Hallie Kate Eisenberg Movies
A young man with a religious calling begins following a very different path in this independent drama based on a true story. Sam Gold (Jesse Eisenberg) is a Hasidic Jew in his late teens who lives with his family in Brooklyn. Sam's father, Mendel (Mark Ivanir), runs a fabric store and Sam helps out when he isn't busy with his rabbinical studies. But Mendel isn't an especially good businessman, a fact that's become very obvious to Sam, and his uncertain financial future has caused his fiancée's parents to call off the couple's upcoming wedding. Sam is also suffering from a bit of jealousy toward his best friend, Leon (Jason Fuchs), who seems to have better luck in both life and academics, so when Leon's older brother, Yosef (Justin Bartha), offers Sam some good-paying part-time work, he's more than interested. Sam is instructed to fly to Amsterdam, pick up a parcel, and bring it back; it's not until he comes home to New York that it dawns on Sam that he's transporting drugs, but between the hefty payroll, the charm of Amsterdam-based ecstasy wholesaler Jackie Solomon (Danny A. Abeckaser), and the beauty of Jackie's sexy paramour, Rachel (Ari Graynor), Sam begins to think life in the drug game might be just the thing for him after all. The first feature film from director Kevin Asch, Holy Rollers received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, (more)
The new kid at school faces up to the school bully by taking on a challenge no one has the guts to try in this family-oriented comedy. Billy (Luke Benward) is an 11-year-old boy whose folks have just moved to a new town and is facing the terror of his first day at a new school. It doesn't take long for Billy to run afoul of Joe (Adam Hicks), the school bully, who finds the live bait Billy brought with him and throws it in his face, asking Billy if he eats worms for lunch. Billy tries to gross out Joe by saying yes, he eats worms on a regular basis, and Joe calls his bluff by challenging him to eat ten worms in front of the student body. Billy takes the bet, and suddenly becomes something of a celebrity at school as the first kid to stand up to Joe. Billy also discovers he's caught the eye of Erika (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), a cute girl in his class, but can he actually eat the worms without losing his lunch? With the help of a handful of new friends, Billy preps for the big contest by learning how to eat as much gross stuff as he can, and he gains an unexpected ally in hot-headed Principal Burdock (James Rebhorn). Based on the popular children's book by Thomas Rockwell, How to Eat Fried Worms also features Tom Cavanagh, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Clint Howard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Benward, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, (more)
Love brings a shiftless young man in touch with the Lord, which proves more than a bit confusing to his family in this independent comedy drama. Joey Vitello (Vincent Pagano) is a guy in his mid-twenties who still lives with his extended Italian-American family and his trying to get his life in order. One day, Joey unexpectedly crosses paths with Mary O'Callahan (Marley Shelton), a girl who was one of his classmates in grade school. While Mary was homely as a child, she grew into a beautiful woman, and as Joey gets caught up on what she's been doing, he learns Mary survived a bout with cancer and credits her survival to a miracle from God. As Joey becomes deeply infatuated with Mary, he finds himself embracing her spiritual beliefs, but as he tries to share his enthusiasm with his family, they seem more than a bit suspicious, and in time decide that maybe they should be able to have a miracle of their own. Jesus, Mary and Joey also stars Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Esposito, Tess Harper, and Stacy Keach. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The TNT cable network aired this made-for-TV version of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl in January 2004. Jeff Daniels stars as Elliot Garfield, an actor who subleases an apartment in New York City. Unfortunately, the apartment is already occupied by dancer Paula McFadden (Patricia Heaton) and her daughter, Lucy (Hallie Kate Eisenberg). Apparently, Paula's boyfriend decided to secretly sublease his part of the apartment before he left her. Paula and Elliot agree to share the apartment, even though they get on each other's nerves. While she desperately searches for a job and he struggles through a difficult production of Richard III, they end up falling in love. Eventually their love is tested when Elliot gets a job offer in Seattle. Contemporary pop artists Hootie & the Blowfish contribute to the soundtrack. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Daniels, Patricia Heaton, (more)
Originally telecast November 12, 2000, on ABC, The Miracle Worker was the third film version of the classic biographical play by William Gibson. Following in the footsteps of Patty Duke and Melissa Gilbert as the young Helen Keller is Hallie Kate Eisenberg, who skyrocketed to TV fame in 2000 as star of a series of well-circulated cola commercials. Alison Elliot co-stars as Annie Sullivan, the dedicated, no-nonsense teacher who ultimately draws the blind, deaf, and mute Helen out of her lonely shell (literally kicking and screaming at times) and into the "normal" world. Filmed in Mississauga, Ontario, The Miracle Worker was shown as a two-hour episode of ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Alison Elliott, (more)
Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field makes her debut as a director of a theatrical feature with this gently satiric comedy. Mona Hibbard (Minnie Driver) is a woman from a small town in Illinois who never enjoyed much of a rapport with her parents. Looking for approval and validation, Mona began entering local beauty pageants in her early teens; now in her early 20's, Mona is still grimly determined to one day walk away a winner as she finds herself in the early innings of the Miss American Miss competition, organized by Verna Chickle (Kathleen Turner). Somewhere along the way, Mona became a single mother; determined not to let this stand in the way of a pageant victory, Mona has persuaded her best friend Ruby (Joey Lauren Adams) to raise her daughter Vanessa (Hallie Kate Eisenberg) as her own. However, Vanessa seems to have sensed that something is wrong; she feels a much greater bond with Mona than her "mother," and (like nearly everyone else), she's noticed that she looks a lot more like Mona than Ruby. Beautiful also features Kathleen Robertson, Bridgette Wilson, and Leslie Stefanson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Minnie Driver, Joey Lauren Adams, (more)
If a robot spends enough time around humans, can he learn to become one of them? The Martin family purchases a domestic android as a servant and names him Andrew (Robin Williams). Andrew comes to know the man of the house as Sir (Sam Neill), his wife as Ma'am Wendy Crewson, and their daughter as Portia (Embeth Davidtz); before long, the Martins suspect that they do not have an ordinary robot on their hands. Andrew seems capable of expressing emotion and generating original thoughts, and the longer he stays with the Martins, the more strongly these human traits manifest themselves. Over the next 200 years, Andrew becomes less a machine and more a member of the family, until a mechanic (Oliver Platt) tells Andrew that he might be able to turn him into a human being. Based on a short story by renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov (surprisingly, it's only the second Asimov story to be brought to the screen), Bicentennial Man was directed by Chris Columbus, who previously worked with Robin Williams on Mrs. Doubtfire. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Sam Neill, (more)
- 1999
- NR
In this courtroom drama set in the near future, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently overturned the Roe vs. Wade decision and thrown the issue of abortion rights back to the individual states. Alabama has subsequently outlawed abortion on demand and has prosecuted Virginia Mapes (Lisa Gay Hamilton) for first degree murder after she opted to terminate her pregnancy. Mapes and her attorney have taken the case to the Supreme Court in hopes of keeping her out of prison, and with the court evenly divided on the issue, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Joseph Kirkland (Andy Garcia) looks to be the man who will cast the deciding vote in a case that could reinstate a woman's right to choose. Kirkland, however, finds himself surrounded by proponents of both the pro-choice and pro-life agendas, with his fellow justices, his secretary and even his wife trying to influence his vote. Produced for ABC Television, Swing Vote boasts a distinguished supporting cast, including Harry Belafonte, Robert Prosky, Milo O'Shea, Kate Nelligan, Albert Hall, and Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Harry Belafonte, (more)
- 1999
Set in a Nova Scotian fishing community, the made-for-TV Blue Moon focuses on a group of local citizens who are under the financial pressure of a land-grabbing tycoon. Particularly hard hit is restaurant manager Cass Medieros (Sharon Lawrence), who not only may have her property sold out from under her, but is also experiencing serious problems with her marriage. Despite these tribulations, family values emerge triumphant over so-called progress. This film represents the final screen appearance of Richard Kiley, here rather incredibly cast as the son of Kim Hunter--who was almost exactly the same age as he! Based on a novel by Luann Rice, Blue Moon debuted April 11, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Insider tells the true story of a man who decided to tell the world what the seven major tobacco companies knew (and concealed) about the dangers of their product. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) was a scientist employed in research for a tobacco firm, Brown and Williamson. Not long after he was fired by Brown and Williamson, Wigand came into contact with Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a producer for 60 Minutes who worked closely with journalist Mike Wallace (played here by Christopher Plummer). Bergman arranged for Wigand to be interviewed by Wallace for a 60 Minutes expose on the cigarette industry, though Wigand was still bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss his employment with the company. Despite Wigand's willingness to talk, CBS pulled his interview from at the last minute after Brown and Williamson threatened a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The staff of 60 Minutes and CBS News were soon embroiled in an internal struggle over the killing of the story, and Wigand found himself the subject of lawsuits and a smear campaign, without his full story reaching the public. The Insider was directed by Michael Mann and also features Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Debi Mazar, Colm Feore, and Rip Torn. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, (more)
In the Babe tradition of talking animatronic animals, this comedy adventure gets underway when animal-research-lab janitor Misha (Tony Shalhoub) expresses concern for a Blue-crown Conure parrot named Paulie (voice of Jay Mohr) caged in a dank basement. Misha settles back as Paulie tells his life story, seen in flashback: When Paulie was owned by little Marie (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), the parrot helped the little girl get rid of her stutter. After Marie tried to teach Paulie how to fly, he wound up in a pawnshop owned by Artie (Buddy Hackett), where he got an education in one-liners. Paulie and Ivy (Gena Rowlands) learn Marie's family is in LA, so Ivy agrees to drive Paulie cross-country in her RV. However, Marie goes blind and dies. Paulie is forced to fly to LA, where small-time entrepreneur Ignacio (Cheech Marin), with an eye for talent, talons and tacos, puts Paulie to work as a dancer at his taco-stand, where Paulie gets a birds-eye view of a female parrot with pretty plumage. Unfortunately, researcher Dr. Reingold (Bruce Davison), convinced Paulie can bring him academic recognition, steps in with a false promise to link the parrot up with Marie. Betrayed, Paulie refuses to speak anything other than the standard "want-a-cracker" lines, resulting in solitary confinement. Misha, who knows why the caged bird talks, hopes to free Paulie for an eventual reunion with Marie. Animal stunt coordinator Boone Narr and Stan Winston animatronics brought Paulie to life. For another fine-feathered film, see Dean Riesner's Bill and Coo (1947); the film's all-bird cast (dressed in human clothing) brought a "Special Award" for producer Ken Murray during the 1948 Oscar ceremony. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Jay Mohr, (more)
In 1994, an American family made international headlines when, during a trip to Italy, their son was shot in the head by bandits. Left brain dead with no hope of recovery, the grieving parents made a great sacrifice and offered Italian surgeons the opportunity to harvest the boy's usable organs for transplant. At first their generous gift is met with controversy, for at that time most Italians had mixed feelings and beliefs about the use of another's organs. The donations are eventually made and thanks to the tragedy of Nicholas Green's death seven seriously ill Italians had new leases on life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Alan Bates, (more)
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