Jean Kasem
Popular comic and television personality Ellen DeGeneres had her first starring role in a feature film in this black comedy. Martha Alston (DeGeneres) is a thirtysomething single working as a producer for a talk show. Ever since Martha's younger sister got married, her parents have been after her to settle down, but Martha has had little luck finding the right guy. On Valentine's Day, Martha is depressed and drinking at a bar when she meets Whitman Crawford (Bill Pullman), who seems like the perfect man -- he's good looking, sensitive, intelligent, and affectionate. However, when she makes the mistake of telling her new beau that he can be himself around her, she discovers the real Whitman -- he's a horrible poet, he likes awful music, he enjoys shoplifting ("Stolen beer just tastes better!"), and he's a borderline psychotic who doses her with LSD for fun. What's more, his mother (Joan Plowright) and ex-girlfriend (Joan Cusack) hate Martha's guts and don't mind telling her so. So how can Martha convince her friends and family that she wants nothing to do with the man of her dreams? More importantly, how does she convince Whitman? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman, (more)
This comedy, set in the barrios East L.A. is loosely based upon Mark Twain's parable The Million Pound Bank Note. The new version tells the tale of Juan Lopez a nice, but uneducated hombre trying to earn enough money to support his little boy. Though Juan was born in the States, he lacks proper documentation and is sent back to Mexico. Now he sells oranges at an intersection. His life looks hopeless when a limousine pulls up and he is handed an envelope containing a check for one million dollars. He is told that he has one month. If he uses the money correctly he will get an award. Juan is suspicious and takes it to his immigration worker who encourages him to check it out. A Beverly Hills banker almost has apoplexy upon examining the check and Juan knows he has the real thing. Now the good-hearted Juan must avoid the temptations, and the greedy people that suddenly surround him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rodriguez, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1993
Carla's careless daughter Serafina (Leah Remini) has to get married before she begins to "show." Though Carla (Rhea Perlman) is not too upset over Serafina's pregnancy, she is outraged at the girl's wedding plans. It seems that Serafina wants her father, Carla's disreputable ex-husband Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya), to walk her down the aisle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this made-for-TV drama, Jessica Tandy plays Grace McQueen, an elderly woman who has grown bored and restless following the death of her husband. Grace has always loved telling stories to children, and as a way of keeping herself occupied she comes up with an idea for a public access television series in which she will read great children's books aloud. The show becomes a local favorite -- enough so that a pair of advertising executives approach her with the idea of selling the show to a major network. Grace agrees, but when the marketing experts and network brass are finished with the idea, the simple format of "The Story Lady" has been transformed into a garish program called "Granny Goodheart," and Grace must decide if she should pursue the money and success that's being offered to her or stand up for her ideals. The Story Lady also features Stephanie Zimbalist, Lisa Jakub, Richard Masur, and Ed Begley, Jr.; Tandy Cronyn, Jessica Tandy's daughter, is appropriately cast as Meg, Grace's daughter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The 152nd and final episode of Hunter focuses on the titular detective's superior officer, Captain Charles Devane (Charles Hallahan). For reasons that he cannot possibly understand, Devane has been asked to be best man at the wedding of a small-time crook named Jake Hutton (played by frequent Hunter director Tony Mordente).At the same time, several of Hutton's former cellmates are pressuring him to participate in a crime, intending to frame him for murder. Blissfully unaware of all these intrigues is Jake's intended, dance instructor Wanda Crebbs (Jean Kasem). As for Hunter (Fred Dryer)...well, he manages to find himself in the thick of things long before the couple exchanges their final vows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker story was a "natural" for TV-movie adaptation, and Fall From Grace more than fills the bill. Bernadette Peters heaps on makeup by the trowel as Tammy Faye, the wife of televangelist Jim Bakker (here played with boyish fanaticism by Kevin Spacey). The Bakkers build up their "PTL" organization ("Praise the Lord") into a massive empire encompassing millions of dollars in donations, a cable-TV network, valuable land holdings and a garish religious theme park, Heritage USA. A North Carolina newspaper rocks the boat by investigating inequities in the Bakkers' financial setup. The whole enterprise falls apart when it's discovered that Jim has siphoned off funds to cover up an extramarital affair. Telecast in the spring of 1990 to coincide with the beginning of Jim Bakker's long, long prison sentence, Fall From Grace tries to be fair...for at least fifteen minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- PG13
In this comedy, uptight Professor Elliot Fauman (Randolph Dreyfuss) has to publish or he won't get tenure. He's decided to write a paper on the psychological complications of prostitution. Through his research, he comes across a woman with whom he becomes obsessed. He thinks she's a hooker; in fact, she's an actress researching a role. But since she has fallen for him, she continues her role-playing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Dreyfuss, Jean Kasem, (more)
Rock Hudson is a TV-biopic oversimplification of the life and career of the durable screen idol. Most of the background material is based on the book by Phyllis Gates, who was briefly married to Hudson in the 1950s. The film recounts (in fan-magazine fashion) Hudson's rise from truck driver to movie star, then spends the last twenty minutes or so on his death from AIDS. Only a few of Hudson's personal and professional associates are depicted in the film: Daphne Ashbrook is seen as Phyllis Gates, Andrew Robinson (who'd portrayed Liberace in an earlier TV movie!) plays Hudson's manager Henry Wilson, and Don Galloway portrays John Frankenheimer, who directed Hudson in Seconds. Rock Hudson himself is played by Thomas Ian Griffith, who came from obscurity and promptly went back after this film was completed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Ian Griffith, William R. Moses, (more)
- 1989
Characteristically putting off a school project until the last minute, Ben (Jeremy Miller) desperately needs to go out and buy some glue. Accepting a ride from Mike (Kirk Cameron) Ben ends up embarking on a girl-chasing excursion with Mike and Eddie (K.C. Martel). Many, many strange things happen before the Seaver boys return home, a bit sadder, a bit wiser. Featured in the cast is Robin Thicke, son of series star Alan Thicke, and future Beverly Hills 90210 regular Jennie Garth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya), low-life former husband of Carla (Rhea Perlman) is in a snit because his current spouse Loretta (Jean Kasem) has dumped him in order to pursue a singing career in Las Vegas. Not in possession of all the facts, Sam applauds Loretta's effort to enter show business -- whereupon Nick, convinced that Sam and Loretta are playing around, vows to steal Diane (Shelley Long) away from Sam. This episode served as an introduction for the short-lived spin-off series The Tortellis, which debuted one half-hour later January 22, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Carla (Rhea Perlman) wants to win the dance contest at the annual Boston Boppers reunion, but her partner of choice, ex-husband Nick (Dan Hedaya), already has a date (his wife). Intending to show Nick up, Carla chooses another partner, who is unfortunately sidelined by an injury. Thus it comes to pass that loyal old Sam (Ted Danson) escorts Carla to the dance floor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Carla's scuzzy ex-husband Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya) sheepishly crawls into Cheers when his new wife dumps him. Insisting that he's changed his ways, Nick begs Carla to take him back, going so far as to take a menial job as the pub's janitor to prove that he's sincere. But while the Cheers gang is impressed by Nick's astounding character transformation, Carla isn't entirely buying it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Carla (Rhea Perlman) has revenge in her heart when she agrees to attend the wedding of her slimeball ex-husband Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya, in his first series appearance). Asking Sam (Ted Danson) to escort her to the wedding, Carla puts on an act suggesting that Sam is her latest heartthrob. As usual, however, things don't quite come off as anyone had planned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Dan Hedaya returns as Nick Tortelli, the slimeball ex-husband of Carla (Rhea Perlman). When Nick demands that he receive custody of his oldest son, the usually combative Carla meekly acquiesces. The Cheers gang decides that it is high time to teach Nick that his word is not law. In another development, ex-lovers Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long) return to one of their former romantic haunts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
- PG
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson star as a quartet of Manhattan-based "paranormal investigators". When their government grants run out, the former three go into business as The Ghostbusters, later hiring Hudson on. Armed with electronic paraphernalia, the team is spectacularly successful, ridding The Big Apple of dozens of ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties. Tight-lipped bureaucrat William Atherton regards the Ghostbusters as a bunch of charlatans, but is forced to eat his words when New York is besieged by an army of unfriendly spirits, conjured up by a long-dead Babylonian demon and "channelled" through beautiful cellist Sigourney Weaver and nerdish Rick Moranis. The climax is a glorious sendup of every Godzilla movie ever made-and we daresay it cost more than a year's worth of Japanese monster flicks combined. Who'd ever dream that the chubby, cheery Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man would turn out to be the most malevolent threat ever faced by New York City? When the script for Ghostbusters was forged by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, John Belushi was slated to play the Bill Murray role; Belushi's death in 1982 not only necessitated the hiring of Murray, but also an extensive rewrite. The most expensive comedy made up to 1984, Ghostbusters made money hand over fist, spawning not only a 1989 sequel but also two animated TV series (one of them partially based on an earlier live-action TV weekly, titled The Ghost Busters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 1983
Florence Henderson guest stars as Sarah, a popular singer who makes an unexpected stopover at Mel's diner to ask directions. As it turns out, the only direction she's interested in is the one leading to the altar, as proven when she proposes to Mel (Vic Tayback)! But why exactly has the famous Sarah been swept off her feet by the un-famous Phoenix chili entrepreneur? Appearing as Babette is Jean Kasem, the wife of "Top 100 Countdown" deejay Casey Kasem). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
