Jane Adams Movies
In an industry drowning in silicone and Botox injections, earthy actress Jane Adams stands out among the crowd as a modest, natural beauty with a powerhouse talent and a chameleon-like ability to disappear into her roles so convincingly that she has found success on both the indie circuit and among the mainstream Hollywood elite. Though she had been acting onscreen for over a decade by the time she essayed her breakout role as the sadly sweet heroine of director Todd Solondz's controversial comedy drama Happiness in 1998, Adams has made up for lost time by turning in impressive, memorable performances in such efforts as Wonder Boys and The Anniversary Party -- and gained exposure thanks to a recurring role as the second wife of Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) on the popular television sitcom Frasier.It was shortly after moving to Seattle from Illinois that the Washington, D.C. native realized her calling on the stage; a role in a junior high school production of Pinocchio eventually led her to become involved with the local community theater scene. Though Adams would initially enroll in Seattle's Cornish Institute as a political science major, the call of the stage proved too much to resist and she eventually packed her bags and opted to follow the bright beacon of the Broadway lights. Once she was in New York, Adams studied at Juilliard under the tutelage of Bill Kahn, later appearing in a Playwrights Horizons production of The Nice and the Nasty before landing her first Broadway role as the virginal Dierdre in Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet. Moonlighting as a preschool teacher as a means to maintain her sanity during her downtime between roles, Adams set her sights on the screen after making her debut in the 1985 comedy Bombs Away! -- eventually realizing that if she was going to make it in film she would have to make the move to Los Angeles. In the early years of her Hollywood career, Adams got little chance to truly light up the screen since her roles were mainly of the supporting variety, but parts in such widely seen releases as Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Father of the Bride II, and Kansas City did help to build her resumé and increase her exposure.
A Tony-winning role in the 1994 production of An Inspector Calls also served to gain Adams some respect on-stage, and in 1998, she finally got her big break onscreen thanks to her endearing performance as plain Jane, sad sack Joy Jordan in Happiness. Though it was obvious to all who saw the film that Adams certainly had the talent to carry a film, Hollywood still relegated her to supporting roles in Songcatcher, Wonder Boys, and Orange County. If fans had wondered where Adams disappeared to following her small but memorable performance in Orange County, their questions were answered when she appeared in a small capacity in director Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends) writes, directs, and produces this intimate marriage drama focusing on the troubled union of an artistic young couple. As temptations both sexual and creative in nature challenge the couple's monogamous relationship, the facade of happiness fades to reveal the hardships of modern marriage. Jess Weixler, Justin Rice, and Jane Adams star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jess Weixler, Justin Rice, (more)
A psychiatrist (Ben Kingsley) is put into a moral quandary when a young drug dealer who's been supplying him with pot in exchange for clinical treatment ends up dating his daughter in this comedy from All the Boys Love Mandy Lane's writer/director Jonathan Levine. Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Method Man co-star in the Occupant Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, (more)
- 2008
Lifelines examines an extraordinarily stressful day in the life of the dangerously dysfunctional suburban Bernstein family. Mom Nancy (Jane Adams), a schoolteacher, is unable to handle the constant barrage of hostility from her three children. Husband Ira (Josh Pais) is ineffectual, but tries to convince Nancy that her addiction to coffee isn't helping her anxiety. Older son Mikey (Robbie Sublett) is a stutterer, and barely able to express himself under the best conditions. Middle child Meghan (Dreama Walker of Gossip Girl) flouts whatever restrictions her parents place on her, inviting her boyfriend for overnight visits, while youngest child Spencer (Jacob Kogan of the 2009 Star Trek) suffers from ADHD, and needs to be handcuffed to the car to get him to participate in a family outing. The family visits a therapist, Dr. Livingston (Joe Morton), where Ira reveals that he's leaving Nancy because he's discovered that he's gay. Just when the family appears ready to fracture irreparably, Dr. Livingston calmly takes them into his office, one at a time, and finds a way to get each of them to communicate with him. But the painful confessions he elicits may prove too much for their already fragile family bonds to withstand. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Adams, Josh Pais, (more)
- 2007
Foreman (Omar Epps) takes on the case of Lupe (Monique Gabriela Cumen), a 28-year-old con artist suffering from "brain freeze". At first contemptueous of Lupe because she has never tried to rise above her inner-city surroundings (as he has), Foreman eventually becomes so emotionally involved with the woman that it clouds his medical judgment--a fact that will have serious ramifications in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, House (Hugh Laurie) picks the brain of one of Wilson's ex-wives (Jane Adams) to figure out why Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) has so much trouble holding on to a woman. This episode was directed by former ER costar Paul McCrane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Neil Jordan's The Brave One stars Jodie Foster as a happy woman whose life changes irrevocably after a brutal assault leaves her partner (Naveen Andrews) dead. The woman, feeling that the police investigation will be unable to catch the perpetrators, begins to live in constant fear. This outlook results in the woman eventually dispatching vigilante justice. Terrence Howard co-stars as the officer in charge of the investigation. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, (more)
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Field teams with novelist Tom Perrotta to adapt Perrotta's acclaimed novel concerning the suburban malaise experienced by a handful of small-town individuals whose intersecting lives converge in a variety of surprising, and sometimes ominous, ways. Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, and Patrick Wilson star in a cinematic adaptation that doesn't aim so much to simply reproduce the book for the screen as it does to re-imagine the written word by exploring new possibilities for the characters and situations originally presented in Perrotta's 2004 best-seller. Sarah (Winslet) is a suburban outsider who, unlike the other playground moms, isn't afraid to approach the dreamy but long-absent father whom smitten housewives have taken to calling the "Prom King." Long days at the local community pool with their respective children soon find Sarah becoming acquainted with local husband and father Brad (Patrick Wilson) -- who seems to share in her seething discontentment with life in their quaint commuter town. An English literature major who never envisioned a fate as a soccer mom, Sarah has a growing dissatisfaction with her successful husband (Gregg Edelman) that parallels Brad's increasing frustration with his inability to pass the bar and connect with his wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a successful documentary filmmaker. It's not long before the dejected pair is meeting for a series of illicit afternoon trysts as their unsuspecting spouses work and their children lie quietly napping. Meanwhile, after the community is riled by the return of a convicted sex offender (Jackie Earle Haley) who leaves the concerned parents scrambling to protect their young ones, an attempt made by Sarah and Brad to legitimize their clandestine relationship by dining together with their respective spouses begins to awaken Kathy's suspicions about the fidelity of her husband. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
A woman learns to love life when she finds out she won't be around long in this comedy. Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives in New Orleans, where she works in the cookware department of an upscale gourmet supply shop. While Georgia carries a torch for Sean (LL Cool J), one of her co-workers, she doesn't have the nerve to tell him, and despite her estimable skills in the kitchen, she lives frugally and doesn't put her talent to use. Georgia's good friend Rochelle (Jane Adams) often tells her that life is short and she needs to live a little, but she doesn't pay her much mind until a visit to the doctor reveals that Georgia has a very rare medical condition, and only has three weeks to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Georgia cashes out her life savings and heads to Europe for a last bit of revelry. She checks into a four-star hotel, trades her drab clothes for haute couture, finds herself flirting with a handsome and powerful politician (Giancarlo Esposito), convinces the head of a cooking supplies firm (Timothy Hutton) that she's a high-powered executive from a rival company, and makes friends with a four-star chef (Gérard Depardieu). But when Sean learns the truth about Georgia's condition, he sets out to find her before their chance at romance has passed. Directed by Wayne Wang, Last Holiday is a remake of a 1950 British comedy, which starred Alec Guinness as a salesman with a few weeks to live. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, (more)
First-time American writer director Aaron Wiederspahn's moody drama The Sensation of Sight concerns Finn, a middle-aged English teacher caught up in the unrelenting throes of a mid-life crisis. Driven by the guilt associated with a tragic incident for which he considers himself responsible, he drops out of his daily life and routine, and takes to selling encyclopedias. The past continues to haunt, however, filling his days with irrepressible anxiety, robbing his nights of sleep, and driving him inexorably toward a full self-awakening. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Strathairn, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
A tough cop must deal with some ugly crimes in a small New England town in this made-for-TV mystery. Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is the thick-skinned chief of police in the small town of Paradise, MA; while Stone has a good heart, he's not the sort of man who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and often turns to whiskey when his work gets to be too much for him. When a series of unexplained murders begin occurring in Paradise, Stone begins to suspect Andrew Lincoln (Reg Rogers) and his wife, Brianna (Jane Adams), a pair of eccentric artists who have a fascination with violence. But when 16-year-old Candace Pennington (Alexis Dziena) is brought in to see Stone by her mother and father after she's been raped, Stone is a bit puzzled by the parents' reaction to the crime, and wonders if there might be some link between this assault and the murders. Stone Cold was based on the best-selling novel by noted crime author Robert B. Parker. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Jane Adams, (more)
- 2004
- PG
- Add Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events to QueueAdd Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events to top of Queue
The best-selling series of subversive children's books from author Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) come to the screen in this black comedy for the whole family (and how often do you get to see one of those?). The Baudelaire siblings -- gadget freak Violet (Emily Browning), bookworm Klaus (Liam Aiken), and baby Sunny (Kara Hoffman and Shelby Hoffman) -- were living a fairy-tale existence with their parents until they died in a fire that destroyed the family home. With few close relatives and a large fortune the children won't inherit until they reach adulthood, the Baudelaire children are left in the care of the peculiar Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an out-of-work actor who would love nothing more than to get his hands on the kids' money. It doesn't take long for the children to figure out that Count Olaf is up to no good, and they try to steer clear of his various murderous schemes with the help of wildly paranoid Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep) and snake-fancying Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly). Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events also features Catherine O'Hara, Timothy Spall, Cedric the Entertainer, and Luis Guzman; Jude Law narrates in the guise of author Snicket. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, (more)
- 2004
- R
- Add Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to QueueAdd Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to top of Queue
The second feature from director Michel Gondry (Human Nature) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for this off-the-wall romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure performed by Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). Not to be outdone, Joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. As Mierzwiak's bumbling underlings Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood) perform the operation on Joel -- over the course of an evening, in his apartment -- Joel struggles in his own mind to save the memories of Clementine from being deleted. Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, and Jane Adams also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, (more)
Various lives intersect to curious results in this sometimes surreal tale of life in Silverlake, from the duo who scripted crazy/beautiful and The Tuxedo. As Chinese-food restaurant and donut shop owner Cyr's (Brian Cox) obsessive-compulsive leanings begin to get the best of him, his workers' lives seem to be falling into a bizarre state of disrepair. Manager Sung (Alexis Cruz) soon begins to tire of Cyr's increasingly odd tendencies, and fortune-cookie message scribe Dwight's (Jamie Kennedy) girlfriend has recently decided to end their relationship; leaving Dwight to vent his frustrations by penning various inappropriate message for the restaurant's fortune cookies. When Mitchell discovers a fortune that reads "You will meet the girl of your dreams" and subsequently runs into a prospective female, his unyielding affections are seemingly rejected, crushing the lonely soul's hopes for love. Meanwhile, Ernie (Chris Bauer) and Olive's (Christina Kirk) marriage seems to be heading south for reason's yet unknown, and a successful businessman (Michael Hitchcock) grows increasingly distressed when he loses his job after losing his cool at a business dinner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Cox, Michael Hitchcock, (more)
Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, a high schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Hanks, Jack Black, (more)
In this Dogma 95-inspired first feature for acclaimed performers Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, the two star as Joe and Sally Therrian, a couple who have recently reconciled after a yearlong separation, and who decide to throw a sixth anniversary party in their honor. They invite a bevy of Hollywood types, including Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow), a young, beautiful, Ecstasy-pushing actress appointed to play a character based on
Sally in the new feature film based on Joe's successful novel. Also featured are Cal and Sophia Gold (played by real-life marrieds Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates), the former a co-star of Sally's and the latter her best friend who has given up the business to raise a family; Mac (John C. Reilly), the director of the new film and his actress wife Clair (Jane Adams), who has continued working after the recent birth of their child; Judy and Jerry Adams (Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey), the Therrians' managers; and Gina (Jennifer Beals), Joe's ex-girlfriend, who is often regarded as his first big love. Things are complicated when their contentious neighbors (Mina Badie and Denis O'Hare) make an appearance, and a mystery gift causes the event to unravel over the course of one long evening. The film was also written by Cumming and Leigh, another first for both actors. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
Sally in the new feature film based on Joe's successful novel. Also featured are Cal and Sophia Gold (played by real-life marrieds Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates), the former a co-star of Sally's and the latter her best friend who has given up the business to raise a family; Mac (John C. Reilly), the director of the new film and his actress wife Clair (Jane Adams), who has continued working after the recent birth of their child; Judy and Jerry Adams (Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey), the Therrians' managers; and Gina (Jennifer Beals), Joe's ex-girlfriend, who is often regarded as his first big love. Things are complicated when their contentious neighbors (Mina Badie and Denis O'Hare) make an appearance, and a mystery gift causes the event to unravel over the course of one long evening. The film was also written by Cumming and Leigh, another first for both actors. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
- 2001
James Cromwell starred on this weekly, hour-long drama series as veteran politician Elliott Baines. After three successful terms as senator, Baines is cast adrift when a fourth-term bid comes a cropper. Knowing no other life but politics, the widowed Baines returns home to Seattle, there to contend with the exigencies of being a private citizen -- and to reestablish family ties with his three grown, estranged daughters. Yes, the whole thing sounded a lot like King Lear, which of course was the producers' intention. Also in the cast were Embeth Davidtz as Baines' lawyer daughter, Ellen; Jane Adams as Baines' unhappily married "middle child" Reeva; and Jacinda Barrett as youngest daughter Dori, the obligatory iconoclastic "bohemian." Originally titled The Second Act, Citizen Baines was to have made its CBS debut on September 22, 2001, but was moved to September 29 due to TV coverage of the World Trade Center bombing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cromwell, Embeth Davidtz, (more)
- 2000
In the concluding half of Frasier's eighth-season opener, outraged lawyer Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) and infuriated plastic surgeon Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) draws up plans to get even with their respective mates Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) for running out on them (Niles had sped off in the same Winnebago used by Daphne to escape her wedding to Donny). As Donny prepares to sue Daphne for breach of promise, Mel sharkishly promises to divorce Niles, with whom she had earlier eloped -- but only under certain humiliating conditions. Originally telecast as a 60-minute special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
The Crane household is set on its ear when social-climbing Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) hires a "veddy" proper British butler named Ferguson (Victor Garber). Not only is he the perfect gentleman's gentleman, but Ferguson is also knowledge on all matters ranging from social decorum to gourmet food -- and he isn't afraid to express his opinions, albeit ever-so-respectfully. Ferguson, however, draws the line at any familiarity between employer and employee -- which does not rest well with the very "familiar" Daphne (Jane Leeves). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this comedy, a middle-aged man juggles his problems with women, literature, and a career, while a younger man chases the artifact of his dreams. Pittsburgh college professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is currently single following his divorce from his third wife; after publishing an acclaimed first novel, Grady has been working on a follow-up, but he's been sidelined by a severe case of writer's block. Grady has more than his writing career to think about; his affair with one of the (married) chancellors at the University of Pittsburgh (Frances McDormand), has resulted in her pregnancy, while Hannah (Katie Holmes), a student boarding at Grady's house, has developed a crush on him. While Grady is obsessed with his book, one of his students (Tobey Maguire) has an obsession of his own: finding a jacket once owned by Marilyn Monroe. Based on the novel by Michael Chabon, The Wonder Boys also features Robert Downey Jr., Rip Torn, and Richard Thomas. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, (more)
- 2000
If he wants to keep his job, Frasier must curry favor with Todd Peterson (Alan Tudyk), the youthful, self-made billionaire owner of station KACL. As it happens, Todd is shy around "high society" folks, and wants Frasier to give him a few pointers. The result: Todd turns into a Frasier clone, much to the dismay of the "original." Meanwhile, Niles continue humiliating himself in public to in order to secure his divorce from the vengeful Mel (Jane Adams) -- but the more he tries to run away from his contentious spouse, the more he is entangled in her web. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
William Blake Herron directs this baroque family drama about dark family secrets, ear-sucking, and camel herding. The film opens with the funeral of family patriarch Grandpa Sparta (Martin Sheen). As witnessed by Little Sparta, the grieving widow Murtis (Grace Zabriskie) removes an ear from the corpse as a keepsake. Once Grandpa's will is read, family members start to reveal long untold secrets including the family's bizarre ear-fetish. This film won the Jury Prize at the 2000 L.A. Independent Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Patrick, Joanne Whalley, (more)
- 2000
In part one of Frasier?s eighth-season opener, the wedding of Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) and attorney Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) has come to end before the knot has even been tied as Daphne runs off with her true love, Niles Crane (David Pierce). Left standing in the exhaust fumes of the fugitive couple's Winnebago are both Donny and Niles' vengeful bridge Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams). The upshot of all this is an enormous lawsuit brought against Daphne by Donny and an even more sinister revenge cooked up by Mel. Originally telecast as a 60-minute special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the concluding half of Frasier's Emmy-winning season-seven finale, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) tries to bring Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) together for one last fond farewell before Daphne marries Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek). Meanwhile, Daphne's boorish brother Simon (Anthony LaPaglia) continues putting the moves on Roz (Peri Gilpin) -- who, as Donny's ex-girlfriend, is not altogether unresponsive. A shocking revelation about Niles' current companion Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) sets off a chain reaction of calamitous events, culminating in perhaps the series' most famous season-ending cliffhanger. Originally telecast as a one-hour special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is tired of being considered a stuffed shirt. Offering to throw a bachelor party for Daphne's fiancé Donny (Saul Rubinek), Frasier intends to prove that he's as much a swinger as the next man by booking a stripper -- the sort who brings her own handcuffs and other such things. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) continues to have trouble with the estimable Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams), especially when ex-wife Maris (who had previously used Mel's services as a plastic surgeon) finds out about their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the first part of Frasier's Emmy-winning season-seven finale, the wedding day of Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) has arrived -- and so have several members of Daphne's bombastic cockney family. Admidst preparations for the big event, Daphne confesses to Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) that, although she is promised to Donny Douglas, she is still in love with Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Meanwhile, Daphne's loutish brother Simon (Anthony LaPaglia) tries to make time with Roz (Peri Gilpin). Originally telecast as a one-hour special, this episode has since been reedited as two half hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
