Richard McGonagle Movies

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as two terminally ill cancer patients who decide to break out of the hospital and live their last days to the fullest in director Rob Reiner's seriocomic road movie. Edward Cole (Nicholson) is a corporate billionaire who is currently sharing a hospital room with blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman). Though initially the pair seems to have nothing in common, conversation gradually reveals that both men have a long list of goals they wish to accomplish before they kick the bucket, and an unrealized desire to discover what kind of men they really are. But one can't accomplish such lofty objectives from the confines of a hospital bed, so now, in order to live their lives to the absolute fullest, Edward and Carter will have to make a break for it. With a checklist that includes playing the poker tables in Monte Carlo, consuming copious amounts of caviar, racing the fastest machines on four wheels, and much more, these two terminally ill men will do their best to fit a lifetime of experience into their last remaining days while forging an unlikely, but truly remarkable, friendship. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The purpose of this PBS documentary is to show that the true villains of the Hollywood Blacklist were not always "evil" politicians and fat-cat studio moguls. Filmmaker Lionel Chetwynd (ironically a lifelong staunch conservative) has chosen his mentor, screenwriter Carl Foreman, as the hero of the piece. The narrative focuses on 1952, the year that Foreman wrote the script for the classic Western High Noon. Even as his film is being lauded by the critics and the public alike as a masterpiece, the politically "dangerous" Foreman cannot find work in Hollywood, and the State Department is endeavoring to seize his passport. It is hurtful enough that old friends shun him, out of fear that they too will be "tainted"; but when even Stanley Kramer, the self-avowed liberal producer of High Noon, turns his back on Foreman, it is too much to bear. Chetwynd's teleplay is based upon an impassioned letter written by Foreman to influential film critic Bosley Crowther -- a desperate effort on the part of the screenwriter to state his case before the public, and, as it turns out, a futile gesture. At the time of its original telecast in September 2002, Darkness at High Noon: The Carl Foreman Documents incurred the wrath of Stanley Kramer's widow, Karen Sharpe Kramer, who insisted that her late husband was being unfairly maligned; thus it was that Chetwynd was forced to add a disclaimer to the document, begrudgingly stating that his thesis was merely "one version of the story." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dwight Schultz reprises his Next Generation role of hypersensitive officer Reg Barclay. Now stationed at Starfleet's San Francisco Yards, Barclay becomes obsessed with contacting the long-lost Voyager. Enlisting the aid of the reluctant Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Barclay succeeds in getting them both in hot water with their superiors, but that doesn't stop him from hatching a bold and dangerous plan to carry out his self-appointed mission. The final first-run Voyager episode of the millennium, Pathfinder originally aired December 1, 1999; it was written by David Zabel and Kenneth Biller, from a story by Zabel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charlie (Matthew Fox) is outraged when the parents of his ex-fiancee Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq) storm into town after Claudia (Lacey Chabert) informs them of Kirsten's current emotional turmoil. Even worse, Mr. Bennett (Nicholas Pryor) holds Charlie completely responsible for the fact that Kirsten has lost her prestigious job and been booted from the PhD program--and he intends to take legal action against the Salingers. Elsewhere, Julia begins having second thoughts about attending Dartmouth; and while celebrating their "independence" from their families, roommates Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Callie (Alexondra Lee) drink a wee bit too much liquor...a "harmless" indulgence that will have negative repercussions in the weeks to come. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A mix of political satire and a modern take on 1930's-style screwball comedy, this romance from director Ron Underwood was assumed by many to be based on the real-life relationship between liberal political consultant James Carville and conservative commentator Mary Matalin. Michael Keaton stars as Kevin, an insomniac who meets Julia (Geena Davis) in a store late one night as they haggle over the last bottle of sleeping pills. After spending a romantic evening together, Kevin and Julia each discover to their chagrin that the other is a rival speechwriter in a nasty New Mexico senatorial campaign. As the senate race heats up, the bickering pair tries to keep the relationship alive, but then Julia's ex-fiance Baghdad Bob Freed (Christopher Reeve), a network news foreign correspondent, shows up with the intention of renewing their relationship. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

When a San Diego socialite is convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his new bride, truth is stranger than fiction as she hires a public relations firm in an effort to keep the media in her corner. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

On the anniversary of his first date with matchmaker Wanda Finn (Cathy McAuley), Bull (Richard Moll) is on the brink of proposing marriage. First, however, he is required to perform a "miracle"--and please don't ask why. As Bull prepares to pull off this phenomenon, a nervous Wanda wonders how long it will be before the couple can return to their special anniversary repast of Tang and Jello. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Joe Dante infuses this science fiction comedy with the visual razzle-dazzle and manic, goofball performances typical of his cartoon-inspired sensibilities. Navy test pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) has volunteered for a highly dangerous medical experiment. A submersible craft, with Tuck at the controls, is to be shrunk down to molecular size and inserted into the body of a living rabbit. If successful, the test could result in radical breakthroughs in surgical techniques, but some high-tech thieves attempt to steal Tuck and his ship while both are in miniature form. Enter Jack Putter (Martin Short), a mild-mannered, hypochondriac retail store clerk, a nerd who suddenly finds himself injected with Tuck and his tiny ship. Now poor Jack's got to rise above his mundane existence to help an American hero get back to safety, while also trying to reunite Tuck with his beautiful estranged girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan). Innerspace (1987) won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi comedy from executive producer George Lucas, Howard the Duck is an extra-terrestrial fowl who is accidentally beamed to earth by physicist Dr. Jenning (Jeffrey Jones) and his assistant Phil (Tim Robbins). The two go looking for Howard and find him in the home of Beverly Switzer (Lea Thompson), who was rescued by the interstellar duck from some mean-looking thugs. Beverly and Phil are friends, and when the government finds out about Howard, she helps Phil and Dr. Jenning hide him from the authorities until they can zap him back home. In the meantime, several wild chases and spectacular special effects keep the picture rolling along. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this rather routine adaptation of the French hit, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, Richard (Tom Hanks) is a bicycling violinist who is innocently drawn into a nasty struggle for control of the CIA. Cooper (Dabney Coleman) is the unscrupulous current head honcho of the notorious U.S. agency, Ross (Charles Durning) is his nemesis, and Maddy (Lori Singer) works for Cooper. After Richard the violinist is forced into the picture, Maddy fights off an attraction to the rather dull man, and complications introduce enough gadgetry to fill a James Bond movie, almost. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide