Patricia Barry Movies

Family ghosts, generational conflict, and the immigrant experience frame this episodic comedy-drama about a Chinese-born Canadian woman's quest for self-definition, which marked the debut of writer/director Mina Shum. Jade Li (Sandra Oh), an aspiring actress in her early twenties, lives at home with her strict father (Stephen Chang), her dutiful mother (Alannah Ong), and her sweet younger sister, Pearl (Frances You). Their older brother, Winston, has been disowned -- a fate Jade is not eager to share, both for her own sake and to spare her family pain. Therefore, although she manages to land a few bit parts on camera, Jade spends most of her time working in the shop owned by a family friend, performing the duties of a respectful daughter and suffering through arranged dates with prosperous young Chinese men. An adept cultural chameleon, though, she also leads a double life, hanging out with best friend Lisa (Claudette Carracedo) and beginning a tentative romance with Caucasian college student Mark (Callum Keith Rennie). When her father's childhood friend arrives for a visit, however, Jade must juggle her competing identities even more carefully than usual, lest her choice of professions -- and boyfriends -- shame her father. After premiering at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival, Double Happiness won several international awards and made its U.S. bow at Sundance in 1995. Writer/director Shum -- who, like her protagonist, was born in Hong Kong but raised in Canada -- appears briefly on camera as a casting director who doesn't think Jade is Chinese enough. Oh, who is actually of Korean descent, won a best actress Genie Award (the Canadian equivalent of an Oscar) for her portrayal of Jade. The part of Dad Li marked a departure for Chang, a frequent martial arts movie villain and real-life friend of Bruce Lee. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Robby Benson stars as an insane ex-con obsessed with a magazine journalist (Jennifer O'Neill). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Dance to Win is set in the outer fringes of Hollywood. A gang of delinquents, jealously observing the "haves", see no way out of their lot other than petty thievery. The gang is redeemed when they are organized into a dance troupe specializing in interpreting vintage rock 'n' roll themes. Charles Gomez, Daniel Quinn and Sally Stewart are among the leading players; the film's choreography was handled by no less than Paula Abdul. Filmed in 1989, Dance to Win remained on the shelf until picked up for cable exposure in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sea of Love is a sexy, atmospheric thriller, very much in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, with involving characters, steamy love scenes, and surprising plot twists. Frank Keller (Al Pacino), is a lonely, tired, disillusioned, police detective, who has a problem with alcohol. Frank is investigating a serial killer, whom he believes finds victims by using personal ads in magazines, killing them while playing the old record "Sea of Love." In a scene both amusing and touching, Frank and his partner, Sherman (John Goodman) --aided by Frank's father (William Hickey in a lovely cameo) place a personal ad, hoping to lure the killer. Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin), a tough, sexy single mother answers the ad and begins an affair with Frank, despite the fact that she is one of the prime suspects in the case. The suspense builds as Frank, though deeply drawn to Helen, becomes more and more suspicious of her. In a splendidly crafted script from Richard Price, the plot is compelling, with plenty of action, terrific authentic dialogue and superb characterization. Ellen Barkin gives a marvelous performance as an independent, sensual and intriguing femme fatale; John Goodman is excellent as Sherman, giving a likable, shrewd, and subtly comic performance; and Pacino, in perhaps his best performance since Dog Day Afternoon, plays Frank as a man on the edge, reckless and self-destructive, lost and alone. Frank falls in love with Helen, in spite of himself, because of his loneliness and need. Pacino's skill in showing the vulnerability and neediness of Frank explains the somewhat implausible actions of his character in continuing their affair despite the mounting evidence against Helen. Harold Becker directs with great flair, bringing the story believability, without lapsing into false sentimentality. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

Based on the novel by Belva Plain, the three-part NBC miniseries Evergreen covered a time span from 1909 to 1959. The story begins in New York's Lower East Side with the arrival of Polish-Jewish immigrant Anna (Lesley Ann Warren). At first employed as a humble seamstress, Anna is whisked into a whole new world when she becomes the wife of the enterprising Joseph Friedman (Armand Assante), who eventually becomes a wealthy Westchester contractor. Even so, Anna's heart belongs to Paul Lerner (Ian Shane), the son of the prosperous Fifth Avenue family which employs her relatives. In 1918, Anna gives birth to Paul's daughter, allowing Joseph to believe that he is the father. The secret surrounding Anna's child will lead to a daunting and frequently heartbreaking chain of events, culminating decades later in the newly formed state of Israel, where Anna's grandson Eric hopes to "find himself" -- and ends up finding more than he bargained for. Also in the cast was Richard Burton's daughter, Kate Burton, as the wealthy Gentile wife of Anna and Joseph's son Maury (Tony Soper), a woman whose very presence causes a near-irreparable rift in an already fragmented family unit. Running a total of six hours, Evergreen originally aired on February 24, 25, and 26, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on Kate Chopin's moving novel The Awakening, and set in the early 1900s, this drama chronicles the struggle of a young wife to escape the oppressing conventions of society and live life to the fullest. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

When one of the twin babies of Madeline and Bill Estes (Tyne Daly, Robert Ginty) dies under mysterious circumstances, the initial evidence points to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. But thanks to a small but criticial error in the coroner's office, Dr. Bob Gage (Jonathan Segal) suspects thar Madeline Estes actually murdered his child--and before long, even Madeline's husband Bill thinks that she's guilty. Can Quincy (Jack Klugman) come to the rescue before another tragic blunder occurs? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

NBC correspondent Betty Rollin's book about her own mastectomy, First You Cry, was adapted for television by Carmen Culver. Mary Tyler Moore plays Ms. Rollins, who discovers after her breast surgery that her "loving" husband (Anthony Perkins) is a cad who can't withstand the pressure of living with a woman in dire need of emotional support. Thankfully, Ms. Rollins is able to begin a new life with the tender, compassionate man (Richard Crenna) who's loved her all along. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is just as simplistic as its romantic angle. Despite Mary Tyler Moore's consummate performance, First You Cry (originally telecast November 8, 1978) is better read than seen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An unsubtle but effective TV-movie satire of the "Miss America" syndrome, Great American Beauty Contest stars Joanna Cameron as a fire-breathing feminist who enters the contest of the title. She plans to win the crown, then utterly destroy the contest by delivering a scathing attack on exploitation and sexism instead of an acceptance speech. A subplot concerns contest judge Louis Jourdan, who uses his position to extract sexual favors from the more desperate contestants. Eleanor Parker, the girls' chaperone, gives Jourdan his comeuppance in the film's most satisfying sequence. We won't spoil the twist ending, but we will note that one of the contestants is played by Farrah Fawcett, whose specialty is an endearingly ridiculous belly dance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A man who can't stop looking at other women finds that it might cost him his marriage in this farcical comedy. William and Lisa Alren (Richard Benjamin and Joanna Shimkus) are a young married couple whose relationship has begun to go stale. Bored and looking for diversion, William begins spying playfully on the sexual habits of their neighbors and watching attractive women passing by; while his voyeurism falls short of criminal activity, it doesn't sit at all well with Lisa. Eventually, she becomes so troubled by William's roving eye that she leaves their home and moves in with her sister Nan (Elizabeth Ashley), a harridan who has verbally browbeaten her attorney husband Chester (Adam West) into submission. At Nan's insistence and with Chester's help, Lisa begins divorce proceedings against William, but he tries to convince her to give him another chance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Milton Berle is both guest star and cowriter of this episode, which was clearly inspired by the rantings of provocative TV talkshow host Joe Pyne. Playing completely straight, Berle is cast as vituperative TV personality Ross Howard, who hopes to parlay both his war record and his media notoreity into a political career. Not surprisingly, Howard has made dozens of enemies throughout his career, one of whom begins sending him death threats. Despite his distate for Howard's tactics, Ironside (Raymond Burr) agrees to protect the man from his unknown would-be murderer--a difficult assignment that becomes even more so when Howard's alcoholic wife is killed by a car bomb. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lisa Brisson (Patricia Barry) is determined to get three-fourths of her husband Joe's (J.D. Cannon) fortune when she sues him for divorce. To this end, Lisa hires a private eye to collect evidence of Joe's crooked real-estate dealings. At the same time, Joe persuades Lisa's heavily-in-debt former boyfriend, Bobby (Geoffrey Horne), to murder Lisa in exchange for a huge sum of money. Somehow or other, these various cross-purposes entangle in an ironic finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi