Danny Glover Movies
A distinguished actor of the stage and screen, Danny Glover is known for his work in both Hollywood blockbusters and serious dramatic films. Towering and quietly forceful, Glover lends gravity and complexity to the diverse characters he has portrayed throughout his lengthy career.A native of San Francisco, where he was born July 22, 1947, Glover attended San Francisco State and received his dramatic training at the American Conservatory Theatre's Black Actors' Workshop. He made his film debut in Escape from Alcatraz (1979). In the early '80s, Glover made his name portraying characters ranging from the sympathetic in Places in the Heart (1984) to the menacing in Witness (1985) and The Color Purple (1984). He reached box-office-gold status with the three Lethal Weapon flicks produced between 1987 and 1992, playing the conservative, family-man partner of "loose cannon" L.A. cop Mel Gibson. Glover carried over his fiddle-and-bow relationship with Gibson into his off-screen life, and also contributed an amusing cameo (complete with his Lethal Weapon catch-phrase "I'm gettin' too old for this!") in Maverick (1994). In 1998, Glover again reprised his role for the blockbuster-proportioned Lethal Weapon 4, and that same year gave a stirring performance in the little-seen Beloved.
In the following years Glover would walk the line between Hollywood heavyweight and serious-minded independent actor with a skill most actors could only dream of, with an affectinate role in Wes Anderson's 2001 comedy drama The Royal Tenenbaums and a surprising turn toward horror in Saw servnig well to balance out lesser-seen but equally powerful turns in Boseman and Lena, 3 A.M., and Lars von Trier's Manderlay. The same year that Glover retreated into the woods as a haunted Vietnam veteran in the low-key rama Missing in America, he would turn in a series of guest appearances on the long-running television medical drama E.R. Despite a filmography that seemed populated with an abundance of decidedly serious dramas in the years following the millennial turnover, Glover did cut loose in 2006 when he took a role as Tim Allen's boss in The Shaggy Dog and stepped into the studio to offer vocal performances in the animated kid flicks The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Barnyard.
On television, Glover played the title role in Mandela (1987), cowpoke Joshua Deets in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove, legendary railroad man John Henry in a 1988 installment of Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales, and the mercurial leading character in the 1989 "American Playhouse" revival of A Raisin in the Sun. For his role in Freedom Song as a caring father struggling to raise his young son in 1960s-era Mississippi, Glover was nominated for an Emmy award and took home an Image award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special.
Glover played a proprietor of a struggling blues club in John Sayles’ musical drama Honeydripper in 2007, and went on to participate in The Garden (2008), a documentary about a produce garden developed in the aftermath of the L.A. riots. He continued to tackle complex social issues as an executive producer for Trouble the Water, a 2008 documentary following the struggles of New Orleans residents in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and as an associate producer for The Time That Remains (2009), a poignant series of short stories about Palestinians in Israel. Glover also worked as an associate producer for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, an avante-gard fantasy drama that received the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Two estranged sisters come together to save their aging mother's failing floral business in this uplifting family drama starring Kristy Swanson and Alberta Mayne. Growing up, driven Terri (Swanson) never got along with her starry-eyed sister Mandy (Mayne). All the while, their loving parents struggled to keep the family's failing floral business afloat. But when tragedy strikes, Terri and Mandy realize that without their help their mother will soon be out of business. Determined not to let her down in her time of need, the two sisters who never got along attempt to put their differences aside for long enough to get the business thriving again. Along the way, they learn that when your family is by your side, anything is possible. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2011
- NR
Why We Fight director Eugene Jarecki shifts his focus from the military industrial complex to the War on Drugs in this documentary exploring the risks that prohibition poses to freedom, and the tragedy of addicts being treated as criminals. In the four decades since the War on Drugs commenced, more than 45 millions of addicts have been arrested -- and for each one jailed, another family is destroyed. Meanwhile, the prisons in America are growing overcrowded with non-violent criminals, and illegal drugs are still being sold in schoolyards. By examining just where it all went wrong, Jarecki reveals that a solution is possible if we can just find it in ourselves to be compassionate, and see past the decades of paranoia and propaganda. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2011
- PG13
- Add Donovan's Echo to Queue
Thirty years after his wife and daughter perished in an accident, Donovan Matheson (Danny Glover) returns to his hometown, and becomes convinced that the tragedies of the past will soon repeat themselves. Donovan is a haunted man. He never quite recovered from the pain of losing his family, and now that he's returned home, old memories shadow his every move. As the anniversary of that fateful day draws near, Donovan grows convinced that history is repeating, and that his neighbor and her daughter will soon perish in the same way that his family once did. Desperate, Donovan reaches out to his skeptical brother-in-law (Bruce Greenwood) for help, only to find that the hardier he tries to change the future, the crazier he appears to everyone around him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Bruce Greenwood, (more)
- 2010
- NR
- Add Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives to Queue Add Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives to top of Queue
The recipient of the prized Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's hypnotic drama tells the haunting story of a Thai man suffering from kidney failure who retreats to the countryside to die in the company of his loved ones. As Uncle Boonmee nears the end of his life, the spirit of his late wife returns to guide him into the unknown, and his estranged son reappears in the form of a jungle spirit. Later, the ailing man leads his family on a journey to a hilltop cave where he first came into this world. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thanapat Saisaymar, Jenjira Pongpas, (more)
Two mismatched wolves embark on a cross-country quest to get back home and restore peace in their pack after being relocated thousands of miles away by well-meaning park rangers. Quick-witted Humphrey (voice of Justin Long) likes to frolic with friends and play video games with squirrels; disciplined Kate (voice of Hayden Panettiere) likes to call the shots and hunt caribou. Normally, an omega wolf like Humphrey would never stand a chance with an alpha wolf like Kate, but when they're both transported halfway across the country they must work together to get back to their natural habitat. And it won't be easy either, because the one thing Humphrey and Kate can agree on is that they don't have anything in common. Perhaps by working together toward a common goal, however, the two contentious traveling companions will finally realize that even lone wolves can use a helping paw every once in a while. Christina Ricci, Danny Glover, Dennis Hopper, and Larry Miller also supply voices for the Crest Animation production, helmed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck from a script by Chris Denk. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, (more)
- 2010
- NR
- Add The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 to Queue Add The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 to top of Queue
In the late '60s, after the assassination of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement in America gave way to a more militant breed of activists who were demanding greater self-determination for the African-American community and the right to defend themselves against a system they felt was stacked against them. A number of journalists for Swedish television were fascinated with the rise of the Black Panther Party and the larger Black Power movement, and on several occasions sent film crews to the United State to interview major figures in the African-American militant community. Filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson has used some of this archival footage as the basis for the documentary The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975, which includes vintage interviews with Angela Davis, Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Louis Farrakhan, and other key figures in the Black Power movement. The newsreels are accompanied by recent interviews with artists, activists, and cultural historians who discuss this volatile period in American history, including Harry Belafonte, Abiodun Oyewole, Melvin Van Peebles, and many others. The Black Power Mixtape was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Frank Oz's 2007 black comedy Death at a Funeral is given the remake treatment with an urban spin in this Chris Rock-produced production. When a dysfunctional clan reuintes to mourn the passing of the family patriarch, a respectful funeral quickly turns into an all-out fiasco marked by bitter resentment, blackmail attempts, and scandalous revelations. Dean Craig penned the script for director Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man), with Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, and Danny Glover co-starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keith David, Loretta Devine, (more)
In the small town of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, the Chetley name is synonymous with victory. This inspirational tale of a young manâs dream to reunite his family through amateur wrestling is as triumphant as it is profoundly touching. WWE Superstar (John Cena) (The Marine) is Mike Chetley, a former high school and collegiate champion estranged from his family. Things change when his awkward, undersized, younger brother Cal (Devon Graye, Dexter) comes back into his life with a plan to unify Mike and their widowed mother Sharon (Academy Award® -nominated Patricia Clarkson, The Green Mile), but not without major setbacks. With the guidance of Harry "Red" Newman Danny Glover, Lethal Weapon), Cal learns that winning against all odds is worth more then he could have ever imagined.
- Starring:
- John Cena, Patricia Clarkson, (more)
Actor, screenwriter, and director Elia Suleiman presents a handful of autobiographical short stories that offer a witty but thoughtful perspective on the place of Palestinians in Israel (and his own role in the nation) in this comedy drama. Inspired by the journals kept by Suleiman's father, the first episode takes place in 1948, as the Arab resistance movement begins to crumble, though Fuad Suleiman (Saleh Bakri) is determined to keep up the fight. By 1970, Fuad has lost his idealism and believes Palestine is destined to live in Israel's shadow, while his son Elia (Zuhair Abu Hanna) is being punished for calling the United States colonialists before the teacher. A few years later, Elia (Ayman Espanioli) has a brush with more powerful authorities, who attempt to toss him out of Israel on a minor offense. Finally, Elia (Elia Suleiman) returns home to look after his elderly mother (Samar Qudha Tanus) and discovers how little has changed, as many of his old friends have been warming the same barstools since he left. The Time That Remains is Suleiman's third film about Israel's relationship with Palestinians, following Chronicle of a Disappearance and Divine Intervention. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elia Suleiman, Saleh Bakri, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
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Disaster movie maven Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) crafts this apocalyptic sci-fi thriller following the prophecy stated by the ancient Mayan calendar, which says that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. When a global cataclysm thrusts the world into chaos, divorced writer and father Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) joins the race to ensure that humankind is not completely wiped out. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt round out the cast of this end-of-the-world thriller co-scripted by the director and his 10,000 B.C. writer/composer, Harald Kloser. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Cusack, Amanda Peet, (more)
Soundtrack for a Revolution takes a look at the American civil rights movement, focusing on the role that music -- spirituals and protest songs -- played, as the backdrop and the inspiration for the pickets, sit-ins, and demonstrations of the turbulent era. Directors Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, whose previous documentary looked at the Japanese Army's atrocities against the Chinese people in Nanking, here blend images from the time and interviews with participants with new footage of contemporary artists performing the inspirational songs. Interviewees include Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Andrew Young, and Julian Bond, and the documentary includes performances by John Legend, Joss Stone, and Angie Stone. The film examines such pivotal moments as the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Through old footage and interviews, spirituals like "Wade in the Water" and "We Shall Not Be Moved," and folk songs like Phil Ochs' "Here's to the State of Mississippi" are each connected to specific aspects or moments of the movement. Danny Glover was the executive producer of the film. Soundtrack for a Revolution had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
An American father mourning the recent loss of his estranged son travels to a rural area of Japan to gather some of his late child's important belongings in this gentle drama starring Bennet Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, and Danny Glover. Upon arriving in Kochi Prefecture, a region steeped in tradition, the father discovers the destructive power of prejudice while finally learning about the son he never knew. The Harimaya Bridge also features Peter Coyote. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Danny Glover, Angela Bassett, Julia Stiles, and Samuel L. Jackson headline actor-turned-director Giancarlo Esposito's ensemble drama about a small southern town still haunted by a racially motivated murder that occurred there thirty years prior. Civil rights activist Peter Malcolm (Jackson) was at the peak of his popularity when he was ruthlessly gunned down in the streets of Gospel Hill. Thirty years later, no one has ever been accused of the crime, and Peter's brother John (Glover) has withdrawn from the community to ponder the full weight of his brother's unfulfilled mission in solitude. As John sinks ever deeper into a bottomless sea of despair, his wife Sarah (Bassett), an outspoken community activist, campaigns tirelessly against a ruthless band of developers seeking to transform Gospel Hill into a golfer's paradise. Realizing the futility of convincing her listless husband to help fight such an arduous battle, Sarah instead turns to newly arrived Gospel Hill schoolteacher Rosie (Stiles) for support. Later, as Rosie's budding romance with the son of Gospel Hill's notoriously bigoted sheriff thrusts her right into the middle of the town's long-running dispute, the developer's plan to pave over the past forces the locals to finally confront the ghosts that have haunted them for the past three decades. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angela Bassett, Giancarlo Esposito, (more)
Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author José Saramago's novel Blindness begins when an epidemic of blindness strikes the world. Mark Ruffalo stars as an eye doctor who awakens one morning to find that he suffers from the unexplained disorder. He, along with other victims, is sent to a government detention center so that they can be quarantined. His wife (Julianne Moore) pretends to be blind so that she can be with him inside the institution. Their time in the center grows more and more desperate as food and supplies dwindle, and one of the other citizens (Gael García Bernal) exercises dictatorial control over the others after he acquires a weapon. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
- 2008
A whistle-blowing doctor hides incriminating information in a magical book with the power to transform all who come onto contact with it, prompting unwanted attention from the heavies at a powerful pharmaceutical company and setting five unwitting strangers on a strange collision course. Bookstore manager Dante harbors a deep dark secret, and as his former lover Zoe finds her life falling to pieces, his best customer Gina claims to have all the right answers when it comes to matters of the heart. Meanwhile, movie-buff Marcia can't stop cracking wise, and diminutive clerk Norman is never short on wild conspiracy theories. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Amendola, Barbara Crampton, (more)
- 2008
- NR
A woman confronts the realities of life in the occupied Palestinian territories in this drama. While she was born and raised in New York, Soraya (Suheir Hammad) is of Palestinian heritage and has long dreamed of returning to the land of her ancestors. When Soraya learns that her grandfather bequeathed her a bit more than 15,000 dollars that he left in a bank account in Ramallah, she decides it's time to make a pilgrimage, especially since the inheritance can pay for a long stay in the country. However, Soraya arrives in Israel to find that immigration personnel and border guards are not helpful to tourists of Palestinian blood, and it takes no small amount of determination before she arrives in Ramallah. There, Soraya meets Emad (Saleh Bakri), a handsome Palestinian student who has a scholarship waiting for him at a university in Canada, but Israeli immigration authorities refuse to grant him a visa. Soraya and Emad bond over their frustrations at the injustice they see around them, and when she learns that the money in her grandfather's account (and all other Palestinian accounts at the bank) was forfeited after the establishment of the nation of Israel, they decide to take action. Soraya, Emad, and his friend Marwan (Riyad Ideis) plan to stage a bank robbery, in which they'll take only the amount deposited by her grandfather as a protest against the discriminatory policies that have become a part of daily life under occupation. Milh Hadha Al-Bahr (aka Salt of This Sea) was the first feature film from writer and director Annemarie Jacir. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Suheir Hammad, Saleh Bakri, (more)
A train conductor (Danny Glover), a pre-med student (LeeleeSobieski), and a fast-talking salesman (Steve Zahn) find their greed clashing with their better judgment after stumbling into a fortune in diamonds aboard a speeding locomotive, and attempting to figure out a way to keep their discovery a secret. A nameless passenger has died en route to an unknown destination. His only possession: a mysterious box containing a valuable treasure. With that amount of money, the conductor, the student, and the salesman could all live comfortably for the rest of their days. But all three would rather have the fortune to themselves, and as the train races toward its destination, temptation, betrayal, deceit drives them each to irrational extremes in a paranoid bid to outsmart the others. Little do these three desperate souls realize that there's something sinister to this innocent looking box, and they might not find out what it is until it's already too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, (more)
When a bumbling movie lover becomes magnetized while attempting to sabotage a local power plant and accidentally erases all of the videotapes in the small video store where his best friend works, the pair attempt to keep the store's loyal customer base by remaking as many of the top-renting movies as possible. Mike (Mos Def) is an employee at Be Kind Rewind, a modest mom and pop video store that is owned by Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover). Mike's best friend Jerry (Jack Black) works in an auto garage/junkyard directly adjacent to a local power plant. Lately Jerry has become increasingly paranoid about the effects that the power plant is having on his health. Convinced that he has developed a brain tumor from working in such close proximity to the power plant, Jerry attempts to sabotage the plant. Unfortunately for Jerry, his brain is magnetized in the process. The next time Jerry goes to visit Mike at Be Kind Rewind, the powerful magnetization emanating from his brain erases every videotape in the store. Now the only way for Mike and Jerry to be sure that Be Kind Rewind stays in business is to remake every film on the shelves before the customers notice. But when word gets out that Mike and Jerry have remade such Hollywood classics as Back to the Future, Robocop, The Lion King, and Rush Hour without permission, the store is threatened with copyright violations and forced to close its doors. In the aftermath of the closing, Mr. Fletcher and his employees discover just how loyal their customers really are when the entire neighborhood pools their resources to transform the junkyard into a legitimate movie studio and produce an entirely original film detailing the incredible adventures of a local jazz legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Mos Def, (more)
Relegated to the role of refugees in their own country the moment the levees broke, New Orleans residents Kimberly and Scott Roberts document their harrowing struggle against the forces of nature and the evils of man as they nobly attempt to rebuild their lives amidst one of the greatest natural disasters ever to befall the United States. Kimberly Rivers Roberts is a musician and filmmaker who was living in New Orleans with her husband, Scott, when the force of Hurricane Katrina transformed their once-happy hometown into a waterlogged wasteland. In the aftermath of the disaster, the nightly news was filled with images of looting and chaos. Now, as the masses finally receive the opportunity to witness events from an insider's perspective, it quickly becomes apparent that the rampaging waters were only the beginning of the problem, and that the ineptitude of the government and the media in dealing with the disaster did nearly as much damage to New Orleans as the forces of Mother Nature. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When the peaceful inhabitants of the planet Terra come under attack from humans in search of a new home, the friendship between a human pilot and an alien girl may hold the key to saving both races. Mala (Evan Rachel Wood) is an alien girl living on the planet Terra. The Terrians are gentle race of extraterrestrials that have no need for war, and harbor a deep respect for nature. When Earth's natural resources began to dwindle, the human race established colonies on Venus and Mars. Although that solution worked temporarily, tragedy struck when the colonies on Venus and Mars attempted to declare independence from Earth, and all three planets were destroyed in the ensuing war. Now, humankind's only hope for survival is to reach Terra. The few remaining humans have developed a machine that will make Terra habitable for them yet poisonous for Terrians, and while the human council is dedicated to finding a peaceful means of coexisting with the Terrians, the villainous General Hemmer (Brian Cox) is fast losing patience. When heroic human fighter pilot Lt. Jim Stanton (Luke Wilson) crash-lands on Terra while chasing Mala into uncharted territory, the empathetic alien girl saves his life, and an interspecies friendship is forged. But time is running out for both the humans and the Terrians, and when General Hemmer stages a military coup d'état, the stage is set for a battle that threatens to destroy both species. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, (more)
A top Marine sniper who previously abandoned the military after a routine mission gave way to tragedy is double-crossed by the government after reluctantly being pressured back into service in Training Day director Antoine Fuqua's adaptation of Stephen Hunter's novel Point of Impact. There was a time when Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) was the best trigger-man in the military, but after growing disillusioned with the system, he disappeared without a trace. After being located at his remote mountain retreat by high-profile government officials following an extensive search, Swagger is coerced back into service in order to stop a determined assassin from taking out the President of the United States. In the process of carrying out his mission, however, Swagger suddenly realizes that he has been betrayed when he becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Now wounded and desperate to reveal the culprits behind the conspiracy before it's too late, Swagger sets into motion a revenge plan that will send shockwaves rippling to some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world. Danny Glover, Rhona Mitra, and Ned Beatty co-star in this conspiracy-driven action thriller that asks what it truly means to serve one's country. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Michael Peña, (more)
Tyrone (Danny Glover) is the proprietor of the Honeydripper juke joint. When business at the once-popular club begins to trail off and Tyrone hires unpredictable electric guitarist Sonny (Gary Clark Jr.) against his better judgment, Tyrone's last-ditch bid to draw in crowds during harvest time has surprising results that neither desperate Tyrone nor the ambitious Sonny could have ever anticipated. Blues guitarist Keb' Mo' co-stars in the film, which was written and directed by John Sayles. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Lisa Gay Hamilton, (more)
In this concert staged on what would have been reggae legend Bob Marley's sixtieth birthday, a whole host of musicians gather in historic Meskel Square of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a twelve hour concert presented to highlight Marley's timeless message of universal unity and understanding. In addition to capturing many of the performances on camera, the filmmakers also turn their attentions to the UNICEF-sponsored symposia and numerous children's workshops that were conducted during the week-long "Africa Unite" celebration, and addressing such crucial issues as human rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, conflict transformation, and youth and women's empowerment. Contributors include Danny Glover, Lauryn Hill, Rita Marley, and many of the Marley children. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rita Marley, Danny Glover, (more)
- 2007
Charles Burnett's Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation tells the rise to power of Samuel Nujoma (Carl Lumbly), a prominent leader in Namibia's struggle for independence from South Africa, and that country's first president. Opening when Nujoma was 16 years old and the country is under constant oppression from South Africa, the young man learns that he is the direct descendant of royalty. He sets off as a young man to live with an aunt, and befriends a religious man (Danny Glover) who has maintained a low profile after legal troubles stemming from a suspicious car accident. Eventually Nujoma, in the face of severe racism, forms the SWAPO political movement that, with the assistance of some foreign governments, eventually earns Namibia its independence. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carl Lumbly, Danny Glover, (more)
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