Hugh Maguire Movies

Frequent TV-movie costars Stephanie Zimbalist and Gregory Harrison are teamed once more in Breaking the Silence. Harrison plays a lawyer defending a teenager (Chris Young) accused of murdering his father. As the boy details a lengthy history of abuse at the hands of his father, Harrison flashes back to his own miserable childhood. Zimbalist costars as Harrison's law partner (and former lover), who must not only contend with mounting an adequate defense for their client, but also must come to grips with her bitter childhood memories. Breaking the Silence first aired January 14, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hoping to curry favor with Daniel Collier (Peter Hansen), chairman of the board of the corporation that owns Cheers, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) and the staff cater a party for Collier. As humiliating as it is for Rebecca to play "serving wench," it is even more appalling when she accidentally breaks a valuable vase. Gallant Woody (Woody Harrelson) takes the blame for the damage -- with surprising results. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hospitalized for appendicitis, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) is miffed when none of the Cheers gang pays him a visit. Figuring that his abrasive personality has driven away his friends, Cliff returns to the bar a newer, kinder, gentler man. Once they've gotten over the shock of this transformation, Cliff's chums begin to miss the obnoxious blowhard they all know so well. Meanwhile, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) braces for an interview with a Boston lifestyles magazine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, Carla (Rhea Perlman) falls hard for Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas), star goalie of the Boston Bruins hockey team. Alas, the romance nearly ends before it begins, thanks to a violent hockey brawl inadvertently caused by Frasier (Kelsey Grammer). Meanwhile, Diane (Shelley Long) is appointed jury foreperson in a trial involving attempted-murder charges brought by a wife against her husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bride-to-be Diane (Shelley Long) deliberately spoils Sam's bachelor party by arranging to pop out of the cake. After a subsequent argument, Diane generously acknowledges that Sam (Ted Danson) should be allowed one final fling before plunging into matrimony. Thus, she gives him all of 24 hours to sow the last of his wild oats. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Carla (Rhea Perlman) is none too thrilled that she is about to become a grandmother. Hoping to get Carla out of her funk, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) throw her a teenage-style slumber party. Alas, the festivities do nothing to improve Carla's mood -- until Cliff (John Ratzenberger) saves the day with a bit of unexpected slapstick that brings out the little kid in everyone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Learning that developers want to bulldoze his mother's house to make room for a mini-mall, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) circulates a petition to prevent this architectural catastrophe. One neighborhood resident who refuses to sign is Cliff's mom (Frances Sternhagen) herself, who eagerly looks forward to the money she'll receive in exchange for the family house. Elsewhere, the Cheers gang is desperate to ascertain the origin of Rebecca's (Kirstie Alley) college nickname: "Backseat Becky." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Poised to marry Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) looks forward to one final "madcap night of debauchery and vomiting" at his bachelor party. Instead, Frasier is plunged into the depths of despair when the stripper hired for the party turns out to be one of his patients. Meanwhile, Lilith's bridal shower turns into a highly combustible affair. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It took some doing to persuade the staunchly Catholic Bing Crosby to play a happy-go-lucky priest in Going My Way; luckily he acquiesced, winning an Academy Award in the process. Crosby is cast as Father Chuck O'Malley, newly arrived at rundown, heavily in debt St. Dominic's Church. Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald), the cranky, set-in-his-ways curate of St. Dominic's, is none too pleased with O'Malley's breezy, "modernistic" methods. Fitzgibbon is content to adhere to the policies he has followed for nearly 45 years. Without overtly challenging Fitzgibbon's authority (he likes the old buzzard, and the feeling is mutual), O'Malley sets about to win the confidence of the local street toughs, organizing the boys into an angelic church choir. He also forestalls the plans of St. Dominic's mortgage holder Ted Haines (Gene Lockhart) to evict Fitzgibbons by arranging a fundraising choir tour, to be headlined by O'Malley's childhood friend, opera star Genevieve Linden (Rise Stevens). When he's not coming to the rescue of St. Dominic's, O'Malley is smoothing the path of romance for Haines' son (James Brown) and orphaned Carol James (Jean Heather), and arranging for a reunion between Fitzgibbons and his nonagenarian Irish mother. There is sentiment by the bucketful in Going My Way, but director Leo McCarey sagaciously tempers the treacle with moments of genuine hilarity and several delightful (and seemingly spontaneous) musical interludes. In addition to Crosby, Oscars went to Barry Fitzgerald, Leo McCarey, screenwriters Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, and Burke and Van Heusen's song hit "Swingin' On a Star." Bing Crosby repeated his father O'Malley characterization in McCarey's 1945 sequel The Bells of St. Mary's. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Maggie (Joanna Kerns) receives a major promotion at Channel 19, at the same time that Jason (Alan Thicke) is offered a prestigious new downtown practice. Trouble is, the couple has agreed that at least one parent must stay home to raise the children while the other works. Jason is confident that the kids don't need his help anymore, but a series of catastrophes quickly dispell this notion. Meanwhile, Maggie's future at Channel 19 is jeopardized when the idiotic "improvements" by the station's new PR firm seriously challenge her integrity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A retired CIA spy and a fledgling FBI agent team up to investigate the murder of a U.S. senator and catch a notorious killer in this high-stakes political thriller starring Richard Gere and Topher Grace. Back when he was an active operative, Paul Shepherdson (Gere) devoted his every waking minute to capturing "Cassius" -- an elusive Soviet hitman with a spectral reputation. Decades later, Shepherdson believes that Cassius has been taken out of the game. But when a U.S. senator is assassinated and all evidence links the killing to Cassius, Shepherdson's former boss Tom Highland (Martin Sheen) convinces his old operative to investigate. Meanwhile, FBI agent Ben Geary (Grace) becomes positively certain that the high-profile murder is the work of the notorious Soviet hatchet man, and begins working with Shepherdson to crack the case. Now, in order to learn their target's true identity, Shepherdson and Geary must first revisit the entire case from top to bottom. In the process, the two determined men uncover a clue that indicates Cassius may not, in fact, be the prime suspect that the government has been chasing for decades, but instead the last person anyone ever expected. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Teri Austin guest stars as Shannon Moss, a former girlfriend of Brian Hackett (Steven Weber). Having previously been burned romantically by Shannon, Brian insists that he will not be enmeshed in her web again -- but he does, much to the dismay of Joe (Tim Daly) and Helen (Crystal Bernard). This time, however, it seems as though Brian has cast a spell of love over Shannon, rather than the other way around. The truth comes out in the final scene, along with a laundry list of pent-up emotions and hostilties. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi