Jeffrey Morton Movies

First telecast March 13, 2005, the ABC sitcom Jake in Progress starred John Stamos as Jake Phillips, a handsome, stylishly dressed celebrity publicist who worked for the Magnum PR Agency. It was Jake's function in life to handle damage control for the rich and famous -- and to endure the constant insults hurled his way by his high-strung boss Naomi (Wendie Malick), who in the earliest episodes was twice as contentious as usual because she was in the last stages of pregnancy. Although supremely in charge on the job, Jake was less fortunate in his private life, unable to sustain any sort of lasting romantic relationships. Offering comfort and advice to the protagonist were his two friends, a dentist named Adrian (Ian Gomez) and a funky (and remarkably ubiquitous) street magician named Patrick (Rick Hoffman). Almost universally panned by critics during its initial 13-week run, Jake in Progress went on a lengthy hiatus, resurfacing on January 9, 2006. Evidently taking the criticism to heart, the producers endeavored to make the somewhat abrasive Jake more likeable and the episode plotlines more credible; also, two new regular characters were added, Annie (Charlotte Ross) and Mark (Dondre Whitfield). However, the series still languished in the ratings, posting the lowest numbers of the four major networks in its time period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In June of 2002, 13-year-old Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her own bedroom in Salt Lake City, a crime witnessed by her younger sister Mary Katherine. The desperate search for Elizabeth evolved into a gigantic media event, as her anguished parents combined forces with the authorities -- and a number of top-rated cable talk show hosts -- to follow any lead, big or small, that would help them find their daughter. Eight months into the girl's disappearance, hopes for her safety were growing dim -- until, miraculously, she was spotted only a short distance from her home, accompanied by a pair of bizarre and seriously disturbed personalities, Brian David "Emmanuel" Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Originally telecast November 9, 2003, by CBS, the made-for-TV Elizabeth Smart: The Long Way Home is divided into two plains of action: the ordeal of the abducted Elizabeth and her uncanny ability to keep her wits and optimism intact despite the ever-growing possibility that she would never see her parents again; and the dogged determination of Elizabeth's parents Ed and Lois, who against all odds, never gave up hope that their daughter was still alive and well. Released shortly after Elizabeth's rescue, the film could have been cheap and exploitive, but was admirably produced and very well acted, especially by Amber Marshall as Elizabeth, Dylan Baker and Hannah Lochner as her parents, and Tom Everett and Hollis McLaren as her captors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The child who could start fires with her mind is all grown up and still trying to find out the truth about what happened to her in this made-for-TV sequel to the sci-fi fantasy Firestarter. Nearly 20 years ago, Charlene "Charlie" McGee (Marguerite Moreau) was trained by a mysterious government organization who wanted to exploit her special and very dangerous gift, though Charlie learned the government operatives were not to be trusted when they murdered her parents. Charlie ran away from them as a child, but now in her mid-twenties, she's decided she wants to know more about the people who shaped her strange destiny -- just as Rainbird (Malcolm McDowell), the man who shaped Charlie's pyrotechnic gift years before, finally finds her after years of search. To Charlie's horror, she discovers a number of other children with bizarre talents. Charlie is soon on the run from Rainbird again, and her only allies in flight are a former associate of Rainbird turned enemy of the state (Danny Nucci) and fellow test subject (Dennis Hopper). Firestarter: Rekindled originally aired as a two-part miniseries on the Sci-Fi network on March 10 and 11, 2002. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Devoted to the point of obsession to her brother, Jessica Wells (Jodie Bissett) is completely unhinged by the brother's death. When Jessica becomes schizophrenic, her family must deal with the grim necessity of institutionalizing the girl. Salvation comes from an unexpected source: a new, experimental drug, with which her doctors hope to restore Jessica to normalcy--and to repair her tattered romance with her loyal boyfriend Patrick (Jason Gedrick). Trouble begins when Jessica goes off her medication and transforms into what TV Guide writer Susan Stewart described as a "sexual carnivore." A young Chad Lowe plays a small but pivotal role in the fact-based, made-for-TV Dare to Love, which had its world premiere over ABC on December 17, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide