Christina Hendricks Movies
Christina Hendricks jump-started her career on television in the early 2000s, with a particularly effective multi-episode contribution to the medical drama ER. On that program, she played Joyce, a battered housewife given solace -- and shelter -- by one of the female employees of Cook County Hospital. Also in 2002, Hendricks appeared in a memorable role on the short-lived cult sci-fi series Firefly as the seductive, scheming conwoman Saffron (in two episodes, one of which never aired). She continued to find steady work on television, notably co-starring with Taye Diggs on the short-lived legal drama Kevin Hill (2004-2005). In 2007, Hendricks took on a prominant role on one of the most promising and original new series of 2007: Mad Men. In that AMC serialized drama -- a saucy period show that unfolded in a Madison Avenue ad agency in 1960 -- Hendricks convincingly portrayed Joan, a predatory secretary unafraid to wrest control by flaunting her sexuality. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Following a first-season finale in which housewife Betty Draper (January Jones) comes to the realization that her ad-exec husband, Don (Jon Hamm), may be having an affair, Season 2 dives headlong into the couple's marital strife. Professionally, Don is flying high as a junior partner and creative director at the Sterling Cooper ad agency, but his home life is rapidly deteriorating. After Betty kicks him out for apparent infidelity, Don moves into a hotel and is only able to see his children with Betty's permission. At Sterling Cooper, the long-simmering power struggle between Don and Herman "Duck" Phillips (Mark Moses) reaches a boiling point, as the impetuous director of account services negotiates a deal with a British firm that he believes will finally give him the upper hand. A subtler power play is made by Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), who seems to have recovered nicely from the shocking birth of her child by married account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser). The product research that Peggy conducted while serving as Don's secretary during Season 1 eventually leads to her promotion as the agency's first female copywriter, and even her own office. Other employees also confront emerging social issues of the day: Creative copywriter Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) breaks social taboos by dating a black woman, while art director Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) secretly struggles with his homosexuality. And romance remains tricky for secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) -- whose doctor fiancé proves controlling and abusive-and her ex, Sterling Cooper partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery), who embarks on yet another extramarital love affair with yet another young secretary. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (more)
The debut season of Matthew Weiner's intense and stylish drama follows the lives of Madison Avenue advertising executives (so-called "Mad Men") in 1960. The series centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the dashing and brilliant creative director for ad agency Sterling Cooper (Season 1 accounts include Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and, appropriately, Lucky Strike, given the cigarettes are smoked in nearly every scene). Don's charms extend well outside of the boardroom and into the bedroom: The married man has a free-spirited lover, Midge Daniels (Rosemarie DeWitt), who's his polar opposite, and a second mistress, Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff), a client whose independence challenges Don's views on women. Don's wife, Betty (January Jones), meanwhile, dutifully fulfills her role as housewife. But when she develops a mysterious ailment that causes her to lose feeling in her hands, she's sent to a psychiatrist to work through her problems. Over at Sterling Cooper, new secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) tries to adjust to life in the boys club with guidance from seen-it-all bombshell secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). Young account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) also has his eyes on Peggy and quickly begins pursuing her, despite his upcoming nuptials. There's even more bad behavior at the office from skirt chasers Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) and Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), loving but imperfect Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) and stuck-in-the-closet art director Sal Romano (Bryan Batt). Partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery) does little to set an example for his employees as he happily indulges in an array of vices and an affair with Joan. Senior partner Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) is mostly out of touch with the staff, preferring to remain within the sanctuary of his giant office. In the midst of this workplace frivolity, Don learns that the picture-perfect life he's created for himself could be threatened by a secret from his past. ~ Brie Hearn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (more)
- 2003
Obsessed with the belief that a slender figure is the most important thing on earth, domineering mother Marsha Hunter (Barbara Hershey) forces her two daughters Frannie (Christina Hendricks) and Shelly (Susan May Pratt) to adhere to rigid diets and exercise regimens. Any extra poundage is subject to cruel ridicule by the manic Marsha, while her passive husband (John Getz), as cowed by his wife as everyone else, offers no comfort or solace for his beleaguered daughters. Marsha's well-meaning but tragically short-sided view of feminine attractiveness drives one daughter into a mental hospital with a psychosomatic eating disorder and the other into a desperate act of self-destruction. Based on a novel by Jillian Medoff, the made-for-cable Hunger Point premiered January 13, 2003, on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Rachel (Hallee Hirsh) accidentally causes Elizabeth's (Alex Kingston) infant daughter, Ella, to OD on Ecstasy. Abby (Maura Tierney) gives shelter to the battered Joyce (Christina Hendricks), incurring the terrible wrath of Joyce's husband, Brian (Matthew Settle). Carter's mother (Mary McDonnell) tries to make belated amends for the death of her other son, Bobby, by lavishing care on young leukemia patient Mickey (Colton James). Victims of a letter bomb are brought into the ER. Gallant (Sharif Atkins) treats a blind man, despite being allergic to the man's dog. And Romano (Paul McCrane) angers Weaver (Laura Innes) by apparently giving preferential treatment to Lewis (Sherry Stringfield). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Elizabeth (Alex Kingston) lashes out at Rachel (Hallee Hirsh) for nearly causing baby Ella's death. Greene (Anthony Edwards) worries that his brain tumor has returned. Carter's (Noah Wyle) mother (Mary McDonnell) continues "coping" with the long-ago death of her other son, Bobby, by living her life vicariously through a young leukemia patient. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) is forced to hold down the ER fort virtually by herself when a bag of bad bagels causes the other staffers to suffer from food poisoning. And Abby (Maura Tierney) is attacked and beaten by her neighbor Brian (Matthew Settle) for offering support to Brian's abused wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Abby (Maura Tierney) "celebrates" her birthday with one setback after another, beginning with an ominous run-in with her quarreling new neighbors, Brian (Matthew Settle) and Joyce (Christina Hendricks). Kovac (Goran Visnjic) prepares to go to Bosnia as part of the Doctors Without Borders program. Carter (Noah Wyle) continues to have issues with his estranged mother (Mary McDonnell). Chen (Ming-Na) claims to have evidence of Weaver's negligence, while Sandy (Lisa Vidal) is not happy that Weaver (Laura Innes) is reluctant to "out" herself. And Greene (Anthony Edwards) makes an unpleasant discovery in the room of his daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Lopez (Lisa Vidal) tries to force Weaver (Laura Innes) out of the closet with a startling public display of affection. Romano (Paul McCrane) rehires Chen (Ming-Na), who has a long memory when it comes to getting even with Weaver. Abby (Maura Tierney) offers help to her new neighbor Joyce (Christina Hendricks), whose husband, Brian (Matthew Settle), is obviously beating her -- and who is in a severe state of denial. Carter (Noah Wyle) is trapped in the middle of his parents' acrimonious divorce. And should Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) attempt to save the life of a death-row inmate? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
The hectic early days of live television are spoofed in this irreverent made-for-cable movie. The story is told from the viewpoint of Audrey Drummond (Christina Hendricks), a naïve young script girl hired by the newly formed Empire Television Network in 1948. Among Audrey's colleagues are the network's owner, eccentric scientist Doc Powers (Christopher Lloyd); Doc's blonde, pneumatic young "trophy wife" Marion (Molly Ringwald); the Colonel (Dylan Baker), Empire's visionary programming chief; and Walt Kaplan (Michael B. Silver), a studio floor manager who aspires to be a director. The story revolves around Empire's efforts to stage the first live TV production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, while trying desperately to adhere to Doc Powers' cast-in-stone broadcast edicts: "No profanity, no suicide, no cleavage." Amidst a flurry of missed cues, fainting actors, collapsing scenery, and malfunctioning equipment, the network also manages to outrage its sponsors by allowing a black musician (Sharif Atkins) to actually (gasp! egad!) speak directly into the camera. Co-executive produced by The West Wing's John Wells and ER's Carol Flint (who also wrote the script), The Big Time debuted October 21, 2002 on the TNT network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Season two of the uninhibited, uncensored satirical cable sitcom Beggars and Choosers begins with yet another vicious power play between E.L. Luddin (Bill Morey), doddering owner of the LGT television network, and his avaricious trophy bride Lydia (Carol Kane). In the final analysis, both Luddins lose out when 53 percent of the network's stock is scooped up by flaky dot.com billionaire Dan Falco (Beau Bridges). This upheaval inspires LGT's predatory vice president of development Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross) to put her romance with poetry-spouting Russian gangster Nicky Krasnakov (Rudolf Martin) on hiatus while she plays up to the fabulously wealthy Falco. Before long, however, Falco has departed the country to enter a Bhuddist monastery, leaving the network in the hands of his dimwitted brother Freddie (James Belushi), whose "experience" in television consists largely of turning his set on and off and changing the channels. Despite Freddie's ineptitude, popular LGT star Sandra Cassandra (Samantha Ferris) figures it is in her best interest to inaugurate an affair with the younger Falco. Meanwhile, long-suffering LGT president Rob Malone (Brian Kerwin) is given all sorts of new reasons to bash his head against the wall, not least of which is the breakup of his marriage to the demanding Cecile (Isabella Hofmann). Elsewhere, the network's "outed" cast director Malcolm (Tuc Watkins) once again stirs up negative publicity when he casts a gay actor in a straight role; Nicky Krasnakov makes a talk show appearance and manages to offend a powerful minority group; the inherent bitterness and backstabbing at LGT gets really up close and personal when the police seal off the network's headquarters during a bank robbery; and the sperm bank containing the "legacy" of late sitcom star Parker Meridian suffers a freezer breakdown. One of the most persistent of the season's many subplots involves a case of industrial espionage, when it appears that a "mole" in the network is leaking LGT's best series ideas to rival web NBC. Intimately involved in this intrigue are two of LGT's newest hires, bed-hopping staff assistant Kelly Kramer (Christina Hendricks) and opportunistic Britisher Nigel Gibney (Justin Carroll). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Kerwin, Charlotte Ross, (more)
- 2000
When Angel (David Boreanaz) learns that Trevor Lockley (John Mahon), the father of Det. Kate Lockley (Elisabeth Rohm), is involved in a demon drug ring, it brings back painful memories of his troubled relationship with his own father and his transformation into a vampire. Someone, it seems, is peddling PCP-like drugs that turn normally peaceful demon races such as the Kwaini into killers. Kate reluctantly teams with Angel to investigate, but she's unprepared for the revelation that her dad, a retired cop, is in leagues with the dope-pushers. Soon, though, Mr. Lockley turns up dead, emotionally shattering Kate and further eroding her tenuous alliance with Angel. Nonetheless, Angel rescues her from the turncoat demons who killed her father. Throughout the investigation, Angel is haunted by his memories of quarreling with his father, becoming a vampire, and then killing his entire family. Originally broadcast February 22, 2000, on the WB network, "Prodigal" marked season one, episode 15 of the supernatural comedy drama. Julie Benz, who played Angel's sire, Darla, in several early episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reprises the role in the flashback scenes in this episode. Darla would later become a recurring character after being resurrected by Wolfram & Hart in "To Shanshu in L.A." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
