santa-like," and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) has become difficult enough to land on the official "Naughty" list. Scott discovers most of his problems stem from an obscure passage in his contract with the North Pole which decrees that he has to find a Mrs. Claus. Scott has little choice but to start dating, but he soon learns that when you're a big guy from the North Pole who lacks conventional employment, single women do not come running. In order to leave him more time to search for a wife, Scott and the Elves create a duplicate Santa to keep an eye on the shop; however, the "other" Santa turns out to be more Naughty than Nice, and in time Scott has to wrestle control of the North Pole away from his doppelganger. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and David Krumholtz also reprise their roles from The Santa Clause. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Lourdes Benedicto makes her first series appearance as new pediatrics intern Rena Trujillo. The episode's pre-eminent crisis occurs at the site of a commuter-train accident, where Carter (Noah Wyle) and Kovac (Goran Visnjic) are forced to extreme measures to save the life of trapped firefighter Larkin (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). The doctors also try to rescue a woman (Stacy Haiduk) who, though impaled by a shard of medal, is more concerned about the health of her son. Likewise at the scene of the accident, Corday (Alex Kingston) begins to go into contractions; and even psychiatrist Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell) makes an appearance when the person who caused the crash is located. Finally, an ongoing story arc is wrapped up as the dying Bishop Stewart (John Cromwell) tries to assuage Kovac's (Goran Visnjic) guilt over "deserting" his family during the Balkan wars. Advertised as ER's 150th episode, "The Crossing" is number 151 in the current syndication package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The victims of a rampaging gunman are brought into the ER. It soon develops that the man responsible for the shootings is Derek Fosson (Ted Marcoux), the father of the boy whom Greene (Anthony Edwards) treated for abuse in the previous episode. Fosson is out to kill anyone connected with the foster-care facility where his son is currently residing -- meaning that Greene and his family may be the next targets. Elsewhere, Abby (Maura Tierney) discusses her future with a disapproving Kovac (Goran Visnjic). And Weaver (Laura Innes) confronts Romano (Paul McCrane) over the firing of her former lover Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell). This final episode of ER's seventh season ends with a cliffhanger involving a grim life-or-death decision in a hospital elevator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Patients brought into the ER include pugnacious retirement-community residents Walter (Tom Bosley) and Earl (Tom Poston), each of whom regards himself as God's gift to women. Elsewhere, Weaver (Laura Innes) and Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell) reconfirm their romantic relationship. Back at work, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is obviously having problems related to his brain-tumor operation. Corday (Alex Kingston) must overcome her crippling panic attacks in the operating room. Carter (Noah Wyle) admits his drug problems to his heroin-addict cousin Chase (Jonathan Scarfe). And Kovac's (Goran Visnjic) treatment of a patient working in an illegal sweatshop inadvertently leads to a case of arson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While wrestling with her feelings regarding Kim Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell), Weaver (Laura Innes) delivers her evaluation of Carter (Noah Wyle). Elsewhere, Abby (Maura Tierney) angrily drops her AA sponsorship of Carter; Kynesha (Toy Connor) continues to be a source of trouble for Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Finch (Michael Michele); and an unexpected visit causes Corday (Alex Kingston) to panic. John Cromwell guest stars as an ailing bishop who forces Kovac (Goran Visnjic) to re-examine his own religious convictions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Photographer, Beatles wife, tambourine player, purveyor of vegetarian entrees: Linda McCartney led an undeniably remarkable life. The Linda McCartney Story, based on the book Linda McCartney: The Biography, attempts to present this life in all its glory. Scion of the George Eastman photography dynasty, McCartney is first shown as Linda Eastman, aspiring rock photographer. Flirting her way around the transatlantic rock scene with the likes of Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger, she eventually meets Paul McCartney during the heyday of mid-'60s Beatlemania. Thirty years of marriage, the Beatles' break-up, tambourine playing with Wings, and McCartney's ultimately unsuccessful battle with breast cancer follow, illustrating, over the course of 120 minutes, a life lived with both strength and aplomb. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Abby (Maura Tierney) and her bipolar mom, Maggie (Sally Field), have a tense confrontation just before Thanksgiving. In a less serious but similar vein, Chen (Ming-Na) uses a family Thanksgiving party as an opportunity to reveal her pregnancy to her mother (Nancy Kwan). Back at the ER, Abby barely survives an explosion in Exam Three; Carter (Noah Wyle) searches for a drug addict that has checked out of the hospital too soon; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) is informed of the severity of his current illness. "Rescue Me" is dedicated to the memory of guest star Anthony Lee (here seen in the role of Mr. Floryea), who was killed shortly before the episode aired. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Worn out after his first night shift since returning to the ER, Carter (Noah Wyle) is summoned back to assist in Chen's (Ming-Na) delivery. Meanwhile, the people who want to adopt Chen's baby have reason to suspect that she'll renege on the agreement. Later, Abby (Maura Tierney) and Carter share their experiences with substance abuse after he toys with the notion of using a stimulant to stay awake. And in other developments, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is in New York, hoping to find someone that can treat his brain tumor; Kynesha (Toy Connor) continues hiding out from her would-be assassin with the help of Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Finch (Michael Michele); and Weaver (Laura Innes) is startled by a spontaneous act of affection -- from another woman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On his first day back at work in the ER, Carter (Noah Wyle) befriends a paraplegic youngster named Dennis (Alex D. Linz). Elsewhere, several patients are brought in after a freak accident at a sci-fi convention -- and are promptly placed under arrest. During an acute shortage of surgeons, Greene (Anthony Edwards) performs a delicate operation while receiving instructions via intercom hookup with Corday (Alex Kingston). Malucci (Erik Palladino) demands to know who the father of Chen's (Ming-Na) baby is. And Romano (Paul McCrane) fires Benton (Eriq La Salle). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide