David Morse Movies
A fixture of 1980s TV series and movies, prolific character actor David Morse became a reliable and much lauded supporting presence in feature films from the 1990s onward.Raised in Hamilton, MA, Morse began his professional career after high school, joining the Boston Repertory Theater in 1971. Over the next six years, Morse acted in over 30 productions, amply preparing him for a move to New York theater in 1977. Morse subsequently got his first big movie break when he was cast in the drama Inside Moves (1980). Though Morse proved that he could handle lighter films with Neil Simon's comedy Max Dugan Returns (1983), his detour into television in 1982 was initially more fruitful. As Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison, Morse spent six seasons on the esteemed hospital drama St. Elsewhere, co-starring with, among others, Denzel Washington. During his stint on St. Elsewhere, Morse also starred in a diverse collection of TV movies. He was a priest in love with Valerie Bertinelli's nun in Shattered Vows (1984), a prisoner attempting a breakout from Alcatraz in Six Against the Rock (1987), a detective in Down Payment on Murder (1987), and a mental hospital escapee in Winnie (1988). Continuing his presence on the small screen after St. Elsewhere, Morse appeared in several more TV movies, including starring as a deranged kidnapper in Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann (1991).
Though he co-starred as a drifter in the indie film Personal Foul (1987) and appeared in Michael Cimino's noir remake The Desperate Hours (1990), Morse did not concentrate most of his energies on feature films until the 1990s. After starring as Viggo Mortensen's brother in Sean Penn's directorial debut, The Indian Runner (1991), Morse moved to more mainstream work with supporting roles in The Good Son (1993), the Alec Baldwin-Kim Basinger version of The Getaway (1994), and medical thriller Extreme Measures (1996). While he appeared in Terry Gilliam's thoughtful La Jetée (1962) remake 12 Monkeys (1995), faced off with Jack Nicholson in Penn's The Crossing Guard (1996), and starred as a janitor-turned-rich man in George B. (1997), Morse really captured audience attention in a concurrent string of high-profile projects. Returning to Alcatraz, Morse projected quiet menace as one of Ed Harris renegade Marines in the blockbuster hit The Rock (1996). Morse tapped his bad self again in the action romp The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), then cemented his versatility with a small yet vital role as Jodie Foster's gentle father in Contact (1997). Notching his third major summer release in a row, Morse played a SWAT team commander up against Samuel L. Jackson's wrongly accused cop in The Negotiator (1998). Returning to serious blockbuster fare, Morse then co-starred with Tom Hanks as prison guards who witness miracles in The Green Mile (1999).
After a foray into comedy with Bait (2000), Morse stole hostage drama Proof of Life (2000) from his glamorous tabloid-ready co-stars Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe with his intense performance as Ryan's kidnapped husband. Even as he became a popular Hollywood second lead, however, Morse wasn't afraid to veer away from the multiplex, winning an Obie Award for Paula Vogel's acclaimed play How I Learned to Drive and putting a believably human face on an utterly hateful character in Lars von Trier's bleak, award-winning musical Dancer in the Dark (2000). Continuing his protean career, Morse appeared in another gentle Stephen King adaptation Hearts of Atlantis (2001) and starred in Diary of a City Priest (2001) for PBS. Morse followed the ill fated Hearts of Atlantis with a lead role in the indie drama The Slaughter Rule (2002), which was well received on the film festival circuit. Morse subsequently returned to series television, and received top billing, in the CBS drama Hack (2002). Starring Morse as an ex-cop-turned-cab driver, Hack was pummeled by critics, but audiences took to Morse's well intentioned, marginalized law enforcer and Hack became a modest ratings success. He had a recurring part on the medical drama House as a police detective driven to put the title character behind bars. In 2007 he played the bad guy in the teen thriller Disturbia. He appeared in a pair of award-winning projects in 2008 - he was a military man in The Hurt Locker, and tackled the role of George Washington in the Emmy-winning miniseries John Adams for HBO. In 2011 he had a major part in Drive Angry, and the next year he was in the family-oriented fantasy film The Odd Life of Timothy Green. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
Nicolas Cage headlines this high-octane thriller as Milton, a hard-case felon who breaks out of Hell to prevent the cult that murdered his daughter from sacrificing his infant granddaughter to Satan on the night of the full moon. With just three days to go before the ritual killing, Milton crosses paths with knockout waitress Piper (Amber Heard), who steals her cheating ex-boyfriend's vintage Charger and joins him on his quest to save the Earth from the forces of darkness. With Piper's help and a mean set of wheels to keep them moving, they may have a shot at taking down diabolical cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke) before he achieves his malevolent goal. But should Jonah get the opportunity to make his dark sacrifice, he will become the most powerful man alive and all of humanity will suffer. Unfortunately for Milton, the cops are quickly closing in, and the Devil's determined minion, "The Accountant" (William Fichtner), will stop at nothing to drag him back down to Hell. With each passing minute, Milton's last shot at redemption is fading, and the fate of the entire world inches ever closer to infernal darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, (more)
Writer/director Rodrigo García (Nine Lives) teams with executive producer Alejandro González Iñárritu to craft this drama highlighting the powerful bond between mothers and daughters. It's been years since Karen (Annette Bening) gave her daughter, Elizabeth, up for adoption, and the decision to abandon her child has always haunted her. Upon meeting laid-back Paco (Jimmy Smits), Karen permits her anxiety and mistrust to get the best of her. On the surface it appears that Elizabeth (Naomi Watts) is none the worse for never knowing her biological mother; she's a fast-talking lawyer who's just landed a high-profile job at a firm fronted by Paul (Samuel L. Jackson), though her unsavory penchant for exploiting others is about to blow up in her face. Meanwhile, maternal-minded baker Lucy (Kerry Washington) longs to experience the joys of motherhood, eventually deciding that adoption is the best bet to start a family with her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, (more)
Based on the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War-set action thriller The Hurt Locker presents the conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who witnessed the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers. As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. In Baghdad, roadside bombs are a common danger. The Army is working to make the city a safer place for Americans and Iraqis, so when it comes to dismantling IEDs (improvised explosive devices) the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew is always on their game. But protecting the public isn't easy when there's no room for error, and every second spent dismantling a bomb is another second spent flirting with death. Now, as three fearless bomb technicians take on the most dangerous job in Baghdad, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets sent to "the hurt locker." Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, and Ralph Fiennes star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, (more)
A grief counselor (Anne Hathaway) begins to suspect foul play when the six airplane crash survivors she is tending to mysteriously begin to disappear and the truth behind the tragedy grows ever more clouded in Nine Lives director Rodrigo García's conspiratorial supernatural thriller. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, (more)
Emmy Award-winning director Tom Hopper takes the helm for this epic, seven-part miniseries produced by Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and presenting American history as seen from the perspective of fiercely independent founding father John Adams (Paul Giamatti). Based on author David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, the film tells the tale of a leader whose remarkable vision helped to guide a burgeoning republic through an especially tumultuous period. Thanks to the tireless support of his loving wife Abigail (Laura Linney), and lifelong friendship with political rivalry Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane), John Adams rose to prominence as the spokesman for the American independence movement before moving on to become America's first ambassador to Holland and England, the first American Vice President, the second American President, and the father of the sixth American President. As with McCullough's best-selling biography, the film draws on a comprehensive collection of letters, diaries, and family papers in order to create the most accurate representation of Adams' life and achievements ever captured on film. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, (more)
Salton Sea director D.J. Caruso travels from the shore to the suburbs for this suspenseful tale of a high-school senior who suspects that his neighbor is a notorious serial killer. Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is a high-school senior who has yet to come to terms with the fact that his father is gone, the tragic victim of a fatal accident. As Kale's mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) struggles to pay the bills by picking up extra shifts at work, her son's behavior grows increasingly erratic. When an altercation at school finds Kale placed under court-ordered house arrest, the homebound student teams with newly arrived girl-next-door Ashley (Sarah Roemer) to investigate the suspicious neighbor (David Morse) whom Kale believes to be an elusive and wanted serial killer. Their attentions focused intensely on the man they believe to be a murderous maniac hiding in broad daylight, Kale and Ashley trespass down a dangerous path while attempting to discern whether his suspicions are grounded in fact or just a combination of deep depression and suffocating cabin fever. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, (more)
