Ethan Randall Movies
- 1995
The academic world proves as lethal as the "real" world during a controversy over naming the next headmaster at Cabot Cove's prep school. Throughout the process, the school and its principal rival play a number of traditional pranks on one another, presumably in the spirit of good sportsmanship. But when a professor is murdered, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) takes time off of her lecture duties at the school to put and end to the so-called "fun and games." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A funky little record shop provides the setting for this youthful comedy that centers on the workers there as they try to help poor Joe Anthony LaPaglia), the manager who really wants to buy the place, recoup his losses after his well-meaning, but dim-bulbed employee Lucas (Rory Cochrane ) steals his savings and loses it all in Atlantic City while trying to increase it twofold at the gaming tables. If they cannot come up with the loot, the mega-chain Music City will buy it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony LaPaglia, Rory Cochrane, (more)
- 1994
In this coming-of-age drama follows a 13-year old girl living in Montana during 1946, as she copes with her father's adultery. Sally Mae Parker may be young, but she is not blind. She is quietly aware of the growing tension between her pregnant mother and her father, who recently returned from the war. Her mother is a strict, devout Christian. She is worried that both daughter and father are headed straight for hell. Her father is more worried about finding a decent job. Sally worries about her changing body and her crush upon a local teenage mechanic. Her father begins to have an affair with the widow next door; Sally soon finds out about it. During the rest of the film, she deals with the situation and becomes a young woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Nicholle Tom, (more)
- 1994
The people of Cabot Cove are thrown for a loop when Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) suddenly disappears. Making matters all the more disturbing are the blood stains in his office, and the evidence that Seth's body was dragged somewhere by parties unknown. All the same, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) can't quite dismiss her intuition that Seth is still alive (and no fair peeking at the cast lists of future episodes to figure out what happens next!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The directorial debut of Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Mikael Salomon (The Abyss), A Far Off Place is based on a pair of books by novelist Laurens Van der Post. Reese Witherspoon stars as Nonnie Parker, a young girl living on an African game preserve with her parents. Ethan Embry is Harry Winslow, the snooty son of a visiting dignitary. When Nonnie and Harry witness the murder of their parents at the hands of ruthless poachers, they suddenly find themselves braving the harsh Kalahari Desert in an attempt to escape the gang. Along the way, the pair encounters a bushman called Xhabbo (Sarel Bok) who shows them how to survive in the barren desert. Forced to work together to survive, Nonnie and Harry learn to overcome their differences and become friends. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Jack Thompson, (more)
Albert Brooks wrote, directed, and stars in this philosophical comedy about a man having a hard time making a case for himself in the afterlife. When advertising executive Daniel Miller (Albert Brooks) finds himself in a fatal car crash minutes after taking delivery on a new BMW, he's whisked away to Judgment City, where the recently dead are put on a sort of trial to decide their fate. If in your time on Earth you were able to face your fears and learn from your mistakes, you get to move on to a life in a better world. However, if you didn't, you have to go back to Earth and try again. As he spends the next several days watching various episodes from his life, Daniel gets the impression he doesn't stand much of a chance of moving on -- and his representative, Bob Diamond (Rip Torn), seems to have little confidence in his case. In the meantime, he frequents Judgment City's many restaurants (where the food is delicious and you can eat all you want without gaining an ounce), pays a visit to the Past Life Pavilion, and meets Julia (Meryl Streep), who seems so kind, sweet, and noble that her advancement is practically assured. Daniel and Julia fall in love, but what's going to happen if they don't end up in the same place? Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep make a witty and engaging romantic team in Defending Your Life, and Shirley MacLaine appears in a highly appropriate cameo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, (more)
- 1991
Bad Attitudes was first shown on the Fox Network. A pair of thick-skulled terrorists attempt to hijack a wealthy man's private jet. But the villains haven't taken into consideration a gang of five obnoxious preteens, all possessed of the bad attitude mentioned in the title. Bad Attitudes was not previewed for TV critics when it first surfaced in September of 1991, which all things considered may have been a wise defensive move. Was this Home Alone clone a TV pilot? Need you ask? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gilliland, Maryedith Burrell, (more)
John Hughes re-works his already over-used formulas from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Uncle Buck in this bald-faced rip-off directed by Peter Faiman. Ed O'Neill stars as working stiff Dutch Dooley. Dutch is in love with Natalie (JoBeth Williams), who is recovering from a failed marriage to the priggish Reed (Christopher McDonald). Her 13-year-old son Doyle (Ethan Randall) blames Natalie for the break-up of the marriage. Doyle is an effete and snobbish rich kid betraying inflections of William F. Buckley. When he refuses to join his mother for Thanksgiving, Dutch heads off to Doyle's Atlanta boarding school to kidnap him and force him to go on a ride to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his mother. Doyle hates Dutch for his loutish working-class ways, but when the vengeful teenager destroys Dutch's car, the two must join forces to get to Chicago by any means necessary. Along the way the two learn to love and respect each other. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed O'Neill, Ethan Randall, (more)
The leading lady of the Christmas tale knows just what she wants for Christmas and she lets Macy's Santa know, too. She wants nothing more than the reuniting of her recently divorced parents. Bordering on being a Miracle on 34th Street re-make, this film follows much the same theme, but the kids here get more involved as they thwart any likelihood of romantic success between their mom and her new boyfriend and try ever-so-hard to make Mommy and Daddy love each other again. A reunion does result, but it's a lackluster one and so's this film, which was generally seen as a little too contrived and way too bland. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harley Jane Kozak, Jamey Sheridan, (more)
