Thomas Gibson Movies
Versatile as well as tall, dark, and handsome, Thomas Gibson has moved easily between TV stardom and a varied movie career working with some of the industry's major names.Born and raised in Charleston, Gibson found his calling as a child, making his acting debut at age ten in children's theater productions. Though he attended the College of Charleston, Gibson relocated when he won a scholarship to New York's prestigious Juilliard School. After earning his B.F.A., Gibson made his professional New York theater debut in 1985. Gibson spent the rest of the 1980s doing theater, as well as branching out into television with two seasons on the daytime drama Another World and the TV movie Gore Vidal's Lincoln (1988).
Gibson made the transition to films in style with a co-starring role opposite Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Ron Howard's glossy Irish-American epic Far and Away (1992). Along with playing a bit part in Martin Scorsese's lush The Age of Innocence (1993), Gibson further distinguished himself that year with larger roles in the critically praised PBS miniseries Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City and French-Canadian director Denys Arcand's first English-language film, the contemporary drama Love and Human Remains (1993).
Gibson subsequently appeared in the second part of Whit Stillman's preppy trilogy, Barcelona (1994), and in the indie Sleep With Me (1994), but he became better-known to TV audiences that year on the CBS hospital drama Chicago Hope. After three seasons on the show, Gibson became an even more prominent TV presence in 1997 when he was cast as the straight-laced husband Greg to Jenna Elfman's hippie Dharma on the ABC sitcom Dharma and Greg. Though he also appeared in the TV miniseries A Will of Their Own (1998) and Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City (1998) during Dharma's first seasons, Gibson's sitcom fame was such that a few critics wondered what it was about the show that prompted Stanley Kubrick to cast Gibson (and reunite him with Cruise) in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Gibson continued to balance Hollywood with outside projects during his hiatuses with a small part in the ill-fated sequel The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, a starring role in Arcand's celebrity culture satire Stardom, and a supporting turn as the slick surfer Kanaka in the campy '60s teen-film parody Psycho Beach Party. Gibson is married and has one son. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Originally telecast in two parts on March 27 and 28 of 1988, Lincoln was adapted from the bestselling "factual fiction" by Gore Vidal. Sam Waterston stars as Abraham Lincoln, with Mary Tyler Moore frighteningly convincing as the tragic Mary Todd Lincoln. Predictably, Part One of Lincoln deals with the inauguration, the outbreak of War, and the president's tiltings with his cabinet, while Part Two includes the Emancipation Proclamation, the appointment of General Grant (James Gammon), and the assassination. The throughline of the script is the deteriorating mental condition of Mary Lincoln, not to mention her injurious impulsiveness: at one point, Honest Abe must cover up the fact that Mary has stolen a copy of his inaugural speech and sold it. Evidently, the name of Gore Vidal was not considered enough of a drawing card by the NBC publicists, who insisted upon advertising Lincoln as the second coming of Gone With the Wind, adding the teaser tagline "The Untold Story." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this epic Ron Howard film, Joseph Donelly (Tom Cruise) is an impoverished 19th-century Irish tenant farmer who has recently lost both his father and his home to the agents of his unscrupulous landlord. On a mission to avenge his family's injustice at the hands of the ruthless land baron Joseph meets the landlord's daughter and the two run off to America together where the girl expects to claim a piece of land for herself in the Oklahoma Land Rush. After she is robbed on the boat that carries them to America, they arrive with nary a penny and struggle just to keep their heads above water in the slums of Boston. After a series of serious set-backs they do eventually work their way out West, where Joseph must fight to realize his dream and claim a piece of the American Dream for himself -- and where they finally acknowledge their love for each other. Shot in wide-screen Panavision, the movie was filmed on-location in Ireland and Montana. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, (more)
- 1993
- R
Based upon a play by screenwriter Brad Fraser, Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, Denys Arcand's dark-humored drama Love and Human Remains follows the lives of a group of young Canadians, with a particular focus on their romantic and sexual experiences. The central characters are two roommates, David and Candy. The cynical, witty David is a former television actor turned waiter, the lonely, dissatisfied Candy a book critic; the two were formerly lovers, before David proclaimed his homosexuality. Candy is also questioning her sexuality, having begun a lesbian affair after wondering if her failures with men indicates she might be happier with a woman; meanwhile, David is becoming acquainted with Kane, a handsome, young busboy of uncertain sexuality who idolizes the older David. The other members of the ensemble are also somehow connected to the roommates, through friendship or romance, including Benita, a young dominatrix and part-time psychic, and Bernie, a boastful but insecure young businessman. The couplings and shifting relationships of these characters are intercut with the rather more severe story of a serial murderer who has been terrorizing the city's women, allowing Arcand to place the film's melodramatic elements in an edgier context. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Gibson, Ruth Marshall, (more)
In Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel, romance between an upper-class gentleman and an ostracized lady is doomed by 19th century New York society. Shortly after his engagement to blandly genteel May Welland (Winona Ryder), Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is reacquainted with May's scandalous cousin Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). As the head of an esteemed family, Archer initially uses his standing to try to rehabilitate Ellen's reputation, but he finds himself increasingly drawn to her disregard for the codes of New York manners. Bound by ingrained society mores and his peers' insinuations, Newland tries to dodge his growing passion by rushing his marriage to May, but he cannot keep himself from confessing his love to Ellen. Recognizing that Newland could never abandon his sense of honor and be happy, Ellen pushes Newland to May and leaves town. The marriage proceeds as dictated, but when Newland unexpectedly sees Ellen again, he yearns for the affair to come to fruition. However, he underestimates not only what May knows but also her ability to uphold the rules of propriety. Sumptuously shot by Michael Ballhaus, the film offers meticulously designed costumes and settings that evoke a culture as seductively beautiful in its surfaces as it is stifling in its rituals. Unspoken emotions are expressed through such details as yellow roses or a clipped cigar, a fade to red or a single camera move. Using Wharton's original prose to comment on the setting's hypocrisies, Joanne Woodward's voiceover narration suggests how much decisive power is buried beneath dainty femininity. The Age of Innocence received five Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Ryder and Best Screenplay for Scorsese and Jay Cocks, and a win for Best Costumes. Although The Age of Innocence seemed like a departure from Scorsese's prior work, Newland is as much at the mercy of his circle's Byzantine structure (and his own conscience) as are Scorsese's more familiar mobsters; Newland's persecutors just wear white tie and tails. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, (more)
Author Armistead Maupin's serialized tale of sexual infidelity and identity in 1970s San Francisco becomes a sprawling comic melodrama in this much-acclaimed miniseries. Produced by PBS and Britain's Channel 4, Tales of the City covers in its five hours the interlocking stories of more than a dozen main characters, many of whom reside at 28 Barbary Lane, a quaint multi-apartment house overseen by the open-minded but enigmatic Mrs. Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis). Among her stable of residents are the acerbic, unlucky-in-love Mona Ramsey (Chloe Webb) and her occasional roommate Michael Tolliver (Marcus D'Amico), who's her constant companion -- that is, when he's not shacked up with one of an endless series of short-term boyfriends. Mrs. Madrigal's newest charge is the apple-cheeked Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney), a naïve young woman from the Midwest who's come to San Francisco to visit her friend Connie (Parker Posey), but ends up staying, in search of both a career and a husband. It isn't long before she finds the former; unfortunately, along with it comes the unwanted advances of her boss Beauchamp Day (Thomas Gibson), a philandering executive unhappily married to his boss Edgar's daughter, DeDe (Barbara Garrick). Meanwhile, the regal Edgar (Donald Moffat) happens to be conducting an affair of his own with none other than Mrs. Madrigal. Also starring Bill Campbell and Paul Gross, Tales of the City was first aired on Channel 4 in the spring of 1993 and made its PBS premiere in the winter of 1994, when it garnered some of the network's highest ratings ever, amidst vocal protest of the show's risqué content. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, (more)
Seemingly content living the life of a derelict, former mercenary Nick (Dolph Lundgren) agrees -- reluctantly and only after he is offered a large fortune from two mining company executives -- to gather up a unit of fellow soldiers of fortune and fly to the island of Jakarta in order to convince local peasants to give up their land. Once he arrives, Nick sees soldiers burn a peasant village. When he learns that the bloodshed is not for the control of such riches as uranium or jade, but for an ancient deposit of bat guano, he changes his alliance and begins fighting for the natives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, Charlotte Lewis, (more)
The second film from writer/director Whit Stillman, Barcelona is a smart, urbane comedy of manners set in Spain at the tail end of the Cold War. Taylor Nichols stars as Ted, an American salesman living in Barcelona. Out of the blue, he is visited by his acidic cousin Fred (Chris Eigeman), a U.S. Navy officer sent abroad to work damage control on rising anti-American sentiment. The textbook "Ugly American," Fred travels through the city in full military regalia, impervious to the constant taunts of "Fascist!" Like the similarly self-absorbed Ted, who has become involved with political activist Monsterrat (Tushka Bergen), Fred also finds romance, with a party girl played by Mira Sorvino. A brittle fish-out-of-water comedy, Barcelona is literate and sophisticated, a knowing essay on cultural identity and perception. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Taylor Nichols, Christopher Eigeman, (more)
Six screenwriters, all real-life friends, each wrote one of the sequences in this romantic comedy-drama that unfolds at a half-dozen parties and celebrations. During a cross-country trip, Joe (Eric Stoltz) proposes to his girlfriend Sarah (Meg Tilly) with his best friend Frank (Craig Sheffer) looking on. At the couple's rehearsal dinner, Sarah confesses privately to Frank her attraction to him, but what she doesn't know is that Frank is in love with her. They share a kiss, which leads to an argument between Joe and Frank at their next meeting, a weekly poker game with their buddies. At a video shoot, a dinner party, another poker game, and a few more celebrations, the friendship between the three of them is challenged by the nascent attraction between Frank and Sarah. In the meantime, the all-male poker game is invaded by Athena (Parker Posey) and Lauren (Joey Lauren Adams), and a party guest, Sid (Quentin Tarantino), delivers a memorable treatise on the homoerotic subtext of Top Gun (1986). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Stoltz, Meg Tilly, (more)
- 1995
- PG13
In this made-for-television domestic drama, a young adolescent girl is shocked to discover that the woman she calls "Mother" may not be related to her at all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Veronica Hamel, Richard Kiley, (more)
- 1996
Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji board the new Questor II and head off for adventure in Nova Scotia. The teenaged Quest team members get a lot more than they bargained for when they come upon a fog-enshrouded island and an ancient and bloody vendetta. Series regular Frank Welker delivers a virtuoso performance as a phantom cat. "Ghost Quest" made its American cable TV bow on December 25, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, Rob Paulsen, (more)
- 1996
Following her brother's death, a graduate student looks into his demise and finds that he had stolen a box filled with alien remains. Now she too is in terrible danger as the government is determined to keep the secret. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faith Ford, Thomas Gibson, (more)
Sydney Carpenter (Vanessa Marcil) has just learned that her husband is a low-down crook. Not long afterward, both Sydney's husband and her son are lost at sea. Though she grieves for her son, there is clearly an air of relief about Sydney whenever she discusses her hubby. Even so, when evidence surfaces that the deaths have been faked and that at least one of the two "victims" may still be alive, Sydney engages the services of a police detective, Jim Sanders (James Wilder), to uncover the truth--this despite the fact that the FBI has ordered Sanders and his department to steer clear of the case. To Love, Honor and Deceive first aired December 15, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Marcil, James Wilder, (more)
- 1997
Kim Delaney stars as an old apartment building's new tenant in this creepy made-for-TV horror movie from director Bobby Roth. Delaney's character almost died as a small girl, and doesn't know that the only reason she survived is that her mother (Grace Zabriskie) made a deal with Satan that Delaney would bear his child when she grew up. Conveniently, Satan lives right next door now, disguised as a handsome professor (Thomas Gibson from Dharma and Greg). Interestingly, this story is about a pregnant woman, Satanists, and an ominous apartment building, just like Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby. Polanski's wife was murdered by members of the Manson Family, who were later convicted in the so-called "Trial of the Century." Why is this significant? Because this very similar film was written and co-produced by Pablo Fenjves, best known for hearing the Akita dog barking in the O.J. Simpson case, the other "Trial of the Century." ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Delaney, Thomas Gibson, (more)
Dashing into the street to prevent her daughter from being hit by truck, widow Joanna Burke (Sherilyn Fenn) is herself struck down an rendered unconscious. She awakens to find herself in a parallel world, where she has no daughter, someone else is living in her house, and there is no "Joanna Burke." Instead, everyone refers to Joanna as Sarah Randolph -- the same Sarah Randolph who has been accused of murdering her own son. Not surprisingly, no one believes Joanna/Sarah when she protests her innocence, except for Dr. Matt Westbrook (Thomas Gibson)...who may himself be trapped in a world he never made. Adapted from the paranormal novel by Margaret Tabor, the made-for-TV Nightmare Street was first telecast by ABC on January 18, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Rena Sofer, (more)
Forbidden love between a beautiful orphan and an eligible upper-class bachelor sparks jealousy and deceit in the family that took her in as a child in this period drama from director Bobby Roth. As a child, Edith Adelon (Cari Shayne) was taken in by the wealthy Henry Hamilton (Tom Conti) so that she could live at the lavish Evanswood Estate and serve as a paid companion to Henry's lonesome daughter Amy (Brigitta Dau). Over the years, Amy and Edith grow to become the best of friends and most personal of confidantes, though everything changes when a trio of visitors arrive to attend the annual Greens Cup horse race and Beatrice Hamilton (Meredith Baxter) enlists Edith's help in choosing an marriageable suitor for cousin Ida Glenshaw (Brigid Brannagh). When both of the eligible bachelors show signs of affection for Edith instead of Ida, the rising tensions force the privileged orphan to consider her true status among the upper class. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Armistead Maupin calls the three-story wooden house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco "my homestead, my Tara." He began his portrait of Barbary Lane life during the '70s in a daily newspaper serial, expanding the material into a series of six novels. PBS aired the original TV miniseries in 1994, but threats and pressures prompted PBS to drop their plans for a follow-up, leaving an unresolved cliffhanger for four years. Several members of the original PBS cast were reunited for this six-part Showtime sequel (adapted from Maupin's second novel in the series), set in San Francisco of 1977. It picks up the threads of the story six weeks after the point where the PBS miniseries ended. When Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney), hoping for romance, and her cynical gay friend Michael (Paul Hopkins) take a Mexican cruise, Mary Ann meets amnesia victim Burke Andrew (Colin Ferguson) and Michael runs into his former lover, Dr. Jon Fielding (William Campbell). Michael's roommate Mona Ramsey (Nina Siemaszko), in a purple haze of pot and angel dust, answers phones at a Reno brothel owned by Mother Mucca (Jackie Burroughs). Mona learns about her lineage and also about Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis), the former Mr. Madrigal. Rich widow Frannie (Diana LeBlanc) finds a cure for her depression at the rural resort Pinus, where society ladies celebrate their 60th birthdays with youthful houseboys. Beauchamp Day (Thomas Gibson) is married to Frannie's pregnant daughter DeDe (Barbara Garrick), but Beauchamp isn't the father. Locations include San Francisco, Montreal (substituting for some areas of San Francisco), and Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Premiered June 7, 1998 on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, (more)
Originally a two-part, five-hour NBC miniseries, this turn-of-the-20th-century tale follows the adventures of a headstrong American woman who sets forth to fulfill her dreams of becoming a professional photographer. Along the way, she makes many sacrifices. The story also chronicles the lives of this woman's daughter and grandaughter, both of whom come to draw strength and inspiration from the extraordinary life of their matriarch. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lea Thompson, Ellen Burstyn, (more)
The final work of legendary director Stanley Kubrick, who died within a week of completing the edit, stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, at the time Hollywood's most bankable celebrity couple, and was shot on a open-ended schedule (finally totaling over 400 days), with closed sets in London standing in for New York City. Cruise and Kidman play William and Alice Harford, a physician and a gallery manager who are wealthy, successful, and travel in a sophisticated social circle; however, a certain amount of decadence crosses their paths on occasion, and a visit to a formal-dress party leads them into sexual temptation when William is drafted into helping a beautiful girl who has overdosed on drugs while Alice is charmed by a man bent on seduction. While neither William and Alice act on their adulterous impulses, once the issue has been brought into the open, it begins a dangerous season of erotic gamesmanship for the couple, with William in particular openly confronting his desire for new sexual experiences. What didn't make the final cut of Eyes Wide Shut may have been as fascinating as what finally appeared on screen: Harvey Keitel was replaced almost immediately by Sydney Pollack, while Jennifer Jason Leigh was replaced by Marie Richardson after she had shot all her scenes and left town. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, (more)
- 2000
- PG
- Add The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas to QueueAdd The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas to top of Queue
Before the Flintstones were everyone's favorite Stone Age family, Fred was just a regular guy looking for the girl of his dreams, and his romance with Wilma sets the stage for this prequel to the 1994 screen adaptation of the popular cartoon series. Fred Flintstone (Mark Addy), a working-class caveman who earns his living at Mr. Slate's quarry, falls in love with wealthy heiress Wilma Slaghoople (Kristen Johnson). While many people think that Fred is out of his league, including Wilma's mother Pearl (Joan Collins) and her father Col. Slaghoople (Harvey Korman), he's determined to win her heart. And when his best friend Barney Rubble (Stephen Baldwin) decides to take his best girl Betty (Jane Krakowski) for a fun weekend in Rock Vegas, he invites Wilma to tag along. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas recasts all the major roles from 1994's The Flintstones; Harvey Korman is the only actor to appear in both films, though in different roles (in the previous movie, he was the voice of the Dictabird). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
Robert Lee King directs this wacky, campy fusion of teenaged surfer flicks and slasher sagas. Impossibly perky Florence (Lauren Ambrose) doesn't quite fit in at her thoroughly square high school in her seaside Southern California town -- that is, until she happens upon a band of ultra-hip surfer dudes. Renaming herself "Chicklet," she tries her gosh-darnedest to be the sole girl riding the waves with the group led by suave Kanaka (Thomas Gibson). While adopting her surfer alter ego, Florence soon discovers that other less pleasant personalities emerge when confronted with the sight of polka dots. One called Anne Bowman is a tough, "experienced" older lady, while the other, Tylene, is a stereotypical sassy black woman. Blacking out whenever these other personalities take over, Florence becomes increasingly worried that she is responsible for a series of grizzly murders. Of course, she is far from the only suspicious character in her oceanside community -- there's B-movie star Bettina Barnes (Kimberly Davies), Swedish exchange student Lars (Matt Keeslar), and Florence's own unnervingly-perfect mom (Beth Broderick). This film was adapted from a popular off-Broadway play written by Charles Busch. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Ambrose, Thomas Gibson, (more)
French Canadian director Denys Arcand pushes the boundaries of the mockumentary with Stardom, the tale of a fictional neophyte supermodel (Jessica Pare) told entirely through clips of her appearances on talk shows, television interviews, and documentaries. Originally titled 15 Moments, Stardom begins its portrait at a women's hockey game in the nether regions of Ontario, Canada. When the team's formidable teenage forward Tina (Pare) pulls her helmet off, letting her brunette tresses fly, a bystander snaps a photo, and Tina soon becomes the buzz at the country's hottest fashion houses. Her rise through the industry, however, is plagued by advances from older men with sundry motives: a smitten French photographer (Charles Berling), a smarmy entrepreneur (Dan Aykroyd), the Canadian Ambassador to the U.N. (Frank Langella), and a slick promoter (Thomas Gibson, the latter half of TV's Dharma and Greg). Stardom was the closing film at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time in over 50 years that a Canadian production was chosen for such an honor; it would go on to open the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Paré, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
One man's insatiable appetite for sex begins upending his life in this biting independent comedy. Jack (Nestor Carbonell) is a photographer known to his friends as "Jack the Dog," thanks to his compulsive womanizing; Jack seems incapable of staying with one partner for long before he finds himself attracted to someone else, and given his good looks and easy charm, Jack doesn't have much trouble convincing the women he meets to spend the night with him. Deep inside, Jack wants to change, and he tries to put himself on the straight and narrow by marrying Faith (Barbara Williams). Jack and Faith soon have a son, Sam (Andrew J. Ferchland), whom Jack dotes upon, but Faith turns out to be a poor advertisement for long-term monogamy; she's not especially warm or forgiving, and she's started to show her age, which only intensifies Jack's taste for younger women. Jack soon slides into chronic infidelity, and Faith leaves him, relocating to London and leaving Sam behind. This is good news as far as Jack's concerned, but as he tries to watch over his son, while also seducing an endless parade of beautiful women, Jack finds himself increasingly puzzled by the opposite sex, and he wonders if he might have a problem he hasn't learned to deal with. Jack the Dog received its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nestor Carbonell, Barbara Williams, (more)
The two-part TV miniseries The Lost Empire was loosely based upon Chang-En Wu's classic 16th century Chinese novel, His Yu Chi (Journey to the West). Updated to the present, the series was set in motion when American journalist Nick Orton (Thomas Gibson) agreed to track down the lost manuscript of Chang-En Wu's masterpiece, which had fallen into the proverbial wrong hands. Accompanied by a curious collection of mythical creatures, including the Monkey King (Russell Wong), a piglike human and a former cannibal, Nick found himself fighting evil and sorcery at every turn, secure in the knowledge that he would win the love of Kwan Ying (Bai Ling), the Goddess of Mercy, if he successfully completed his mission. Filmed partially in Prague by Hallmark Entertainment, The Lost Empire (later released to video as a 132-minute feature titled The Monkey King) was broadcast by NBC on March 11 and 12, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Gibson, Bai Ling, (more)