- 2007
After weeks of mental warfare between Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) and vengeful detective Michael Tritter (David Morse), House suddenly does an about-face, apologizing to Tritter and agreeing to enter drug rehab in exchange for having all charges against him dropped. But can House be trusted? This question looms large over the rest of the episode, which otherwise concerns itself with a firefighter named Derek (Tony Kittles) who suffers uncontrollable shivers whenever he comes near a fire--and whose problem may never be resolved unless he agrees to have his romantic yearnings for his brother's fiance surgically removed (literally!) And speaking of resolutions, wait until Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) gives her testimony when House goes before the judge! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A precocious but troubled young girl living in 1950s-era Alabama seeks solace in the music of Elvis Presley in director Deborah Kampmeier's controversial tale of childhood trauma and musical healing. An air of repression lingers over the home of spirited youngster Lewellen (Dakota Fanning), who finds both comfort in the music of pop sensation Presley, as well as a place to store her pain and anger. In time Lewellen begins to find her own voice, a voice that will instill her with the strength to move beyond the pain of her past and into a more hopeful future. Piper Laurie, David Morse, and Robin Wright Penn star in a period drama that made its debut at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dakota Fanning, Cody Hanford, (more)
A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's up to Mosely to make sure that Bunker makes it to the courthouse in one piece -- a job that Mosely estimates will take a maximum of 15 minutes. A black van has been trailing the pair unnoticed, though, and after stopping off at a nearby liquor store to pick up some breakfast, Mosely emerges from the store just in time to save Eddie from the lethal bullet of a determined assassin. When backup arrives in the form of Detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosely quickly realizes that the detective on Nugent's team is the same cop that Bunker is set to testify against. Now faced with the tough task of dodging bullets and eluding a massive onslaught of corrupt cops, Mosely must keep Bunker alive long enough to get him before the judge and ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Mos Def, (more)
- 2006
Using and abusing his power as a police detective, Tritter (David Morse) continues harrassing the clinic staffers in his efforts to nail House (Hugh Laurie) on drug charges. In Tritter's latest strategy, he offers to cut a deal for the first person who rats on House--and it looks like Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) may take the bait. Despite his own legal woes, House takes a divorced couple to court to force them to approve treatment for their 6-year-old daughter Alice (Alyssa Shafer), who is suffering from pancreitis. Having had his Vicodin supply radically curtailed by Dr. Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), House is fiendishly delighted when the court remands Alice to Cuddy's custody! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
House (Hugh Laurie) isn't the only one who feels betrayed when Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) cuts a deal with Detective Tritter (David Morse), whereby all charges against House will be dropped if he agrees to spend two months in drug rehab. Elsewhere, having already cut off House's Vicodin supply, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) also takes him off the case of Abigail (Kacie Borrowman), a 15-year-old dwarf suffering from anemia and a collapsed lung. But without House's input, a diagnosis of Abigail's situation won't come easily. And with House unable to reach a détente with the vengeful Tritter, it looks like a Merry Christmas is not in the cards. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
After surviving a robbery and physical assault, an interracial couple (Raviv Ullman, Jurnee Smollett) begins suffering from severe abdominal pains. House (Hugh Laurie) suspects that the similarity of symptoms has a special significance, hidden deeply within the couple's complicated past. Elsewhere, House gets sore when Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) begins spending his spare time with a new nurse (Kimberly Quinn). And in a story development with longer-ranging ramifications, Cuddy demands that House apologize for his rude treatment of patient Michael Tritter (David Morse--who turns out to be a police detective with a singular talent for holding a grudge. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
House (Hugh Laurie) lives to regret his rude treatment of his police-detective patient Michael Tritter (David Morse) when he winds up in jail on trumped-up charges. The vengeful Tritter suspects that House's behavior is due to substance abuse, and he won't let up on the doctor until his suspicions are confirmed. Meanwhile, a 600-pound patient named George (Pruitt Taylor Vance) suddenly awakens from a coma and demands to be released, refusing further treatment because he is tired of the staff's "fat" jokes as his expense. Looking into the matter, House discovers that George's current medical problems have nothing to do with his weight...but if not, then what IS the cause? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
Needing the family history of his current patient Kyle Wasniak (Zeb Newman), House must turn to Kyle's only living relative, his father Gabe (John Larroquette)--who has spent the past ten years in a coma. Though he is able to awaken Gabe, securing the man's cooperation turns out to be another matter entirely. Meanwhile, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) gets sore when he finds out that House has stolen his prescription pad to get more Vicodin--and his loyalty to House is really stretched to the breaking point when the vengeful Detective Tritter (David Morse), determined to put House away on drug charges, begins ruthlessly bearing down on the clinic's staff. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
The merciless Tritter (David Morse) turns up the heat on the clinic staff in order to nail House (Hugh Laurie) on drug charges, going so far as to persuade the DNA to revoke Wilson's prescribing privileges. Despite the cut-off of his Vicodin supply, House summons up enough strength to investigate the case of 18-year-old restaurant worker Jack Walters (Patrick Fugit), who has suffered an apparent heart attack while working overtime to support his younger siblings. Though supremely confident that he has correctly diagnosed Jack's condition, House puckishly turns the situation into a game, sealing his findings in an envelope and challenging his coworkers to figure out the case all by themselves (What in the world can the man be up to this time?) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A romance between a teenage girl and a thirtysomething drifter takes the young woman down a dangerous and unexpected path in this independent drama. Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) is a pretty 18-year-old whose father, Wade (David Morse), is the sheriff of a town in California's San Fernando Valley. Tobe is driving to the beach with some friends when she stops at a filling station and meets gas jockey Harlan (Edward Norton), who dresses like a cowpoke and claims to have recently relocated to Los Angeles from South Dakota. Harlan is immediately and obviously taken with Tobe, and when she asks him to tag along for the day, he impulsively quits his job to follow her. Tobe and Harlan soon become a couple, but Wade is convinced Harlan is not all he claims to be, and Tobe begins to wonder if her father might be right when Harlan takes her horseback riding and their date is cut short after police inform them the horses have been stolen from an rancher (Bruce Dern) whom Harlan claims is a friend - and who promptly turns up with a gun to confront both of them, insisting that he has never seen Harlan before. Tobe's suspicions grow when Harlan offers to teach her little brother, Lonnie (Rory Culkin), how to shoot using a pair of real .45 revolvers, as his actions become less charming and more worrisome. Leading man Edward Norton also served as producer on this project. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, (more)
- 2005
- PG
- Add Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story to Queue Add Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story to top of Queue
A man and his young daughter face almost impossible odds as they struggle to help an injured horse return to the racetrack in this family-friendly drama. Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) is a horse trainer whose career has gone into a bit of a slump, and after years as his own boss, he's signed on to work for Palmer (David Morse), a breeder whose wealth and success has given him a certain degree of arrogance. While Ben has learned to keep his mouth shut around his boss, he forgets himself when one of his favorite horses, Sonador, breaks its leg during an important race. Palmer insists that the horse should be put down on the spot, but Ben doesn't have the heart to kill the animal, especially since his young daughter, Cale (Dakota Fanning), is in the stands watching. Ben and Palmer have harsh words with one another, and Ben is fired, but is allowed to take Sonador with him when he leaves. Ben has a hard time convincing anyone that the injured horse has any potential, especially his father, Pop (Kris Kristofferson), a fellow trainer who rarely sees eye to eye with his son. But Cale loves the horse, and Ben believes that Sonador can make a comeback with the right care, and together with stable men Balon (Luis Guzman) and Manolin (Freddy Rodriguez), he sets out to put the filly on the road to recovery. As its subtitle suggests, Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story was based on the story of Mariah's Storm, a filly who broke a leg during a race in 1993, but a year later came back to win the Arlington Heights Oaks, and in 1995 won the Turfway Breeder's Cup. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, (more)
A teenage boy tries to hold his family together while the girl of his dreams drives him to distraction in this coming-of-age comedy drama. It's 1978, and Henry Nearing (Gregory Smith) and his family are in a state of flux. Henry's mother has died, and now his father, Shep (David Morse), is trying to find himself by quitting his job, buying a motorcycle, and growing out his hair. Henry's brother, Blair (David Moscow), is similarly trying to expand his boundaries by dating a free-spirited girl and experimenting with drugs. Henry, meanwhile, is just trying to get through high school, but a certain girl is making that difficult for him. Grace Chance (Jordana Brewster) is a pretty girl in Henry's class who enjoys wrapping boys around her little finger; it doesn't take long for her to notice he's smitten with her, and she begins flirting with him and getting him to do whatever she wants, even though she already has a boyfriend whom she has no intention of leaving. Meanwhile, Merna (Ashley Johnson), a cute girl who lives nearby, has a crush on Henry and is clearly a better match for him, but she can't get him to notice her, even after she starts dating an older boy to make him jealous. Nearing Grace received its world premiere at the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gregory Smith, Jordana Brewster, (more)
Directed by former critic Chen Kuo-fu, Shuang Tong (Double Vision) is a Taiwanese effort at combining various aspects of the crime and horror genres with the excitement of martial arts. Led by detective Li Feng-po (Leon Dai), a group of detectives use physical violence to get a confession from a suspected criminal. Meanwhile, several murders are occuring--a business man is found drowned in his office; a politicians mistress Chiang Hui-hui) is burnt to death in her apartment, and an American clerk (Geo Gerstein) is eviscerated in his own church. Without a background in finding serial killers, the Taiwan authorties see fit to call the FBI. Agent Kevin Richter (David Morse) teams up with foreign affairs officer Huang Huo-tu (Tony Leung Kar-fai), and the pair sets off on a surreal trail which leads them through psychedelic fungus and a strange Taoist cult fun by former-businessmen. Eventually, Huang's (Leung Kar-fai) own inner demons are exposed and turned against him in a violent conclusion. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, (more)
A teenager at a personal crossroads finds himself questioning the things that have given his life meaning in this independent coming-of-age drama. Roy Chutney (Ryan Gosling) is a high school senior in a small Montana town. Roy doesn't have an especially close relationship with his mother Evangelline (Kelly Lynch), and he hasn't seen his father in years. That doesn't prevent Roy from feeling emotionally devastated when he learns that his father has killed himself, and Roy's self-esteem takes a beating when he's cut from the high school football team shortly afterward. Roy wiles away his time swilling beer with his best friend, Tracy Two Dogs (Eddie Spears), and falling into a romance with Skyla (Clea Duvall), a barmaid at a local tavern, but it seems Roy's short time on the high school gridiron impressed Gideon Ferguson (David Morse), a local character who coaches a semi-pro six-man football team when he isn't delivering newspapers or trying to score a gig singing country songs at nearby honky-tonks. Gid thinks Roy has potential, and asks him to join his team; encouraged by Gid's belief in him, Roy agrees, and he persuades Tracy to tag along. While playing hardscrabble six-man football helps restore Roy's self-confidence, he finds it doesn't answer his questions about his future or his relationship with Skyla, and when Gid's overwhelming interest in Roy begins to lend credence to the rumors that Gid is gay, Roy starts to wonder just why he was asked to join the team. Jay Farrar, founder of the acclaimed alternative country bands Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, composed the film's musical score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Gosling, David Morse, (more)
- 2002
Hack was essentially The Equalizer as Cab Driver. The protagonist was divorced, disgraced ex-Philadelphia cop Mike Olshansky (David Morse). At the end of his financial rope, Mike found steady employment as a cabbie, though he was never completely successful in suppressing his strong sense of justice. Thus, he frequently became involved in the problems of his passengers, usually rounding up and clobbering bad guys in vigilante fashion. Though the series never overlapped into Travis Bickle territory, it did tend to resemble a Western with a ticking meter. So over-the-top that many viewers tuned in just for the (unintentional) laughs, Hack made its CBS debut on September 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, Matthew Borish, (more)
One of the short stories in a best-selling collection by author Stephen King becomes this mystery adapted for director Scott Hicks by screenwriter William Goldman, who previously transformed a King story into a box-office hit (Misery, 1990). In the summer of 1960, young Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) is sharing adventures with his best friends Carol (Mika Boorem) and Sully (Will Rothhaar) when an enigmatic lodger named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) rents a room in his family's boarding house. Bobby's self-absorbed, widowed mother Liz (Hope Davis) couldn't care less about her son, so Bobby, who is being tormented by local bullies, quickly befriends the otherworldly Ted, becoming his confidante, and reading the paper to him to save the aging man's failing eyesight. Soon, Bobby learns that Ted possesses supernatural gifts, has a haunted past, and is being pursued by sinister men whose intentions are unclear. Hearts in Atlantis co-stars David Morse, who appeared in the previous King adaptation The Green Mile (1999), as the adult Bobby. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, (more)
A man of faith finds his responsibilities changing with the world around him as he struggles to keep up in this low-key drama. Father John McNamee (David Morse) is a Catholic priest who presides over the St. Malachy parish in north Philadelphia. Over the years, the neighborhood surrounding St. Malachy has undergone a gradual but dramatic transformation, as "white flight" has turned the community from a racially mixed working-class neighborhood into an economically depressed African-American ghetto. With these changes, Father McNamee has seen his responsibility change from overseeing his flock's spiritual needs to helping to feed and clothe the needy and homeless who live around him. Overworked and understaffed, Father McNamee is beginning to fray under the pressure of his responsibilities; he lacks the energy and the resources to do as much as he thinks should be done for the community, he has no time for himself, and he believes that his parishioners see him as a sad and lonely man with little to look forward to. In time, Father McNamee has to look deep inside himself to find the strength and faith to continue his mission. Diary of a City Priest was directed by Eugene Martin, who previously examined life in inner-city Philadelphia (his hometown) in his feature Edge City. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, John Ryan, (more)
- 2001
This is the first part of a three-video, six-hour program that originally aired February 19-21, 2001, as part of the acclaimed PBS series The American Experience. The program focuses on the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and is one of the first documentaries to do so. This documentary postulates that Mary was indeed a key to Lincoln's success. The first part deals with Abraham's and Mary's early years and with their vastly different backgrounds. Lincoln was born to poverty and had less than a year of formal schooling, while Mary Todd grew up in luxury and got more schooling than most girls in that time. Narrated by David McCullough, the program also features interviews with scholars and readings by actors David Morse and Holly Hunter. Highlights include period photographs. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, Holly Hunter, (more)
- 2001
This is the final part of a three-video, six-hour program that originally aired February 19-21, 2001, as a presentation of the acclaimed PBS series The American Experience. The program focuses on the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and is one of the first documentaries to do so. In the third part, a series of tragedies overwhelms Mary. Lincoln's urgent need to manage the war hurts the marriage, leaving Mary feeling isolated, especially in light of the death of their son Willie. Often accused of being a Confederate sympathizer, Mary ultimately loses three brothers in battle against the Union. After the president is assassinated, she's devastated. Six years later, after her son Tad dies young of tuberculosis, she loses her sanity and spends the last 17 years of her life institutionalized. Narrated by David McCullough, the program also features interviews with scholars and readings by actors David Morse and Holly Hunter. Highlights include period photographs. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, Holly Hunter, (more)
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