Julia Whelan Movies
- 2002
Originally titled On the Edge, this Lifetime cable network feature film is the story of Zoey Carter (Julia Whelan), the superachieving "perfect" daughter of professional couple Marcia and Larry Carter (Mia Farrow and Cliff De Young). Traumatized by her parents' divorce, Zoey begins experimenting with drugs, only to grow more and more dependent upon narcotics -- and the thrill of shoplifting -- thanks to the influence of unsavory high school senior Ron Morris (Michael Coristine). After weeks and weeks of obfuscation, lies, and denial, Zoey and her parents are forced to face the seriousness of the girl's problem. But for all the help and support extended by sympathetic social worker Mike Harper (Andrew McCarthy), the solution to the dilemma lies with the choices made by Zoey's mom and dad -- if they are indeed equal to the challenge. The Secret Life of Zoey first aired on August 19, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Cliff De Young, (more)
- 2001
Despite having been burned by unhappy previous marriages, architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) and online company worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) have tied the matrimonial knot and are reasonably happy as husband and wife as the third and final season of Once and Again gets under way. Unfortunately, the pressures of living under the same roof are causing friction between Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), and daughter, Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood), and Lily's daughters, Grace (Julia Whalen) and Zoe (Meredith Deane). Also working against the newlyweds' peace of mind are the woes brought about by Lily's mom's losing her battle with Alzheimer's, and the ongoing challenges posed by Lily's mentally challenged brother, Aaron (Patrick Dempsey). Things aren't much rosier for Rick's ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), who is seriously injured in a traffic accident. On the plus side, Lily finds a measure of personal success as host of a radio talk show; Lily's sister, Judy (Marin Hinkle), has a new boyfriend named Samuel Blue (Steven Weber), who happens to be Rick's co-worker; Lily's ex-husband, Jake, becomes a father again, thanks to girlfriend Tiffany (Ever Carradine), and by season's end has married Tiffany; Rick's daughter, Jessie, has formed a strong and supportive bond with new friend Katie Singer (Mischa Barton); and Karen meets the love of her life in the form of Henry (DB Woodside), the physical therapist who has helped her recover from her injuries. More good news comes Lily's way when her radio program is picked up for national syndication, and she discovers that she's pregnant. But dark clouds begin a-forming when Rick opts to accept a lucrative architectural assignment in Australia -- without making provisions to take Lily along with him. Through the series' three-year run, the characters have occasionally paused, stared straight at the camera, and delivered pithy "confessionals," expressing their innermost hopes and fears. The final episode of Once and Again takes this "nouvelle vague" cinematic technique one step further by having the actors drop character and express their real feelings about what has occurred during the past three seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
At last divested of her insensitive husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is certain that she can devote her full time to her budding romance with divorced architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) as Once and Again enters its second season. Alas, Rick is suddenly socked with a major crisis of his own: his work on the lucrative Atlantor architectural project comes to a screeching halt thanks to the legal duplicity of developer Miles Drentell -- a scabrous character introduced on Once and Again creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick's previous series thirtysomething, with David Clennon repeating his role herein. When it turns out that the only way Rick can extricate himself from this dilemma -- and a possible prison term -- is to rely upon the largesse of his spiteful ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), Lily despairs, reasoning that she has now struck out twice in the love department. Happily, however, things manage to smooth out sufficiently for Lily and Rick to finally march down the aisle near the end of season two -- and the couple's respective children, so resistant to their union in season one, have (temporary) smiles on their faces during the ceremony. Even so, the smile comes a bit hard for Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), whose best friend Carla (Audrey Anderson), a heap of neuroses throughout the season, is compelled to leave town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
In the process of divorcing her restauranteur husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), who refused to regard himself as "part of the problem," computer-service worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is reluctant to re-enter the dating scene as season one of Once and Again gets under way. Lily also doesn't want to injure the sensibilities of her 14-year-old daughter, Grace (Julia Whalen), who is going through a typically pubescent period of self-loathing, nor her nine-year-old daughter, Zoe (Meredith Deane), who is still holding out hope that her parents will get back together again. But Lily's attitude toward midlife romance changes when she meets successful architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell), himself divorced from a contentious spouse, a woman named Karen (Susanna Thompson), who blames everyone but herself for her sorry lot in life. And like Lily, Rick has a problem child, a 16-year-old son named Eli (Shane West) with a learning disability and a poor self-image (Rick's 12-year-old daughter, Jessie [Evan Rachel Wood], is reasonably well adjusted by comparison). Clearly, Lily and Rick are kindred spirits, and clearly they are going to fall in love, hoping to beat the odds against lasting happiness. Most of the first season finds Rick waiting patiently for Lily to settle her marital dispute with Jake. He also makes a valiant effort to win over Grace and Zoe, who are markedly resistant to his charms. Other stories focus on a trio of secondary characters: Jake's new girlfriend, Tiffany Porter (Ever Carradine); Rick's business partner, David Casilli (Todd Field); and Lily's sister, Judy Brooks (Marin Hinkle), who operates a wine-and-cheese bookstore. And, of course, every so often the characters express their feelings in the form of Truffautesque "confessionals," delivered directly to the camera (and, by extension, to the viewers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
Based on a true story and originally aired as a Lifetime Original Movie, this moving drama zeroes in on a family that is nearly torn apart when the 15-year-old daughter announces her pregnancy. Each person in the clan reacts differently to Tina's predicament. Mother suggests that children shouldn't have children. Tina disagrees and insists on keeping the baby. Her father, already upset by other issues, moves out. Tina's little sister finds herself increasingly ignored and resentful. Meanwhile, at school, Tina's friends drift away as her tummy gets bigger, and though her boyfriend at first promised to be supportive, he then chickened out. Forced to attend a special class for unwed mothers, she meets several others in her situation. Her biggest help during her pregnancy is her 19-year-old friend Laurie who had her baby two years before. But while supportive, Laurie also shows Tina how difficult and exhausting, single motherhood can be. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Park Overall, (more)
- 1998
Ross (George Clooney) has just about given up trying to revive an 18-year-old who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on Christmas Eve, but Carter (Noah Wyle) wants to keep trying. In other ER developments, a pregnant 13-year-old must decide if she wants to keep her baby. Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Romano (Paul McCrane) have a physical confrontation after a night of escalating mutual animosity. And can it be that the "perfect" Dr. Amanda Lee (Mare Winningham) is a seriously disturbed woman? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This junior-level Ground Hog Day stars Erik Von Detten as Billy Jackson, a 13-year-old Scrooge in the making. Lacking the athletic prowess to play with his Christmas presents, mooning over a girl who doesn't know he's alive (and whose boyfriend is a bully), and ruminating over the fact that his rich uncle's new Val-U-Mall will put his father's store out of business, Billy has absolutely no reason to believe in Santa Claus--and he relays this sentiment to his kid sister Sarah (Yvonne Zima). In a burst of retaliatory stubbornness, Sarah counters Billy's sourness by wishing that it would be Christmas every day. Wham! She gets her wish, and Billy is trapped in an eternity of Christmases--and of course, he's the only person who is aware that time is standing still. At first intending take advantage of his foreknowledge by getting even with various enemies and selfishly grabbing up whatever he wants, Billy gradually realizes that the only way December 26th will ever dawn is if he stops thinking about himself and starts caring about others. First telecast by the Family Channel on December 17, 1996, the made-for-cable Christmas Every Day has become something of a Yuletide perennial in recent years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
