Jessica Paré Movies
With a personal story that eerily parallels her first major role as a small-town girl thrust from obscurity into the haute couture world of supermodel divas and the media elite in the media satire Stardom (2000), Jessica Paré remains in the friendly, small-town mindset despite her good fortune of having stumbled into that role on a lark. Born in Montreal, Canada, in 1982, into a close-knit family not at all involved in the showbiz world, Paré decided to pursue an acting career after dropping out of the fine arts program at Montreal College. Gaining early acting experience with small roles in the made-for-television mafia drama Bonanno: A Godfather's Story and following with En Vacances (both 1999), Paré's breakthrough role came as she auditioned for a small role in Stardom and ended up being cast in the film's leading role based on her inherent innocence and beauty. Though the film closed that year's Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews, Paré gained good notices and was subsequently cast opposite Piper Perabo in the poetic tale of sexual awakening, Lost and Delirious (2001). Laughingly shrugging off her status as one of the 25 most beautiful people in Canada, Paré prioritized her family life and commented boldly on her refusal to jeopardize her close relationships in favor of a career in film. She would continue to work steadily lading a part in the short-lived TV series Jack & Bobby, the same year she enjoyed leading roles in Wicker Park and The Secret Lives of the Saints. After a few years off-screen, she returned in 2009 in the movies Suck and The Trotsky. However, she landed her most high-profile gig to date in 2010 when she was cast in Mad Men as character who would become Don Draper's new wife. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An ambitious mounted policeman suffers a major career setback, but discovers his true calling in the treacherous Yukon Territory. Wade Grayling (Andrew Walker) was on his way to a promising career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when, on that fateful night in 1893, he was accused of dishonoring the Crown. Subsequently dispatched to survey the Yukon for a new garrison, Grayling arrives in the remote village of Merci, where he encounters a small group of Russian settlers. Upon noticing a body hanging from a nearby tree, Grayling realizes that Merci is a town in desperate need of law and order. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andrew Walker, Jessica Paré, (more)
An unusually intense teenager gets the idea that his name defines his destiny in this offbeat comedy. Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel) is a young man who has made the discovery that his birth name is the same as that of Leon Trotsky, the celebrated Russian revolutionary and socialist theorist. This coincidence leads Leon to believe that he is the reincarnation of Trotsky and it is his destiny to follow his path as closely as possible -- which is a bit difficult when you have rich parents and attend an upscale private school in Montreal. Leon's father (Saul Rubinek) gives his son a part-time job in one of his clothing factories, and within a day Leon is leading his fellow workers in a sit-down strike. Father isn't amused and punishes Leon by making him attend public school, but there the world-be revolutionary finds new ways to battle fascism -- which in this case is represented by Principal Berkhoff (Colm Feore) and Mrs. Davis (Domini Blythe), a teacher eager to give her students detention. Leon's pursuit of social justice causes him to fall in with Frank (Michael Murphy), a burned-out activist-turned-college professor, but Leon also finds himself infatuated with Frank's current girlfriend -- who, like Trotsky's great love, is named Alexandra (Emily Hampshire) and is nine years older than he. Directed by Jacob Tierney, The Trotsky was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jay Baruchel, Colm Feore, (more)
A bottom-shelf bar band gets a second shot at the big time when they're transformed into vampires and start to develop a loyal following. Joey (Rob Stefaniuk) fronts The Winners, a go-nowhere rock group accustomed to playing empty bowling alleys and deserted bars. They've never had a hit, and their manager Jeff (Dave Foley) voids them like the plague. Dumped by his girlfriend and advised by a sinister bartender (Alice Cooper) to simply snuff it, Joey keeps plugging away at his dreams until the one fateful night when everything changes. Hours after disappearing to an after party with a creepy goth guy (Dimitri Coats), sexy bass player Jennifer (Jessica Paré) shows up lacking more pigment than usual. Before long the Winners are dining on groupies, and dominating the charts. But their success has come at a particularly high price, and when Joey has the opportunity to set things right, he prepares to make the biggest decision of his life. Also featuring Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Moby, and Malcolm McDowell. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rob Stefaniuk, Dave Foley, (more)
The show business comedy See This Movie stars Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers as Jake Barrymore, a wannabe director who pretends he has a finished film in order to network at the Montreal Film Festival. His loyal girlfriend and a couple of faithful associates help him maintain the charade for as long as possible. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Seth Meyers, John Cho, (more)
A young boy's innocence is shattered when his mother enters into an elicit affair with a mysterious blue-eyed stranger in a two-part, four hour miniseries directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and starring Academy Award-winner Sophia Loren. Vittorio Innocente is a typical young boy from the tiny Italian village of Valle del Sole. When Vittorio's youthful innocence is shattered by his mother's enigmatic boyfriend, the youngster is compelled to shed light on the mystery of his mother's past by piecing together her remarkable story one chapter at a time. As he does so, Vittorio gradually learns of the centuries-old superstitions that continue to influence the actions of the naïve villagers, and gains greater insight than ever into the true nature of humanity. Though the hypocrisy, fears, and maliciousness he discovers in the centuries-old village soon leads Vittorio to discover the truth about his mother, those very same discoveries also threaten to unravel the very foundation of his safely sheltered world. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Sabrina Ferilli, (more)
Directed by Paul McGuigan, Wicker Park follows Chicago businessman Matthew's (Josh Hartnett) return to Windy City life after having dedicated two years of his life to mourning his long lost love Lisa (Diane Kruger), who'd mysteriously vanished from his life. Things are finally looking up again for Matthew; his career is in full swing, and he's thinking of becoming engaged -- that is, until he thinks he's spotted his former lover in a restaurant. Almost immediately, Matthew puts the brakes on his marriage plans and his career in order to conduct an exhaustive search for his old flame. Obsessed, he barely notices the psychologically devastating trap his quest is leading him into -- a danger that only grows when he meets an enigmatic stranger (Rose Byrne). Wicker Park features Matthew Lillard and Jessica Paré in supporting roles. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josh Hartnett, Matthew Lillard, (more)
After making a string of social commentaries, Canadian director Deepa Mehta satirizes India's beloved genre in the lighthearted romantic musical Bollywood/Hollywood. Indo-Canadian millionaire Rahul (Rahul Khanna) goes against the wishes of his mother and grandmother to date the Caucasian pop star Kimberly (Jessica Paré); however, she gets killed in an accident and he is left devastated. His mother (Moushumi Chatterjee) seizes the opportunity and announces that he must get engaged to an Indian girl before his sister is allowed to wed. This is complicated by the fact that his sister is already engaged and pregnant. Under pressure, Rahul enlists the help of Sue (supermodel Lisa Ray), a professional escort who agrees to play the part of his Indian fiancée. He thinks she is really Hispanic, and she claims to have no love for traditional Indian men. Throughout his sister's wedding preparations, Sue begins to befriend his entire family, including the tough old grandmother (Dina Pathak). After some random bursts into songs and dances, Sue reveals her true identity and they fall in love. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, (more)
Katie Tallo's drama Posers concerns a group of teenage girls who, after a hard night of partying, have to figure out what happened to their leader. A night of drinking and drugging comes to a head when someone not in their group dies, but when the leader of the group goes missing the others grow more paranoid abut what might happen to them. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2002
A young Irish servant girl travels to Newfoundland in an attempt to build a new life for herself and her infant daughter in director John. M. Smith's Gemini Award-winning miniseries. Mary Keane (Aoife McMahon) is a humble servant who has been raped and abused her entire life, but she's determined that her young daughter will not suffer the same grim fate. Now, after departing from their native Ireland, Mary and her daughter wind up at an isolated fishing station run by benevolent soul Thomas Hutchings (Colm Meany). But sickness and starvation run rampant in this harsh environment. Perhaps if all of the fugitives and lost souls who have wound up in this unforgiving no man's land can band together and make it through the hard times, there will finally be hope for the future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colm Meaney, Aoife McMahon, (more)
- 2002
Filmed in France, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, and Canada, this ambitious biographical TV miniseries chronicles the life and times of the "Little Corporal" from Corsica who managed to conquer nearly all of Europe within a period of a dozen years. The narrative begins in the mid-1790s, as Napoleon Bonaparte (played, curiously enough, by comic actor Christian Clavier) makes his mark on posterity with spectacular victories in Austria and Egypt. On the home front, Napoleon woos and wins the lovely (and considerably older) Josephine (Isabella Rossellini), but finds time for extracurricular romances with other women, notably Countess Marie Walewska (Alexandra Maria Lara). Ultimately, Bonaparte's ambitions destroy him, first in Russia, then at Waterloo, consigning the general-cum-emperor to live out his life in humiliation and exile. When originally broadcast in France in October 2002, Napoleon ran six hours (plus commercials), with four episodes. For its American presentation on the A&E cable network beginning April 8, 2003, the production was literally sliced in half, shown in two installments with a running time of three hours. What remained was all highlights and few insights, though a few brilliant moments remained, many of these supplied by the supporting cast, which included Gérard Depardieu (who also produced) as Fouche, and John Malkovich as Talleyrand. Thankfully, the full six-hour version was made available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
- 2001
Three families trace their fortunes, for good and ill, over the course of ten summers in this drama from French filmmaker Yves Hanchar. The Bertini, Delperee, and Foucher families first meet by the seaside in 1990, and as the various members become fast friends, they find themselves vacationing together each summer over the next decade. Daniel Delperee (Jeremy Lippmann) finds himself falling in love with Carole (Jessica Pare), a friend of one of the Foucher girls, and over the next several summers he has to come to terms with his feelings for her. He must also face new responsibilities, as his mother Marianne (Catherine Hosmalin), who had been unhappy since parting with her husband Paul (Luc Picard), dies in an auto accident. Daniel then is unsure how to react after Paul becomes involved with a much younger woman, Maddelena (Floriane Devigne). En Vacances received its North American premiere at the 2001 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luc Picard, Luigi Diberti, (more)
Three schoolgirls learn about the joys, sorrows, and varieties of love in this drama based on the novel The Wives of Bath by Susan Swan. Mary (Mischa Barton) is a quiet girl who is still recovering from the death of her mother. Mary's father and new stepmother, who are blind to her emotional needs, send her away to an all-girls college, where Mary becomes fast friends with her new roommates, sophisticated Paulie (Piper Perabo) and worldly Tory (Jessica Pare). But Mary soon discovers that Paulie and Tory are more than just friends, and have begun to pursue a passionate physical relationship. While initially puzzled by their lesbian leanings, Mary remains close friends with both of them; Tory's sister is not so open minded, however, and threatens to tell their parents about Tory's affair. Afraid and confused, Tory quickly breaks off her romance with Paulie and takes up with Jake (Luke Kirby), a student at a nearby boys' school. Paulie is heartbroken, and desperately struggles to win Tory back by writing her epic-length poems on the subject of love and loss. Paulie also finds a metaphor for her wounded heart as she finds an injured bird in the woods and struggles to restore it to health; in addition, she discovers an understanding soul in the person of Fay Vaughn (Jackie Burroughs), one of her teachers. Lost and Delirious was the first English-language feature for Québecois filmmaker Lea Pool; the film received its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Piper Perabo, Jessica Paré, (more)
French Canadian director Denys Arcand pushes the boundaries of the mockumentary with Stardom, the tale of a fictional neophyte supermodel (Jessica Pare) told entirely through clips of her appearances on talk shows, television interviews, and documentaries. Originally titled 15 Moments, Stardom begins its portrait at a women's hockey game in the nether regions of Ontario, Canada. When the team's formidable teenage forward Tina (Pare) pulls her helmet off, letting her brunette tresses fly, a bystander snaps a photo, and Tina soon becomes the buzz at the country's hottest fashion houses. Her rise through the industry, however, is plagued by advances from older men with sundry motives: a smitten French photographer (Charles Berling), a smarmy entrepreneur (Dan Aykroyd), the Canadian Ambassador to the U.N. (Frank Langella), and a slick promoter (Thomas Gibson, the latter half of TV's Dharma and Greg). Stardom was the closing film at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time in over 50 years that a Canadian production was chosen for such an honor; it would go on to open the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jessica Paré, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 1999
- PG13
This made-for-TV drama is based on the autobiography of one of the most notorious figures in American organized crime, Joseph Bonanno. Bonanno (played by Bruce Ramsay) left Sicily as a young man, eager to escape the tyranny of Benito Mussolini, but when he arrived in America, fate led him to a career on the wrong side of the law with the Castellamarese crime family. After his mentor was killed in a bloody feud with cadres of the Gambino family, Bonanno became the youngest man to lead a major crime syndicate in America. Bonanno's battles with Lucky Luciano (Vince Corazza) and his secret dealings with Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Matt Norklun) helped cement Bonanno's reputation as one of the most powerful criminals in the world. It didn't take long, however, for the gangster kingpin to discover that power breeds treachery, and as the years passed, Bonanno (now played by Tony Nardi) learned that both the FBI and some of his most loyal allies were working to put him out of business. Martin Landau plays the elderly Bonanno, who tells much of his life story in flashback as he visits his hometown in Sicily for the first time in many years. The supporting cast includes Robert Loggia, Costas Mandylor, Patti LuPone, and Edward James Olmos. Bonanno: A Godfather's Story was originally produced as a two-part miniseries for the Showtime premium cable network, but was later edited down to 139 minutes for release on home video. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Landau, Costas Mandylor, (more)
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