Judith Light Movies
Though she is normally recognized as Angela Bower, the prissy, executive counterpart to Tony Danza's rough-hewn Italian nanny on the long-running television series Who's the Boss?, Judith Light considers her crowning achievement to be her activism in the fight against AIDS and gender discrimination. Born in Trenton, NJ, Light discovered her passion for the performing arts at a Pennsylvania summer camp at 12 years old. Light's high school drama teacher later encouraged her to attend the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, and the young actress found herself with a role in a Broadway production of A Doll's House by the mid-'70s. Despite her initial success, however, Light still found herself extraordinarily poor, at one point living on only ten dollars per week. Rather than holding her back, though, poverty not only increased Light's determination to act, but to use it as a tool in the fight against all forms of bigotry.Light's big break came in the form of One Life to Live, the Emmy-winning soap opera, which offered the aspiring actress a role that brought with it a steady paycheck until the inception of Who's the Boss? in 1983. In addition to her sitcom performances, Light starred with great success in The Ryan White Story, a docudrama concerning the real-life fight of a hemophiliac who contracted the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion. In addition to having established herself as one of the first celebrity activists in the battle against HIV and AIDS, Light also became a passionate volunteer for a variety of charitable organizations including Heart Strings and Project Angel Food.
In 1998, after a long, successful stint in the television-movie world, Light flexed her comedy muscles again for The Simple Life, a short-lived television series featuring Light as a big-shot businesswoman whose move to the country is far from what she had expected. A year later, Light immersed herself in Wit, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play revolving around a brash, no-nonsense cancer victim's slow acceptance of her own mortality. In 2004, Light starred in The Stones, a CBS television series. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Six people become three couples in the wake of the emotional chaos of 9/11 in this three-part drama adapted from the off-Broadway play by Susan Charlotte. Hilary (Judith Light) is a fiftysomething movie buff who teaches film studies. On the afternoon of September 11, she discovers there's a hole in her shoe, and she turns to a cobbler (Danny Aiello) with a passion for opera for an emergency repair; while they don't get along at first, they bond over a shared love of the classic Italian film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Elsewhere, Nan (Margaret Colin) is a would-be actress who supports herself working at a travel agency who is trying to make sense of her on-again, off-again relationship with filmmaker Bob (John Shea). And a real-estate woman with a bad case of nerves (Laila Robins) has her expectations up-ended by a chatty taxi driver (Bob Dishy). A Broken Sole was the first feature film from director Antony Marsellis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Judith Light, (more)
- 1996
After her son Georgie (Kendall Cunningham) is paralyzed in a diving accident, feisty divorcee Anna Lerner (Judith Light) vows never to take a moment's rest until she finds a cure for her boy's affliction. Ultimately, Anna moves herself, Georgie and her "normal" son to a new town, there to commiserate with pioneering neurosurgeon David Decker (Tom Irwin), who agrees to an experimental spinal-cord operation that may or may not enable Georgie to walk again. Throughout the experience, Anna must not only spar with the skeptical medical community and an insensitive insurance company, but also with the resentment seething within her other son Ben (Tim Redwine), who feels neglected and forgotten. Appearing in a pivotal supporting role is Christopher Reeve, making his first film appearance since the accident which rendered him quadriplegic. Made for television, A Step Toward Tomorrow premiered November 10, 1996 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A cuckolded wife finds renewed happiness in the arms of another after leaving her faithless spouse. But when the husband becomes deathly ill, she agrees to take care of him, even though it could mean losing her new lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Jay Thomas, (more)
- 2000
This edition of The American Experience investigates the life and work of George Eastman, the man who brought cameras and photography into the lives of millions of Americans. Narrated by Judith Light, this video chronicles the fierce competition and often embarrassing failures Eastman had to overcome to get his invention into people's homes. Like so many of America's great entrepreneurs, Eastman was largely self-educated, making his technical achievements that much more remarkable. Like many others as well, when he attained great wealth, Eastman set to giving it away. This is the story of the man who invented something that is largely taken for granted. Those with an interest in everyday technology, or the history of American business, will find much of value here. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Peter Gallagher, (more)
- 1994
A chilling exploration of the violation of doctor/patient trust, this made-for-TV drama is based on actual events. Singer Barbara Noel (Judith Light) is a mess. Tired of her constant depression and the effect it has had upon her husband and family, she goes to see the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jules Masserman (Judd Hirsch). Using a combination of drugs, hypno-therapy and traditional techniques, he swears he will be able to help her. Time passes, and Barbara seems to be getting worse. In addition, she has begun drinking heavily. Strange bruises periodically appear on her body. She seems inordinately attached to Masserman, and her marriage suffers. When her life completely falls apart, Barbara wakes up and realizes that her trusted doctor has been violating her during the sessions in which she was drugged into unconsciousness. She tries all the traditional venues, but finds that her screwed up self is no match for a highly respected member of the medical community. Her luck changes dramatically, however, when she finds out that other women have also suffered from Masserman's treatment. Unfortunately, it will take some doing to convince any of them to testify against him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Judd Hirsch, (more)
- 1998
Army doctor Carmen Travis (Judith Light) is hot on the trail of a killer virus. Tracing the source of the scourge from Africa to a government facility in Alabama, Carmen and her assistant Holly Parker (Pamela Reed) abruptly run up against the stone wall of conspiracy. It seems that the virus is the unfortunate residue of a genetic-restructructing experiment involving identical twin children--and the higher-ups who have concocted the experiment as a means to carry out future biological warfare have no intention of allowing Carmen to tell what she knows to the world. Carriers was telecast in Germany two months before its American TV debut over the CBS network on October 27, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Pamela Reed, (more)
- 1987
In this thriller, a pregnant woman and her son, who witnessed a murder, are stalked by the murderer. Chaos ensues as she tries to escape. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
This TV movie is not necessarily in defense of married man Michael Ontkean. That responsibility is taken by Judith Light, Ontkean's wife. When Ontkean is accused of murdering his mistress (Cynthia Sikes), his wife Light, a defense attorney, handles the case. Beyond the unavoidable emotional involvement, Light must wrestle with whether or not she really wants to ask her husband if he did it. In Defense of a Married Man is an exercise in the mundane, brightened by Stan Getz' jazz score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
This once-timely made-for-TV drama was originally titled Lovesick: The Herpes Story until wiser heads prevailed. Soap-opera favorites Anthony Geary and Judith Light starred as dedicated doctor Kyle Richardson and lovelorn tourist Marsha Sarno in this saga of a genital-herpes outbreak in a posh resort community. Also on hand is Robert Vaughn as Dave Fairmont, the requisite evil land developer who will resort to any means necessary to keep news of the epidemic from spreading to the world. Intimate Agony made its ABC network debut on March 21, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Love at first sight has some interesting repercussions a few months down the line in this offbeat romantic comedy. Ira Black (Chris Messina) is a wildly neurotic thirtysomething who can't get his life in gear -- the son of a pair of therapists, Arlene (Judith Light) and Seymour (Robert Klein), Ira still hasn't finished his grad school dissertation, he's been in therapy for 12 years, and can't bring himself to settle down with his longtime girlfriend Lea (Maddie Corman). When both Lea and his analyst inform Ira that they don't want to see him anymore, he decides he needs to make some changes. Ira joins a health club, where he meets Abby Willoughby (Jennifer Westfeldt), who is supposed to sell memberships to the gym but is much better at listening to people's problems. The two discover they have a strong and immediate rapport, and Ira asks Abby to marry him only a few hours later. Abby says yes, and soon the couple are wed. However, it isn't until after they've been married for a few weeks that Ira discovers Abby has been divorced twice already, and it makes him very uneasy about their relationship. Despite more therapy, Ira asks Abby for a divorce, and it sends shock waves through their families -- Arlene begins having an affair with Michael (Fred Willard), Abby's free-spirited father, while Seymour commiserates with Abby's mother Lynne (Frances Conroy), and eventually parents and children are all meeting together in group therapy for couples. Ira and Abby was written by leading lady Jennifer Westfeldt, who was also screenwriter and star for the independent hit Kissing Jessica Stein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Messina, Jennifer Westfeldt, (more)
