Wally Dunn Movies

Following up the acclaimed documentary Children of the Street, filmmaker Eva Aridjis made her narrative-feature debut with this bittersweet drama starring Frank Wood and Ryan Donowho. Wood plays Lawrence, a man who decides to take in Johnny (Donowho), the troubled teenaged son of his recently deceased high-school sweetheart. Twenty-five years ago, Caroline (Paige Turco) broke Lawrence's heart. These days, Lawrence is a single, middle-aged photographer leading a quiet life with his loyal canine companion in Bayonne, NJ. When Lawrence receives a surprise phone call from a recently divorced Caroline, romantic feelings are rekindled and his life suddenly takes on new meaning. Unfortunately, a life with Caroline wasn't in the cards for Lawrence, because shortly after the high-school sweethearts reconnect, Caroline dies in a sudden and tragic accident. Now, in order to prevent Carlone's troubled 16-year-old son, Johnny (Donowho), from being placed in foster care, Lawrence adopts the boy and tries his hardest to be a caring father. But Johnny wants nothing to do with Lawrence, instead choosing to follow in his biological father's footsteps by becoming a petty criminal and constructing an impenetrable wall of anger and silence. It seems that the only person capable of breaking through to Johnny is Mariana (Isidra Vega), a pretty neighborhood girl with whom the boy forms a warm bond. In time, Johnny begins to realize that Lawrence is a respectable role model and caring father figure who is willing to make the sacrifices needed for him to have a brighter future. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

A body fished out of the East River turns out to be that of Karen Hall, a criminal investigator with the State Attorney General's office. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Greene (Jesse L. Martin) launch their investigation by questioning Hall's boss Conroy (Nestor Serrano), who theorizes that Karen was kidnapped and killed while on a case. Things change dramatically when the facts surrounding Conroy's tempestuous private life (and his hold over three different women) come to light. Writer Fran Lebowitz makes the first of several cameo appearances as Arraignment Judge Goldberg. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The prosecution of a Mafia murder faces a stumbling block in the form of a Mr. Dobbs (Philip Bosco), the lawyer of an elderly mob don. Dobbs argues that his client is mentally and physically unfit to stand trial -- and all evidence suggests that the attorney is telling the truth. Adding to the intrigue is the dead witness, and the all-too-eager confession of a two-bit hoodlum. The D.A.'s office arrives at the truth through the "magic" of videotape -- and a steady finger on the slow-motion button. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The office of a limited-circulation magazine is the scene of three murders. One of the victims, the magazine's editor, had been locked in a power struggle with his brother Peter Nichodos (Peter Frechette). As he prosecutes the cast, Assistant D.A. McCoy runs up against two formidable opponents: Nichodo's mother, Elaine (Sada Thompson), who is determined to save the family business at any cost, and the obstructive rulings of presiding judge Edgar Hynes (Louis Zorich), who happens to be an old friend of McCoy's boss, Adam Schiff (Steven Hill). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi