Tom Arnold Movies
Brash, bullyish American comic actor Tom Arnold held down a number of "Joe" jobs after college--meat packer, box stacker, bartender, bouncer--before giving stand-up comedy at try. He was very funny in a blunt sort of way, but did not really make it big until his notorious union with comedienne Roseanne Barr in 1990. At the behest of his powerful spouse, who featured him as a semi-regular on her smash hit ABC sitcom Roseanne and made him a producer, Tom starred in two expensive network sitcoms, playing an obnoxious TV comedy star in one (The Jackie Thomas Show) and a standard-issue "lovable dad" in the other (Tom). Despite the strenuous efforts of Roseanne's production staff, neither program clicked with the public, though Arnold proved in both instances that he had the talent to stand on his own without the input of his wife.The Roseanne/Tom marriage went down in flames in 1993, with scorching and libelous incriminations from both parties. Industry pundits predicted that Tom Arnold was washed up, but he confounded his enemies with a well-received performance as a gregarious secret agent in the blockbuster Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle True Lies (1994). He then did a memorable turn in the Hugh Grant vehicle Nine Months (1995). Subsequently, Arnold has steadily worked in a number of decidedly mediocre films including the roundly panned McHales Navy (1997) in which he played the role created by Ernest Borgnine for his mid-1960s television series of the same name.
Over the next several years, Arnold's film roles primarily consisted of straight-to-video comedies like National Lampoon's Golf Punks and Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th, but in 2001 he became one of the hosts of Fox Sports' The Best Damn Sports Show Period. The talk-show became one of the network's most popular series with Arnold remaining on full-time for four years and continuing to make guest appearances thereafter.
After leaving The Best Damn Sports Show, Arnold tried his hand at screenwriting with the 2005 comedy The Kid & I, which he also produced and starred in. The film failed to excite critics or audiences, but that same year, Arnold turned in an impressive and rare dramatic performance in the indie dramedy Happy Endings.
In 2007, Arnold could be seen in supporting roles in two sports dramas, Pride and The Final Season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Nicole Eggert, David O'Donnell, and Tom Arnold star in this film about a legal dispute that can only be resolved by one thing -- romance. When two lawyers on different sides of a battle over land rights discover that they were once childhood sweethearts, the case that was supposed to be a dogfight becomes an opportunity to revisit the past. ~ Adam Eisenberg, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Eggert, David O'Donnell, (more)
- 1992
In the conclusion of A Different World's two-part Season Six opener, Whitley (Jasmine Guy and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) continue to recall their chaotic honeymoon in riot-torn Los Angeles. At the same time, the couple's friends react to the violence (inspired by the infamous Rodney King verdict) in a variety of ways: Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is disillusioned over the fact that race relations haven't progressed much since the Watts riots, Lena (Jada Pinkett) places all the blame on the white population, and Freddie (Cree Summer) attempts to be level-headed--a difficult feat, inasmuch as she is being hit on by Ron (Darryl M. Bell) while his girlfriend Kim (Charnele Brown) fumes. Appearing in cameo roles are sitcom diva Roseanne and her then-husband Tom Arnold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Fire captain Jack Thomas (John Bradley) has his hands full when greedy developer Wendell Mays (Tom Arnold) arranges for his industrial refinery near the city to catch fire and explode for the insurance money. Not only are Thomas' firemen overtaxed and his veteran hero (Michael Dudikoff) in grave danger, but the nearby hospital is inadequate to handle the disaster, leaving the head doctor (Amanda Pays) to cope with internal politics as well as internal medicine. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Actor-turned-director Steve Buscemi follows up on his restrained 1996 directorial debut Trees Lounge (1996) with this gritty, understated prison drama. Twenty-one-year-old suburban kid Ron (Edward Furlong) got busted for dealing drugs and slapped with an especially severe jail sentence. Though he tries to keep a low profile at prison, he soon attracts unsavory attention of various sex-starved goons. Fearing rape, he appeals directly to Earl (Willem Dafoe), a fellow prisoner who runs the place like it was his own fiefdom. Though Ron's request is strictly against this rarified culture's baroque rules, Earl takes him under his wing, and soon he is a part of Earl's inner circle. Slowly Ron learns the breadth of Earl's power, ranging from the easy procurement of drugs to the violent dispatching of a prisoner who gets out of line. As Ron grows increasingly indebted to Earl, he wonders how he is expected to repay him. Yet Earl, who shows his fondness for the lad with fatherly tenderness counterbalanced with repressed yearning, never pushes his advantage. Other members of the cast include Tom Arnold as a salivating hill-billy and an almost unrecognizable Mickey Rourke as a cross-dressing prison queen. This film was highly praised at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, (more)
Roseanne Arnold, her then-husband Tom Arnold and Shelley Duvall teamed up to produce the made-for-TV Backfield in Motion. Roseanne plays a widowed real-estate agent who lives with her teenaged son Johnny Galecki. Mother and son have moved to an upstate California town where high school football-and male chauvinism--reigns supreme. When Galecki joins the junior-varsity team, Roseanne, appalled by the subservient behavior of the town wives, organizes a "mothers vs. sons" football game. Tom Arnold costars as the school's vice-principal, who puts his standing in town on the line when he falls in love with Roseanne. Backfield in Motion was originally telecast November 13, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This irreverent comedy focuses on a group of nine single people in their thirties who've gotten into the habit of hitting the same three bars in Los Angeles every weekend; most of them are looking for love, but that's the last thing any of them are likely to find. The cast includes Tom Arnold, Scott Baio, Kelly Preston, Sally Kellerman, and Charlene Tilton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Why rent a dirty movie when you can make your own? That's the can-do philosophy embraced by a handful of girl-crazy teens in this comedy. Fred (Tony Denman), Deacon (Erik von Detten), and Matt (Daniel Farber) are three high school kids who, like most teenaged boys, are obsessed with sex. Deacon has a part time job at a video rental shop with a large selection of adult films, and he's been able to sneak porn titles out of the store on a regular basis, to the great enthusiasm of Matt and Fred, who not only enjoy the videos themselves but dub bootleg copies they sell to their classmates to make pocket money. However, when Deacon loses his job, the guys are left high and dry, until one of them gets an idea -- they've seen enough porn movies to know what the average viewer expects from one, so why don't they make one themselves? However, recruiting the performers necessary for such a project turns out to be harder than they expected, with exotic dancer Ashley (Sarah Jane Potts) and neighborhood bully Jake (Riley Smith) rising to the top of a very shallow talent pool. The first production from the guys is an unexpected success, but they soon discover that not everyone is happy with their good fortune, especially sleazy porn kingpin Vic Ramalot (Horatio Sanz), who isn't interested in having more competition. Filmed under the title After School Special, Barely Legal also stars Tom Arnold, Amy Smart, and Dey Young. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erik Von Detten, Tony Denman, (more)
In this comedy, a writer's triumphant return to his hometown turns out to have a very long string attached. As a child, small and timid David Leary grew up in Hastings, MN, where he lived in mortal fear of the school bully, Roscoe Bigger, aka "Fang." Fang loved nothing more than making David's every waking moment a physical and emotional torment. Fortunately for David, his parents moved the family to California not long after David turned the tables on Fang; Fang stole a moon rock from a school display and David finked on him, putting Fang on the fast track to reform school. Years later, David (played as an adult by Rick Moranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex-ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher -- none other than Roscoe (Tom Arnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again. Don Knotts appears in a supporting role as Principal Kokelar. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Moranis, Tom Arnold, (more)
A teenager finds himself torn between his loyalty to his friends and possibly destroying his own future in this drama. Danny (Peter Facinelli) is a high school senior who has been offered a chance to play football for a college scholarship; while the offer is tempting, at the same time he doesn't want to leave his girlfriend behind. However, all the bets in his life are off when one of his best friends shoots his father, who had a history of violence. Danny and his friends know their buddy would not survive in prison, so they steal the body and try to hide all the evidence before the police get wise. Their plan proves to be neither as simple or as effective as they hoped. End of Innocence features a strong supporting cast, including Amy Irving, Chris Isaak, and Tom Arnold. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Facinelli, Rodney Eastman, (more)
- 1993
Horror virtuoso John Carpenter hosts this goofy horror anthology, originally produced for Showtime as a gory stepchild of HBO's Tales from the Crypt series. Playing an emaciated, eye-rolling "coroner," John introduces the audience to a triptych of creepy vignettes in the EC horror-comics mode while paddling about in the guts of assorted cadavers and cracking jokes more gag-inducing than anything oozing on the slab. Two of the stories are directed by Carpenter himself: "The Gas Station" is a retread (pun intended) of Halloween-style scare tactics as a pretty gas-station attendant watches various oddballs pass by her window after hearing that an escaped killer is on the loose; "Hair" is a morbid, hilarious look at man's obsession with his own virility in which Stacy Keach turns to a bizarre hair-growth clinic (run by David Warner & Debbie Harry) which promises instant results, but at a horrific price. The third segment, directed by Tobe Hooper, involves a baseball player (Mark Hamill) who receives an eye transplant after a car accident and soon begins having optical flashbacks revealing (you guessed it) the identity and tendencies of the eye's former owner -- a serial killer. The second segment is by far the most entertaining, featuring a wonderfully neurotic performance by Keach, but the first and last chapters are too derivative to offer much for the discriminating horror buff, although the same fans will enjoy several cute cameos from other genre directors, including Wes Craven, Sam Raimi and Roger Corman. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- G
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This tuneful animated children's holiday outing chronicles the adventures of two comical 19th-century Austrian mice as they try to save an orphan from evil thieves and provide her with a Christmas miracle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Hartman, Tom Arnold, (more)
Franklin Lazlo (Tom Arnold) is desperate. His carnival is on the skids and he hasn't got the money to make his next payroll. He tries robbery, with little result except to have the police, some professional robbers, and a meter-maid (Rhea Perlman) chasing him. On the way, he takes uptight and harried children's carpool father Daniel Miller (David Paymer) and a van full of children hostage. Franklin and the children get up to some wild hijinks all over town, and gradually the starchy Daniel begins to loosen up. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, David Paymer, (more)
A modern-day Scrooge looking to make Christmas miserable for everyone around him receives an important lesson in the true meaning of the season in this contemporary re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Jack Cameron (Tom Arnold) is a deeply embittered divorcee who has no time for the cheery, pink-cheeked trappings of Christmas. After taking note of Jack's decidedly glum opinion of the holiday season, the hard working Bureau of Yuletide Affairs dispatches the equally curmudgeonly Ghost of Christmas Past (Leslie Jordan) to give Jack a revealing look at the Christmas celebrations of yesteryear. When the ill-tempered specter absconds mid-mission and leaves Jack trapped in the past, it's up to the radiant Ghost of Christmas Present (Andrea Roth) to transport Jack back to the present where he truly belongs. Now, as Jack travels forward in time with the Ghost of Christmas Present, he finally sees the error of his ways and determines to save the future of the holiday he once so despised. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Andrea Roth, (more)
A boy in the deep South learns the joys and sorrows of first love in this comedy-drama based on the short story by Truman Capote. Billy Bob Murphy (Joe Pichler) is a thirteen-year-old boy growing up in a small Alabama town in 1947. Billy Bob's mother Elinore (Sheryl Lee) lost her husband during World War II, and has been struggling to raise her son on her own. Billy Bob's best friend is Preacher Star (Jesse Plemons); Preacher has a pronounced mischievous streak, which is hardly tempered by the fact his Dad has a drinking problem and his older brothers are teenage thugs in training. When thirteen-year-old Lily Jane Bobbitt (Tania Raymonde) moved into town with her mother, a strange woman who never speaks, both Billy Bob and Preacher are entranced; groomed to act like a "lady" and convinced she's destined for stardom in the movies, Lily Jane isn't like any of the girls in town. But Billy Bob not only has Preacher as a rival for Lily Jane's affections, his best friend's coarse personality makes her wonder if Billy Bob is the sort of young gentleman who is worthy of her company. Lily Jane also earns the enmity of many of her schoolmates when she befriends Sister Rosalba, a girl her age from the town's African-American neighborhood. As Billy Bob struggles with first love, he also has to deal with his mother's budding romance with Speedy, the local auto mechanic (Christopher McDonald. Children On Their Birthdays was the first film directed by Mark Medoff, a noted screenwriter and playwright who received an Oscar nomination for his work on the film Children Of A Lesser God. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
"The Coneheads" were a sketch on the Saturday Night Live television show of the late '70s which were expanded to feature-length proportions with this film. The story concerns Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat (Jane Curtin), who leave the planet Remulak to prepare for an invasion of Planet Earth. But due to a malfunction, they find themselves plunged into the Hudson River and forced to take up residence in Paramus, New Jersey where Beldar gets work as an appliance salesman and makes a deal for a phony social security card. Before long, all thoughts of invading Earth are left behind as Beldar and Prymaat quickly adapt to suburban life -- except for their coneheads and metallic-sounding voices, they become a typical middle-class suburban family. The Coneheads have a child, Connie (Michelle Burke) and Beldar becomes a New York cab driver and starts up his own driving school. Connie grows into a teenager and a neighborhood boy, Ronnie (Chris Farley), develops a crush on her because he likes to rub her conehead. But a nefarious INS agent, Gorman Seedling (Michael McKean), and his toady assistant, Turnbull (David Spade), are hot on The Coneheads' trail because of Beldar's false social security card. Not only that, but the Remulakian Highmaster (Dave Thomas) is beginning to wonder what ever happened to Beldar's invasion of the third rock from the sun. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, (more)
A thief and a lawman join forces to hunt down a common enemy in this action thriller. Tony Fait (DMX) is a master thief who, along with his crew (Gabrielle Union, Anthony Anderson, and Drag-On), pulls off a major score when they steal a cache of highly valuable black diamonds. However, the hard-as-nails Tony has a soft spot for his young daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd), and Ling (Mark Dacascos), a former detective turned ruthless criminal, kidnaps Vanessa, demanding a ransom from Tony for her return -- the stash of black diamonds. The jewels have already been stolen, however, from Tony's fence Archie (Tom Arnold), and are now in the hands of a powerful underworld boss (Chi McBride). Determined to get back his daughter whatever the cost, Tony and his gang set out to find both Ling and the diamonds, but he soon gets some invaluable help from an unlikely corner -- Su (Jet Li), a government agent from Taiwan who was once Ling's partner, and has an old score to settle with him. Cradle 2 the Grave also features Kelly Hu and Roxana Brusso. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Returning to his action feature terrain after a short hiatus, Steven Seagal plays Orin Boyd, a maverick Detroit detective with an unconventional way of taking down foes. After a failed intervention in a terrorist kidnapping case that humiliates his superiors, Boyd -- who is hailed as a top-drawer investigator but frowned upon for his tactics -- is forced to do time in a tough downtown precinct. After discovering the covert drug operation performed by several corrupt cops at his new assignment, he decides to break the rules yet again. While the cops are planning a massive heroin deal with big-time gangster Latrell Walker (DMX), Boyd finds that Latrell is not who he once was, and Boyd persuades him to assist in bringing an end to the amoral police influence that helped ruin him. Exit Wounds is the second film from cinematographer-turned-director Andrzej Bartkowiak (Romeo Must Die) and also features Tom Arnold, Isaiah Washington, and Jill Hennessy. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Seagal, DMX, (more)
- 1991
- R
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The producers insisted that this sixth entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series marked the last; no points for guessing that additional sequels followed. This time, homicidal wraith Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) decides to extend his reign of terror past Elm Street. His agent-on-earth is his own long-lost daughter Maggie (Lisa Zane, sister of Phantom star Billy Zane). Securing a job as a dream therapist for troubled teens, Maggie is able to "open up" the minds of her patients so that Freddy can exercise his usual bloody prerogative. In a garish, 3-D climax, Freddy himself becomes the victim of the vengeful Maggie. Since what happens in this picture is laid out in the title, we can't possibly be accused of giving the ending away. Watch for cameos from Roseanne and her then-husband Tom Arnold, Alice Cooper, Elinor Donahue, and Johnny Depp, one of the stars of the very first Nightmare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, (more)
Abducted by two men and forced into child prostitution when she was just eight years old, a homeless San Diego street teen is finally reunited with her family only to find that the traumas of the past may have scarred her for life. Leslie (Ryan Simpkins) was walking to school when her neighbors Alex (Tom Arnold) and Frank (Kevin Zegers) pulled up alongside her and asked for help finding their missing dog. After scouring the neighborhood with the young girl to no avail, the men offer Leslie a ride so she won't be late for school. Along the way, the men tell Leslie that they work for her father. After school, Leslie is surprised to find the two men waiting to drive her home. Claiming that her parents have been called away on urgent business, Alex and Frank coerce Leslie into the car and give her a drink. Later, after dozing off in the backseat, Leslie awakens in a tiny bedroom with eight-year-old Donnie. Like Leslie, Donnie has been drugged and kidnapped. Donnie is led to believe that his parents have sold him for drugs, while Leslie is told that her parents want nothing to do with her anymore. Now, as the two innocent children are forced into prostitution, they use their imaginations to escape into a wondrous world of light where anything is possible.
Years later, Leslie and Donnie are struggling to rebuild their lives on the streets of San Diego. Donnie is deeply in love with Leslie, but Leslie's perception of love has been completely destroyed by her harrowing experience. One day, Leslie walks into a children's shelter and begins the painful process of reconnecting with the past. Though she is soon reunited with her parents, everything is different now, and it gradually becomes apparent that any hope she had for a normal life evaporated the fateful day she placed her trust in two monstrous strangers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Years later, Leslie and Donnie are struggling to rebuild their lives on the streets of San Diego. Donnie is deeply in love with Leslie, but Leslie's perception of love has been completely destroyed by her harrowing experience. One day, Leslie walks into a children's shelter and begins the painful process of reconnecting with the past. Though she is soon reunited with her parents, everything is different now, and it gradually becomes apparent that any hope she had for a normal life evaporated the fateful day she placed her trust in two monstrous strangers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gillian Jacobs, Evan Ross, (more)
When a lonely young girl named Anna walks into her local independent video store in search of an erotic film, the clerk behind the counter vows to transcend her emotional barriers and win her heart in this quirky relationship comedy written, directed by, and starring Marianna Palka. Though the lovelorn clerk in question (Jason Ritter) is a bit of a creep and perhaps even a potential stalker, the contentious relationship forged between the pair as he repeatedly seeks Anna's affections (and is continually shot down) eventually leads to an unusual, yet wholly unavoidable, confrontation that offers offbeat insight into the state of modern romance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marianna Palka, Jason Ritter, (more)
One of The Brothers Grimm's best loved fairy tales gets an overhaul using the latest in visual effects technology in this comedy-drama for the whole family. A little girl (Dakota Fanning) has a hard time getting to sleep, so her father (Daniel Roebuck) dusts off a book of children's stories and reads her one of his favorites. Hansel (Jacob Smith) and Gretel (Taylor Momsen) are two children who are being raised by their loving father (Gerald McRaney) and his shrewish second wife (Delta Burke) after the unfortunate death of their mother. When Father is forced to leave home to find work in the city, Stepmother decides this would be the perfect time to get rid of the children, and she manages to "lose" Hansel and Gretel in an enchanted forest. While the children make a valuable and magical friend in The Sandman (Howie Mandel), they also encounter a mysterious woman with a gingerbread house (Lynn Redgrave), who takes them in; however, it isn't long before they learn she's actually a witch, and has made some unorthodox dinner plans involving her young guests. Hansel & Gretel also features the voice talents of Sinbad, Bobcat Goldthwaite, and Tom Arnold as, respectively, a talking raven, a troll, and the Bogeyman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Taylor Momsen, Jacob Smith, (more)
Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, (more)
- 2009
Tom Arnold and Owen Benjamin star in this original web series about a professional heckler from Montana University, and his lifelong quest to badger his way to infamy. Chance Stevens (Benjamin) exceeds at shouting insults during sporting events, and rightly so, since he's been taught by the best. A bartender who's detractive barking is the stuff of legend, Chance's uncle Lou (Tom Arnold) has a tongue like a razor blade; he can cut a man in half just by opening his mouth. In each episode of Heckle U, Chance and his uncle Lou sit down with sexy reporter Amanda Marsh (Katie Cleary) to offer thoughtful lessons in heckling, and discuss the finer points of being a professional heckler. From the power of the well-placed jibe to methods of overcoming Heckler's Block, and the road to the championship game, no topic is off limits as Chance and Lou reflect back on their favorite moments in heckling history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Owen Benjamin, (more)
Stephen Frears' Hero is a contemporary re-working of a Frank Capra-styled fable about a two-bit criminal named Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) who saves several passengers from a plane crash and leaves the scene without being identified, leaving only a lost shoe for identification. One of the passengers happens to be news-reporter Gale (Geena Davis) who is intent on finding her savior, and offers a million dollars to the "hero" of the crashed flight. Bernie has since given his remaining shoe to a homeless man named John (Andy Garcia) who decides to cash in on the offer. A handsome, charming man, John wins the hearts of the entire city. Soon, Bernie realizes that he's been cheated out of a million dollars, and he begins an effort to get his proper recognition--and his money. Hero manages to be quite funny and satirical while sticking to a story that is essentially a Hollywood fable. That is to the credit of director Frears and the cast, who turn in uniformly excellent performances. Nevertheless, Hoffman is superb as a bitterly comic and spiteful variation on his classic Ratso Rizzo character. By the way, be on the lookout for Chevy Chase in a very funny cameo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, (more)
Soul diva Jackie Washington is determined to hit the comeback trail but seems to be having trouble finding the on-ramp in the mock-documentary comedy Jackie's Back. Jackie (played by Jenifer Lewis) was a Rhythm and Blues singer who had a few late '60's and early 70's hits, including "Yield" and the memorable "Look At Me (My Love For You Has Only Made Me Love Me More)," but she's spent much of the 80's and 90's playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. However, Jackie has organized what she hopes will be a gala comeback concert, and filmmaker Edward Whatsett St. John (Tim Curry) is on hand to film the event, and discusses the high and (frequent) low points of Jackie's career with such friends and well-wishers as Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Penny Marshall, Jackie Collins and Dolomite himself, Rudy Ray Moore. Meanwhile, Jackie's big gig is not going quite the way she planned. Directed by Robert Townsend, Jackie's Back was produced for the Lifetime Cable Network and originally aired June 14, 1999. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, (more)
