Bob Christiansen Movies

In this made-for-HBO thriller, Pierce Brosnan stars as an ex-convict who seeks revenge on the racetrack partner (Tom Skerritt) who framed him. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

This made-for-TV melodrama is based on an actual event that had been so thoroughly documented by the news services of the day that one is amazed that any suspense could possibly be engendered. In Dade County, Florida, disgruntled taxpayer Harry Kee (Michael Paul Chan) angrily protests a huge IRS bill by wiring up a box of explosives and hijacking a school bus full of special-needs children. Although the kids are terrified, Marta Caldwell (Maria Conchita Alonso), the bus' Cuban-born driver, remains calm and collected throughout the ordeal, not only helping her charges survive the crisis, but also providing comfort and support to a teacher's aide on the verge of a diabetic seizure. But while Marta keeps her head about her, the kidnapper grows more and more unhinged, and the police surround the hijacked bus, ready to shoot to kill if necessary. Though slightly weighed down by a subplot involving the courageous driver's home life, Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17 manages to pack a wallop,even for those who are aware of the outcome. The film made its first network appearance on September 13, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Barbra Streisand and Cis Corman are the executive producers of this TV movie, filmed in Toronto by director Joseph Sargent (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three). The fact-based film recounts the aftermath of the night of December 7, 1993 when gunman Colin Ferguson (Tyrone Benskin) opened fire on a packed Long Island Rail Road commuter train, killing six and wounding 19. However, instead of re-creating that attack and focusing on Ferguson, this drama follows the life of suburban housewife Carolyn McCarthy (Laurie Metcalf), who entered politics on a gun-control platform after her husband of 30 years was killed and her 26-year-old son was wounded during the incident. McCarthy is depicted here as a crusading media personality appealing for assault weapon control, then a political candidate, and finally as the congressional representative from the fourth district of New York. Premiere April 19, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi