Marnie McPhail Movies

The true story of an upset victory that helped change the sport of golf forever provides the basis for this period drama. Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf) was born in 1893 to a working-class family in Massachusetts, and grew up fascinated by golf. However, at that time golf was considered a pastime of the wealthy and privileged, and British and Scottish players dominated the professional game. Ouimet's familial home was near the Brookline, MA, Country Club, and over the stern objections of his father, Francis got a job there as a caddy. Honing his skill in his spare time, Francis displayed a tremendous natural talent for the game and an understanding of its strategies, and 1913 he became the first amateur to play in the U.S. Open, held at the Brookline Country Club. Ouimet's presence was considered little more than a novelty at the time; Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), a British champion with six tournament victories under his belt, was considered a shoo-in to win, with Ted Ray (Stephen Marcus) his only serious competition. However, Vardon, a fellow working-class boy who had overcome tuberculosis to become Britain's premier professional golfer, had more in common with Ouimet than anyone expected, and the tournament unexpectedly became a hard-fought competition between an established star and a promising unknown. Directed by Bill Paxton in his second directorial effort, The Greatest Game Ever Played also stars Elias Koteas as Francis' father, Josh Flitter as the ten-year-old boy who becomes Francis' caddy, and Peyton List as Sarah Wallis, Francis' sweetheart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Though originally completed during the 2003-2004 season, the third year's worth of episode of the animated series Braceface were not picked up by cable's Disney Channeluntil early in 2006. Also, as in previous years, the series' third season showed up in a single 26-episode package on American TV, but was broken up into two separate 13-episode bundles for Canadian play. This is the season that actress Stacey DePass replaces film star Alicia Silverstone as the voice of high schooler Sharon Spitz, also known as "Braceface" because of her ill-fitting (and magnetized!) dental braces. Typical of Sharon's adventures during Season 03 are her brief foray into acting, and her efforts to "dumb down" so as not to embarrass her less academically adept friend Connor. Elsewhere: Sharon's ex-boyfriend Alden suffers a head injury and fantasizes that he and Sharon are still a couple, a notion she adamantly resists--at least at first; resuming ballet classes after several years, Sharon discovers she's better suited to slapstick than "Swan Lake"; our heroine suffers unintended consequences when she purchases a pumped-up bra in order to look more mature; Sharon's doltish older brother Adam surprises one and all when he's revealed to a be a talented poet; the "unique and original "Dion continues to set his friends a-wondering whether he's gay or straight; an attempt by the kids to be more "spontaneous" and less predictable backfires; the notoriously fickle Nina lands a new boyfriend, whereupon Sharon tries to break up the couple "for their own good" (yeh, right); Sharon is dismayed to learn that her rock-musician date has been reduced to singing minstrel ballads in a medieval-themed restaurant; in a parody of All About Eve, aspiring singer Sharon is taken advantage of by a false friend; and when nasty Nina decides to stop battling with Sharon and become pals again, Sharon begins yearning for the days when they were still enemies! In honor of the series' staunch pro-animal stance, the third season of Braceface was honored with two more Genesis Awards--even before they'd been telecast in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The first biographical film produced by the FX cable channel, RFK covers the last five years in the life of Robert F. Kennedy, here played by British actor Linus Roache. The narrative begins in 1963, with the assassination of Bobby's brother, president John F. Kennedy (Martin Donovan). His appointment as Attorney General already a source of outrage for resentful new President Lyndon Johnson (James Cromwell), Bobby now finds himself in the position of proving his worth all over again -- not only to his brother's successor and the world, but also himself. With the spirit of his brother acting as counsel, Bobby succeeds beyond his wildest dreams, especially in the field of social and racial reform. By 1968, he is a viable candidate for the presidency himself, and there seems to be no stopping him -- but fate, as it often will, again takes a hand in matters. Unlike previous cinematic recaps of the early 1960s, RFK is careful not to identify its characters as heroes or heels, but instead as human beings with all the strengths and shortcomings indigenous to the species. Filmed in Ontario, RFK originally aired on August 25, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season Two of the animated "teen-com" Braceface begins as the title character, aka Sharon Spitz, turns fourteen years old and enters high school. Here she becomes good friends with her mentor, the "original and unique" Dion, whom she assumes is gay--mainly because he's got a remarkable talent for dressmaking (later on, Sharon will make one too many assumptions about Dion, and very nearly wreck their friendship). Our heroine also learns a whole new slew of responsibilities--and makes a whole bunch more blunders--when she gets her first regular job at "Life Cycles". In other episodes, Sharon and her best bud Maria succumb to peer pressure and pose as "bad girls"; Sharon and Alden break up their relationship, sort of; the kids become self-conscious about their weight; snooty Nina is nearly left friendless when her flunkey Alyson gets tired of being taken advantage of her, and later nearly patches up her once-strong friendship with Sharon when they search for a lost dog; Sharon and her brothers have a tough time getting adjusted to their divorced mom's new boyfriend; the dangers of irresponsible gossiping and the rigors of a high school "parenting" class are played for all they're worth; and a journey to Italy turns out to be a life-altering experience for Sharon and her buds. Because of the series' strong pro-ecological and pro-animal stance, the second season of Braceface was honored with both an Environmental Media Association Award and a Genesis Award. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The first 26-episode season of the animated Braceface follows gawky teenager Sharon Spitz as she makes the transition from junior high to high school, supported by her loyal pals, opposed by her school rivals, virtually ignored by her family (her parents are divorced), and forever finding herself in embarrassing situations thanks to her magnetized teeth braces, which not only attract "foreign" objects at the most inopportune times, but also can pick up private cell-phone conversations! Many of the episodes deal with such vital teen issues as friendship, loyalty, trust, sharing and responsibility. Less generally, the episodes are strongly character-driven, not only by Sharon -- aka "Braceface" -- but also by her friends Maria and Connor, her "enemies" Nina and Alyson, her erstwhile sweetheart Alden, her self-involved divorced parents, and her often-cloddish brothers Adam (the older one) and Josh (the younger one). Sample plotlines: The vegetarian Sharon almost dumps Alden when he gets a job in a meatpacking plant; a mixed-up Adam asks sister Sharon some advice on romance; our heroine gets her first period just as she is going on her first real date (Alden thinks she's got appendicitis!); the Spitz kids agonize when their mom and dad re-enter the dating scene; Sharon starts drinking heavily to be "one of the guys" and suffers the consequences; after a near-death experience, Sharon and Nina try to figure out why their once-strong friendship has gone to the dogs; Maria goes into full envy mode when Sharon is made a summer-camp counselor; and in an episode that must have really hit home with Alicia Silverstone, the voice of Sharon, our heroine meets a singing superstar and learns the hard way that being a celebrity is no bed of roses! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this family-oriented outdoor adventure story, Bryan Brown plays Tyrone, a hunter who captures a handful of grizzly bear cubs. However, Tyrone didn't count on the tenacity of the cubs' mother, who retaliates by kidnapping Tyrone's son. When Tyrone sets out to find his son, fearing the worst, the bear proves a kind and capable companion, guiding the boy through the wilderness and showing him the ways of survival in the wild. Shot amidst the rugged surroundings of Vancouver, British Columbia, Grizzly Falls also features Richard Harris, Oliver Tobias, and Tom Jackson; co-screenwriter Stuart Margolin is better known as an actor, best remembered for his recurring role as "Angel" on the TV series The Rockford Files. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A young man must deal with several generations of madness and familial intrigue in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Timothy Findley. Charlie Kilworth (Christian Campbell) is a young man whose mother, Lily (Stockard Channing), is the daughter of Frederick Wyatt (R.H. Thomson), the owner of a well-known piano manufacturing company. Lily is also a free-spirited and unstable woman, who bore Charlie out of wedlock, has had a number of lovers over the years, and has a unsettling fascination with fire. Lily's mother Ede (Wendy Crewson) has put her daughter in a mental hospital on several occasions, and is considering having Lily lobotomized. Charlie, meanwhile, has had affairs with a number of women but has never settled down with anyone; working as an events coordinator at a resort hotel, Charlie becomes infatuated with Alex Lamont (Sarah Strange), the singer in a dance band Charlie has booked into the ballroom. Lily urges her son to get married and raise a family, but Charlie isn't so sure he's ready for a lifetime commitment, and Alex becomes frustrated by Charlie's inability to take their relationship seriously. Meanwhile, Ede and Frederick have decided that Lily needs to be permanently committed to an institution; Charlie insists that they send her to a comfortable private facility, but then discovers that a mysterious benefactor has been supporting Lily for years, and Ede and Frederick have decided if Lily is to be in a private institution, then the generous stranger must be the one who pays for it. Surprisingly, The Piano Man's Daughter was produced in part by noted comic actress Whoopi Goldberg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Assigned to protect peacemaking politician Jovan Mijovich (David Calderisi), Nikita (Peta Wilson) meets a woman (Marnie McPhail) who claims to be her childhood friend Julie. Defying orders from Operations (Eugene Robert Glazer) to "cancel" Julie, Nikita goes to great lengths to protect the woman. Alas, Nikita's instincts prove to be woefully wrong this time around. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Discovering that Carla (Lisa Nicole Carson) is pregnant, Benton (Eriq La Salle) has trouble concentrating on the job, and as a result is chewed out by Carter (Noah Wyle). Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Weaver (Laura Innes) agree to disagree while escorting three interns around the ER. And after taking special interest in a police sergeant (Kevin Tighe) who is hiding the seriousness of his illness from his superiors, a distracted Carol (Julianna Margulies) goes public about her fatal mistake on the night of the nurse's walkout -- and is promptly suspended from her job. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This Canadian drama assumes the style of a documentary as it follows a bitter custody battle between a mother and grandmother over a little girl. Monika, a blues singer and pianist from Toronto, aspires to fame and fortune. She also aspires to reclaim her 12-year old daughter Andrea whom she left with her mother Anna. Anna has legal guardianship and is regarded by Andrea as her birth mother. When the truth comes out, the girl becomes a pawn in the ugly, battle between two self-serving women. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this made-for-TV thriller, Annette O'Toole stars as a woman whose secret life forces her to flee from a killer. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi