Lisa Ann Walter Movies
Edgy female comic Lisa Ann Walter may look like your wholesome, All-American former high-school prom queen, but don't be fooled by appearances -- she can work blue with the best of them. As a featured performer on the all-female standup special The Naughty Show, Walter brought down the house with her raucous stage presence. Of course, standup is only one of her many talents, and Walter has also appeared on television in episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Nip/Tuck, and Watch Over Me, and in such high-profile feature-film releases as Bruce Almighty, Shall We Dance?, and War of the Worlds. Walter's real-life role as a mother provided much of the fodder for her live comedy act, and the Pennsylvania native rose through the ranks of the New York City standup circuit to become one of the hottest female comics in the country. While Walter would have to tone town her outspoken ways for the small screen, she became an instant hit with audiences as one of the judges on the competitive ABC reality show The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? in 2007. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Three years after settling down with the woman of his dreams, a former government assassin discovers there's a price tag on his head, and that his number could be up at any minute. Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kucher) was the man the government called on when they needed someone taken out on the sly. Fast, clean, and efficient, he always got the job done, and enjoyed the many perks that came with traveling the globe in search of his targets. But somewhere amidst all of the fast cars and exotic women, Spencer fell in love with Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), a carefree computer expert on the mend from a relationship gone sour. Flash forward three years, when Spencer and Jen are happily married and living the domestic dream. On the heels of Spencer's 30th birthday, he and his happy wife discover that their life of bliss could come to a violent end at any second -- someone has put a multi-million-dollar contract on Spencer's life, and the hired killers who have been tracking him could be anyone from the checkout girl to the neighborhood curmudgeon. Time is running out for Spencer, and as the race to uncover his assassin intensifies, so too does his paranoia. With his in-laws making life miserable and the threat of death lurking around every corner, Spencer struggles to maintain appearances while staying out of the crosshairs, and keeping Jen safe from harm. Catherine O'Hara, Tom Selleck, and Martin Mull co-star in an action-packed comedy thriller from director Rob Luketic (Legally Blonde, The Ugly Truth). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, (more)
Determined not to spend their entire high-school career being tormented by the local bully, three freshmen place an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine seeking an experienced combat veteran to protect them in this comedy produced by Judd Apatow, penned by Seth Rogen and Kristofor Brown, and starring Owen Wilson. It's their first day of high school, and best friends Ryan (Troy Gentile), Wade (Nate Hartley), and Emmit (David Dorfman) are determined to make the most out of the next four years. Trouble soon arises, however, in the form of sadistic hallway hooligan Filkins (Alex Frost) -- an unrelenting bully who makes it his mission to ensure that these three friends suffer all the way through to their senior year. Desperate to find protection by any means possible, Ryan, Wade, and Emmit place an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine. While most of the responses they get come from men who are either too experienced or too expensive, one down-on-his-luck mercenary named Drillbit Taylor (Wilson) is right in their price range and eager to help out. Drillbit may be homeless (or, as he likes to call it, "home free"), but he's more than willing to offer these three brave souls the mental and physical training needed to fend off Filkins and get on with their lives. Trouble is, Drillbit isn't quite the fearless freelance soldier he has made himself out to be. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Leslie Mann, (more)
An ambitious chef and restaurateur discovers that starting over is never easy after seeing his dreams dashed and being forced to work his way up the corporate ladder despite having no discernable job skills. Clay Maguire (D.B. Sweeney) never had any doubts about what he wanted to do with his life. After losing his restaurant, however, Clay realizes that in order to remain afloat he'll have to venture out into corporate America and hope for the best. Unfortunately Clay is pushing forty, and isn't exactly proficient in such common computer programs as Microsoft Word and Excel. Clay has officially entered the ranks of the Unemployable Interviewees of America, but thankfully he's not alone; while his cynical job counselor (Cedric Yarbrough) may offer little encouragement, his homeless pal Nick (Kurtwood Smith and pretty former Peace Corps volunteer Liz (Missi Pyle) both do their best to lift Clay's spirits while everyone struggles just to get by. Taylor Negron and Steve Ryan co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- D.B. Sweeney, Missi Pyle, (more)
- 2007
The premise of this ABC reality/competition series was implicit in its title (as it was to a lesser extent in its working title, The Impostor). In each episode, a collection of celebrity impersonators--both professional and amateur--showed off their gifts for mimickry (or lack of same) while vying for a grand prize of $100,000. The contestants were judged on "The Look, The Voice, and The Performance", and as a byproduct of these qualifications the viewers were treated to a seemingly endless parade of imitation Elvises, Tina Turners, Barbra Streisands, Dolly Partons, Jay Lenos, Johnny Carsons, Gloria Estefans, Howard Sterns, Paris Hiltons, and even one ersatz Dr. Phil. Of course, the worse the impersonation, the funnier it was for the audience, but some of these folks weren't bad at all. Model Michelle Merkin served as host, while the panel of judges included Jeffrey Ross, Lisa Ann Walker and Elon Gold. The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? launched its initial eight-week run on May 30, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
The third of MyNetwork's nightly English-language "novellas", Watch Over Me was based on Telefe Argentina's Resistere. Daynara Torres, a Puerto Rican actress and former Miss Universe, starred as young psych student Julia Rivera, who was engaged to wealthy but faithless "medical entrepreneur" Michael Krieger (Mark Menard). With fingers in several dirty pies, Michael had made enemies of a number of tough underworld characters, and thus found it expedient to hire a bodyguard for Julia, a handsome hunk named Jack Porter (Todd Cahoon). With typical soap-opera inevitability, the impressionable Julia found herself romantically torn between the dashing Michael and the down-to-earth Jack--while Jack, anxious to wrest Julia aware from her dangerous sweetheart, endeavored to open the girl's eyes to Michael's true nature. Others lurking about included several "star names", among them Casper Van Dien as Andre Forester, a hired assassin who knew where most of Michael's bodies were buried (chances are Andre buried them himself!), Catherine Oxenberg as Michael's enigmatic personal assistant Leandra Thames, and Roxana Zal as all-purpose femme fatala Natalie Weller. Rounding out the main cast was Caitlin McCarthy as Michael's troubled daughter Caroline, whose horrible nightmares invariably provided clues as to what had previously transpired and dropped hints concerning the perils in the furture. The series benefited from a strong tie-in with the Wal-Mart retail store chain, which provided many of the characters' costumes. The first of the 65 hour-long Watch Over Me episodes premiered December 6, 2006, as the replacement for the previous MyNetwork nighttime soaper Fashion House. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
As high school graduation draws near, four high school seniors put their futures on the line to help a friend in desperate need of financial assistance. With a key to the bank and a foolproof plan, how difficult could it be to simply waltz right in, collect a quick $200,000, and disappear before anyone even realized what happened? Unfortunately for these criminally-inclined teens, the local police are quicker to respond than they ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shannon Lucio, Riley Smith, (more)
A simple brotherly joke goes hilariously awry in director Stewart Wade's zany tale of mistaken sexual identity. Todd's brother Barry wants to help his single sibling out by setting him up on a blind date. While all signs lead to a perfect match, it soon becomes obvious that Barry is having a little fun at his brother's expense when the Kelly in question turns out not to be a beautiful woman, but a homosexual male. Upon realizing that they have been duped by Todd's mischievous brother, the unlikely couple soon forms a warm friendship while concocting an elaborate scheme to one-up the unrepentant prankster. When Barry sees Todd and Kelly holding hands soon thereafter, he becomes convinced that his brother is, in fact, gay, and phones the pair's mother to break the news. As Todd's mother begins to see his son's disdain for sports and love of film as clear signs of his homosexuality that she has somehow managed to overlook, she determines to show her son that she will love him no matter what his lifestyle. But Todd's mother isn't the only one who is now convinced that her son is gay, and as suspicions begin to abound in his close-knit social circle, the hapless "homosexual" soon begins to wonder if there isn't some truth to the rumors after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jonathan Bray, Wilson Cruz, (more)
A loudmouthed woman-child and her disapproving father engage in an epic battle of wills in this unhinged family comedy starring Lisa Ann Walter and Kurtwood Smith. Dee Dee Rutherford (Walter) may be a full grown woman, thought her abrasive personality has made her the bane of her father Bill's existence for as far back as either can remember. For the past fifteen years, the contentious father and daughter have lived like oil and water. But now, on the eve of Bill's retirement, he vows to transform his brash, undisciplined daughter into an upstanding woman. Sometimes it takes a little pressure to get a diamond out of coal, and when Bill starts to lay down the law he quickly discovers his daughter is capable of far more than he ever gave her credit for. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Ann Walter, Kurtwood Smith, (more)
An ordinary man has to protect his children against alien invaders in this science fiction thriller, freely adapted from the classic story by H.G. Wells. Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a dockworker living in New Jersey, divorced from his first wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) and estranged from his two children Rachel and Robbie (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin), of whom he has custody on weekends. On one such visitation, looking after the kids becomes a little more difficult when, after a series of strange lighting storms hit his neighborhood, Ray discovers that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have emerged nearby, part of the first wave of an all-out alien invasion of the Earth. Transporting his children from New York to Boston in an attempt to find safety at Mary Ann's parents' house, Ray must learn to become the protector and provider he never was in marriage. Also starring Tim Robbins, War of the Worlds was directed by Steven Spielberg, who had been planning the project for years, but set it aside until a wave of "alien invasion" films (led by Independence Day) had run its course. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, (more)
Directed by Peter Chelsom, this film is the English-language remake of Masayuki Suo's 1995 romantic comedy of the same name; the Japanese version earned a record-breaking 9.5 million dollars in United States box offices. Shall We Dance? revolves around John Clark (Richard Gere), a workaholic Chicago lawyer who, despite a respectable paycheck and loving family, is unable to shake the feeling that something in his life is missing. On a whim, John disrupts his normal evening commute to attend a dance class in hopes of meeting Paulina (Jennifer Lopez), a beautiful dance teacher he would occasionally spot gazing out of the studio windows. Though Paulina quickly lays to rest any preconceived romantic notions John may have had about her, she nonetheless forms a bond with him that goes beyond those normally held by a teacher and student. Invigorated with his new hobby, John focuses his newfound enthusiasm into training for an upcoming dance competition; however, he chooses not to let his wife (Susan Sarandon) in on his plans. Unaware that dance may be, in fact, saving her marriage, John's wife becomes suspicious of all the time he spends away from home and hires a private investigator to find out whether or not her husband is having an affair. Ultimately, John is forced to examine how his old dreams fit in to his new life. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, (more)
After a bad day at work, a man suddenly gets a new job -- as the world's new Heavenly Father -- in this comedy. Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a television reporter working in Buffalo, NY, who has been growing increasingly dissatisfied with his existence, and after an especially bad day, he flies into a rage and curses God for making his life miserable. To Bruce's great surprise, the Supreme Being Himself (Morgan Freeman) appears, and tries to convince Bruce of the enormity of his task. Bruce, however, isn't buying it, so God gives him a chance to find out what he's up against; God bestows all of his powers on Bruce for a week, to see how he'd handle things. At first, Bruce has a great time bending the world around him to his will, much to the puzzlement of his girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Aniston), but after six days God stops by to remind Bruce he hasn't done much to make the Earth a better place. Disappointed, God presents Bruce with an ultimatum -- he has one day to improve the world in a concrete way, or God will toss the planet back into the void. Bruce Almighty was directed by Tom Shadyac, who previously teamed with Jim Carrey for Liar, Liar and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
- 2002
Created by actor Ken Olin and Rhonda L. Moore, Breaking News was set within the walls of I-24, a round-the-clock TV news network. Dedicated to both getting the truth and scooping the competition, the network is the fiefdom of superaggressive news division president Peter Kozyck (Clancy Brown). Other I-24 employees include charismatic senior anchorman Bill Dunne (Tim Matheson), ambitious rookie reporter Jamie Templeton (Rowena King), frustrated "human interest" commentator Janet LeClaire (Myndy Crist), cutthroat executive producer Rachel Glass (Lisa Ann Walter), overworked network CEO Jack Barnes (James Handy), and Jack's son, news producer Ethan Barnes (Scott Bairstow). Patricia Wettig, wife of co-creator Ken Olin, was seen as feature reporter Alison Dunne. Originally produced for and financed by the TNT cable network, the 13-episode Breaking News lay on the shelf for several months before its was picked up by the Bravo channel beginning July 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
