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Ashley Judd Movies

Blessed with a rare combination of beauty, brains, and talent, actress Ashley Judd spent the 1990s gaining critical acclaim, industry respect, and a broad fan base that made her one of the most in-demand actresses of the latter half of the decade.

The daughter of country-music superstar Naomi Judd and the younger half-sister of singer Wynonna Judd, Judd was born in Los Angeles, on April 19, 1968. A single parent, her mother supported Judd and her sister by taking odd jobs in California and Kentucky. The actress spent her first 13 years shuttling between the two states and attended 12 different schools, often living in poverty in remote areas of Kentucky. With no external sources of entertainment, Judd read books and amused herself by pretending to be various characters while her sister and mother whiled away the time singing. Their singing paid off; after Naomi and Wynonna Judd became country-music sensations, the family was finally able to leave their financial hardship in the past. Judd went on to attend the University of Kentucky, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1990 with a degree in French.

At her sister's encouragement, Judd, blessed with an outgoing, forthright nature, was able to secure an agent on her first try and, in 1987, won a part on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. She went on to do more TV, landing a recurring role as Swoosie Kurtz's daughter on Sisters in 1991 (she stayed with the show until 1994). The following year, she made her film debut with a small part in Kuffs (1992). She was originally meant to have a larger part, but rejected it when she learned of a nude scene.

The actress' first major film role was in the hit independent drama Ruby in Paradise (1993). She garnered considerable acclaim for her subtle, realistic portrayal of a spoiled Tennessee heiress who runs away to sell tourist trinkets in a ramshackle resort, winning Best Actress at the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards. After filming Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, only to have her scenes end up on the cutting-room floor, Judd next found acclaim with her turn in the 1995 film Smoke, in which she played the pregnant, drug-addicted daughter of Harvey Keitel and Stockard Channing. The same year, she appeared in the much-lauded Heat, then went on to star with Mira Sorvino in the 1996 made-for-TV Marilyn Monroe biopic Norma Jean and Marilyn.

Following a substantial role as Matthew McConaughey's wife in Joel Schumacher's adaptation of John Grisham's A Time to Kill in 1996, and a lead in the crime film A Normal Life (also 1996), Judd starred in the 1997 thriller Kiss the Girls. The film received mixed reviews but did decent business at the box office, further increasing Judd's glowing star wattage. She landed another lead role the following year, in the well-received drama Simon Birch and, in 1999, could be seen starring in Bruce Beresford's Double Jeopardy as an ex-convict planning revenge on those who framed her for a crime she did not commit. The film was a substantial box-office hit, further cementing Judd's arrival as a major Hollywood star.

Judd didn't turn up again until 2004's Twisted, a crime thriller about a female homicide detective who finds herself at the center of a series of murders. That same year, she starred alongside Kevin Kline in the critically acclaimed De-Lovely, a musical biography of Cole Porter. She then laid low until a project by a truly legendary filmmaker came her way. William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, cast her in the leading role in his 2007 psychological horror film Bug. A gritty, pared down thriller with a five person cast, Judd handled the disturbing project like a pro. Ready for something more grounded in reality, the actress next chose a project that dealt with issues ripped straight from the headlines, signing on to appear in Crossing Over, a film about immigrants struggling to obtain legal citizenship in the US. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
1996  
R  
Add Normal Life to Queue Add Normal Life to top of Queue  
A seemingly ordinary couple jump the tracks into disaster in this drama based on a true story. Chris Anderson (Luke Perry) is a straight-arrow cop who meets Pam (Ashley Judd) after she's hurt in a barroom fight. He asks her to dance after helping to stop her bleeding, and it's love at first sight. While Chris plays by the rules, Pam likes to drink, smoke dope, spend money, and cause trouble, and while he wants to make her happy, her emotional instability makes this no easy task. After Chris is fired and takes a job as a security guard, he can no longer pay the bills that Pam is ringing up. He uses his knowledge of security systems to rob banks, and he discovers that he's good at it. Pam eventually finds out about Chris' sideline; the prospect of danger excites her sexually, and she insists on joining in for future robberies, goading him into a crime spree that leads to tragedy. While Normal Life was planned as a theatrical release, the film debuted on premium cable after disputes between the studio and director John McNaughton; despite this, the film earned positive reviews and a cult following. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ashley JuddLuke Perry, (more)
 
1995  
 
Add The Passion of Darkly Noon to Queue Add The Passion of Darkly Noon to top of Queue  
For his second outing as a director, filmmaker Philip Ridley once again enlisted the talents of Viggo Mortensen, who starred in Ridley's debut, The Reflecting Skin, and co-stars here with Ashley Judd and Brendan Fraser. Fraser plays Darkley Noon, a disturbed young man who received a sheltered upbringing from his strict Christian parents. When the elder Noons pass on, Darkly wanders off aimlessly until he is picked up by a passing truck driver named Jude (Loren Dean). Jude leaves the physically worn Darkly with Callie (Judd) and Clay (Mortensen), a young married couple. As Callie cares for Darkly, he begins to develop romantic and sexual feelings for her, feelings that threaten to turn violent when Darkly is taunted by the love between Callie and Clay. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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Starring:
Brendan FraserAshley Judd, (more)
 
1995  
R  
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A Brooklyn cigar shop is the setting for this drama from director Wayne Wang that interweaves the stories of several characters that have fractured family relationships in common. Harvey Keitel is Auggie Wren, poetic owner of the Brooklyn Cigar Company, a store that he considers the center of the world -- a place where all of humanity eventually parades through. One of his regular customers is Paul Benjamin (William Hurt), a writer and a broken shell of a man whose pregnant wife was shot and killed near the store. When Paul's life is saved one day by a young black man named Rashid (Harold Perrineau, Jr., the writer and his rescuer strike up a friendship and begin searching for Rashid's long-lost father (Forest Whitaker). At the store, Auggie is surprised by the appearance of Ruby (Stockard Channing), an ex-girlfriend who informs him that her pregnant, drug-addicted daughter Felicity (Ashley Judd) may also be his -- and is in dire need of help. Screenwriter Paul Auster based the script for Smoke on a 1990 short story he wrote for "The New York Times." He also wrote and directed the film's sequel (of sorts), Blue in the Face (1995). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
William HurtHarvey Keitel, (more)
 
1995  
 
The struggle of country music's mother-daughter duo The Judds is told in this made-for-television drama. Kathleen York stars as Naomi Judd (then known as Diana Judd) a single mother of two daughters, who turned to music as way to help positively influence her increasingly belligerent and rebellious eldest daughter Wynonna (then known as Christina). The movie chronicles Naomi's struggle to provide for her daughters (the youngest is actress Ashley Judd), the singing duo's rise from Nashville fame to national celebrity, the ups and downs that accompanied a working family relationship, and Naomi's eventual retirement from the music business. The movie was based on Naomi's autobiography Love Can Build A Bridge. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

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1995  
R  
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A successful career criminal considers getting out of the business after one last score, while an obsessive cop desperately tries to put him behind bars in this intelligent thriller written and directed by Michael Mann. Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. The supporting cast includes Val Kilmer as Chris, one of McCauley's partners; Ashley Judd as his wife Charlene; Jon Voight as Nate; Hank Azaria as Alan Marciano; and Henry Rollins as Hugh, who is beaten up by Hanna. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Al PacinoRobert De Niro, (more)
 
1994  
 
Based on the autobiography of country singer Naomi Judd, Love Can Build a Bridge tells the story of how she and her daughter Wynona came to be The Judds, one of the biggest country acts of their time. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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1994  
R  
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A frenetic, bloody look at mass murder and the mass media, director Oliver Stone's extremely controversial film divided critics and audiences with its mixture of over-the-top violence and bitter cultural satire. At the center of the film, written by Stone and Quentin Tarantino, among others, are Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Visually overwhelming, Robert Richardson's hyperkinetic cinematography switches between documentary-style black-and-white, surveillance video, garishly colored psychedelia, and even animation in a rapid-fire fashion that mirrors the psychosis of the killers and the media-saturated culture that makes them popular heroes. The film's extreme violence -- numerous edits were required to win an R rating -- became a subject of debate, as some critics asserted that the film irresponsibly glorified its murderers and blamed the filmmakers for potentially inciting copy-cat killings. Defenders argued that the film attacks media obsession with violence and satirizes a sensationalistic, celebrity-obsessed society. Certain to provoke discussion, Natural Born Killers will thoroughly alienate many viewers with its shock tactics, chaotic approach, and disturbing subject matter, while others will value the combination of technical virtuosity and dark commentary on the modern American landscape. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

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Starring:
Woody HarrelsonJuliette Lewis, (more)
 
1993  
R  
Florida-based independent filmmaker Victor Nuñez gave young actress Ashley Judd her breakthrough role with his original script about a woman taking to the road to escape her past and forge a new future for herself. Feeling smothered and confused after the death of her mother, Ruby Lee Gissing flees her Tennessee home. She drives south to the panhandle of Florida, because she has always dreamed of living near the ocean. Mildred Chambers (Dorothy Lyman), the owner of a souvenir shop, hires her as a clerk and befriends Ruby as well. Soon, there are two men in Ruby's life: Mike McCaslin (Todd Field) and Mildred's ne'er-do-well son, Ricky (Bentley Mitchum). Although Ruby briefly succumbs to the advances of one of them, by the film's end, she is still on her own, understanding that a new chapter of her life is just beginning. In addition to the picture taking home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Judd was nominated for Best Actress by the New York Film Critics and won Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirits. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

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Starring:
Ashley JuddTodd Field, (more)
 
1993  
 
Having survived breast cancer, Alex Reed (Swoosie Kurtz), oldest of the Reed sisters of Winnetka, has launched a new career as a motivational speaker as Sisters begins its fourth season. Invited to appear on a local TV talk show, Alex is so hilarious that she causes the show's host, Harry Busby (Jack Betts), to literally die laughing -- whereupon she is invited to take over the show by producer Norma Lear (Nora Dunn). The outlook is less rosy for Alex's sister Frankie (Julianne Phillips), who has broken up with her husband, Mitch (Ed Marinaro). So bitter and vindictive is the custody battle over the couple's baby son, Thomas George, that the fed-up judge awards custody to the child's surrogate mother, Frankie's sister Georgie (Patricia Kalember) -- meaning that Georgie's husband, John (Garrett M. Brown), and sons Evan (Dustin Berkovitz)and Trevor (Ryan Francis) will have to put up with the squalling Thomas George for the next several months. At the same time, Georgie and John have serious problems with son Trevor, who has begun running around with a fast crowd and has gotten into booze and marijuana. After first arranging for Trevor to get a job at the Sweet Sixteen Maltshop, a favorite local hangout which Frankie has purchased, Georgie is forced to admit that her son's problems are beyond her control, and puts him into rehab. Ultimately, Georgie thinks about killing herself, but is saved with some much-needed good news about her other son, Evan.

As for Teddy (Sela Ward), the most troublesome of the Reed daughters, her happiness over making a success of her undergarment business is cut short with the news that her former sweetheart, millionaire Simon Bolt (Mark Frankel), has been lost at sea. The fact that rumors of Bolt's death prove to be slightly exaggerated does not help matters when Teddy finds out the circumstances behind Simon's disappearance. Elsewhere, Alex's daughter Reed returns from California under the influence of a religious cult, forcing Alex and Reed's husband, Kirby, to kidnap the girl in order to "deprogram" her; the sisters' mom, Bea (Elizabeth Hoffman), finds out that her current husband, Truman (Philip Sterling), has Alzheimer's; and Teddy's daughter, Cat (Heather McAdam), is brutally raped. In other developments, Teddy falls in love with James Falconer (George Clooney), the detective investigating Cat's assault; and Alex marries discount-store owner Big Al Barker (Robert Klein), her TV show's biggest sponsor -- only to stand by helplessly when Big Al is carted off to jail on a tax-fraud charge. As the season concludes, the Reed sisters come face to face with Dr. Charlotte "Charley" Bennett (Jo Anderson), the half-sister they never knew they had -- who is in dire need of a marrow transplant. And a nervous Teddy marries Falconer during a chaotic plane ride in the middle of a tornado. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Swoosie KurtzSela Ward, (more)
 
1992  
 
Season three of Sisters begins as Alex (Swoosie Kurtz), the oldest of Winnetka's Reed sisters, insists upon micro-managing the marriage between her widowed mom, Bea (Elizabeth Hoffman), and Judge Truman Ventnor (Philip Sterling). Fed up with her daughter's interference, Bea decides to elope with Truman, causing Alex to throw one of her many hissy fits. Another angry outburst results when Alex finds out that her daughter, Reed (Ashley Judd), has quit college to marry Kirby Philby (Paul S. Rudd). Likewise, Alex expresses jealousy over the unexpected business success of her younger sister, Teddy (Sela Ward), leading to a knock-down, drag-out wrestling match between the two siblings! This is the season that Teddy meets eccentric millionaire Simon Bolt (Mark Frankel), who expresses his fondness for Teddy by investing heavily in her undergarment company; he also donates lots of money to the local leukemia fund on behalf of Teddy's nephew Evan (Dustin Berkovitz). But Teddy is too independent -- and too much the loose cannon -- to adapt to Simon's sumptuous lifestyle; nor is she much of a diplomat business-wise, as proven when she throws a pie at a fashion columnist who has given her a bad review. Throughout the rest of the season, Teddy will alternately break up and reconcile with Simon, at one point accepting his marriage proposal...for a while, anyway. Meanwhile, Teddy's troubled daughter, Cat (Heather McAdam), is showing signs of developing into a problem drinker like her mother and grandmother.

On a more upbeat note, Evan and Trevor (Ryan Francis), the sons of Teddy's sister Georgie (Patricia Kalember), have apparently managed to overcome the health and emotional problems that plagued them in the previous season, while Georgie herself has agreed to be surrogate mother for her sister Frankie (Julianne Phillips) and Frankie's husband, Mitch (Ed Marinaro). Unfortunately, Frankie goes into labor while trapped in a wrecked car, when no one is able to come to her aid -- and with the local TV outlets covering the event. Once the baby is delivery as safely as possible under the circumstances, three different Hollywood studios approach Georgie, hoping to make a movie out of her ordeal. The subsequent film epic, "Her Sister's Love," does not meet with her sibling's approval, even though Suzanne Somers agrees to star in it. Later on, Georgie will find work as a real-estate broker, then as a newspaper advice columnist. As for Frankie, she begins cramming for a quick conversion to Judaism so that her child can be bar-mitzvahed for the sake of her husband, Mitch. Despite this, it is clear that the marriage between Frankie and Mitch is in serious trouble as the season draws to a close -- just as it appears that Alex will patch things up with her ex-husband, Wade (David Dukes), even though he has gotten married again. Season three ends with Alex finding out she has breast cancer, and Reed and Kirby leaving Winnetka for a new life in California. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Swoosie KurtzSela Ward, (more)
 
1992  
PG13  
Add Kuffs to Queue Add Kuffs to top of Queue  
In Kuffs, Christian Slater plays George Kuffs, an irresponsible 21-year-old who walks out on his pregnant girlfriend Maya (Milla Jovovich) and runs, broke, to see his big brother Brad (Bruce Boxleitner) in San Francisco. Bruce is the owner of a Special Patrol, a franchised civilian auxiliary police force. During George's visit, Bruce is killed, and George, who witnessed the killing, takes over the patrol to seek revenge. But first George has to earn respect from the patrol, and at first all of them want him out. But with the help of a police liaison (Tony Goldwyn), he uncovers an illicit scheme involving $50 million, a case Bruce was just about to break when he was killed. George decides to stick around and complete the work his brother started. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
Christian SlaterTony Goldwyn, (more)
 
1992  
 
This made-for-TV drama, adapted from a book by Vincent Bugliosi, is based on a true story about an ex-cop who deceives and murders a number of women for their life insurance benefits. The video release includes scenes not shown in the original. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

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1991  
 
As season two of Sisters gets under way, John Whitsig (Garrett M. Brown), the unemployed husband of Georgie Reed (Patricia Kalember), suddenly develops a sense of responsibility when his son Evan (Dustin Berkovitz) is diagnosed with leukemia. John records a musical tape, markets it himself, and gains a following as "The CPA of Song." His first nightclub engagement is less successful until he takes a female partner -- which of course does not meet with Georgie's approval. At the same time, the attention lavished on the ailing Evan by John and Georgie has a negative effect on the couple's other son, Trevor (Ryan Francis). Meanwhile, Georgie's impulsive sister Teddy (Sela Ward) tries to reconcile with her daughter, Cat (Heather McAdam), who has been living with her father, Mitch (Ed Marinaro), ever since Teddy used a shotgun to break up the wedding between Mitch and Teddy's sister Frankie (Patricia Kalember) -- the couple ultimately weds in secret to avoid any other such incidents. Clearly, Teddy has inherited her mother Beatrice's (Elizabeth Hoffman) drinking problem, and it is time for her to take the AA pledge. Later on, Teddy suffers a miscarriage (the baby was Mitch's); and, on a more positive note, she begins making good money marketing her own line of undergarments.

As for the oldest Reed sister, Alex (Swoosie Kurtz), she is still reeling from the discovery that her husband, Wade (David Dukes), is a philanderer. Worse, Wade's current girlfriend, Tiffany Blue (Kim Johnston-Ulrich), is an obsessive loose cannon, who tries to have Alex killed! In an effort to overcome her domestic travails, Alex begins seeing a nice-guy plumber named Victor Runkle (David Gianopoulos), but their relationship is scuttled when it becomes obvious that Alex and Wade still harbor fond feelings toward one another. Finally, the Reed girls' widowed mother, Bea, begins dating Judge Ventnor (Philip Sterling), who has helped her reclaim her revoked driver's license. This relationship will be placed on temporary hold when Bea suffers a heart attack, just as Georgie is making a speech while running for the Winnetka school board. This season, Ashley Judd takes over for Kathy Wagner in the role of Alex and Wade's overachieving daughter, Reed. Possibly as a byproduct of her parents' problems, Reed has been expelled from school and has taken a French lover. Later, Reed will become obsessed with Alex's current amour, Victor, prompting him to break off the relationship -- but not before pulling a few financial strings that will enable the Reed family to retain ownership of their house. As the season rushes to a close, Frankie and Mitch find out that they are unable to conceive, prompting Georgie to offer her services as surrogate mom. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Swoosie KurtzSela Ward, (more)
 
1991  
 
Riker's new electronic mind game proves addictive to everyone on the Enterprise. The only person resistant to the game's seductive appeal is Wesley Crusher, on vacation from Starship academy. Wesley suspects that the game is not as harmless as it appears to be, and his instincts are right on target. First telecast November 2, 1991, "The Game" was cowritten by Brannon Barga, Susan Sackett and Fred Bronson. The episode featured an early appearance from future film actress Ashley Judd. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1991  
 
Captain Picard hopes to establish relationships with the Tamarian race, a task made difficult (if not virtually impossible) by the fact that their language is utterly incomprehensible to humans. After an abortive meeting with Tamarian captain Dathon (Paul Winfield), the situation worsens when Dathon kidnaps Picard, whereupon both men are spirited off to a hostile alien world, patrolled by a fierce beast. The only hope for the two antagonists is to forget their differences and band together, but how can this come about if they can't even communicate with one another? Originally telecast October 5, 1991, "Damrok" was written by Joe Menosky and Philip Lazebnik. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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