Matthew Lawrence Movies
Matthew Lawrence was born into a talented family. Like his brothers, Joey Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence, he began his career in front of the camera as a small child, appearing regularly on the melodrama Dynasty by the age of three, and Gimme a Break! at five. He spent the '80s and '90s building up an impressive body of work, logging in roles in films, TV movies, and series, most notably playing Robin Williams' son in Mrs. Doubtfire and the younger version of his real-life brother Joey's character on the show Blossom. The new millennium found Matthew nowhere near slowing down. Easily gliding into the roles of young men rather than kids, he played memorable parts in high-school and college-oriented projects like the long-running series Boy Meets World, the USA TV movie Cheats, and the wacky comedy The Hot Chick. In 2006, Matthew decided to try his hand at a more intense kind of project, signing on to play a role in the sci-fi horror Hunter's Moon. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- PG13
Sarah Kernochan wrote and directed this nostalgic coming-of-age comedy-drama with some autobiographical touches. In 1963, budgetary problems at the East Coast boarding school Miss Godard's School for Girls, prompt a merger with a boy's academy. The girls are stunned at the prospect of going co-ed and devise a campaign to sabotage the plan. Screenwriter Kernochan, scripter of Sommersby and 9 1/2 Weeks, won an Oscar when she co-directed the 1972 documentary Marjoe, but this film marks her feature directorial debut creating comedy-drama. The upstate New York seen here is actually Toronto. The title created some confusion, since Kernochan's film received reviews the same month the 1998 New York Film Festival unspooled a new 35mm print of Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic Strike (1924). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Redgrave, Gaby Hoffmann, (more)
In this youth-oriented comedy, a grieving football player and his losing team receives a little help from above in order to become champions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lloyd, Matthew Lawrence, (more)
For once, a kid from the science club really does impress someone with his latest experiment, though it hardly works out the way he planned in this horror opus with a darkly comic undertow. Frank Stein (Matthew Lawrence) is a brilliant but geeky teenage outcast who wishes he could hang out with the cool kids and has a furious crush on Macy (Christine Lakin), the prettiest girl at school. Socially inept Frank isn't especially popular with his classmates, but there's one student who fares even worse -- Karl (Ryan Reynolds), a goth kid who is a magnet to bullies. One day, a gang of jocks decide to beat up Karl for fun, but they go too far and accidentally kill him. Frank, seeing an opportunity, decides to prove just how bright he is by bringing Karl back to life. Frank's peers are indeed impressed by the reanimated Karl (whose presence allows them to avoid murder charges), and Macy starts showing an encouraging interest in Frank, but there's one little problem -- Frank replaced Karl's damaged brain with one from a psychotic multiple murderer, and soon gloomy Karl is displaying an uncharacteristic thirst for violence. Also released under the title Big Monster on Campus, Boltneck also stars Judge Reinhold and Shelley Duvall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Lawrence, Justin Walker, (more)
- 1997
When Boy Meets World began its ABC run in 1993, hero Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends Shawn (Rider Strong) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) were all 11-year-old sixth graders. But as the series launched its fifth season in the fall of 1997, Cory, Shawn, and Topanga had all miraculously aged to the point that they were high school seniors! As Cory prepares to culminate his high school career, his older brother Eric (Will Friedle) heads off to Penbrook College, there to be introduced to his new roommate Jack Newman (Matthew Lawrence) -- who happened to be the long-lost half brother of Cory's best pal Shawn Hunter. At first hostile towards Jack, Shawn ends up moving in with his brother and with Eric. In the episode "Boy Meets Real World," the notoriously fickle and faithless Shawn finds true and lasting love in the form of Angela Moore (Trina McGee-Davis). In other developments, irascible high school principal Feeny (William Daniels) falls in love with Penbrook's Dean of Admissions, Ms. Bolander (played by Daniels' real life wife Bonnie Bartlett). And after innumerable roadblocks and setbacks, the romance between Cory and Topanga seems destined for a happy ending when, in the season finale, Topanga proposes to Cory at their high school graduation ceremony. Among the highlights during season five are a brace of crossover episodes: "The Witches of Penbrook" finds Melissa Joan Hart reprising the title character of her own series, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and "No Guts, No Cory" represents Boy Meets World's contribution to an experiment conducted by ABC, in which all of the network's Friday night TGIF sitcoms were linked together for one memorable evening by a single theme. And on a more serious note, the episode "If You Can't Be With the One You Love..." addresses the issue of teen drinking, with series star Ben Savage appearing as himself at the end of the episode, delivering a public service announcement for the National Clearinghouse of Alcohol and Drug Information. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Savage, Rider Strong, (more)
- 1998
Season six of Boy Meets World instantly resolves the cliffhanger ending of season five, with 18-year-old Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) saying yes to the marriage proposal delivered by his childhood sweetheart Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) -- though he balks when Topanga suggests that they elope immediately! Having both graduated from John Adams High School, Cory and Topanga enroll at nearby Penbrook College, where Cory's brother Eric (Will Friedle) is entering his sophomore year. Cory's pal Shawn (Rider Strong) has moved out of the apartment he shares with Eric and Jack Newman (Matthew Lawrence), whereupon Eric and Jack welcome a new roomie in the very attractive form of no-nonsense, take-charge Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward). Elsewhere, Cory's mother Amy (Betsy Randle) gives birth to her fourth child, a boy named Joshua; and former John Adams High principal Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) contemplates retirement, but moves back to town to ask for the hand of Ms. Bolander (Bonnie Bartlett). The season finale takes place at the wedding of Feeny and Bolander, during which a tearful Topanga, unnerved by the impending divorce of her parents, is on the verge of breaking off her engagement with Cory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Savage, Rider Strong, (more)
- 1999
The seventh and final season of Boy Meets World opens on a less than lighthearted note, with Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) having broken off their engagement, and Cory's pal Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) splitting up with his sweetie Angela Moore (Trina McGee-Davis). Eventually however, at least one of the couples patches things up, and Cory and Topanga are married in the appropriately titled episode "It's About Time." Later on, the newlyweds move to New York, where Topanga has accepted an internship. Back in Philadelphia, Cory's brother Eric (Will Friedle) exhibits a heretofore carefully hidden streak of responsibility as he and his roomie Jack (Matthew Lawrence) take over management of the student union at Penbrook College. In many ways, this turn of events is even more unbelievable than season seven's obligatory fantasy episode "As Time Goes By," in which the series regulars are recast as the characters from the 1942 film classic Casablanca. Without giving away too many details regarding the series finale, it can be noted that Angela moves to Europe to be nearer to her father; Shawn and Jack join the Peace Corps; and Cory's longtime friendly enemy, school principal George Feeny (William Daniels), delivers the poignant curtain speech. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Savage, Rider Strong, (more)
- 1996
In this western adventure a young man heads off into the wilds to save his parents from their Indian captors. A lovely native woman befriends him and helps out with his search. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence, (more)
Co-director of the controversial 1998 documentary Frat House, Andrew Gurland attempts to follow in the teen-comedy footsteps of his partner on that film, Todd Phillips (Road Trip), with Cheats. The film centers on Handsome (Trevor Fehrman) and Sammy (Elden Henson), a scheming pair of best pals who cheat their ways through elementary school and junior high. Once in high school, the duo meets Victor (Matthew Lawrence) and Applebee (Martin Starr) and prove that in cheating, four heads are better than two. But when their principal catches them, they are put on probation. With that in mind, the gang must decide whether to pull off one final, grandiose cheat at the risk of being caught and having their college dreams squelched. Although intended for a theatrical release, Cheats had its premiere on Cinemax before being released on home video and DVD. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Fehrman, Elden Henson, (more)
