Larry Miller Movies
A capable comic actor whose regular-guy looks and sharp wit have made him a popular character performer in both movies and television, Larry Miller was born on October 15, 1953 on Long Island, NY. Miller grew up with a keen interest in music, and graduated with honors from Amherst College, receiving a degree in music. Hoping to make a career as a musician, Miller moved to New York City and began playing the nightclub circuit as a pianist and drummer. Working the clubs inspired Miller to take a stab at comedy, and he began performing occasional sets at comedy clubs such as the Comic Strip and Catch a Rising Star. Within two years, Miller had put his musical career on the back burner and was touring full-time as a comic. Miller made his film debut in 1978 in the film Take Down, but it would be several more years before Miller found himself before the camera again; as his career as a standup comic rose, Miller began landing occasional television guest shots and bit parts in films, as well as appearing on several cable television specials devoted to comedians. But it was Miller's appearance in the 1990 film Pretty Woman that kick-started his screen career; playing an arrogant but all-too-eager-to-please salesman, Miller's brief moment in the film earned big laughs, and he soon became a frequent presence in movies and television. Miller was a regular on the TV series The Pursuit of Happiness, Life's Work, and Michael Hayes -- all three of which only lasted a season -- and played recurring roles on Mad About You, Dream On, DAG, and My Wife and Kids. Miller also made a surprising appearance in a dramatic role on Law & Order, in which he played a man accused of murder. Miller played a number of showy supporting roles in theatrical films, including Waiting for Guffman, The Minus Man, The Nutty Professor, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind.His comedy chops only gaining more bite with the passing years, Miller would find only increasing success when he appeared on such small screen hits as Desperate Housewives and Boston Legal in the mid-00s. Of course Miller was still very much a feature man, with roles in the underseen sleeper Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Any Bully providing plenty of room for the comic talent to shine.
When not busy with his acting career, Miller still performs as a standup comic, and writes a humor column for The Daily Standard. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2010
Lionsgate presents this animated tale of two wolves (voiced by Justin Long and Hayden Panettiere) trying to find their way home to their pack after being kidnapped. Christina Ricci, Danny Glover, Dennis Hopper, and Larry Miller also supply voices for the Crest Animation production, helmed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck from a script by Chris Denk. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, (more)
Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Eva Longoria Parker, and Chris Kattan lend their voices to this computer-animated tale of a grocery store that springs to life after the doors have been locked and the workers have all gone home. When the employees are away, the products will play -- and in this store the playground of choice for the most fun-loving brand names around is the Copa-Banana. Located in the produce aisle, the Copa-Banana is the destination of choice for such celebrity icons as Mr. Clean, Charlie the Tuna, and the Energizer Bunny. But trouble is brewing within this bustling metropolis, because when the villainous Lady X (Longoria Parker) arrives in town with her Brand X minions, the brand-named products start to get a little hot under the label. As sleuthing USDA (United Supermarkets Defense Association) Dex Dogtective (Sheen) teams with flying stunt squirrel Daredevil Dan (Wayne Brady) and the beautiful Sunshine Goodness (Duff) to uncover the truth about these unmarked invaders, it begins to appear that the only way to fend off the dreaded Brand X is to engage them in an all-out, no-holds-barred food fight. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Eva Longoria Parker, (more)
Larry Miller, Tara Reid, and Lea Thompson star in this rowdy party film about a high school senior who hatches a plan to throw the ultimate skip-day bash. Adam is determined to end his high school career with a bang, and what better way to do that than to throw a party in Principal Dickwalder's home? Principal Dickwalder is a strict disciplinarian, and when he overhears Adam and his friend discussing the details of their plan he comes down on them all with an iron fist. Now Adam's only hope for redemption is to throw the party himself, but Principal Dickwalder isn't about to let that happen either. Who will come out on top in this fierce battle of wills, the student with a terminal case of senioritis or the principal who forgot what it means to be a fun-loving teen? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Miller, Tara Reid, (more)
An ambitious young woman (Jessica Simpson) attempting to navigate her way through the cutthroat corporate world becomes the unwitting pawn of two unscrupulous executives seeking to topple and replace the powerful head of an international conglomerate. Penelope Ann Miller, Luke Wilson, Andy Dick, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Jamie Kennedy co-star in director Scott Marshall's loose remake of the Mike Nichols' 1988 comedy Working Girl. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Simpson, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
- 2007
Monk (Tony Shalhoub) becomes a social pariah when he is forced to shoot down a man dressed as a Santa Claus suit. Though he insists he acted in self defense, Monk is unable to convince the public that he was merely getting even with "Santa" for tying up traffic and making him late for an apartment. The flames of hostility against Monk are fueled by local reporter Brandy Barber (Gina Philips), who hopes to parlay this bizarre story into a national assignment. In his efforts to clear his name, Monk unearths a conspiracy to steal a priceless diamond--and places himself in the unenviable position of drawing his weapon against Santa for a second time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A former high-school track star who has taken to staving off reality with the all-too-occasional cocktail must summon the strength to save his marriage and pull back from the abyss when his friends and family stage an intervention that goes horribly awry. Michael Elgin (Eion Bailey) may have been a master of the track back in high school, but now he's hit his thirties and his once-perfect form has devolved into a depressing drunken stumble. Life after high school just wasn't what he expected, and when his wife (Ellen Pompeo) threatens to walk out while his career hangs by a thread Michael simply drinks away the pain. Michael isn't alone in life though, and when he crashes his best friend's car and emerges miraculously unscathed the people who care for him most plan an emergency intervention. When Michael arrives home one day to find his friends and family waiting for him it appears as if the jig is up, but the psychiatrist who was supposed to lead the intervention proves a no-show and crafty Michael skillfully convinces his guests to stay and party. Some things just aren't a laughing matter though, and as tensions flare and bottled-up secrets spill Michael finally begins to realize just how dire his situation has truly become. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eion Bailey, Ellen Pompeo, (more)
- 2005
Monk (Tony Shalhoub), Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Julie (Emmy Clarke) are stuck in a massive traffic jam, caused by a multicar pile-up. Leaving his car to find out how long he's going to be detained, Monk stumbles upon clues indicating that the traffic accident was the end result of a murder. As he tries to solve the crime, Monk is faced with another crisis when Julie is suddenly seized by an urgent Call of Nature--and this little inconvenience brings our hero face to face with the rock group Korn (playing themselves), who unexpectedly provide Monk with the obligatory vital clue! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast (James Spader, Denny Crane and Candice Bergen), "Boston Legal" tells the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law.
- Starring:
- James Spader, William Shatner, (more)
A ten-year-old computer flight simulator enthusiast is forced to put his skills to the ultimate test when his cross-country flight is hijacked in screenwriter/director James Becket's high-flying adventure. As young Ricky and his classmates board a commercial airliner to embark on a cross-country field trip, the amateur airplane enthusiast gets a nagging suspicion that all is not well with the suspicious passengers. His suspicions soon confirmed, Ricky and his frightened classmates do their best to thwart the terrorist's deadly plan. When the brave youngster and his friends discover that the pilot has collapsed, it's up to young Ricky to bring their flight back down to terra firma and ensure that his turbulent field trip has a happy ending. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordan Garrett, Larry Miller, (more)
- 2004
Just before Christmas, idealistic greeting-card writer Allen Karroll (Tom Everett Scott) cooks up a "special moment" wherein he will propose to his sweetheart Carrie (Deanna Milligan) in a public place before thousands of oohing and aahing spectators. Alas, Carrie turns him down flat, so thoroughly humiliating Allen that he ends up hating the Yuletide season. Not long afterward, Allen is visited by four disreputable-looking ghosts, including a very hip Jacob Marley (or is it Bob Marley?) Can it be that our hero has morphed into a latter-day incarnation of Ebenezer Scrooge? Not quite: All of the ghosts have come to the wrong address. Turns out that the real Scrooge of the piece is Alex's nasty next-door neighbor Zeb Rosecog (Wallace Shawn), who'd once been CEO for the company which employs Alex. His curiosity aroused, Allen overcomes his intense dislike for Zeb to investigate the source of the man's misanthropy--and in so doing learns a lot about himself. A clever spin on an all-too-familiar fable, Karroll's Christmas was produced for cable, and was originally telecast December 14, 2004 by the A&E network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A typically quirky and eccentric offering from prolific TV producer David E. Kelley, the weekly drama series The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire was set in the titular fictional community, wherein virtually everything of any importance was handled by the three Shaw brothers. Oldest sibling Hank Shaw (Randy Quaid) was the town's police chief and hockey coach; middle brother Garrett (John Carroll Lynch) was the mayor of Poland; and younger brother Waylon (Chris Penn) managed to wield a lot of authority despite the fact that he was an unemployed ex-convict. Also seen were Mare Winningham as Hank's wife Dottie, Elizabeth McGovern as Garrett's wife Helen, Ann Cusack as Waylon's wife Julie, Megan Henning as Garrett's daughter Monica, and Angela Goethals as Waylon's daughter Katie. Best described as Northern Exposure with middle-aged angst and populated with the sort of oddball supporting characters so typical of the Kelley oeuvre, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire premiered September 24, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll Lynch, Randy Quaid, (more)
- 2003
This episode was advertised as the 300th installment of Law & Order, although technically it was number 301. (NBC did not count the series' 1990 pilot, which had originally been produced for CBS.) Again drawing its inspiration from recent headlines, the episode opens with an apparent fire in a high-rise apartment, culminating horribly when the baby son of popular comedian Monty Bender (Adam Ferrara) falls from the apartment window to his death. What appears to be a tragic accident leads to the reopening of an old pedophilia charge against Bender, and a startling revelation involving the parents of a young boy who'd been paid off to drop their case against the beleaguered comic. Real-life comedian Larry Miller, who'd played a murderer on two earlier episodes, is here cast as himself. This was the final episode of Law & Order's 13th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
TNT's first dramatic series, Bull is set in the world of high-powered finance and IPOs. Robert "the Kaiser" Roberts (Donald Moffat) is the head of a business empire, and cannot comprehend why his identically named and ethically minded grandson (George Newbern) wants to break away and start his own firm. Bull's ensemble cast features turns by Stanley Tucci as a dodgy operator, and Ryan O'Neal as the Kaiser's errant son. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Newbern, Malik Yoba, (more)
After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the Waiting for Guffman cast also appear in Best in Show, including Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Lewis Arquette. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, (more)
Loosely based on the 1962 cult favorite, this thriller concerns a young woman named Alex who as a child witnessed her mother's murder. Since then, Alex has suffered from terrible visions of the crime and the killer, Louis Seagram. One day, to her terror, Louis Seagram returns, dressed as the clown he once was, and he soon draws Alex into a cat and mouse game with deadly stakes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Miller, Shawnee Smith, (more)
- 1998
When Sid (Sid Newman) dies, nearly all of the crew members of The Larry Sanders Show find themselves in mourning. Having just told Sid in a jealous rage that the audience was laughing "at" him instead of "with" him following a successful skit, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) is especially affected due to the fact that he feels partially responsible for Sid's death. As Hank vows to offer financial support to Sid's family, Larry (Garry Shandling) attempts to keep his relationship with Laura Dern a secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The titular coin in this episode is flipped at a restaurant, bringing Paul's obstreperous ex-boss Lou Bonaparte (Larry Miller) back into the series, and landing both Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) on the TV tabloid Hard Copy. Destiny also takes a hand when Paul's parents (Louis Zorich, Cynthia Harris) use the selfsame coin at an Atlantic City gambling palace. And what does destiny (or the coin) have in store for Ira (John Pankow), currently the central figure in a paternity suit? This episode was telecast one day after series star Helen Hunt won an Oscar for her performance in the 1997 film As Good as It Gets. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this sequel to the fifth-season episode "Coma," Larry Miller reprises the role of sleazy former comedy-club owner Michael Dobson. Having been acquitted of murdering his first wife, Dobson ends up the prime suspect when his second wife is killed while jogging in Central Park. Determined to nail Dobson once and for all, the detectives and the D.A.'s office hitch their hopes to a Columbian coin which has been illegally used as a subway token. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Ten of America's most famous stand-up comics gather to let comedy fans take a peek behind the curtains as they discuss their experiences, influences, and how they got their big break in this release featuring Paul Reiser, Bill Mahr, Carol Liefer, Larry Miller, George Wallace, and more. Early performances by comics Andy Kauffman, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Jackie Vernon, and Richard Pryor are included to offer a look at stand up history in the making. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Kirk Cameron stars in this made-for-television remake of the 1970 movie. Cameron stars as Dexter Riley, an under-average college student whose brain gets filled with the information from a super computer. He uses his newly found wisdom to sweep some college quiz tournaments, much to the chagrin of his suspicious competitors. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Cameron, Larry Miller, (more)
- 1994
Larry Miller guest stars as Michael Dobson, an abusive comedy-club owner suspected of shooting his wife. According to the D.A.'s office, the victim was poised to get a divorce, something that Dobson could not tolerate. As the woman lies comatose, the lawyers must determine exactly what charges will be levied against the contemptible Dobson. Without revealing the outcome of the story, it can be noted that the sixth-season Law & Order episode "Encore" could be called a sequel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Ace award-winner Bill Maher hosts two 1993 episodes of his provocative Comedy Central roundtable talk show. The episodes center on the questions: "Is pornography an antidote or cause of rape?"; "Are cities obsolete?"; and "Is movie sex and violence force-fed to audiences, or is that what they want?" The first discussion features guests Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Miller, Curtis Sliwa, and Dr. Wilbert Tatum arguing about pornography, police, and the future of cities. The second forum features Seinfeld and Miller again, along with Ed Rollins and Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers, as they tackle the issues of cinematic sex and violence, personal responsibility, and criminals. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
