Melissa Leo Movies

Martin (William Hurt) and Jack (Timothy Hutton) are World War II soldiers who go from being army buddies to bitter enemies during the war in this uneven melodrama. Not realizing they are brothers-in-law, Martin eventually learns that Jack is married to his sister Josie (Melissa Leo). On their wedding night, Josie's father Jorge (Francisco Rabal) had abducted her in an attempt to dominate her with his old-world ideals of marriage. When Jorge drowns in a lake after the car skids off the road, black-sheep Martin returns home to learn of his father's death, vowing to avenge his father after he learns his buddy is his sworn enemy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Three stories of how America's obsession with firearms impacts its citizens are explored in this independent drama. Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland) runs a gun shop in Virginia that has been owned and operated by his family for generations. Carl sees the shop as his family's legacy without paying much mind to what happens with the weapons he sells. When his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) needs money for college, Carl gives her a job in the store, and while she's hesitant at first, she becomes fascinated with the merchandise as time passes. On the West Side of Chicago, Carl Carter (Forest Whitaker) is the principal of a high school where violence has become a sad fact of life. As Carl and his wife, Sara (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), fear for their young son as they worry he could either fall prey to the violence of their community or embrace it himself, Carl receives a severe emotional blow when Jay (Arlen Escarpeta), one of his most promising students, is discovered carrying a pistol. And in Oregon, Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is a single mother still troubled by the death of her teenaged son three years before, who took his own life after killing a handful of his classmates in a violent incident at a high school. As Janet deals with sharp words from the community, many of whom believe she should be held responsible for her late son's actions, she is unsure how to handle her surviving son, David (Christopher Marquette), who is now of high-school age. American Gun was the first feature film for writer and director Aric Avelino. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Writer-director Ian Olds's fourteen-minute short Bomb begins with a situation that feels deceptively sweet, and cloaked in innocence, as two adolescents flirt with one another on the rim of a now-defunct bombing range. As the two head home, however, they run head-first into bitter disillusionment, engendered by adult attempts to undo the strands of their friendship. Melissa Leo, John Magaro and Naomi Aborn co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Inspired by traditional fairy tales, this trio of gruesome and darkly-comic vignettes is framed by the story of a lethargic uncle who can't seem to alleviate his bratty young nephew's fear of the dark, trying his hand at a few warped, testosterone-fueled versions of his favorite bedtime tales. The first installment, "Peter and the Witches," tells the story of a young fisherman (Scott Valentine) enslaved by two shape-shifting witches who are trying to bring their sister back to life; he later rebels against his masters after falling in love with the virgin they've captured as a sacrifice. The goofy second chapter involves "Little Red Running Hood" -- a somewhat shapelier modern version of the classic heroine -- whose jog to Granny's house leads to a showdown with a pill-popping weirdo whose anti-werewolf remedy got switched with Granny's prescription. Still unable to satisfy the demanding tyke, the exhausted uncle pulls out all the stops for the final tale, in which the Three Baers -- a family of murderous crackers -- encounter the telekinetic Goldi Lox, a malevolent cutie who shares the Baers' penchant for death and dismemberment. Originally titled Freaky Fairy Tales, this plodding, pedestrian film wandered in distribution limbo until Valentine's role in "Family Ties" lent some degree of marquee value. The cynical closing (in which the nephew's fears turn out to be justified) is rather satisfying, though. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

First time writer/director Jake Goldberger takes the helm for this thriller about a man who returns to his hometown after receiving a letter from his high school sweetheart, who claims to be dying. It's been twenty-five years since Don McKay (Thomas Hayden Church) turned his back on his hometown, and he never imagined he would ever return. But when a letter from his former girlfriend Sonny (Elisabeth Shue) appears in Don's mailbox, he can't resist visiting his old flame one more time, before her light disappears forever. When Don comes home and realizes that his memories of Sonny don't match up with the woman she's become, it quickly becomes apparent that he harbors a shameful secret form years gone by. Meanwhile, Sonny's doctor (James Rebhorn) and caretaker (Melissa Leo) don't warm quickly to the returning visitor, and a chance run-in suddenly compounds Don's buried secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An author suffering from writer's block takes a cross country trip with a pair of identical twins in this surreal road film starring Melissa Leo and Sam Trammell. Sigrid Anderssen (Leo) has a bestselling book and a red hot reputation. Trouble is, her well of ideas has just run dry. In search of inspiration, she answers an ad seeking a traveling companion for a coast-to-coast cruise. The person who placed the ad is Red (Trammell). He's packed his camping gear for a tour of the south, but he doesn't want to make the drive alone. When the two road warriors stop to pick up Red's identical twin brother Tom, the road before them seems to stretch out into infinity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A desperate single mother living in upstate New York resorts to smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States as a means of making ends meet in first-time feature director/screenwriter Courtney Hunt's emotionally wrenching drama, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Ray Eddy is in an impossible position; it's two days before Christmas and her husband has suddenly disappeared with all of the family savings. Now, as the newly single mother of two realizes the futility of attempting to cover the house payments on her meager Yankee One Dollar Store wages, her children are forced to exist on a nutritionally devoid diet of popcorn and Tang. Deciding that her only hope for survival is to find a man who will support her and her children, Ray sets out to find a husband but instead makes the acquaintance of street-smart Mohawk Lila Littlewolf. Lila, too, has been struggling to keep her head above water amidst economic despair, and has recently stumbled across a rather unconventional solution to her dire financial situation. Lately, Lila has been earning a living by smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S., but her tribal elders vehemently disapprove of the scheme and have recently attempted to stop it by forbidding the local auto dealers from selling her a car. As fate would have it, Ray's Dodge Spirit may just be the only thing the destitute mother can count on anymore, and as this unlikely pair gas up the tank for a daring dash across the iced-over St. Lawrence River, their fates become forever intertwined in ways that neither could have ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When an aspiring young starlet from Iowa falls in love with a handsome and promising young actor, she finds her dreams of fame slowly fading in a poignant tale of show-business aspirations from director Henry Jaglom. Upon arriving in Los Angeles to seek her fortune on film and stage, an innocent girl from Iowa (Tanna Frederick) falls for a talented rising star (Justin Kirk). As the pair tenuously attempts to balance their burgeoning romance with the vivid dreams of stardom, the demands of their careers soon begin to take precedence over the simple pleasures in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a ten-year-old is rendered brain-dead by a random shooting in a mall, Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Bayliss (Kyle Secor) are assigned to investigate the child's "murder." Not unexpectedly, both detectives become emotionally involved in the plight of the youngster's anguished family. Meanwhile, the rest of the Baltimore police force prepares for a visit by the Pope. Watch for a brief and unheralded crossover with the TV series Chicago Hope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The serial killer responsible for the recent spate of "white glove" murders sues Pembleton (Andre Braugher) for violating her civil rights -- but that's only the beginning of his troubles. Elsewhere, Munch (Richard Belzer) is forced to attend an alcohol awareness seminar; Felton's (Daniel Baldwin) wife and children move out; activist Sam Thorne (Joe Morton) proposes a "gun for toys" exchange to stem the rising tide of violence in Baltimore; and Lewis' (Clark Johnson) budding romance with an eccentric artist is complicated by the presence of Bayliss (Kyle Secor). This is the episode in which the audience learns the sorry fate of former homicide detective Steve Crosetti. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Christmas is just another day on the calendar for the acerbic Munch (Richard Belzer), especially when he is handed a case involving the murder of a man in a Santa Claus suit. Elsewhere, Lt. Russert (Isabella Hoffman) decides to get back into the hands-on aspects of detective work by joining Lewis (Clark Johnson) in his latest investigation -- only to discover that she has prior knowledge of the persons involved in the case. And as Felton (Daniel Baldwin) wearily prepares to spend his first Christmas without his wife and children, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) seeks out a friendly Yuletide game of Hearts -- at five dollars a hand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide