James Avery Movies

When the traditionally minded pastor of a fundamentalist Baptist church suffers a debilitating stroke, the energetic young preacher brought in as a temporary replacement draws the ire of both his ailing predecessor and the jealous deacon who seeks to sabotage the stylish but sincere clergyman's career. Reverend Robert Gibbs has a decidedly unconventional means of preaching the gospel, so when he is recruited to stand-in for the debilitated Reverend Matthews during the latter's convalescence the congregation is at first somewhat taken aback. Eventually, however, the congregation warms to their new pastor, gradually embracing his hip style of preaching. As attendance at the California-based church begins to perk up, Reverend Gibbs makes the acquaintance of a pretty local teacher named Divine who lost her faith after losing her mother to cancer. Later, as Reverend Gibbs does his best to help restore the woman's faith, he discovers that she is in fact the daughter of the disapproving Reverend Matthews. When it begins to look as if Reverend Matthews may not be able to return to his post after all, the scheming Deacon Wells digs deep into Reverend Gibbs' past on a mission to prevent him from both becoming the permanent pastor and winning the heart of the lovely Divine. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A lost piece of history merges with the marvel of modern marine expeditions, intense archeological arguments, and the issue of race relations in contemporary America as an expedition is launched to recover a pirate Spanish slave ship that was sunken off the coast of Florida in 1827. Pursued by a British warship and sunken just off the coast of Florida, the Guerrero served as the catalyst for an intense three year saga involving five nations when it drifted beneath the ocean surface. Now, nearly two centuries later, the search for a obscure and forgotten historical relic prompts modern-day explorers to ponder what implications this ship's history has for a country that has always struggled with the issue of race. Coinciding with both America's 200th anniversary of Abolitionism and the United Nation's 2004 International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition, this discovery of the Guerrero raises numerous questions that may just be the key to understanding the mistakes of the past and ensuring that those mistakes will never be committed again. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Previously portrayed in films and on TV by the likes of Bonita Granville, Janet Julian, Pamela Sue Martin, and Tracy Ryan, author Carolyn Keene's intrepid, teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew is again brought to life in the person of Maggie Lawson. Now enrolled at River Heights University with her longtime friends and fellow "detectives" Bess (Jill Ritchie) and George (Lauren Birkell), the level-headed, no-nonsense Nancy hopes to achieve academic nirvana by being accepted to the prestigious Tri Pi fraternity. Things take a sinister turn when Tri Pi's reigning "queen" Allison Price (Sabine Singh) is accused of causing the drug overdose that has put her football-hero boyfriend in a coma. As usual, Nancy suspects that the case isn't quite as cut-and-dried as it seems, and with the assistance of her aforementioned girl friends -- not to mention her erstwhile beau Ned Nickerson (Nick Stabile) -- our heroine snoops around long enough to uncover a sinister campus-wide conspiracy. Adult authority is represented in the form of Nancy's long-suffering attorney dad Carson Drew (Brett Cullen) and her overbearing, condescending journalism teacher Professor Shifflin (James Avery). First broadcast as an episode of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney on December 15, 2002, Nancy Drew was rather blatantly designed as the pilot for a potential weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This edition of the PBS television series explores New York City -- "the city that never sleeps" -- to sample its cultural and ethnic diversity. It features the bright lights of Broadway with actor Joel Grey and an inspirational gospel service in Harlem, as well as bird watching, rollerblading and bicycling in Central Park, and a jolting ride on the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. This travel video also shows the vast variety of ethnic cuisine available, from Little Italy to Chinatown. A quick-moving tour of New York City, this video whets the appetite for more.
~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide

Join host James Avery for a close-up look at one of America's most picturesque parks in the documentary Going Places: Yellowstone in Winter. Part of the PBS travel series, the film takes vacation planners and travel buffs on a winter journey--without the tourists--to Yellowstone, Wyoming. You'll see a winter wonderland of steaming geysers, snow-crusted trees, and icy waterfalls. Bison and elk forage the landscape, skiers and snowboarders traverse the Teton slopes, and dogsledders maneuver the slippery roads of Jackson Hole in this stunning 58-minute video. Special highlights include a segment on the history of Yellowstone Park and a trip to Bubba's Restaurant, a local favorite for ribs. A promotional pamphlet accompanies the video. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide

The diverse quilt known as the United States of America is explored in great detail with this trip to the New Mexico cities of Santa Fe and Taos. Santa Fe, one of North America's oldest cities, is rich with Indian culture, and dates back many hundreds of years. This travelogue mixes a few history lessons in with its panoramic view of these two fascinating cities. To help do this, it follows a Native American family's trip from Santa Fe to Taos in order to bring to light their unique ethnic perspective. Their journey includes a stop to collect sacred dirt -- which is believed to contain healing power -- as well as visits to Indian pueblos. ~ Dan Macintosh, All Movie Guide

Science must confront a power greater than our own in this unusual sci-fi-thriller. As seismic activities around the world begin going haywire, causing untold damages in major cities and claiming thousands of lives, the President of the United States orders Kasia Czaban, one of his top scientific advisers, and Mason Rand, a leading weapons expert, to investigate the phenomenon and see if it can be stopped. Kasia and Mason's investigation leads them to the Himalayas, where they discover a strange object of otherworldly origin that can generate its own power and water, spawn and support its own life forms, and either extend or extinguish human lives at will. What is this strange item? What is its role in the history of our universe? And can Mason and Kasia unlock its secrets without falling prey to its dangers? Epoch stars David Keith, Stephanie Niznik, Ryan O'Neal, and Shannon Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A millionaire's death leaves a dog and a pet psychic rolling in dough while the deceased's relatives are left to figure out how to get the money for themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi thriller, Harper (Isabella Hoffman) is a reconnaissance agent from an alien civilization sent to Earth to study the planet and its inhabitants. Harper has taken over the body of a human being in order to not seem conspicuous, and has been performing tests to see if her mind control techniques will make it possible for her people to enslave the human race. But Harper has learned that most of the earthlings do not respond to her methods, and another three alien scouts -- Alpha, Bravo, and Charley -- are sent to see if the path can be cleared for a massive invasion of the planet three days hence. While Harper's new comrades show little concern or compassion for human beings, she has developed an understanding of humans during her six months on the planet and is no longer certain that taking over the planet is a good idea. The Advanced Guard also stars James Avery, Michael Weatherly, and Jeff Kober. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Still a bachelor after breaking up with his fiancée a scant few moments before his wedding, Philadelphia émigré Will Smith (played, of course, by Will Smith) returns to the bosom of his wealthy California relations as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air enters its sixth and final season. Even though the basic "culture clash" premise was still intact, at this point, nothing Will could do can shock his prosperous and mildly pompous uncle Philip (James Avery) nor his serenely sensible aunt Vivian (Daphne Maxwell Reid). Similarly, Will no longer pokes fun at his relatives occasional haughty airs -- in fact he rather enjoys their pretensions and sometimes embraces them himself. As for the rest of the Bankses, college student Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) is well on his way to full-time political conservatism, Hilary (Karyn Parsons) is not as much of a spoiled brat as in earlier seasons, Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) continues pursuing a singing career, and youngest child Nicholas (Ross Bagley) is -- well, youngest child Nicholas. The series' final two-part episode found Philip Banks deciding to put the mansion up for sale. Among the prospective buyers are several blasts from sitcoms past including Diff'rent Strokes' Conrad Bain and Gary Coleman, and Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, and Marla Gibbs from The Jeffersons. But does this finale mean that Will himself will pull up stakes and return to West Philly? Tune in and see! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A recently transferred high-school student finds herself walking a double-edged sword in her attempt to court friendship with the powerfully popular but frighteningly unpredictable head cheerleader in a disturbing look at the adolescent social hierarchy starring Tori Spelling and Kellie Martin. Angela Delvecchio (Kellie Martin) has just transferred to a new high school, and popularity is her highest priority. Her burgeoning friendship with beautiful cheerleader Stacy Lockwood (Spelling) a sure sign that she is fast making headway with the in crowd, Angela quickly discovers that it doesn't take much for her new best friend to become her new worst enemy. Now, as the vengeful Stacy unleashes a firestorm of cruelty and humiliation on the increasingly vulnerable transfer student, Angela grows unstable for fear of what horrors her venomous teen tormentor will inflict upon her next. But Angela isn't one to take Stacy's abuse in stride, and before the semester is over, the unrelenting tyranny of the cold-blooded cheerleader will lead the newest girl in school to commit an act so shocking that it will shake the entire community. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The immediate aftermath of the terrorist bombing on the World Trade Center provides the focus of this taut real-life drama. In addition to detailing the rescue efforts, it also centers on the victims, including schoolchildren on a field trip, trapped inside. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The producers of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air weren't about to tinker with a successful format as the series entered its third season. Although West Philadelphia teenager Will Smith (played, of course, by Will Smith) has been living with his wealthy relatives in Bel-Air for three years now, he still hasn't lost his streetwise flippancy, though he does begin evincing signs of burgeoning maturity and responsibility. In the same fashion, Will's host, the Banks family, continues putting on airs and currying favor with the Bel-Air elite, though they generally get their heads out of the clouds and return to earth at the end of each episode. The most signifcant change from seasons past is the pregnancy of Will's Aunt Vivian, a plot development created to accommodate the real-life pregnancy of actress Janet Hubert-Whitten. By the end of season three, Vivian has given birth to a son named Nicholas -- whereupon she virtually disappears from view, reportedly because of creative differences between Janet Hubert-Whitten and Will Smith.
The actress left the show at the end of the year and would be replaced by Daphne Reed Maxwell for the 1994-1995 season. In this season's opener, Will returns from a summer visit to his mom in West Philly with a new haircut and flamboyant wardrobe that appalls his stuffy lawyer uncle Philip Banks (James Avery), leading to the first of several obligatory "Let's stop arguing and compromise" moments. Later highlights included Philip and Vivian's not-so-sentimental journey to their old neighborhood, which had been all but levelled during the L.A. riots; the matriculation of the Banks' youngest daughter Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) into the newly co-ed Bel-Air Prep School; older daughter Hilary's (Karyn Parsons) new job as a TV weather girl; former Jeffersons star Sherman Hemsley's appearance as Judge Carl Robertson, against whom Philip Banks would enter into a bitterly fought political battle; another guest-star turn, this one by no less than Oprah Winfrey; and the ongoing romantic tribulations of Will's prissy, preppy cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro). In one of the season's final episodes, Will gets the opportunity to perform at a comedy club -- where among the other participants is future sitcom leading man D.L. Hughley. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air enjoyed its highest-ever ratings during season three, ending up the 16th most watched program on network television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide