Melissa Sagemiller
Courtroom drama series Raising the Bar focuses on a group of young lawyers who are friends by night and enemies by day. Some of these law men and women work for the public defender's office, and others work for the district attorney, putting them at odds with each other in the courtroom - and sometimes in the living room as well. Each side of this clique represents a vital part of the legal system, but that system isn't prepared for the complications brought by flawed human relationships, and they soon find that both personal and professional relationships have to be decided on a case by case basis. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, (more)
Every junior-high geek's worst nightmare becomes a reality in this comedy. John Farley (Seann William Scott) grew up as a chubby kid with no athletic skills and poor self-esteem, and during his early teenage years his nemesis was Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton), his junior-high gym teacher, who took a sadistic glee in tormenting John and others like them. Years later, John has slimmed down, come to terms with his self-image, and become a best-selling author, publishing a self-help book on overcoming the specters of the past. John comes home to visit his widowed mother, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), and discovers she has a surprise for him -- she's getting married again, and her new fiancée is none other than Mr. Woodcock. Horrified, John is determined to keep Beverly from walking down the aisle with Woodcock, and along the way finds himself struggling to settle some old scores. Mr. Woodcock also stars Amy Poehler as John's publicist and Ethan Suplee as John's old friend Needleman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, (more)
A decorated Coast Guard search and rescue specialist still haunted by the death of his teammates during a disastrous mission off the coast of Alaska is charged with the task of training the next generation of Coast Guard rescue swimmers in director Andrew Davis' ocean-bound adventure drama. Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) was the best swimmer of his graduating class, but upon surfacing as the sole survivor of an Alaskan rescue mission attempted during a Category Three storm, his outlook on life has grown increasingly jaded. Now, as hotshot young swimmer Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) arrives at Coast Guard rescue school looking to accomplish something meaningful with his life, he will be forced to endure the rigorous training methods of a man who expects nothing less than the very best in order to become a member of one of the most elite rescue squads on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
- Starring:
- Michael Ealy, Oded Fehr, (more)
When a diverse group of lifelong friends comes together to celebrate the marriage of devoted couple Elise (Amy Adams) and Michael (Adam Garcia), the mixed-up relationships of the past pave the road to a weekend no one is likely to soon forget in the feature debut from filmmaker Matthew Cole Weiss. The setting is Los Angeles, CA, and the event is the wedding between a man and a woman who always seemed destined to be together. Unfortunately, all relationships can't be as healthy as Elise and Michael's is, and though best man and maid of honor Rich (Aaron Stanford) and Samantha (Melissa Sagemiller) seem to be preparing to take the plunge, the same certainly cannot be said for neurotic actress Lana (Mena Suvari). A free-spirited soul who has experienced flings with a variety of wedding attendees including the hapless Pockets (Jon Abrahams), alcoholic actor Simon (James Van Der Beek), and manic children's television program host Donovan (Ethan Embry), Lana attempts to sort out her past flings as lovelorn agent Quentin (Colin Hanks) pines for the bride's sister and the estranged father of the groom attempts to reconnect with his long-lost son. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Adams, Adam Garcia, (more)
Dutch film producer Pieter Jan Brugge makes his directorial debut with the dramatic thriller The Clearing. Affluent executive Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his lovely wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), live in a beautiful home in Pittsburg. One day, Wayne is kidnapped by disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). He is then held for ransom in a forest. Meanwhile, Eileen is forced to reckon with the FBI agents as they negotiate with the kidnapper. Alessandro Nivola and Melissa Sagemiller star as the two grown Hayes children. Matt Craven plays FBI Agent Ray Fuller. The Clearing premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Helen Mirren, (more)
Robert Parigi writes and directs the low-budget horror movie Love Object. Technical writer Kenneth (Desmond Harrington) is too shy to reveal his attraction to co-worker Lisa (Melissa Sagemiller). He's only able to relax after ordering Nikki, a Lisa-lookalike sex doll with realistic anatomy. The new, sexually fullfilled Kenneth develops the confidence to talk to the real-life Lisa, but Nikki gets jealous. Kenneth starts to confuse reality with fantasy, leading to violence and gore. Rip Torn and Udo Kier appear in a cameo roles. Love Object premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Desmond Harrington, Melissa Sagemiller, (more)
The time-honored "men in drag" concept gets a teen sex comedy makeover with this farce from director Wallace Wolodarsky. Dave (Barry Watson), Adam (Michael Rosenbaum), and Doofer (Harland Williams) are a trio of broke playboy misogynists who are accused of embezzlement by their frat brothers and kicked out. The friends quickly find themselves with only one option if they wish to remain on campus rent-free and nab the real culprits: the sorority known as Delta Omicron Gamma (D.O.G.), an institution widely known for its members' deficiency of physical beauty. After undergoing radical transformations thanks to wigs, makeup, and some serious depilatory efforts, the boys are soon passing themselves off as Daisy, Adena, and Roberta. It's not long before their past mistreatment of women has come back to haunt them, while Dave falls in love with Leah (Melissa Sagemiller), the head of the sorority, forcing him to consider when and where to confess the truth. In the meantime, the boys draw closer to learning the identity of the real thieves. Sorority Boys (2002) co-stars Heather Matarazzo. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
This entry in the perennially popular teen horror genre is from writer/director Steve Carpenter and the producers of I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Urban Legend (1998). Melissa Sagemiller stars as Cassie, a college freshman trying to get over the death of her boyfriend Sean (Casey Affleck) in an auto accident. Making matters worse is that ever since the car crash, which also nearly claimed her own life, Cassie has seemed to hover in a netherworld between the living and the dead, where she believes she's hallucinating some spooky, emotional visitations from Sean. In the meantime, she's also coming under the sway of her mysterious friends Matt (Wes Bentley) and Annabel (Eliza Dushku) as well as an androgynous acquaintance (Angela Featherstone) of theirs. Unsure whom she can trust, Cassie turns for aid to an enigmatic young priest, Father Jude (Luke Wilson), but the ultimate truth about her condition and state of mind may come as a shocking revelation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Sagemiller, Casey Affleck, (more)
Ben Foster stars in this teenage comedy as Berke Landers, an average high schooler who has achieved high status by winning over Allison (Melissa Sagemiller), reputed to be the most popular and beautiful girl in his class. After an initially winning time, Allison finds herself drawn to the hot new guy in school, leaving Berke in the lurch. At the risk of ruining his unsteady reputation, Berke concocts a scheme for getting Allison back: he will join the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and prove his romanticism to her. Realizing he needs an effective acting coach, he turns to Kelly (Kirsten Dunst), who was once the annoying little sister of a best friend and has suddenly blossomed into a grownup -- to whom Berke finds himself drawn. Berke must then decide if getting Allison back is the ultimate priority, as he falls for the more sensible Kelly, all while trying to maintain a credible presence both in school and in his new acting gig. Get Over It also features R&B singer Sisqo, comedian Martin Short, and Shane West in supporting roles. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, (more)

















