Aaron Staton Movies
- 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)
Following a first-season finale in which housewife Betty Draper (January Jones) comes to the realization that her ad-exec husband, Don (Jon Hamm), may be having an affair, Season 2 dives headlong into the couple's marital strife. Professionally, Don is flying high as a junior partner and creative director at the Sterling Cooper ad agency, but his home life is rapidly deteriorating. After Betty kicks him out for apparent infidelity, Don moves into a hotel and is only able to see his children with Betty's permission. At Sterling Cooper, the long-simmering power struggle between Don and Herman "Duck" Phillips (Mark Moses) reaches a boiling point, as the impetuous director of account services negotiates a deal with a British firm that he believes will finally give him the upper hand. A subtler power play is made by Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), who seems to have recovered nicely from the shocking birth of her child by married account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser). The product research that Peggy conducted while serving as Don's secretary during Season 1 eventually leads to her promotion as the agency's first female copywriter, and even her own office. Other employees also confront emerging social issues of the day: Creative copywriter Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) breaks social taboos by dating a black woman, while art director Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) secretly struggles with his homosexuality. And romance remains tricky for secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) -- whose doctor fiancé proves controlling and abusive-and her ex, Sterling Cooper partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery), who embarks on yet another extramarital love affair with yet another young secretary. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (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)
The debut season of Matthew Weiner's intense and stylish drama follows the lives of Madison Avenue advertising executives (so-called "Mad Men") in 1960. The series centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the dashing and brilliant creative director for ad agency Sterling Cooper (Season 1 accounts include Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and, appropriately, Lucky Strike, given the cigarettes are smoked in nearly every scene). Don's charms extend well outside of the boardroom and into the bedroom: The married man has a free-spirited lover, Midge Daniels (Rosemarie DeWitt), who's his polar opposite, and a second mistress, Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff), a client whose independence challenges Don's views on women. Don's wife, Betty (January Jones), meanwhile, dutifully fulfills her role as housewife. But when she develops a mysterious ailment that causes her to lose feeling in her hands, she's sent to a psychiatrist to work through her problems. Over at Sterling Cooper, new secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) tries to adjust to life in the boys club with guidance from seen-it-all bombshell secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). Young account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) also has his eyes on Peggy and quickly begins pursuing her, despite his upcoming nuptials. There's even more bad behavior at the office from skirt chasers Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) and Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), loving but imperfect Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) and stuck-in-the-closet art director Sal Romano (Bryan Batt). Partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery) does little to set an example for his employees as he happily indulges in an array of vices and an affair with Joan. Senior partner Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) is mostly out of touch with the staff, preferring to remain within the sanctuary of his giant office. In the midst of this workplace frivolity, Don learns that the picture-perfect life he's created for himself could be threatened by a secret from his past. ~ Brie Hearn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (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
