Wayne Knight Movies

Season two of the fantasy sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun begins where Season One left off, with Dick Solomon (John Lithgow), the leader of a group of space aliens who've assumed human form to gather intelligence on the planet earth, still locked in the basement of his home, while his alien clone Evil Dick fiendishly prepares to render pregnant every woman in Ohio. But fear not, fans! Coming to the rescue is...Dennis Rodman? Once the tone of the season is thus set, anything goes! In later episodes, the Solomon "family" tries to counterract the negative image of extraterrestrials in horror movies--but when they get the chance to write an episode of The X-Files, they pull out every monster-movie cliché in the book; Dick's second-in-command Sally Solomon (Kristen Johnson) finds a new human boyfriend in the rotund form of Officer Don (Wayne Knight, who was then also showing up as Newman on Seinfeld); for reasons best known to herself, Dr. Mary Albright (Jane Curtin) doesn't want people to know that she's dating her college colleague Dick, one of several obstacles in the path of true romance for this truly odd couple; the Solomons get a crash course in democracy when the dumbest member of the alien team, Harry Solomon (French Stewart) runs for city councilman; and Harry meets and falls in love with his Vicki (Jan Hooks), daughter of his landlady Mrs. Dubceck (Elmarie Wendel), during the Solomons' first Thanksgiving dinner. This quaint celebration proves to be quite an eye-opener for the "visitors", as does their first taste of Christmas. Finally, Tommy Solomon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), outwardly the youngest of the aliens but actually the oldest, must suffer the raging hormones of his adolescent human body, not only in his pursuit of girlfriend August (Shay Astar), but also when experiencing a wave of sexual ambivalence when he develops a talent for flower-arranging! In the season's two-part finale, Dick impulsively asks Mary to marry him, an act which precipitates his first-ever nightmare, which spills over into the subconscious of both Sally and Tommy and prompts Harry to seek out emergency aid from his superior, the Big Giant Head--and which may force the Solomons to return post-haste to their home planet. Closing out its third season as America's 27th top-rated program, 3rd Rock from the Sun also garnered five Emmy Awards, two of them going to series regulars John Lithgow (his second Emmy) and Kristen Johnson (her first). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Resolving the cliffhanger ending of Season Three, Season Four of 3rd From the Sun finds the Solomon family--actually a team of aliens who've assumed human form while on a fact-finding mission on Planet Earth--desperately searching for their kidnapped colleague Harry Solomon (French Stewart), handicapped by the loss of their extraterrestrial powers at the behest of their disgruntled leader The Big Giant Head. Once this crisis is resolved, we have time enough to become acquainted with the newest member of the cast, Larisa Oleynik, cast as Alissa Strudwick, the new human girlfriend of alien scientist Tommy Solomon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) (who is still confined to his teenaged body despite his advancing years). The off-and-on romance between group leader Dick Solomon (John Lithgow), who has taken a job as a teacher at Pendleton College, and Dick's colleague Dr. Mary Albright (Jane Curtin), undergoes more "offs" than "ons" this season. That's because Mary has been promoted to college dean, making her Dick's boss--and he doesn't like the situation one teeny tiny bit. Season Four's better episodes include "Collect Call for Dick", a broad spoof of the current Beanie Babies craze in which Dick becomes obsessed to the point of addiction over accumulating a huge collection of "Fuzzy Buddy" toys; "I Am Dick Pentameter", featuring Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) as an airheaded eccentric who comes between Dick and Mary; "Indecent Dick", wherein Sally Solomon (Kristen Johnson) has become so comfortably in her earthly "female" form that she's willing to pose for a nudie magazine, much to the chagrin of her human beau Officer Don (Wayne Knight); and "Two Faced Dick", an all-stops-out laff riot in which Sally requests a "gender reassignment" and is allowed to exchange bodies with Dick. Also: The Solomons are threatened with being exposed as aliens when forced to file their first IRS form in "Dick and Taxes"; another near-exposure occurs in "Alien Hunter", with Kathy Bates playing the highly suspicious title character; and as the "family" comes to face to face with the Internet for the first time, Harry Solomon and his human sweetie Vicki discuss the possibility of having children, in "Y2dicK". The fourth season ends with the long-awaited arrival on earth of the Big Giant Head, who calls himself "Stone Philips" but whose human form very closely resembles that of William Shatner. Having shown up to rake the Solomons over the coals for failing to fulfill their mission, the Big Giant Head not only demotes Dick as high commander, but also manages to impregnate the hapless Vicki--who, in the process, becomes the first human on the series to tumble to the Solomons' alien status. 3rd Rock from the Sun wrapped up its fourth year on the air with two more Emmy Awards, as John Lithgow collected his third statuette and Kristen Johnson received her second. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Compared to the zany opening episodes of previous seasons, the sixth and final season of the fantasy sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun boasts a rather innocuous opener, with alien-in-human-form Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) helping his human-in-human form fiancée Mary Albright (Jane Curtin) teach a lesson to Mary's imperious sister Renata (Megan Mullaly). In a subsequent episode, extraterrestrial scientist Tommy Solomon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), trapped in the body of a gawky 18-year-old boy, tries to choose a college appropriate to his advanced intelligence--thus compelling Harry and his second-in-command Sally Solomon (Kristen Johnson) to interview a host of potential alien replacements for Tommy. Later still, the Solomons toy with the idea of becoming American citizens (after all, you can't get more "alien" than they already are!); a psychic threatens to reveal Dick's true identity; and the strained relationship between Mary and her overbearing mother (Elaine Stritch) becomes even more so when Dick becomes fond of the old lady. The series ends with a brace of two-part stories. In "Mary Loves Scootchie", John Cleese returns as Dick's otherworldly romantic rival Dr. Liam Neesam--only to be transformed into a monkey by the disgruntled Dick, whereupon Mary at long last figures out that her fiancée is from WAY out of town! And in the two-part series finale "The Thing That Wouldn't Die", Mary seriously considers accompanying Dick as he and the other Solomons return to their home planet, while Elvis Costello performs at the family's farewell party (Money, of course, is no object--how can Costello send a bill to a PO Box that's millions of light years away?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actor Rick Schroder makes his directorial debut with this inspiring drama set in the American Southwest. Black Cloud (Eddie Spears) is a young Native American who grew up in a violent household and is still struggling to come to terms with his family and his heritage. Black Cloud's life has forced him to be quick with his fists, and Bud (Russell Means), a longtime friend and mentor, has been coaching Black Cloud in boxing with the young man showing great promise in a Navajo Golden Gloves competition. Norm (Peter Greene), a scout for the United States Olympic boxing team, sees Black Cloud in the ring and is certain he has the potential to be a champion, but Black Cloud isn't certain if he wants to fight for anything besides his people. Meanwhile, Black Cloud has fallen in love with Sammi (Julia Jones), a pretty young Native American woman, but she has a child from a previous relationship with Eddie Young (Rick Schroder), a hot-tempered rodeo rider. When an argument between Eddie and Black Cloud escalates into a fistfight, Black Cloud viciously beats him, and soon Sheriff Powers (Tim McGraw) is on the lookout for the young man. Black Cloud also features Wayne Knight, Tim Sampson, and "Pooch" Marion Hall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The second of three films by co-writer/director Oliver Stone to explore the effects of the Vietnam War (Platoon and Heaven and Earth are the others), Born On The Fourth Of July tells the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a patriotic, All-American small town athlete who shocks his family by enlisting with the Marines to fight in the Vietnam War. Once he is overseas, however, Kovic's gung-ho enthusiasm turns to horror and confusion when he accidentally kills one of his own men in a firefight. His downfall is furthered by a bullet wound that leaves him paralyzed from the chest down. He returns home, spends an appalling, nightmarish stint in a veterans' hospital, and follows an increasingly disillusioned and fragmented path that ultimately leaves him drunk and dissolute in Mexico. However, Kovic somehow turns himself around and pulls his life together, becoming an outspoken anti-war activist in the process. The film is long but emotionally powerful; many consider it Stone's best work and Cruise's best performance. Both were nominated for Oscars, as was the film itself, but only Stone, who co-wrote the film with Kovic from the latter's book, won for Best Director. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

From the twisted comic mind of Doug TenNapel (Earthworm Jim) sprang this weekly, half-hour animated series about three zany cats. Feline siblings Mr. Blik (the bossy one), Gordon (the messy one) and Waffle (the goofy one) were owned by elderly and very wealthy eccentric Mrs. Edna Cramdilly. Upon the old lady's death, the three cats inherited her vast fortune and her magnificent mansion. The comedy was precipitated by the protagonists' silly behavior upon finding themselves filthy rich, and by the efforts of faithful family butler Hovis to curb their enthusiasm. Other characters included next-door-neighbor Kimberly, an 8-year-old human girl for whom Waffle carried a torch; and a growling "monster truck" named Gear. Boasting two short segments per episode, Catscratch premiered July 9, 2005, on Nickelodeon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A boy and a dinosaur join forces to bring peace to their village in this animated feature inspired by the popular television miniseries Dinotopia. Kex (voice of Alec Medlock) is a 12-year-old boy who, after the sinking of the ship he's boarded, is stranded on an uncharted island. To his surprise, Kex finds himself in a land called Dinotopia, where dinosaurs have not only survived and developed the ability to speak, they've learned to live in harmony with human beings. Kex is befriended by a young dinosaur named 26 (voice of Alyssa Milano), who teaches him about life on the island, but when the powerful Ruby Sunstone is stolen by Ogthar (voice of Malcolm McDowell), a notorious villain on the island, both the young boy and his reptilian pal find themselves in great danger. Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone also features the voice talents of Jamie Kennedy, Kathy Griffin, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Diedrich Bader. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Everybody's All American covers 25 years in the life of college football hero Gavin Grey (Dennis Quaid). When he marries campus sweetheart Babs Rogers (Jessica Lange) and is picked up by the pros, a happily-ever-after denouement is predicted by friends and family. It is clear from the outset, however, that Grey is going to have to do a lot of growing up over the next few decades. Babs does her best to keep in step with her husband's career and mood swings, and in so doing becomes the "parent" in the family. John Goodman also stars as Grey's best buddy, and Timothy Hutton is on hand for a romantic-triangle subplot. Everybody's All American is based on the novel by longtime Sports Illustrated scrivener Frank Deford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV For Lovers Only was the pilot film for a potential series titled Honeymoon Hotel. Set in the Poconos, the story takes place in a fancy honeymoon resort managed by Vernon Bliss (Andy Griffith). Belying his name and professional, Bliss is far from Blissful, especially when bickering with his daughter (Deborah Raffin) and her husband, a would-be playwright (Gary Sandy). Guest stars on this first and last installment of Honeymoon Hotel include Katherine Helmond, Gordon Jump, Sally Kellerman and Jane Kaczmarzak. Look closely and you'll spot Tracy Pollan in a bit. Financed by Caesars Palace Productions, For Lovers Only was first telecast October 15, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a young German woman named Elaine Hines (Hanna Schygulla) moves to New York City with dreams of becoming a writer. Elaine becomes entangled in a mystery and falls in with a group of gangsters who lead her through a series of crazy adventures. Released on video under the title Crazy Streets, this movie featured an appearance by Deborah Harry and was Alec Baldwin's first screen appearance. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Steven Spielberg's phenomenally successful sci-fi adventure thriller is graced by state-of-the-art special effects from the team of Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and Michael Lantieri from George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic. The film follows two dinosaur experts -- Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler Laura Dern) -- as they are invited by eccentric millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to preview his new amusement park on an island off Costa Rica. By cloning DNA harvested from pre-historic insects, Hammond has been able to create living dinosaurs for his new Jurassic Park, an immense animal preserve housing real brachiosaurs, dilophosaurs, triceratops, velociraptors, and a Tyrannosaur Rex. Accompanied by cynical scientist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who is obsessed with chaos theory, and Hammond's two grandchildren (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello), they are sent on a tour through Hammond's new resort in computer controlled touring cars. But as a tropical storm hits the island, knocking out the power supply, and an unscrupulous employee (Wayne Knight) sabotages the system so that he can smuggle dinosaur embryos out of the park, the dinosaurs start to rage out of control. Grant then has to bring Hammond's grandchildren back to safety as the group is pursued by the gigantic man-eating beasts. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The real world once more takes a back seat to a caricature of itself as the same Florida high-school teens who grossed profits in Porky's by grossing out, have to band together to stop their Shakespeare festival (!!) from being cancelled, due to a crusading, right-wing reverend's attack on the bard's "lewd" content. The reverend is joined by Miss Balbricker(Nancy Parsons) the girls' gym teacher and also the Ku Klux Klan who object to Romeo being played by an Indian. These unlikely allies come up against the libido-laden teens who strip the Ku Klux Klanners and send them running through town naked. Similar styles of revenge are taken to handle Miss Balbrick and the right-wing reverend -- apparently all's well that ends well at the box office. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide