Jack Kehler Movies

Critically acclaimed director David Gordon Green takes a break from the brooding drama that defined such early efforts as George Washington and Undertow for this action-flavored buddy comedy concerning two pot-smoking friends (Seth Rogen and James Franco) who unwittingly become involved with a vicious gang of drug dealers. Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson produce a script co-penned by star Rogen and Evan Goldberg. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

From the producers of The Rookie and Remember the Titans comes an inspirational sports drama detailing the true story of a down-on-his-luck football fan whose dreams of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of the gridiron became a once-in-a-lifetime reality when he took part in an open tryout organized by Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) was a 30-year-old substitute teacher and part-time bartender who had never even played college football. When Coach Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) made the unprecedented announcement that he would be holding open tryouts for the Philadelphia Eagles, Papale would go against incredible odds to live the dream and experience every fan's biggest fantasy. With a position on the Eagles secured and a new life path forged out of little more than determination and persistence, Papale takes to the field to experience the life-altering rush of running yards as a stadium full of cheering fans burst from their seats to support the hometown hero who proved it's never too late to take control of your own destiny. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An unremarkable parking-enforcement officer living a low-key existence of solitary lunches in the park, lonely dinners at home, and superhero comics that at least afford him the quiet release of fantasy enrolls into a clinical trial for antidepressant pills, only to find that it has some decidedly unexpected side effects, in directors Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore's quirky comic-book superhero comedy. Les Franken (Michael Rappaport) leads an unassuming life that rarely deviates from a strict regiment of working, eating, sleeping, and comic book reading. His only two friends are a pair of stoners who own a local comic shop, so Les determines to shake things up a bit by volunteering as a test subject for an experimental drug designed to curb depression. When the drug appears to give Les special powers, the doctor in charge of the clinical controlled test insists that Les is simply experiencing an unanticipated psychological reaction to the medication. But Les is convinced that his powers are genuine, and as he ditches his work uniform in favor of more superhero-appropriate threads, he is about to find out once and for all whether he truly is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or his depression, combined with the strange side-effects of the drug, has somehow propelled his superhero fantasies to the forefront of his damaged psyche. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Former NYPD Blue regular Kim Delaney returns in the role of Detective Diane Russell, who since the death of Danny Sorenson has been working with the SVU. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) hopes that Diane will be able to persuade Adrian (Katy Selverstone), the sister of Connie's scummy brother-in-law, Frank, to provide the damaging information that will prevent Frank's parents from gaining custody of baby Michelle. Elsewhere, the detectives investigate the murder of a woman and the victim's ex-boyfriend, who at first glance would seem to have plenty of motive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael A. Nickles romantic comedy This Is Not a Film stars Michael Leydon Campbell as a man who decides to make a movie about his relationship with his ex in order to win her back. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Love Liza is a psychological drama about a man trying to come to terms with his wife's suicide. Wilson Joel (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is searching for answers as to why his wife, Liza, killed herself. He is unable to bring himself to read the suicide note Liza left behind. Instead of facing his demons, Wilson becomes addicted to sniffing gasoline. Kathy Bates co-stars as Liza's mother. This film was written by the star's brother Gordy Hoffman, and directed by newcomer Todd Louiso. Love Liza was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Devastated by the death of their overprotective mother and unsure how to carry on without a loving parental figure to guide them, a pair of dim-witted brothers set out to find a suitable replacement in directors Michael Covert and Tracy Fraim's screwball crime comedy. Despite the fact that they've grown well into adulthood, coddled mama's boys Junior (Covert) and Scooter (Fraim) are incapable of caring for themselves. When their smothering mother moves on to meet her maker, the desperate duo decides to search the West Texas plains for a woman capable of catering to their peculiar needs. Soon setting their sights on kindly Piggly Wiggly employee Dede (Tara Chocol), Junior and Scooter kidnap their newfound parental substitute and quickly incur the wrath of her abusive Texas Ranger husband (played by Patrick Warburton). Now, with a new mother in tow and a vengeful Texas Ranger hot on their tracks, Junior and Scooter agree to help Dede sneak back to her home and rescue her real son so that all four can start their new life together. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

After giving George of the Jungle human form, Brendan Fraser returns to cartoon-land with another live-action update of an animated TV classic. Set in the peaceful village of Semi-Happy Valley high in the Canadian Rockies, our story focuses on Dudley Do-Right (Fraser), a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who never lets his lack of intelligence get in the way of his dedication and determination to get his man. Dudley's superior, Inspector Fenwick (Robert Prosky), displays a bemused tolerance towards Dudley's enthusiastic ineptitude, and Dudley is beguiled by the Inspector's daughter, Nell (Sarah Jessica Parker), who has made a home in Seattle after traveling the world, but is now paying her father an extended visit. Before Dudley can make much of a (positive) impression on Nell, the evil Snidely Whiplash (Alfred Molina) enters the picture. Determined to take Semi-Happy Valley for everything it's worth, Snidely sends Dudley in search of vampires hiding in the woods, and, while he's away, plants gold nuggets in a nearby stream. When a prospector (Eric Idle) happens upon them, word gets out that Semi-Happy Valley is gold country. Quickly opening a string of businesses to cater to the flood of would-be gold miners, Snidely becomes the town's richest citizen, and Semi-Happy Valley is even renamed Whiplash City. Snidely's fame and wealth gain Nell's attention, while Dudley's search for vampires causes the Inspector to fire him. However, in time, Dudley realizes that something is afoot, and he is determined to expose Snidely Whiplash and bring him to justice. Director Hugh Wilson wrote and directed the first film in the Police Academy series; Dudley Do-Right was his second directorial credit of 1999 with Brendan Fraser, after they worked together on Blast From the Past. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A dedicated educator loses his passion for teaching as he struggles to survive in this tense urban drama. Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is a science teacher trying to make a difference in a tough Brooklyn high school, but he faces an uphill battle against students more interested in gang battles than education and an administration that won't back him up. When Garfield is nearly killed by one of his students, he takes a 15-month sabbatical from education and moves to California, where he takes a position as a substitute teacher. Garfield is startled to discover that things are even worse on the West Coast; while fellow educators Ellen (Kelly Rowan) and Dave (John Heard) offer whatever help and advice they can, Garfield's superiors are more concerned about fielding lawsuits than the safety of their teaching staff. Soon, Garfield finds his life is in danger when he tries to stand up to two of his pupils, Benny (Lobo Sebastian) and Cesar (Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez). One Eight Seven (the title comes from the police code for homicide) was written by Scott Yagemann, who spent seven years as a substitute teacher in California. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Five years after the critical and commercial disappointment of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, director David Lynch returned to the big screen with this cryptic thriller about confused identities and erotic obsession. Fred (Bill Pullman) is an avant-garde jazz saxophonist who shares a luxurious but fashionably barren house with his wife Renee (Patricia Arquette). Fred suspects that Renee may be unfaithful to him, but realizes he has bigger things to worry about when a series of videotapes appear at his door that prove someone is watching his home from the outside and inside. When Renee is found murdered, Fred finds himself behind bars, but one morning Fred is no longer in his cell. He has seemingly been transformed into Pete Drayton (Balthazar Getty), a young auto mechanic who foolishly allowed himself to get involved with the wife of gangster Dick Laurent (Robert Loggia), a luscious blonde named Alice who looks exactly like Renee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This low-budget satire takes a shot a Hollywood as it follows two desperate, unsuccessful actors, Dern Reel and Patrick St. Patrick, who steal 10 recently shot rolls of film from Tinseltown's newest darling, the director David Egoman, and hold them for ransom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Widely considered to be an expensive failure, Waterworld was an epic vehicle for Kevin Costner, who starred in and co-produced the film, with his friend Kevin Reynolds as director. It was based on a 1986 screenplay by Peter Rader and cost an estimated $235 million, more than any film in history up to that time. Costner eventually fired Reynolds and directed the last few scenes himself. The story was filmed in Hawaii, using several artificial islands, and is set in an apocalyptic future, after global warming has melted the polar ice caps and flooded civilization. The Mariner (Costner) is one of the human beings who has adapted by growing gills. The survivalist lives on a boat on which he is growing a precious tomato plant. He tries to sell the plant and its dirt to the residents of an artificial island built of industrial waste. They imprison him when they discover that he's a mutant with gills. But the island is attacked by the Smokers, a group of oil-guzzling raiders on jet skis headed by the Deacon (Dennis Hopper). The Mariner escapes with Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and her daughter Enola (Tina Majorino). Back at sea, the Smokers repeatedly attack, using planes and boats, until they kidnap Enola. Enola's back is tattooed with a map showing how to get to Dryland, the last unflooded area on Earth. But Deacon, who needs to get to Dryland to replenish the Smokers' oil supply, can't immediately decipher it. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

No sooner has Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) launched his investigation of a millionaire's kidnapping than the Feds take the case out of his hands. A two-bit criminal (Paul Ben-Victor) who is no stranger to the precinct may hold a vital clue to the abduction. And, on his own, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) extends a helping hand to the ailing ex-prizefighter (Brad Sullivan) who first got Bobby interested in raising pigeons as a hobby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide