Sherilyn Fenn Movies
Actress Sherilyn Fenn had her first taste of show business while touring the country with her mother, a rock musician. Fresh out of high school, Fenn decided to put her stunning physical attributes to good use as a Playboy bunny, but, alas, she failed to survive the first year of "bunny school." After posing for perfume and designer jean ads, Fenn made her film debut in The Wild Life (1984). She skyrocketed to fame in the early '90s as Audrey Horne in David Lynch's cult TV series Twin Peaks. (Her singular series highlight was the scene in which she tied a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue.) Fenn played a seductive wife in Gary Sinese's 1992 version of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, and the following year replaced a recalcitrant Kim Basinger in the role of a haughty beauty whose arms and legs are amputated by a love-obsessed surgeon in Boxing Helena, directed by David Lynch's daughter, Jennifer Lynch. The apex of Fenn's '90s roles, however, may well have been her take-no-prisoners 1995 TV performance as screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
A fledgling detective on the trail of a notorious serial killer finds that sometimes your prime suspect is the last person you would ever expect in a tense police thriller starring Sherilyn Fenn and Casper Van Dien, and directed by Christopher Miller. When the most notorious criminals on the street are systematically stalked and murdered by a killer who seems to know police procedure all-too-well, it appears as if a renegade cop has decided to toss aside due process and personally play the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Not to be confused with the oft-filmed Fannie Hurst yarn Back Street, Backstreet Dreams is a contemporary drama of Humanity vs. the Streets. Jason O'Malley plays a New York hoodlum who doesn't trust his wife Sherilyn Fenn as far as he can throw her (and for good reason). The only person O'Malley truly cares for is his autistic son Shane, played by twin children Joseph and John Viezzi. Brooke Shields (who's better than you might think) enters the scene as a PhD candidate who hopes to get through to Shane. Now it is the unfaithful Fenn's turn to seethe with jealousy as Shields applies her "force holding" theory to Shane, she and O'Malley draw closer together. O'Malley is so taken by Shields' compassion that he severs his mob ties--but Big Boss Burt Young won't let him off so easy, and uses Shane as a "bargaining chip." Backstreet Dreams appears at times to be three films jumbled together; every time a story element starts rolling, it is exiled to the back burner in favor of another gratuitous subplot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Jason O'Malley, (more)
In this stylized art film, which marked the directorial debut of second-generation filmmaker Jennifer Chambers Lynch, a surgeon with a mommy fixation and a problem with premature ejaculation grows obsessed with a vivacious young libertine, to the detriment of her mobility. Dr. Nick Cavanaugh (Julian Sands), the son of a frosty, unfaithful society matron, can't get lovely neighbor Helena (Sherilyn Fenn) out of his head. Although the two only ever shared a one-night stand, Nick won't let Helena go -- a hang-up that bodes ill for the health of his plodding romance with the smitten Anne Garrett (Betsy Clark). After Nick's mother dies, he moves into her mansion and promptly throws a lavish gala just so he can lure Helena into his orbit. She spurns him for another bedmate, but not before Anne figures out something fishy is going on. Discovering that Helena forgot her purse during her hasty exit, Nick uses it to lure her back to his place for some attempted courtship. When she storms out, furious, she's the victim of a hit-and-run. Rather than simply call 911, Nick performs an emergency amputation of her legs and lets her convalesce in his house. When the hobbled Helena tries to leave, he makes her his prisoner, eventually removing her arms to prevent her escape. But when Ray O'Malley (Bill Paxton), her leather-trousered former lover, starts sniffing around to discover her whereabouts, Nick's fragile little fantasy world threatens to pop like a bubble. After Madonna and Kim Basinger both dropped out of the title role, Lynch settled on Fenn, who had risen to prominence working with the writer/director's father, David Lynch. After a lengthy breach-of-contract lawsuit, Basinger was eventually ordered to pay the film's producers eight million dollars in damages. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
Cavedweller is an adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name. Anne Meredith, who also adapted Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, wrote the script, and the film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon). Kyra Sedgwick stars as Delia Byrd. As the film opens, Delia loses her wayward rock-star husband, Randall (Kevin Bacon in a bit part), to a car accident, and decides to take her angry, heartbroken young daughter, Cissy (Regan Arnold, who played the tormented little sister in Blue Car), from Los Angeles back to her hometown in rural Georgia, where Delia left her two daughters and her abusive husband, Clint (Aidan Quinn), many years ago, to join Randall on the road. "Those people are not gonna be happy to see you," warns Delia's friend, Rosemary (singer Jill Scott in her film debut), but Delia is determined to reclaim her daughters. Cissy irrationally blames Delia for Randall's death, making the drive to Georgia an unpleasant one. Upon arriving there, Delia finds that she is not remembered fondly. Her taciturn grandfather (Myron Natwick) reluctantly takes her and Cissy in, but Delia soon learns that Clint is dying, and that her daughters, Amanda (Vanessa Zima) and Dede (April Mullen), are living with Clint's fire-and-brimstone mother (Jackie Burroughs), who has no intention of letting the girls see her. Realizing he has wronged her, Clint agrees to help Delia get custody of the girls, in exchange for her caring for him until he dies. Cavedweller was shown at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival before premiering on Showtime. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyra Sedgwick, Aidan Quinn, (more)
Longtime Hollywood vice detectives Holt (Chris Penn) and Nin (Jeffrey Wright) have themselves become gangsters and drug users. When violence-prone Holt catches his girlfriend Lyndel (Sherilyn Fenn) with drug kingpin Truman Rickart's (Henry Czerny) number one henchman Sean (Anthony DeSando), Nin does everything he can to save the hood's life from his obsessed partner. But it might be a matter of too little too late: Holt already has Sean strung up in a pig-iron box that he's filling with cement. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Carla (Rhea Perlman) is worried that her teenage son Anthony (Timothy Williams) is contemplating marriage. She prevails upon Sam to convince Anthony that there is far more fun in bachelorhood. In other developments include Diane's interview with a colleague of her former fiancé Sumner Sloane and the cultivation of the celebrated Nixon Potato. Future Twin Peaks co-star Sherilyn Fenn is seen as Gabrielle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
Bone (Peter Nelson) and Helen (Sherilyn Fenn) are rebels who long to escape from the oppressive, futuristic society that keeps them down in this sci-fi actioner. Bone has been fired for being disgruntled, and Helen is a state-paid prostitute in a world where many things, even sex between consenting adults, is taboo. (David Carradine) is the big shot government agent who promises the duo they can move to the planet Froidan if they manage to steal a coveted computer disc in this feature bogged down by side plots and too much dialogue at times. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Peter Nelson, (more)
Smalltime racketeer Mark Driscoll (Tim Dutton) returns to his Isle of Man home on the eve of an important bit of economic thievery -- and if he fails by morning to make a substantial deposit into the account of a ruthless gangster, he's going to be English history. But when he gets home to his palatial estate he finds his beautiful wife, Sally (Sherilyn Fenn), in the company of an agitated neighbor, John (Ray Winstone), who has been secretly locking doors and disabling alarms when Sally wasn't looking. Once Mark enters, John makes his intentions ever so gradually clear as he begins a circuitous line of questioning regarding his comatose wife's recent car accident. Before they know it, Mark and Sally are bound, gagged, and forced to listen to a version of the accident that will forever change their lives. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Grieving over the death of her "perfect" husband Ron, Susan Mandaway (Sherilyn Fenn) exiles herself to the couple's summer home in Maine. Her self-imposed solitude is interrupted by the arrival of an affable fellow who introduces himself as Jeff Watkins (Nicholas Lea), and who claims to be an old college chum of Ron. Only too late does Susan discover that "Jeff" is an escaped convict, who in concert with his partner is after the $10 million in diamonds that he helped Ron steal. A US-Canadian coproduction, Deadly Isolation made its American debut March 14, 2005, on cable's Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG13
An unfunny comedy that ribs film noir conventions, Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel is set at a second-rate motel in 1950s Anaheim that is run by a fussy and nosy manager (Paul Bartel, invoking the ghost of Billy De Wolfe). Checking into the hotel is toy salesman Chester DeSoto (Whip Hubley) and his sultry wife Bridey (Sherilyn Fenn), who likes to take midnight swims in the motel swimming pool in sexy black negligees. She seduces local lady-killer Augie March (David Johansen), who happens to be blackmailing her husband concerning his past Communist Party associations. While Bridey is giving the once-over to Augie, Chester is busy himself -- hiring a screwball private detective by the name of Deadpan Winchester (David Hewlett) to spy on his wife. With the hotel manager peeking behind the curtains, one person turns up dead, and those left attempt to link Deadpan Winchester to the murder. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Whip Hubley, (more)
- 1991