Master chef Emeril Lagasse, the garrulous star of one of cable TV's most popular cooking shows, played "himself" in this eponymously titled NBC sitcom. The story lines revolved around the behind-the-scenes intrigues attending Emeril's weekly TV series and his clashes with his virtually all-female production staff: producer Cassandra Gilman (Lisa Ann Walter), stage manager Melva LeBlanc (Sherri Shepard), and fussy food stylist B.D. Benson (Carrie Preston). Further yocks were generated by Emeril's domestic travails with his agent, Jerry McKenney (Robert Urich), and his funky teenaged son, James (James Laffety), who worked as an intern on the TV show. Lagasse's trademarked catch phrase "Bam!" was not unexpectedly hauled out at the slightest provocation, usually when the writing failed to come up to the usual standards of executive producers Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Its scheduled September 18, 2001, debut date was postponed by news coverage of the World Trade Center tragedy, and Emeril finally emerged from the oven on September 25, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emeril Lagasse, Robert Urich, (more)
The husband-and-wife team of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, who scored with their 1991 remake of the 1950 Father of the Bride, returned for this updating of the 1961 comedy about twins who hope to bring their divorced parents back together. Sheyer and Meyers stayed close to the original screenplay by David Swift, based on Erich Kastner's book Das Doppelte Lottchen. At a summer camp in Maine, 11-year-old Hallie Parker (Lindsay Lohan) meets Annie James (also Lindsay Lohan). Despite a curious resemblance, Hallie develops an immediate dislike for Annie, and the feeling is mutual. However, the two eventually discover they are twin sisters separated not long after they were born. Their parents, Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson) and Nick (Dennis Quaid), had met on the Queen Elizabeth 2 and married on that same voyage. After a divorce, Nick brought up Hallie at his Napa Valley vineyard, while Annie lived with wedding-gown designer Elizabeth in London. Neither twin was aware she had a sister, until their summer-camp meeting. To learn more about their parents, they switch places and maintain the deception until Nick states he will remarry. The twins then try to engineer a renewed romance between Nick and Elizabeth, but Nick's annoying but attractive fiancee Meredith (Elaine Hendrix) presents a major problem in reaching their happy-ending goal. Hayley Mills portrayed the twins in the 1961 original and subsequent TV-movie sequels: In The Parent Trap II (1986), the twins are adults with their own romantic problems. In The Parent Trap III (1989), the twins compete for a widower (Barry Bostwick), the father of triplets, and that same year, the twins also returned in Parent Trap Hawaiian Honeymoon (1989). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, (more)
- 1996
- PG13
- Add Eddie to Queue Add Eddie to top of Queue
In this comedy, a basketball fan figures she could be a better coach than the guy getting paid millions to do the job -- and then gets the chance to prove it. Edwina "Eddie" Franklin (Whoopi Goldberg) is a limousine dispatcher and sometime driver who is a passionate New York Knicks fan; she loyally follows their every move, attending as many home games as possible from the cheap seats and radioing game updates to her drivers when they play during her working hours. The Knicks are purchased by eccentric Southern millionaire Wild Bill Burgess (Frank Langella) in the middle of a long losing streak; when Wild Bill calls for a limo, Eddie arranges to drive him herself, and gives him a piece of her mind about the sad state of the team. Impressed, Wild Bill makes Eddie an honorary coach for the night, and her spitfire attitude and encouragement of the players impresses her. However, Wild Bill thinks putting on a show to boost attendance is more important than having a winning team, and eventually Knicks coach Bailey (Dennis Farina) quits in disgust. Wild Bill gets the bright idea of hiring Eddie as the team's new head coach; she considers it an honor, and at only $50,000 a year, he considers it a bargain. While Eddie is hardly an experienced leader, she soon learns how to motivate her team, and against all odds she helps pull the Knicks out of their losing streak -- but now has to face Wild Bill, who is losing interest in the team and wants to sell. Several real-life NBA stars make cameo appearances, including Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Rick Fox, and Mark Jackson, while prominent New Yorkers David Letterman and Donald Trump play themselves. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella, (more)
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