Tessa Thompson Movies

2008  
PG13  
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Grindhouse star Mary Elizabeth Winstead headlines the dance-themed picture Make It Happen -- a bleak drama about a small-town girl who migrates to the Windy City, where she hopes to build a career as a respected dancer. Instead, her life spirals hopelessly downward and she ends up working at a burlesque club to pay the bills and support herself. Scribe Duane Adler -- known for such dance-themed pictures as Step Up and Save the Last Dance -- authored the script; Darren Grant (Diary of a Mad Black Woman) directs. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Mary Elizabeth WinsteadTessa Thompson, (more)
2007  
 
Originally titled Palm Springs, the CW teen-angst series Hidden Palms would seem to have been a bid by producer-creator Kevin Williamson to replicate the success and appeal of his earlier TV hit Dawson's Creek. The series also served to reunite two former stars of the similar series The O.C., Taylor Handley and Michael Cassidy. Handley was cast as rebellious high schooler Johnny Miller, who after witnessing his dad's suicide and spending a lot of time in rehab, was relocated by his mother Karen (Gail O'Grady) and his stepdad Bob (D.W. Moffett) to one of the wealthier sections of Palm Springs, California. During an inordinately troublesome period of adjustment, Johnny made the acquaintance of Cliff Wiatt (Handley), a handsome preppie with a pronounced "dark side." Along the way, our hero dallied with Greta Matthews (Amber Heard), whose gorgeousness was counterbalanced by her weirdness, and with Nikki Barnes (Tessa Thompson), another misfit fresh out of rehab. Also carrying a torch for Johnny was the community's resident science nerd Liza Witter (Ellery Porterfield), who spent much of her leisure time mixing strange chemicals. Amidst all the raging hormones and intramural romances and rivalries, the cast members managed to get themselve involved in a murder mystery. And oh yes, all the younger characters paraded around in microscopic swimwear (surprise, surprise). Debuting May 30, 2007, Hidden Palms bounced all over the CW nighttime schedule until its cancellation on July 4 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Michael CassidyTaylor Handley, (more)
2006  
 
In the first half of Grey's Anatomy's two-part Season Two finale, Christina (Sandra Oh) is placed in charge of the ER just as several tense situations reach the crisis stage. It looks as if heart-transplant candidate Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) won't survive the night unless George (T.R. Knight) acts quickly; Derek races against time to safe the life of gunshot victim Burke; and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) tries to make a dying girl's dream come true--a particularly poignant moment, in that the girl is his own niece. And on the romantic scene, Callie (Sara Ramirez) demands to know how George really feels about her, while Derek and Addison (Kate Walsh) reach yet another crossroads. In keeping with the "ensemble" feel of this busy episode, the offscreen narration, traditionally the responsibility of Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), is handled by virtually everyone in the cast! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2006  
 
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A pretty college student with mysterious supernatural powers become caught up in an ancient battle between good and evil in the ABC Family Original Movie remake of the 1978 cult classic. Sarah (Mika Boorem) and her twin sister Lindsey (Summer Glau) have always been at odds over Sarah's unexplainable telekinetic powers, but now that the two siblings have enrolled in Temple Hill University they're determined to focus on the future and forget about the past. While at first college life is everything that Sarah and Lindsey ever hoped it would be, their higher education soon grows complicated when both sisters are invited to pledge Alpha Nu Gamma and Pi Epsilon Delta: Temple Hill's oldest and most bitter rivals. Now, before they even take their first midterms, Sarah and Lindsey will be thrust into an ancient battle between good and evil that threatens to consume the entire campus. As the ongoing battle between darkness and light stretches into another semester, Sarah will struggle to master her powers and one sister will be faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Betrayal abounds and danger awaits on the dreaded campus of Temple Hill University. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Mika BooremJennifer Tilly, (more)
2006  
 
In the concluding half of Grey's Anatomy's Season Two finale, Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) appears to have survived his heart transplant, and in the ensuing euphoria he proposes to Izzie (Katherine Heigl)--but we're still some distance removed from a happy ending. Elsewhere, the relationship between Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is soured a bit by the presence of Finn (Chris O'Donnell), while Callie (Sara Ramirez) and George (T.R. Knight) wonder if they can be in lust rather than love; Cristina (Sandra Oh), placed in charge of the ER, nearly suffers a meltdown over the plight of the seriously wounded Burke (Isaiah Washington); and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) arranges a "prom night" for his terminally ill niece. To keep audience interest piqued until the opening episode of Season Three, two life-changing events take place just before fadeout time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2006  
PG13  
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A teenage girl becomes a demented serial killer's prey in this big-budget remake of the 1979 thriller that became a TV late-show favorite. When a Stranger Calls takes its title and basic premise from the original, which -- for its first 15 minutes or so -- featured Carol Kane as a frazzled babysitter plagued by creepy, invasive phone calls. This time around, the doe-eyed Camilla Belle plays Jill Johnson, a high-schooler dealing with the usual set of crises: an unfaithful boyfriend, a bitchy best friend, and an over-the-limit cell phone bill. In order to pay for the latter, her father (Clark Gregg) has committed her to a babysitting gig with a wealthy family. At the isolated, palatial house, Jill settles in for a night of no-stress kid-watching. But it isn't long before someone starts anonymously calling the house with creepy, increasingly specific messages. Jill doesn't rule out anyone, but it becomes clear that whomever it is, he or she is watching her, and may be closer than she even suspects. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Camilla BelleTommy Flanagan, (more)

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