Scott Glenn Movies
Ex-marine and ex-newspaper reporter Scott Glenn was ideally suited to the action-oriented films that would become his lot in the 1980s and 1990s. After learning the rudiments of his craft at the Actors Studio and appearing off-Broadway, Glenn made his film bow in 1970's The Baby Maker. He was rescued from low-budget cycle flicks by director Robert Altman, who cast Glenn as Pfc. Glenn Kelly in Nashville (1975). As rangy and rugged off-camera as on, Glenn was one of the few film actors of recent years to flourish in western roles: among his more impressive credits within this genre are Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981), Silverado (1985), My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1993), and, stretching a point a bit, Urban Cowboy (1980). Glenn has been equally laudable in such suit-and-tie roles as Jodie Foster's FBI chief in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), in "military" assignments like astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff (1981) and the U.S. sub commander in Hunt for Red October (1990). As a tribute to Robert Altman, the director who elevated him to "A" pictures back in 1975, Scott Glenn accepted a drastic cut in salary to portray "Himself" in Altman's The Player (1992). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Faith of My Fathers tells the story of the young John McCain (Shawn Hatosy). The film charts McCain's early home life with his father, Admiral Jack McCain (Scott Glenn), follows him through his years of training in the Navy, and focuses on his harrowing years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. The film is based on the memoir of the same title that was written by McCain himself. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Hatosy, Scott Glenn, (more)
Produced for cable's ESPN network, Codebreakers dramatizes a real-life cheating scandal that rocked the foundations of West Point in 1951. Cadet Brian Nolan (Zachery Ty Bryan) is the roommate of varsity football players George Holbrook (Jeff Roop) and Bob Blaik (Corey Sevier), the latter being the son of West Point's colorful football coach Earl "Red" Blaik (Scott Glenn) -- the man who, according to legend, coined the phrase "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" (significantly, Blaik's assistant coach was Vince Lombardi). Through casual conversation, young Nolan discovers to his horror that several of Blaik's players have taken the coach's philosophy literally, to the extent of cheating on exams to keep up their required GPAs. Their assumption -- not borne out by fact, as it turns out -- is that the coach will never find out, and if he does, he won't care. The ensuing scandal plays right into the hands of West Point's hard-nosed Commandant Paul D Harkins (Jude Ciccolelle), who, long resentful of the prominence of football at the academy, has eagerly awaited the opportunity to topple Coach Blaik from his throne. Ultimately, 83 cadets, including Bob Blaik, are implicated in the scandal -- and the penalty for breaking the Point's sacred Honor Code is a terrible one indeed. The most intriguing aspect of the film is the portrayal of whistleblower Brian Nolan, who though he has technically done the Right Thing is not a particularly likable person; indeed, certain viewers may well be swayed to the side of the disgraced football players as they make Nolan's life Hell on earth for telling what he knows. Filmed in Toronto, Codebreakers was first telecast on December 9, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Zachery Ty Bryan, (more)
- 2005
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Twelve men who belong to one of the world's most exclusive fraternities -- people who've walked on the surface of the moon -- are paid homage in this documentary. Using newsreel footage, rare NASA photographs, and digitally animated re-creations, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon examines the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 which put astronauts on the moon. In addition to explaining the technological know-how necessary to take our fliers to the moon, the film shares the thoughts of astronauts about what they saw and experienced in space, taken from their speeches and writings and read by a cast of distinguished actors, including Paul Newman, Morgan Freeman, Scott Glenn, Bill Paxton, and many more. Narrated by Tom Hanks (who also co-produced), Magnificent Desolation was shot and originally exhibited using the IMAX high-definition film format. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The psychological thriller Gone But Not Forgotten concerns a serial killer who leaves behind a black rose and a note that reads "Gone But Not Forgotten" every time he claims a new victim. The murders were never solved, but years later when a crime fitting the same MO occurs in Oregon lives are forever changed. A detective, an attorney, and a missing private eye all know part of the truth, but any of them may become the next victim. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Bridges of Madison County scribe Robert James Waller's latest novel comes to the screen with the action thriller Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, now available in this home-video release. Starring Harvey Keitel (Bad Lieutenant, Reservoir Dogs) and Scott Glenn (Training Day, Naked City: Justice with a Bullet), Puerto Vallarta Squeeze zeroes in on rogue U.S. government hitman Clayton Price (lenn). Price goes on the lam in Mexico after exterminating a top official from the United States military, and makes a deal with a couple of tourists who agree to help him vanish into the Mexican jungles. Soon, Walter McGrane (Keitel) is hot on Price's trail, under orders to pull him in at any cost. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Harvey Keitel, (more)
- 2003
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Acknowledged as one of the greatest thoroughbred racehorses of the 1930s, Seabiscuit is the archetypal example of the extreme long shot who made good. Too squat, knobby-kneed, disheveled, and off-colored, the horse would have been written off as a total loss by anyone except the triumvirate of dedicated men who transformed this unpromising property into a winner: wealthy, stubborn owner Charles Howard, indefatigable trainer Tom Smith, and washed-up jockey Red Pollard, to whom Seabiscut represented the proverbial "last clear chance." So famous and popular that even President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked the horse's name into his public appearances, Seabiscuit also underlined the schism between the freewheeling, take-a-risk West Coast racing establishment and the snobbish, conservative East Coasters. Among the interviewees in this one-hour TV documentary is author Laura Hillenbrand, whose best-selling book Seabiscuit: An American Legend sparked a widespread revival of interest in the champion horse. Seabiscuit was originally a presentation of the PBS anthology American Experience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Hillenbrand, Gene Smith, (more)
- 2003
Failure is Not an Option is a two-hour documentary based on the memoirs of former NASA flight director Gene Kranz. Culled from miles and miles of archival government and TV-network footage, the film covers the history of manned space flight from the early missions of Alan Shepherd and John Glenn to the Apollo 13 crisis of 1970 (Kranz was played by Ed Harris in the filmed re-creation of that incident). As in the book, the special's focus is on Mission Control's emotional responses to momentous historical events, never more movingly than during the fatal capsule fire that claimed the lives of three astronauts in 1967. Among those interviewed in Failure is Not an Option are ex-astronaut Jim Lovell and Kranz's fellow flight director Chris Kraft. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn
Based on John Grisham's semi-autobiographical novel (which he regarded as his favorite because it "contains no lawyers"), A Painted House is set in the rural community of Oak Park, AR, in 1952. The story is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Luke Chandler (Logan Lerman), who lives and works on a rundown cotton farm with his parents (Robert Sean Leonard and Arija Bareikis) and grandparents (Scott Glenn and Melinda Dillon). It is Luke's personal mission to earn enough money picking cotton to be able to afford a new coat of paint for the Chandler house. But as harvest time approaches, a number of plot complications distance Luke from his goal, including failed crops, dangerous weather, periodic run-ins with a family of migrant workers, and -- this being a John Grisham story -- a murder to which Luke is the sole eyewitness. Filmed on location in the Arkansas town of Lepanto, A Painted House first aired April 27, 2003, as a CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Logan Lerman, Scott Glenn, (more)
- 2003
This PBS documentary covers the daring 1945 commando raid to free 513 survivors of the 1942 Bataan death march in the Japanese-occupied Philippines. Penned up in the hellish Cabanatuan concentration camp for three years, the emaciated, disease-ridden prisoners (originally tens of thousands in number) were certain that America had forgotten them, and that they were doomed to be executed by their Japanese captors the moment that U.S. troops arrived to liberate them. But members of the 6th Ranger Battalion, parachuting 30 miles behind enemy lines, were determined to keep their rescue mission a secret from the enemy until the very last minute -- and, with the aid of hundreds of intrepid Filipino resistance fighters, they were able to successfully carry off their assignment. The story is told via eyewitness interviews, letters written by the prisoners, newsreel footage from both sides of the conflict, and dramatized reenactments. Narrated by Scott Glenn, "Bataan Rescue" was originally shown as an episode of the PBSanthology The American Experience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn
John Gray wrote and directed this 2001 television production set in a fishing village on the west coast of Ireland in 1909. The 100-minute film gives Irish folklore a new character type, a seal that becomes a lovely human enchantress. The strange metamorphosis takes place after nine days of high tide create a mysterious "seventh stream," allowing the seal to go ashore and step out of her skin. From the outset, it seems clear that the sea-born beauty (Saffron Burrows) is meant for Owen Quinn (Scott Glenn), a fisherman who continues to lament the death of his wife five years after he buried her. However, villainous Thomas Dunhill (John Lynch) steals the sealskin and hides it. According to folk tales handed down over generations, whoever possesses the skin of a seal woman becomes her master. In addition, he reaps the benefits of the good luck she brings--in whopping catches of fish. Dunhill's father (Joseph Kelly), a wise old blind man, knows all about the myth of seal women. He also knows his son is a scoundrel. One day, he moves the sealskin to Quinn's property. Soon thereafter, the woman shows up at Quinn's doorstep, and he names her Mairead and falls in love with her--and she with him. But there are complications. Mrs. Gourdon (iona Shaw) a local shopkeeper, has set her cap for Quinn. Also, Thomas Dunhill has been murdered, and Quinn is a suspect. Finally, according to myth, Mairead must eventually reclaim her skin and return to the sea--or die. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Saffron Burrows, (more)
- 1998
Greg Smith directed and stars in this road movie that begins off the coast of Baja when the sailing trip of Ray Goodley (Smith) suddenly becomes landlocked: Looking for his lost dog in El Rosario, Ray sucks on a six-pack, awakens in a Mexican jail, and is given a odd sentencing requiring him to transport a cargo from LA to El Rosario. When he makes it to LA, he learns that the "cargo," presented to him by nutty Senor Grem (Scott Glenn), is an old ambulance he has to drive back to Baja. Fast-talking actress wannabe Crystal Shaw (Rio Glenn) hitches a ride, and the two take an interest in each other as they head south of the border. The screenplay is by Dakota Glenn, daughter of Scott Glenn and the sister of Rio Glenn. Shown at the 1998 Palm Springs Film Festival. The soundtrack features David Abir's score and both American and Mexican songs. Produced by Dakota Glenn and Smith. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rio Glenn, Greg Smith, (more)
- 1998
When a serial killer threatens to destroy the spirit of Christmas in New York, a pair of gumshoes set off to stop him. To keep holiday shoppers from panicking, the two cops try to keep their investigation low-key. Unfortunately, a pushy television reporter is equally determined to break the story wide open. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Courtney Vance, (more)
This ambitious Disney movie uses a remarkable screenplay from Steven L. Bloom and Robert Rodat to tell a rollicking tale of America's transition from a close-to-the-land culture of mythic heroes to a corporate world of real estate tycoons. The strong theme about the decline of folk culture is expressed through a series of high octane adventures experienced by 12-year-old Daniel Hackett (Nick Stahl) at the dawn of the 20th century. Daniel's father, Jonas Hackett (Stephen Lang), runs a farm in a place called Paradise Valley, but his land is coveted by a greedy developer, J.P. Stiles (Scott Glenn). Daniel looks longingly at postcards of New York City while growing increasingly skeptical of his father's tales of legendary folk heroes. Then, through a series of incredible adventures, Daniel meets up with the legends that his father has spoken about -- cowboy Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze), lumberjack Paul Bunyan (Oliver Platt), and finally, ex-slave and strongman John Henry (Roger Aaron Brown). Each of these heroes hooks up with Daniel and becomes involved in an increasingly bitter and boisterous fight against Stiles, whose plans to buy up land threaten the very strength of the folk heroes and the well-being of the common people. Pecos Bill has a horse named Widowmaker and can lasso a tornado. The giant Bunyan is accompanied by his famous blue ox, Babe. At one point, another legend, the cowgirl Calamity Jane (Catherine O'Hara), joins in the adventures. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Oliver Platt, (more)
- 1991
Women and Men 2 is the second installment of HBO's short-story anthology series. In the first episode, Carson McCuller's "A Domestic Dilemma," Ray Liotta plays a husband who has to cut back on his work in order to care for his children, since his alcoholic wife (Andie MacDowell) cannot be trusted. In Irwin Shaw's "Return to Kansas City," a boxer (Matt Dillon) is unwilling to take risks in order to win love. In Henry Miller's "Mara," Scott Glenn plays Miller in a story about his love for a Parisian prostitute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1990
This made-for-TV thriller stars Robert Loggia as a onetime CIA agent who defected to the Soviet Union to join the KGB. Discovering he has just months to live, the agent wants to return home to America; Scott Glenn plays the U.S. agent assigned to retrieve him. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1989
William Blinn's teleplay for The Outside Woman smacks of the most exaggerated of contrivances--but it's all based on truth. Sharon Gless, who tries really hard to look dowdy, stars as a Southern mill worker. Highly susceptible to the possibility of romance, Gless falls for the smooth line of Scott Glenn--a convict at Los Angeles state prison. Her common sense clouded by love, Gless agrees to help hijack a helicopter in order to bust Glenn and a fellow convict out of the slammer. Made for television, The Outside Woman was perhaps deliberately slated for its premiere just before Valentine's Day of 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A spy is tracked down in this made-for-television espionage thriller. When a secret agent goes in search of his former mentor -- who has since defected -- he finds that the man wants come back to the United States. They go on the lam and try to escape the KGB and CIA, who aren't through with the master spy just yet. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1986
As Summers Die was produced as an "HBO Premiere" attraction. Set in the segregationist South of the 1950s, the film pits the wealthy but decadent members of a landed-gentry white family against a feisty old black woman, on whose property oil has been discovered. Idealistic attorney Scott Glenn bucks the family--and the inbred prejudices of the community--to protect the woman's interests. He finds himself with two unsuspected allies in the forms of young Jamie Lee Curtis and ancient Bette Davis, two "renegade" members of the very family that wants to grab the oil-rich land. As Summers Die had its cable-TV debut on May 17, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Countdown to Looking Glass was a Canadian-produced, 90 minute dramatic special, first telecast in the States over the HBO pay cable service on October 14, 1984. In the tradition of the earlier Special Bulletin, the story frames a nuclear-holocaust threat in the form of an ongoing news broadcast. The setup: A group of South American nations have defaulted on a loan, forcing every bank in America to collapse. The US is thus unable to help Oman when the middle-Eastern nation is invaded by Soviet operatives. This culminates in a Persian-gulf showdown, while all the major cities in the US are evacuated. Scott Glenn plays an anchorman for the fictional CVN news service, while Helen Shaver costars as the CVN Washington correspondent, who is prevented from getting on the air with a potentially world-saving bulletin. Written by MIT professor Lincoln Bloomfeld, Countdown to Looking Glass features real-life newscasters Eric Sevareid, Nancy Dickerson, Patrick Watson and Don Tobin. Note to political-trivia buffs: Appearing briefly as themselves are former Presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, and a pre-"Contract With America" Newt Gingrich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Karen Valentine guest stars as Holly Dean, the fiancée of a former mobster. When her boyfriend dies, he entrusts his "little black book" to Holly's care. Since the book contains the itemized accounts of several local mobsters, both the good guys and the bad guys would like to get their hands on the valuable legacy. But when Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) approaches Holly and asks for the book, she lies about having it -- a misguided act of loyalty to her late sweetheart that may cost the lives of both herself and Baretta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1974
When a serial killer continues his killings in New York City, a small town cop follows him to the big city. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1973
Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) again matches wits with erudite master thief Arthur Justin, whom he sent to prison in the second-season episode "Shell Game". On that occasion, Justin had been played by Sorrell Booke; this time, the role is handled by Dan O'Herlihy. Determined to have his revenge on Ironside, Justin draws up elaborate plans for a spectacular art heist, dropping tantalyzing clues all along the way--and never revealing that he ultimately plans to "hijack" Elizabeth Van Deering (Skye Aubrey), the current sweetheart of Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Incorporating themes from horror films of both the '50s and the '70s, this suspenseful TV movie stars Cornel Wilde and Jennifer Salt as an archaeologist and his daughter, who discover a strange skull on display at a roadside tourist trap. After the museum owner is killed during an attack from an unseen foe, the pair are subsequently pursued across the American Southwest by a tribe of humanoid creatures that bear a striking resemblance to the gargoyles of myth, leading to a manic game of cat-and-mouse across the desert. This enjoyably spooky film essentially riffs on this one-note premise for over 70 minutes -- sort of an inversion of Night of the Living Dead's claustrophobic scenario -- and fortunately comes off quite well thanks to superb use of the desert locations, an eerie score, uniformly good performances, and Emmy award-winning monster costumes from Stan Winston. A young Scott Glenn appears as a roguish biker who throws in with the good guys after taking a shine to the professor's daughter. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This entertaining video mixes the Boston Symphony Orchestra with eight various artists. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1971
Ironside's associates Ed (Don Galloway) and Eve (Barbara Anderson) are dispatched to Mexico, there to interrogate onetime murder suspect Lonnie Burnett (Scott Glenn) as a part of an investigation of a strikingly similar killing. In the course of events, the two detectives are persuaded that Burnett is innocent. As a result, when Burnett escapes police custody, the hostile local authorities accuse Ed and Eve of acting as the man's accomplices! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
