Aaron Staton
- 2008
Fifteen New Yorkers head out for a night on the town that has unexpected consequences in this independent ensemble drama. Larry (Bill Sage) is a record company executive who is dating Mia (Maria Zyrianova), a beautiful model several years his junior, though he's also been sleeping with Emily (Holley Fain), his personal assistant. On Emily's suggestion, Larry goes out to a trendy club to see a promising local band fronted by Angelina (Donnamarie Recco) and Leroy (Aaron Staton); the two are also a couple offstage, but their relationship is on its last legs. When not singing, Angelina serves drinks at the club, and one of her regular customers, an actor named Greg (Christian Campbell), has finally worked up the nerve to ask her out on a date. Also at the club with romance on her mind is Michelle (Paola Mendoza), who is finally meeting Jack (Michael Muhney) after weeks of chatting on an internet dating site; however, Michelle's jealous former boyfriend (Billy Lush) is keeping his eye on her. Abby (Merissa Morin) is deeply in love with her boyfriend Marc (Bill Dawes), a bartender at the club, but is surprised to learn that her friend Clarice (Frankie Shaw) also has romantic feelings for her. And Wendy (Melissa Leo), who is older than most of the bar's clientele, finds herself vying for the attentions of both Marc and the more age-appropriate Doug (Robert Clohessy). One Night was an official selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Cahoon, Christian Campbell, (more)
Estranged from his parents by circumstance and nudged toward a foster family, a young boy seeks out his long-lost folks and discovers prodigious musical talent in this family-oriented drama from Disco Pigs director Kirsten Sheridan. In the aftermath of a passionate night together above New York's Washington Square, a charismatic Irish guitarist named Louis (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and a reserved cellist named Lyla (Keri Russell) are forced apart by fate. Despite the fact that they do not remain together, however, their fleeting union has created something amazing that neither could have ever anticipated -- a baby. Unfortunately, just after the child's birth, the mother is misinformed that the infant has died. Cut to 11 years later, when the child, Evan, is living in a Gotham-area boys' home and has developed an acute ability to listen to the sounds of the outside world -- hoping against all hope that his biological mother and father will turn up to claim him, while those in charge try to encourage him to open himself up to the possibility of adoption. Unduly rejecting these bids, Evan runs away into the city. Out on the streets, the child falls into the clutches of a manipulative, untrustworthy street person named Wizard (Robin Williams), who renames Evan "August Rush" and opens the boy up to the depth and breadth of his own musical talent even as he smells the opportunity to grow rich off of the foundling. Meanwhile, Evan/August's hope persists that he will be reunited with his folks, and Louis and Lyla, unable to forget their initial night of love, feel themselves being drawn back together by fate. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, (more)
- 2005
When HIV-positive teenager Lisa Downey (Janae Kram) is found murdered, it is revealed that she was carrying her older cousin Allison's ID. Unbeknownst to her family, Lisa had been living a double life as a hooker and porn-film actress, making her connections via the internet. After several suspects are questioned and released, the SVU teams is convinced that they've found their murderer--only to be thrown for a loop when he turns up dead, along with another teenage hooker. This episode is capped with a bravura performance by future Heroes costar Hayden Panettiere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