- R
Kenneth Pressman adapted his play Insider's Price for this turgid and morally-bankrupt motion picture entertainment. Forest Whitaker stars as Dekker, a hit man fed up with his profession and ready to quit -- right after one last job. This last job proves to be the looniest and most gruesome one of all -- an ex-gangster named Zidzyk (Lewis Smith) hires him for a hit. Zidzyk has found God and has set up his tabernacle in a porno parlor. He wants Dekker to ice his wife Jain (Sherilyn Fenn) and their infant child and requests that Dekker bring back a body part to him as proof of purchase. Dekker agrees to the terms and goes to visit Jain, who engages in an extending monologue that captures the heart of Dekker -- if not the audience. When Zidzyk realizes that Dekker is a softy, he hires a second hit man to do the job. Dekker knows his business and is ready to defend Jain and face the second killer. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 1991
Dillinger is a messily directed, haphazardly edited TV movie, which takes a revisionist squint at the criminal career of the 1930s' Public Enemy Number One. Mark Harmon captures some of the charisma but little of the ruthlessness of John Dillinger, while Sherilyn Fenn gives an anachronistic interpretation of the gun moll who eventually betrays Johnny D. to the Feds. Vince Edwards is supposed to be FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover, but comports himself more like a grouchy crossing guard. The film is rife with poorly staged gun battles (including the Biograph Theatre finale), shot in a shivery "MTV" fashion which suggests that the camera operator has St. Vitas' Dance. Most of Dillinger was lensed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the 1930s-style exteriors were well chosen, though the interior scenes at FBI headquarters look like they were filmed inside the Milwaukee Public Library--which indeed they were. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Harmon, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 1988
A group of politically conscious students must resolve their own conflicts as they try to change the world around them in this made-for-TV drama. Jennice (Andrea Lia) is an African-American freshman at a university in the Midwest. Jennice is invited to join a campus activist organization, the Black Students Coalition (BSC). But Jennice's initial enthusiasm for the group sours when she accuses Jarib (Crayton Robey), the group's leader, of rape. Soon the BSC is being torn apart from the inside as the members argue about whether or not Jennice is telling the truth. Meanwhile, Troy (J.R. Jarrod), another member of the group, uncovers evidence of corruption among the BSC's leadership. Troy must now decide if he should make his findings public and risk destroying the BSC once and for all -- or remain silent and stand behind the principles of the group that he believes in. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Millennium's Lance Hendriksen stars in this post-apocalyptic action flick from director Zachary Weintraub. Following an asteroid strike, the earth has become a desolate place. The remaining population is divided up between pure humans and a race of super-powered mutants. A vendetta between the groups two leaders leads to a bloody war between the factions. Dream Warrior also stars Daniel Goddard and Sherilyn Fenn. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Goddard
Fatal Instinct is an Airplane-style spoof of the late-'80s, early-'90s cycle of erotic crime thrillers. Setting the plot in motion is a kinky murder. Armand Assante plays the cop assigned to the case; he's also the prosecuting attorney; the "Sharon Stone" part is essayed by Sean Young. A dash of Body Heat is thrown in the pot as Assante's wife Kate Nelligan plots her hubby's demise. Tony Randall has a bit as a judge, while the film's semi-mocking jazz score is provided by Clarence Clemmons -- who shows up on screen to toot his sax at various crucial plot junctures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 2001
Daphne (Jane Leeves) becomes jealous of an attractive businesswoman (Sherilyn Fenn) who is currently being treated by Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Urged on by her subconscious (which takes the form of TV personality Mary Hart!), Daphne decides to get to the bottom of Niles' relationship with his patient -- and, of course, chaos runs riot. Meanwhile, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney) try to purge their apartment of a noisy cricket. This episode was originally scheduled to air on September 25, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Sherilyn Fenn guest stars as Chandler's (Matthew Perry) new girlfriend Ginger, who has an artificial leg and a low gross-out threshold. Meanwhile, Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) former singing partner Leslie (Elizabeth Daily) wants to stir up a promotional blitz for their deathless composition "Smelly Cat." And Ross (David Schwimmer) has still not adjusted to Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) new job -- or her new co-worker Mark (Steven Eckholdt). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Though depressed over the growing relationship between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Christopher (David Sutcliffe), Luke (Scott Patterson) is determined not to allow his misery to compromise his sense of responsibility as he takes care of daughter April (Vanessa Marano) while Anna (Sherilyn Fenn) is elsewhere occupied. Elsewhere, Rory (Alexis Bledel) tries to compensate for the missing Logan by acquiring a new brace of friends at Yale, Lucy and Olivia (Krysten Ritter and Michelle Ongkingo in their first series appearances). And you'll never guess whom Lorelai has to bail out of jail in this episode! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) moves to Venice, CA, to bond with his long-estranged father Jimmy (Rob Estes) -- and to cope with Jimmy's eccentric neighbors. Back in Stars Hollow, Lorelai tries to tell Rory (Alexis Bledel) that Jess is gone and that her college financial aid has been rejected while the two ladies prepare for their European backpacking trip; and Lane (Keiko Agena) tearfully reconciles herself to being shipped off to a conservative college where the boys and girls aren't even allowed to spend free time in the same park. The episode ends with a surprise for Lorelei -- a good one, for a change! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Rory (Alexis Bledel) wants to forgive Logan (Matt Czuchry) for his many indiscretions, but first she needs a little time to herself. She also tries to get some first-hand information about Luke's former girlfriend Anna (Sherilyn Fenn), whether Lorelai (Lauren Graham) wants her to or not. Also, Anna and Luke's daughter April is slated for a math contest in Philadelphia, and Luke (Scott Patterson) wants to chaperone -- again meeting resistance from Lorelei. Elsewhere, Zach (Todd Lowe) must come up to Mrs. Kim's very exacting standards before he can even think of marrying Lane (Keiko Agena). And Lorelei's parents make an announcement that pleases them but horrifies her! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
No sooner does Lorelai (Lauren Graham) find out about Luke's daughter April (Vanessa Marano) than the little girl insists upon spending a day at the Dragonfly Inn. This uncomfortable situation sets both Lorelei and Luke (Scott Patterson) to wondering if their wedding will ever take place. Meanwhile, Logan (Matt Czuchry) goes to great lengths to reconcile with Rory (Alexis Bledel); Paris (Liza Weil) proves to be an overbearing control freak as editor of the "Daily Press"; a temporarily disabled Taylor (Michael Winters) turn over the annual Stars Hollow Winter Carnival to the unpredicitable Kirk (Sean Gunn); and Lane (Keiko Agena) doesn't seem to want to make a commitment to Zach (Todd Lowe). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
They've only been hitched for a few weeks, but Lorelai (Lauren Graham) is already beginning to second-guess her marriage to Christopher (David Sutcliffe). Painfully aware of this, and realizing that Stars Hollow is still "pulling" for Lorelai's ex-fiance Luke (Scott Patterson), Christopher goes to great lengths to ingratiate himself to the locals during the town's big knit-a-thon--thereby setting himself up for yet another spectacular social blunder. Elsewhere, Rory (Alexis Bledel) finally rips into Marty (Wayne Wilcox) for his abominable behavior since he began dating her college friend Lucy(Krysten Ritter). And a baby son is born to T.J. (Michael DeLuise) and Liz (Kathleen Wilhoite), inspiring Luke to finally demand equal parental rights to April (Vanessa Marano). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
It's hardly a holly-jolly Christmas for Christopher (David Sutcliffe), now more convinced than ever that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) married him only to get over her relationship with Luke (Scott Patterson). Thus, when Emily (Kelly Bishop) plans to have the couple repeat their vows at a lavish party, chances are that neither Lorelai nor Christopher will even show up. Elsewhere, Luke begins legal action to claim partial custody of daughter April, then has a public confrontation with Christopher which does a neat job of shattering the town's Yuletide cheer (to say nothing of the Town Square decorations!) And Lucy (Krysten Ritter) finally finds out about the "history" between Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Marty (Wayne Wilcox). This episode was directed by series regular Jackson Douglas (Jackson Melville). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
When Logan (Matt Czuchry) is seriously injured in a stunt for "The Life and Death Brigade," Rory (Alexis Bledel) is unable to get any information on his condition, forcing her to swallow her pride and contact Logan's father Mitchum (Gregg Henry). Meanwhile, Luke (Scott Patterson) tries to throw a birthday party for April (Vanessa Marano) at the Dragonfly Inn, but it turns out so badly that he must beg Lorelai (Vanessa Marano) to help out -- and never mind the possible consequences when the two big loves in his life finally get together. And what's the story on April's mother -- and Luke's ex -- Anna (Sherilyn Fenn)? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
