Liam Neeson Movies
Standing a burly 6'4", Liam Neeson was once described by a theatre critic as a "towering sequoia of sex." To say that he has undeniable charisma is certainly accurate, but it is a charisma composed as much of impressive talent as of broken-nosed physical appeal. Bearing both versatility and quiet forcefulness, Neeson has been touted as one of the most compelling actors of the late 20th century.Born June 7, 1952, in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Neeson had an upbringing partially defined by his involvement in boxing. He became active in the sport as a teenager, earning his distinctive broken nose in the process; he stayed with boxing until he began experiencing black-outs from repeated blows to the head. Initially interested in a career as a teacher, Neeson attended Belfast's Queens College, but he aborted his studies after developing a desire to act. In 1976, he joined Belfast's Lyric Theatre, and two years later he began performing the classics at Dublin's famed Abbey Theatre. While he was with the Abbey, Neeson was discovered by director John Boorman, who cast him as Gawain in 1981's Excalibur. Following his part in that action fantasy, Neeson had supporting roles in such films as The Mission (1986), and he was featured in leads opposite Cher in Suspect (1987) and Diane Keaton in The Good Mother (1988).
He got his first starring vehicle in 1990 with Sam Raimi's Darkman; unfortunately, the film was a relative disappointment. Neeson continued to do starring work in such films as Big Man (1991), which featured him as a boxer, Ethan Frome (1992), and Under Suspicion (1992), but ironically, it was his work on the stage that led to his true screen breakthrough. In 1992, the actor was turning in a Tony-nominated performance in Anna Christie opposite Natasha Richardson (whom he would marry in 1994) on Broadway. His work attracted the notice of Steven Spielberg, who was so impressed with what he saw that he cast Neeson as Oskar Schindler in his landmark Holocaust drama Schindler's List (1993). Neeson received Best Actor Oscar and British Academy Award nominations for his performance, and he subsequently didn't have to worry about finding work in Hollywood, or elsewhere, again.
More high-profile work followed for Neeson, who went on to star in such films as Nell (1994), Rob Roy (1995), and Michael Collins (1996). However acclaimed his previous work had been, none of it received the hype of one of Neeson's 1999 projects, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Although the film, which starred Neeson as a Jedi master, ultimately earned a galaxy's worth of negative reviews, it mined box office millions. Its success further enhanced Neeson's status as one of the world's most visible actors, and it even helped to downplay the disappointment of The Haunting, his other film that year.
Neeson would enter the new millennium with a variety of projects on his to-do list, appearing in the Martin Scorsese period piece Gangs of New York in 2002, and the extremely popular romantic comedy Love Actually in 2003. The following year would find him tackling a meatier role, however, as he singed on to portray pioneering scientist and researcher on human sexuality Alfred Kinsey in the biopic Kinsey. The part would earn Neeson a Golden Globe nomination, and Neeson would follow its success with performances in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, as well as one in the blockbuster superhero reboot Batman Begins in 2005. He would also sign on to provide the voice of lion king Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia fantasy franchise.
In 2008, Neeson starred in the thriller Taken, portraying a former CIA officer who employs his brutal skills learned on the job to find his kidnapped daughter. Audiences weren't accustomed to seeing the actor hold down the lead in an action film, but Neeson succeeded and the film was a categorical success. Sadly, the following year, Liam's wife actress Natasha Richardson died suddenly after suffering a severe head injury during a skiing accident. Neeson was left in care of their two children, Michael and Daniel, but was later able to resume his career.
Neeson would find himself appearing in many action/adventure films over the coming years. He starred as the cigar-chomping ohn "Hannibal" Smith in the big-screen adaptation of The A-Team in 2010, and a man fleeing for his life and fighting for his identity in 2011's Unknown. The following year, Neeson played an oil driller stranded amid a pack of wolves in The Grey. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Ridley Scott directed this epic-scale historical drama inspired by the events of the Crusades of the 12th century. Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a humble French blacksmith who is searching for a reason to go on after the death of his wife and children. Balian is approached by Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), a fabled knight who has briefly returned home after serving in the East. Godfrey informs Balian that he is his true father, and urges the blacksmith to join him as he and his forces journey to Jerusalem to help defend the holy city. Balian accepts, and he and Godfrey arrive during the lull between the Second and Third Crusades, in which the city is enjoying a fragile peace. Both Christian and Muslim forces are temporarily in retreat, thanks to the wisdom of the Christian monarch King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), his second-in-command Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), and Muslim potentate Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). Violent agitators on both sides are foolishly eager to end the peace in a bid for greater power, and Saladin bows to pressures from Muslim factions; Godfrey is one of a handful of brave knights who has thrown his allegiance behind Baldwin IV and his community of diversity, and Balian joins him as they use their skills as warriors in a bid to build a lasting peace. Kingdom of Heaven also stars Eva Green as the princess Sibylla, David Thewlis as Hospitaler the priest, and Brendan Gleeson as Reynald. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, (more)
Alfred Kinsey was an entomologist who taught at Indiana University and had a keen interest in an area of human behavior that had seen little scholarly research -- human sexuality. While the courtship and reproductive patterns of animals had been carefully documented, Kinsey believed that most "established facts" about human sexual behavior were a matter of conjecture rather than research and that what most people said about their sex lives was not born out by the evidence (a subject that had personal resonance for him given the troubles he and his wife Clara Kinsey had in the early days of their marriage). After introducing a course in "Marriage" at Indiana University which offered frank and factual information on sex to students, Kinsey began an exhaustive series of interviews with a wide variety of people from all walks of life in order to find out the truth about sex practices in America. When he published Sexual Behavior and the Human Male in 1948, his findings were wildly controversial, indicating that most men had a wider variety of sexual experiences than most people imagined, including a number of practices commonly thought to be dangerous or perverted (including pre-marital sex, same-sex contacts, and masturbation). An even greater outcry greeted Kinsey's next volume, Sexual Behavior and the Human Female, which contradicted common notions than most women went into marriage sexually inexperienced. Kinsey is a film biography written and directed by Bill Condon which examines Kinsey's life and work from his strict childhood until his death in 1956. Liam Neeson plays Alfred Kinsey, and Laura Linney co-stars as Kinsey's wife and colleague Clara. John Lithgow highlights the supporting cast as Kinsey's repressed and moralistic father, while Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, and Timothy Hutton play members of Kinsey's research team and Tim Curry appears as an IU faculty member at odds with Kinsey's teachings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, (more)
An Irish boy becomes an emotional and sexual outcast as the 1960s fade into the 1970s in this period drama from director Neil Jordan. When he was just a baby in the early '60s, Patrick Braden (Conor McEvoy) was abandoned by his mother and left on the doorstep of a church overseen by Father Bernard (Liam Neeson). Placed in a foster home, sensitive Patrick doesn't much care for the emotionally chilly attitude of his new "family," and psychologically buffers himself against the world by writing stories that make fun of Father Bernard and the other authority figures in his life. As he grows into adulthood, Patrick (played as an adult by Cillian Murphy) also discovers that he enjoys dressing in women's clothes and prefers the company of men, and as a teenager he falls into an affair with Billy Hatchet (Gavin Friday), a nightclub performer who also runs guns for the Irish Republican Army. In the early '70s, Patrick -- who has since taken on the drag name "Kitten" -- makes his way to London, where he becomes involved with Bertie (Stephen Rea), a small-time nightclub magician who gives the young man a place to say, a sense of security, and a job as his on-stage assistant. However, Patrick's idyllic life with Bertie proves short-lived when his old friends come to town on IRA "business." Breakfast on Pluto also features a supporting performance from former Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cillian Murphy, Stephen Rea, (more)
