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
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)
- 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
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)
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)
- 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
- 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
- 2000
With her wedding day rapidly approaching, Daphne (Jane Leeves) finds herself in a court-ordered anger-management therapy program. As her counselor (S. Epatha Merkerson of Law & Order fame) listens with professional detachment, Daphne recounts the events leading up to the outburst that led to her current plight. What it boils down to is this: Daphne may be marrying Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), but her heart still belongs to Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce). Anthony LaPaglia makes his first series appearance as Daphne's boorish, hard-drinking brother Simon, who turns out to know his sister's heart better than she does. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Niles' fractious lady friend Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) has no qualms about exploiting the long-standing rivalry between Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Frasier (Kelsey Grammer). In fact, it was Mel's idea to pit brother against brother in a wine-tasting competition -- proof positive that it is high time Niles be told that Mel is definitely not the woman for him. As for the Crane boys' dad, Martin (John Mahoney), he is having trouble making peace with himself after sleeping with the widow (Anita Gillette) of one of his oldest friends. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The Christmas Season is also a time of contemplation for Daphne (Jane Leeves). As she prepares for her marriage to Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), Daphne wonders if the time has come to clear the air concerning Niles' pent-up feelings for her. As for Niles (David Hyde Pierce), it may be a bleak holiday indeed when his current "significant other" Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) tumbles to a lie he has handed her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is appalled when his own obituary is accidentally released to the media. Although reports of his death are highly exaggerated, the mistake sets Frasier to thinking about his future...or how much future he actually has. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) begins seeing an attractive doctor named Mel Kanorfsky (Jane Adams, in her first series appearance) -- who happens to have been his ex-wife Maris' plastic surgeon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Brian Dennehy stars in this made-for-cable drama about a blue-collar family man laid off from his auto-industry job who learns that his resentful son plans to drop out of medical school. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
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)
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)
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)
- 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)
