Soledad St. Hilaire Movies
- 2006
Based on the BBC comedy series The Worst Week of My Life, Big Day was described by parent network ABC as "24 Meets Father of the Bride." The entire series took place on a single day, upon which occurred the wedding of Danny (Josh Cooke) and Alice (Marla Sokoloff). Each half-hour episode depicted the many crises and calamities surrounding such prenuptial rituals as securing the venue, choosing the right wedding gown, stage-managing the reception, and so on. Aiding, abetting, and sometimes impeding the bride and groom were Alice's mom, Jane (Wendie Malick), and dad, Steve (Kurt Fuller), and such assorted friends and relatives as Becca (Miriam Shor), Skobo (Stephen Rannazzisi), and Lorna (Stephnie Weir). Whereas the original British version stretched out the wedding over a period of nine episodes, the American Big Day was storyboarded for 22 separate installments -- a formidable creative task indeed for executive producers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, whose previous screenwriting credits included What Women Want and 13 Going on 30. Intended to debut in January 2007 as a mid-season replacement, Big Day was moved forward to a premiere date of November 28, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marla Sokoloff, Josh Cooke, (more)
- 2006
Burke (Isaiah Washington) is on the verge of kicking George (T.R. Knight) out of his place. Meredith unearths yet another carefully guarded family secret when her stepmother Susan (Mare Winningham) shows up. To regain her much-feared stature as "the Nazi", Bailey (Chandra Wilson) demands to assist Derek (Patrick Dempsey) as he operates on an ailing child, but succeeds only in revealing her softer side (again!) And Alex (Justin Chambers) is forced to fine-tune his bedside manner after he blurts out the truth about a terminal patient (Laurie Metcalf) to the woman's daughter. Chris O'Donnell makes his first series appearance as handsome "McVet" (veterinarian, that is) Finn Dandridge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A dirty bomb has detonated in Los Angeles and a terrified husband decides to seal himself up in his suburban home and await the return of his working wife in first time director Chris Gorak's tense and topical drama. As the sun rises on another day in Los Angeles, Brad (Rory Cochrane) sends his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) off to work with a kiss and a smile. When the media begins reporting on the detonation of a bomb within the city limits and a potentially toxic cloud covers the L.A. basin in ash, Brad enlists the aid of nearby handyman Alvaro (Tony Perez) in making his home as airtight as possible while worriedly awaiting the return of his wife. With roads closed, telephone lines jammed, and reports of multiple explosions pouring in from the media, the panic and isolation of the tragedy begins to take its toll on the horrified community. Though announcements over public airwaves ensure that authorities are doing their best to ensure the arrival of help to those in immediate danger, Brad and the rest of the citizens of L.A. soon discover that the explosions were only the beginning of their horrific ordeal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary McCormack, Rory Cochrane, (more)
- 2005
A crate of soft drinks has fallen off a cargo plane and nearly destroyed the Hodes home. While Dean (Andy Milder) deals with the insurance adjuster, Celia (Elizabeth Perkins), who recently learned she has breast cancer, visits with a faith healer. Celia's bout with cancer seems to have given her a devil-may-care outlook on life. She starts giving away her worldly possessions and wearing the satin roller-disco jacket she wore as a girl. Doug (Kevin Nealon) spends an afternoon getting high and watching porn with Andy (Justin Kirk), and leaves behind papers for Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) to sign to start the process of buying the bakery. Silas (Hunter Parrish) is being pressured by a friend to dump "the deaf girl," Megan (Shoshannah Stern). A drive-by shooting at Heylia's (Tonye Patano) place leaves Nancy shaken up. ("White folks get soda pop," Heylia dryly laments. "[We] get bullets.") Nancy's in no mood to hear about Shane (Alexander Gould) getting in trouble at school for writing gangsta rap about gunning down his classmates. She's contemplating getting out of the drug game, and she rejects Andy's offer to use his culinary skills to team up with her in the bakery biz. Andy decides to go into business for himself; he makes a buy and then unwisely mocks the bike cop who stops him for a traffic violation on the way home. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lochlyn Munro, Ayla Kell, (more)
Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, (more)
- 2005
The relationship between Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Logan (Matt Czuchry) arrives at the crossroads. Paris (Liza Weil) presses her old nanny (Soledad St. Hilaire) into service to care for ailing Yale Daily News editor Doyle (Danny Strong). And though confined to her bed for the duration of her pregnancy, Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) cannot keep herself from interfering when Lorelei (Lauren Graham) seeks out a temporary cook for the Dragonfly. This episode introduces Gregg Henry in the role of Logan's imperious publisher father Mitchum Hunzberger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A con artist finds family squabbles are getting in the way of a major payday in this sharp blend of comedy and suspense, based on the Argentinean hit Nueve Reinas (aka Nine Queens). Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) is a smart-suited confidence man who knows how to run a big con but prefers to pull off a number of small scams over the course of the day, cheating a lot of folks out of a little instead of taking one or two for a lot. One day, while looking for marks at a gambling casino, Gaddis spies Rodrigo (Diego Luna), a fellow grifter with little polish but obvious talent. Gaddis takes Rodrigo under his wing, and after showing him a few tricks, the two begin working as a team. A golden opportunity presents itself when Gaddis learns the whereabouts of an incredibly valuable antique bank note just as an ideal customer is passing through town; Gaddis and Rodrigo quickly try to set up a deal that will separate cash from customer without the note actually changing hands, but the scheme proves complicated enough that others have to be brought in, causing each individual's share of the loot to dwindle. Adding to Gaddis' annoyance is the appearance of his sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works at the hotel where the deal is to go down and isn't especially happy with her brother and his attempts to get his hands on the family's fortune. Criminal marked the directorial debut of Gregory Jacobs, who previously distinguished himself as a producer and assistant director. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, (more)
- 2003
In the third-season finale of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) make their first tentative moves toward purchasing a new bed-and-breakfast called the Dragonfly Inn -- but they may not be able to afford the place thanks to an unanticipated financial setback. Elsewhere, Chilton Prep valedictorian Rory (Alexis Bledel) delivers a commencement address that will never be forgotten. Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop) come through with a graduation gift that proves to be more beneficial to Lorelai than to Rory. And Luke (Scott Patterson) prepares to embark upon an ocean cruise with his lady love Nicole, little suspecting what is in store for both of them! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this independent drama, Ana (America Ferrera) is a bright and ambitious 18-year-old Latina who has just graduated from high school in East Los Angeles. Ana wants to broaden her horizons and go on to college, but her mother Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros) has other ideas; Ana's older sister Estela (Ingrid Oliu) oversees the family business, a dress factory, and Carmen has decided that Ana should put higher education on hold and go to work as a seamstress. When Estela loses four employees in a week, Ana reluctantly agrees to take a job at the factory to help her out, while she applies for college scholarships without her mother's knowledge. Ana's job at the dress factory proves to be a real eye opener; she gains a new respect for Estela's business acumen, but is also appalled by the low wages and unpleasant working conditions that are part and parcel of the garment industry. While Ana is not unattractive, she carries more than a few extra pounds, a subject her mother mentions at every available opportunity, and as Ana encourages her co-workers at the shop to stand up for themselves and gain a greater perspective of their own worth, she takes a long hard look at her own self-image. Real Women Have Curves won the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, while actresses America Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros received a Special Jury Prize at the same festival for their performances. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, (more)
Actress Salma Hayek makes her directorial debut with this heartwarming drama based on the novel by Theodore Taylor. José (Eddy Martin) is a young boy from Mexico who sneaks into the United States in search of his father, a migrant worker. On the run with an injured arm and looking for a place to rest, José sneaks into a church in San Ramos, CA, and hides in a scaffolding above the pulpit. Blood from José's arm drips onto a statue of Christ, and the next morning when Josephina (Soledad St. Hilaire), a devoted member of the congregation, arrives for her daily prayers, she's convinced that the plaster figure is weeping tears of blood. Father Russell (Peter Fonda), the parish priest, isn't sure if this is a genuine miracle or not, though given the town's financial woes and his own waning faith, the timing would be good for one. As Father Russell tries to determine just what has happened, Josephina begins spreading word of the miracle, as and the story spreads, it becomes increasingly embellished. Soon curious believers and intrigued skeptics flood San Ramos, boosting the town's sagging economy, with Maisie (Mare Winningham), proprietor of the local cafe, one of the prime beneficiaries. Maisie, however, has also discovered and taken in José, and when she and her friend Cruz (Ruben Blades) learn the truth about the weeping statue, they're unsure if they should tell the townspeople just what has happened. The Maldonado Miracle was produced for cable television broadcast in a partnership between Hallmark Productions and the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Mare Winningham, (more)
