Amy Irving Movies
Amy Irving was the daughter of influential theatrical producer/director Jules Irving and actress Priscilla Pointer. Trained at the American Conservatory Theater and Britain's LAMDA, Irving made her off-Broadway debut in 1970. She remained loyal to the theater even after establishing herself in films, co-starring on Broadway as Mozart's wife in Amadeus (1982), and receiving a 1988 Obie Award for Road to Mecca; other notable stage credits are Heartbreak House and The Heidi Chronicles. She made an unforgettable film debut as a scheming high-schooler in the Brian DePalma shocker Carrie (1976). In 1983, she earned an Oscar nomination for making us believe that she was in love with male-drag-wearing Barbra Streisand in Yentl. Her TV resumé includes the lavish miniseries The Far Pavillions (1985) and the title character in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986). In 1987, she launched a children's-film series with Rumpelstiltskin (1987), directed by her brother David Irving. Irving was married to director Steven Spielberg from 1985 to 1989. Since 1990, Amy Irving has referred to herself as the wife of Brazilian filmmaker Bruno Barreto, though the couple hasn't yet made it official. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2003
Vaughn's (Michael Vartan) security clearance is downgraded pending investigation of accusations that he has been double-crossing the CIA. This, however is only one of two emotional crosses for Sydney (Jennifer Garner) to bear: the other is the escape of her double-agent mother, Irina (Lena Olin), who has betrayed her in the process. Meanwhile, Irina has apparently linked up with the sinister Sloane (Ron Rifkin) to steal files from a genetic database in Germany. This places Sydney in the unenviable position of having to hunt down and possibly kill her own mother -- but the embittered Syd doesn't seem to have a problem with this. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Pleading guilty to her crimes, Syd's mother, Irina (Lena Olin), is sentenced to death. Though there is little love lost between mother and daughter, Syd (Jennifer Garner) nonetheless tries to prevent her mother's execution by writing a letter to CIA director Devlin (James Handy), revealing her father Jack's (Victor Garber) involvement in Project Christmas, an insidious method of indoctrinating future secret agents at an early age -- and one for which Jack used the young Syd as a guinea pig. Meanwhile, Sloane (Ron Rifkin) comes closer to a reunion with his "dead" wife, Emily; and Vaughn (Michael Vartan) is shocked upon discerning the contents of Khasinau's so-called Red Ball. This episode was originally scheduled to air on November 3, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Syd (Jennifer Garner) and Jack (Victor Garber) join forces against both the SD-6 and CIA for the sake of their too-inquisitive friend, Will (Bradley Cooper). Also looking out for Will's safety is Vaughn (Michael Vartan), who in putting an end to a vital component of the Rambaldi device may well have sealed his own doom. As this final episode of Alias' first season races toward its cliffhanger finale, the fate of Sloane's (Ron Rifkin) wife, Emily (Amy Irving), is sealed, and Sydney at last comes face to face with "The Man" -- who, much to her shock and amazement, isn't a man at all, but instead.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In hopes of flushing out the elusive Khasinau (who may or may not be the criminal mastermind "The Man") -- and, incidentally, to ascertain the whereabouts of her mother, Irina Derevko -- Sydney (Jennifer Garner) teams with Vaughn (Michael Vartan) to arrange the illicit sale of a Rambaldi artifact. Unfortunately, the scheme is scuttled by a counterplot hatched by SD-6. Meanwhile, Sloane (Ron Rifkin) is forced into a difficult decision involving his terminally ill wife, Emily (Amy Irving) -- who knows the whole truth about her husband's activities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In the first episode of a two-part story, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) is in Paris, poised to foil the sinister schemes of Khasinau (Derrick O'Connor). Also in the City of Light is Will (Bradley Cooper), who has teamed with Jack (Victor Garber) to locate "Deep Throat." Meanwhile, Sloane (Ron Rifkin) is forced to sit in on the discussions to eliminate his wife, Emily (Amy Irving). And as things come to a boil, both Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and Dixon (Carl Lumbly) are forced to into difficult decisions regarding Sydney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Hoping to get his hands on a vital missing page of the Rambaldi document -- and to beat the evil Mr. Sark (David Anders) and his confederates to the punch -- Vaughn (Michael Vartan) prevails upon Sydney (Jennifer Garner) to insinuate her way into the home of sinister SD-6 chieftain Sloane (Ron Rifkin). But Syd is none too keen on this assignment, since it will force her to take cruel advantage of her friendship with Sloane's terminally ill wife, Emily (Amy Irving, in her first series appearance). Meanwhile, Will continues his efforts to expose SD-6 to the public -- and must pay a terrible price in the process. Series producer/director Ken Olin appears unbilled as David McNeil. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Erstwhile "James Bond" Roger Moore guest stars as Edward Poole, an SD-9 leader who has startling information about a turncoat in the Alliance of Twelve. Elsewhere, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) is not the only one who is astonished to find her own image on a sketch drawn 500 years earlier by the prophetic Milo Rambaldi. The text surrounding the sketch is partially decoded, revealing an ominous message regarding the fate of the world. Alas, the key to the entire code is locked somewhere in the Vatican -- compelling Sydney to prevail upon Vaughn (Michael Vartan) to pull off his most daring burglary. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
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Part of the PBS American Masters series, this documentary is a portrait of American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Born in St. Paul, MN, he wrote short stories and novels about the empty morals of rich Jazz age partygoers in the 1920s. Considered his finest achievement, The Great Gatsby questioned the values of success and the American dream. Troubled by alcoholism and his marriage to the ailing Zelda, F. Scott Fitzgerald remains one of the leading 20th century American literary figures. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Campbell Scott, Laura Linney, (more)
A teenager finds himself torn between his loyalty to his friends and possibly destroying his own future in this drama. Danny (Peter Facinelli) is a high school senior who has been offered a chance to play football for a college scholarship; while the offer is tempting, at the same time he doesn't want to leave his girlfriend behind. However, all the bets in his life are off when one of his best friends shoots his father, who had a history of violence. Danny and his friends know their buddy would not survive in prison, so they steal the body and try to hide all the evidence before the police get wise. Their plan proves to be neither as simple or as effective as they hoped. End of Innocence features a strong supporting cast, including Amy Irving, Chris Isaak, and Tom Arnold. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Facinelli, Rodney Eastman, (more)
- 1994
This made-for-TV movie features two previously unproduced stories written by Rod Serling for his groundbreaking anthology series The Twilight Zone, and adapted by Richard Matheson, one of Serling's frequent collaborators on the show. In "The Theater," a woman (Amy Irving) who frequents a neighborhood movie theater discovers her own life is starting to appear on the screen, and she's more than a bit concerned about how the ending is panning out. In "Where the Dead Are," Dr. Benjamin Ramsey (Patrick Bergin) loses a patient during an operation in 1868. Later, he discovers that the man suffered head injuries years before that by all rights should have killed him. While trying to learn the truth about his mysterious patient, Ramsey encounters Dr. Jeremy Wheaton (Jack Palance) who makes a most remarkable medical discovery. The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics first aired in the United States on May 19, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Palance, Amy Irving, (more)
- 1986
Heartbreak House is a 1985 TV staging of the 1920 comedy by George Bernard Shaw. Rex Harrison stars as retired British sea captain Shotover, who tries vainly to maintain an even keel in his own household. The catalyst for the plot is Ellie (Amy Irving), a friend of Shotover's eldest daughter Heslone (Rosemary Harris). Having set her cap for a self-made industrialist (George Martin), Ellie is talked out of the union by Heslone, whereupon the younger girl claims she's taken up with an elusive and highly suspect stranger. As Shotover watches helplessly, the social structure that he has honored all his life crumbles before him--a symbol, claim Shaw's disciples, of the collapse of "proper" European society after World War I. This videotaped version of Heartbreak House premiered over the Showtime Cable service on April 16, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Amy Irving, (more)
Billy Barty, one of the world's biggest little people, stars in this musical children's fable from the Brothers Grimm. Rumpelstiltskin (Barty) promises the miller's daughter Katie (Amy Irving) that she will be able to spin straw into gold in order to win the love of the Prince (John Mouler-Brown). After the marriage, Katie gives birth to a son that the nasty gnome abducts. Rumpelstiltskin agrees to give the child back to Katie if she can guess his name. An excellent performance from Billy Barty who began his career in the silent film era. Amy Irving's brother David provides the direction. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Irving, Billy Barty, (more)
This two-part TV movie recounts the life of Anna Anderson, who until the day she died at age 82 insisted that she was really Anastasia Romanov, daughter of Czar Nicholas. Anna first makes her claim in 1920, when she is an inmate in a Berlin asylum. Her story of escape from the Bolsheviks who killed the rest of her family in 1918 seems so vivid that many Russian expatriates are willing to believe her. The film concludes in 1928, with Anna restating her claim before the surviving Romanovs living in New York. Amy Irving plays the leading character in a lady-or-the-tiger fashion, so that we never know if she truly swallows her own tale or if she's merely a clever charlatan. Olivia DeHavilland, Rex Harrison, Claire Bloom, Omar Sharif and Susan Lucci co-star in this opulent, location-filmed production, which originally aired on December 7 and 8, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Irving
The lavishly produced three-part telemovie The Far Pavilions was adapted from the best-selling novel by M.M. Kaye. Set in colonial India during the second Afghan war, the film concerns the exploits of Ashton Pelham-Martyn (Ben Cross), a British officer. Born and raised in India, Pelham-Martyn finds himself a victim of his own divided loyalties as he leads a campaign against the rebellious tribal leaders on the northwestern frontier. The meat of the drama is Pelham-Martyn's "forbidden" romance with his lifelong friend, half-caste Hindu princess Anjuli (Amy Irving). The supporting cast includes the illustrious likes of Omar Sharif and Christopher Lee. Filmed on location on a budget of $12 million (the most costly made-for-cable movie up to 1984), The Far Pavilions originally aired over the HBO service on April 22, 23 and 24, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on a short story by Sherwood Anderson, I'm a Fool stars Ron Howard as a 1920s race-track groom. Told in bittersweet flashbacks, the story relates Howard's attempts to impress pretty debutante Amy Irving by pretending to be rich. If only he'd just been "himself"...but by the time he realizes this, it's too late. Previous adaptations of the Anderson story have included a 1954 GE Theatre half-hour starring James Dean. Shown in tandem with a dramatization of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Bernice Bobs Her Hair, the Ron Howard version of I'm a Fool was first telecast April 5, 1977, on PBS' American Short Story series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Panache, that dashing 17th century poet, swordsman and lover, is played by Rene Auberjonois. In true Alexander Dumas fashion, Panache is accompanied in his adventures by two musketeers, naive Alain (Charles Frank) and worldly Donat (David Healy). In this made for TV pilot film, Panache and his comrades protect the Queen (Amy Irving) from the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu (Joe Ruskin), whose chief lieutenant is the insidious Rochefort (Charles Siebert). Everyone obviously had a lot of fun making Panache, especially Rene Auberjonois, a consummate character actor who never received a TV role quite this colorful again. What a wonderful series this would have made...but 1976 wasn't the year of the TV swashbuckler, not with such 20th century favorites as Henry Winkler and Suzanne Somers around. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
James Michener's Dynasty is aptly named. This TV movie is indeed based on a novel by Michener, which does indeed cover thirty five years (1820-1855) in the lives of a land-rich family. Harris Yulin and Stacy Keach play the Blackwood brothers, a pair of enterprising Ohio pioneers. The ongoing rivalry between the older Yulin and younger Keach is intensified when Yulin's wife Sarah Miles leaves her husband in favor of Keach. As the brothers try to outdo each other in business, the Blackwood land empire grows to epic proportions. Unfortunately, this TV movie does not; at 2 hours, there just isn't enough time to do justice to Michener's sprawling novel. James Michener's Dynasty is worth noting for the supporting-cast contributions of Amy Irving and Harrison Ford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stacy Keach, Harris Yulin, (more)
- 1975
This made-for-TV biography, based on the memoirs of onetime James Dean roommate William Bast, stars Stephen McHattie in the title role of the Hollywood rebel. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
A newly single father discovers his daughter is caught up in a web of evil in this thriller. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), on his own after the unexpected death of his wife. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named "Charlie," but it isn't long before "Charlie" develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realization that "Charlie" isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination. Hide and Seek also stars Famke Janssen, Dylan Baker, and Amy Irving. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, (more)
- 2001
- R
- Add 13 Conversations About One Thing to QueueAdd 13 Conversations About One Thing to top of Queue
Following up on her acclaimed debut, Clockwatchers, Jill Sprecher spins this intricate ensemble film about life's big questions. Set in New York City, the film focuses on five different characters with radically different perspectives on life. Gene (Alan Arkin) manages a large insurance company and is a compulsive pessimist, constantly bursting the bubbles of his more cheery colleagues. Walker (John Turturro), who holds a similarly bleak view of the world, decides that he cannot stand another day in his dull life as a physics professor and thus promptly dumps his wife, Patricia (Amy Irving). Troy (Matthew McConaughey) is an up-and-coming lawyer whose career is derailed after a hit-and-run accident. And Beatrice (Clea DuVall) is a modest cleaning woman hoping for a miracle. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, (more)
Described by director Steven Soderbergh as "Nashville meets The French Connection," this multi-character drama explores the effects of international drug trafficking on all fronts: from their source, to the U.S. border, to the federal government, to the private lives of users. Based upon a miniseries originally aired on Britain's Channel 4, Traffic divides its time among three main storylines and almost a dozen locales. The first and primary plot thread, set in Ohio and Washington, D.C., concerns freshly-appointed drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), whose enthusiasm for his new prestige position is quickly offset when he realizes his 16-year-old daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) is graduating from recreational drug use to habitual abuse -- a secret that his wife, Barbara (Amy Irving), has kept from him. South of the border, Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) attempts to wage his own war on drugs, heading off a cocaine shipment in the middle of the desert with his less-than-virtuous partner Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas). Surrounded by corruption, Javier approaches the drug war with an attitude of patience and compromise, which opens him up to investigation from General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian), the country's dubious drug-enforcement liaison to the U.S. Meanwhile, San Diego drug kingpin Carlos Alaya (Steven Bauer) is caught in a sting operation spearheaded by DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), leaving behind his very pregnant and very oblivious wife, Helena (Catharine Zeta-Jones). At the behest of Carlos' lawyer and shady confidante, Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid), Helena decides to carry on the family business -- with tragic consequences. Adapted by Rules of Engagement scribe Stephen Gaghan, Traffic marked Soderbergh's second major release in 2000 after the critical and box-office success of Erin Brockovich, as well as his second feature as cinematographer (credited under the pseudonym Peter Andrews). A favorite with various guild and critics' awards, Traffic won four Academy Awards in 2001, including statues for Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Gaghan), and surprise wins for Steven Mirrone's editing and Soderbergh's direction. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, (more)
