Penelope Ann Miller Movies
The daughter of Mark Miller, an actor best known for his starring role on the mid-1960s TV sitcom Please Don't Eat the Daisies, actress Penelope Ann Miller was born in California and raised in Texas. After a year of attending Menlo College, Miller dropped out to train with acting coach Herbert Berghof. Her first role of note was as ditsy ingenue Daisy in the Neil Simon Broadway comedy Biloxi Blues, a role she would later recreate in the film version. For her role in Our Town she was nominated for a Tony award in 1989. In 1987, the blonde, saucer-eyed actress made her film debut in the wacked-out comedy Adventures in Babysitting, after which she costarred with popular leading men ranging from Pee-Wee Herman (Big Top Pee-Wee) to a GOlden Globe nominated performance alongside Al Pacino in Carlito's Way. Some of Miller's best known film roles have included that of Marlon Brando's enigmatic daughter in The Freshman (1990), a brief turn as silent film actress Edna Purviance in Chaplin (1992), and the svelte 1930s pulp heroine Margot Lane in The Shadow (1994).As the 1990s progressed Miller alternated ever more frequently between television and film, tempering high profile roles in The Shadow (1994) and The Relic (1997) with more intimate small screen roles in mini-series The Last Don (1997) and as the titular character in the true-life television feature The Mary Kay Letorneau Story: All American Girl (2000). If her roles in the following years weren't as high profile as in the previous decade, solid performances in Along Came a Spider (2001) and Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story (2003) eventually led to a role in the popular but shortlived Norm Macdonald sitcom A Minute with Stan Hooper. Cast as the titular character's (Macdonald) city-slicker wife, the coupled opted to eschew the city for small town life to Newhart-like effect. Her gift for comedy more obvious than ever, Miller was subsequently cast in the made for television feature National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Michel Hazanavicius' stylistically daring, dialogue-free comedy-drama The Artist stars Jean Dujardin as George Valentin, a matinee idol in Hollywood before the dawn of talkies. His marriage is far from perfect, and one day he meets ambitious chorus girl Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) and is smitten. Very quickly thereafter, sound comes to movies, and George sinks all his money into one last epic silent film, while Peppy becomes a star in the new era. John Goodman co-stars as the head of the film studio working with Valentin. The Artist played at both the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, (more)
A young schoolboy realizes that the same girl he struggled to avoid may actually be his one true love in this coming-of-age romantic comedy from director Rob Reiner. Adapted from the book by Wendelin Van Draanen, Flipped tells the story of mischievous schoolboy Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) and his neighbor Juli (Madeline Carroll), who's had a crush on her girl-phobic classmate since second grade. Over the course of six years, Juli pines for Bryce as he does everything in his power to put her off. Later, as the pair enters junior high, Bryce discovers girls and the tide starts to shift. But will Juli still be interested after all that Bryce has done to keep her at arm's length? Rebecca De Mornay, Aidan Quinn, Anthony Edwards, and Penelope Ann Miller co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Callan McAuliffe, Madeline Carroll, (more)
High School Musical's Corbin Bleu trades in his dancing shoes for a helmet in this family film. In Free Style, young Cale (Bleu) gives his all in his effort to be on the Grand National Motocross racing team, while his mother (Penelope Ann Miller), sister (The Game Plan's Madison Pettis), and girlfriend (Sandra Echeverria) cheer him on. ~ Kimber Myers, Rovi
- Starring:
- Corbin Bleu, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
Hong Kong horror specialists Danny and Oxide Pang (The Eye, Bangkok Haunted) ponder the paranormal sensitivities of young innocents in this tale of an unsuspecting family who falls prey to a malevolent entity after moving to into a haunted sunflower farm. Roy (Dylan McDermott) and Denise Solomon (Penelope Ann Miller) have decided to give up life in Chicago and relocate their family to secluded North Dakota sunflower farm. While the tranquil sway of the lush yellow fields at first offers a welcomed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the big city, the family soon begins to suspect that they are not alone on the farm when teenage daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her three-year-old brother, Ben (Evan Turner), begin to see a series of menacing apparitions that are apparently invisible to adult eyes. As Jess and Ben's encounters with the malevolent spirits grow increasingly violent, the parents of the tormented teen soon begin to question their daughter's sanity. Soon, the dark history of the family that once lived in the remote farm and the troubled past of the frightened Jess begin to merge as she struggles to warn her parents about the terrifying confrontation with the supernatural that is about to unfold. John Corbett, Jodelle Ferland, and Brent Briscoe co-star in a rural tale of terror from Ghosthouse Pictures and producer Sam Raimi. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristen Stewart, Dylan McDermott, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jessica Simpson, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
As originally screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, at the Cannes Film Festival, and on Turner Classic Movies, the mammoth, epic-length documentary Brando chronicles in encyclopedic detail (and with a consistently reverent overtone) the life and career of the man widely regarded as the most formidable American actor of the 20th century - famous for not only reshaping, but reinventing the craft of film acting and teaching audiences how to view a motion picture performance. Divided into chronological, thematically-unified segments, the film first treats Marlon Brando's dysfunctional upbringing - his alcoholic mother, his abusive father, his stint at a military academy - before charting his acting tutelage at the behest of Stella Adler and his early cinematic and theatrical roles, including work for Elia Kazan, who famously made many aggressive (and unsuccessful) attempts to discipline the headstrong actor onscreen. Throughout this segment, many Hollywood A-list actors appear - among them, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Robert Duvall - expostulating at length on Brando's influence over their approaches to performance, and attempting with great effort to define the elusive style known as "method acting" that Brando helped to create. The second half of the documentary moves into Brando's career during the '70s, '80s and '90s, covering the production of The Godfather, the actor's noteworthy political activism, and his tumultuous personal life. Francis Ford Coppola, who of course teamed with Brando for the first Godfather installment and for Apocalypse Now, is noticeably absent from the proceedings. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, (more)
Leslie Greif directs this adaptation of Ray Cooney's hit British play, a throwback farce about mistaken identity. Chevy Chase plays Henry Perkins, a listless late-middle-aged executive in a wax fruit company; his wife, Carol (Penelope Ann Miller), is similarly bored, a struggling sculptor and housewife in Hoboken, NJ. On his way home from work to a surprise birthday party Carol is throwing, he accidentally switches briefcases with a Russian mobster. He opens the suitcase at a local bar and discovers five million dollars inside. He rushes home and tries to arrange a flight to Barcelona for Carol and him so they can take the money and run. Detective Sergeant Genero (Armand Assante) shows up later; he saw Henry at the bar and is suspicious of his actions. The Perkins, along with their friends Vic and Gina Johnson (Christopher McDonald and Alex Meneses), concoct an elaborate plan to fool the detective, which is only complicated by Carol getting sloppy drunk, the arrival of a homicide detective (Kevin Sussman), a famous gallery owner (Rebecca Wisocky), Henry's boss (Robert Loggia), a frustrated standup comic cabbie (Guy Torry), two more identical briefcases, and the party guests. The comic action reaches a climax in a standoff with Mafia kingpin Mr. Big (Zoltan Butuc). ~ Michael Buening, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
- 2005
Multi-tasking attorney Bonnie Locke (Penelope Ann Miller) definitely gets more than she bargained for in this Canadian made-for-cable movie. While trying to locate her brother Chris (Casper Van Dien), who has mysteriously vanished, Bonnie also finds time to help her best friend Nicole (Laura Mennell) keep a stalker at bay. By the time Bonnie figures out that her brother's disappearance and her friend's plight are inextricably linked, her own life is on the line! Personal Effects made its US cable bow via the Lifetime channel on April 18, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Casper Van Dien, (more)
- 2004
- PG13
- Add National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion to Queue Add National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion to top of Queue
If you thought your family was crazy, just wait until you meet the Snyders! Upon learning that he has a long-lost cousin living in Idaho, anesthesiologist Mitch Snider (Judge Reinhold) decides to pack up the family wagon and spend the upcoming Thanksgiving getting to know his free-spirited kin. Things go from bad to worse as the conservative Mitch and cousin Woodrow (Bryan Cranston) quickly clash, and between a turkey that won't die and an odd occurrence in the shower, it looks as if Mitch and his family are better off spending the holidays at home -- if they can make it out alive! ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Television director Jace Alexander directs the feature-length Showtime childhood drama Carry Me Home. Set on a rural farm in upstate New York after WWII, the film follows young Carrie (Ashley Rose Orr) as she attempts to deal with her father's death. She refuses to get along with her mourning mother Harriet (Penelope Ann Miller) and she rejects the advances of neighborhood boy Zeke (Nicholas Braun). Things get worse when cultured local man Bernard (David Alan Basche) starts showing up with intentions of marrying Harriet. The conclusion finds Carrie growing from a traumatic experience involving the mentally disabled farm hand Charlie (Kevin Anderson). Carry Me Home was shown at the 2003 Nantucket Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Kevin Anderson, (more)
Seattle bomb-squad operative Lt. Tom Royko (Judge Reinhold) forms an uneasy alliance with brilliant but aloof heart surgeon Dr. Gillian Hayes (Penelope Ann Miller) to investigate a bizarre series of events, wherein three of Hayes' former patients have literally exploded. The culprit is a disgruntled lunatic (Timothy Busfield), determined to avenge the death of his son in a surgical accident. The modus operandi: a small explosive device, implanted in the pacemakers of the unfortunate patients. As Royko races against time to rescue a whole slew of "walking time bombs," Hayes is forced to come to terms with her own shortcomings as a medical professional -- and as a human being. Filmed in Vancouver, Dead in a Heartbeat premiered March 3, 2002 on the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
Presented as part of the Lifetime cable network's ongoing "Stop Violence Against Women" program, the made-for-TV Scared Silent was based on a true story. Penelope Ann Miller stars as Kathy Clifson, happily married to the police chief (Reed Diamond) of Fremont, MN. Kathy's tranquil lifestyle is shattered when her husband hires a new deputy, John McCrane (Andrew Jackson). It seems that when Kathy was a 17-year-old high schooler, she was raped by McCrane, who terrorized and browbeat her into silence. As the weeks go by, Kathy comes in contact with three other women (including her best friend) who have been sexually assaulted by McCrane. Each of the women has either been unable or unwilling to bring him up on charges due to lack of substantial evidence -- not to mention the egregious wagon-circling tactics of McCrane's fellow "good old boy" law officers. Determined that McCrane will pay for his crimes, and to symbolically stand up behalf of all violated women everywhere who have been too scared or guilt-ridden to take action against their attackers, Kathy convinces the other victims to form a strong -- and unfrightened -- united front. The incident upon which this film was based resulted in "The Debbie Smith Act," a proposed bipartisan anti-sexual abuse law that was still in litigation at the time of filming. Following the original telecast of Scared Silent on May 20, 2002, the phone exchanges of the National Sexual Assault Hotline were literally swamped with calls of support for the Debbie Smith Act, and with reports of similar outrages against women. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Reed Diamond, (more)
Morgan Freeman returns as forensic psychologist Dr. Alex Cross in this thriller based on the novel by James Patterson (whose work also formed the basis of the hit Kiss the Girls). Gary Soneji (Michael Wincott) is a brilliant but remorseless psychopath who has landed a teaching position at an exclusive private school in Washington, D.C. Using his extensive knowledge of kidnapping (he's taught a class on Charles Lindbergh), Soneji abducts one of his students - Megan (Mika Boorem), whose father Hank Rose (Michael Moriarty) is a United States senator. Ollie MacArthur (Dylan Baker), the detective investigating the case, has strong words for Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), the Secret Service agent who mistakenly let Megan slip through her fingers. But when the kidnapper contacts Dr. Cross, the psychologist is brought in on the case, and Cross seeks out Flannigan, who he believes might have a valuable insight into the case. Soon, Cross and Flannigan come to the terrible realization that this crime only represents the tip of the iceberg for the ruthless Soneji. Along Came a Spider also features Penelope Ann Miller, Jay O. Sanders, and Kim Hawthorne. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, (more)
A comedy detailing the war of the sexes with some new twists, this film stars Angus MacFadyen as Houston Blackett, a men's magazine owner whose mother suddenly dies in the Rocky Mountains. His mother has evidently left the estate not to her estranged son, but to her lover, a local girl named Zane (Penelope Ann Miller). Houston is aghast at the news, and his machismo is put to the test in the form of Zane, who takes no guff, especially from an objectifying type, as well as the people near him, who also begin to turn on him, including a reporter (Kathryn Harrold) and her tough assistant (Mary Kay Place). The film also features Ann-Margret as Houston's unforgiving, harsh mother-in-law, veteran actress Millie Perkins as his housekeeper, and writer/director Karen Leigh Hopkins as a single mother caught up in Houston's dilemma. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angus MacFadyen, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
Actor-turned-filmmaker Griffin Dunne directs this mockumentary about the lives of struggling thespians. The film focuses on Lisa Picard (Laura Kirk), a fledgling actress about to burst on the scene thanks to a bit part in a made-for-TV movie. She is followed around by Dunne as she makes her publicity rounds with her friend Tate Kelley (Nat DeWolf), a writer/actor/militant gay activist. Famous is populated with several direct-to-camera interviews featuring the likes of Penelope Ann Miller, Charles Sheen, and Mira Sorvino. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel London
Hard-drinking newspaper reporter John McWhirter (Fred Ward) finds himself in the middle of a messy political assassination plot when he is compelled to keep in his house an on-the-lam Palestinian operative, Armiti Khalq (Rachel Ticotin). McWhirter, who is being heavily pressured by his editor (Virginia Madsen) to come up with a scoop, has no choice but to keep the woman safe as a payback to two old friends he apparently betrayed when they were university radicals during the turbulent 1960s. The overreaching FBI bureau chief, Robert Lecker (Christopher Plummer), is anxious to find the woman and send McWhirter and his companions away -- unless they happen to die first. Meanwhile, a manic hit woman, Michelle (Penelope Ann Miller), discovers Armiti's hiding place and closes in for the kill, just as McWhirter returns home. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Virginia Madsen, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
A man discovers his past hasn't just caught up with him -- it's taking him on a cross-country road trip in this edgy comedy. Level-headed Ben (Patrick Swayze) gives his less-than-stable girlfriend Lulu (Melanie Griffith) her walking papers and heads out to California, in hopes of breaking into the movie business as a screenwriter. Seventeen years later, Lulu checks out of a mental hospital and appears at Ben's doorstep in Los Angeles, claiming that she was pregnant at the time they broke up and that she was forced to put their child up for adoption; after all these years, Lulu has decided it's time they paid their son a visit. Lulu forces Ben to drive her to Wisconsin in search of their son, while Ben's wife Claire (Penelope Ann Miller) hops on a plane to Wisconsin in hopes of capturing Lulu upon arrival. Forever Lulu marked the directorial debut of screenwriter John Kaye, who also penned the original screenplay; the film was backed by Green Moon, the production company founded by leading lady Melanie Griffith. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Patrick Swayze, (more)
- 2000
This made-for-cable docudrama stars Penelope Ann Miller as the infamous Mary Kay Letourneau, the married-with-children Seattle schoolteacher who made national headlines when she had an affair with one of her sixth-grade students, 13-year-old Vili Fualaau (Omar Anguiano). Landing in jail on a statutory rape charge, and ultimately bearing Fualaau's baby, Letourneau is released with a warning to stay away from her youthful inamorta. But she is unable to do so, and the result is another out-of-wedlock baby by the same young man. The teleplay, by Julie Herbert, suggests that Letourneau's inability to control her emotions and impules stemeed from her relationship with her mother, a woman who regarded any sign of affection as a form of weakness. Ultimately, however, Mary Kay Letourneau remains an enigma, and it is up to the viewer to determine whether her behavior was motivated by true love or by a psychotic need for "approval". The Mary Kay Letourneau Story: All American Girl debuted over the USA network on January 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Omar Anguiano, (more)
- 1999
- Add Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hollywood Hero to Queue Add Arnold Schwarzenegger: Hollywood Hero to top of Queue
Arnold Schwarzenegger receives star treatment in this look back at his early bodybuilding days in Austria and his eventual marriage to Kennedy family member Maria Shriver. The program also reviewsSchwarzenegger's earliest attempts to break into show business and his eventual starring roles in films like The Terminator, Total Recall, and True Lies. During interviews, stars like Jim Belushi and James Coburn express their respect and admiration for the man. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
Nip/Tuck's Dylan Walsh stars in this comedy drama about a writer named Adam who plunges into depression when his novel is rejected, only to craft his finest work out of the personal strife. As he approaches his milestone 30th birthday, Adam finally begins to see his life taking a turn for the better and tries to ensure he doesn't screw things up. Chapter Zero also stars The L Word's Laurel Holloman and Lee Majors of The Six Million Dollar Man. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
John Bradshaw's claustrophobic action film Killing Moon concerns itself with an airplane full of passengers who are slowly succumbing to an unusual virus. Penelope Ann Miller and Daniel Baldwin are just two of the passengers whose lives hang in the balance as a cure must be found. Cross Airport with Outbreak and Storm of the Century, and one might come up with this television movie. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Coates, Daniel Baldwin, (more)
Jon Favreau, George C. Scott, and Judd Hirsch star in this biography (produced for the Showtime premium cable network) about the life and career of Rocky Marciano, who rose from a childhood of poverty through the often corrupt ranks of professional boxing to become the only undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jon Favreau, Penelope Ann Miller, (more)
- 1998
This TV sitcom series centers around Denver advertising man Jack McLaren (Tom Selleck), such a powerhouse that he's nicknamed "The Legend." In the opening episode, his agency's biggest client is the U.S. Army, but after Jack beats the President of the United States on the golf course, he's out of a job the same week he's being divorced by his wife (Joanna Kerns). Turning down a competitor's offer, Jack snaps back into action with his own agency, assembling his team of veteran creative director Carl Dobson (Ed Asner), geeky copywriter Bruno (David Krumholtz), sharp-talking secretary Beverly (Suzy Nakamura), and Ivy League accountant Erica (Penelope Ann Miller). Meanwhile, he has to deal with his daughter Alex (Hedy Burress), who wants to drop out of college. Filmed in Burbank, the series began February 23, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Ed Asner, (more)
- 1998
Craig M. Saavedra made his feature directorial debut with this romantic comedy-drama. After the death of her sister-in-law, Lilah Bloom (Penelope Ann Miller) began taking care of her brother Mitch (Ron Silver) and his three children. When Mitch meets career woman Debra (Caroline Goodall), Lilah confronts the possibility of life alone, but then she finds romance with musician Jack (Craig Sheffer). Conflicts arise when Mitch and Debra separate, Mitch assumes life will continue as before, but now Lilah has a newfound independence. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Ron Silver, (more)
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