Gillian Anderson Movies
When actress Gillian Anderson landed the role of Agent Scully for the Fox television series X-Files (1993- ) she could not have foreseen that within two years she would become an internationally known cult phenomenon. She was born in Chicago, but moved to London at age two and remained there until she was in her early teens. She and her family then moved to Grand Rapids, MI, where she rebelliously got heavily into the punk rock scene complete with spiky, brilliantly colored hair and body piercings with safety pins. When she was 14, she became romantically involved with a 20-year-old punk singer and occasionally sang in his band. Her punk period lasted through high school. Following graduation, she got involved in local theater and from there studied fine arts at the Goodman Theater School of Drama at Chicago's DePaul University. Following graduation, she moved to New York where she waited tables and appeared in off-Broadway plays, most notably in Absent Friends, in which she had a starring role that won her a Theater World Award. Anderson made her film debut in 1992 with the low-budget drama The Turning. She then appeared in a theatrical production of The Philanthropist and after that moved to Los Angeles. Though she was frequently courted for television roles, Anderson disdained the medium until the X-Files audition came along. Though the producers were looking for a brainy version of a Baywatch girl, the beautiful but more natural looking (having long passed her outrageous days) Anderson got the role thanks to the insistence of the show's creator Chris Carter. The show became a smash hit within two seasons and Anderson found herself an international star, as did her co-star David Duchovny, the subject of numerous pages on the Internet, and the recipient of such awards as a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In addition to continuing work on the X-Files, Anderson hosted a couple of television specials, including More Secrets of the X-Files and the BBC documentary series Future Fantastic. She also lent her voice as a documentary narrator on Spies Above and as animated characters on shows like The Simpsons and Reboot and films like the English version of Princess Mononoke.Anderson would spend the next several years working extensively in British television, starring in series like Bleak House, Any Human Heart, Moby Dick, and The Fall, as well as appearing in numerous UK films, like The Last King of Scotland and Shadow Dancer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
When a team of ruthless assassins plot to kill the Chinese premier, the only person who can stop them from plunging the world into total chaos is bumbling secret agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) in this sequel featuring Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, and Rosamund Pike. Somewhere deep in Asia, the veteran MI-7 spy has been training for years in anticipation of his next mission. Meanwhile, the most prominent heads of state in the world begin gathering for a conference that could have a major impact on global politics. When MI-7 receives word that the Chinese premier has become the target of some high-powered killers, it falls on Johnny English to save the day. Armed with the latest high-tech weaponry and gadgets that would make even James Bond jealous, the once-disgraced agent uncovers evidence of a massive conspiracy involving some of the world's most powerful organizations, and vows to redeem his tarnished reputation by stopping the killers before they can strike. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
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David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with this long-delayed big-screen continuation that revives the series six years after it headed off the air in 2002. Creator Chris Carter returns to direct, co-writing the script with series veteran Frank Spotnitz for 20th Century Fox. Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit co-star in the stand-alone sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
- 2008
- R
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Frequent Curb Your Enthusiasm director Robert B. Weide makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of British writer Toby Young's comedic novel of the same name. When self-promoting scribe Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) accepts a position as a contributing editor for iconic fashion magazine "Sharps," his subsequent attempts to ingratiate himself with both his egotistical boss, Clayton Harding, and the superficial celebrities who populate the pages of the magazine prove disastrously hilarious. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, (more)
- 2007
Director Dan Reed's revenge thriller Straightheads constitutes a long, penetrating meditation on the psychological fallout experienced by two attack victims. This cathartically ultraviolent picture opens on a deceptively placid note - with romance blossoming between Alice (Gillian Anderson) and a much younger electrician, Adam (Danny Dyer). When the pair's relaxing sojourn at a country estate leads to a skirmish with a trio of backwoods toughs, Danny is beaten unconscious and scarred, and Alice brutally raped. In an attempt to cope with the trauma, the two put their heads together, pack guns, and venture out to the scene of the attack - where they plan to find the responsible parties and turn the tables by exacting an ugly toll of sexual violence on their psychotic victimizers. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Danny Dyer, (more)
Concert for Diana captures a 2007 tribute to the deceased Diana Spencer, the former Princess of Wales. Among the many performers who appear on the bill are Nelly Furtado, Elton John, Duran Duran, Rod Stewart, and Kanye West. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Prince William, Prince Harry, (more)
Director Kevin MacDonald teams with screenwriter Jeremy Brock to adapt Giles Foden's novel detailing the brutal reign of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin as seen through the eyes of his personal physician. James McAvoy stars as the doctor who slowly realizes that he is trapped in an inescapable nightmare, and Forest Whitaker assumes the role of the notorious despot. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, (more)
A young boy from a broken home learns the harsh realities of life after adopting an awkward greyhound and befriending a mysterious figure from his mother's past in this tender coming of age story starring Gillian Anderson, Robert Carlyle, and Tyrone McKenna. Donal (McKenna) and his single mother Kate (Anderson) share a small home in Belfast. When their finances start to dwindle, Donal goes to work for local dog trainer Good Joe (Ken Stott) to help make ends meet. Despite the benevolence that his name implies, Good Joe is anything but, and has a reputation for going back on his word. So when Good Joe recognizes Donal's special connection to dogs and offers him the "Mighty Celt" if the canine can win three races in a row, the boy is understandably wary. Things start to look up, however, as the races get underway and a man named O (Carlyle) returns to strike up a warm friendship with Donal. It's obvious from the onset that Good Joe is suspicious of O, and Donal's mother Kate makes no secret of the fact that she would rather O had never returned to town. In the aftermath of a dramatic revelation that will change the lives of all involved, young Donal learns that not all stories have a happy ending. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Robert Carlyle, (more)
- 2005
- R
- Add Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story to Queue Add Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story to top of Queue
A group of actors and filmmakers set out to adapt an "unfilmable" classic novel -- but find that their own petty concerns get in the way -- in this satirical comedy. Laurence Sterne's 18th century novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman told the story of its priggish title character from the moment of conception onward, with a bevy of digressions, distractions, and unfinished anecdotes. In adapting the work for the screen, director Michael Winterbottom chose to stay true to its anarchic spirit: the film begins as a mostly straightforward adaptation of events in Sterne's writings, and then veers into a tale about the making of the film itself. Steve Coogan plays Tristram Shandy, who narrates his own life story, beginning with his slightly botched birth, overseen by an addled doctor (Dylan Moran) and his reticent father, Walter (also played by Coogan). Constantly quarreling with his battle-scarred brother, Toby (Rob Brydon), Walter Shandy has an epiphany when he holds his newborn son; however, before that moment can occur, the film switches into the present day, where Coogan and Brydon, playing themselves, bicker over costuming and the size of their roles in the film. The rest of the film's crew has their own concerns. Director Mark (Jeremy Northam) is trying to figure out how to secure a big Hollywood star for a supporting role and shoot a battle scene on a budget. The film's brainy production assistant Jennie (Naomie Harris) worries that their adaptation is leaving out the best parts of the book, as she nurses a crush on one of the cast members. All the while, Coogan tries to deflect a tabloid reporter's inquiry into his strip-club escapades, and attempts to pacify the concerns of his wife, Jenny (Kelly MacDonald). Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story had its North American premiere at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, (more)
A trio of orphans becomes embroiled in a mysterious and long-running lawsuit in this sprawling BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. A legend in the legal circles of Victorian London, the messy inheritance case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been trickling through the courts for years with no end in sight. Nobleman John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) has seen the case destroy more than one life, so when he becomes guardian to three young people -- beautiful Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan), Ada's cousin Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), and her devoted companion, Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) -- he vows to shield them from its pernicious effects by bringing them to the safety of his estate, the eponymous Bleak House. Richard, however, becomes obsessed with the unattainable Jarndyce inheritance, to the detriment of his career and mental health. Esther, meanwhile, remains haunted by her origins; the product of a scandalous pregnancy, she was raised by her aunt and knows nothing about her dead mother's identity. Meanwhile, imperious noblewoman Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) plots to hide the evidence of her own mysterious past -- a quest that leads her to the intrigue surrounding Jarndyce and Jarndyce. She is but one of dozens of characters who find themselves drawn into the lawsuit's web of corruption, blackmail, and murder. Bleak House debuted October 27, 2005, on BBC One. It received its U.S. premiere on January 22, 2006, on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, where the 15 British episodes were combined into six longer blocks. Britain's Royal Television Society named the series Best Drama Serial of 2005. A previous adaptation of Dickens' novel ran on Masterpiece Theatre in 1985. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Patrick Kennedy, (more)
Now you can rent or own the entire ninth season of THE X-FILES. All 19 classic episodes (including the 2-hour series finale) are available for the first time in this exclusive 7-disc collector's edition. From the revelation about Scully's baby in 'Nothing Important Happened Today' and the mystery surrounding the murder of Agent Doggett's son in 'Release' to Mulder's final confrontation with those who would deny 'The Truth,' these Season Nine episodes are a must for every X-Files fan!
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick, (more)
- 2000
Series regular Gillian Anderson made her X-Files writing and directing debut with the April 9, 2000, episode "all things." Not surprisingly, the episode focuses on Agent Scully, as she seriously begins to question the choices she has made in her professional and personal life. Scully's journey of self-discovery is triggered by a chance encounter with her former teacher, Dr. Daniel Waterston (Nicholas Surovy), the first of several coincidental events. Colleen Flynn guest stars as crop circle researcher Colleen Azar, who may hold the answer to the questions raised in the course of the story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Adapted for the screen from Edith Wharton's much-loved novel of the same name, House of Mirth follows the fortunes -- or lack thereof -- of Lily Bart, an ambitious but financially imperiled young woman looking for a rich husband in early 20th century New York. The story opens as Lily (Gillian Anderson) takes tea at the apartment of Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz), a young bachelor lawyer to whom Lily is attracted but cannot marry because he is not wealthy enough for her liking. Lily stops at Selden's apartment en route to Bellomont, where she is planning to husband-hunt at the country home of shifty businessman Gus Trenor (Dan Aykroyd) and his wife. Gus agrees to invest some money for Lily, but his intentions toward her quickly turn carnal, and when she rebuffs his advances, she finds herself $9,000 in debt. Help arrives in the form of financier Sim Rosedale (Anthony LaPaglia), who extends to Lily a businesslike proposition of marriage; though she is tempted, Lily refuses his offer because he is nouveau riche rather than blueblood society. Soldiering on, Lily journeys to the Mediterranean, where she has been invited to the home of Bertha Dorset (Laura Linney), an alpha socialite who schemes to use Lily as an unwitting decoy for an affair under the nose of her husband George (Terry Kinney). When the trip starts to go bad, George tells Lily that he wants to divorce the slatternly Bertha, but needs some solid proof of her affairs in order to do so. Lily knows that one of Bertha's previous lovers was Selden, but her loyalty to him prevents her from speaking up to George. So, still in debt to Gus and given only a paltry inheritance by her aunt (Eleanor Bron), Lily endures a slew of unsuccessful jobs and, tragically, gradually sinks into the mire of genteel poverty. Directed by Terence Davies, House of Mirth premiered at the 2000 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, (more)
- 2000
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This video features the music icon Paul McCartney, with a stellar cast of performers, giving a live benefit concert for PETA. The organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was the special concern of the former Beatle's deceased wife Linda McCartney. The concert honors her memory while it raises funds for an organization that has been embraced by people around the world. The performers include Ricki Lane, Brian McKnight, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ellen DeGeneres, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan, and the B-52's. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul McCartney, Jamie Lee Curtis, (more)
- 1999
Christine Baranski makes her first series appearance as Seattle radio therapist Dr. Nora Fairchild, a spoof of a certain well-known, ultraconservative talk-show host. Dr. Nora's outspoken, bullying and predominately homophobic "my way or the highway" radio personality is extremely irritating to many observers, including Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), who to his everlasting regret recommended Nora to the KACL management. Even so, the outrageous Nora dramatically increases the station's ratings -- setting the stage for a riotous showdown between the Doctors Crane and Fairchild. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The seventh season of The X-Files offered more input from its lead characters than any of its predecessors; Gillian Anderson penned and directed the spiritual "All Things," while David Duchovny did the same for "Hollywood A.D." Aside from the actors' directorial jaunts, however, the series became even further immersed in an already-impossible amount of conspiracy theories, government cover-ups, and alien-born afflictions. The season picks up with Scully rushing to find a cure for Mulder's rapid neurological decline, and later offers viewers a resolution to a mystery seven years in the making -- the fate of Mulder's sister, Samantha. There is also no lack of classic X-Files fare; Scully and Mulder are caught on a Cops-style television show as they hunt for what appears to be an escaped werewolf in "X-Cops," and they go on to unearth a complicated heist arranged by rival magicians in "The Amazing Maleeni." To the delight of fans, Mulder and Scully finally consummate their romantic feelings for one another. The X-Files: Season Seven is also notable for being the last season of the series to feature David Duchovny as a lead actor. Though he continued to make appearances in the show's final seasons, the role of Scully's partner would ultimately be filled by Robert Patrick as Special Agent John Doggett. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
The husband-and-wife team of Mary Cybulski and John Tintori (creators of the acclaimed short Manhattan Dinner) directed this Will Kern screenplay which he adapted from his 1992 play Hellcab about a winter's day in the life of a Windy City driver, beginning at 6am in 20 below zero degree weather. Johnny (Paul Dillon) is that rare type of cab driver who will drive anywhere and pick up anyone, and during the 14 hours compressed here into 95 minutes, he ferries about some two-dozen passengers, including a rape victim (Julianne Moore), a hyped-up drug runner, a pregnant woman, and holiday shoppers. Johnny is frustrated that he can't seem to make genuine connections with his passengers or help them. Instead, he can only observe a rear-view image mirroring the passing parade of humanity. Shown at Austin's 1998 South By Southwest Filmfest. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Dillon, Michael Ironside, (more)
This 60-million-dollar science fiction suspense drama (marketed with an additional 25 million dollars), was adapted from the popular TV series The X-Files -- arriving in theaters while the Emmy-winning series was still being aired, continuing plot threads familiar to many of the series' 25 million viewers, and featuring several familiar recurring characters introduced during the previous five TV seasons. In 15,000 B.C., a strange creature attacks a caveman. Cut to present day, when a boy at the same North Texas spot falls into a pit and is contaminated by a black substance. When a bomb threatens the Dallas Federal Building, special FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) locate the device but are unable to prevent the explosion. The agency blames Mulder and Scully for the disaster, subjecting them to lengthy interrogations while trying to sever their partnership. In a bar, conspiracy theorist Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), a friend of Mulder's father, tells Mulder about the group behind the explosion, the cover-up of the boy's death, the bodies of four infected rescue workers removed from the Federal Building, the secret government, and the forthcoming plague. Mulder and Scully set out to find answers, and their investigation becomes a foray into the fantastic. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
The X-Files: Season Six marked an important moment in the evolution of the series in several ways -- for one, the show's production was moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles, but more importantly, the sixth season followed The X-Files: Fight the Future (i.e. the X-Files feature film). Armed with firsthand experience of the bee-carried alien virus and knowledge of the existence of the most classified government research facility yet, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are closer to the heart of the conspiracy than they have ever been. After some of the series' signature lighter fare -- in this case, a body-swapping scenario between Mulder and bored Agent Morris Fletcher (Michael McKean) in "Dreamland" and a tale of a baseball player who may have left his home planet due to love of the game ("The Unnatural") -- the season comes to a head when Scully travels to Africa to find the cause and cure for Mulder's neurological deterioration and finds the long-buried remains of an alien spacecraft. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
Sophomore writer/director Willard Carroll weaves together an all-star cast in interlocking stories about finding love in Los Angeles. The film's theme is spoken by young club-hopper Joan (Angelina Jolie). Taken by the mysterious Keenan (Ryan Phillippe), she tells him that "talking about love" is like "dancing about architecture" (the original title until the studio thought it would be confused with Dancing at Lughnasa), meaning speech is not the medium to adequately express the details of love. They all try, anyway. Others up for the dance include a TV cooking-show hostess (Gena Rowlands) and her husband (Sean Connery) who still fight over his one brief infidelity 25 years earlier; two lovers (Madeline Stowe, Anthony Edwards) who discuss their unhappy marriages; and a theater director (Gillian Anderson) and her architect, Mr. Right (Jon Stewart). Also searching are Dennis Quaid, Nastassja Kinski and Patricia Clarkson. For a familial sort of love, there's Ellen Burstyn as the estranged mother to her son (Jay Mohr) dying of AIDS. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gillian Anderson, Angelina Jolie, (more)
In the tradition of My Left Foot (1989), Peter Chelsom directed this emotional drama of outcasts, adapted from the Rodman Philbrick's popular young-adult novel Freak the Mighty. Although burly, slow-paced eight-grader Maxwell Kane (Elden Hensen), who narrates, is learning disabled, he nevertheless has a poetic soul, as evidenced when he meets the bright and brainy Kevin Dillon (Kieran Culkin), crippled by a birth defect. The physically deformed Kevin, who wears leg braces and uses crutches, suffers from Morquio's Syndrome, which causes physical growth to stop after the age of six. Illiterate Max gets Kevin as a reading tutor, and the two misfits soon become friends, sharing a vision of life as a contemporary Camelot. Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton appear as Max's grandparents and guardians. Max is portrayed by 19-year-old Emerson College filmmaking student Henson, while Sharon Stone has the role of Gwen Dillon, Kevin's mother. Boston-born author Philbrick, who winters in Key West, otherwise resides in Seacoast, New Hampshire (the setting of the book). The movie was filmed at a soundstage in Toronto, the University of Toronto, Cincinnati, and Covington, Kentucky. Exhibited out of competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Elden Henson, (more)
This $20 million animated adventure/fantasy quickly became the highest grossing Japanese film in Japanese film history (making $150 million in Japan during its first seven months). Set in the 14th century, the ecology-themed epic was directed by Hayao Miyazaki whose previous films were acquired by Disney for U.S. distribution plus other territories. Princess Mononoke depicts a mystical battle between Animal Gods of the forest and humans during Japan's Muromachi Period. Young Ashitaka receives a fatal infection after a demonic wild boar attacks his northern village. Seeking a cure, he sets out to locate the deer-like god Shishigami. Along the way, he sees the rape of the Earth by a mining village. The constant plundering by the village has brought the wrath of the Wolf God, Moro, who attacks the village along with San, a human who was raised by the wolf god. She communicates with the nature spirits -- which is why she is called Princess Mononoke ("spirits of things"). Ashitaka wants these opposing forces to co-exist, and he hopes to bring peace between San and the ironworks owner, Lady Eboshi. However, he is thwarted as higher powers, intent on killing the Shishigama, intrude, and a battle erupts over the future of all nature. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, (more)
Now five years into their partnership, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have developed a bond deep enough to contend with the conspiracy they're faced with both inside and outside their professional lives. Unfortunately, between Scully's cancer and Mulder's guilt regarding his role in her condition, any potential romance is shelved while Mulder searches to find a cure, and Scully, while unsuccessful, comes closer than anyone to proving the government's role in hiding their knowledge of extraterrestrial involvement on Earth from the people of the world. In addition to addressing some of the series' very early mythology, the vast alien cover-up continues to build; ultra-clairvoyant Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) is introduced, as well as Cassandra Spender (Veronica Cartwright), Agent Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens), and Mulder's former flame, Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers). Despite all the doom and gloom, The X-Files: Season Five nonetheless included some lighter fare, including a much-needed retrospective on Mulder's relationship with The Lone Gunmen, a town obsessed with talk-show host Jerry Springer, and a tale of vampirism as told from Mulder and Scully's wildly differing perspectives. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
Just when it seemed as though the conspiracy couldn't get any weirder, The X-Files: Season Four brought FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) even more nefarious government escapades with which to contend. In addition to the discovery of the Consortium, an elite international shadow government that includes the mysterious Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) among its membership, the bureau investigators are now privy to highly dangerous Alien Bounty Hunters, virus-carrying bees, and a cruel Russian experiment involving the extraterrestrial black oil. While Mulder is infected with the oil, Scully finds herself with her own potentially fatal affliction when the neck implant she had removed after her abduction appears to have caused the onset a rare form of cancer; several other alleged abductees, all female, are in the same deadly predicament. Meanwhile, the already small group of people Mulder and Scully trust outside one another continues to dwindle in size -- even the motives of steadfast Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and Mulder's own mother are in question. In the midst of the cover-up, Mulder and Scully are still faced with their other assignments, which include a strange case of human inbreeding, past lives, shape shifting, and the ability to make oneself invisible. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
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