Melissa Leo Movies
After supporting roles in a handful of small films and a short stint on the soap opera All My Children, New York-born Melissa Leo gained prominence on the critically-acclaimed Barry Levinson-produced television drama Homicide: Life on the Streets. After leaving the show in 1997, Leo continued to appear in a range of features, including 1999's 24 Hour Woman. But it was her role as Benicio Del Toro's wife in 2003's 21 Grams that gave Leo her first exposure to a wide moviegoing audience. The performance also won her recognition from the L.A. Film Critics Association, who named Leo the runner-up for the Best Supporting Actress honor.Leo continued to work steadily in a series of independent films including American Gun, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and Stephanie Daley. In 2008 she landed the lead role in Courtney Hunt's debut feature Frozen River. As a financially strapped woman who turns to human-trafficking in order to earn a living, Leo earned thunderous critical praise as well as Best Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy.
Frozen River led her to steady work un a variety of projects, but it was as the matriarch of the boxing brothers in The Fighter that Leo had the biggest success of her career capturing numerous year-end critics awards as well as the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. In the years after that she appeared in works as diverse as the remake of Mildred Pierce for HBO, and Kevin Smith's Red State. ~ Rovi
A legendary theatrical family gather for one final show at their East Hamptons estate in this verbose comedy-drama. Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors takes center stage as Helena, the family matriarch, who has made the difficult decision to sell the estate due to financial problems. A mixed group has come for what will be the last of the family's annual summer performances, a gathering that naturally brings conflicts and rivalries to the surface. Much of the trouble centers on Oona (Victoria Foyt), a financially successful Hollywood actress seeking artistic approval from such theatrical colleagues as avant-garde director Ivan (André Gregory) and gay playwright Jake (real-life dramatist Jon Robin Baitz), who each has difficulties of his own. As in all of writer/director Henry Jaglom's films, the focus is on conversation over action, as the various characters share personal torments and debate their individual philosophies. The talky, intellectual dialogue will be seen by some viewers as witty and perceptive and by others as pretentious and slow-moving. Regardless of one's opinion of Jaglom's idiosyncratic style, Last Summer in the Hamptons is distinguished by the presence of Lindfors in her final film, giving a career-capping performance that addresses the problems of older actresses and looks back fondly on the star's own history. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Foyt, Viveca Lindfors, (more)
- 1995
- Add Homicide: Life on the Street: Season 03 to Queue Add Homicide: Life on the Street: Season 03 to top of Queue
The first full season of Homicide: Life on the Street (in its third year on the ABC prime-time schedule) features a new addition to the Baltimore PD homicide unit: night-shift commander Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann), whose blunt manner rubs everyone -- especially her day-shift counterpart, Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) -- the wrong way. Among the season's various story arcs: Det. Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) and his wife separate, whereupon she takes the kids and goes into hiding; detectives Munch (Richard Belzer) and Lewis (Clark Johnson) decide to open their own bar, with some behind-the-scenes help (and hindrance) from their young colleague Bayliss (Kyle Secor); and the entire division goes on an all-out search for the elusive "white glove killer." In other developments, the cops find out what happened to their former co-worker Crossetti, who had completely vanished from sight at the end of season two; Det. Pembleton (Andre Braugher) considers resigning when he thinks he has been made the patsy in a high-profile coverup; and Felton, Howard (Melissa Leo), and Bolander (Ned Beatty) are seriously injured in a botched arrest -- for which Giardello may have to take the fall. Additionally, several guest stars dot the Baltimore landscape, including NBC newsman Tim Russert, and, in a crossover with the NBC series Law & Order, Chris Noth in his familiar role as NYPD detective Mike Logan. As the season draws to a close, Russert is suddenly and unexpectedly promoted, and Pembleton's family is placed in jeopardy by a vengeance-seeking psycho. ~ Rovi
- 1994
Season three of Homicide: Life on the Street finds the day and night shifts of the Baltimore homicide squad uneasily working in tandem to solve the murder of the winner of the city's Samaritan of the Year award. The case is particularly irksome for Detective Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), whose new desk mate is an unregenerate racist. As for Lt. Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), he has to smooth out the differences between his staff and new night-shift commander Lt. Megan Russert (Isabella Hoffman, making her series debut). Elsewhere, Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) finds herself stuck in the middle of domestic warfare when Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) and his wife, Beth (Mary B. Ward), separate; and a fascinating new subplot is introduced when Munch (Richard Belzer) and Lewis (Clark Johnson) formulate plans to purchase a bar. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
The one linking factor between three murders is a pair of white gloves found at the scene of each crime. This factor not only results in an error of judgment by Roger Gaffney (Walt MacPherson), forcing Pembleton (Andre Braugher) to take full charge of the case, but also arouses the interest of a ghoulish collector (Hugh Hodgin) of murder memorabilia. Meanwhile, Felton (Daniel Baldwin) continues experiencing domestic difficulties, Russert (Isabella Hoffman) has an uncomfortable confrontation with the Baltimore media, and the efforts by Munch (Richard Belzer) and Lewis (Clark Johnson) to acquire a liquor license for their new bar are hampered by a past incident in the life of their silent partner, Bayliss (Kyle Secor). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
The homicide department is besieged by demands that details of the three "white glove" murders be made public. Complicating matters is the possibility that prime suspect Mary Maude Wiggs (Lucinda Jenney), who suffers from multiple-personality disorder, may very well beat the rap. And in other developments, the relationship between Felton (Daniel Baldwin) and his wife continues to deteriorate, and silent partner Bayliss (Kyle Secor) becomes more vocal concerning the new bar being purchased by Munch (Richard Belzer) and Lewis (Clark Johnson). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
Giardello's (Yaphet Kotto) activist friend Sam Thorne (Joe Morton) is shot down after blowing the whistle on a high-scale cocaine operation. The squad searches for the husband of a woman who is still receiving fresh flowers every day, even though she's been dead for two weeks. Munch's (Richard Belzer) business partners desert him over a squabble concerning their new bar. Bayliss (Kyle Secor) is driven to desperation after getting too involved in the private life of a kooky artist. And Felton (Daniel Baldwin) launches a search for his missing children. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
After the body of former homicide detective Steve Crosetti is found floating in a river, Bolander (Ned Beatty) arrives at the sad conclusion that his late colleague has committed suicide. Crosetti's ex-partner Lewis (Clark Johnson) refuses to accept this verdict, and launches an after-hours investigation of his own. As several members of the department draw up separate funeral arrangements for Crosetti, they are deluged by a steady stream of bad news, reopening several old and festering sores. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
Depressed by the unsavory aspects of her most recent murder case, Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) takes a leave of absence and returns to her home town -- only to be promptly swept up into the investigation of a local environmentalist's death. Making things uncomfortably personal is the fact that Kay's former lover Chick (John Dossett) and her own brother Chris (Gareth Williams) are among the suspects. Back in Baltimore, Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) reluctantly team up to solve the murder that sent Kay packing, and Munch's (Richard Belzer) obstinacy puts another crimp in his purchase of the after-hours bar. Harlee McBride, real-life wife of series regular Richard Belzer, appears as Dr. Alyssa Dyer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
- Add Homicide: Life on the Street: Season 02 to Queue Add Homicide: Life on the Street: Season 02 to top of Queue
Enjoying critical success but only so-so ratings during its nine-episode inaugural season in 1993, Homicide: Life on the Street tentatively returned to the airwaves for four additional episodes in January of 1994. The opener features a poignant guest-star turn by Robin Williams as a tourist whose wife has been gunned down in a shoot-out on the streets of Baltimore. In other developments, the homicide squad's head honcho Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) goes to great lengths to "tame" the unit's loosest cannon, Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty), who in turn unexpectedly develops an artistic streak while squiring an attractive waitress (Julianna Margulies); and hotheaded Detective Crossetti (Jon Polito) completely, and mysteriously, drops out of sight. ~ Rovi
- 1994
Hoping to make Bolander (Ned Beatty) less self-conscious about their first date, Linda (Melissa Leo) agrees to double-date with Howard (Melissa Leo) and Danvers (Zeljko Ivanek) -- but the jealous Munch (Richard Belzer) messes things up. Back on the job, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) investigates when a phone-sex operator is found strangled, clutching a note that seems to point directly to her killer. And Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Crocetti (Jon Polito) look into a murder at the library, committed by an "ink-pen fetishist." This was the final episode of Homicide's very brief second season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) would rather not hear Pembleton's (Andre Braugher) theory that drug dealer C.C. Cox was murdered by a cop. One of the suspects in the killing is Sgt. Jimmy Tryon (Michael S. Kennedy), a former lover of Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) -- and a man who seems too eager to confess. Meanwhile, Munch (Richard Belzer) has issues with his present girlfriend (surprise!); and Bolander (Ned Beatty) is encouraged by waitress Linda (Julianna Marguiles) to take up the cello again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
A childhood friend of Detective Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) plans to assist in the suicide of his terminally ill father. When Felton hides his knowledge of this action, he runs afoul of investigating detectives Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Crosetti (Jon Polito). Elsewhere, Pembleton (Andre Braugher) looks into the fatal shooting of a drug dealer and uncovers a possible instance of police brutality. And Bolander (Ned Beatty) defies Giordello's (Yaphet Kotto) order to attend a sensitivity-training session. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
Robin Williams guest stars on the first of Homicide's four second-season episodes. Williams is cast as tourist Robert Ellison, who can't cope with the fact that his wife was killed in a holdup right in front of him and their children. Angrily demanding justice, Ellison may well get it when the prime suspect confesses. But Howard (Melissa Leo) cannot shake her premonition that the killer, a young man from an excellent home environment and with seemingly everything to live for, may not be entirely guilty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Beginning its first (short) season just after ABC's telecast of the 1993 Super Bowl, Homicide: Life on the Street gets under way as rookie detective Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) joins the Baltimore, MD, police department's homicide division. Almost immediately, Bayliss is teamed with veteran cop Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) to investigate the murder of 11-year-old Adena Watson -- a frustrating case that will haunt Bayliss for the rest of his career. In other story arcs, the normally indolent Steve Crossetti (Jon Polito) is galvanized into action when his former partner, Officer Chris Thormann (Lee Tergesen), is blinded in a shoot-out; ambitious female detective Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) finds herself attracted to States' Attorney Danvers (Zeljko Ivanek); and resident "old timer" Det. Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty) (aka "The Big Man") falls in love with forensics specialist Dr. Carol Blythe (Wendy Hughes). The inaugural season's nine-episode run ends as one of the detective's wives announces her pregnancy. Two Emmys were bestowed upon Homicide: Life on the Street during season one; producer/director Barry Levinson won for his helming of the opening episode, while producer/writer Tom Fontana was honored for his script work on the episode "Three Men and Adena." ~ Rovi
The Ballad of Little Jo is based on a true story -- several true stories, in fact. Suzy Amis plays demure young Josephine Monagan, who in 1866 is run out of her home town after bearing an illegitimate child. Fleeing westward, Josephine is terrified by stories of how treacherous the frontier can be for a woman alone. As a result, upon arriving in the muddy burg of Ruby City, she disguises herself as a man, going so far as to scar her face to suggest that she's been in a few scrapes. In this guise, "Little Jo" does just fine by herself for nearly 30 years! Almost as good as Suzy Amis is Bo Hopkins as gunslinger Frank Badger, Little Jo's best buddy (if only he knew....) Written and directed by Maggie Greenwald, The Ballad of Little Jo does a marvelous job conveying the people and places of its period; and, unlike Bad Girls (which was released around the same time), we aren't bludgeoned to death by feminist revisionism. Unfortunately ignored when it went out to theatres in the fall of 1993, The Ballad of Little Jo has fared rather better on video. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, (more)
- 1993
In this fourth-season opener of Law & Order, Robert Klein guest stars as controversial, confrontational TV talk show host Rick Mason. During one of Mason's broadcasts, a guest is murdered on the air (and this show was telecast long before the Jenny Jones affair). The DA's office endeavors to prove that Mason provoked the tragedy -- and that, in so doing, he is himself an accessory to murder. Jill Hennessy and S. Epatha Merkerson join the regular cast as, respectively, Assistant DA Claire Kincaid and police lieutenant Anita Van Buren. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
Originally telecast in the prime time slot following the 1993 Super Bowl, episode one of Homicide: Life on the Street wastes no time getting started, introducing the viewer to a myriad of characters and no fewer than three murder cases. Newly arrived at the Baltimore PD homicide division from the mayor's office, rookie detective Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) is assigned by Lt. Al Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) to investigate a brutal strangulation. Bayliss is teamed with Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), the division's prickly lone wolf who balks at working with a partner. Other cases on the "board" involve a woman who has evidently murdered several husbands for the insurance, an assignment given to detectives Medrick Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Steve Crosetti (Jon Polito); the hit-and-run killing of Jenny Goode, a three-month-old case reopened by detectives Stan Bolander (Ned Beatty) and John Munch (Richard Belzer); and a fourth murder, one which Sgt. Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) would rather handle on her own so as not to jeopardize her winning "cases solved" streak, but one for which Howard is reluctantly teamed with Detective Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin). Barry Levinson won an Emmy award for his direction of this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Crosetti (Jon Polito) run afoul of the Feds while investigating the murder of a Chinese student, who turns out to have been one of the leaders of the Tiananmen Square protest. Elsewhere, Munch (Richard Belzer) and Bolander (Ned Beatty) investigate when a body is found in the park; Howard's (Melissa Leo) testimony against sadistic drug dealer Pony Johnson (Geoffrey Ewing) may be inadmissible; and Pembleton (Yaphet Kotto) may get a promotion -- if anyone can find him. This episode marks the first appearance of Pembleton's wife Mary, played by Yaphet Kotto's real-life spouse, Ami Brabson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Still frustrated by the unsolved Watson murder, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) are in no mood to tackle the murder of a police dog -- but they must, since the Baltimore municipal code dictates that any police killing in the line of duty must be given first priority. Meanwhile, Howard (Melissa Leo) and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) go after a sadistic drug dealer who has ritualistically murdered his victim -- and in so doing, they find a link to a case being handled by Lewis (Clark Johnson). And on the domestic scene, Bolander (Ned Beatty) meets the teenage son (Stiv Paskoski) of his current amour Dr. Carol Blythe (Wendy Hughes); and Crosetti's (Jon Polito) wife is pregnant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
This final episode of Homicide's first season was originally telecast out of sequential order, requiring an opening title explaining that the action takes place "One Night Last September" (a title still retained in all syndication prints). The air conditioning in the squad room has broken down on a particularly hot night, and with no "outgoing" cases, everyone is stuck in the same room to swelter. Among the "incoming" cases on the board this evening: A suspect in the Adena Watson murder case is brought in; an abandoned baby is found in a cage in the building's basement; an out-of-season Santa Claus is thrown in the slammer, only to disappear; and everyone would like to find out who lights that candle in the squad room every night -- and why? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Giordello (Andre Braugher) is upset when neither he nor his detectives are forewarned of the arrival of an asbestos-removal team. To get vital evidence on a gang leader's murder -- and to find out why the victim waited several days after his beating to get medical help -- Bolander (Ned Beatty) and Munch (Richard Belzer) fake out a witness with the old "polygraph-by-copier" trick. Under duress, Howard (Melissa Leo) confesses her attraction to Assistant State's Attorney Danvers. And Felton (Daniel Baldwin) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) suffer mightily while their respective partners try to give up smoking. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Crossetti (Jon Polito) insists upon handling the case of his ex-partner Thormann (Edie Falco), who was shot in the head on assignment. Bayliss (Kyle Secor) is becoming increasingly frustrated by the dead ends in the Watson killing, the most recent being a raid on the dead girl's house. Felton (Daniel Baldwin) may have found the evidence necessary for Lewis (Clark Johnson) to tighten the noose around "black widow" Calpurnia Church (Mary Jefferson). And a dispute over a bust of Maryland's own Spiro Agnew leads to tragedy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1993
Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) continue their investigation of the murder of 11-year-old Adena Watson. Bolander (Ned Beatty) and Munch (Richard Belzer) are confronted with a murder victim who is not entirely dead. And despite the skepticism of her partner Felton (Daniel Baldwin), Howard (Melissa Leo) insists that the solution to another murder case rests in the "testimony" of the victim's ghost. This episode includes the first of Homicide's celebrated "red ball" cases -- those so important politically that they effectively supersede the rest. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
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