Bonnie Root Movies

Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, and Miles Heizer star in director Alison Eastwood's tale of two families locked into an emotional -- and physical -- collision course. There once was a time when Tom and Megan Stark had all the time in the world to take their dream vacation and start a family, but these days the couple's marriage is suffering and their time appears to be running short. Megan has been diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness, and when the prospect of losing his wife becomes too much to bear, railroad engineer Tom seeks escape in his work. On the tracks Tom is in control; all the routes are predetermined and he knows he'll eventually arrive at his destination. But sometimes even the most predictable events can go suddenly awry, and when Tom's train hits a car that was parked on the tracks by a suicidal mother, his life is plunged into ruin. While there was no way that Tom could have possibly stopped the train on time, the grieving conductor's woes are suddenly compounded upon realizing that he may lose his job because of the accident. Not only that, but the deceased woman's son, Davey, is consumed by the guilt that he could do nothing to prevent the accident, and he now places the blame for his mother's death squarely on Tom. But not all sad stories have to end in tragedy, and perhaps in the aftermath of this fateful accident Megan could receive a second chance at fulfilling her dreams, Tom could learn to open his heart before he is consumed by bitterness, and Davey could finally learn the true meaning of family. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A musician who is supposed to mend his ways ends up changing the habits of a group of fellow inmates in this comedy. Wesley Benfield (William Lee Scott) is a guitar player with a habit of walking on the wrong side of the law. One night, Benfield gets into a fistfight in a Missouri honky-tonk, and when police discover the car he drove to the club is stolen, it's not long before he finds himself standing before a judge. Benfield is ordered to move into a half-way house near a small Baptist college, and as part of his therapy he joins in a small gospel combo comprised of the house's residents. However, Benfield is a lot more interested in playing the blues; with a bit of persuading, he convinces his bandmates to pursue a new musical direction, and they start sneaking out at night to play shows at a local nightspot. Killer Diller co-stars Fred Willard, Lucas Black, John Michael Higgins, Mary Kay Place, and veteran blues artist Taj Mahal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

At a restaurant located somewhere in midtown New York, waiters, waitresses, cooks, a struggling playwright, and one exceptionally nasty restaurant owner serve up lavish helpings of food and mordant comedy. Among the players is a narcissistic would-be screen idol (Michael Buchman Silver), a naive and relentlessly eager young waitress (Ellen Pompeo), and an embittered veteran hash-slinger (Molly Ringwald). On the job, their lives tend to gravitate toward Adam (The Blair Witch Project's Joshua Leonard), a playwright who takes his job very, very seriously. They also find themselves continuously terrorized by Simon (Eric Bogosian), the restaurant's owner, and the psycho head chef, Kurt (Kirk Acevedo). Over the course of one night, a romance blossoms, Adam struggles to break free of his manipulative girlfriend, a diamond ring goes missing, and a creme brulee meets an unfortunate fate. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

In this TV family drama series set in NYC's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Eileen McCallister (Jill Clayburgh) is the matriarch who oversees the working-class Irish-Catholic McCallister clan, along with her husband Simon McCallister (John Spencer). The focus is on their five grown children -- priest Kevin (Tate Donovan), union organizer Liam (Sam Trammell), police detective Bobby (Justin Louis), addicted Amanda (Bonnie Root), and bond trader Fiona (Charlotte Ross). A sixth sibling died at some point in the past. Combining marriage melodramas, pregnancies, politics, police procedures, and spiritual struggles, this family soap opera is a slightly overcooked Irish stew. Filmed in New York, the series premiered October 16, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Another fact-based entry in the hard-hitting NBC "Moment of Truth" TV-movie series, The Accident revolves around three teenage girls, all lifelong friends: Lizzie (Bonnie Root), Janie (Marisa Rudiak) and Kate (Deanna Milligan). All three enjoy sneaking about and defying their parents, especially when it comes to drinking liquor. But where Janie and Kate limit themselves to wine, the troubled Lizzie is a heavy tippler, guzzling down vodka as if it was going out of style. At their pre-graduation party, Lizzie manages to get both Janie and Kate thoroughly smashed on booze. . .and then she hops in her car to drive Janie home. A horrible accident is inevitable--and though Lizzie escapes with only a mild concussion, Janie is killed outright. Tortured with guilt, and with both a court trial and the merciless wrath of Janie's vengeful mother on the horizon, Lizzie "solves" her problems by hitting the bottle harder than ever! Not surprisingly, the film contains several sobering lessons for its viewers, young and old alike; and while Lizzie is not let off the hook, much is made of the negative influences brought to bear by the adults in her life in the years prior to her tragic "moment of truth." The Accident originally aired on September 15, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide