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
The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, (more)
- 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
After having been outmatched in the live-action family film department by rival Nickelodeon in recent years, Disney jumps back into the kid-friendly fray with this comedy about a seventh grader (Alex D. Linz) who's mercilessly picked on by his school's bullies and by his principal (Larry Miller). When his parents (Nora Dunn and Robert Carradine) inform Max that they're moving at the end of the week, he takes the opportunity to exact several forms of creative revenge on his many tormenters. When it subsequently turns out that the Keebles aren't leaving town after all, little Max is left to the mercy of those he's just humiliated. Max Keeble's Big Move is the second feature film from Tim Hill, the nephew of famed director George Roy Hill (The Sting). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex D. Linz, Jamie Kennedy, (more)
- 2001
- PG13
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The novel of the same name by crime author Donald E. Westlake becomes this MGM comedy starring Martin Lawrence as Kevin Caffery, a thief who breaks into the supposedly unoccupied beachfront mansion of billionaire Max Fairbanks (Danny De Vito). Max unexpectedly catches the burglar red-handed and summons the police, but before the criminal can be carted off, Max impulsively claims that Kevin's lucky ring is his own. Enraged, Kevin vows revenge on the tycoon, and so begins a game of one-upmanship from which neither party will cease and desist, even when the result becomes public scandal, financial ruin, divorce, and criminal proceedings. What's the Worst That Could Happen?co-stars John Leguizamo, Glenne Headley, Larry Miller, Ana Gasteyer, Richard Schiff, William Fichtner, Bernie Mac, and Nora Dunn. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Lawrence, Danny DeVito, (more)
- 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)
- 2000
- PG13
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Overweight scientific genius Sherman Klump and his extended family are back in this sequel to the 1996 comedy smash The Nutty Professor. Sherman (played once again by Eddie Murphy) has come up with a discovery that ought to make him a multimillionaire: a youth serum that turns back the user's body clock. Sherman has also found time for a social life and has fallen in love with Denise Gains (Janet Jackson), a brilliant woman involved in DNA research. Sherman and Denise are engaged, but Sherman is still troubled by Buddy Love, the dark side of his personality that he wants to purge from his psyche forever. He persuades Denise to help him by splicing Buddy out of his DNA structure, but the experiment doesn't go as planned: instead of destroying Buddy, Sherman and Denise free him, and Buddy's first order of business is to get his hands on Sherman's youth serum, which Sherman has hidden at his family's house. In addition to Klump and Love, Murphy also plays Mama, Papa, Grandma, and nephew Ernie Klump, thanks to the makeup magic of Rick Baker. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Janet Jackson, (more)
- 2000
- G
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Buzz Lightyear, the plastic spaceman who helped conquer the toy box in the wildly popular Toy Story films, returns in this animated adventure. Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and his partner Agent Z (voice of Diedrich Bader) have devoted themselves to keeping Gamma Quadrant in Deep Space free of evildoers, but when Agent Z is lost in battle, Buzz is determined that from now on, he has to go it alone. However, after the evil Emperor Zurg (voice of Wayne Knight) kidnaps Buzz's allies, the LGM -- aka Little Green Men (voice of Patrick Warburton) -- Commander Nebula (voice of Adam Carolla) orders Buzz to bring along reinforcements as he flies into battle. With the help of female Space Ranger Mira Nova (voice of Nicole Sullivan), LGM-designed android XR (voice of Larry Miller), and janitor/aspiring Space Ranger Booster (voice of Stephen Furst), Buzz sets out to defeat Zurg's minions and bring back the LGM safe and sound. Unlike the first two Toy Story features, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins was created using traditional cel animation rather than digital computer animation techniques, though computer animation was used for the film's prologue. The film's theme song is sung by another noted space voyager, William Shatner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Wayne Knight, (more)
Notable as the directorial debut of Blade Runner co-scripter Hampton Fancher, this darkly comic thriller stars affable Owen Wilson as Vann Siegert, a different brand of serial killer: one who actually believes he's doing his deeply depressed victims a service of mercy. Wandering up the West Coast, Vann chooses victims from a parade of colorful social misfits -- including a haggard junkie (singer Sheryl Crow) whose pain he ends with a nip from his flask of poison amaretto -- and expounds on his motives with a pocket tape recorder (a drawling monologue that serves as the film's narrative voice-over). A brief layover in Owensville eventually finds Vann in the company of quarreling middle-aged couple Doug and Jane (Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl), who grow fond of the young drifter's amiable demeanor and take him on as a boarder. After landing a job at the local post office, Vann catches the eye of co-worker Ferrin (Janeane Garofalo), and a tentative romance blossoms -- but even love can't distract Vann from his crusade to terminate people's unhappiness: "They come to me like moths, because I shine," he explains. Though not the complex psychological game it purports to be, The Minus Man is an intriguing character study -- imagine a kindler, gentler version of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer -- with some clever twists and fine performances, including a touching portrayal from the usually acerbic Garofalo. Geared more to the art-movie crowd than to fans of Hitchcockian thrills, this film opened to raves at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Brian Cox, (more)
Craig Ferguson, best known to American audiences as Mr. Wick, the conniving boss who loves to fire people on The Drew Carey Show, co-wrote and starred in this mock-documentary about Crawford Mackenzie, Scotland's leading hairdresser. When Crawford receives an invitation to Los Angeles for the World Freestyle Hairstyling Championships, he eagerly hops the first flight to America, with a camera crew in tow to record his triumphant debut in the States. Once he arrives, he learns that he was invited to attend and observe but not to compete. Crawford is at first dejected, but he refuses to take the humiliation lying down; one way or another, Crawford is determined to show off his talents for the greater glory of Scottish hair styling. The supporting cast includes Mary McCormack, Sara Gilbert, Larry Miller, and Charles Napier; director Kevin Allen previously helmed the offbeat Scottish comedy Twin Town. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Ferguson, Frances Fisher, (more)
In this comedy, a mild-mannered accountant (Larry Miller) finds himself behind bars after he becomes unwittingly implicated in an embezzlement scandal engineered by his boss. Left to fend for himself in prison, the accountant makes friends with another inmate who was railroaded (Tommy Davidson), and with the help of the kingpin of the jailhouse gang (Delroy Lindo), they hatch a scheme to break out of the big house and get revenge on the people who sent them there. Pros & Cons also stars Julie Warner, Darren McGavin, and David Rasche. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Miller, Tommy Davidson, (more)
As Shakespearean adaptations go, it's not quite as odd as moving The Tempest to another planet (as in Forbidden Planet) or Hamlet to a Canadian brewery (the secret subtext of Strange Brew), but it's still safe to say no one was expecting a version of The Taming of the Shrew set in an American high school. But unlike the previously mentioned films, 10 Things I Hate About You at least gives the Bard screen credit for his contribution to the story. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is a tenth grader who has never gone on a date, as her parents have a little rule where Bianca isn't allowed to go out with boys until her older sister gets a boyfriend. The problem is, while her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) is attractive and intelligent, she's also a mean-spirited misanthrope who rubs nearly everyone the wrong way -- especially boys. But Bianca and the guy she has her eye on, Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), are eager to get their romance on the road, so Joey fixes Kat up with Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), a new kid in town who may be just bitter and mysterious enough to suit her. 10 Things I Hate About You is the first feature film for director Gil Junger, who previously worked extensively in television, including episodes of Dharma and Greg, Ellen, and Blossom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, (more)
In 1990, Pretty Woman turned Julia Roberts into a star and gave Richard Gere's career a much-needed boost; for 1999, Roberts and Gere reunited with director Garry Marshall for the romantic comedy Runaway Bride. Roberts plays Maggie, who has left so many prospective husbands at the altar that she has gained notoriety as "the Runaway Bride," and a reporter (played by Richard Gere) is assigned to write a story about her. He tracks her down to a small town in Maryland where she's spending time with her family and preparing to give marriage another try. However, the more time she spends with the persistent reporter, the more second thoughts she has about her fiancé (Christopher Meloni). Hector Elizondo, another Pretty Woman alumnus, appears in the supporting cast alongside Joan Cusack, Paul Dooley, and Rita Wilson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, (more)
Stand-up comic Carrot Top is usually seen with his wacky inventions, such as a bald-head blowdryer and an anatomically correct fanny pack. Similar goofy gimmicks are combined with physical humor and stunt work in this comedy about the plight of Venice Beach inventor-surfer Edison (Carrot Top) and his roommates Ty (Mystro Clark) and Zak (Jack Plotnick) as they all near eviction. For rent money, Edison tries (unsuccessfully) to sell his dopey devices, including his Glo Gunk and his bug-killer helmet. A la Melvin and Howard, Edison offers a roadside assist to wealthy tycoon Armand McMillan (Jack Warden), who dies and wills controlling shares of his business to Edison, putting Edison at odds with McMillan's mean-spirited nephew (Larry Miller) and McMillan's closest corporate competitor Grace Kosik (Raquel Welch). In the Big tradition, Edison gets positive reactions to such inventions as TV dinners with real TVs and his Bull Shirt lie-detector -- while schemes and intrigue lurk around every corner of the corporate corridors. The comedian received a satirical jab from Mike Myers in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) when the words "Carrot Top movie" are seen on a document of villainous "evil schemes." ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carrot Top, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (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
Plagued by debts, New Yorkers Brad (Tim Allen) and Caroline (Kirstie Alley) Sexton continue to live the high life while maintaining the deception of wealth. But then real estate developer Brad learns his accountant has balanced the books in his own favor, appropriated $5 million, and flown to South America -- after first devising a set-up in which only Brad and Caroline would be blamed by the IRS. With IRS agent Derek Lester (Larry Miller) on their tail, the Sextons escape from New York. They arrive at the Amish community of Intercourse, Pennsylvania, where they pose as the Missouri relatives of farmer Samuel Yoder (Jay O. Sanders). It's the perfect hiding place, but it requires Brad and Caroline to suppress their previous sophisticated lifestyle, as they attempt to adopt Amish attitudes and customs. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley, (more)
In this comedy, a man trying to turn away from a life of crime starts performing a little larceny in the interest of helping others. Tom Turner (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time con man who makes the mistake of trying to cheat a pair of undercover cops one night. Fortunately for Tom, his case is heard by a lenient judge who orders him to get a straight job and stay out of trouble; if he can stay employed for a year, his conviction will be wiped from the record. Tom is hired at the Post Office and assigned to the Dead Letter Office, where he and his co-workers Rebecca (Laurie Metcalf), Herman (Tim Conway), and Vladek (Hector Elizondo) try to figure out what to do with the sacks of mail addressed to Santa Claus, Elvis Presley, and God. Against orders, Tom opens one of the letters to God and is moved by the sad story of the woman who sent it. He decides to reply and accidentally mails her his pay check; but when he sees how happy the answer made the recipient, Tom and his co-workers start opening more letters and trying to answer a few prayers that would be within their reach -- which leads Tom back to the courthouse again. Director Garry Marshall has a small role as Preston Sweeney. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greg Kinnear, Laurie Metcalf, (more)
The city of Blaine, Missouri is celebrating its sesquicentennial, and what better reason could there be to put on a show? Corky St. Claire (Christopher Guest), current leader of Blaine's community theater group and creator of a stage musical version of Backdraft that led to the unfortunate destruction of the theater, has been commissioned to put together a musical about the city's noble history, "Red, White and Blaine," which stars a variety of the town's theatrical talent. Corky's cast includes Ron and Sheila Albertson (Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara), a pair of married travel agents that Corky calls "the Lunts of Blaine;" Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy), a dentist who insists that he wasn't the class clown in high school but did sit next to him; Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey), a sweet young thing who lives for her job at the Dairy Queen; and Clifford Wooley (Lewis Arquette), an "Old Blainian" who makes gun racks from deer hooves. Somehow, Corky has persuaded a major theatrical producer in New York to send a representative to look at the show -- is it possible that "Red, White and Blaine" could be headed to Broadway? Christopher Guest directed and co-wrote this very funny mock-documentary, in addition to playing the flamboyant Corky; Guests's partners from This Is Spinal Tap, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, helped write the memorable songs for "Red, White and Blaine." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, (more)
- 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