Explore the life of one of the most beloved but misunderstood icons in religious history as narrator Liam Neeson is joined by an assortment of scholars and authors in detailing the legacy of Ireland's St. Patrick. Frequently, but incorrectly, described as and Irishman who drove the snakes out of Ireland, St. Patrick was in fact an Englishman and ordained priest who was successor to Saint Palladius - first bishop of Ireland. Acclaimed actor Gabriel Byrne provides the voice of St. Patrick in an hour-long docudrama that also examines just how a foreign evangelical would have actually interacted with the Irish. St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography author Philip Freeman, Oxford University historian David R. Howlett, and renowned Irish-American author Frank McCourt all offer join in to offer fascinating insight into the life of a celebrated historical figure whose influence continues to be felt centuries after his death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2004
This 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Liam Neeson and features musical guest Modest Mouse. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Modest Mouse, (more)
IMAX director Greg MacGillivray's 2003 film, Coral Reef Adventure, follows the exploits and crusades of the husband and wife underwater filmmaking duo of Howard and Michelle Hall as they embark on a ten-month expedition of the world's most vibrant and endangered coral reefs. Beginning at the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast, the Halls explore the vast underwater ecosystem and the scores of wildlife that thrive off of it. Traveling on throughout a number of the South Pacific's most spectacular reefs, the filmmakers also visit some reefs on the verge of extinction, making the sobering point that an entire reef's death occurs very quickly, while its creation takes thousands of years. Coral Reef Adventure marks the third oceanic, ecologically-themed IMAX film from MacGillivray, following The Living Sea and Dolphins. Also featured in the film are famed sea explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau (son of the pioneering oceanographer Jacques Cousteau) and noted ichthyologist Richard Pyle. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- 2003
Originally presented in two parts for the British television anthology Empires, this very thorough biographical documentary concentrates on the German religious leader described by historian Michael Mullett as one of "the great emancipators in human history." Originally a Catholic prelate, Martin Luther (1483-1546) did not set out to spearhead the Protestant Rebellion; originally, he merely demanded the right to speak out against what he felt were the faults, shortcomings, and excesses of Catholicism as it stood during his time. But once he realized that an all-out reformation was needed, there was no stopping him. Although respectful to its subject, the film does not worship at Luther's altar; instead, it takes a dispassionate, open-minded viewpoint, carefully placing both Luther and his more inflammatory opinions (notably those regarding Jews) in the context of the 16th century. Actor Timothy West provides the voice of Luther, while Liam Neeson serves as narrator. Produced by filmmaker Cassian Harrison, the man also responsible for the award-winning Jerusalem : City of Heaven, Martin Luther was first broadcast on PBS July 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson
All of London is in love -- or longing to be -- in Four Weddings and a Funeral writer Richard Curtis' first directorial effort. Billed as "the ultimate romantic comedy," Love Actually involves more than a dozen main characters, each weaving his or her way into another's heart over the course of one particularly eventful Christmas. The seemingly perfect wedding of Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) brings many of the principals together, including heartsick best man Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who harbors a very unrequited crush on Juliet. There's also recent widower Daniel (Liam Neeson), trying to help his lonely stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster) express his true feelings to a classmate. Across town, devoted working mother Karen (Emma Thompson) tries to rekindle the passion of her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), who secretly pines for a young colleague of his. In the same office, the lonely Sarah (Laura Linney) not-so-secretly pines for a man just a few desks away (Rodrigo Santoro), who returns her affections but may not be able to dissuade her neuroses. Providing the unofficial soundtrack for all of the couples is an aging rocker (Bill Nighy) who just wants to cash in and get laid -- but even he might find a meaningful relationship in the most unlikely of places. A working print of Love Actually premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, (more)
- 2002
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Coproduced by the DiC animation firm and PBS, Liberty's Kids was a half-hour historical cartoon series set during the American Revolution. The principal characters were Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, apprentices both to the multifaceted Benjamin Franklin. The fact that Sarah was loyal to the British and James was a 100-percent "Yankee Doodle" added to the cultural diversity of the series, as did the presence of James' friend Moses, a freed slave, and Henri, an eight-year-old French street urchin unofficially adopted by James and Moses. The series' real drawing card was its stellar cast of voice actors, portraying the many historical personages with whom Sarah, James, Moses, and Henri came into contact. For example, Ben Franklin was voiced by veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite (who even got to say "That's the way it is" on occasion); Michael Douglas was heard as Patrick Henry; Sylvester Stallone enacted Paul Revere; Dustin Hoffman interpreted notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold; and Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to sneak an "I'll be back" into his characterization of Baron Von Steuben. Geared for children aged seven to 12, Liberty's Kids joined the PBS daytime manifest on September 2, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reo Jones, Christine Lundquist, (more)
The violent rise of gangland power in New York City at a time of massive political corruption and the city's evolution into a cultural melting pot set the stage for this lavish historical epic, which director Martin Scorsese finally brought to the screen almost 30 years after he first began to plan the project. In 1846, as waves of Irish immigrants poured into the New York neighborhood of Five Points, a number of citizens of British and Dutch heritage who were born in the United States began making an open display of their resentment toward the new arrivals. William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), better known as "Bill the Butcher" for his deadly skill with a knife, bands his fellow "Native Americans" into a gang to take on the Irish immigrants; the immigrants in turn form a gang of their own, "The Dead Rabbits," organized by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). After an especially bloody clash between the Natives and the Rabbits leaves Vallon dead, his son goes missing; the boy ends up in a brutal reform school before returning to the Five Points in 1862 as Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio). Now a strapping adult who has learned how to fight, Amsterdam has come to seek vengeance against Bill the Butcher, whose underworld control of the Five Points through violence and intimidation dovetails with the open corruption of New York politician "Boss" Tweed (Jim Broadbent). Amsterdam gradually penetrates Bill the Butcher's inner circle, and he soon becomes his trusted assistant. Amsterdam also finds himself falling for Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful but street-smart thief who was once involved with Bill. Amsterdam is learning a great deal from Bill, but before he can turn the tables on the man who killed his father, Amsterdam's true identity is exposed, even though he has concealed it from nearly everyone, including Jenny. Gangs Of New York was the first film in two years from actor Leonardo DiCaprio; ironically, it was at one time scheduled to open on the same day as Catch Me if You Can, the Steven Spielberg project that DiCaprio began filming immediately after Gangs wrapped. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, (more)
A real-life historical incident becomes the basis for this military thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow that's reminiscent of such submarine dramas as Das Boot (1981), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Crimson Tide (1995), and U-571 (2000). Harrison Ford stars as Captain Alexi Vostrikov, a Russian naval officer who's being given command of the Soviet Union's first nuclear submarine, K-19, at the height of the Cold War in 1961. The vessel's previous commander, Captain Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson) has been demoted to executive officer following a botched test and his outspoken assertions that the flagship is not yet ready for deployment, but he curbs his resentment and resolves to serve his new superior well. Polenin's concerns are well founded: parts are not yet installed, equipment is missing, and the ship's doctor is killed in an auto mishap. Political pressure forces Vostrikov to sail his crew into the North Atlantic anyway, for a missile fire test that serves as a warning to the U.S. that its enemy is now its technological equal. The test is a success, but a disastrous leak in the K-19's reactor cooling system soon threatens to create enough heat to detonate the craft's nuclear payload -- which would certainly be mistaken for the first salvo in a worldwide atomic exchange and spark the beginning of World War III. With no other option, Vostrikov orders his men to repair the damage in ten-minute shifts, irradiating them hopelessly. The conflict between the seemingly bureaucratic Communist Vostrikov and the more humane Polenin escalates, until a surprising twist reveals where both officers' loyalties truly lie. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, (more)
- 2001
This is the fifth episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory effects everyday life. Written, produced, and directed by Noel Buckner and Robert Whittlesey, this installment of the documentary explains how the sexual means of procreation strengthens species by adding a beneficial diversity to the gene pool. The directors also examine the variety of sexual behavior in the animal world, as well as the theory that culture itself may be an expression of the sexual drive. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, highlights include animation sequences illustrating evolution, interviews with various scientists, and archival footage from a variety of sources, including the BBC Worldwide Americas Inc., Frontline, WGBH, Mantis Wildlife Sunburnt Pictures Australia, Maslowski Wildlife Productions, NASA, and National Geographic Television. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, author Stephen Jay Gould, and scientist William H. Calvin of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
This is the sixth episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory effects everyday life. Written by John Heminway and produced by Heminway and Michelle Nicholasen, this installment of the documentary examines the evolutionary factors that led to the triumph of homo sapiens over other hominid relatives. Series advisor William H. Calvin of Washington University has postulated in his book The Cerebral Symphony that what we value as higher intelligence may well have developed as an offshoot of a survival trait: the ability to throw, and thereby safely hunt from a distance. The act of throwing involves a relatively complex sequential "firing" of synapses, as does higher thinking. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, highlights include footage of cave paintings by prehistoric men, animation sequences illustrating evolution, interviews with various scientists, and archival footage from a variety of sources, including the Archive of Kebara Cave, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle, Musee de l'Homme, the National Geographic Film Library, and the University of Toronto. Among the other distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall and author Stephen Jay Gould. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
This is the final episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory effects everyday life. This installment of the documentary tackles the compatibility issues regarding the theory of evolution and Christianity. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, the program examines arguments made during the famous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, during which a teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution theory. Other highlights include interviews with evolutionary scientists who are also Christians, and with evolution deniers who argue that you cannot rightly believe in both evolution and the Bible. The archival footage in this episode comes from a variety of sources, including the Library of Congress, Louisiana Public Television, the National Archives, Sword of the Lord Foundation, UCLA Film and Video Archives, and the United States Supreme Court. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, author Stephen Jay Gould, and scientist William H. Calvin of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
This is the second episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory affects everyday life. Written by Joel Olicker and Chris Schmidt, and directed by Olicker, this installment of the documentary discusses the development of the biological template of the four-limbed animal, the migration of life forms from ocean to land, the return of some species to the ocean (such as dolphins), and the development of homo sapiens. Highlights include a side-by-side comparison of the bones of a human hand to the fossilized bones of the fin of a sea creature that died millions of years ago -- the structure is startlingly similar. Also included are animation sequences illustrating evolution, and interviews with various scientists. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, this program utilizes archival footage from a variety of sources, including the American Museum of Natural History Library, BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc., California Institute of Technology, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, Sharon Emerson of the University of Utah, author Stephen Jay Gould, and William H. Calvin, of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
Evolution: Learning and Teaching Evolution is part of the Evolution series from WGBH and Clear Blue Sky Productions. Hosted by actor Liam Neeson, the series attempts to provide an overview of the history of human evolution. As the title explains, this supplemental presentation offers lessons on teaching and learning about evolution. Running 95 minutes, the program was released in 2001. The other titles in the series include Evolution, Pt. 1: Darwin's Dangerous Idea, Evolution, Pt. 2: Great Transformations, Evolution, Pt. 3: Extinction!, Evolution, Pt. 4: The Evolutionary Arms Race, Evolution, Pt. 5: Why Sex?, Evolution, Pt. 6: The Mind's Big Bang, and Evolution, Pt. 7: What About God?. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- 2001
This is the fourth episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory effects everyday life. Written and directed by Gail Willumsen, this installment of the documentary reveals the scientific meaning of that often misused and misunderstood phrase "survival of the fittest." In relation to natural selection, Willumsen examines how overuse of certain medicines on viruses and bacteria are possibly creating super-viruses and super-bacteria that may one day threaten humanity with extinction. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, highlights include animation sequences illustrating evolution, interviews with various scientists, and archival footage from a variety of sources, including the American Red Cross, Archive Films, BioMedia Associates, Getty Images, the WPA Film Library, and United Wildlife. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, author Stephen Jay Gould, and scientist William H. Calvin of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
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This is the first episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory affects everyday life. Written and directed by David Espar and Susan K. Lewis, this segment of the documentary introduces the key tenets of the theory, discusses current evolutionary scientific research, and includes biographical docudrama sequences produced by Linda Garmon and written by Allan Cubitt. Highlights include animation sequences illustrating evolution and interviews with various experts, including Kenneth Miller, who is both a Darwinian scientist and a Catholic. He authored the book Finding Darwin's God. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, this program stars Christopher Larkin as Charles Darwin. Also utilized throughout this episode is archival footage from a variety of sources, including Atmosphere Pictures, BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc., National Geographic Film Library, and Royal Geographic Society London. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, Stephen Jay Gould, and William H. Calvin, of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson
- 2001
This is the third episode in a seven-part PBS series that provides viewers with an overview of the theory of evolution: how the theory was conceived, how it has broadly influenced science, how it is commonly misunderstood, and how the theory effects everyday life. Written and directed by Kate Churchill and Richard Hutton, this installment of the documentary discusses the function of extinction in the process of evolution. The theory is that extinction makes room for new species. Also covered are the theories regarding the five mass extinctions the world has experienced, and theories as to whether or not humans may cause a sixth. Narrated by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, highlights include animation sequences illustrating evolution, interviews with various scientists, and archival footage from a variety of sources, including American Museum of Natural History, BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc., Energy Film Library, Moana Productions, the National Archives, and the National Geographic Film Library. Included among the distinguished advisors for the series are Jane Goodall, Sharon Emerson of the University of Utah, author Stephen Jay Gould, and scientist William H. Calvin of Washington University. The series was originally televised September 24-27, 2001. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 2001
A typically ambitious miniseries from Boston's PBS affiliate WGBH-TV, the seven-part, eight-hour Evolution was advertised as "A Journey Into Where We're From and Where We're Going." Although the Darwinian theory of evolution was given plenty of screen time, the series investigated all aspects of the evolutionary process, as related to survival, sex, and religion. One of the series' distinctions was its ability to find a common ground for scientists and fundamentalists alike: as one of the participants of the series noted, "We're just studying what God has made, however he made it." In addition to standard documentary footage, the project made extensive use of animation, dramatizations, and expert interviews. Individual episode titles included "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" (the two-hour opener), "Great Transformations," "Extinction!," "The Evolutionary Arms Race," "Why Sex?," "The Mind's Big Bang," and "What About God?" Co-produced by Blue Sky Productions and narrated by actor Liam Neeson, Evolution made its first PBS appearance on September 24, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson
Filmmaker Steve Judson, who received an Academy award nomination for his documentary Dolphins, explores another variety of inner space in this film, shot in the high-definition IMAX process. Dr. Hazel Barton and Nancy Aulenbach are scientists brought together by their interest in caves -- Aulenbach researches the life cycles of plants and animals that thrive in caves, while Barton believes study of the ecosystems of caves might provide valuable information on treating diseases in humans. Barton and Aulenbach are joined by veteran spelunker Janot Lamberton as they explore spectacular cave formations in Arizona, Mexico, and Greenland. Journey Into Amazing Caves is narrated by noted actor Liam Neeson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson
In this action-laced comedy, a cop on the verge of a nervous breakdown finds love at the least convenient time. Charlie Mayo (Liam Neeson) is an undercover agent with the DEA who was nearly killed when a sting set up to nail a gang of drug dealers went horribly wrong. The accident left Charlie shaken, and he's gone into therapy to hold himself together as he struggles through one final case before retiring. Charlie's superior (Mitch Pileggi) has set him up on another undercover assignment as he tries to bring in two Colombian drug kingpins and a low-level Mafiosi with delusions of grandeur (Oliver Platt). As Charlie makes his way through therapy, he's referred to a nurse (Sandra Bullock) interested in New Age healing techniques; now he has love on his mind as he tries to keep himself out of harm's way under increasingly dangerous circumstances. Gun Shy marked the feature directorial debut of television veteran Eric Blakeney. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Oliver Platt, (more)
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