Scott Bakula Movies

Stockard Channing stars in this made-for-cable comedy-drama as Dr. Beth Noonan, a female psychiatrist trying to hold her life together as she guides four of her patients through personal turmoil. Lauren Travis (Elle MacPherson), a respected lawyer, finds her sexual identity thrown into question when she discovers she's attracted to another woman, Casey (Kate Capshaw). Helen McCormick (Glenne Headly) is forced to spend a week with her two estranged sisters, Kathy (Allison Janney) and Kim (Rebecca DeMornay) after the death of their mother. Nia Morgan (Lynn Whitfield) is convinced her husband is being unfaithful to her; she hires Rachel (Linda Hamilton) to lure her spouse into infidelity, but Rachel learns that Nia's husband is actually involved with Betty (Mia Farrow), an older and unglamorous waitress. And after Dr. Noonan decides she can't handle the deep neuroses of Suzanne Nabor (Camryn Manheim), Suzanne snaps and takes the doctor hostage, along with three other people. It's a Girl Thing also stars Scott Bakula, Buck Henry, and Bruce Greenwood; it first aired in two parts on the Showtime premium cable network in January, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One man lives two very different lives in this suspense thriller. Lisa (Annabella Sciorra) is a computer science instructor who is happily married to James Stockton (Scott Bakula), a businessman who has enjoyed considerable success as a land developer. Lisa and James are the proud parents of a daughter, Stacy (Cait Gentile), and James would seem to be the ideal father, eagerly volunteering for community activities and coaching Stacy's Little League team. But James is not really the man he seems to be -- James Stockton is actually a new identity fabricated 14 years ago by Tony Mancini, a mobster on the run from the law after killing his girlfriend. Shortly before Mancini disappeared, he was given a set of books with enough information on the Mafia's financial dealings to bring down the organized crime syndicate once and for all. One detective has refused to give up on his search for Mancini, and as he begins to zero in on James Stockton, Lisa finds herself wondering what the truth is about the man she thought she knew. Above Suspicion also stars Edward Asner, George Dzundza, and Red West. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Years after her family's pizza parlor was burned to the ground by an out of control arsonist, a girl does her best to overcome her childhood trauma by becoming a seasoned arson investigator in this thriller starring Scott Bakula and Alicia Witt. But some careers are more dangerous than others, and when a madman emerges from the flames to terrorize the respected investigator it begins to appear as if her infernal destiny may have been sealed as a young girl. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When New York psychiatrist Bill Capa (Bruce Willis, in an uncharacteristically un-smirking performance) visits Los Angeles to take over his murdered colleague's therapy group, he finds himself embroiled in the thick of a mystery when he bumps into (literally) Rosa (Jane March) and begins a torrid affair. Double-identities, death threats and love scenes abound as he delves deeper into the case to uncover the truth about his friend's death. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Based on a play by Tim Boland, the made-for-TV drama In the Name of the People stars Scott Bakula as death-row inmate John Burke. Facing execution for the murder of a teenaged girl, Burke's only concern is over the future of his own 13-year-old daughter Lisa (Robin Ann Phipps). Connie Murphy (Amy Madigan), mother of the murdered girl and the unforgiving leader of the activist group which lobbied for Burke's death, finds that there is a curious bond between the soon-to-be orphaned Lisa and Connie's own husband Jack (Richard Thomas), to whom forgiveness and compassion are second nature. The garrulous nature of Richard Leder's teleplay led one TV critic to characterize the film as "Dead Man Talking." In the Name of the People originally aired on February 2, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steve Martin wrote and stars in this look at the promise and dreamtime of Los Angeles culture. Martin stars as Harris K. Telemacher, a light-hearted television weatherman who does wacky comedy in lieu of reports since, being in L.A., he has very little weather to report. He spends his time roller-skating through museums and spending time with California's beautiful people. But Telemacher is fired and discovers that his girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) is having an affair. He walks away from the relationship and re-evaluates his life, getting advice from a friendly electronic highway road sign. The sign suggests that he call SanDeE (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sprightly and attractive Valley Girl he met in a clothing store. With SanDeE he experiences a liberating and carefree spirit. But Telemacher comes to realize that he has actually fallen in love with Sara (Victoria Tennant), a tuba-playing British journalist who is in California to do a feature on Los Angeles lifestyles. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Billed as a Latina Waiting to Exhale, this film details the life and loves of four Hispanic women: Sofia, a therapist; Andrea, a divorced lawyer; Irene, a flashy clothes designer; and Lilly, an artist. The women gather every week at the nightspot Luminarias to discuss jobs, family, love, and sex. Sofia, who dates white men in the hope of fitting into Anglo culture, becomes smitten with an amorous Mexican waiter. On the other hand, Andrea, who believes that white guys are only interested in Hispanic woman as exotic love toys, finds herself falling for a Jewish lawyer. While Lilly deals with racism from her Korean-American boyfriend's family, sexpot Irene has her own conflicted feelings toward her transvestite brother. Luminarias was screened at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Scott Bakula and Leon star in this mystery thriller. An African-American baseball player is having a hot season and threatens to break Joe DiMaggio's batting record. However, one baseball fan isn't so thrilled -- a psychotic racist who has been murdering young black boys and sending their severed thumbs to the slugger, warning him not to break the record of "Joltin' Joe." Soon the FBI and the NYPD are both on the case, trying to catch the psycho before another child is killed (and so the player can finish the season). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Making its first appearance on November 14, 1988, the long-running, Emmy-winning CBS sitcom Murphy Brown starred Candice Bergen as the title character, the driving, driven, often overbearing but essentially likable star reporter of the Washington, D.C.-based TV magazine "FYI." A thorough professional, Murphy never gave less than her best before the cameras -- but behind the cameras, it was a different story. Constitutionally incapable of doing anything by halves, Murphy told her colleagues exactly what she thought of them at all times, seldom made a comment that wasn't laced with sarcasm, and was addicted to tobacco and, for a while, booze (this last shortcoming required her to do some time at the Betty Ford Clinic). Though the rest of the "FYI" staffers were accustomed to Murphy's mood swings and idiosyncrasies, outsiders tended to be scared off by our heroine: indeed, one of the series' most famous running gags was the fact that Murphy had a different secretary in practically every episode! Also in the cast were Charles Kimbrough as "FYI"'s uptight, humorless anchorman Jim Dial; Joe Regalbuto as the show's gonzo (and obviously toupeed) investigative reporter Frank Fontana, Faith Ford as "FYI"'s voluptuous, somewhat vacuous cub reporter and ex-Miss America Corky Sherwood, who considered Murphy to be her role model (often to Murphy's dismay) and who eventually married staff writer Will Forest (Scott Bryce), thereby becoming -- are you ready? -- Mrs. Corky Sherwood Forest; and Grant Shaud as "FYI"'s nebbishy executive producer Miles Silverberg, not exactly what one would call a born leader of men (or of Murphy!).

When not on the set of her show, Murphy could be found in her townhouse apartment, often conversing with quirky, philosophy-spouting house painter Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli), who spent day and night trying to finish redecorating Murphy's living room -- a job he still hadn't entirely completed when he left the series in season seven. Murphy also hung out with her co-workers at a neighborhood bar owned by another erstwhile philosopher named Phil (Pat Corley), at least until he reportedly died, whereupon Murphy and company purchased the bar themselves (as it turned out, reports of Phil's death were slightly exaggerated -- by Phil!). Additionally, Jay Thomas appeared intermittently as Geraldo-like journalist Jerry Gold, with whom Murphy frequently clashed -- when they weren't romancing one another, that is. As the series progressed, the basic throughline, and the characters, underwent a few changes. After her divorce from Will Forest, Corky eloped with Miles Silverberg, though she stayed in Washington when he left to run a CNN-style news service in New York. Murphy's brief fling with her ex-husband, Jake (Robin Thomas), produced a baby named Avery (who apparently grew up rather quickly, since he was played during the final season by Haley Joel Osment) -- and also stirred up a controversy when no less than Vice President Dan Quayle chastised Murphy Brown for eroding "family values" in America by bearing a child out of wedlock. Later on, dashing international reporter Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) joined the "FYI" staff, sweeping Murphy off her feet and ultimately asking her to marry him (she didn't). Other additions to the cast included Garry Marshall as new network president Stan Lansing, who waged an ongoing war with Murphy over her non-PC attitude; Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) as Stan's whiny nephew Andrew, who was forced upon Murphy as her secretary -- and actually kept the job for more than a single episode; Christopher Rich as "FYI" co-anchor Miller Redfield, just the sort of gorgeous-looking, empty-headed TV personality whom Murphy despised with every fibre of her being; and Lily Tomlin as Kay Carter-Shepley, "FYI"'s imperious, and not altogether competent, new executive producer. In addition to the main and supporting cast, the series featured a number of real-life news personalities as "themselves," among them Walter Cronkite, Connie Chung, Larry King, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn. The series' tenth and final season found Murphy undergoing treatment for breast cancer, an outwardly grim situation that, amazingly enough, never intruded upon the laughter. Murphy Brown ended its network run on August 10, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While covering a hurricane in Florida, Murphy (Candice Bergen) begins getting a few "warning signs" healthwise. Before long, our heroine is convinced that she is pregnant again. As the inclement weather bears down and the story takes a few unexpected twists and turns, Peter (Scott Bakula) asks Murphy a question that could very well completely change her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) is back, and Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) has got him--for a date. Naturally, Peter anticipates a revival of his torrid romance with Murphy. And naturally, Murphy anticipates Peter's anticipation--but for some reason, she insists upon delaying the Big Moment. This episode earned yet another Emmy award for series star Candice Bergen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) drops by unexpectedly while Murphy is laboring throughout the night to finish her latest story. After a brief but chaste encounter with her former lover, an exhausted Murphy falls fast asleep--and dreams that she is standing trial for her "relationship sins" (specifically, her unwillingness to make a commitment). Even more nightmarish is the presence of several of Murphy's ex-flames, including Peter, Mitchell Baldwin (Julius Carry), Jerry Gold (Jay Thomas) and even her onetime husband Jake Lowenstein (Robin Thomas), as witnesses for the prosecution! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Newly unattached, Corky (Faith Ford) jumps at the opportunity when Miles (Grant Shaud) invites her out to dinner. Though he doesn't regard this as a date, she definitely does. She also considers the invitation as the stepping-stone to a full-scale romance, but the nervous Miles is resistant to such a notion. . .or at least he is when the evening begins! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide