Sarah Bolger Movies
Irish-born screen performer Sarah Bolger began her career as a child star well before the age of ten in such releases as the made-for-television A Secret Affair (1999) and the theatrical features The Station Agent (2003) and Jim Sheridan's In America (2002). (She seemed particularly at home in the latter, as the daughter of the Gaelic immigrant family at the center of the story.) Bolger then graduated to lead status in 2006 when she played Sabina Pleasure in the family-friendly spy adventure Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, and subsequently essayed another lead, as Mallory, in the family-oriented fantasy-adventure The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie GuideA retired New York police officer (Roy Scheider, in his final film role) travels to Nuremberg to visit his estranged son, only to find the belated reunion becoming a bitter mission of vengeance. When Joseph's son Ronnie (Scott Cohen) gave up a promising career in law enforcement to marry a pretty artist, his decision tore the family apart. Now, years after turning his back on his only son, Joseph travels to Nuremberg in hopes of reuniting with Ronnie and his family. No sooner does Joseph arrive in Germany, however, than he becomes convinced that the same SS commander who killed his family during World War II has adopted a false name and now lives in the apartment above his son. Realizing that the chances of seeing the former officer stand trial are slim to none, Joseph convinces Ronnie that his neighbor is not whom he appears to be, and together they prepare to exact bloody justice. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman named Gaby with her own secret agenda appears seemingly out of nowhere, sparking Joseph to recall his teenage romance with a heroic Polish girl named Kashka, who narrowly helped him to escape the massacre that claimed his entire family. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Scott Cohen, (more)
The ten-episode second season (2008) of Showtime's hit series The Tudors picks up the tale with King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) making his break from the Roman Catholic Church and establishing the Church of England, with himself as its head. Central plot points include Henry's dismissal of Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) as his queen; his marriage to Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), who gives birth to Elizabeth; and his confrontations with Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam) and Bishop Fisher (Bosco Hogan), who are charged with treason for questioning Henry's rejection of papal authority.
- Starring:
- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, James Frain, (more)
Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novels The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the tale of the Graces, a family who must adapt to their new strange surroundings. As the story begins, twin brothers Jared and Simon, along with their sister Mallory and their mother, move away from the big city to a mansion owned by their uncle. When a series of strange happenings suggest that Jared may be causing a number of disturbances, the siblings band together to figure out what is going on. Soon they discover the magical history of the property. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, (more)

- 2006
- PG
- Add Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker to QueueAdd Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker to top of Queue
An outwardly ordinary teenager finds himself suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances upon discovering that his entire youth was part of an elaborate plan to create the perfect super spy in director Geoffrey Sax's action-packed adaptation of author Anthony Horowitz's best-selling series of novels featuring an adolescent secret agent. Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer) always though that his kindly uncle Ian (Ewan McGregor) was your average, everyday nondescript bank manager, but when Ian was murdered by notorious assassin Yassen Gregorovich (Damian Lewis), everything young Alex thought he knew would be forever changed by one simple bullet. A deadly martial artist, skilled linguist, steady-handed mountaineer, and deadeye marksman, Alex realizes that his uncle has been secretly training him in the art of espionage when he is recruited by MI6 Special Operations agents Mr. Blunt (Bill Nighy) and Mrs. Jones (Sophie Okonedo). It seems that billionaire Darius Sayle (Mickey Rourke) has generously offered to donate a complimentary Stormbreaker supercomputer to every school in Britain, but while his philanthropic offer is welcomed with open arms by the struggling school system, MI6 fears that something nefarious is afoot. Assigned the task of infiltrating Sayle's impenetrable lair by posing as the winner of a computer magazine contest, Alex makes the acquaintance of shady Sayle sidekicks Mr. Grin (Andy Serkis) and Nadia Vole (Missi Pyle) before getting a special sneak preview of the remarkable Stormbreaker's true powers. His cover subsequently blown, Alex is given a key piece of information regarding the remarkable computer before being thrown to a giant jellyfish by Sayle and his henchmen and left to die just as the prime minister is about to push the button that will activate Stormbreaker computers all across Britain. With no time to spare and the fate of a nation hanging in the balance, Alex must now enlist the help of his trusted housekeeper Jack Starbright (Alicia Silverstone) and faithful classmate Sabina Pleasure (Sarah Bolger) in ensuring that the Stormbreaker system is not activated and revealing Sayle for the true villain that he is before the young super spy's breathless first mission becomes his fatal last. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Bolger, Alex Pettyfer, (more)
Actor and playwright Tom McCarthy makes his feature film debut as a writer/director with the quirky comedy drama The Station Agent. In New Jersey, Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a four-foot-tall lonely man who chooses to live the life of a hermit in an abandoned train yard following the death of his friend. While he is there, he unexpectedly meets and befriends a couple of fellow loners. Troubled Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) is an artist devastated by the loss of her son and separation from her husband, while carefree and friendly Joe (Bobby Cannavale) runs a hot dog stand. The three unlikely friends each deal with their urge to connect compared with their individual need for isolation. Also starring Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, and Michelle Williams. The Station Agent won the Audience award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, (more)
After chronicling various chapters of Irish history in such films as In the Name of the Father and The Field, writer/director Jim Sheridan turns his lens upon his own family's experiences immigrating to the United States in the aptly titled In America. The loosely autobiographical script centers on Johnny (Paddy Considine), a young actor sneaking his wife, Sarah (Samantha Morton), and daughters, Christy and Ariel (real-life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger, respectively), over the Canadian border in the hopes of jump-starting his career in New York City. They soon find that America is not the land of boundless opportunity, however, as they move into a dank, dilapidated apartment building populated by drug dealers, transients, and thugs. Johnny doesn't snag auditions as easily as he may have hoped, and he and Sarah are forced to take meager jobs after spending their savings on food, rent, and utilities. Still in grief over the untimely death of their toddler son back in Ireland, the couple find their relationship further strained by the pressures of life in the city. Little by little, however, things begin to look up for the fiercely protective family unit, especially when they befriend an eccentric artist neighbor named Mateo (Djimon Hounsou). In America saw its world premiere at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival and played to enthusiastic crowds at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival before its theatrical release in the fall of that year. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, (more)
Based on a true story, A Love Divided chronicles the aftermath of Sheila's (Orla Brady) pledge to send her children to Catholic school. Raised Protestant, Sheila was forced to sign a contract obligating her to bring up her own children as Catholics when she was married into the religion, but years later she decides that no church will dictate the religion chosen for her kids. The dogmatic Father Stafford (Tony Doyle), however, is so relentless in his insistence that her children do, indeed, become Catholics, that Sheila is forced into kidnapping her own family. With both the highest levels of the Irish government and the Vatican after her, the potential consequences of not following the Catholic faith become increasingly surreal. Directed by Sydney Macartney, the film also features Liam Cunningham, Jim Norton, Peter Caffrey, and Brian McGrath. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Vanessa Stewart (Janine Turner) has the soul of an artist, but her business tycoon father insists that she follow in his footsteps. As a result, Vanessa convinces herself that she wants to be a globetrotting executive, and also that she truly loves the man to whom she is engaged. But while in Venice on a business trip at the behest of her father, Vanessa meets and falls in love with adventurous Irish TV war correspondent Bill Fitzgerald (Paudge Behan). Deciding to kick over the traces, Vanessa is prepared to turn her back on her family obligations and plight her troth with Bill. But Fate, as it often does, takes a hand in matters when Bill is reported killed during a dangerous combat assignment. Based on a novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford (as if the full title of this made-for-TV feature left any doubt), A Secret Affair first aired October 27, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janine Turner, Paudge Behan, (more)


















