Keith Thompson Movies

An already-unstable household becomes a virtual battle zone when the son of a risqué comedienne and a has-been singer finds mom meddling in his love life in director Cherie Nowlan's dysfunctional romantic comedy. Twenty-one-year-old Tim Dwight (Khan Chittenden) comes from a peculiar family; his mother, Jean (Brenda Blethyn), is a bawdy stage comic renowned for her scatological sense of humor and his father, John (Frankie J. Holden), is a faded country-music star who now works as a low-rent security guard. While dad is busy trying to revive his flat-lined career, mom spends most of her time doting on Tim and his developmentally disabled brother, Mark (Richard Wilson). Upon meeting the beautiful Jill (Emma Booth), Tim believes his may have finally found the woman of his dreams. Unfortunately in Jean's eyes there is only room for one woman in Tim's life, and that woman is his mother. As Tim's relationship with Jill grows increasingly serious, the stage is set for a battle royal between the woman who once gave him life and the prospective mother of his future children. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An episode of the successful twenty-five year PBS anthology series Mystery!, Malice Aforethought tells the chilling story of Edmund Bickleigh (Ronnie Masterson), a physician who copes with irritations from his dominating wife by bedding numerous women from the town. This consummate philanderer decides to nudge his vileness one step further by simply eliminating his better half, with the help of a chest full of illicit, deadly drugs that will knock the poor woman out forever. Malice Aforethought co-stars Phyllis Ryan, Fiona O'Shaugnessy, and Barbara Flynn. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Originally adapted for German television in 1966, Francis Durbridge's mystery novel Melissa was remade as a British miniseries in 1974. That version was sufficiently famous to warrant an expensive four-part reworking nearly a quarter of a century later. Expanding considerably upon the original, this new version of Melissa told the story of war correspondent Guy Foster (Tim Dutton), who, after the death of his wife in a car accident, embarked upon an ocean voyage to forget his troubles. En route, he enjoyed a shipboard romance with an ethereally beautiful woman named Melissa (Jennifer Ehle), who shortly afterward died in mysterious circumstances. The plot thickened as several of Guy's other acquaintances were likewise knocked off, one by one, until the hero found himself accused of their murders. Melissa debuted over Britain's Channel 4 on May 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The wonderful performances of three developmentally challenged teenage actors placed House Gang several cuts above the usual Australian sitcom. The plot got under way when builder Mike Wilson (Chris Haywood) went bankrupt, forcing him to give up ownership of his house. With nowhere else to go, Mike and his contentious 15-year-old daughter Chloe (Jocelyn Rosen) decided to move in with their tenants: a trio of handicapped young adults named Belinda (Ruth Cromer), Trevor (Saxon Graham), and Robert (Chris Greenwood), and their special-ed teacher Jack (Jeanette Cronin), who had an iconoclastic streak a mile wide and who loved motorbike racing. At first appalled by their new roommates, the Wilsons soon discovered that they had a lot to learn from the industrious, well-adjusted Belinda, Trev, and Robert, who in many ways were the cleverest and most resourceful characters on the show. Created by Diana Emry, Gaby Mason, and Craig Pearce, the 12 episodes of House Gang were originally telecast in Australia from 1996 to 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide