Tamara Hope Movies
The memorably sylphic, fair-haired Canadian actress Tamara Hope launched herself on the path to stardom during her teenage years with a plum role (that of Elizabeth) in Lee Rose's made-for-television family drama What Girls Learn (2001). This part, opposite Scott Bakula and Elizabeth Perkins, represented an auspicious and promising debut. Hope followed it up with a lead in the fantasy-oriented television series Guinevere Jones, which debuted on the Canadian cable network YTV in 2002. In that program, Hope played the title character, a descendant of King Arthur whose mother undertook a protective move by uprooting her to a new home in Australia; Gwen's subsequent life consisted largely of battling the forces of darkness that intended to destroy her, led by sorceress Morgana la Faye.Following small roles in the Richard Gere-headlined romantic comedy Shall We Dance? (2004), and the Rupert Everett/Sharon Stone thriller A Different Loyalty, Hope returned briefly to her native Canada for Michael McGowan's gentle coming-of-ager Saint Ralph (2004). She landed her first lead in Glenn Klinker's childhood drama The Nickel Children the following year, and then joined the cast of Christopher Cain's revisionist Western September Dawn (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Director Christopher Cain takes an up-close look at the devastation wrought by religious fanaticism with this romantic drama set against the backdrop of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre. As a wagon train of westward-bound settlers makes its way across southern Utah, a confrontation with a congregation of Mormons soon leads to deadly consequences for all involved. Jon Voight, Lolita Davidovich, and Jon Gries co-star in a historical drama centered on the massacre, which continues to stir controversy over a century and a half after the fact. Terence Stamp and Dean Cain contribute small roles as Brigham Young and Joseph Smith, respectively -- who were not directly involved with the massacre but are pictured in flashbacks. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Voight, Trent Ford, (more)
Told from the vantage point of two young runaways who are forced to sell their bodies in order to survive on the streets, director Glenn Klinker's somber drama follows the grim plight of Cat and Nolan as they become hopelessly ensnared in a dangerous world of sex, drugs, and violence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tamara Hope, Reiley McClendon, (more)
Impulsively posting a few photos of herself on the Internet, aspiring teenage model Mia Sampson (Sarah Lind) is thrilled and flattered when she is invited to sign with an on-line modeling agency. The fact that she is asked to pose in a sexually provocative fashion does not dampen Mia's enthusiasm--until she realizes to her horror that her "boss" is a pornographer who specializes in shipping soft-core photos of underage girls to a members-only website. Outraged that the cyberspace laws are loose enough to allow this activity, Mia's mom Abby (Mimi Rogers) takes swift and terrifying action to save her daughter from any further humiliation and exploitation. Filmed in 2004 for Canadian television, Selling Innocence was first broadcast in the US by cable's Lifetime channel on June 1, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mimi Rogers, J.R. Bourne, (more)
A young man with big dreams sets out to do the seemingly impossible in this bittersweet comedy drama. Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher) is a 14-year-old boy growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1954. Ralph is convinced he's cut out to do something remarkable some day, but he hasn't quite decided what, and at the moment he has other things to worry about. Ralph's father has recently died, as have his grandparents, and his mother (Shauna MacDonald) is severely ill and in the hospital, leaving the boy to fend for himself at home. Despite Ralph's tragic circumstances and his attendance at a Catholic school led by strict headmaster Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the young man maintains a cheeky attitude and often gets on the wrong side of his teachers, and one remarkable display of poor behavior causes Fitzpatrick to sentence Ralph to membership on the school's cross-country team. The team's coach, Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), discovers Ralph has real talent as a runner, and encourages the boy to train seriously. When doctors inform Ralph that only a miracle can save his mother's life, he strikes upon an idea -- it would be a little short of a miracle for a talented but inexperienced runner like himself to finish first in the Boston Marathon, so Ralph sets his sights on winning the race, certain in his heart that a victory could restore his mother's health. Saint Ralph also features Jennifer Tilly and Tamara Hope. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, (more)
Directed by Peter Chelsom, this film is the English-language remake of Masayuki Suo's 1995 romantic comedy of the same name; the Japanese version earned a record-breaking 9.5 million dollars in United States box offices. Shall We Dance? revolves around John Clark (Richard Gere), a workaholic Chicago lawyer who, despite a respectable paycheck and loving family, is unable to shake the feeling that something in his life is missing. On a whim, John disrupts his normal evening commute to attend a dance class in hopes of meeting Paulina (Jennifer Lopez), a beautiful dance teacher he would occasionally spot gazing out of the studio windows. Though Paulina quickly lays to rest any preconceived romantic notions John may have had about her, she nonetheless forms a bond with him that goes beyond those normally held by a teacher and student. Invigorated with his new hobby, John focuses his newfound enthusiasm into training for an upcoming dance competition; however, he chooses not to let his wife (Susan Sarandon) in on his plans. Unaware that dance may be, in fact, saving her marriage, John's wife becomes suspicious of all the time he spends away from home and hires a private investigator to find out whether or not her husband is having an affair. Ultimately, John is forced to examine how his old dreams fit in to his new life. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, (more)
The Marek Kanievska thriller A Different Loyalty stars Rupert Everett and Sharon Stone as war reporters who come across each other's path while they are both on assignment in Beirut. When Everett's character goes missing, Stone's character begins an investigation on her own. She soon realizes that he may have known much more about international politics than he was letting on. Can she rescue him before any number of governments can put a stop to her quest? ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Rupert Everett, (more)
- 2002
The Canadian-Australian fantasy series Guinevere Jones offered a hip 21st century spin on the King Arthur legend. The heroine, 14-year-old Gwen Jones (Tamara Hope), was abruptly uprooted from her Canadian home town by her mother and moved to suburban Melbourne, Australia. Resentful over being thrust into an alien environment with kids she didn't like, Gwen had no way of knowing that her mom had done this to save her life. It seemed that Gwen was the descendant of King Arthur of Camelot, and as such was in danger of being destroyed by the combined dark forces of her ancestor's enemies, chief among them the sorceress Morgana La Fey (Mercia Deane). When her mom was declared insane and put in an institution, Gwen was placed in a foster home, where she at last found a few friends and kindred spirits in the forms of her foster brother and sister. Meanwhile, the spirit of Merlin the Magician (Ted Hamilton) hovered about to make certain that Gwen was able to thwart evil and restore old-fashioned honor and chivalry to the world -- whether she wanted to or not. Debuting over Canada's YTV cable service on May 4, 2002, Guinevere Jones premiered six days later on Australia's 10 Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tamara Hope
- 2002
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Told from the perspective of a family who witnessed the historic tragedy firsthand, director Bruce Pittman's painstakingly detailed docudrama follows the events that unfolded in 1917 when a French freighter loaded with explosives collided with a Belgian reef ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The world was consumed by war, and as the French freighter Mont Blanc raced across the Canadian countryside with a substantial shipment of TNT no one could have foreseen the disaster that was about to unfold. When the Mont Blanc collided with the Belgian reef ship, the explosion that erupted claimed nearly 2000 lives, and could be felt over a hundred miles away. The devastation itself spread for miles in every direction, destroying homes, claiming lives, and prompting a courageous rescue mission that would highlight the remarkable heroism of everyday Canadians. Shauna MacDonald, Graham Greene, and Pete Postlewaite star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Two young girls find themselves growing up fast when love and tragedy visit their mother in this made-for-cable drama based on the novel by Karin Cook. Elizabeth (Tamara Hope) and Tilden (Alison Pill) are sisters growing up in Atlanta, GA, with their single mother (Elizabeth Perkins). Elizabeth and Tilden's lives are turned upside down when Mama announces that's she's getting married to Nick (Scott Bakula), a man from New York whom they've never met. Nick turns out to be a good and understanding man, but while Elizabeth easily accepts him into the family, Tilden makes no secret of her distrust of her new stepfather. However, Tilden's feelings about Nick take a back seat in the family's list of priorities when Mama discovers she has cancer, and as Elizabeth, and Tilden try to deal with this crisis, they are forced to deal with the intrusive presence of their uncle. What Girls Learns was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on October 14, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Bakula, Elizabeth Perkins, (more)
- 2000
- Add Winslow Homer: American Original to QueueAdd Winslow Homer: American Original to top of Queue
The six-part made-for-television Artists' Specials Series is an entertaining and educational collection of children's films. The programs focus on a significant segment of an artist's life. Biographical information is mixed with fiction to create compelling stories reflecting turning points in the lives of revered art world figures. In the program Winslow Homer: An American Original, the famed 19th century painter of Civil War scenes must adjust to a postwar life. Two teenagers who also must rebuild their lives help him. Period costumes and historic sets add realism to the unique biographical portrait. Other videos in the series include Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist, Rembrandt: Fathers and Sons, and Degas and the Dancer. The highly acclaimed series is suitable for youngsters age eight and older. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
