Marita Geraghty Movies
- 2003
In the slaughterhouse of the Meteor Meat Company, the arm of a murdered victim is found in a meat grinder. In the course of their investigation, Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) end up at the trendy restaurant where the victim had worked as a chef. Elsewhere, Warrick (Gary Dourdan) and Sara (Jorja Fox) try to determine if a disturbed young woman named Jill Damon slit her wrists in a suicide attempt -- or if she was murdered. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
17-year-old Victor Jackson (Billy Kay) is accused of using his car as a lethal weapon, deliberately running over a pedestrian while imitating the ultra-violent video game "Carjack 2000: Millenium Mayhem." That Victor's trial is not an ordinary one is tipped off by the fact that Tess (Della Reese) is the judge, Andrew (John Dye) is the defense attorney and Rafael (Alexis Cruz) is the prosecutor. Meanwhile, Monica (Roma Downey) tries to get the whole truth about the tragedy from the only eyewitness, Victor's 14-year-old cousin Josh--likewise a rabid video game addict. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
A 12-person focus group comprised of ordinary citizens reviews Frasier's radio show. 11 of the 12 love the show; the 12th, the owner of a newspaper stand, does not. Neurotically obsessing over why this particular group member is apparently hostile toward him, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) begins stalking the poor fellow -- and nearly destroys his life. The hapless newsie is played by guest star Tony Shalhoub, several years removed from his starring turn on Monk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A psychiatrist treats a most unusual patient, only to find that the doctor is the one who gains the most from their sessions in this philosophical romantic comedy. A young man in a mask and cape (played by Johnny Depp) is standing atop a billboard, threatening to jump. When the potential suicide is finally talked down, he's brought to a psychiatric facility where after one doctor washes his hands of the case, he's placed under the supervision of Dr. Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando), an aging psychiatrist soon to retire. The patient informs Mickler that he is actually the great lover Don Juan, who has seduced over 1,500 women, but has fallen into a deep depression after being unable to win the hand of the woman of his dreams. Mickler has ten days to work with "Don Juan," after which he will either be released on medication or committed to a long-term stay in a mental hospital. As Mickler talks with the young man, who speaks rapturously of the art of love, the doctor finds that his philosophies are helping to kick start his failing relationship with his wife (Faye Dunaway), and he slowly becomes convinced that his patient might really be Don Juan after all. Don Juan DeMarco's theme song, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," became a major hit for singer and songwriter Bryan Adams; after working with Marlon Brando on this film, Johnny Depp cast the legendary actor in a key supporting role in his directorial debut, The Brave. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, (more)
- 1994
- R
Scott Glenn plays an ex-cop, and Lara Flynn Boyle is his gorgeous neighbor in this crime thriller about hot sex and murder that is chock-full of twists and turns. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
- 1994
Jamie (Helen Hunt) feels too bad to see a feel-good movie. Still, Paul (Paul Reiser) persuades her to accompany him to the theater, if for no other reason than to meet Ira's (John Pankow) new sweetie. Not only do things go to hell in a hand basket, but waitress Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) isn't at Riff's anymore (try looking for her on Friends). All this, plus an important message from the mayor of the city of New York. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bill Murray plays Phil, a TV weatherman working for a local station in Pennsylvania but convinced that national news stardom is in his grasp. Phil displays a charm and wit on camera that evaporates the moment the red light goes off; he is bitter, appallingly self-centered, and treats his co-workers with contempt, especially his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliot). On February 2, 1992, Phil, Rita, and Larry are sent on an assignment that Phil especially loathes: the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA, where the citizens await the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who will supposedly determine the length of winter by his ability to see his own shadow. Phil is eager to beat a hasty retreat, but when a freak snowstorm strands him in Punxsutawney, he wakes up the next morning with the strangest sense of déjà vu: he seems to be living the same day over again. The next morning it happens again, and then again. Soon, no matter what he does, he's stuck in February 2, 1992; not imprisonment nor attempted suicide nor kidnapping the groundhog gets him out of the loop. But the more Phil relives the same day, the more he's forced to look at other people's lives, and something unusual happens: he begins to care about others. He starts to respect people, he tries to save the life of a homeless man, and he discovers that he's falling in love with Rita and therefore wants to be someone that she could love in return. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, (more)
- 1992
- PG13
Based on the book by Meg Wolitzer, This Is My Life is the directorial debut for Nora Ephron, who adapted the script with sister, Delia Ephron. Dottie Engels (Julie Kavner) is a single mother with aspirations of becoming a standup comedian. When her Aunt Harriet dies, Dottie gets an apartment in Manhattan with her daughters, teenaged Erica (Samantha Mathis) and ten-year-old Opal (Gaby Hoffmann). Soon, Dottie's career is taking off and her agent, Claudia Curtis (Carrie Fisher), gets her on a comedy tour. Everything seems to work out well for Dottie, except that her daughters are left without a mother. Erica, who has just started dating Jordan (Danny Zorn) gets especially mad when she hears Dottie talking about her personal information on a talk show. The two girls are further upset with their mother's choice for a boyfriend, Arnold Moss (Dan Aykroyd). Eventually, Erica and Opal try to track down their real father, Norm (Louis di Banco), in upstate New York. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Kavner, Samantha Mathis, (more)
Stephen Frears' Hero is a contemporary re-working of a Frank Capra-styled fable about a two-bit criminal named Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) who saves several passengers from a plane crash and leaves the scene without being identified, leaving only a lost shoe for identification. One of the passengers happens to be news-reporter Gale (Geena Davis) who is intent on finding her savior, and offers a million dollars to the "hero" of the crashed flight. Bernie has since given his remaining shoe to a homeless man named John (Andy Garcia) who decides to cash in on the offer. A handsome, charming man, John wins the hearts of the entire city. Soon, Bernie realizes that he's been cheated out of a million dollars, and he begins an effort to get his proper recognition--and his money. Hero manages to be quite funny and satirical while sticking to a story that is essentially a Hollywood fable. That is to the credit of director Frears and the cast, who turn in uniformly excellent performances. Nevertheless, Hoffman is superb as a bitterly comic and spiteful variation on his classic Ratso Rizzo character. By the way, be on the lookout for Chevy Chase in a very funny cameo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, (more)
- 1991
A newlywed's infant meets a fate worse than death in this horror movie. She believes the child has died, but then she learns the awful truth--her husband and his coven of witches are using the infant in their terrifying rituals. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Hot off her success in Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts starred in this thriller about a battered wife stalked by her abusive husband. Roberts plays Laura Burney, the wife of a rich investment counselor, Martin (Patrick Bergin). Martin appreciates his wife as a trophy, but at home he abuses her for not keeping the house as clean as he would like it. The verbal abuse descends into physical violence --so much so that Laura decides to disappear rather than live a life under Martin as a brutalized slave. Laura fakes her own death by drowning, and relocates to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she changes her name to Sara Waters. She starts a relationship with her friendly Iowa neighbor Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson), but her happiness is short-lived. Martin has discovered that Laura has staged her drowning and is coming to Iowa to reclaim his possession. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, (more)
- 1990
The then-contemporary "Preppie Murder" case was the obvious inspiration for this 1990 episode of Law & Order. A wealthy and well-connected young man is charged with the murder of his girlfriend. The efforts of Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) to prosecute the case are stymied by a huge publicity blitz, and by the Defense's strategy of putting the dead woman's character on trial. "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" was originally telecast October 11, 1990, as a last-minute replacement for the scheduled episode "Poison Ivy" (which was moved up to November 20). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Fresh Horses features Molly Ringwald as Jewel, a Kentucky shanty gal. Jewel finds herself romantically involved with wealthy University of Cincinnati student Matt Larkin (Andrew McCarthy). Though willing to throw over his "proper" fiancee for Jewel, Matt isn't prepared for the horrible secret that Jewel holds within her. Directed by David Anspaugh, Fresh Horses is also known as The Eccentricity of People and Syntax. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
Hiding Out, a surprisingly entertaining and engaging action comedy, directed by Bob Giraldi, takes the implausible idea that an adult man could enroll in high school and pass as a student and makes it real. Andrew (Jon Cryer) is a stockbroker hunted by a professional killer. He flees to stay with his sister and her teenage son Patrick (Keith Coogan). Andrew shaves off his beard, cuts his hair, and enrolls in Patrick's high school, pretending to be 17 years old. Cryer does a great job of convincingly playing both ages, and Coogan shines as the teenage son. Director Giraldi has great visual style and gives the film an energy that makes it both enjoyable and believable. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Cryer, Keith Coogan, (more)
Writer/director/producer James L. Brooks scores on all counts with this clear-eyed look at the television news business and the dysfunctional types who work in it. Brooks' intelligent script introduces us to Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), an ambitious producer at the network news division's Washington D.C. branch, who is calm under fire yet has a good cry at her desk every morning over her empty personal life. Jane works well with Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), an excellent reporter who lacks the visual charisma to make him a star. Into their lives comes Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a regional newscaster who admits he can't write news and doesn't understand many of the events he's covering, but has the presence and physical appeal that the increasingly entertainment-oriented network wants for its news programs. Jane is also physically attracted to him, which drives her crazy, because Grunick stands for everything she's fighting against in the news business, while Altman is devastated by her attraction because he secretly yearns for Jane. As Grunick becomes a rising star at the network, and layoffs of the old guard loom, the three leads deal with their feelings for each other, their careers, and their values. Hunter, Hurt, and Brooks are all superb, as is the excellent supporting cast (including an unbilled turn by Jack Nicholson as the network's smarmy national anchor). Brooks' script is funny, poignant, gritty, and brutally honest in its examinations of the television industry and the ways in which professionals interact on and off the job. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hurt, Albert Brooks, (more)
High-powered gangsters move this crime drama along at a fast pace. When two cops, Eddie Jillette (Richard Gere) and Joe Collins (Gary Basaraba), hear about a contract out on local crime boss Losado (Jeroen Krabbe), they go undercover posing as hitmen, and the result is murder. Collins and the man who hired them, Paul Deveneux (Terry Kinney) are killed, and Jillette goes looking for the assassin. He ends up in New Orleans where he locates Michel Duval (Kim Basinger), the girlfriend of Deveneux now virtually held a prisoner by Losado. Jillette has his work cut out for him. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Kim Basinger, (more)
