Lauren Lee Smith Movies

Milo Ventimiglia (of the blockbuster TV series Heroes), headlines this dark crime thriller, which marks the sophomore directorial outing of Marc Schoelermann, following the 2006 telemovie Hexxx. Ventimiglia portrays a young intern, newly arrived at the University Hospital in Philadelphia, who stumbles onto a psychopathic group of colleagues playing a vile game. They regularly select one of their members (on a rotational basis) to commit the "perfect murder," while the rest use forensic methods to try to determine exactly how the homicide was executed. Alyssa Milano (of TV's Who's the Boss? and Charmed) co-stars as Ventimiglia's fiancée, while thesps Johnny Whitworth and Lauren Lee Smith are among the perpetrators. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (of Crank fame) scripted. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Filmmaker Terry Zwigoff and comic artist and screenwriter Daniel Clowes, who collaborated for the acclaimed 2001 comedy-drama Ghost World, team up once again for this offbeat satire. Jerome (Max Minghella) is an aspiring artist who arrives at a prestigious East Coast art institute to study. While Jerome enjoys daydreams of becoming the best-respected painter on Earth and winning the hearts of his female classmates, he soon learns the sad truth -- his "cool artist" act is old hat in the big city, and as he's surrounded by every art school cliché on Earth, practically nothing about him stands out. Determined to be recognized whatever the consequences, Jerome maps out a bizarre plan to become famous that has some unexpected consequences. Loosely adapted from a story in Clowes' comic book Eightball, Art School Confidential also stars John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Anjelica Huston, and Sophia Myles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A young woman who's formed her sexual identity around anonymous one-night-stands considers the option of a committed, monogamous relationship in this erotic psychological drama. Introduced in voiceover, the twentysomething Leila (Lauren Lee Smith) makes clear her preferences for picking up guys based on mutual, animal attraction, as well as her desire to exhibit power over men. But when she locks eyes with the tall, dark, and handsome David (Eric Balfour), her priorities begin to change, and she finds herself wanting more from a man than just hot sex. Each partner has his or her own baggage -- David is taking care of an ailing father, while Leila is caught in the middle of her parents' messy separation. Already familiar with the concept of sexual liberation, Leila finds she has to be emotionally vulnerable as well if she wants to hang on to David. Directed by Canadian independent filmmaker Clement Virgo, Lie With Me had its world premiere at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Season three of Mutant X begins as the series' superpowered mutant protagonists struggle to come to grips with the death of their comrade Emma "Rapport" deLauro, a psychic mutant who used force bolts to control and monitor the emotions of others. Also, the human leader of the Mutant X team, Adam Kane, has been forced to fake his own death and go into hiding, the better to continue his battle against the sinister government research lab Genomex and the lab's mutant-killing Genetic Security Agency. This, of course, explains why actor John Shea is billed as a guest star during his sporadic third season appearances. Replacing the departed Emma is Lexa Pierce (Karen Cliche), who, like her new teammate Fuse (Victor Webster) is an elemental mutant, capable of harnessing and controlling certain forces of nature. It is clear from the outset that Lexa will have no trouble fitting in with, and following the agenda of, the established Mutant X team, which in addition to Fuse also includes the molecule-rearranging Synergy (Forbes March) and the cat-like Shadowfox (Victoria Pratt). Whereas in previous seasons the Mutant X team was dedicated to rescuing their fellow mutants from harm, season three finds them broadening their base to include helping ordinary humans in ordinary situations. As a result, the individual plot devices are bit more standardized: the serial killer who leaves cryptic clues behind, a race to find the antidote for a slow-acting poison, the sudden appearance of a disreputable twin brother, and a "clip show" in which the teammates try to recall all the good times when one of their number hovers between life and death. The season finale, "The Assault," reveals several hitherto unknown and unsuspected facts about Mutant X and its true purpose in the scheme of things. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on Catherine Marshall's novel of the same name, Christy: A Change of Seasons is the first episode of the two-part TV miniseries Christy: Return to Cutter Gap. Set in 1913, the story concentrates on feisty young schoolteacher Christy Huddleston (Lauren Lee Smith) -- a character based on author Marshall's own mother -- who attempts to bring literacy and enlightenment to the isolated North Carolina mountain community of Cutter Gap. A raging typhoid epidemic has heightened the superstitious nature of the local townsfolk, and ultimately causes Christy to suffer a crisis of faith when the disease claims one of her best friends. Also, the heroine finds herself torn between two lovers: Wild, irreverent, Scottish-born doctor Neil McNeil (Stewart Finley-McLaren) and the more sedate but still troubled Rev. David Grantland (James Waterston. Christy: A Change of Seasons first aired over the PAX Network on May 13, 2001, under the title Christy: Choices of the Heart, Part I. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the best-selling books by Catherine Marshall, the original TV series Christy focused on 19-year-old Christy Huddleston, an idealistic schoolteacher who left a life of wealth and comfort behind to accept a job in the backward mountain community of Cutter, NC, in 1912. First telecast as a two-part, four-hour PAX Network miniseries on May 13 and May 14, 2001, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap picks up where the weekly series left off. Lauren Lee Smith replaces Kellie Martin as Christy, while Stewart Finlay-McLennan repeats his series role as the community's agnostic, Scottish-born doctor Neil McNeill. In part one of Return to Cutter Gap, titled "A Change of Seasons," the year is 1913, and Cutter Gap is in the throes of a deadly typhoid epidemic. The superstitious mountaineers believe that the illness has been brought on by such "outsiders" as Christy Huddleston and the community's new minister, Rev. David Grantland (James Waterston). Dr. McNeill realizes that the real cause of the epidemic is Cutter Gap's brackish water and squalid living conditions, but he is unable to convince the locals of his findings. Meanwhile, Christy suffers a crisis of faith when one of her closest friends dies of the fever, and on another front, she finds herself romantically torn between McNeill and Grantland. Part two, "A New Beginning," takes place three months later. This time, the community is literally torn apart by a raging storm. As the rest of the citizens head to the highest point in Cutter Gap, Christy and Dr. McNeill are stranded in a tiny hunter's shack. Shocked when McNeill declares his love for her, Christy rushes into the deluge, contracting a deadly fever. Also complicating matters is the presence of attractive aviatrix Harriet Quimby (Claudette Mink), who has apparently set her cap for McNeill. The story concludes with a wedding -- but which man does Christy choose for her life partner? Filmed in British Columbia, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap was originally telecast under the title Christy: Choices of the Heart). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi