Judy Cairo Movies

A drunken, embittered country singer and a burgeoning journalist form an unusual bond in this drama adapted from the novel by Thomas Cobb. His spirit broken by multiple failed marriages, too much time on the road, and too many nights with the bottle, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) had started to feel like he was headed down the path of no return. When probing young writer Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) digs deep enough to unearth the broken man behind the legend, however, Bad realizes that redemption may not be such a long shot after all. Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Seven years after playing the David Bowie-esque glam rocker in Velvet Goldmine, actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers tackles the role of the biggest rock-and-roller of all time -- The King -- in this television miniseries. CBS' Elvis traces Elvis Presley's rise from being a humble, poor kid in early-'50s Memphis to being an isolated, prescription-drug-addicted superstar fearful of going on-stage for his 1968 comeback special. Along the way, he's torn between his devotion to his mama Gladys (Camryn Manheim) and the machinations of his stealthy manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker (Randy Quaid). Among Presley's hurdles: his R&B music and performance style prompts cries of obscenity from community leaders; he's drafted for the Army and decides to go; and he longs to become a serious movie star, although the Colonel has different ideas. Elvis was significant in that it was the first biopic of the star to allow the use of The King's original recordings, lip-synched by Rhys-Meyers. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Everybody Loves Raymond co-star Brad Garrett brings "The Great One" to life in this made-for-TV biography of video icon Jackie Gleason. The product of a fractious Brooklyn childhood, capped by the abrupt desertion of his ne'er-do-well father, Gleason launches his show business career with the motto "Never depend on anyone." Yet because of his multitude of insecurities, he demands total loyalty and 100-percent devotion from everyone around him. Trouble is, he has no loyalty or devotion to give in return: Dedicated to his career, his drinking, and his womanizing (not always in that order), Jackie neglects his wife Gen (Gretchen Egolf) and his children, tyrannizes his associates in general and his faithful agent George "Bullets" Durgom (Saul Rubinek) in particular, and shamelessly steals other people's ideas and comedy material, claiming it exclusively as his own. For all his bluster and bullying, Gleason remains likable and arguably even lovable -- just like his most famous TV character, Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden (indeed, the script suggests that Gleason was Kramden and Kramden was Gleason -- and that Jackie was envious of Ralph's ability to "make things up" to his long-suffering wife Alice at the end of each Honeymooners sketch). The film is at its best in its re-creations of Gleason's stage and TV triumphs, though one could nitpick about the hazy and often downright inaccurate chronology of events. As the title character, Brad Garrett offers an uncannily on-target portrayal, despite the fact that the 6'8" actor was nearly a foot taller than the real Gleason (this discrepancy was amply compensated for by the clever camera angles of cinematographer Neil Roach, not to mention the elevator shoes worn by practically every other member of the cast). Of the supporting players, Gretchen Egolf and Terry Farrell are superb as Jackie's first and second wives respectively, while Michael Chieffo's portrayal of Art Carney is eerily perfect. Co-written by Michael Preminger and Rick Podell, the same team responsible for Jackie Gleason's final theatrical feature Nothing in Common, Gleason made its CBS network debut on October 13, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inspired by actual events, The Price of a Broken Heart tells the tale of a marriage shattered, and a wife who refuses to play the victim. Joe (Timothy Carhart) and Dot (Park Overall) have been married for nineteen years: They've got three sons, a lovely home, and Joe's career is on the upswing. But Joe's office assistant Lynne (Laura Innes) has always wanted a perfect family of her own, and now she's convinced that her dream is finally within reach. With cool calculation, Lynne lures Joe into an extramarital affair that spans a passion-fueled three years. Eventually, Joe breaks down and reveals the affair to Dot. Enraged at the betrayal and determined to strike back at the women who tried to break up her family, Dot sues her husband's mistress for $1 million under an archaic North Carolina law known as "alienation of affection." The law was designed to protect husbands and wives from predatory home wreckers, but can it still be enforced in an era where fifty percent of marriages fail anyway? As the trial gets underway, Dot endures humiliation and the media frenzy in a noble bid to show Lynne just how strong true family ties can be. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide