Mark Arnott
- 1996
This fact-based TV movie stars JoBeth Williams as Pam Willis, a case worker for the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women. In the course of a standard investigation, Pam comes upon Laura Keyes (Kellie Martin), a 14-year-old deafmute girl who has been locked up since childhood and never taught sign language. Even worse, Laura has endured a lifetime of unspeakable abuse at the hands of her father. Taking Laura under her wing, Pam endeavors to teach the terrified girl how to communicate and function in the "outside" world--and in the process, awakens the soul that has been so long buried within Laura's battered consciousness. This mission turns out to be a desperate race against time when Laura's bestial father begins scouring the slums in search of his "runaway" daughter. Breaking Through debuted December 30, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kellie Martin, JoBeth Williams, (more)
- 1995
Megan Follows leaves her Anne of Green Gables TV persona behind to portray Lila Nolan, a young Boston-based nurse who is suspected of mercy killing. Two of Lila's elderly patients have died under mysterious circumstances, and now she has arrived in Cabot Cove to provide home care for ailing Maggie Saunders (Audra Lindley)--who happens to be the best friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). Be assured that murder will soon rear its ugly head, and that Jessica will find herself in the position of defending Lila against a false charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) makes himself more obnoxious than usual when he assumes control of the campus restaurant, the Peacock Shop. Not only does Carlton institute policies and prices that no one can tolerate, but he also drives his employee Will (Will Smith) crazy--and maybe worse! Meanwhile, Hilary (Karyn Parsons) goes ballistic searching for the source of a newsletter which has targetted her for ridicule. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
From director Jim Abrahams, one of the minds behind the Airplane! and Naked Gun films, comes another parody. This time around, Abrahams has his sights set on the action-adventure genre, specifically Top Gun. Charlie Sheen stars as Topper Harley, a maverick air force pilot who constantly lives in the shadow of his father's legacy. Unable to handle the pressure, Harley has left the Air Force to live among a tribe of Native Americans. But when the United States seeks to destroy some Iraqi nuclear facilities, there's only one man for the job. After being coaxed back into service, Harley soon realizes that in addition to Saddam Hussein, he'll have to contend with a rival pilot, played by Cary Elwes, and a devious aerospace executive. Among the many films lampooned are Dances With Wolves, 9 1/2 Weeks, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and Gone With the Wind. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino, (more)
- 1990
Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) invites Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Sam (Ted Danson) along when she goes on a TV talk show to promote her new book, "Good Boys/Bad Boys." At first, Sam is offended when Lilith offers him as a prime example of "Bad Boy." But when the show's female guests and audience members respond positively to Sam, Frasier is miffed that Lilith regards him as merely "Good." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) has high hopes for a romantic day with her zillionaire sweetheart Robin Colcord (Roger Rees). In fact, she has planned this special day down to the minutest detail. But what Rebecca hadn't planned on was that Robin would prefer to spend the day indulging in a series of childish competitions with Sam (Ted Danson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The title of this 2-hour Columbo entry is one of the most grievous puns ever perpetrated on the public. The "crown" in question is a gold one, placed in the murder victim's tooth by dentist James Read. Seeking redress against his wife's lover, Read has administered a slow-acting and untraceable poison in the victim's dental crown. Had not Columbo been assigned to the case, Read might have gotten away as clean as a hound's tooth (sorry!) Nancy Walker and Dick Sargent make cameo appearances in Uneasy Lies the Crown, which originally aired April 28, 1990 on ABC's Saturday Mystery Movie series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this film, the small town of Clyde, Ohio is buzzing with excitement when it is said that the famous Roxy Carmichael is leaving her luxurious Hollywood life to return to her old hometown. Her return causes upheaval in the lives of family-man Denton Webb (Jeff Daniels), her old boyfriend, and an angst-ridden teen, Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder), who is convinced that Roxy Carmichael is her natural mother. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, (more)
- 1990
Woody (Woody Harrelson) looks forward to meeting the wealthy family of his girl friend Kelly (Jackie Swanson) with fear and trepidation. As expected, the relatives think the very worst of Woody -- all except Kelly's mother (Melendy Britt), who is very, very friendly to her prospective son-in-law. Meanwhile, the gang at Cheers looks on as urban cowboy Cliff (John Ratzenberger) tries to "conquer" a mechanical bull. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The original Not Quite Human was a Disney Channel fantasy/comedy involving a friendly teen-age android named Chip (Jay Underwood) and his "daddy", inventor Alan Thicke. Having successfully escaped greedy toy manufacturers in the first film, Chip goes to college in Not Quite Human, Part 2. Here he falls in love with a female android, played by Katie Barberi. Hero and heroine must contend with a vicious computer virus before they clank down the rose-strewn path. In adherence to standard Disney formula, there's opportunity aplenty for destructive slapstick scenes, but the central romance in Not Quite Human, Part 2 lends a touch of grace to the proceedings. The film was followed in short order by yet another made-for-cable sequel, and guess what the title of that one was (Wrong! It was Still Not Quite Human) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Does Eddie (Jay Thomas) plan to surprise Carla (Rhea Perlman) on their second anniversary, or has he forgotten the occasion? Will Woody's (Woody Harrelson) lucky streak with the football pool turn him into a chronic gambler? And what will be the results when Norm (George Wendt) decorates Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Lilith's (Bebe Neuwirth) new nursery? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG
Wills, an ex-cop (John Larroquette) and Bobby (Bronson Pinchot), who's a psychic, team up as sleuths in Wills's new "Second Sight Detective Agency." To add a little spice, there's a very pretty nun who catches the eye of the laughable detective. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Larroquette, Bronson Pinchot, (more)
- 1988
In the last episode of Moonlighting's fourth season, Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) returns to work after ending her brief marriage to Walter Bishop (Dennis Dugan). Her first post-nuptual case involves a public-relations man who wants to find his partner's lover, who has proven a major business distraction by penning gushy romantic letters. As Maddie and David (Bruce Willis) react differently to these letters, their assistant Bert Viola (Curtis Armstrong) broods over the fact that the Moonlighting fans have still not warmed up to him! The proceedings close as the entire cast frantically ad-libs a musical number when the writers go on strike. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Bride-to-be Diane (Shelley Long) deliberately spoils Sam's bachelor party by arranging to pop out of the cake. After a subsequent argument, Diane generously acknowledges that Sam (Ted Danson) should be allowed one final fling before plunging into matrimony. Thus, she gives him all of 24 hours to sow the last of his wild oats. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This TV pilot film was based on the "Father Dowling" character created (in the tradition of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown) by Ralph McInery. Tom Bosley plays the good Father, who whiles away his off-hours by reading mystery novels. When a young millionaire entrepreneur turns up dead, the official verdict is suicide, but Father Dowling suspects murder. Dowling's allies include street-smart nun Tracy Nelson and dour housekeeper Mary Wickes; his antagonists include politician Leslie Nielsen and mob functionary Sada Thompson (Sada Thompson? The mob?) Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery was adapted from a McInery original by veteran mystery writer Donald Westlake; the pilot sold, and the resultant Father Dowling Mysteries series ran for two seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Diane (Shelley Long) uses the old "feminine intuition" ploy to wrangle yet another marriage proposal out of Sam (Ted Danson). In a rash moment, Sam pops the question -- only to be rejected again by the mercurial Diane. One thing leads to another (as things often do), and Sam finds himself standing before a judge, facing assault and battery charges brought against him by Diane, her neck in an unfashionable brace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Carla's hockey goalie boyfriend Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas) goes from a sizzling winning streak to a devastating slump. Can Carla possibly be a jinx? Elsewhere, Diane (Shelley Long) is somewhat put out when attempted-murder charges are dropped in the trial in which she served as jury foreperson. What Diane doesn't know is that her well-meaning interference caused the plaintiff to have a change of heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In the first episode of a two-part story, Carla (Rhea Perlman) falls hard for Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas), star goalie of the Boston Bruins hockey team. Alas, the romance nearly ends before it begins, thanks to a violent hockey brawl inadvertently caused by Frasier (Kelsey Grammer). Meanwhile, Diane (Shelley Long) is appointed jury foreperson in a trial involving attempted-murder charges brought by a wife against her husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
Independent filmmaker Mark Rappaport paints a wicked picture of the New York Yuppie scene in Chain Letters. The story involves nine upwardly mobile Manhattanites, all of whom receive a chain letter. Depending on their decision to either pass the letter on or to break the chain, the various characters encounter romance, fulfillment--and sudden death. Mark Arnott, Reed Birney, David Brisbin and Randy Danson are the four letter recipients whom we're supposed to care about most. Director Rappaport also handled writing and coproducing chores on Chain Letters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Arnott, Reed Birney, (more)
Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy try but fail to bring this flat comedy to life, while the story itself is hampered by intercutting between the years of 1982 in Los Angeles (Moore) and 1984 in Kuwait (Murphy), with no explanation of how these two disparate people and locations are related. Wylie (Moore) is an inept engineer trying to perfect a gyro system for his employers who contract projects with the U.S. defense department. Wylie accidentally gets some blueprints for another type of gyro -- and his company successfully manufactures the part, much to almost everyone's benefit. Unfortunately, these plans are coveted by a certain ruthless industrial spy (David Rasch), and the FBI itself is suspicious about the origins of the blueprints in Wylie's hands. Meanwhile (and in constant interspersed segments), Landry (Murphy) is trying to get his tank to stay on course, but no matter what he does the machine swerves and lunges at random -- could there be a gyro at fault here? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Eddie Murphy, (more)
- 1984
Michael Roemer both wrote and directed the 60-minute TV drama Haunted. Brooke Adams stars as a troubled young woman who returns to her Rhode Island home. Why she does this is a mystery: her childhood was a textbook example of misery, exacerbated by her spiteful adoptive mother and her abusive foster father. Unable to close old wounds with her family, Brooke befriends neighbor lady Trish Van Devere. But her new friend has serious problems of her own, forcing Brooke to mediate between Trish and her resentful daughter Ari Meyers. Haunted was first telecast March 20, 1984, as part of PBS' American Playhouse anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Adams, Jon de Vries, (more)
Tex represented the first film adaption of a novel by "teen angst" specialist S. E. Hinton. Matt Dillon stars as Tex McCormick, an Oklahoma farm boy who drifts into bad company and a dangerous lifestyle after his mother dies and his father deserts him. His older brother Mason (Jim Metzler) struggles to keep his sibling on the straight and narrow, but he too has a cross to bear: his crippling lack of self-worth. Surprisingly, the film was produced by the Disney company, which heretofore had painted a more upbeat portrait of teen-age life. Dillon would go on to appear in two more Hinton adaptations, while Tex supporting player Emilio Estevez would show up in an additional three. S.E. Hinton herself appears in the small role of Mrs. Barnes, a schoolteacher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Dillon, Jim Metzler, (more)
College friends reunite for a New England summer weekend in this low-budget first feature by accomplished independent filmmaker John Sayles. A predecessor of the well-paced, character-driven films in Sayles' future, Secaucus Seven also looks ahead to the 1980s ensemble movies that it inspired, most notably Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill, which arrived in theaters three years later. As each friend arrives at the house (or travels to the house), characterizations build, dialogue expands, and the house (and film) are full of people getting reacquainted and re-examining themselves and each other. Sayles builds the plot by testing the characters' connections: Will these former radicals accept the uptight boyfriend of the well-loved politico? What happens when a couple splits up? How does the educated set treat the local blue-collars? Many critics cited Secaucus Seven in their decade-end list of the best films of the 1980s. ~ Norm Schrager, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, (more)
