Deborah B. Gabler Movies
A girl with a knack for easing the pain of break-ups moves into the matchmaking business in this romantic comedy starring Amanda Crew. When it comes to crumbing relationships, Britney is the girl people call on to deliver that final blow with a little finesse. She's never believed in love, but when some stiff competition moves into town, the relationship assassin begins to reevaluate her career. Now, in order to stay in business and keep her wardrobe closet full, Britney decides to join the opposing team. If she can just help one desperate guy win back the girl of his dreams, perhaps Britney will find her true calling as a cupid and realize that this crazy little thing called love isn't such a sham after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
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Unprecedented sunspots threaten to bring about the end of the world in this adventure thriller from director Brenton Spencer. Joanna Pacula plays Valery Landis, the only person who's figured out that the activities on the sun are leading to violent and extreme weather on Earth. When no one will listen to her claims, Valery takes matters into her own hands, racing against time to save humankind. Lightning: Bolts of Destruction also stars Nick Mancuso and Ellen Dubin. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanna Pacula, Nick Mancuso, (more)
- 2002
Matthew Fox starred in this spooky UPN series as Frank Taylor, an ex-cop whose career went down the tubes after his son was mysteriously kidnapped. After a disturbing out-of-body experience, Frank suddenly developed the ability to see -- and hear -- dead people. Some of these restless spirits were benevolent, helping Frank solve a variety of crimes. But others, notably the villainous wraith Simon (John Mann), hoped to use Frank's talents for evil rather than good. Curiously, none of the ghosts were of much help in locating Frank's missing son -- and, less curiously, in regard to standard TV-series formula, none of the ghosts could be seen or heard by the hero's ex-partner Marcus (Russell Hornsby) and ex-wife Jessica (Lynn Collins). Haunted first wafted its way across America's TV screens on September 24, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Fox, Russell Hornsby, (more)
Inspired by a play that has been presented dozens of times to middle- and high-school students throughout the United States, Bang, Bang, You're Dead ponders the possible reasons that outwardly "normal" teenagers periodically resort to Columbine-style violence. The focus here is on Trevor Adams (Ben Foster), an intelligent but hypersensitive high schooler whose troubled past has designated him "at risk." Feeling persecuted by those stronger and more popular than himself, Trevor has already run afoul of classmates and teachers alike by making death threats against the school football team. Now he has aligned himself with a group of fellow "outsiders" who call themselves the Trogs. Indulging in prankery that runs the gamut from merely irritating to potentially dangerous, Trevor and the Trogs plan an all-out deadly assault against their so-called enemies. Although the script points out that peer pressure and bullying has gone beyond the point of harmlessness in today's society, it is careful not to blame any one person or group for what ultimately happens to Trevor; even Trevor himself is shown to be comprised of equal parts villain and victim. First screened at the Seattle International Film Festival, Bang, Bang, You're Dead formally premiered October 13, 2002, over the Showtime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Ben Foster, (more)
Based on Catherine Marshall's novel of the same name, Christy: A Change of Seasons is the first episode of the two-part TV miniseries Christy: Return to Cutter Gap. Set in 1913, the story concentrates on feisty young schoolteacher Christy Huddleston (Lauren Lee Smith) -- a character based on author Marshall's own mother -- who attempts to bring literacy and enlightenment to the isolated North Carolina mountain community of Cutter Gap. A raging typhoid epidemic has heightened the superstitious nature of the local townsfolk, and ultimately causes Christy to suffer a crisis of faith when the disease claims one of her best friends. Also, the heroine finds herself torn between two lovers: Wild, irreverent, Scottish-born doctor Neil McNeil (Stewart Finley-McLaren) and the more sedate but still troubled Rev. David Grantland (James Waterston. Christy: A Change of Seasons first aired over the PAX Network on May 13, 2001, under the title Christy: Choices of the Heart, Part I. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on Catherine Marshall's novel of the same name, Christy: A New Beginning is the second episode of the two-part TV miniseries Christy: Return to Cutter Gap. Set in 1913, the story concentrates on feisty young schoolteacher Christy Huddleston (Lauren Lee Smith) -- a character based on author Marshall's own mother -- who attempts to bring literacy and enlightenment to the isolated North Carolina mountain community of Cutter Gap. As the community is buffeted and ravaged by the "storm of the century," Christy finds herself stranded in a remote hunter's cabin with the community's brilliant but unstable doctor Neil McNeill (Stewart Finley-McLennan). Already betrothed to Cutter Gap's troubled minister, Rev. David Grantland (John Waterston), Christy is shocked into irrationality when Dr. McNeill declares his love for her. Christy: A Change of Seasons first aired over the PAX Network on May 14, 2001, under the title Christy: Choices of the Heart, Part II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Ladd, James Waterston, (more)
Gail O'Grady stars as Theresa Foley, a highly respected and much-decorated FBI hostage negotiator. Theresa's career goes down the tubes when she refuses to testify in court against her husband Frank (Michael Bowen), an FBI agent gone bad. Escaping from prison, Frank stages a daylight bank robbery, thereby creating the sort of hostage situation that only a crack negotiator like Theresa could possibly handle. But though the FBI is willing to press Theresa back into action, she knows only too well that Frank will be able to anticipate her every move -- and that he has a terrible vengeance in mind for his ex-spouse, one that will "take down" a number of innocent bystanders in the process. Made for cable The Hostage Negotiator was first presented by the USA network on May 22, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
- NR
The Miracle of the Cards is the true story of eight-year-old English youngster Craig Shergold (Thomas Sangster), who in 1989 is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although the prognosis is negative, Craig's mother Marion (Catherine Oxenberg) becomes convinced that somewhere in the world there is a cure for the boy's affliction, and that the means of finding that cure is to break the Guinness record for receiving greeting cards. Broadcasting a plea to everyone on Earth, Marion is successful in bringing a whopping 350 million cards to Craig's door -- and yes, one of those cards provides the key for Craig's ultimate salvation. Filmed in Vancouver, The Miracle of the Cards premiered November 10, 2001, over the PAX Network. Richard Thomas, the star of the PAX anthology It's a Miracle, is herein cast as Dr. Kassell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Oxenberg, Kirk Cameron, (more)
- 2000
Muriel Davidson (Meredith Baxter) is a successful author of suspense novels--and a recovering alcoholic. Arriving at a stage of extreme vulnerability, Muriel finds herself attracted to Don Wigulow, a charismatic ex-convict. When events surrounding the couple take on a murderous tinge, Muriel cannot help but notice that her love life has become a clone of one of her own novels--and cannot forget that the novel in question ends in tragedy. Made for television, The Wednesday Woman originally aired May 24, 2000, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the best-selling books by Catherine Marshall, the original TV series Christy focused on 19-year-old Christy Huddleston, an idealistic schoolteacher who left a life of wealth and comfort behind to accept a job in the backward mountain community of Cutter, NC, in 1912. First telecast as a two-part, four-hour PAX Network miniseries on May 13 and May 14, 2001, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap picks up where the weekly series left off. Lauren Lee Smith replaces Kellie Martin as Christy, while Stewart Finlay-McLennan repeats his series role as the community's agnostic, Scottish-born doctor Neil McNeill. In part one of Return to Cutter Gap, titled "A Change of Seasons," the year is 1913, and Cutter Gap is in the throes of a deadly typhoid epidemic. The superstitious mountaineers believe that the illness has been brought on by such "outsiders" as Christy Huddleston and the community's new minister, Rev. David Grantland (James Waterston). Dr. McNeill realizes that the real cause of the epidemic is Cutter Gap's brackish water and squalid living conditions, but he is unable to convince the locals of his findings. Meanwhile, Christy suffers a crisis of faith when one of her closest friends dies of the fever, and on another front, she finds herself romantically torn between McNeill and Grantland. Part two, "A New Beginning," takes place three months later. This time, the community is literally torn apart by a raging storm. As the rest of the citizens head to the highest point in Cutter Gap, Christy and Dr. McNeill are stranded in a tiny hunter's shack. Shocked when McNeill declares his love for her, Christy rushes into the deluge, contracting a deadly fever. Also complicating matters is the presence of attractive aviatrix Harriet Quimby (Claudette Mink), who has apparently set her cap for McNeill. The story concludes with a wedding -- but which man does Christy choose for her life partner? Filmed in British Columbia, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap was originally telecast under the title Christy: Choices of the Heart). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Lee Smith, Diane Ladd, (more)
- 1999
A boy learns to deal with personal loss by making friends with a wild animal in this drama for the family. Jesse (Shane Meier) is a 16-year-old who is trying to put his life back together after the death of his father, who died while trying to rescue him in the wilderness. Jesse goes to live with his Uncle Roy (Michael Biehn), who lives in the rugged mountains of Washington State. While exploring, Jesse finds and rescues a wolf who has been seriously wounded; Jesse bonds with the animal, and while Roy understands the dangers of trying to tend to a wild animal, he allows Jesse to keep him, though Roy suggests that donating the wolf to a zoo might be a good idea. However, Jesse, who is fond of snowboarding, teaches the wolf to be his partner in skijoring, a sport in which a dog is used to haul a man on skis. John Rockwell (Roy Scheider), the owner of a ranch, has different plans for the animal; he sees the wolf as a threat to his stock and is determined to see that the animal is put down. Silverwolf was shot on location in Vancouver. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shane Meier, Michael Biehn, (more)
- 1999
- NR
As the dawn of the year 2000 rolls around, a nervous military leader (Malcolm McDowell) assembles a team to help him deal with an unforeseen problem. In the early 1960s, the CIA hid a stash of nuclear weapons in a secret base in the Colombian jungle, and the aging computer system that governs it will set things off soon if someone doesn't find a way to let it know the proper date. A high-ranking CIA agent (Ed O'Ross), a decorated military veteran who helped design the facility (Louis Gossett Jr.), a beautiful former agent of the KGB (Sarah Chalke), and a computer expert well versed in debugging systems for Y2K (Jaimz Woolvett) are dispatched to deal with the crisis, but it turns out that one of the party isn't so sure about seeing the system made safe. If you're reading this after Jan. 1, 2000, chances are good that everyone got the millennium bug worked out in time. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Jaimz Woolvett, (more)
