Robert Bailey Jr. Movies
A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows, yet deeply unsettling in a number of ways, in director Henry Selick's animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's international best-seller. Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is fearlessly courageous, and perhaps far too adventurous for her own good. Coraline and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have recently relocated to Oregon from Michigan. Bored in her new home since her parents are distracted by work and she has yet to make any new friends, Coraline passes the time by exploring her new neighborhood with an annoying local boy named Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.). But after paying a visit to her eccentric neighbors Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French), a pair of aging British actresses, and crossing paths with the outright weird Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), the precocious young girl becomes convinced that her new surroundings are just as dull as she'd initially suspected. Shortly thereafter, Coraline discovers a hidden door in her new house, and decides to investigate. Venturing into the eerie passageway inside, Coraline emerges into an alternate version of her own reality. At first glance, this strange new world seems even better than the real thing; there her parents aren't distracted by work, and Coraline is always the center of attention. There's even a mysterious Cat (Keith David) that's fascinated by her every move. But when Coraline's button-eyed Other Mother (also Hatcher) attempts to make her stay permanent, the frightened young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her real family. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, (more)
Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
Part narrative, part documentary, and part animation, What the #$*! Do We Know?! was filmed with the intent of expressing the neurological processes and so called "quantum uncertainty" of life. With the help of a directorial triumvirate consisting of Betsy Chasse, William Arntz, and Mark Vicente, Marlee Matlin stars as Amanda, whose uninspired daily routine is abruptly altered into a chaotic, Alice in Wonderland-style reality, complete with quirky characters and wildly different perspectives on life. As Amanda falls deeper into the experience, she's forced to drastically reconsider her perceptions of interpersonal relationships, men, and the fundamental principles of life. What the #$*! Do We Know?! is supplemented by a host of mystics and scientists, who are interviewed intermittently throughout the film for their wisdom and knowledge concerning religion, science, the thin line between them, and the consequences of blurring that line. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, (more)
- 2003
Having risen to national acclaim by virtue of her writing and acting contributions to such series as The Chris Rock Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm, profanely outspoken comedienne Wanda Sykes was awarded her own Fox network sitcom. The star was cast as Wanda Hawkins, a single government worker living in Washington, D.C. After fearlessly trashing a popular TV anchorman at a party, Wanda is hired by TV station manager Roger (Jason Kravitz) to appear regularly as the house gadfly on the weekly political-comment series "The Beltway Gang." Naturally, Wanda's unbridled stream of gab (which according to Fox publicity was largely ad-libbed) did not rest well with the series' official co-hosts, conservative Bradley (Phil Morris) and liberal Rita (Ann Magnuson). Withheld from public view while an abortive pilot episode was completely refilmed and recast, Wanda at Large premiered March 26, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In this supernatural thriller, Kevin Costner plays Joe Darrow, a physician mourning the death of his wife Emily (Susannah Thompson) in a bus accident in South America, where she was providing medical outreach. Wracked by grief, Joe works extra shifts at the hospital to take his mind off the tragedy, but the intense workload triggers his short temper and some careless mistakes. His officious boss (Joe Morton) forces Joe to take time off, but Joe feels obligated to check in on his wife's pediatric patients, fulfilling a promise he made before she left. Visiting the ward, Joe starts to believe that Emily is using the near-death experiences of her terminal patients to communicate with him, through images the children report seeing in their dreams, and symbols they are inexplicably compelled to draw. While the children see Joe as a kindred spirit, the hospital staff worries about how these interactions are agitating them. At home, Joe begins finding other ethereal evidence of his wife's attempt to contact him from beyond the grave, some of it featuring the image of a dragonfly, which was the shape of the birthmark on her shoulder. His friends and a caring neighbor (Kathy Bates) worry that Joe is losing his marbles, especially as his quest becomes more frantic, putting his job in jeopardy. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates, (more)
This Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation stars a heavily (and effectively) "aged" Ving Rhames as taciturn Texas rancher John Morgan. Long estranged from his daughter Natalie (Gloria Reuben), John is determined to effect a reconciliation. To this end, he embarks upon a long journey to Los Angeles, taking along his grandson Little John (Robert Bailey Jr.), whom Natalie, an unwed mother, had given up for adoption twelve years earlier. But Natalie, who through an ironic twist of fate has become a family-court judge, wants absolutely nothing to do with either her father or her son -- and her reasons are not quite as callous or cold-blooded as one might imagine. Boasting a distinguished African American cast (with Patty Duke as virtually the sole Caucasian actor), Little John was telecast by CBS on May 5, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
It has been two months since the smallpox lockdown at County General. The Emergency Room is now swamped with patients due to the wholesale closings of many other ERs in Cook County. Likewise, there is huge influx of new med students, among them the outspoken Erin Harkins (Leslie Bibb), who is tired of waiting for her first orientation. Elsewhere, Corday (Alex Kingston) has returned to Chicago, only to be immediately unnerved by the bizarre behavior of Weaver (Laura Innes). Romano's (Paul McCrane) severed arm has been re-attached, but he's not out of danger yet. And Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) performs what amounts to a medical miracle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Four friends struggle to find themselves in the decade that brought us disco, platform shoes, and those smiley-face buttons in this miniseries, which first aired in April of 2000 on NBC. Byron Shaw (Brad Rowe), his girlfriend Eileen (Vinessa Shaw), and his sister Christie (Amy Smart) are all at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, when National Guardsmen open fire on students protesting the war in Vietnam, leaving four people dead. Byron's high-school buddy Dexter Johnson (Guy Torry) is also there -- but as a Guardsman rather than a student. Dexter quits the Guard in disgust and moves to Watts, where he opens a movie theater and becomes a key figure in the Black Power movement. Byron quits law school and takes a job with Richard Nixon's re-election campaign -- just as the Watergate scandal begins to break, Byron becomes an informant to the Justice Department and is nearly killed by a sniper. Eileen embraces the feminist movement and later seeks a career in the advertising industry, where she discovers that women's rights have not advanced terribly far. And Christie becomes a successful model, but fame and fortune do not bring her happiness as she's lured into a religious cult known as "The Path." The 70's soundtrack is loaded with period-appropriate hits, including classic tunes by Stevie Wonder, Jefferson Starship, Marvin Gaye, and Three Dog Night. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeanetta Arnette, Robert Bailey Jr., (more)
- 2000
Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) are dispatched to separate assignments at a New York City art museum. The main plotline involves a dispirited artist named Antonio (Giancarlo Esposito), who must learn to truly appreciate his own work before he gets the chance to deliberately destroy it. The painting that Antonio is most anxious to slash to bits also happens to be the favorite of fiercely protective museum guard Bud (Ed Asner)--and it isn't long before the spiritual link between Antonio and Bud manifests itself. And what's the deal with that elderly "mystery woman" who figures so prominently in the episode's closing scenes? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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