Kristin Harms Movies
Carroll Ballard, director of The Black Stallion and Never Cry Wolf, presents another story of an unusual relationship between humans and animals in this drama. Xan (Alexander Michaletos) is a young boy who lives with his father and mother (Campbell Scott and Hope Davis) on a ranch in Kenya. One day, Xan and his folks discover a cheetah cub whose mother has died. With no one to care for the cat, Xan and his family take the cheetah under their wing, and after naming the cub "Dooms" (from "Duma," which means "male cheetah cub" in Swahili), Xan and his new friend become inseparable. However, Xan and his parents discover in time that nature doesn't always have a happy ending planned for a little boy. Duma was based on a book for children called How It Was With Dooms: A True Story From Africa, by Carol Cawthra Hopcraft and Xan Hopcraft, which told the story of Xan's real-life friendship with a cheetah. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexander Michaletos, Eamonn Walker, (more)
Loosely based on Jean-Pierre Melville's French film noir Bob le Flambeur, this heist film from director Neil Jordan (Interview With the Vampire, The Crying Game) stars Nick Nolte as Bob, an aging American thief living in the French city of Nice. Addicted to both heroin and gambling, Bob is in the midst of an extended personal losing streak when he rescues a new girl in town named Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) from her pimp. When the opportunity to steal a fortune in rare paintings from a Monte Carlo casino comes along, Bob hopes for a score big enough to let him retire from his life of crime. His only hindrances are Anne's man troubles and his nemesis, local police chief Roger (Tchéky Karyo). The Good Thief also features acting performances by Emir Kusturica (director of Underground and Arizona Dream) and Ralph Fiennes. ~ Tom Vick, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Nutsa Kukhianidze, (more)
The Oprah Book Club best-seller by Janet Fitch makes it to the big screen in this adaptation from British director Peter Kosminsky. White Oleander recounts the traumatic adolescence of Astrid Magnusson (Alison Lohman), who finds herself an orphan after her short-fused, enigmatic artist mother Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) is carted off to prison on murder charges. Astrid first finds herself in the care of Starr (Robin Wright Penn), a garish, born-again mother of two with a gruff but sensitive boyfriend (Cole Hauser). From there, she's shunted back to a state-run facility, where she tangles with other troubled teens and finds temporary solace in the arms of Paul (Patrick Fugit), a dough-faced comic book artist with dreams of moving to New York City. Astrid then lucks into a living arrangement with a successful but insecure actress (Renee Zellweger) who offers her unconditional love. But Ingrid's stifling influence continues to haunt her daughter, whether through the occasional prison visit or via manipulative letters to Astrid's caretakers. White Oleander received a Gala North American premiere at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival before reaching multiplexes later that fall. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer, (more)
- 1999
The inaugural episode of The West Wing finds the staff concerned with Cuban refugees, and the fact that President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) has injured himself riding a bicycle. Rumors are swirling that Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) will be fired due to heated remarks he made during a television appearance that angered the religious right. Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) is quite concerned about the political ramifications when he discovers that the woman he slept with the night before is a high-priced call girl. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Debuting September 22, 1999, NBC's multi-award-winning The West Wing was America's first truly successful political drama series. Producer Aaron Sorkin had allegedly created the property to make fuller use of the White House interior sets built for his 1999 theatrical film, The American President. Whatever the case, the weekly, hour-long series disproved the long-held theory that the American TV viewing public was bored stiff by fictional political intrigue. The series was largely set during the administration of U.S. president Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen), a Liberal Democrat (and a devout Catholic) from New Hampshire. The first lady was Dr. Abigail "Abby" Bartlet (Stockard Channing), who, though she publicly supported her husband in every aspect, privately expected him to hold to his promise that he would serve only one term. The Bartlets had three daughters, the youngest of whom, free-spirited Zoey (Elizabeth Moss), was a great source of consternation in many ways. President Bartlet was backed up by a fiercely loyal staff, including his venerable chief of staff, Leo McGarry (John Spencer); his blunt-talking deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford); Josh's wisecracking assistant, Donna Moss (Janel Moloney); witty, idealistic press secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney); deceptively unkempt-looking communications director Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff); and deputy communications director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), who had trouble keeping his tempestuous private life from spilling over into his work. As originally conceived, Sam was to have been the main character, with President Bartlet merely a recurring presence. Rob Lowe left the series near the end of season four, reportedly distressed by his ever-diminishing screen time; it was explained that Sam had gone off to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. He was replaced by Joshua Malina as the new deputy communications director (and later the vice president's chief of staff) Will Bailey.
The Bartlet administration, like many before it, had as many tribulations as triumphs. The first season ended with an attempted assassination, which turned out to be directed not at the president but at his personal aide Charlie Young (Dule Hill). During season two, it was revealed that Bartlet suffered from multiple sclerosis, a fact he kept secret from the public until the beginning of season three. Despite his illness and an unpleasant congressional investigation in which both the president and the first lady faced charges of conspiring in a cover-up, Bartlet handily won re-election at the end of the third season, trouncing his conservative opponent (played by James Brolin) and emerging more popular than ever. In other developments, Bartlet was forced to find a new vice president after the defection of John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), who had never truly liked his running mate; "First Daughter" Zoey was kidnapped, compelling Bartlet to briefly relinquish power to avoid conflict-of-interest charges, placing the government under the control of Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman), a hard-line Republican; Leo was sidelined by a massive heart attack; and at the end of Bartlet's second term, a battle royal ensued between Democratic candidate Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) for the Presidency. Though decidedly left of center in its political viewpoint, The West Wing used advisors from both parties to ensure a modicum of accuracy. Many felt that the series' quality diminished after producer Aaron Sorkin left the show after season four, but The West Wing made a remarkable recovery, both in terms of its writing and its viewership, during its sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Bartlet administration, like many before it, had as many tribulations as triumphs. The first season ended with an attempted assassination, which turned out to be directed not at the president but at his personal aide Charlie Young (Dule Hill). During season two, it was revealed that Bartlet suffered from multiple sclerosis, a fact he kept secret from the public until the beginning of season three. Despite his illness and an unpleasant congressional investigation in which both the president and the first lady faced charges of conspiring in a cover-up, Bartlet handily won re-election at the end of the third season, trouncing his conservative opponent (played by James Brolin) and emerging more popular than ever. In other developments, Bartlet was forced to find a new vice president after the defection of John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), who had never truly liked his running mate; "First Daughter" Zoey was kidnapped, compelling Bartlet to briefly relinquish power to avoid conflict-of-interest charges, placing the government under the control of Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman), a hard-line Republican; Leo was sidelined by a massive heart attack; and at the end of Bartlet's second term, a battle royal ensued between Democratic candidate Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) for the Presidency. Though decidedly left of center in its political viewpoint, The West Wing used advisors from both parties to ensure a modicum of accuracy. Many felt that the series' quality diminished after producer Aaron Sorkin left the show after season four, but The West Wing made a remarkable recovery, both in terms of its writing and its viewership, during its sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
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
- Starring:
- Jill Clayburgh, John Spencer, (more)
