Victor Garber Movies

A woman coming to terms with her husband's death discovers his killer has run afoul of a violent crime in this detective drama. Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) is a former police detective who left the force to teach criminology after the unsolved murder of her husband, Ian (Edward Jaunz). The investigation into Ian's death gets taken off the back burner when a suspect is arrested, Kevin Tarpley (Christopher Bolton); while Kevin claims to be innocent, he knows enough about the case to have raised the suspicions of police. Just when Joanne thinks her husband's killer may finally be brought to justice, Kevin is killed by a gunman as he's brought to the police station. After a strange visit by Kevin's wife Maureen (Kari Matchett), Joanne begins looking into Kevin's life and death, and discovers not all of her late husband's friends are willing to help her with her private investigation. Criminal Instincts: A Colder Kind of Death also stars Victor Garber, Teri Garr, and Robin Dunne. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cunningly presaged by the cliffhanger at the end of season one, the first episode of Alias' second season confirmed what heroine Sydney A. Bristow (Jennifer Garner) -- college student by day, counterespionage agent the rest of the time -- had feared most: that "The Man," the evil leader of a vast criminal cartel, was no man at all, but instead Sydney's supposedly dead mother, former KGB agent Irina Derevko (played by new series regular Lena Olin). Though Irina would eventually claim to have reformed and insisted that she was looking out for Sydney's best interests, her actions -- which included innumerable double-crosses, sellouts, and betrayals -- would seem to indicate otherwise. Even so, nothing that was ever "indicated" on Alias was ever quite what it appeared on the surface. Meanwhile, both of the spy organizations for which Sydney worked, the CIA and the more sinister SD-6, were dedicated to destroying the cartel formerly run by Irina and now in the hands of her mercurial lieutenant, Sark (played by another new series regular, David Anders). The two rival agencies also continued their search for the missing Rambaldi fragments, which when assembled would become a terrifying weapon of mass destruction, as well as "The Bible," the operations manual used by Irina's old criminal empire.

Still embittered by the knowledge that she had been used all her life by SD-6, Syd persisted in covertly working against the organization by throwing in with the CIA, under the supervision of agent Michael C. Vaughn (Michael Vartan), who by the time season two rolled around, was making no secret of his love for Syd. Two other SD-6 operatives, computer genius Marshall Flinkman (Kevin Weisman) and agent Marcus Dixon (Carl Lumbly), likewise crossed over to the CIA, with tragic results for at least one of them. Syd was given even more reason to despise the espionage business when she learned that, as a child, she had been a guinea pig for a program designed to indoctrinate spies at an early age -- a program developed by her own father, Jack Bristow (Victor Garber). There was another "father figure" in Syd's life in the form of her SD-6 boss, Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin), who despite his cruel cunning and ruthlessness was genuinely fond of both Bristows. Sloane would launch a second career as a solo villain when, disillusioned by the SD-6, he bolted the organization and set about to harness the awesome power of the Rambaldi device for his own purposes. His replacement at SD-6 was the no-nonsense Geiger (Rutger Hauer), who, shall we say, harbored no great love for either Syd or Jack. In addition to Rutger Hauer, season two of Alias would feature guest-star turns by Faye Dunaway as the duplicitous head of SD-6 counterintelligence; Richard Lewis as a CIA counterintelligence analyst investigating Vaughn; and Christian Slater as a scientist who was kidnapped by the renegade Sloane -- and whose past life experiences bore striking resemblances to those of the Bristow family.

Elsewhere, it was business as usual for crusading journalist Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper), who doggedly continued his crusade to expose and destroy SD-6 and all the other agencies in the Alliance of Twelve. The basic through line of Alias took off on a radical and wholly unanticipated new direction with its January 26, 2003, episode "Phase One." In this truly shocking entry, Syd's roommate, Francie (Merrin Dungey), was murdered and replaced by an exact double, thereby further blurring the series' distinction between its heroes and its villains. Also in that episode, the CIA put an end to SD-6, thus freeing Sydney from her double-agent balancing act and allowing her and Vaughn to finally express their feelings for each other. But even those developments paled in comparison with Alias' second-season cliffhanger finale, in which after being rendered unconscious in a fight with the "bad" Francie, Syd awoke to discover that two whole years had passed -- and her erstwhile lover Michael Vaughn was now beyond her reach! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite its late start in January of 2005 after a hiatus of eight months, the fourth season of Alias more than made up for lost time with a plethora of trials, tribulations, jaw-dropping revelations, big-time betrayals, and near-death experiences for the series' secret-agent heroine, Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner). Reeling from the disillusionment and embarrassment of her demotion, Sydney quits the CIA flat; however, it turns out that this is part of a master plan hatched by new CIA director Hayden Chase (Angela Bassett) to arrange Sydney's membership in Authorized Personnel Only (APO), a top-top secret black-ops organization. Sydney's co-workers at APO include several longtime associates: her father, Jack (Victor Garber); her partner and sometime lover, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan); her steadfast previous partner Dixon (Carl Lumbly) -- and, much to our heroine's surprise, her duplicitous ex-chief, Sloane (Ron Rifkin), who has proven time and again that he can't be trusted. For her first APO assignment, Sydney is sent to Rio, where she has a fateful encounter with her latest adversary, Tamasaki (Rick Yune), a self-styled 21st century samurai. Previously a recurring character, Sydney's half-sister, Nadia Santos (Mía Maestro), becomes a full regular this season, the better to throw a monkey wrench into Sydney's volatile relationship with her father, Jack -- and to share with Jack a startling secret about Sydney's supposedly dead, supposedly traitorous mother. At the same time, Vaughn has a great deal of difficulty overcoming the treachery of his former wife, Lauren, and an equal amount of difficulty assimilating new and disturbing information about his own father. Major developments this season include a huge revival of interest in the Rambaldi code, which when broken may spell the doom of humankind; the surprising temporary recruitment of another of Sydney's longtime enemies, Julian Sark (David Anders), for a special APO mission; a grim prognostication that Sydney and Nadia are destined to duke it out to the death; and the resurrection of a long-presumed-dead central character, who will reveal anew to Sydney that she can never completely rely upon anyone or believe in anything, not even the evidence of her own eyes. Though the season ends with the good news that Sydney and Vaughn are engaged, any hopes for lasting happiness are dashed by still another shocking revelation -- and a spectacular car crash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV adaptation of the hit Broadway musical (which was, in turn, based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray) stars Alicia Morton as Annie, who lives in an orphanage run by the ill-tempered Miss Hannigan (Kathy Bates). Like the rest of the children, Annie doesn't like the orphanage and hates Miss Hannigan, so she's excited when famous and eccentric billionaire Daddy Warbucks (Victor Garber) picks Annie as the lucky orphan who gets to spend Christmas at his mansion. Warbucks is charmed by Annie's spunk and good spirits and is eager to adopt her, but Annie is convinced that one day her real parents will come back to claim her. Eager to make her happy, Warbucks offers a sizable cash reward to whomever can find Annie's mother and father; Miss Hannigan, seeing the possibility of an easy payday, concocts a scheme by which her brother Rooster (Alan Cumming) and his floozy girlfriend Lily (Kristin Chenoweth) will pose as Annie's long-lost folks. Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie on Broadway, has a supporting role as the Star-to-Be. The musical was previously filmed in 1982, with John Huston in the director's chair. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

As a child, Lucy Cullins asked Santa Claus to bring her father home from Vietnam. But when her dad returned in a pine box, the embittered Lucy decided that Christmas -- and every other holiday for that matter -- was a humbug. Now all grown-up (and played by Whoopi Goldberg), Lucy is the hard-as-nails producer for the Shop-A-Lot Channel, a home-shopping cable service. While auditioning actors to play Santa Claus for a hokey Yuletide informercial series, Lucy hires a twinkly eyed old gentleman named Nick (Nigel Hawthorne), who, unbeknownst to everyone but the audience, is the genuine, bonafide "Ho Ho Ho" man himself. Facing mandatory retirement at age 200, Nick must find someone to take his place as Santa Claus for the next two centuries. The person he chooses in none other than Lucy Cullins -- and if she doesn't accept the job, the North Pole will melt, wreaking havoc upon everyone in the world, whether they're "naughty" or "nice." Originally conceived as a vehicle for a black man, Call Me Claus was reshaped as a showcase for Whoopi Goldberg when the actress signed on as co-executive producer. Also in the production lineup was country & western singer Garth Brooks, who penned a handful of new songs for the occasion. Call Me Claus debuted over the TNT cable network on December 2, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Deadly Appearances was originally telecast over Canada's CTV on April 23, 2000, as part of the off-and-on cop series Criminal Instincts. Based on the first of Gail Bowen's Joanne Kilbourn mystery novels, the film stars Wendy Crewson as Kilbourn, a former police detective who dabbles in crimesolving whenever one of her friends or family members is involved. On this occasion, Joanne tries to determine if her longtime chum, philandering political candidate Andy Boychuk (Robert Hays) was the murderer of a young woman. Although the original novel included a subplot about a homosexual love triangle, the film dispensed with this complication. Deadly Appearances made its first TV appearance in the United States on June 5, 2001, courtesy of the Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Follow Eli Stone (Jonny Miller) on his quirky quest for answers in this exciting and upbeat comedic drama. When Eli awakens to an unending George Michael soundtrack that only he can hear, gets dive-bombed by a WWI biplane on a busy San Francisco street, and faces a fire-breathing dragon outside his office window, there are two possible explanations: delusions caused by a potentially fatal brain aneurysm or the chance that something greater is at work. He might just be a prophet sent to change the world. Victor Garber and Loretta Devine lead an acclaimed supporting cast in this wonderfully wacky new series, ELI STONE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON. Complete with every Season One episode, exclusive bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage, this 4-disc box set will surprise, inspire and leave you feeling like you gotta have faith.

The action in Canadian provocateur Atom Egoyan's cryptic Exotica revolves largely around the strip club, which lends the film its name, a faux-tropical hothouse where young female dancers cater to their customers' sexual and psychological needs. Among the regulars is Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a troubled taxman haunted by Christina, a young stripper played by Mia Kirshner. As the film hypnotically unfolds, their relationship is slowly explored, the narrative dovetailing with the stories of a gay pet shop owner (Don McKellar), the Exotica's pregnant owner (Arsinee Khanjian), and its embittered DJ (Elias Koteas). Like all of Egoyan's films, Exotica is a riddle, its answers only fostering more questions. The director's recurring themes of family breakdowns, voyeurism and obsession are all in the mix here as well, but essayed with a new clarity of vision and intensity. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Based on a Solzhenitsyn book, this is the story of a Moscow official in Stalinist Russia whose future freedom depends on a technological break-through. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

Directors David Greene and John-Michael Tebelak collaborate with composer Stephen Schwartz to bring his wildly successful Broadway musical, Godspell, to the big screen. Told almost entirely in song, Godspell presents the gospel of St. Matthew updated to New York City of the late '60s/early '70s, featuring Jesus Christ as a wandering minstrel dressed like a circus clown. By blowing on an instrument that reaches only the ears of a select few around the bustling city, John the Baptist (David Haskell) summons nine simpatico hippies to a fountain in Central Park, where they revel in the waters of their baptism. When Christ (Victor Garber) joins the group, the free-flowing fraternal love solidifies into a desire to spread the word of God around the city. Outfitting themselves in a nearby junkyard that bursts with color, the lively group makes its way around a sparsely populated fairy-tale version of the city, re-enacting Biblical parables with great enthusiasm and flamboyance. Opting for a lighter yet more devout approach than its thematically similar Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell features an equivalent number of hummable hit songs, notably "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)," "By My Side," and "Day by Day." ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

The creators of Superman: Doomsday, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Wonder Woman re-team to tell the origins of the Green Lantern in this animated DC Comics feature. When Hal Jordan (voice of Christopher Meloni) is recruited to join the Green Lantern corps, he is placed under the direct supervision of senior Lantern Sinestro. But the Green Lantern corps has come under attack by a powerful foe. When Hal discovers that Sinestro is actually part of a vast conspiracy that aims to dismantle the entire organization, he must use his newfound powers to restore order and combat the treason that threatens to tarnish the Green Lantern legacy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Working in a branch office of the Internal Revenue Service, Kerry Ellison (Rena Sofer) must suffer the unwanted advances of co-worker Jack Gilcrest (Victor Garber), who among his other "eccentricities" carries a live grenade in his car. Even when Kerry is transferred to another division, Jack's stalking does not diminish. Even worse, Kelly's bosses dismiss Jack's obsession as harmless, and her labor union refuses to take action. In a last-ditch effort to see that justice is done, Kerry files a sexual harassment suit against her employers -- and from this point forward, to say that the IRS makes her life hell would be understating the situation. Based on a true story, Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story was produced for the Lifetime cable network, where it first aired on May 27, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on Paul Rudnick's hit Off-Broadway play, this romantic comedy centers on the chaotic love life of Jeffrey (Steven Weber), a gay man who swears off sex only to fall in love with his ideal man (Michael T. Weiss). Jeffrey's vow of chastity is inspired by a fear of AIDS, a prospect which has started to terrify him so much that he decides he'd be better off never making love again. He is happy and relieved for a time, until he meets Steve, a handsome, charming dreamboat who also happens to be HIV-positive. Jeffrey wants nothing more than to be with Steve, but his anxiety over the disease and fear of commitment stand in the way. Much of the humor falls to Jeffrey's friends, including the sharp-tongued Sterling (Patrick Stewart), an outwardly catty but surprisingly good-hearted interior decorator, and his young boyfriend Darius (Bryan Batt), a performer in the Broadway musical Cats. Nathan Lane also contributes a memorable cameo as a questionable priest. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide