Jane Lynch Movies
Writer, actress, and comedian Jane Lynch is a slim six-feet-tall and usually wears her blonde hair cropped in a pixie cut. Born in Illinois, she went to a public university and got her M.F.A. in theater from Cornell. Her extensive theater background involved touring with the Second City comedy troupe and playing Carol Brady in The Real Live Brady Bunch. She also wrote and starred in the award-winning play Oh Sister, My Sister. Originally produced in 1998, the play kicked off the Lesbians in Theater program at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in 2004. Lynch's other stage credits include Tales of the Lost Formicans, Ennui, and Waiting for Iggy. She made her film debut in 1988 with a small role in the body-switching comedy Vice Versa. On television, she was in the Lifetime movie In the Best Interest of the Children and made numerous guest appearances on sitcoms. After some meager roles in Straight Talk, The Fugitive, and Fatal Instinct, she had the good fortune to join Christopher Guest's gang of improvisational comic actors. Her breakthrough role was butch Christy Cummings, the personal dog handler to trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) in the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show. Over the next two years, she played a government agent in the action movie Collateral Damage, a sarcastic nurse in the ABC medical comedy MDs, and a 1940s-style receptionist in the TNT movie The Big Time. In 2003, she reunited with the cast from Best in Show for the musical spoof A Mighty Wind. She performed her own music in the role of Laurie Bohner, the former porn star and member of the New Main Street Singers. In 2004, Lynch appeared in Sleepover, Little Black Boot, and The Californians. Over the course of the next few years, Lynch remained one of the comedy world's best kept secrets while getting steady work in film and television. But that secret wouldn't be kept for long, because in 2009, after essaying a recurring role on the hit Showtime series The L Word, Lynch madea major impression on television viewers as villainous cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on the hit musical series Glee -- a role for which she was awarded both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, (more)
A twentysomething misfit dedicates his life to giving the drummer some, even when the drums are only imaginary, in this comedy written and directed by comic Ari Gold. Power (Gold) grew up in a small mining town in New Mexico, where his father (Michael McKean) always imagined his son would one day join him in digging copper from the earth. But Power has a dream of playing the drums, and since he doesn't have a drum kit, he's become a master of "air drums," flailing his arms in the manner of Neil Peart or Keith Moon against a huge but nonexistent set of traps. Power's desire to become the world's greatest air drummer doesn't earn him much respect at home, so he travels to Mexico, where he learns of an air-drumming competition in Newark, NJ. Power hits the road for the garden state and meets Carlos (Steven Williams), a master air drummer who becomes his guide in the art of not really playing. Power also gets some much-needed encouragement from Annie (Shoshannah Stern), a sweet born-again girl living upstairs from him. But when Power learns that his father back home is leading a strike to save jobs for the employees at the local copper mine, winning the title becomes a matter of defending the honor of his family and his hometown, and he dedicates himself to defeating arrogant country music star Dallas Houston (Adrien Grenier), who is favored to win. Adventures of Power also stars Jane Lynch, Travis Johns, and Jimmy Jean-Louis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ari Gold, Michael McKean, (more)
Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are back in director Tim Hill's computer-animation/live-action hybrid following the further adventures of the world's most adorable singing trio. Songwriter Dave Seville (Jason Lee) has been struggling to gain recognition in the music industry for some time, and despite the fact that his former college roommate (David Cross) is now a high-profile powerbroker at Jett Records, Dave still can't manage to get a break. Things soon start to look up, however, when Dave discovers three singing chipmunks hiding out in the branches of a Christmas tree in Jett Records' world headquarters. Realizing that these woodland crooners cold prove to be his ticket to the big time, Dave does his best to transform Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) into the next great pop sensation. As adorable and talented as they may be, though, these bouncy little critters aren't quite domesticated just yet; they still have a wild streak in them a mile wide, and it isn't long before Dave's life, home, and career are in utter chaos. But staying mad at such lovable little creatures is next to impossible, no matter what kind of mischief they might get into. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Lee, David Cross, (more)
Prepare for plenty of music, lots of dancing, and even a little magic in this reworking of the Cinderella legend featuring High School Musical star Drew Seeley as a young Prince Charming in search of the ideal girl. It's never easy being the new kid in school, but young Joey (Seeley) is determined to make the most of his new surroundings. If only he were to find a pretty girl who was willing to teach him the ropes around his new high school, Joey could finally stop fretting about fitting in. Perhaps Mary (Selena Gomez) is just such a girl, though this Cinderella is more likely to waltz in a new pair of dancing shoes than a pair of glass slipper. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Selena Gomez, Drew Seeley, (more)
Taunted by their classmates since grade school and never quite able to escape the culturally suffocating confines of their homogenized Midwestern hometown, a pair of small-town misfits make a break for the big city in this comedy from director Lorene Machado. Celeste (Margaret Cho) is an overweight, Korean, former goth-punk whose best pal since childhood has been queeny African-American Bam Bam (Bruce Daniels). Now in their early thirties and curious to explore the outside world, Celeste and Bam Bam catch wind of a reality television makeover show that's in search of a challenge. Convinced that they are the perfect candidates and encouraged by the show's booking assistant (Alan Cumming) to make the trip, the pair pack up the car and set their sights on New York City. Upon arriving in the Big Apple for their television debut, Celeste and Bam Bam find their moment in the spotlight threatened by a former high school nemesis turned posh salon owner assigned to perform makeover duties on the peculiar pair. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Margaret Cho, Bruce Daniels, (more)
After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the Waiting for Guffman cast also appear in Best in Show, including Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Lewis Arquette. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, (more)
This action-adventure, that features a terrorist plot from The Fugitive (1993), saw its October 2001 release date moved back four months as a result of real-life terrorist attacks on the United States. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Gordon Brewer, a Los Angeles firefighter who witnesses the deaths of his wife and child, innocent victims of a terrorist attack on a motorcade carrying Colombian dignitaries. Responsibility for the deadly explosion belongs to Claudio "The Wolf" Perrini (Cliff Curtis), a terrorist and rebel in Colombia's decade-long civil war. When times passes with no suspect being brought to justice, Brewer rejects the advice of FBI agent Peter Brandt (Elias Koteas) and travels to the jungles of Colombia to find and take revenge upon his family's murderer himself. Encountering a complex web of death squads, right-wing military officials, guerrillas, terrorists and drug-lords, Brewer is aided in his dangerous quest by an unlikely ally, the beautiful Selena Perrini (Francesca Neri), his quarry's wife. Collateral Damage (2002) co-stars John Leguizamo and John Turturro. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elias Koteas, (more)
You don't necessarily need arms and legs to boogie with the best, as evidenced in this playful tale of an adventurous worm who strives to keep the insect world dancing to the funky sounds of classic disco. Barry is an optimistic invertebrate at the bottom of the food chain. Just when it starts to seem that Barry will wind up working a desk job at the local compost industry, his father gives him an old box of office supplies with a vintage disco record buried deep inside. From the moment those first notes hit his ears, Barry's body starts to move and he's completely hooked. This is his ticket to a more exciting life, and if he can assemble a band in time they may have a shot at winning the upcoming annual song contest. Just as Barry sets out in search of some talented musicians, however, the contest organizers inform him that worms are ineligible to compete. Undaunted, Barry continues his efforts to form a band that isn't afraid of the funk. Just as the band begins to get in the groove, tragedy strikes and they are scooped out of the ground and prepared to be sold as live bait. Now, with his band in a vending machine and his future as the king of disco on the line, Barry must summon the courage to keep boogie fever alive despite the fact that the odds are stacked overwhelmingly against him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Frodin, Trine Dyrholm, (more)
A young woman learns important lessons about family and communication while making friends with a group of dolphins in this drama. Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) is a troubled teenager who has been feeling at odds with the world since the death of her mother, the only parent she has ever known. Alyssa's grandmother Lucy (Katharine Ross) has been looking after her, but when the girl becomes more than Lucy cares to deal with, she sends Alyssa off to spend some time with her father, Hawk (Adrian Dunbar). Hawk is a marine biologist living in the Bahamas, where he's involved in a major research project involving dolphins, and he has neither the time nor the inclination to bond with his long-lost daughter. Alyssa is no more happy to see Hawk than he is to see her, and Hawk is on edge as his funding for the project is about to be pulled. But Alyssa finds a supportive friend in Tamika (Christine Adams), Hawk's girlfriend, and as Alyssa learns to enjoy life along the idyllic Bahamian coast, she develops a strong connection with the dolphins, which not only helps her father with his work but brings her closer to her long lost dad. Eye of the Dolphin also features Jane Lynch, George Harris and Christopher Harrod. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carly Schroeder, Adrian Dunbar, (more)
- 2006
- Add Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema to Queue Add Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema to top of Queue
Gay, lesbian, and transgender filmmakers, actors, and critics explore the history of queer cinema in this made-for-cable documentary. Eschewing any overarching narration, co-directors Lesli Klainberg and Lisa Ades illustrate archival footage and film clips with dozens of interviews. They also provide timelines and factoids to punctuate the discussion of specific eras. Although the background material and the interviewees allude to the subtext of Hollywood classics, the bounty of world cinema, and the history of experimental film, the focus remains squarely on the American independent movement, from the 1960s underground through the New Queer Cinema of the early '90s to the post-Brokeback Mountain landscape of 2006. Interview subjects range from cultural commentator Michael Musto and actors Alan Cumming and Jane Lynch to directors John Cameron Mitchell, Jennie Livingston, and Randy Barbato. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema made its bow July 16, 2006, on the Independent Film Channel. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Todd Haynes, Ang Lee, (more)
- 2002
In this follow-up to the "Road to Rhode Island" episode, Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) sees a commercial for "Kiss-Stock" while watching "Kiss Forum" on Rhode Island Public Access. He decides that since he and Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) have always been huge fans of the group, they'll go to the festival, leaving Brian (MacFarlane) to look after Stewie (MacFarlane). Stewie, who has grown obsessed with the BBC children's program, "Jolly Farm Revue," immediately runs away from home. He's decided to take up residence at Jolly Farm. He sneaks onto a plane with a British family, and as Brian arrives to bring him back home, the plane takes off. To make matters worse, Stewie has gotten on the wrong plane, and the pair end up in the Middle East. Stuck with no money and no way home, Stewie and Brian perform a musical number to distract a merchant so they can steal a camel. They also steal a hot air balloon, have an encounter with the Pope, and visit a hash bar in Amsterdam before Stewie reaches Jolly Farm, which is not everything he dreamt of. Meanwhile, at "Kiss-Stock," Lois brings shame upon Peter when he learns that she doesn't know the words to "Rock & Roll All Nite." This episode features the voices of Andy Dick, Jon Favreau, Lauren Graham, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, and Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
Fatal Instinct is an Airplane-style spoof of the late-'80s, early-'90s cycle of erotic crime thrillers. Setting the plot in motion is a kinky murder. Armand Assante plays the cop assigned to the case; he's also the prosecuting attorney; the "Sharon Stone" part is essayed by Sean Young. A dash of Body Heat is thrown in the pot as Assante's wife Kate Nelligan plots her hubby's demise. Tony Randall has a bit as a judge, while the film's semi-mocking jazz score is provided by Clarence Clemmons -- who shows up on screen to toot his sax at various crucial plot junctures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
This collegiate farce directed by Theo Avgerinos had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. After a party thrown by his roommate, Coleman (John Hensley), violates their dorm-room probation, college freshman (at a thinly veiled New York University) Darren (Lou Taylor Pucci) loses his scholarship money and scrambles to raise the funds by selling 50 ecstasy pills given to him as an apology by Coleman over the course of a hectic day. While loading the pills off on fellow college students, friends, family, and Coleman's customers -- including a dominatrix named Petunia (Monica Keena) and an insanely off-kilter stock trader (Eddie Kaye Thomas) -- Darren must also finish a paper on Dante's Inferno, deal with his parents (Jane Lynch and John Kapelos) in New Jersey, who think he's gay, elude the mysterious Soul Man (Ron Yuan), and try to convince his crush, Grace (Kristen Bell), that he's not a sleazy drug dealer. Darren's crazy day comes to a head when some stupid but vengeful thugs led by Eduardo (Michael Pena) track down both Coleman and Darren at their dorm while the stock trader shows up looking for more pills. ~ Michael Buening, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lou Taylor Pucci, John Kapelos, (more)
Mockumentary mastermind Christopher Guest turns his satirical eye away from dog shows, small-town theater, and folk music to offer a hilarious take on Hollywood award season in this comedy focusing on trio of actors whose lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry. Jay Berman (Guest) is in the process of directing his first feature film -- an intimate family drama set in the 1940s and detailing the tempestuous reunion of an estranged Jewish family that is reluctantly drawn together to celebrate Purim at the behest of their dying matriarch. The cast soon comes down with an infectious case of award fever when rumors on the Internet claim that "Purim" stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O' Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) may be delivering Oscar-caliber performances. When "Hollywood Now" co-anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) perpetuate the buzz on national television, the entire film crew starts to see stars in their eyes. Subsequently convinced that they have a sleeper hit on their hands, unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) immediately cave to requests from Sunfish Classics president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais) to alter the film so that it may appeal to a larger audience. Now, while "Purim" screenwriters Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) are forced to watch helplessly as their original screenplay is plundered in order to cash in on the positive buzz, awards season draws near and the production takes a most unexpected turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, (more)
- 1996
Batten down the hatches! Frasier's redoubtable ex-wife, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), is back! This time around, Lilith has joined forces with Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in a concerted effort to enroll their son, Frederick (played for the first time by Trevor Einhorn), in Marbury Academy, an exclusive Boston prep school. So determined is the couple to achieve this goal that they have put their Thanksgiving plans "on hold" -- maybe until next year! Paxton Whitehead guest stars as the stuffy headmaster of Marbury, whose interview with Frasier yields surprising results...twice. ~ Rovi
- 2004
Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) doesn't know how to tell the already depressed and confused Joey (Matt LeBlanc) that his agent, Estelle, has died. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) has an opportunity for a new job in Paris, but Ross (David Schwimmer) is anxious to keep her in New York -- even to the point of trying to get her re-hired at Ralph Lauren. And Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) discover that their old nemesis Janice (Maggie Wheeler) may be their new next-door neighbor. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Ireland, Jane Lynch, (more)
An engaged couple discovers just how brutal married life can me when their pre-marital counselors turn out to be a embittered husband and wife who've been quarreling ever since they tied the knot 17 years ago in this screwball comedy starring Jane Lynch and Alexie Gilmore. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Lynch
- 2009
- PG
- Add Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to Queue Add Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to top of Queue
As we rejoin the motley herd from the two previous Ice Age films, Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) nervously pampers his expectant mate, Ellie (Queen Latifah), while his best friend, Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), bristles at the thought of Manny's domesticated existence. Meanwhile, Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) continues to annoy everybody, and Scrat the rock rat is still trying to get that acorn. When Sid accidentally discovers an underground world populated by dinosaurs, he steals three dino eggs so that he, too, can become a "mommy." After the little ones hatch, their real mom comes to retrieve them, and snatches Sid as well, prompting the others to band together yet in order to rescue their friend. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
Nora Ephron adapts Julie Powell's autobiographical book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen with this Columbia Pictures production starring Amy Adams as an amateur chef who decides to cook every recipe in a cookbook from acclaimed celebrity chef Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) in order to chronicle it in a blog over the course of a year. Streep's Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci re-teams with the actress as Child's husband. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, (more)
- 2006
One of the several semi-improvised cable-TV sitcoms of the early 21st century, Lovespring International took place at a high-profile dating service that catered to a Beverly Hills clientele -- even though it was located in faraway Tarzana, CA. Jane Lynch played Victoria Ratchford, the service's very demanding owner and the unofficial host of the show. Others in the cast were Jennifer Elise Cox as Lovespring International's ditzy receptionist, Tiffany; Jack Plotnick as the firm's resident psychologist, Steve Morris; Mystro Clark as videographer Alex Odom; Wendi McLendon-Covey as neurotic matchmaking consultant Lydia; and Sam Pancake as general office factotum Burke, who seemed to exist solely because every show of this nature required at least one closeted gay character. Executive-produced by actor Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Lovespring International joined the Lifetime channel's evening lineup on June 5, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Lynch, Wendi McLendon-Covey, (more)
- 2002
The ad copy for the ABC medical drama MDs promised "doctors who'll bend any rule and take on the system." The series looked and sounded a lot like M*A*S*H, the difference being that it took place in peacetime, and in contemporary San Francisco. William Fichter and John Hannah essayed the Hawkeye and Trapper John counterparts, here named Dr. Bruce Kellerman and Dr. Robert Dalgety. Though chronically irreverent and taking special delight in bucking bureaucracy and red tape at every opportunity, the two protagonists also happened to be brilliant and dedicated surgeons, investing an emotional interest in virtually all their patients ("Come on, you're not gonna die on me today!"). In its efforts to sustain a staunchly anti-HMO stance, the series admittedly stacked the deck a bit by drawing virtually all of its authority figures in broad, almost caricatured strokes: For example, Kellerman and Dalgety's chief nemesis was Mission General Hospital's bean-counting new administrator Pangborn (Leslie Stefanson), who had previously managed a theme park and who fainted at the sight of blood. MDs premiered September 25, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Fichtner, John Hannah, (more)
Second generation hotel cleaner Vincent Van Metcalf (Phillip Vaden) struggles to salvage his relationship with his manager while fighting to save the hotel from being demolished by a scheming real-estate developer. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Phillip Vaden, Amanda Walsh, (more)
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