The Biblical story of Joseph comes to life in this animated feature from the creators of The Prince of Egypt. Adventure and music set the stage for this tale of a boy named Joseph (voice of Ben Affleck) whose dreams bring him powerful visions of the future. Joseph's abilities to prognosticate win him a favored position with the Pharaoh of Egypt, but only inflames his contentious relationship with his brothers. Featuring the same top-notch artwork and animation that impressed audiences in The Prince of Egypt, Joseph: King of Dreams also features several original songs sung by Maureen McGovern and Jodi Benson. The film was released directly to home video in the United States, but enjoyed a theatrical release in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Mark Hamill, (more)
- 1977
Joseph Hindy guest stars as Vince Pomerantz, a veteran New York cop with a serious gambling problem. Faced with ever-mounting debts, Pomerantz decides that the only way to save himself is to go "on the take." Unfortunately, he is now indebted to a mobster who demands that Vince square himself immediately--by murdering Lt. Kojak's (Telly Savalas) assistant, Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson). Featured in the cast is a pre-Who's the Boss? Judith Light. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Tracey Gold and Judith Light star as mother and daughter respectively, in this tense made-for-television thriller. Light stars as Janice Mitchell, mother and philandering wife, who comes to rue the day she ever got involved with her revenge-bent, ex-lover. Jack Wagner stars as the obsessed lover who embroils Mitchell's daughter Sharon into his plot. This film debuted on CBS on April 5. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Detectives Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) investigate when the five-year-old son of prominent psychiatrist Brett Morton (Kyle MacLachlan) vanishes from a toy store. Though the most obvious suspect would seem to be the convicted child molester seen hanging around the store just before the boy's disappearance, the trail of clues ultimately leads to the victim's 13-year-old neighbor Jake O'Hara (Jordan Garrett). Despite his youth, Jake proves to be a cunning sociopath, adept at manipulating the detectives and leading them down several wrong paths. Ultimately, however, Jake meets his doom at the hands of someone even more clever--and far more manipulative--than he is. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
The SVU investigates when graduate student Myra Denning (Shannyn Sosamon) claims that she was raped by college advisor Ron Polikoff (Billy Campbell). A voluntary DNA exam reveals that Polikoff has indeed been intimate with Myra--but he tells a different story of their relationship, insisting that the girl manipulated him into having rough sex. The case results in an emotional schism between Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni), who believes Polikoff's story, and Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay), who sides with Myra. When this episode originally aired on November 23, 2004, viewers were invited to cast their votes on NBC.com to determine whether Ron Polikoff was truly a rapist, or if he was an innocent victim of a duplicitous young woman (and no, the results will not be revealed in this synopsis). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Clearly inspired by the FCC crackdown after Janet Jackson's controversial "wardrobe malfunction", this episode focuses on two publicity-hungry public figures: Carolyn Spencer (Dana Delany), the head of an anti-smut campaign targeted at "dirty" TV shows, and BJ Cameron (Lewis Black), a trash-talking shock jock. The SVU detectives are determined to find out who was responsible for the rape of teenage celebrity Jesse Dawning, who as the star of the controversial TV show "Girl Undercover" has been subjected to venomous attacks by both Spencer and Cameron. Ultimately, Spencer's own son Danny (Ricky Ullman) is arrested for the crime--but did he assault Jesse on orders from his zealous mother, or was he inspired by Cameron's rabid rantings? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Unique among the many made-for-TV dramas about spousal abuse--most of which are about women victimized by men--Men Don't Tell dramatizes the true story of a loving husband who is terrorized by the violent behavior of his wife. Ed MacAffrey (Peter Strauss) has long endured the physical and emotional abuse heaped upon him by his neurotic wife Laura (Judith Light), not only because he loves her and is concerned over the welfare of his daughter, but also because men are traditionally regarded as weaklings if they allow themselves to be battered by their wives. Even worse, after one of Laura's destructive tantrums brings the attention of the police, Ed is suspected of being the aggressor! Finally, Laura goes too far and Ed tries to defend himself--whereupon Laura crashes through the front window of her home and is rendered comatose, and Ed is arrested for attempted murder. Although the ending of the story could be considered positive and upbeat, it is painfully clear that there are many issues that will never be resolved. First telecast by CBS on May 14, 1993, Men Don't Tell was never rebroadcast on over-the-air television, reportedly because it incurred the wrath of several women's groups. However, the film has since been shown a number of times on cable's Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this made-for-television drama a mother tires to learn the truth about her college-age son following the murder of a neighborhood girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Johnny Galecki, (more)
Sandy Duncan, Judith Light, and Jill Eikenberry star in director Paul Schneider's made-for-television musical comedy about a 1960s-era female singing trio that reunites to take part in a television special produced to pay tribute to the pop superstars of yesteryear. Back in the 1960s, pop was king and the Bouffants were at the top of the charts thanks to their catchy hit single "My Boyfriend's Back." Two decades later, an ambitious NBC producer begins planning a television special dedicated to honoring pre-Beatles pop acts, and he wants to name it after the Bouffants' biggest hit. Now in order to make that happen, he sets out to find all three of the original Bouffants and offer them a chance to reunite on stage. But The Bouffants broke up for a reason, and convincing sarcastic bowling alley queen Vicki (Light), high-profile cosmetics executive Deborah (Eikenberry), and downhome housewife Chris (Duncan) to put aside their differences for the sake of the special will prove a more daunting task than he ever anticipated. Additional appearances by such notable '60s-era singing icons as Gary Lewis, the Penguins, Peggy March, and Mary Wells ensure that music lovers are not only in for a few nostalgic laughs, but a toe-tapping trip back to the time when everyone tuned into their radios eager to discover the next great hit. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and in this look at one of the most polarizing religious and sexual debates in America, filmmaker Robert Cary attempts to reconcile homosexuality with Christianity. Mark (Chad Allen) is a young gay man who has fallen into a dangerous cycle of hard drugs and risky sex. Recognizing that his sibling may not have the strength to pull himself back from the edge, Mark's brother checks him into the Genesis House Christian retreat in New Mexico -- a place far removed from the temptations of the big city. Genesis House is run by a deeply spiritual, middle-aged couple named Gayle (Judith Light) and Ted (Stephen Lang). After losing a battle with sin back when she was young, Gayle has dedicated her entire life to rescuing young homosexuals from their own inner demons. In order to help Mark through the process, Gayle assigns Scott (Robert Gant) -- one of the program's advanced "fifth phasers" -- as the newcomer's mentor. When Gayle notices that Mark and Scott's relationship is intensifying, she sees the development as a threat and fights back in order to prevent her carefully controlled world from falling apart. The spectre of damnation looming constantly over their shoulders, Mark and Scott are finally forced to confront the truth about their own true natures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chad Allen, Robert Gant, (more)
- 1987
In this made-for-TV crime drama a cop pursues a homicidal maniac. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Ryan White was the teenaged hemophiliac who contacted AIDS through a blood transfusion, then was barred from attending school in Kokomo, Indiana. All but ostracized by the community, Ryan's mother (Judith Light) engages the services of a high-powered attorney (George C. Scott) to win back her son's basic rights. While the film ends with Ryan triumphing over his human adversaries, no effort is made to sugarcoat the situation. Even after he has been welcomed by another school, we see how the boy is shunned by certain students and their parents; nor is there any glossing over the fact that Ryan's days are numbered, despite the boy's enthusiastic plans for the time he has left (young White died shortly after this TV movie was first telecast in 1989). Despite its inherent sadness, The Ryan White Story is a celebration of an exceptional young human being whose short life touched so many others in a positive, uplifting manner. While Lukas Haas portrays the title character, the real Ryan White appears in the small role of Chad, another hemophiliac AIDS victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
