Kyle MacLachlan Movies
Born in 1959, Washington native Kyle MacLachlan, among other things, claims to be a descendent of the legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach. However, unlike his very distant relative, MacLachlan made his mark not in music, but in television and film. After performing in a variety of local theater productions throughout his youth -- and acting out scenes from the popular Hardy Boys fiction series in his even younger years -- MacLachlan made his feature-film debut in director David Lynch's adaptation Dune in 1984. This would mark the first of many collaborations with Lynch; in 1986, Lynch cast MacLachlan as a young man shocked at what lies under a small town's picture-perfect facade in Blue Velvet. A year later, MacLachlan starred as an alien FBI agent in The Hidden, Jack Sholder's 1987 cult hit.MacLachlan, however, wouldn't gain true mainstream notoriety until 1989, when David Lynch called upon the young actor to play another FBI agent; this time, he was Special Agent Dale Cooper, who was sent to a small Washington town to investigate the murder of a young girl in ABC's popular but ultimately short-lived prime-time drama, Twin Peaks. The role would earn him two Emmy nominations for Lead Actor in a Drama Series and pave the way for more silver-screen roles, some of which include Ray Manzarek in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991), villain Cliff Vandercave in The Flintstones (1994), and a falsely accused bank clerk in The Trial (1993). MacLachlan offered several relatively well-received starring and supporting performances throughout the mid- to late '90s, and did what he could for his role in Paul Verhoeven's famous 1995 flop, Showgirls.
Luckily, the late '90s to early 2000s were much kinder to MacLachlan. In addition to playing another smooth agent in David Koepp's The Trigger Effect (1996), which some critics claimed was his best performance since Blue Velvet, the actor also was cast as King Claudius in Michael Almereyda's adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. However, it was television that once again made MacLachlan a household name, albeit temporarily. In 2000, he joined the cast of HBO's multiple-award-winning series Sex and the City as Charlotte's (Kristin Davis) mama's boy husband, Trey. In 2003, MacLachlan starred in the Bravo network's popular documentary series, The Reality of Reality. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 2007
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A truly contemporary take on happily ever after, Desperate Housewives takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia, where the secret lives of housewives aren't always what they seem.
- Starring:
- Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, (more)
- 2006
A drug-addled elephant is on the run from people who either want to help him or kill him in this dark computer-animated comedy that is decidedly not for children. Jimmy is a performing elephant who travels with a third-rate Russian circus run by ringmaster Stromowski (voice of Jim Broadbent). Jimmy's minder is a sleazy American expatriate, Roy Arnie (voice of Woody Harrelson), who keeps the nervous beast pacified with regular doses of heroin. Roy has also hidden a large stash of the drug under Jimmy's skin, but Roy's decided he wants out of circus life and plans to sell the dope and go his own way. However, in order to do that he has to put Jimmy out of his misery, and he recruits three stoner buddies -- Odd (voice of Simon Pegg), Gaz (voice of Phil Daniels) and Flea (voice of Jim Simpson) -- to help whack the elephant. However, it seems Roy is also in debt to some gangsters (voices of Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton) who happen to know that he's hidden the drugs in the elephant, and they're aiming to grab Jimmy before Roy and his pals can. As it happens, they're both beaten to the punch by a group of dim-witted animal rights activists led by Marius (voice of Kyle MacLachlan), who liberate Jimmy and the other circus animals, not realizing they've just sent a junkie pachyderm into the wilds as it's going cold turkey, with only a friendly moose for help. Free Jimmy also features the voice talents of Samantha Morton, Emilla Fox and Lisa Maxwell. Though it was produced in Norway, two versions exist, one with a mostly English-cast (referenced above) and one with a mostly Norwegian cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Saelid, Woody Harrelson, (more)
- 2006
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The women of Wisteria Lane are back, and it's time to air some dirty laundry. In the Emmy Award-winning show's sensational third season, the gossip is juicier, the secrets are more scandalous and the revenge is even sweeter. "Desperate Housewives is back," raves The New York Daily News. Experience all 23 tantalizing episodes of Season Three, and get the dish on Susan's new love, Bree's unsettling marriage to Orson (Kyle MacLachlan) and a dangerous new presence living down the lane. Everything will come out in the wash in this spectacular six-disc set. Bubbling over with exclusive bonus features, including a behind-the-scenes look at the season finale and even more secrets straight from the show, this is the sudsiest season yet.
- Starring:
- Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, (more)
- 2006
Debuting January 1, 2006 on ABC, the hour-long crime drama In Justice was clearly inspired by recent instances wherein a number of innocent people sentence to death or life imprisonment had been freed with the help of concerned legal advocacy groups and new DNA evidence. Starring in this series was Kyle MacLachlan as David Swayne, a $650-dollar-per-hour corporate attorney who turned his back on his lucrative practice to create the National Justice Project, funded with $5 million of his own money. Swayne's mission in life was to re-examine old jury verdicts and reopen closed cases in order to give those whom he felt to be wrongly imprisoned a chance for freedom. Swayne and his team of investigators uncovered fresh evidence, persuaded the authorities to re-examine their original conclusions, and in some case actually tracked down the actual perpetrators of the crime at hand. Heading Swayne's team was former cop Charles Conti (Jason O'Mara), who was willing to tolerate the lawyer's many idiosyncracies in the case of justice. Conti's associate investigators included Sonya Quintano (Marisol Nichols), whose own brother had been sprung from prison as a result of the National Justice Project; Jon Lemonick (Daniel Cosgrove, the firm's resident know-it-all; and Brianna (Constance Zimmer), the youngest member of the group. In Justice was created by Michelle King and Robert King. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Jason O'Mara, (more)
- 2004
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A "professional student" lands a truly remarkable job in this witty made-for-TV fantasy adventure. Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is a 30-year-old graduate student who has managed to collect a whopping 22 university degrees; despite his brilliance, shy Flynn seems to have a hard time with the real world, and his mentor at school finally has him expelled so he can start putting his knowledge to work. Things are not much better for him at home, where his mother, Margie (Olympia Dukakis), wants him to meet a nice girl and settle down on his own. Needing a job, Flynn finds an unexpected opening with the New York Metropolitan Library, where Judson (Bob Newhart) and Charlene (Jane Curtin) hire him to look after a special collection. And a very special collection it is -- unknown to the world, the library has been caring for the world's most precious relics, including the Holy Grail, Pandora's Box, the Golden Fleece, the Sword of Excalibur and the Mona Lisa (the real one...turns out the Louvre only has a copy). It isn't long before Flynn learns how dangerous his job can be when he's approached by Lana (Kelly Hu) and Rhodes (David Dayan Fisher), members of a secret underground mob known as the Serpent Brotherhood who happen to know that Flynn is the new guardian of the Spear of Destiny -- and will stop at nothing to take it from him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Noah Wyle, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
- 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
This made-for-television thriller stars Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet, Showgirls) and centers on a small town with a dark secret. MacLachlan is Dennis, a single father who takes his son camping near a rural hamlet. Soon, he discovers that within the tiny burg lies a fountain of youth. However, in addition to the magical spring, there are more chilling skeletons in the town's closet. Alison Eastwood co-stars as a local doctor who falls for Dennis. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Dwayne and Denny Mullet (Michael Weaver, David Hornsby) were a pair of blue-collar, white-trash siblings -- one outspoken, one shy -- who preferred to sport the haircut bearing their family name, and who enjoyed nothing better than hunkering down before the tube to watch the weekly wrestling matches. Equally fond of televised rasslin' was the Mullet boys' brassy, bleach-blonde mom, Mandi (Loni Anderson). But conditions in the Mullet household took a sharp turn toward stuffy "respectability" when Mandi wed Roger Heidecker (John O'Hurley), a prissy, conservative TV game show host. This was the premise of The Mullets, an engagingly silly clash-of-cultures sitcom which made its first UPN appearance on September 11, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Weaver, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
- 2003
Narrated by actor Kyle MacLachlan, the five-part cable miniseries The Reality of Reality investigated the then-current reality show craze. Tracing the genre from its roots in such golden-age TV efforts as Truth or Consequences and The Gong Show, the series offered interviews with the producers of such series as Survivor and Fear Factor, as well as the "celebrities" who emerged from these programs. Additionally, the series slyly revealed that what passed for reality on TV was not always 100 percent authentic -- though there was seldom any outright deception. Individual episode titles included "How Real is Real?," "Behind the Scenes," "America's Instant Idols," "Everything New Is Old," and "Outrageous Worldwide TV." The Reality of Reality was originally telecast from September 8 through 12, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
It's summertime, but that doesn't mean the women of Sex and the City are livin' easy. They've got new loves, new responsibilities, new choices to make, and (oh, yes!) a new baby to deal with - and that equates to a whole new outlook on being single in New York City. Ready or not, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha are headed for uncharted territory on an all-new season of HBO's smash-hit comedy series Sex and the City!
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
Each episode of "Sex and the City" deals with the romantic challenges that single women face when they start seeing the big three oh in the rear view mirror & start finding new suitable mates. These challenges are revealed through the eyes of several friends, each of whom has their own ideas on how to catch Mr. Right. There's Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), who pushed the envelope of dating & sex in the name of journalism; Samantha (Kim Catrall), a PR Executive who has seen (and done) it all; Charlotte (Kristin Davis), an art dealer who believes love conquers all, despite a tottering marriage; & Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), a lawyer now contemplating motherhood.
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
As a number of luminaries on the international fashion scene converge for a major show, their personal and professional crises come to a head in this comedy-drama. Lorenzo Mancini (Paul Sorvino) is an internationally famous designer who has learned he has only a short time to live. As Mancini tries to make his peace with both his ex-wife (Sonia Braga) and his long-time companion (Peter Gallagher), he also tries to mend fences with his son (and heir) Mario (Michael Sorvino) while persuading him to not merge the family business with the hip-hop fashion empire of J.B. (Omar Epps. Anthony (Jared Harris), a famous and influential fashion photographer, is having a career crisis as his marriage to Francene (Michelle Forbes) begins to collapse. Cutting-edge designer Roberta (Rita Wilson) is scrambling to complete her latest line as her underlings start leaving her one by one. Camille (Leslie Mann), Roberta's business partner, may be the next to hit the road, as she becomes involved with Jamie (Jeff Goldblum), who works for a firm run by arch-rival designer Phillip (Harris Yulin). And Janice (Joanne Baron), the editor of a leading fashion journal, is facing a deadline when she gets an unexpected visitor -- her daughter Halley (Michelle Williams), whom she hasn't seen in over a decade. Taking an unusual approach, director Michael Rymer and screenwriter L.M. Kit Carson wrote a detailed outline for Perfume and in-depth background sketches for all the characters, but allowed the cast to improvise all the dialogue used in the film. Perfume had its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanne Baron, Angela Bettis, (more)
This science fiction thriller is set in a future where new technology allows travelers to save time and effort by transporting their minds into a body waiting at their chosen destination. However, a public relations man learns of the potential dangers of this new service when his body is taken over by a bloodthirsty terrorist in the midst of a journey, and the innocent man has to battle to get himself back -- or otherwise be stranded without a body. XChange stars Stephen Baldwin, Kyle MacLachlan, and Kim Coates; it was directed by Allan Moyle, whose previous credits include the acclaimed teen drama Pump Up the Volume. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
- 2000
While on a vacation in the Pacific Northwest, widower Nick Conway (Kyle McLachlan) and his son Dennis (Joseph Cross) are involved in a car accident. Dennis is rushed to the hospital in a strange, remote village called Springdale, where all the residents seem unusually youthful and attractive. As he slowly falls in love with the nurse caring for Dennis, Nick comes to the realization that the town harbors a secret fountain of youth--and that there is ultimately a terrible price to pay for being eternally young. Based on a novel by Clifford Irving, The Spring aired January 16, 2000 on NBC, reportedly as the pilot for a never-produced weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Cross, Kyle MacLachlan, (more)
Sex and the City returns for a third season that is even fresher, funnier and more tastefully dressed than the first two. Join Carrie and her friends Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha as they do weddings, funerals and Bat Mitzvahs, Staten Island, the meat-packing district and the Playboy Mansion. "A-List" celebrity guest appearances include Carrie Fisher, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Hugh Hefner, Donovan Leitch, Matthew McConaughey, Alanis Morissette and Vince Vaughn. So get ready to cross the velvet ropes and enter a world of... Sex and the City.
- Starring:
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, (more)
- 1994
Originally made for cable television, Roswell is an entertaining mix of purported actual events and science fiction. The narrative unfolds primarily in flashbacks as retired Army officer Jesse Marcel (Kyle MacLachlan) attends a reunion of the 509th Bomber Group and tries to come to closure on events that had taken place 30 years earlier. Back in 1947, Major Marcel had been part of a military team that investigated a crash site on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The debris recovered from the site had exhibited some remarkable properties such as being able to repair itself instantly after being cut, suggesting that it might have been of extraterrestrial origin. The military brass had ordered Marcel to go along with their phony story that the material was ordinary metal foil from a weather balloon, and he had reluctantly complied. By the time of the 1977 reunion, Marcel is suffering from a terminal illness, and he feels compelled to try to find out what had really happened at Roswell all those years ago. MacLachlan gives an effective performance, particularly when he portrays Marcel as an older man trying to understand his past. Evocative location shooting in the American Southwest adds cinematic impact. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Martin Sheen, (more)
Made for cable TV, Against the Wall represents filmmaker John Frankenheimer's return to the small screen. This in-your-face reenactment of the 1971 Attica prison riots is jam-packed with political and sociological implications. Refreshingly, none of the participants -- the prisoners, the guards, the high-profile mediators, the New York powers-that-be-are rendered in strictly good-guy or bad-guy terms by screenwriter Ron Hutchinson. Anyone old enough to have witnessed the original live TV coverage of the riot, however, will be able to discern who was truly responsible for its tragic outcome. While the 1971 TV-movie Attica was told from a journalist's point of view, Against the Wall is filtered through the eyes of idealist young prison guard Kyle MacLachlan. Director Frankenheimer (who in 1962 helmed the vastly different prison picture Birdman of Alcatraz)stage-manages the proceedings with his usual aplomb, though he uncharacteristically leans towards B-flick melodrama in some scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Samuel L. Jackson, (more)
