Valerie Mahaffey Movies

Aspiring 11 year old actress Vanessa (Alice Ziolkoski) and her three, fun-loving best friends savor their last summer before making the leap to middle school while embarking on four inspirational, sun-soaked adventures. As Vanessa prepares for the audition of a lifetime, Lizzie (Meaghan Hughes) welcomes home her wheelchair-bound, war veteran brother; Jess (Sarah Butterworth) contends with the pain of her parents separating; and a heavy secret weighs on the conscience of their new friend Peri (Sydney Fox). Before the summer has ended, all four girls will find the courage and friendship to face any challenge that life throws their way. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A case of mistaken identity turns a love affair upside down in this romantic comedy, the first English-language feature from French director Laurent Firode. Vanessa (Rachael Leigh Cook) is a young woman who is soon to be married, but as her wedding day approaches, she develops something of a wandering eye when it comes to men. Vanessa begins fantasizing about practically every guy she sees, and is driven to distraction by sexual thoughts. Eager to clear her mind, Vanessa stops by a church and confesses her lustful daydreaming to a priest. However, it turns out Vanessa wasn't really talking to a priest, but a carpenter doing repairs at the church. The carpenter quickly becomes infatuated with the attractive young woman with sex on the brain, and he wonders if she might be looking for a way out of her upcoming marriage. However, he also makes the mistake of telling some of his friends about his dilemma, which starts a wave of gossip about Vanessa and her fiancé. My First Wedding also stars Kenny Doughty and Paul Hopkins. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When their young daughter is killed in a tragic car accident, a devastated couple goes to extreme measures to bring love back into their lives in a heart-rending family drama starring Adam LeFevre, Valerie Mahaffey, Mary Beth Hurt, and Bridget Fonda. Chris (LeFevre) and Virginia Hytner (Mahaffey)'s once idyllic world has been shattered by the untimely death of their beloved daughter, and now, in order to let go of the past and find happiness once again, they choose to put their future in the hands of Dr. Amanda Gordon (Hurt) of the Center for Reproductive Medicine. Since Virginia is now over forty and the couple's chances of an uncomplicated pregnancy are slim, they have opted to attempt the unprecedented feat of cloning their deceased daughter. When a minor league reporter looking for a major league story (Fonda) transforms the Hytner's desperation into a sensationalistic headline, the firestorm of controversy that follows forces the couple and their doctor into the underground as it compromises the safety of their unborn child. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this Canadian comedy, Richard (Gil Bellows) departs his office, driving north for a Christmas holiday at the country home of his fiancé Sarah (Kristin Leeman), the daughter of his boss George Billings (Leon Powhall). When his car collapses en route, he arrives instead at a house inhabited by a kooky family. He is subjected to various humiliations and indignities, but amid the madness and general goofiness, he soon finds himself attracted to the clan's sleepwalking Celia (Parker Posey), "the world's greatest hair stylist," causing him to question his planned marriage. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley and Hollywood film festivals. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

New ER chief Amanda Lee (Mare Winningham) continues to display erratic behavior as she fantasizes about a night of torrid sex with Greene (Anthony Edwards). Digging into Lee's past, Greene discovers serious discrepancies in her medical school records -- not to mention a major problem with her "famous" journal article. Elsewhere, Lucy (Kellie Martin) fends off the amorous Dr. Edson (Matthew Glave); Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) dates a policeman; and Weaver (Laura Innes) receives a startling phone call. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Facing serious consequences for illegally prescribing pain medication for ALD patient Ricky Abbott (Kyle Chambers), Ross (George Clooney) is given an ultimatum by Greene (Anthony Edwards). The situation becomes more problematic when Ross forges papers allowing Ricky to be home-treated by his mother, Joi (Valerie Mahaffey). In other developments, Weaver (Laura Innes) thinks she has a line on her biological parents. Nigerian-born janitor Mobalage (Djimon Hounsou) reacts violently when Greene tries to treat the man's back pains. And Romano (Paul McCrane) is promoted despite the sexual-harassment investigation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Joe's obsessive high school classmate Sandy Cooper (Valerie Mahaffey) is back again. She is still carrying a torch for Joe (Tim Daly), and he is still unable to convince anyone that Sandy is a nutcase. The situation so unnerves Joe that he ends up making an appointment with a psychologist -- with startling results. And elsewhere, is it possible that Helen (Crystal Bernard) has been trafficking in poisoned sea food? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this over-the-top comedy, a group of rowdy high-school students -- whose idea of a good time is throwing a wild party at the home of Principal Moss (Matt Frewer) while he's busy at school -- winds up in detention. As punishment, they're instructed to write an essay on what's wrong with America's educational system. The class brain, stuck in detention with the partiers, comes up with a well-written piece that's sent to the president of the U.S. The president is so impressed that he invites the students to Washington, D.C., to speak before Congress. Sen. John Lerman (Lawrence Z. Dane), one of the president's chief rivals, knows the truth about the students, and he seconds the idea of bringing them to Washington, certain that their behavior will embarrass the president. Principal Moss, sex-starved teacher Tracy Milford (Valerie Mahaffey), and drug-addled bus driver Red (Tommy Chong) load the troublemakers onto a bus and hit the road for the nation's capitol -- and mayhem ensues. National Lampoon's Senior Trip was helmed by Kelly Makin, who also directed the TV series Kids in the Hall; Kevin McDonald, a former Kid in the Hall, has a small part as a deranged crossing guard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Made for cable TV, They is based on a story by Rudyard Kipling. Patrick Bergen stars as a paper-pusher who cares more about his business than his family. He is brought up short when his young daughter dies. Deeply regretful that he never got to know the girl, Bergen relies upon blind psychic Vanessa Redgrave to contact his daughter's spirit. "It's just too weird" sighed the reviewer for TV Guide; but who knows, you might get more enjoyment out of it than he did. Originally telecast November 14, 1993, over the Showtime Cable service, They was later reissued as They Watch. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-TV drama, adapted from a book by Vincent Bugliosi, is based on a true story about an ex-cop who deceives and murders a number of women for their life insurance benefits. The video release includes scenes not shown in the original. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Set in a small Maine town in 1883, this made-for-TV production tells the tale of an honest physician's attempt to warn his community about a public hazard that politicians and investors want to hide. The story begins with Thomas Stockman, M.D. (John Glover), who is awaiting results of the university's analysis of a water sample he took from a local spa. The spa promises to bring the town a windfall of tourist dollars, but he suspects that illnesses among the first users of the spa resulted from contaminated water. When the university confirms the presence of "infectious organic matter," Dr. Stockmann proposes to publicize the report and close the spa in order to make improvements that will purify the water. He believes the public will embrace him as a hero for discovering the pollution. But his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (George Grizzard), insists that the spa remain open, calling his brother a niggling busybody who would ruin the town with a false report. Besides, it would cost an enormous sum to rectify the problem. At first, a reform-minded newspaper editor, Hovstad, backs the doctor, saying his report will not only disclose the problem at the spa but will also expose corruption among local power brokers who back the spa. But Hovstad withdraws his support after the mayor tells him the loss of tourism would force merchants to curtail their newspaper advertising. Meanwhile, the townspeople turn against the doctor because the mayor claims the spa improvements would force a substantial tax increase. At a town meeting, almost everyone sides against Dr. Stockmann and agrees to boycott his medical practice. That evening and into the following morning, angry citizens stone the doctor's house as the film moves toward its conclusion. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason and his assistant help a stage manager who is the prime suspect in the murder of the director who recently fired him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi