Gabrielle Union Movies

One of the most atypical weekly series to emerge from the Aaron Spelling TV factory, 7th Heaven, created by Spelling and Brenda Hampton, has eschewed the sex-and-sin shenanigans of such series as Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place in favor of honest, three-dimensional family values, with generous doses of warmth, heart, humor, and pathos. There can be no doubt that this fundamentally wholesome program has struck a universal chord. The series has not only been lavishly praised by critics, honored by such organizations as the Parents Television Council, the Academy of Religious Broadcasting, and the Anti-Defamation League, and given innumerable industry awards, but it is also one of the most successful offerings of the WB network; indeed, it was the first WB series to run more than seven seasons, and during four of those seasons, it was the network's highest-rated show. Set in the suburban L.A. community of Glen Oak, the series revolves around the Camden family, headed by Eric Camden (Stephen Collins), pastor of the town's Community Church, and Eric's homemaker wife, Annie (Catherine Hicks). In the tradition of The Waltons, loyal 7th Heaven viewers have enjoyed the rare privilege of watching the Camden children grow up before their very eyes. When the series debuted on August 26, 1996, handsome and personable Matt Camden (Barry Watson) was 17 years old; basketball-playing Mary Camden (Jessica Biel) was 13 going on 14; intellectual, inquisitive Lucy Camden (Beverley Mitchell) was 12; happy-go-lucky Simon Camden (David Gallagher) was ten; and precocious Ruthie Camden (Mackenzie Rosman) was five. By the time the series entered its eighth season, the three oldest Camden kids were married and pursuing careers, while the two youngest were seasoned veterans of the school dating scene. (Two more Camden youngsters, twin boys Sam and David, were born halfway through the 1998-1999 season). All of the Camdens, parents included, have had more than their share of setbacks and tragedies (some of them absolutely devastating) as the series has rolled forward, but somehow all of the members of the clan, from patriarch Eric on down, have been able to recover, rally, and persevere with the help and support of their family and friends -- not to mention their inner faith. And unlike so many other TV series which traffic in personal interrelationships, the characters in 7th Heaven are very much a part of the "real" world. During its lengthy WB run, the series has exposed its principals to a wide variety of contemporary issues: teen suicide, racial prejudice, substance abuse, drunken driving, homelessness, negative peer pressure, teen pregnancy, Alzheimer's disease, the Holocaust, the war in Iraq, and the crisis in the Sudan. Eminently suitable for viewers of all ages, but never a mere sop to the "kiddie" trade nor a placebo for the clean-up-TV brigades, 7th Heaven has been and will likely always remain the jewel in the WB crown. ~ All Movie Guide

Stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return along with director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this sequel to the 1995 sleeper hit Bad Boys, the film that sparked the careers of both actors, as well as Bay. Once again, Lawrence and Smith play hotshot, wisecracking Miami narcotics officers Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. This time around, Burnett and Lowrey have been assigned to head up a task force to investigate the illegal trafficking of ecstasy into the city. They discover that an underground gang war has been instigated by drug kingpin Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla). In order to cut off the flow of the designer drug, they have to take down Tapia. Unfortunately, there's a wrench thrown into the gears in the form of Burnett's sister Syd, whom Lowrey takes a liking to and begins a relationship with. Tensions rise between the partners, threatening both their friendship and the investigation and putting Syd in harm's way. Also returning from the first film are Joe Pantoliano as Captain Howard, Theresa Randle as Burnett's wife Theresa, and former-NBA star John Salley as 'Hacker' Fletcher. Among the supporting players new to this entry in the series are Peter Stormare and musician, spoken-word artist, and sometimes-actor Henry Rollins. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

The hard work, dedication, and personal politics behind "rah rah rah!" and "sis boom bah!" go under the microscope in this engaging teen comedy. Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) discovers that being captain of her San Diego high school's six-time championship-winning cheerleading squad is more complicated than she had imagined. Torrance's parents want her to spend more time on her homework, her boyfriend wants her to spend more time with him, and she learns that the squad's former captain stole some of their best routines from other teams -- and that Isis (Gabrielle Union), captain of a top squad at a crosstown, inner-city high school, plans to fight back this year. To make things worse, when one of the cheerleaders is injured, Torrance is forced to replace her with Missy (Eliza Dushku), a cynical new kid who is involved only because the school doesn't offer gymnastics. In the midst of this chaos, with the national championship around the corner, Torrance couldn't have picked a worse time to fall in love with Cliff (Jesse Bradford), a classmate who cares a lot more about punk rock than school spirit. Dunst trained with a cheerleading squad for her role, though a double performed the more complicated stunts. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An estranged African-American family from the deep South is forced to confront their painful past when as they come together to celebrate the life and legacy of the woman whose death served as the catalyst for renewed family bonds in this redemptive family drama starring Hill Harper, Billy Dee Williams, and Lesley Ann Warren. Carmel Boxer (Gabrielle Union) has passed away, and her entire family has returned to Huntsville, Alabama to pay their final respects. Coming together isn't easy for the Boxer family though, and for family patriarch Helms (Williams) in particular, the painful memories of an unrequited interracial love affair are something that he would rather just forget. As the revelations about Carmel's past prompt each family member to take stock of their pent up emotions and reevaluate their feelings about one another, the changing racial fabric of both society and his family prompts the troubled Helms to confront the inner demons that have tormented him for decades. In the end it's the redemptive power of love and the honesty of family that will help to inspire healing in a group whose hearts had been held hostage to their turbulent history for far too long. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Three men discover that meddling in their sister-in-law's love life only makes their own lives more complicated in this romantic comedy. Eva Dandridge (Gabrielle Union) developed a sense of responsibility early on in life, when after the death of her parents she was left to care for her three younger sisters, Kareenah (Essence Atkins), Bethany (Robinne Lee), and Jacqui (Meagan Good). All four of the Dandridge sisters have grown up to be attractive, intelligent, and successful; Kareenah is happily married to Tim (Mel Jackson), while Bethany is engaged to Michael (Duane Martin), and Jacqui is going steady with Darrell (Dartanyan Edmonds). However, Eva still watches over her siblings like a hawk, and while her sisters love Eva dearly, Tim, Michael, and Darrell wish their sister-in-law would stay out of their business. The guys decide that if Eva had a boyfriend, she might be less interested in running other people's lives, and they turn to Ray (LL Cool J), a notorious ladies' man, for help. Ray is short on cash, so the guys make him a deal -- they'll give him 5,000 dollars to romance Eva, sweep her off her feet, and then dump her a few weeks later. Ray agrees, and while getting past her no-nonsense demeanor takes some doing, before long she's head over heels for him. However, Ray unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with Eva, and Eva, when offered a job in another town, decides to stay on to be with Ray. Even worse, the other Dandridge sisters are so impressed with the romantic Ray that they start demanding a bit more TLC from their own men. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The title of this episode refers to actor James Woods, whom Peter Griffin befriends under unusual circumstances (what, exactly, would the USUAL circumstances be?). Before long, however, Peter regrets making the acquaintance of Woods, who refuses to leave the Griffin home despite all manner of provocation. Elsewhere, Brian the dog attends a PTA meeting, where he falls in love with a teacher named Shauna (voiced by Gabrielle Union). For reasons best known to producer Seth MacFarlane, this episode also features caricatured cameos by three actors in the Star Trek franchise: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn. And if nothing else, "Peter's Got Woods" proves that James Woods is a sucker for Reese's Pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Craig Ross Jr.'s action thriller Hustle & Heat features Duane Martin as PI "Rad" McCrae who is on the trail of the man who murdered his lifelong friend, Benjamin (Jadakiss), an up-and-coming rapper. Weapons expert Lisa (Vivica A. Fox) partners with McCrae and assists him in his quest for justice. At the center of his investigation is Benjamin's former producer, B. Free (Michael Taliferro), who controls quite a powerful business that often deals in illegal activities. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

With their home planet in danger and no place in the known universe to seek shelter, a desperate crew of miniature alien humanoids boards a human spacecraft in hopes of saving their doomed world. Eddie Murphy stars in a sci-fi comedy that re-teams the longtime comic actor with Norbit director Brian Robbins. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The ABC sci-fi/horror/thriller series Night Stalker was not so much a remake of the cult 1974 series Kolchak: The Night Stalker as it was a "reimagining" of the earlier show -- at least according to the series' producer, X-Files alumnus Frank Spotnitz. Stuart Townsend stepped into the old Darren McGavin role as maverick journalist Carl Kolchak, whose mission in life was to alert the world of various and sundry paranormal, supernatural, and extraterrestrial activities -- only to be made the fool each week when evidence substantiating his stories of ghost, monsters, spacemen, etc. mysteriously disappeared. Instead of answering to an acerbic, disbelieving editor (the role played by Simon Oakland in the original show), Kolchak verbally sparred, "Mulder and Scully" fashion, with his erstwhile partner, doubting reporter Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union). And whereas the "old" Kolchak was merely trying to make a living and restore his journalistic reputation, the "new" Kolchak was motivated by the unsolved murder of his wife -- which he claimed was at the hands of supernatural forces, but which the authorities suspected was his own handiwork (a dash of Fugitive there). The weekly, 60-minute Night Stalker premiered September 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A gay artist and telemarketer with a special knack for getting along well with children discovers just how closed-minded the suburbs can be when he attempts to find happiness after losing his godson in writer/director Peter Paige's affectionate, not-so-black comedy. Paul Johnson (Paige) is a Portland-based artist and telemarketer who loves nothing more in life than the time spent with his two-year-old godson, Morgan. Upon learning that his best friends the Fabers are moving to Japan and taking their son Morgan with them, Paul wallows in a state of deep denial that ultimately results in him missing the Fabers' departing flight. Encouraged by his good friend Russell (Anthony Clark) to get out of his house and spend more time with others, Paul soon ventures out to a local playground, where he finds comfort and joy in the youthful exuberance that surrounds him. When it comes to the concept of a grown homosexual spending time with young children, not everyone in the suburbs can be so accepting, though, and as Paul attempts to find ways of keeping himself surrounded by his pint-sized pals, nosy neighbor and disapproving mother Maggie Butler (Kathy Najimy) rallies a ready army of angry soccer moms to take action and keep Paul away from the local children. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The true story of two medical pioneers -- one celebrated, one overlooked -- is brought to life in this made-for-cable drama. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) is chief surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, where he is pioneering new techniques in heart surgery. Blalock makes the acquaintance of Vivien Thomas (Mos Def), a carpenter hired to work at the University, and to his surprise discovers a man of keen intelligence who has a great interest in medicine. However, as a poor black man in the Jim Crow South, Thomas lacks the financial resources to obtain a medical degree, though he certainly has the knowledge and the desire. Blalock takes Thomas on as his lab assistant, and together they develop a technique that allows them to correct a common congenital heart defect in children. However, while they work side by side in the lab and in the operating room, Blalock and Thomas do not walk the same paths in society, and Thomas develops a deep resentment that he has been given little credit for his contribution to a medical innovation that makes Blalock famous. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Something the Lord Made also features Gabrielle Union, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Charles S. Dutton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Suspecting that thieves have stashed millions in stolen bills in a nondescript Los Angeles home, a disgraced LAPD detective leads an invasion that quickly goes awry. Later, as two homicide detectives (Gabrielle Union and Giancarlo Esposito) interrogate the survivors - a fearless thief and a shell-shocked victim - it's gradually revealed that the detective's motives are clouded in mystery. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide