Dawn Ford Movies
An ancient secret threatens to unleash the powers of darkness on a group of modern prep school students when the sole survivor of a cursed bloodline returns to lay claim to the powers denied to him centuries ago in a supernatural teen thriller from director Renny Harlin and screenwriter J.S. Cardone. The story begins in 1692, when five families from the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts formed a covenant of silence that would forever protect their remarkable powers. One family went too far, though, and as a result of their transgression they were forever banished from the land. Flash forward to the new millennium and the four Sons of Ipswich are now the student elite at the prestigious Spenser Academy. Bound by their sacred ancestry and sworn to silence, these four teens share a secret so remarkable that it has served to protect their families for hundreds of years. The past has a way of coming back when you least expect it though, and when the fifth Son of Ipswich returns seeking to harness the powers denied him in the past, the battle is on to ensure the safety of The Covenant and lay the one descendent who threatens to reveal their secret to rest once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, (more)
- 2001
Based on a true story, the Canadian TV movie The Stork Derby begins with the death of wealthy Toronto lawyer and lifelong bachelor Charles Vance Miller (Frank Fontaine). Going through Miller's effects, his lawyers discover that he intended to divide his fortune among the Canadian women who would deliver the most babies within a decade after his birth. Fueled by the circulation-hungry Toronto Daily Star, "The Great Toronto Stork Derby" held the Dominion in thrall throughout the Depression years, with hundreds and thousands of women hoping to escape the ravages of the Depression via mass procreation. The contest boils down to three front runners: French-Canadian Vivanne Kennelly (Pascale Montpetit), whose anxiousness to win at all costs leads to tragedy; Colleen Brant (Janine Thierault), who has multiple babies by multiple fathers; and Gina Bonaggio (Ellen David), an impoverished Italian immigrant. Dutifully chronicling each twist and turn of the contest is Canada's only female journalist Kate Harrington (Megan Follows), who at first regards the whole affair as demeaning to women, but ultimately becomes an ardent crusader for fair play when, during the 1938 court trial that will determine the winner, it becomes painfully obvious that the Canadian government will succumb to traditional colonial bigotry and see to it that no "inferior" women--that is, non-white non-Protestants--will benefit from Miller's legacy. Adapted from a book by Elizabeth Wilton, The Story Derby made its CBC debut on January 8, 2002, and shortly thereafter was shown in the U.S. courtesy of the Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
Noted filmmaker Euzhan Palcy, who made a name for herself by directing a series of socially minded films about racism and oppression -- including Sugar Cane Alley and A Dry White Season -- continues in the same vein with this gritty courtroom drama about the bloodshed and the coverup of the Attica prison uprising of 1971. Protesting the dreadful conditions at the state penitentiary, 1200 inmates -- mostly African-American -- took control of Prison Yard D. After a half a week negotiating with the prisoners, the police burst into the jail with guns ablaze. Reportedly 2,200 rounds were fired, 39 people killed, and 80 wounded. Fearing an investigation, the State Department indicted a number of prisoners for murder, including Shango (Morris Chestnut), a former law student and activist against the prison administration. Crack lawyer Ernie Goodman (Alan Alda) agrees to defend him, but before he can keep him from the gallows he has to allay Shango's distrust. Meanwhile, civil liberties activist Linda Borus (Rose McGowan) uncovers the truth and the elaborate layers of deceit that the state erected. This film was first screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morris Chestnut, Alan Alda, (more)
An ailing criminal and his excitement-starved nurse decide to knock over a bank for fun and profit in this comic suspense story. Legendary bank robber Henry Manning (Paul Newman) pushes his luck too far and ends up in prison, where he suffers a massive stroke. He is transferred to a nursing home, in the care of Carol Ann McKay (Linda Fiorentino), a high school prom queen who married her boyfriend Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), the star of her school's football team, and whose glamour days are well behind her. After a few of her personal effects mysteriously disappear, Carol Ann starts to suspect that Henry isn't as sick as he seems, and she and Wayne are soon working with Henry to plan his last and greatest score. The title comes from the remark attributed to the outlaw Willie Sutton, who when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that's where the money is." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
Shakespeare in Words and Music explores the enduring connection in Shakespeare's writings between poetry/prose and music. The release contains a succession of six 30-minute programs; each juxtaposes recitations from the Bard's poetry and plays with musical performances (including many chamber music pieces) that help accentuate the inherent themes in the said texts. Episodes include: "Restoration Rules," "Operatic Love," "Foreign Masters," "Ophelia's Story," "Broadway Bound" and "English Renaissance." ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pascale Beaudin, Charlotte Corwin, (more)
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