Julie Kavner Movies

Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) has a reputation for not being very good at picking out gifts for his wife Marge (voice of Julie Kavner), as evidenced by such past birthday presents as a tackle box and a Connie Chung calendar, but he hits a new low when Marge finds she's the recipient of a new bowling ball -- which has been drilled to fit Homer's hand and even has his name engraved on it. Marge is furious that Homer used her birthday as an excuse to get himself a gift, and while she doesn't bowl, she decides to learn just out of spite. Marge's early attempts to teach herself the game are disastrous, but she soon attracts the attention of Jacques (voice of Albert Brooks), a local professional bowler who has a French accent and a way with the ladies. Marge is more than flattered by the attention she's receiving from Jacques (who, just because he likes her, cuts his lesson fee from $50 to $25), and she begins spending more and more time with him. But when Jacques asks her to spend the afternoon at his apartment, she wonders if she ought to leave her marriage behind. Homer, Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), and Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) all suspect that something more than a friendly game of ten pins is going on between Marge and Jacques, and all react with different degrees of dread. "Life on the Fast Lane" first aired on March 18, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is a loyal fan of children's television star Krusty the Clown (voice of Dan Castellaneta) -- "He's my idol! I've based my whole life on his teachings!" -- so he's understandably upset when Homer (also voiced by Castellaneta), while stopping at the Kwik-E-Mart on the way home, witnesses Krusty committing armed robbery. While Homer is certain of what he saw, Bart just can't bring himself to believe that the beloved entertainer is guilty. As Krusty awaits trial, his sidekick Sideshow Bob (voice of Kelsey Grammer) takes over the show, and turns the formerly lowbrow program into "The Sideshow Bob Cavalcade of Whimsy," complete with readings from The Man in the Iron Mask and music from Cole Porter. But Bart senses that some of the evidence presented against Krusty just doesn't add up, and with some help from Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), they find a way to clear Krusty's name and finger the real criminal. Krusty Gets Busted, the first of several Simpsons episodes featuring Kelsey Grammer as the devious Sideshow Bob, first aired on April 29, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) makes the mistake of trying to protect a batch of cupcakes Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) made for her teacher from schoolyard bully and thug in training Nelson (voice of Cartwright). Nelson gives Bart a beating, and promises more of the same; Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) suggests that Bart try to reason with the bully, while Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) tells his son that fighting dirty is the only answer. Neither strategy seems to work, so Bart turns to Grampa Simpson (voice of Castellaneta) for advice. With the help of Herman (voice of Harry Shearer), the mildly insane owner of a store specializing in military relics, Bart and Grampa organize his fellow fourth graders into an army and orchestrate an all-out water-balloon war against Nelson and his fellow bullies. "Bart the General" was first aired on February 4, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

It's Halloween in Springfield, and Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and his sister Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) are swapping scary stories in their backyard treehouse. In Bad Dream House, the Simpsons move into a big old house, but soon learn why the place was a bargain -- it's haunted. Before long the entire family is chasing each other with sharp objects. Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) tries as usual to be the voice of reason with the spirits, who quickly give up rather than co-exist with Springfield's most dysfunctional family. Hungry Are the Damned finds the Simpsons kidnapped en masse by a trio of one-eyed, tentacled space aliens -- Kang (voice of Harry Shearer), Kodos (voice of Dan Castellaneta), and Serak (voice of James Earl Jones). Eager-eater Homer (voice of Castellaneta) is pleased when the aliens provide a groaning dinner table for their earthling captives, but Lisa is shocked when she discovers a cookbook on board entitled How to Cook Humans. Finally, Lisa turns to Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem The Raven, with James Earl Jones reading the eerie verse, and the menacing bird bearing a strange resemblance to Bart. Treehouse of Horror, the first of a series of annual Halloween episodes on The Simpsons, first aired on October 24, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

While Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) has never been a star student, his grades have been slipping even further than usual, and his teacher Mrs. Krabappel (voice of Marcia Wallace) warns him that if his marks don't improve, he might fail history and be left back rather than graduate to the fifth grade. Bart intends to study before his big test, but Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) persuades him to watch some television with him first; by the time Bart finally cracks his books, he's nearly fallen asleep. The next morning, Bart is convinced he can't pass and fakes being sick; Bart gets answers for the test from Milhouse (voice of Cartwright), but Milhouse turns out to be a bad choice, and Bart gets an F. Desperate to pass his class, Bart makes a deal with class brain Martin (voice of Russi Taylor) -- if Martin shows Bart how to be smart, Bart will show Martin how to be cool. Martin, however, turns into a party animal and fails to live up to his end of the bargain, and Bart prays to God for a reprieve on his test. To Bart's astonishment, a freak snowstorm causes school to be cancelled the next day, and while all his friends are out having fun, Bart studies like he's never studied before in a last-ditch attempt to pass the fourth grade. "Bart Gets an F" was first aired on October 11, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One day, Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is fishing along the river downstream from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and catches a strange three-eyed fish. A reporter happens to be passing by, and writes a story about the mutant fish; inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Committee soon arrive in town, and are outraged at the shoddy state of the plant. Mr. Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) attempts to bribe them, which only makes matters worse. Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) mentions in passing to Mr. Burns that if he were governor, he could change the state's laws regulating power plants and stay in business; Burns seizes upon the idea and runs for office. For the sake of his job, Homer finds himself helping Mr. Burns, while Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) both support the state's longtime governor, Mary Bailey. Near the end of his campaign swing, Mr. Burns persuades Homer to allow him to have dinner with his family the night before the election as a publicity stunt. Marge and Lisa are not at all happy to be helping Burns in his bid for the governorship, but Marge has a secret plan to derail the Burns campaign. "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish" first aired on November 1, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The Simpsons Christmas Special is actually the first full-length episode of the popular animated television sitcom. In this episode, Bart gets a tattoo, and all of the family's Christmas money has to be used to surgically remove the tattoo from his arm. Not only was the family's savings drained, but Homer's Christmas bonus never materialized, so he's forced to take a job as a mall Santa to earn money for the holiday season. But Homer decides to spend the money at the racetrack, where he bets all of his salary on a greyhound called "Santa's Little Helper". ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Woody Allen's gentle and nostalgic tribute to the glory days of radio and coming-of-age during World War II plays like Fellini's Amarcord filtered through Neil Simon. The nominal star is Seth Green as Joe, a teenage Jewish boy, growing up with a house full of relatives in Brooklyn. Allen cuts between Joe's working class neighborhood of Rockaway Beach, Queens, and the glittery and glamorous world of radio in Manhattan. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

A Woody Allen Manhattan mosaic, Hannah and Her Sisters concerns the lives, loves, and infidelities among a tightly-knit artistic clan. Hannah (Mia Farrow) regularly meets with her sisters Holly (Dianne Wiest) and Lee (Barbara Hershey) to discuss the week's events. It's what they don't always tell each other that forms the film's various subplots. Hannah is married to accountant and financial planner Elliot (Michael Caine), who carries a torch for Lee, who in turn lives with pompous Soho artist Frederick (Max Von Sydow). Meanwhile, Holly, a neurotic actress and eternal loser in love, dates TV producer Mickey (Allen), who used to be married to Hannah and spends most of the film convinced that he's about to die. Appearing in supporting parts are Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O'Sullivan (Farrow's real mom), as the eternally bickering husband-and-wife acting team who are the parents of Hannah and her sisters. The film begins and ends during the family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner, filmed in Farrow's actual New York apartment. Unbilled cameos are contributed by Sam Waterston as one of Wiest's brief amours and Tony Roberts as one of Allen's friends. Hannah and Her Sisters collected Oscars for Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, and Woody Allen's screenplay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally divided into four segments and now cut to three, National Lampoon Goes to the Movies is a story about a man who is determined to get in touch with himself and sends his wife away so she can do the same thing. The next tale features a female business magnate who wreaks appropriate revenge on her arrogant male colleagues, and the last vignette has a virtuously pure policeman (Robby Benson) becoming as cynical as his partner (Richard Widmark). Each skit makes internal references to other movies, movie directors, or classic movie characters, which may enhance the viewing for movie buffs but does not change the generally dull and unfunny material. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Former Rhoda co-star (and future voice of Marge Simpson) Julie Kavner guest stars as Monica, the nutty, recently divorced sister of cab driver Tony Banta (Tony Danza). Hoping to create the proverbial Match Made in Heaven, Tony tries to play cupid between Monica and his fellow cabbie Alex (Judd Hirsch). Unfortunately, the ditsy girl is only interested in burned-out hippie "Reverend" Jim (Christopher Lloyd). This episode earned an Emmy Award for writer Michael Leeson. ~ All Movie Guide