Dean McDermott Movies

Director C. Jay Cox explores the complex social and sexual landscapes of contemporary America with this heartfelt romantic comedy about a gay male who just discovered that the love of his life is about to tie the knot -- with a woman! Back in high school, Matt (Philipp Karner) and Ryan (James O'Shea ) were more than just best friends. But ten years after graduation, this once-inseparable pair has lost contact. One day, seemingly out of the blue, Matt receives an invitation to Ryan's wedding. Of course, there has been plenty of time for Ryan to develop new relationships in the ten long years since he and Matt last spoke, but the last thing Matt would ever expect is for his former high-school love to fall for a member of the "fairer sex." Convinced that Ryan is about to be taken advantage of by a scheming she-devil, Matt races back to the small hometown he once left behind and prepares to save his true love from a life of marital despair. Upon meeting perky bride-to-be Alex (Tori Spelling), however, Matt slowly begins to understand what it is that Ryan sees in her. Still, Matt can't mess up the opportunity to let the love of his life slip through his fingers, and ultimately decides to come clean about his true feelings for Ryan. Trouble is, Ryan views his romance with Matt as nothing more than a high school fling. As the wedding day draws near and long-buried emotions begin to bubble to the surface, Matt realizes that his feelings for Ryan are stronger than ever before, and his attempts to reconcile the past with the present will ultimately pave the road into an uncertain future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

William Devane and Meredith Baxter star in this sentimental made-for-cable drama as John and Carol Boyajian, a couple facing a bleak Christmas due to a surfeit of personal tragedy. Having already lost their son in Operation Desert Storm, the Boyajians must now confront the possibility that their daughter has cancer. Rather than wallow in grief, John and Carol are doggedly determined to celebrate their first Christmas in 11 years; but as the holiday approaches, their hope and perseverance rapidly deteriorate. The couple's faith is ultimately restored by the arrival of a mysterious "guest" who may not be precisely what he claims to be. The Christmas Visitor debuted December 21, 2002, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based in part on the autobiography of Gale Sayers, an Football Hall of Fame inductee and one of the finest halfbacks in the history of the game, this made-for-TV drama recounts the true story of Sayers (Mekhi Phifer) and his friendship with fellow Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo (Sean Maher). In the mid-'60s, when Sayers joined the Bears, he was not welcomed by all members of the team, but soon developed a friendly rivalry with Piccolo, a running back who was gunning for the same place on the team as Sayers. Sensing a tension between the two men that might be used to make better players, coach George Halas (Ben Gazarra) decided to make Sayers and Piccolo roommates at training camp and on the road -- a decision that quickly became controversial, since Sayers was African-American and Piccolo was white. However, rivalry grew into respect, and when Sayers suffered a serious knee injury, Piccolo became the man who helped guide him through the difficult process of rehabilitation. Sayers not only returned to the team, he become a star player, but in time it became Sayers' turn to help Piccolo when Brian learned that a lingering illness was actually cancer. A remake of one of the most acclaimed made-for-TV movies ever (with James Caan and Billy Dee Williams as Piccolo and Sayers), Brian's Song also features Elise Neal as Linda Sayers and Janessa Crimi as Lori Piccolo, the players' wives. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This made-for-TV drama was inspired by a true story that occurred in Carleton, Ontario during Christmas Week of 1999. Disguised as a nurse, a bipolar woman named Margaret Wheeler (Nola Auguston) kidnaps a premature infant, the first male child of Karen and Phil Lewis (Marnie McPhail, Hugh Thompson). Though profoundly disturbed, Margaret has covered her tracks well, and has even secured the silence of her boyfriend Darryl (Alan Van Sprang), a former convict who can't go to the authorities without casting blame upon herself. As the Lewises anxiously await news of their missing baby, dedicated police sergeant Jane McKinley (Leslie Hope) follows the trail of clues and ultimately attempts to break down Margaret's wall of lies. The film also brings into play the not inconsiderable domestic problems endured by McKinley herself as she endeavors to bring hope to the biological parents. Despite the grimness of its subject matter, Stolen Miracle is a heartwarming, life-affirming firm which proved ideal Holiday fare when it first aired in Canada on December 18, 2001. It was subsequently picked up for US cable play (again as a "Christmas picture") by the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The fourth entry in the Iron Eagle series follows the return of General Charles "Chappy" Sinclair (Louis Gosset Jr., who deserves better) as he trains a Dirty Dozen-style team of juvenile delinquents to improve their quality of life by flying planes and combatting evil. This time the Air Force itself is the enemy, as the intrepid teens uncover a conspiracy involving biological weaponry. When Chappy contacts his old friend, General Kettle (Al Waxman), he learns the General is in on the action. Along the way, the group manages to combat some ill-prepared drug dealers as well. This installment is better than the second or third, but that's not the highest of praise; Iron Eagle IV is a dumb-dumb fantasy for fourteen-year-old boys who don't yet have their learner's permits, much less their pilot's licenses. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

This made-for-TV cop drama was the second in a series of films inspired by the best-selling "87th Precinct" novels, written by Ed McBain under the nom de plume of Evan Hunter. The major American metropolis of Isola (it's actually Toronto, as indicated by several familiar landmarks) is in the grip of its coldest and iciest winter in recent memory -- and the men of the 87th precinct are themselves gripped by the determination to solve a baffling murder. The victim was a popular dancer, found dead on a snowy street near the theater where she worked. The subsequent investigation unearths an elaborate showbiz-themed scam, a cache of stolen diamonds found on another corpse, and a drug pusher who is killed by having ice injected in his veins. Unfortunately, the killer (or killers) manages to elude the cops at every turn -- and it's getting colder, snowier, and icier outside with every passing day. Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice originally aired over NBC on February 18, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ian MacDonald (Rino Romano), a pathological liar who desperately craves attention, is being sent back to Canada to face a perjury charge. Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) are assigned to escort Ian with a minimum of fuss and muss. Unfortunately it appears as if someone is after the young prevaricator--three polite but sinister-looking men whom Ian identifies as members of the Canadian Mafia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Leslie Nielsen makes a return appearance as "legendary" Canadian mountie Sgt. Buck Frobisher, as do Alex Carter and Mark Melymick as well-meaning but bumbling FBI agents Ford and Deeter. Frobisher is among a group of singing mounties on board a train bound for an American concert. These redcoated songbirds as hijacked by a group of terrorists, led by Randal Bolt (Kenneth Walsh), who intend to kill everyone on board the train whether their demands are met or not. The climax involves a runaway choo-choo and Frobisher's sudden attack of "excess gas." Drama students will appreciate the character names given the members of the phony movie production crew. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on April 12, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The first episode of the comic book-inspired animated series WildC.A.T.S is "Dark Blade Falling," in which the young, leonine WarBlade is recruited into the super-powered Covert Action Team (C.A.T.) to help them in their ages-old war against the alien Daemonites. In subsequent episodes, we learn more about WarBlade and his fellow do-gooders on a "need to know" basis: for example, "Heart of Steel" finds team leader Spartan confronting a past love; the seeds of tension between female barbarian Zealot and taciturn weapons expert Grifter are first sown in "Cry of the Coda"; Grifter is forced into a showdown with his renegade brother Max in "MVP"; and the inner demons of the towering Maul burst forth in "Soul of a Giant." The saga of TV's WildC.A.T.S. comes to a climax with the two-part finale "End Game"; however the Jim Lee comic book on which the series was based was far from finished when this series finale originally aired in late 1994. ~ Rovi