Kate Hewlett Movies
In this offbeat comedy - a U.S./Canadian co-production - Patrick (David Hewlett) is an eccentric and socially inept man who lives alone in his parents' rural Washington state house with just his pet dog, Mars, for company. One of the few members of his family who shows much concern for him is his sister Marilyn (Kate Hewlett, David's real life sibling), and he's delighted when she stops by to pay a visit - a little too delighted, as he feels extremely possessive of her on an almost unhealthy level. Marilyn works as a make-up artist on a science fiction television series, and accompanying her is her fiance, the genial actor Ryan (Paul McGillion) -- a cast member on the same series. Despite Ryan's attempts to get off on good footing, Patrick immediately starts scheming and plotting the young man's murder, but he botches the majority of attempts and frequently only succeeds in injuring himself. When Ryan accidentally dies, Patrick realizes that Marilyn will inevitably blame him for it and read the death as deliberate. He buries the body and cooks up some phony reasons for Ryan's disappearance; problem is, the corpse mysteriously keeps getting exhumed - or does it? It isn't quite clear if what is happening is actually happening or if Patrick is merely hallucinating. Leading man David Hewlett made his directorial debut with A Dog's Breakfast, in addition to writing the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hewlett, Paul McGillion, (more)
Directed by Walter Salles Jr., this remake of Hideo Nakata's supernatural psychological drama Honogurai Mizuno Soko Kara revolves around the plight of a single mother (Jennifer Connelly) whose messy divorce and subsequent battle for the custody of her five-year-old daughter is taking a heavy toll on her emotional well-being. Ultimately, the mother and daughter are able to relocate to an apartment, which, despite its excessively dilapidated interior, seems to be an adequate location for beginning a new life. Before long, however, what appears to be the spirit of a young girl begins to haunt them. No stranger to mental illness, the wary young woman brushes the visions aside as part of the inherent stress of making the transition from housewife to working, single mom. As time goes by and the apparent haunting does not subside, the apartment's new residents are forced to examine the history of its former tenants. Dark Water also features performances from John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, and Dougray Scott. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, (more)
Set largely in England (but filmed in Canada), Four Minutes is the story of Sir Roger Bannister, doctor by profession and runner by preference -- and the first man to run under a four-minute mile. Played by Jamie Maclachlan, Bannister is accurately depicted as a brilliant Oxford medical student, who in the years following WWII gains a reputation as England's fastest runner, but who regards his sports accomplishments as merely an adjunct to his studies, and thus avoids formal athletic training. Only after he fails to win a medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics does Bannister come to realize how important he has become as a morale-booster for a postwar Britain plagued by shortages, rationing, and unemployment. Shouldering this spiritual responsibility, Bannister submits himself to a grueling (but surprisingly scientific) training regimen imposed by disabled ex-athlete Archie Mason (Christopher Plummer). Originally slated for release in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's "great run," Four Minutes was not seen until it was picked by the ESPN2 cable service on October 6, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Maclachlan, Christopher Plummer, (more)