- 1988
In this above-average made-for-television drama, Bernadette Peters stars as a mother facing the greatest challenge of her life. Based a true story, Matthew Lawrence stars as David Rothenberg, a six year-old who was viciously set on fire by his jealous father. Severely burned and disfigured, David courageously clung to life despite the odds against him. Determined to see her son through the ordeal, the film shows how his mother Marie (Peters) tirelessly worked to help nurse him back to life. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 2000
- G
In this drama, Henry Musser (Robert Forster) fights an uphill battle to keep open a small-town factory that supports his family and his community. Family Tree also stars Cliff Robertson, Krystal Benn, Genevieve Butler, and Naomi Judd, best known as half of the Judds and mother of Ashley Judd. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Forster, Naomi Judd, (more)
- 1986
The major cast and format changes in Gimme a Break's sixth and final season commence with the two-part season opener, in which Nell Harper (Nell Carter), housekeeper for the Kanisky family in suburban California, finds herself experiencing a bad case of "empty nest syndrome." Eldest Kanisky daughter Katie (Kari Michaelsen) has moved to San Francisco to start a fantastic new job; middle daughter Julie (Lauri Hendler), her husband Jonathan (Jonathan Silverman), and their baby daughter have relocated to San Jose; and youngest daughter Sam (Lara Jill Miller) is off to New Jersey, there to begin her freshman year at Littlefield College. Staying behind with Nell are the girls' feisty Grandpa Kanisky (John Hoyt), the family's foster son Joey (Joey Lawrence), and Nell's best friend Dr. Addy Wilson (Telma Hopkins). Before long, however, this little group has moved bag and baggage to New York City, where Addy has landed a new job and Joey comes face-to-face with Matthew, the little brother he never knew he had (Matthew is played by Matthew Lawrence, the real-life younger brother of series regular Joey Lawrence). Finding a job with a publishing house, Nell moves into a Greenwich Village apartment over a Mexican restaurant called El Gatspacio, run by a zany character named Marty (Paul Sand), who for business purposes assumes the identity (and wretched accent) of a Latino named Esteban. Also joining the cast on a regular basis is Rosetta Le Noire as Nell's cantankerous mother Maybelle and a very young Rosie O'Donnell as wisecracking neighbor kid Maggie O'Brien. The series' final episode "Mama's Date" is highlighted by a surprising revelation concerning Nell's mother. It does not, however, play like a traditional "finale" -- mainly because the cast and production crew were unaware that NBC had decided to pull the plug on Gimme a Break after six years on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Telma Hopkins, (more)
- 1999
It turns out that New Jersey isn't the only hockey team tied in with the Devils in this made-for-TV comedy produced for The Disney Channel. Ms. Beezlebub (Rhea Perlman) runs a vocational school in Hades for demons in training, and she decides that it's time for one of her students, Grifflekin (Will Friedle), to head up to the surface for his first assignment. Dave Heinrich (Matthew Lawrence) is a rising star in professional hockey whose team appears poised to win the Stanley Cup. It's Grifflekin's job to get Dave to sign over his soul, but as he gets to know the young player, he's not sure if he wants to betray his new friend. His uncertainty isn't eased by fellow apprentice demon Gabby (Gabrielle Union), who has been sent along to keep tabs on Grifflekin. Real-life NHL stars Paul Kariya and Luc Robataille make cameo appearances as themselves, as does ESPN sportscaster Brad Nessler. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyler Labine, Will Friedle, (more)
The crush felt by a young boy for his father's girlfriend creates heartbreak when the adults call the relationship off. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2001
The three Lawrence brothers -- Joey, Matthew, and Andrew -- join forces for this made-for-TV adventure, in which Joey and Andrew reprise their characters from the movie Horse Sense. Jake Hunter (Matthew Lawrence) and his young friend Tommy Biggs (Andrew Lawrence) are invited to a luxury island resort for a vacation, and Jake gets the idea of hiring a boat to take them there so they can get some deep-sea fishing in along the way. The boat, piloted by Tommy's old cohort Michael Woods (Joey Lawrence), turns out to be a dangerous rust bucket, but that soon proves to be the least of their problems when a crew of modern-day pirates attempts to take over the ship, forcing the three passengers to abandon ship and take cover on a nearby island. Jumping Ship was produced for The Disney Channel, where it premiered on August 17, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence, (more)
Veteran animator Hayao Miyazaki directs this buoyant children's adventure yarn about a young witch striking out on her own. At her mother's behest, 13-year-old Kiki sets out on a year-long apprenticeship with her black cat in tow. With a shaky command of her broom, she ends up in a charming little coastal town that looks like a cross between the French provincial and San Francisco. Unfortunately, the local hotels have a strict "no witches" policy and the police have taken a dim view of her recent aerial mischief making. She's saved from the street by a kindly baker's wife who offers her room and board in exchange for her delivering by broom the baker's wares. Soon she befriends a college-aged artist, an old women who fusses over her, and a boy her same age who is nursing a massive crush. All is well until she wakes up one day and realizes that she can't make her broom levitate nor can she talk to her cat. What will Kiki do? ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, (more)
The main character in Taylor Dooley's family friendly Monster Night is a teenager whose parents have demanded he babysit his siblings on Halloween. The youngsters discover that not only is their house haunted, but they uncover a portal that leads the way to a series of exciting adventures. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Thomas, Taylor Dooley, (more)
Robin Williams learns that keeping in touch with his children can be a drag in this hit comedy. Daniel Hillard (Williams) is an eccentric actor who specializes in dubbing voices for cartoon characters. Daniel is a kind man and a loving father, but he's a poor disciplinarian and a shaky role model. After throwing an elaborate and disastrous birthday party for his son, Daniel's wife Miranda (Sally Field) reaches the end of her patience and files for divorce. Daniel is heartbroken when Miranda is given custody of the children, and he's only allowed to visit them once a week. Determined to stay in contact with his kids, Daniel learns that Miranda is looking for a housekeeper, and with help from his brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein), a makeup artist, Daniel gets the job disguised as Mrs. Iphegenia Doubtfire, a stern but caring Scottish nanny. Daniel pulls off the ruse so well that neither his ex-wife nor his children recognize him, and in the process, he learns how to be the good parent he should have been all along. However, Daniel also has to deal with the little matter of Miranda's new boyfriend, Stu (Pierce Brosnan). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Sally Field, (more)
- 1987
- R
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Were it not for its profanity-laden opening scenes, John Hughes' Planes, Trains and Automobiles might have been suitable family entertainment: certainly it's heaps less violent and mean-spirited than Hughes' Home Alone. En route to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family, easily annoyed businessman Neal Page (Steve Martin) finds his first-class plane ticket has been demoted to coach, and he must share his flight with obnoxious salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). A sudden snowstorm in Chicago forces the plane to land in Wichita. Unable to find a room in any of the four-star hotels, Neal is compelled to accept Del's invitation to share his accommodations in a cheapo-sleazo motel. Driven to distraction by Del's annoying personal habits, the ungrateful Neal lets forth with a stream of verbal abuse. That's when Del delivers the anticipated (but always welcome) "I don't judge, why should you?"-type speech so common to John Hughes flicks. The shamefaced Neal tries to make up to Del, but there's a bumpy time ahead as the mismatched pair make their way back to Chicago, first in a balky train, then by way of a refrigerator truck. We know from the outset that the oil-and-water Neal and Del will be bosom companions by the end of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but it's still a fun ride. The best bit: a half-asleep Del thinking that he's got his hand tucked between two pillows -- until his bedmate, Neal, bellows "Those aren't pillows!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, John Candy, (more)
Household appliances are generally useful and beneficent items, and most of us who own them take them for granted, but should we? This sci-fi thriller shows what happens when electricity gets a mind of its own, becomes evil and turns every-day gadgets into evil killers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cliff De Young, Roxanne Hart, (more)
A courageous canine protects his family from dastardly criminals. Hal Holbrook and Rue McClanahan star. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook, Rue McClanahan, (more)
- 1990
- R
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This feature-length spin-off of the popular television horror anthology is directed by John Harrison, who directed many episodes of the television series. The film consists of four grisly and gruesome horror teasers. "The Wraparound Story" stars Deborah Harry as Betty, a chef with a kitchen complete with Cuisinart and dungeon. She plans to cook a little boy, who delays his execution by telling Betty three tales of terror. The first tale is "Lot 249," based on the mummy story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The tale concerns Bellingham (Steve Buscemi), a bug-eyed graduate student who has raised a mummy from the dead. The second tale, "Cat from Hell," adapted by George A. Romero from a Stephen King story, deals with a broken-down millionaire (William Hickey), who has made his millions by developing habit-forming painkillers. He is convinced that, since 5,000 cats have been killed in his lab experiments in order to develop his pills, a stray cat has killed his family. He hires a hit man (David Johansen) to track down the cat and rub him out. The third tale, "Lover's Vow," is based on "Woman in the Snow," one of the episodes in Kwaidan.James Remar plays an artist who strikes a deal with the devil and is rewarded with a beautiful wife (Rae Dawn Chong) and a respectful art career. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Harry, Christian Slater, (more)
The producers of Wedding Crashers are back with the comedy The Comebacks. Spoofing countless inspirational sports movies, the film stars David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) as Lambeau Fields, a football coach who suffers from a streak of bad luck that has become the stuff of legend. As a last resort, he takes a job coaching a college football team populated with some of the least desirable players imaginable. He must pull this ragtag crew together in order to salvage his career. Carl Weathers plays rival coach Freddie Wiseman. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Koechner, Carl Weathers, (more)
A carefree young woman wakes up to discover her greatest nightmare is a reality -- she's become trapped in the body of Rob Schneider -- in this shape-shifting comedy. Jessica (Rachel McAdams) is a beautiful teenager whose life would be the envy of any high school student -- she's head of the cheerleading squad, her boyfriend, Billy (Matthew Lawrence), is the quarterback of the football team, and she's pretty and popular enough to get nearly anyone to do what she wants. However, Jessica is soon to find out how the other half lives, in more ways than she counted upon; she shoplifts a pair of earrings from an shop specializing in African curios run by Mambuza (Angie Stone), unaware that they carry the curse of Princess Nawa. Thanks to the curse, the next morning Jessica awakes to find that her spirit has entered the body of Clive (Rob Schneider), a sweaty and hirsute small-time crook. As Jessica tries to figure out how she can return to her old body, she has to lead the cheerleading squad to victory and attend her senior prom while looking like a less-than-handsome 30-year-old man. Billy is understandably puzzled by the changes in Jessica, while her best friend, April (Anna Faris), finds her feelings about Jessica change a bit once she volunteers to be her prom date. The Hot Chick is the first theatrical feature for director Tom Brady; Brady co-wrote an earlier Schneider vehicle, The Animal, and was on the writing staff for his television series Men Behaving Badly. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Schneider, Anna Faris, (more)
- 1991
Matthew Lawrence plays an 11-year-old boy whose life is torn asunder by the divorce of his parents. John Ritter plays Lawrence's doctor father, who finds himself with only one day to make amends to his estranged son. Complicating matters are the divergent emotions of Lawrence's mother's new husband, and his father's new wife. Though the title would suggest that Ritter is forced to mature, it is in fact Lawrence who comes of age before the final fadeout. The Summer My Father Grew Up was first telecast March 3, 1991, where it lost the ratings war hands-down to a rerun of RoboCop. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Margaret Whitton, (more)
