J. C. Kenny Movies
- 2005
Although the made-for-cable drama Widow on the Hill was based on a true story, the film bears a strong resemblance to the 1947 Joan Crawford theatrical feature Possessed. Natasha Henstridge stars as Linda Dupree, an ambitious hospice nurse who marries Hank Cavanaugh (James Brolin), the very wealthy widower of one of Linda's former patients. Hank enrages his grown daughters by quickly installing Linda in the family's luxurious Virginia mansion, and even more so when he gives his new wife the most precious possessions of his former spouse. Not long afterward, Hank himself falls seriously ill and dies, leaving Linda one of the richest women in Virginia -- and also arousing suspicions that she not only knocked off Hank, but his first wife as well! More questions than answers are offered in this heavy-breathing melodrama, which made its Lifetime network debut on January 24, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natasha Henstridge, James Brolin, (more)
Nick Hornby's acclaimed memoir about one man's struggle to balance his love of a woman and his love for soccer was the basis of a well-reviewed British film in 1997, and now gets a Americanized rewrite with this picture, in which the game is changed from soccer to baseball. Ben (Jimmy Fallon) is a high-school teacher who meets Lindsay (Drew Barrymore), who has a successful career in business. Ben and Lindsay don't appear to have much in common on the surface, but they hit it off and are soon involved in a serious romance. But when spring rolls around, Lindsay becomes aware of the true love of Ben's life -- the Boston Red Sox. Despite the team's lamentable record, Ben has been a fiercely loyal Red Sox fan since childhood, and Lindsay finds it hard to compete with his passion for baseball, while Ben is forced to choose between the obsessions of his youth and the enthusiasms of a responsible adult. Fever Pitch was shot in part in Boston during the 2004 baseball season, which to the surprise of the filmmakers saw the Red Sox winning baseball's world series for the first time since 1918. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, (more)
This action-packed remake of the John Carpenter classic tells the tale of an under-manned Detroit police precinct on its last day of operation that finds itself under siege by a ruthless force that will not stop. This time, a notorious cop-killer and mobster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishbourne) is unexpectedly brought into the precinct during a blizzard on New Year's Eve, much to the dismay of police sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke). By nightfall, the remaining cops and prisoners find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of rogue cops intent on taking down Bishop before he testifies against them in the courtroom. Now it's up to the officers, secretaries, and inmates on the inside to band together just to survive this one night. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, and Brian Dennehy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
- 2002
Legendary country singer Willie Nelson) is accused of murdering his crooked road manager Sonny Cross (David Anderson). Asked by Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) to investigate, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) has trouble upholding his objectivity: it seems that Nelson was the favorite performer of Monk's late wife Trudy. Alas, it looks bad for Willie, thanks to evidence provided by a blind woman named Wendy Mass (Jackie Richardson). Meanwhile, Monk's assistant Sharona (Bitty Schram) finds a new boyfriend named Jason--who has a very curious (and highly antisocial!) hobby. Without giving away the ending, it can be noted that the episode's highlight is the climactic guitar-and-clarinet duet between Willie Nelson and Tony Shalhoub. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Not long after the wife of former San Francisco Police Commissioner Harry Ashcombe (John Bourgeois) disappears, the woman's body, buried in a mudslide, is located by self-styled psychic Dolly Flint (Linda Kash). Recognizing Dolly as a notorious con artist, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) has trouble accepting the "miracle" of finding the body--and he also doesn't believe that Mrs. Ashcombe died accidentally. The solution to the mystery may well be in the hands of Aschombe's mistress Jennifer Zeppetelli (Jenny Levine)...and may also hinge on the fact that Dolly Flint is a narcoleptic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Apparently suffering from a mid-life crisis that causes moments of bizarre whimsy, billionaire computer executive Sidney Teal (J.C. McKenzie) pulls a gun and attempts to rob a couple outside a restaurant--and is killed in the process. Though beset with financial problems, and facing the possible loss of his trusted nurse Sharona (Bitty Schram), Monk (Tony Shalhoub)agrees to investigate Teal's death, and the reasons behind it. Perhaps the answer can be gleaned from the two people whom the dead man mugged...or perhaps the solution is in the hands of Officer Moretta (Jonathan Rannells) the cop at the crime scene who inexplicably ran away before back-up arrived--and hasn't been seen since. (Note: the scene in which Monk discusses clues pertaining to the earlier death of his wife with writer Kelly Street [Mary Black] was actually filmed for, but removed from, Monk's two-hour pilot episode). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A ride on a Ferris wheel proves fatal to police informant John Gitomer (Rob Stefaniuk)--and may also destroy the career of Adam Kirk (Stephen McHattie), a "loose cannon" police detective who is the prime suspect in Gitomer's murder. Kirk's former partner Lt. Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) asks Monk (Tony Shalhoub) to investigate the situation, a job that Monk takes on despite his intense dislike of Kirk and his deadly fear of heights. The trail of clues leads to a dance club, a secret phone number, and a campaign of terror conducted from a prison cell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
