Patti Karr Movies
- 1997
A female literary editor is found murdered in an apartment occupied by a fast-rising young author, and by the author's lawyer. Though both of the "roommates" offer good alibis, the detectives are decidedly skeptical. What happens next unfolds like one of the author's steamy romance novels -- but this time, there might not be a happy ending. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Vituperative TV news anchor Kevin Keats (Chad Everett) descends upon Cabot Cove with a full camera crew and retinue in tow, there to produce an investigative report on a long-ranging crime ring. Though Jessica (Angela Lansbury) dislikes Kevin, she agrees to an on-camera interview as a favor to an old friend, Keats' employee Paula Roman (Kathleen Lloyd). Murder rears its ugly head when Keats is apparently blown to bits by a bomb planted on a boat that he had chartered from local sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley)--but that's only the tip of the iceberg so far as this mystery is concerned! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- PG
Allen Mills is a naive accountant from Cleveland who buys the Hollywood Tax Service from Lionel Goldberg before thoroughly investigating the various aspects of the business, let alone even seeing it. When he actually goes to take over his new business, he finds he got more than he bargained for. Business client Tagasaki submits his books detailing the accounts of his cookie business--and then realizes he mistakenly submitted records of his cocaine-smuggling business instead. Before Mills can take action, the books are stolen back and a contract is taken out on him. Among the ensuing action, cocaine-filled fortune cookies turn out to be the evidence needed to catch Tagasaki, who desperately tries to thwart the authorities. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
A pair of siblings are forced to set aside their discomfort with one another for the sake of their father in this low-key comedy drama from writer/director Tamara Jenkins. Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) is a struggling playwright living in New York City who works a day job to support herself and can't shake the feeling that she's failed as an artist. Wendy isn't especially happy about her love life either, gaining little self-esteem from her on-and-off affair with oversexed, married neighbor Larry (Peter Friedman). Wendy's anxieties about her writing career are intensified by the success of her brother, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who teaches theater history at a college in Buffalo, NY, and has published a number of books. While Jon's life seems fine on the surface, a case of writer's block has stalled work on his latest project, and he's deeply upset that his girlfriend is soon to leave the United States to return to her native Poland. Wendy and Jon don't get along and prefer not to see one another, but an unfortunate circumstance brings them together -- their father, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco). Elderly Lenny has began showing signs of dementia, and shortly after he takes to smearing his feces on the walls of his Arizona home, his ailing long-term girlfriend suddenly dies. Wendy and Jon have little choice but to fly to Arizona and see what can be done for Lenny, but their long-simmering animosity makes it hard for them to deal with the realities of Lenny's condition. The Savages received its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, (more)
