Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr. Movies
When the mischievous antics of a precocious 12-year-old girl result in the outcome of the United States presidential election hinging on the vote of her apathetic, likable loser of a father, the man who thought that life had long since passed him by is reluctantly thrust into the national spotlight in this political-themed comedy starring Kevin Costner. Bud Johnson (Costner) is your typical American -- a simple man and loving father who never would have thought he had the power to change the world. Though when election day finally arrives and Bud prepares to cast his ballot, his overachieving daughter Molly proves to be the catalyst for a stunning series of events that place the fate of the free world in the hands of a man more comfortable slinging cases of beer -- her father. The two candidates are portrayed by Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer, with Nathan Lane and Stanley Tucci as their campaign managers. George Lopez also stars as a local TV-station manager who has to deal with the political factions as they set up camp in the small town. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Madeline Carroll, (more)
- 2006
Reported killed in an hot air balloon accident, reclusive millionaire Derek Bronson (Stephen Bogardus) seemingly returns from the dead to hire Monk (Tony Shalhoub) for a special assignment. The fact that Bronson is suffering from leprosy would normally be enough to send Monk scurrying in the opposite direction, but he is shamed into taking the job by his more tolerant caregiver Natalie (Taylor Howard). Here's the deal: Bronson had initially been willing to remain "dead", but now he wants Monk to deliver proof that he's still alive so that Mrs. Bronson (Sarah Brown) will not be cheated out of her husband's estate by some scheming relatives. Well, it's a good story, but it's not quite true--and without revealing any more of the plot, it can be noted that a pivotal scene articulates the old vaudeville catchphrase "Don't shoot--I'm only the piano player." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the Big Love pilot, we are introduced to Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) and his complicated family. Bill, who lives in a suburb of Salt Lake City, UT, owns Henrickson's Home Plus, a successful retail store that is about to open its second branch. Bill is having problems performing sexually, and blames it on the stress. Having three wives vying for his attention probably doesn't help. Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) is insecure, and needs frequent reassurance from Bill. She seems lost when he is with his other wives. Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) appears to be doing a lot of surreptitious luxury shopping, and often asks her husband for extra money. Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) is the only wife who has a job. She works as a substitute teacher, part-time, and balks when Bill asks her to put her paycheck into the family pot. Bill searches for a solution to his impotence on the Internet. More trouble rears its head when his sister-in-law, Wanda (Melora Walters), calls to tell him that his father, Frank (Bruce Dern), is apparently gravely ill, and that his mother, Lois (Grace Zabriskie) refuses to take Frank to a doctor. Bill, who has not seen his family in a while, wants his brother Joey (Shawn Doyle) to handle it, but Wanda points out that calling Bill was a last resort. Bill convinces Barb to accompany him and Nicki to attend to his parents at the hated UEB compound at Juniper Creek, run by Nicki's father, Roman (Harry Dean Stanton). While Bill is on the compound, Roman confronts him about a business dispute. Meanwhile, Heather (Tina Majorino), a new girl at Sarah's (Amanda Seyfried) fast-food job and a devout Mormon, takes an interest in Sarah. The pilot was directed by Rodrigo García (Nine Lives). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Wills have been drawn up for Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nicki (Chloë Sevigny), and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) determining who will get custody of their children if they die. It's supposed to be relatively simple, according to "wife order," but the wives have other ideas. Margene privately asks Barb if she can leave her children to Barb instead of Nicki, while Nicki secretly makes arrangements to have her kids sent to Juniper Creek in the event of her death. When these maneuvers come to light, it naturally increases the tensions between the sister-wives, tensions that are exacerbated by Barb's being named a finalist in the statewide Mother of the Year contest. Bill (Bill Paxton) gets a public accolade of his own when he's invited to join the Salt Lake Leadership League. He sees it as a great opportunity for his business, but others warn him that being involved in such a public organization will increase his risk of exposure. Ernest Holloway (John Ingle) agrees to sell Bill his shares in the UEB, which will give Bill access to a seat on the council. Roman (Harry Dean Stanton) finds out that the two are meeting, and takes swift and brutal action against Ernest. Rhonda (Daveigh Chase) comes from Juniper Creek to stay with the family while she competes in a local drama competition. Sarah (Amanda Seyfried), whom Rhonda horrifyingly describes as her "step-niece and granddaughter-in-law," and Heather (Tina Majorino) spend some time with Rhonda, and are increasingly horrified by the girl's ignorance of the outside world. Ben (Douglas Smith) is overcome by feelings of remorse after having sex with Brynn (Sarah Jones), and begins trying to avoid her. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Bill (Bill Paxton) is in high spirits. Roman (Harry Dean Stanton) has been coerced into signing an agreement to allow his family back into their homes at the Juniper Creek compound, and the bank has agreed to give him a loan to open a third branch of Home Plus. He plans a big barbecue to celebrate, ordering lobsters flown in from Maine, and invites Don (Joel McKinnon Miller) and his family to join them to celebrate Don's taking a fourth wife, Betty (Melinda Allen). Because Bill's in a good mood, Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) decides to tell him about her 58,000-dollar credit-card debt. He's shocked and dismayed, and outraged when she tells him that Roman made a payment for her. Nicki starts to believe he might actually throw her out on the street, apparently a fairly common practice back in Juniper Creek. Bill finds out that Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) knew about Nicki's debts, and questions her loyalty to him. "I'm also married to two other people," she explains. Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) learns that Betty was voted into Don's family unanimously, piquing her curiosity about her own vote. Ben (Douglas Smith) spills the beans that it took several votes before Margene was accepted. Already confused about her place in the family, Margene goes out to dinner with Pam (Audrey Wasilewski) and Carl (Carlos Jacott), who surprise her by fixing her up with Chad (Michael McMillian), a nice young man from their church. This episode was co-written by Jill and Karen Sprecher (13 Conversations About One Thing). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Since being evicted from Juniper Creek, and then from the motel where they were staying, Joey (Shawn Doyle), Wanda (Melora Walters), Lois (Grace Zabriskie), and Frank (Bruce Dern) and his other three wives have all been staying at the Henrickson's. Bill refuses to let Frank stay in the house, which Wanda says is a good idea because "Bill hates him, he makes Joey crazy, and he doesn't pee in the toilet." What she means is, Frank, having lived with many women for many years, has decided that there's always a woman in the bathroom, and so he prefers to use the sink, wherever he's staying. Bill develops serious problems with his vision, and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) quietly brings him to the ER, where he learns that his overuse of Viagra is having serious side effects. Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) frets about her credit-card debt, and asks Adaleen (Mary Kay Place) to somehow make sure that Roman (Harry Dean Stanton) doesn't tell Bill about her situation. Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) has ended her "affair" with Bill, but she's not too happy about it. She feels even worse when Joey confides to her that he's not sure if he believes in polygamy anymore. "The only way I know what to believe is to listen to my heart," he tells her, "and it says that Wanda's it for me." Lois explains her short hair to Sarah (Amanda Seyfried), telling her that she cut her hair, like the women used to in biblical times, after her daughter, Margaret, drowned in Lake Mead. With everyone gathered in the house for Easter dinner, the scene is set for a dramatic confrontation. More drama occurs when Bill and Joey travel to Juniper Creek, with Bill determined to get Roman off the store's books, and get his family back into their homes. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Created by West Wing writer Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., the weekly, 60-minute political drama Mister Sterling was a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for the 21st century. Josh Brolin starred as William Sterling Jr., the idealistic young "reformist" son of a popular retired California governor (James Whitmore). Selected by his state's political machine to fill out the term of a dead Democratic senator, Mister Sterling arrived in the nation's capitol with a naïvely altruistic agenda -- and with no party ties, since he was a registered Independent (though in West Wing tradition, he tended to veer toward the left). Doing their best to educate Sterling to the facts of life about Washington, and sometimes expressing amazement at how much smarter he was than the "established" politicos, were his chief of staff, Jackie Brock (Audra McDonald); his legislative director, Tommy Doyle (William Russ); and resident techno-geek Leon (David Noroña). Mister Sterling was elected to office on January 10, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Brolin, Audra McDonald, (more)
- 2002
Hoping to utilize the Supreme Court in the same dramatic manner that West Wing utilized the White House, the weekly, 60-minute CBS series First Monday focused on the nine Justices who laid down the law for the United States. Joe Mantegna headed the cast as Joseph Novelli, the newest member of the nine-person Supreme Court. Entering a political arena that was evenly divided between Conservative and Liberal, the "moderate" Justice Novelli generally acted as the tie-breaker in matters of national jurisprudence (though supposedly noncommittal politically, Novelli's beard and pugnacious personality indicated that he was the "champion of the underdog" type). James Garner co-starred as staunchly conservative Chief Justice Thomas Brankin, who displayed his contempt for contemporary political correctness by puffing away on a cigarette in his "officially" smoke-free private office. Brankin's chief ally was the whimsical, womanizing Justice Henry Hoskins (Charles Durning), while on varying extremes of the political spectrum were Jewish jurist Esther Weisenberg (Camille Saviola) and black Justice Jerome Morris (James McEachin). Created by Jag's Donald P. Bellisario, First Monday premiered on Tuesday, January 15, 2002, before settling into its standard Friday-night slot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
This episode of The West Wing is structured as a flashback while Josh (Bradley Whitford) addresses a college class on the day-to-day workings of the White House. Toby (Richard Schiff) and Sam (Rob Lowe) must travel to Connecticut in order to smooth over troubles when Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) nominee for the Supreme Court, Roberto Mendoza (Edward James Olmos), is arrested for drunk driving. Media feeding frenzies abound when the African-American head of Housing and Urban Development, Debbie O'Leary (CCH Pounder), accuses a Republican leader of being a racist, and when Josh, subbing at a press conference for suddenly sick C.J. (Allison Janney), claims that the president possesses a "secret plan" to prevent inflation. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2000
President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) has 48 hours to commute the death sentence of a man convicted of a controversial murder after the Supreme Court refuses to stop the execution. While struggling with the moral, ethical, legal, and religious issues of his decision, he calls on his former priest, Father Thomas Cavanaugh (Karl Malden) for guidance. Toby (Richard Schiff) weighs in on the topic after having a conversation about the death penalty with his rabbi (David Proval). Political strategist Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) wants to ask the president why her candidate has not received enough money from the Democratic National Committee. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing) makes some bold statements concerning policy during an appearance on a talk show, causing a rift between her staff and the White House staff. When the head of the Federal Reserve passes away, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) must consider appointing his wife's college boyfriend to the position. Toby (Richard Schiff) is asked by Josh (Bradley Whitford) to soften his prickly persona before attending a sensitive meeting with a powerful member of Congress. Charlie (Dulé Hill) and Zoey (Elisabeth Moss) clash over what to do when the Secret Service asks them not to attend a public event together because of credible death threats from racists. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2000
President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) seeks out the advice of Lord Marbury (Roger Rees), whose intelligence in diplomatic affairs is matched only by his eccentricities, when a possible nuclear exchange could transpire between Pakistan and India. Mandy (Moira Kelly) desires to find out how the staff would feel if she were to represent a liberal Republican. Josh (Bradley Whitford) is forced to testify at a hearing concerning substance abuse among White House staffers. Charlie (Dulé Hill) and Zoey Bartlet (Elizabeth Moss) plan the best way to approach the president about the possibility of them dating. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Former flames Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Mandy (Moira Kelly) argue the merits of allowing an economic bill to pass through Congress even though political opponents have made an addition that would upset the pro-environment President Bartlett (Martin Sheen). C.J. (Allison Janey) must attempt to squelch a story that the president and Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) disagreed passionately during a Cabinet meeting, while simultaneously deflecting the advances of reporter Danny Concannon (Timothy Busfield), who is the best in the business at sniffing out a hot lead. Leo (John Spencer) is less than thrilled that his daughter has invited Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) to join her at the opera. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The staff must spend some political capital as the president is five votes short on a gun-control bill being voted on in the House. They must bargain with members of Congress, as well as Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), in order to get the needed "yea" votes. Communications Director Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) appears to have an ethical problem after a stock he invested in becomes lucrative. On the home front, Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) gets into a marriage-ending argument with his wife who is upset about the amount of time he spends working. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
