John Cariani Movies
- 2003
When the female admissions officer of an extremely exclusive private school is murdered, the detectives are plunged into a world where one's future social status is determined upon getting into the most prestigious school at the earliest possible age. Cell-phone evidence indicates that the murdered woman had plenty of enemies, most of them parents of children who'd been rejected for enrollment. But the key to the solution of the case is in the hands of the dead woman's snobbish employer Wyatt Scofield (Roger Rees), whose high-toned arrogance quickly has the detectives and the lawyers alike contemplating a little mayhem of their own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The detectives are skeptical when Tim Grayson (Robert Stanton), a self-proclaimed psychic, insists that he has envisioned the murder of his attractive neighbor, who is found beaten to death outside a sex club. The fact that Grayson is the archetypal misfit loner, coupled with the discovery of his shoe print at the crime scene, is enough for the DA's office to draw up murder charges against him. But though Assistant District Attorney McCoy (Sam Waterson) is confident of a conviction, it turns out that just appearing to be guilty as hell isn't quite enough -- and that there are radically different degrees of "guilt." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A woman's body is fished out of the East River, and evidence at the crime scene points to a missing football player. Also intimately involved in the case is the athlete's brother, Sean Ridgeway (Craig Walker), and his parents Howard and Miriam (John Doman and Lizbeth Mackay). This episode is distinguished by two facts: It was broadcast on a Thursday night, rather than the usual Law & Order Wednesday slot, and it was the subject of a Newsday article, written by a journalist who'd been hired to appear as an extra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The "D.C. Sniper" case was still very much in the news when this Law & Order episode first appeared in the spring of 2003. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) race against time to track down the unknown gunman who has randomly picked off four victims in broad daylight. Once the suspect is in hand, Assistant District Attorneys McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) are shocked by the revelations attending the arrest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A bookie with several high-profile clients is found murdered. When the dead man's partner is brought up on charges, his defense attorney is Randolph J. Dwarkin (Peter Jacobson), who seems more concerned with flamboyant showmanship than with the letter of the law. Just when it appears that his grandstanding may cost him the case, Dwarkin cannily pulls the old "race card" out of his sleeve, insisting that his client is the victim of rampant and deeply ingrained anti-semitism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A cab driver is murdered, sending Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) on another clue-gathering expedition. The trail leads to a lost book, a brace of authors, and a onetime child prodigy. The story takes a bizarre twist when the suspect demands to be sentenced to death. And, oh, yes, also figuring in the proceedings is the former law school professor and mentor of ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robert DeNiro continues to lampoon his tough-guy persona with this spoof of buddy cop movies that teams him with comic co-star Eddie Murphy. DeNiro is L.A.P.D. detective Mitch Preston, a gruff, no-nonsense 28-year veteran whose bust of a drug gang is botched one night by Trey Sellars (Murphy), a bumbling patrolman who's really a frustrated actor at heart. When Mitch's aggravation is captured by a television news crew, he fires his gun in their direction and becomes an instant media celebrity, while earning himself a temporary suspension at work. After his fame draws the attention of network TV producer Chase Renzi (Rene Russo), Mitch is soon informed that the only way he can get back to work is to allow a production crew to trail him on the job for a new cop reality series called "Showtime". In order to make the taciturn lawman more palatable to the viewing public, he's paired with the camera-friendly, fast-talking Trey. The new partners drive each other crazy, but their mismatched sensibilities make for great TV, while their newfound fame has its advantages in getting them back on the trail of those escaped drug dealers, who possess a powerful new weapon. Showtime co-stars Frankie Faison and William Shatner, who sends up his own TV cop role in T.J. Hooker. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy, (more)
- 2002
Law & Order rips another story from the headlines in the series' 13th-season opener. When a professor specializing in stem-cell research is murdered, the detectives at first suspect that the killer was a pro-life zealot. It soon develops that the actual target for extermination was the professor's wife (also murdered in the attack), who was raising money and public awareness for Muslim women's rights. Ultimately, the clues lead to a young Muslim extremist who calls himself Mousah Salim, but who is actually an American named Greg Landen (Wil Horneff). In prosecuting the case, the lawyers try to ferret out the motivation behind Landen's wild-eyed fanaticism, with surprising results. Fred Dalton Thompson joins the cast as new DA Arthur Branch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
An explosion in a rent-controlled tenement building results in a single fatality. It is later revealed that the victim, identified as Jeffrey Haden, had his neck broken and was tied up before the explosion. Things take an even more disturbing turn when "Jeffrey Haden" turns out to be an alias for Juseff Haddad who, despite his minimum-wage job, was able to maintain a bank account totalling 89,000 dollars. Dianne Wiest makes her last series appearance as Interim D.A. Nora Lewin in this, the final episode of Law & Order's 12th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) courageously puts her life on the line, and may be disbarred as a consequence. It all begins during a hostage crisis, in which a suspected murderer agrees to release his captive if he is allowed to speak to an attorney. Serena volunteers for this dangerous assignment, and in the course of events she is forced to make statements that might block prosecution of the perpetrator. As a result, she is subjected to the dreaded "Disciplinary Rule 1-102," which may very well cost Southerlyn her license to practice law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
The young man who was stabbed to death outside a pizza parlor is revealed to be N.Y.U. student Andrew Hatcher. Among the clues is the fact that Hatcher's parents were called up on his cell phone -- after his death. The principal suspect would seem to be drug dealer Jimmy Gaines (Gregory Russell Cook), who claims that he found the victim's cell phone in a garbage can. Investigating this alibi, the detectives come across evidence of an attempt to cover up a case of meat contamination. Without revealing more, it can be said that this episode truly lives up to its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A tourist's video recorder captures the image of three men loading a stolen plasma TV into an SUV. The light-fingered trio find themselves murder suspects when a dead woman turns up in the apartment that they apparently robbed. As the trial progresses, ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) cannot shake the feeling that the circumstantial evidence is not sufficient to send three dumbfounded people to their deaths. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
While celebrating his most recent courtroom victory, in which an accused cop killer was set free, a prominent attorney is gunned down. Though Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are none too unhappy that the lawyer is out of commission, they dutifully investigate the murder, following the trail of evidence to an out-of-town white supremacist organization. While preparing his case for court, ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) stumbles across a disturbing piece of evidence that may very well destroy the career of his longtime friendly adversary, defense attorney Danielle Melnick (Tovah Feldshuh). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A woman searching for the perfect man instead discovers the perfect woman in this romantic comedy. Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) is a woman with a solid career as a copy editor, but her love life isn't much to write home about; she's been through a long series of disastrous first dates that refuse to evolve into second dates, and the well-intended advice of her best friend Joan (Jackie Hoffman) and former boyfriend Josh (Scott Cohen) isn't helping a bit. One day, Jessica is scanning personal ads in the newspaper with her friends, and she sees one with a quote from her favorite poet. Jessica reads on to discover that she has a lot in common with the person who placed the ad -- too much so, since it turns out the notice is from a woman, Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen), who manages an art gallery. Jessica figures it would at least be nice to hang out with someone who shares her interests, and she gives Helen a call. Jessica and Helen quickly strike up a close friendship that evolves into something more intimate, though neither of them has ever been involved with another woman ... and Helen is a bit more avid about her new romantic horizons than Jessica. As their relationship progresses, Jessica finds herself struggling with her feelings about her new sexual outlook, and she isn't sure how to break the news about her relationship to her mother (Tovah Feldshuh) as she tries to decide if she should bring Helen along to her brother's wedding. Kissing Jessica Stein was based on the off-Broadway play Lipschtick, which was written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, who starred in the original stage production as well as this film adaptation; the film won both the Critics' Special Jury Award and the Audience Award at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen, (more)
At the Millennium Building in NYC, the elevators have a problem... they just can't stop killing people! Pregnant women, skater dudes -- they're all on the menu for these possessed motorized beasts. As elevator repairman Mark Newman (James Marshal) delves deeper into the mystery, everyone from his boss to the building manager stand in his way. His only help comes from Jennifer Naomi Watts, a nosy reporter that smells a cover-up when she sees it. As the "accidents" pile up, the President and FBI get involved as the heroic couple come face to face with technology gone horribly, horribly wrong. Down is a direct remake (shot for shot at times) of director Dick Maas' early 80's cult flick The Lift. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Marshall, Naomi Watts, (more)
