Wendel Meldrum Movies

Maverick indie filmmaker Henry Jaglom moves from the sweet poignancy of his 2009 Irene in Time to knowing Hollywood satire with this romantic comedy that finds him teaming with actress Tanna Frederick for the third time. Frederick portrays Maggie Chase, a B-list star who longs to find love and fulfillment and achieve household-name status, but must contend with twin products of her wild behavior: a court-ordered electronic ankle bracelet and temporary house arrest. Fortunately, Maggie has a team of clever spin doctors (Ron Vignone, David Proval, Zack Norman, and Diane Salinger), who manage to turn her drunk-driving activities into attention-grabbing tabloid fodder. She also draws on the support of a movie-star beau, Dov Lambert (Christopher Rydell), equally known for his no-holds-barred behavior. For a time, it looks as though Maggie's grandest dreams will actualize, as her national fame crescendos, but her life grows more complicated when she follows Dov home to meet his kin, and runs headfirst into a series of show-business legends (played by Peter Bogdanovich, Dennis Christopher, Kathryn Crosby, Mary Crosby, Sabrina Jaglom, and Jack Heller). She also meets Dov's brother, failed writer Aaron Lambert (Noah Wyle), who seems tailor-made for Maggie with his ability to penetrate her superficial facades, but must deal with lingering issues in his own life and past. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

The firebombing of a shop owned by Arabs has the odious aroma of a post-9/11 hate crime. Investigating the kidnapping of a baby from a hospital, the detectives follow the trail of clues to the infant's father. Andy (Dennis Franz) offers to partner up with Eddie Gibson (John O'Donohue) and resumes his relationship with Gibson's niece Cynthia (Juliana Donald). Valerie (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) and Baldwin (Henry Simmons) try to bring "spontaneity" to their romance. And Connie (Charlotte Ross), anxious to contact the daughter whom she put up for adoption years earlier, covertly places the girl under surveillance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Canadian director Stephen Reynolds spins this coming-of-age drama about being afraid and Catholic in Newfoundland. Nine-year-old Draper Doyle (Jordan Harvey) suffers from nightmares of a giant hockey puck plunging from the sky after his hockey-obsessed father commits suicide. Even worse, he suffers from a deep anxiety about the opposite sex in the form of the "Momataur," a half elk, half-naked mom roaming the nether corners of his subconscious. Though the boy's hippie uncle (Pete Postlethwaite) and his TV-loving sister also live with him, Draper's waking world is dominated by his extremely Catholic aunt. The Divine Ryans was screened at the 1999 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

In the concluding half of Seinfeld's controversial series finale, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Kramer (Michael Richards), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) find themselves stranded in Latham, MA -- and even worse, they are facing arrest for violating the town's new Good Samaritan law (it seems there was this mugging...). Hoping to beat the rap -- and make it to California in time for Jerry to sell his proposed sitcom "about nothing" -- the gang engages the services of flamboyant lawyer Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris). Alas, the prosecution has managed to round up a daunting array of witnesses to bolster their case against the foursome, including Sidra (Teri Hatcher) of "they're real and they're spectacular" fame, the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas), Marla the Virgin (Jane Leeves), and the Bubble Boy (Jon Hayman) -- while the sour-faced judge (Stanley Anderson) with the familiar-sounding name fumes, and a vengeful Newman (Wayne Knight) chuckles from the sidelines. As for the now-legendary final scene...haven't we had this conversation before? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This Canadian made-for-television movie spawned the popular series about a crime-fighting Royal Canadian Mountie. Paul Gross stars as Constable Benton Fraser, an RCMP who sets out to track down his father's killer. His chase takes him all the way to Chicago where he hooks up with Ray Vecchio, (David Marciano) a macho, local Chicago detective. Together they hit the streets as a crime-fighting and justice-seeking duo. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

Diane Ladd stars in this psychological drama about Susan, a woman who was adopted as a child and has long wanted to meet her biological mother in hopes of resolving certain emotional issues After a long search, she finally meets Edie Diane Ladd, who is warmly welcomed into Susan's life, alongside her husband and children. However, once Susan has reunited with Edie, she notices Edie can be more than a bit possessive, and it soon becomes clear anyone who comes between Edie and her daughter winds up dead. Now Susan and her husband need to find out the truth about Edie before they become the next victims. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rip Torn does a magnificent job as American poet Walt Whitman in the fanciful period piece Beautiful Dreamers. The scene is a hellish 19th century Canadian institution for the mentally retarded. Compassionate doctor Maurice Bucke (Colm Feore) defies his superiors by treating his patients as human beings rather than animals. He even begins conducting classes for his charges, teaching them basic cognitive and manual dexterity skills. When Whitman champions Bucke's cause, the doctor is ostracized by those who fear the poet's reputation as a "wild-eyed" radicial. Based on a true story, Beautiful Dreamers is more interesting for its intentions than its execution. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

James Belushi stars in this cop actioner about a loner narcotics officer who has to break in a new partner. The twist here is that the new partner is barely housebroken, but he's still sharp and keeps his nose close to the ground. Dooley (Belushi), who works on the San Diego narc squad, is an eccentric guy who has pizzas delivered to his car and likes a good steak. He is working on a stakeout of a local drug dealer when he barely escapes with his life as a helicopter blows up his car. When he asks the department for a new car, they give him a new partner instead --a police dog called Jerry Lee (Jerry Lee the Dog). Jerry's good at sniffing out the criminals but Dooley doesn't really hit it off with his new partner until the pooch saves his life. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi