Tom Cavanagh Movies
An actor once christened by the media as the "Breakout Performer of 2000," Tom Cavanagh earned that title largely thanks to his assignment headlining the popular prime-time series Ed (2000). In that seriocomedy, Cavanagh starred as Ed Stevens, an attorney who moves back to his hometown of Stuckeyville, OH, where he sets up practice in a bowling alley and strikes up a romance with a girl from high school (Julie Bowen). The series lasted four seasons; in its wake, Cavanagh branched out into movies, with leads in the teen-oriented drama Bang, Bang, You're Dead (2002) and the romantic comedy Gray Matters (2006), as well as a small supporting role in the family-oriented laugher How to Eat Fried Worms (2006). During that time, he'd also taken on a recurring role on the medical comedy series Scrubs, playing Dan Dorian, the brother of lead character J.D. (Zach Braff), thanks in large part to the two actors' resemblance to each other.Cavanagh returned to regular television work with the 2006 prime-time drama Love Monkey -- headlining that program as a record-company executive who grows disillusioned with the ethos of his corporation and sets up shop with a smaller independent label. He rebounded from the hasty cancellation of that program with more feautures, including a starring role in Laurie Lynd's drama Breakfast With Scot (2007), playing a closeted gay sportscaster whose romantic relationship with a hockey player threatens to be undone by the arrival of the latter's nephew. Cavanagh could soon be seen on the small screen again when he guest-starred on the comedy drama Eli Stone as the titular character's deceased father. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Hanna-Barbera's beloved picnic-basket-stealing bear makes his big-screen debut in this live-action/animation mix children's flick from Journey to the Center of the Earth director Eric Brevig. The tourists just aren't flocking to Jellystone Park like they used to, and when the budget starts to get tight, Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) brings down the axe. But while the mayor can certainly make a quick buck by selling the land, what about the families who like to spend their summers in the great outdoors? When Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) and Boo-Boo (Justin Timberlake) discover they're about to become homeless, they realize that their only hope for keeping Jellystone open is to team up with their old enemy Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) and wage wildlife warfare against greedy Mayor Brown. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, (more)
- 2008
Inspired by Sheriff David Reichert's memoir Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer, this Lifetime Movie Network mini-series details how the killer who stalked Washington State for two decades was finally captured and brought to justice. An elusive madman has the citizens of Washington State locking their doors. Just when it begins to seem as if the killer will never get caught, however, a young woman named Helen "Hel" Remus' (Amy Davidson) has a chance encounter with the Green River Killer that leaves her forever changed. Meanwhile, local Sheriff David Reichert (Tom Cavanagh) puts both his family and career on the line to see that justice is served. In a last ditch bid to save any more innocent girls from being slaughtered, Sheriff Reichert seeks the advice of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy (James Marsters), whose expertise on the topic at hand may give the frustrated lawman just the lead he needs to crack the case. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, James Marsters, (more)
When a bad bout with amnesia leaves Santa (Tom Cavanaugh) unaware of his own identity, his helpers race to save Christmas in this holiday sequel that's fun for the whole family. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Ashley Williams, (more)
A decidedly non-stereotypical gay male couple finds their efforts to keep their personal and professional lives completely separate challenged by the arrival of the gay nephew whose presence threatens to reveal their closely guarded secret in director Laurie Lynd's drama. Eric (Tom Cavanagh) is a former professional hockey player who now works as a broadcaster at a major sports network. Of course, Eric's colleagues have no clue about the outwardly masculine sportscaster's true sexuality, and the same can be said about his longtime partner, Sam (Ben Shenkman), a lawyer. Now, despite successfully keeping their sexuality a secret for some time, happy couple Eric and Sam find their livelihood threatened with the arrival of Sam's nephew Scot (Noah Bernett) -- whose mother has just died and whose responsibility-shirking father is currently out of town. Scot is an expert in the subjects of knitting and show tunes, but when it comes to the topic of sports he just can't be bothered. Eric knows well the terror of having to hide your sexuality away from the masses, though, and now in order to save Scot from the torment of his new classmates -- and perhaps prevent his own secret from being revealed, the knowing uncle does his best to channel the boy's skating talent into a career in hockey. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Ben Shenkman, (more)
Admitted to the surgery ward for a routine colonoscopy, forty-year old George Grieves (Thomas Cavanagh) finds himself forced to confront his greatest fear when his surroundings take an unsettling shift towards the surreal. Immediately after awakening from his anesthesia, George is horrified to discover that the surgeon has performed the wrong operation on him. Now, as George's mental and physical condition begins to deteriorate rapidly, he discovers that something is horribly amiss in the hospital's East Ward. But in order to find out the truth about what's been happening in the East Ward, George will have to come face to face with the most sadistic nurse around, and make a difficult decision that promises to alter the course of his entire life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
"Sibling rivalry" takes on a whole new meaning in this offbeat comedy from first-time writer and director Sue Kramer. Sam (Tom Cavanagh) and his sister, Gray (Heather Graham), are siblings who share a passionate interest in the music and styles of the 1940s, especially movie musicals of the era, and they've earned a powerful reputation on the ballroom-dancing circuit as gifted hoofers with both talent and flair. Sam and Gray cross paths with Charlie (Bridget Moynahan), an attractive woman who shares their enthusiasm for old movies and retro styles, and is a fine dancer to boot. To the surprise of no one, Sam falls head over heels for Charlie, but so does Gray, which comes as a shock to nearly everyone, including Gray, who has never betrayed an attraction to women before. Charlie, however, naïvely fails to acknowledge the depth of Gray's feelings for her as a romantic triangle forms between Charlie and the siblings. Gray Matters also features supporting performances from Sissy Spacek as an analyst, Molly Shannon as one of Gray's co-workers, and Alan Cumming as a taxi driver. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Heather Graham, Tom Cavanagh, (more)
The new kid at school faces up to the school bully by taking on a challenge no one has the guts to try in this family-oriented comedy. Billy (Luke Benward) is an 11-year-old boy whose folks have just moved to a new town and is facing the terror of his first day at a new school. It doesn't take long for Billy to run afoul of Joe (Adam Hicks), the school bully, who finds the live bait Billy brought with him and throws it in his face, asking Billy if he eats worms for lunch. Billy tries to gross out Joe by saying yes, he eats worms on a regular basis, and Joe calls his bluff by challenging him to eat ten worms in front of the student body. Billy takes the bet, and suddenly becomes something of a celebrity at school as the first kid to stand up to Joe. Billy also discovers he's caught the eye of Erika (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), a cute girl in his class, but can he actually eat the worms without losing his lunch? With the help of a handful of new friends, Billy preps for the big contest by learning how to eat as much gross stuff as he can, and he gains an unexpected ally in hot-headed Principal Burdock (James Rebhorn). Based on the popular children's book by Thomas Rockwell, How to Eat Fried Worms also features Tom Cavanagh, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Clint Howard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Benward, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, (more)
- 2006
Created by Michael Rauch, the hour-long dramedy series Love Monkey was based on a novel by Kyle Smith, though it also owed quite a lot to the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire. Tom Cavanagh headed the cast as music agent Tom Farrell, an A&R rep for big-time Goliath Records. After experiencing a sudden attack of integrity, Tom was fired by his sharkish boss, Phil Leshing (Eric Bogosian), at which point our hero went to work for a tiny independent record label. Other characters included Tom's best friend, Mike (Jason Priestley), his platonic girlfriend, "Bran" (Judy Greery), ex-baseball star Jake (Christopher Wiehl), and the entrepreneurial Shooter (Larenz Tate), as well as two characters obviously intended as "breakthroughs": Tom's main client, Wayne (Teddy Geiger), a John Mayer wannabe, and Tom's literal "dream girl," Julia (Ivana Milicevic). Utilizing a wealth of p.o.v. camera shots, off-camera narration, unexpected flashbacks, and funky original music, Love Monkey was described by some critics as a male Sex and the City. The series made its CBS debut on January 17, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Jason Priestley, (more)
Filmmakers Chris Bradley and Kyle LaBrache co-directed this film that exists somewhere between an improvisational mockumentary and an actual documentary. Starring Jeff Goldblum as himself, the film follows the actor's attempts to put on a production of The Music Man in the titular town. The play really happened, but how much is real and how much is just deadpan comedy remains for the audience to discern. Goldblum's friends Illeanna Douglas and Ed Begley Jr. co-star as themselves. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley, Jr., (more)
Director Steve Stockman takes the helm for this semi-autobiographical comedy drama about an estranged family that comes together for one last goodbye, and finds their assumedly brief farewell inexorably dragged out for two excruciating weeks. Aging matriarch Anita (Sally Field) is dying, but before she goes, she has requested that her four grown children travel back home to visit their ailing mother on her deathbed. Eager to gain a better understanding of the dying process, daughter Emily purchases a variety of self-help books on the subject. Though brother Keith (Ben Chaplin) soon arrives determined to float through the process in typical L.A. Zen mode, Emily contends that the only way to be prepared for the future is to consider every detail that can go awry. When PR executive Barry arrives intent on getting some work done before death comes knocking, it appears as if he is more concerned with getting broadband Internet in the house than actually tending to his mother. Meanwhile, youngest brother Matthew sets at the sidelines biding his time as his unlikable wife, Katrina, callously speculates on which of the dying woman's luxurious jewels she will be inheriting. Now, as Anita begins to look back at her life while reflecting on the time spent with her family, the question of who will hold this family together once she is gone casts a melancholy shadow over her fond memories. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, (more)
A struggling actress in search of companionship finds her heart torn between an expert in the art of seduction and a computer with the social skills of the most seasoned ladies' man in director Evan Oppenheimer's technologically flavored tale of love in the 21st Century. Professor Mal Downhey (Tam Cavanagh) has just made one of the most important technological breakthroughs in modern computing; he has created a computer named "Jerry" that can interact with people on an intellectual level even greater than that of some made from flesh and bone. When his unimpressed bosses give the flustered professor two weeks to publish his data or pack his bags, Mal convinces his good friend Jane to assist in proving his machine's worth by running a contest aimed at proving a woman can fall in love with a computer even faster than she would a real man. Now, as "Jerry" and Professor Troy Rollins - aka Dr. Love - compete for the love of a lonely actress named Samantha (Sara Chalke), the very man who masterminded the man-versus-machine scheme finds himself falling for the one woman who could make or break his entire future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Sarah Chalke, (more)
This made-for-cable comedy takes place in the three days before Christmas. While training to be successor to Santa Claus at the North Pole, nerdy Nick Snowden loses his favorite reindeer Buddy. Tracing the animal to a zoo in San Ernesto, California, Nick meets and falls for female zookeeper Sandy Brooks (Ashley Williams)--who in addition to being a kindred spirit would seem to be an ideal candidate for the future Mrs. Santa. Hiding his true identity, Nick moves into Sandy's boarding house, where he meets a street-smart kid named Hector (Bobb'e J. Thompson). Although Hector tumbles to the fact that the beardless Nick is actually St. Nick, he agrees to keep his secret and to help him recover his reindeer. Meanwhile, Buck Seger (Patrick Fabian), the nasty big-game hunter who "kidnapped" Buddy in the first place, concocts a scheme to sell the poor animal for an exorbitant sum. Snow was originally telecast by the ABC Family Channel on December 12, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Ashley Williams, (more)
Inspired by a play that has been presented dozens of times to middle- and high-school students throughout the United States, Bang, Bang, You're Dead ponders the possible reasons that outwardly "normal" teenagers periodically resort to Columbine-style violence. The focus here is on Trevor Adams (Ben Foster), an intelligent but hypersensitive high schooler whose troubled past has designated him "at risk." Feeling persecuted by those stronger and more popular than himself, Trevor has already run afoul of classmates and teachers alike by making death threats against the school football team. Now he has aligned himself with a group of fellow "outsiders" who call themselves the Trogs. Indulging in prankery that runs the gamut from merely irritating to potentially dangerous, Trevor and the Trogs plan an all-out deadly assault against their so-called enemies. Although the script points out that peer pressure and bullying has gone beyond the point of harmlessness in today's society, it is careful not to blame any one person or group for what ultimately happens to Trevor; even Trevor himself is shown to be comprised of equal parts villain and victim. First screened at the Seattle International Film Festival, Bang, Bang, You're Dead formally premiered October 13, 2002, over the Showtime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Ben Foster, (more)
- 2000
After making a career in the Big Apple, a lawyer returns to the small Ohio town of his birth in this comedy-drama series from Worldwide Pants Productions, the company headed up by David Letterman. Ed Stevens (Tom Cavanagh) thought his career as an attorney in New York City was going well -- until he's fired by his law firm and his wife decides to leave him. Looking to start over, Ed visits Stuckeyville, OH, the town where he grew up, and discovers his high school sweetheart Carol Vessey (Julie Bowen) is still single. Ed decides he'd like another chance with Carol, but Carol isn't so sure; hoping to convince her he has no intentions of running away, Ed buys the local bowling alley, the Stuckeybowl. Now the owner of a semi-successful local business, Ed divides his time between running the bowling alley and starting a new law practice, while also dealing with the community's many genial eccentrics and attempting to work his charm on Carol. Ed first aired on the NBC television network on October 8, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cavanagh, Julie Bowen, (more)
- 2000
Casey (Peter Krause) has quickly worked his way through a string of dates -- per Dana's (Felicity Huffman) request -- and while out on his eighth, he runs into date number one, Pixley Robinson (Megan Ward). Having been somewhat smitten with her since their sole aborted date, Casey approaches her and asks for her phone number -- which she refuses to give him, instead asking for his. Back in the studio, Jeremy (Joshua Malina) informs Dan (Josh Charles) that Isaac (Robert Guillaume) was present at the legendary 1951 Giants/Dodgers playoff game that started Dan's love affair with sports. Inspired to do a segment about the game featuring an interview with Isaac, Dan approaches the elder newsman only to get the idea shot down. As Dan sets out to figure out why Isaac is so insistent, word gets back to Dana about Casey giving Pixley his phone number, forcing Dana to realize her dating plan for Casey was a major mistake. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
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