George Newbern

Academy Award-winning short filmmaker Dennis Lee (Jesus Henry Christ) expands into feature-length territory with this semi-autobiographical tale about a family struggling to see their way through a devastating and unforeseen tragedy. Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Emily Watson star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Admitted to the surgery ward for a routine colonoscopy, forty-year old George Grieves (Thomas Cavanagh) finds himself forced to confront his greatest fear when his surroundings take an unsettling shift towards the surreal. Immediately after awakening from his anesthesia, George is horrified to discover that the surgeon has performed the wrong operation on him. Now, as George's mental and physical condition begins to deteriorate rapidly, he discovers that something is horribly amiss in the hospital's East Ward. But in order to find out the truth about what's been happening in the East Ward, George will have to come face to face with the most sadistic nurse around, and make a difficult decision that promises to alter the course of his entire life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Upon entering its third season, the animated series Justice League serves up quite a few changes in its format. For starters, the titular League, comprised of the Earth's mightiest superheroes, is now under the full control of J'onn J'onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, with former leaders Superman and Batman taking rather than issuing orders. For another, the League has been given a brand-new headquarters in an orbiting Earth satellite. Finally and most significantly, the series' title has been changed to Justice League Unlimited, reflecting the sudden expansion of the League's membership roster. In addition to old favorites J'onn J'onnz, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl, the League has welcomed such newcomers as the Green Arrow, Supergirl, and Captain Atom along with a few "stringers" whom J'onn J'onnz occasionally calls upon for backup, utilizing their unique crime-fighting talents to the utmost. Foremost among the big story developments during season three include the reformation of former villain Lex Luthor, an effort by wicked sorcerer Mordred to banish all adults from the Earth (forcing several League members to transform into eight-year-olds!), the arrival of a new superhero team called the Ultimen, the resurrection of Batman's supposedly deceased perennial foe Solomon Grundy, and a time-warp journey to the Old West on one end of the spectrum and to a futuristic Gotham City at the other end. It is, in fact, this last-named adventure, the two-part "The Once and Future Thing," which brings the third season of Justice League (or is it, technically, the first season of Justice League Unlimited?) to a pulse-pounding conclusion. ~ All Movie Guide

Season one of the animated series Justice League opens with the three-part "Secret Origins," which explains the reason that the League is formed and establishes the principal players. Duped into disarming the Earth's warheads, veteran superhero Superman is aghast when a fleet of bug-like space aliens attacks the Earth, led on by the traitorous Senator J. Allen Carter. Flying to the orbiting space-station headquarters of Batman, Superman and his fellow crime-fighter try to mount a strong defense against the extraterrestrials, only to discover that it is too much of a job for just the two of them. Thus is formed the mighty Justice League, comprised of Superman and Batman's comic-book confreres the Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl -- with added backup from a new member of the gang, the telepathic, shape-shifting Martian Manhunter (aka J'onn J'onnz). Once the alien insects are thwarted, the Justice League embarks upon several new adventures, most of them unfolding in two-part story arcs. Though the League members are united in a common cause, there is a certain amount of friction, rivalry, and envy amongst them -- just like any "normal" exclusive club. Featured in the series' 26 are a number of characters who will be familiar to any fan of the original Justice League comic-book line, including underwater superhero Aquaman; Wonder Woman's mother, Hippolyta, and erstwhile boyfriend Steve Trevor; black crime-fighter Virgil "Static Shock" Hawkins; and Sgt. Rock (of Easy Company). Several infamous villains also make appearances, among them Superman's perennial nemesis Lex Luthor (who at one point organizes a rival team of bad guys called The Injustice Guild), Batman's longtime enemy the Joker, and such reprehensible reprobates as Brainiac, Mordred, Star Sapphire, the Shade, and the simian criminal genius Grodd. The season ends with the three-part adventure "The Savage Time," wherein six Justice League members are transported back to D-day during World War 2! ~ All Movie Guide

This three-part drama, produced for HBO, examines the changing tides of the lives of lesbians in America, both politically and personally, as we eavesdrop on three stories taking place in the same house over a span of five decades. In 1961, the house is home to Edith (Vanessa Redgrave) and Abby (Marian Seldes), an elderly lesbian couple whose lifestyle is not accepted or acknowledged by their families. When Abby suffers a serious stroke and is on the verge of death, her family rallies to her side, but not understanding the nature of her relationship with Edith, she is not included as her loved ones say their final good-byes. After Abby's death, her nephew (Paul Giamatti) and his wife (Elizabeth Perkins) arrive from out of state with plans to sell the house, without consulting Edith. In 1972, the house is now home to four college students, Michelle (Amy Carlson), Linda (Michelle Williams), Karen (Nia Long), and Jeanne (Natasha Lyonne), all of whom are actively involved in the women's movement and also happen to be lesbians. The four find themselves at odds with the campus women's group when they try to promote an all-women's dance, while the other members of the group feel that feminism, not lesbianism, should be the focus of the group. Similarly, Linda faces hostility from her friends when she becomes involved with Amy (Chloe Sevigny), a very butch townie; Linda's friends see Amy's masculine attire and attitude as a form of self-loathing against being a woman, and while Linda cares deeply for Amy, she's not always comfortable with her and isn't sure that she wants to be public with their relationship. In 2000, Fran (Sharon Stone) and Kal (Ellen DeGeneres), a happy and firmly committed couple, are sharing the house, and after much discussion, they decide that they want to take their relationship to the next level and have a baby. However, deciding that they want a child and dealing with the practicalities of getting pregnant are two different things; Fran and Kal first debate about going to a sperm bank as opposed to asking one of their male friends to help out, and later, either going to a doctor to perform the procedure or trying it at home. DeGeneres' significant other, Anne Heche, wrote and directed the final segment; the 1972 story was directed by Martha Coolidge, and the 1961 episode was directed by Jane Anderson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching when Los Angeles native Ian (George Newbern) gets an unexpected invitation from his father (David Rasche) to join him for a vacation in Park City, Utah. The two don't get along especially well, but Ian goes partly in hopes of patching up the relationship, and partly because his friends figure it would be a nice vacation. In fact, they're so convinced that several of them end up tagging along. Good looking guy Jon (Stephen Baldwin) is determined to seduce good looking gal Carla (an obviously well-cast Claudia Schiffer), despite heavy competition from German ski instructor Hans (Robert Downey Jr.), while David (Danny Nucci) is equally determined to do something about his pesky virginity. Meanwhile, Keaton (Neill Barry) discovers his sister (Suzanne Cryer) is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, and she wants Keaton to resolve his issues with their father before it's too late. But Keaton has other emotional issues to deal with when he finds out his longtime friend Lisa (Alison Eastwood) wants them to move past friendship into a deeper relationship. This romantic comedy-drama was the debut feature from writer/director George Haas. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) offer to put up Ross (David Schwimmer) until he has enough money for his own place. Pretty soon they realize that they'll have to put up with him as well, and it isn't easy. And Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) begins dating Larry (Gregory Sporleder), a health inspector, causing problems with her friends when Larry begins closing down the gang's favorite gathering places -- with Central Perk next on the list. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this TV sitcom, Cupid (Jeremy Piven) has lost his touch and is banished from Mount Olympus. To reclaim his position there, he must go to Earth and assume the role of mortal Trevor Hale. Once he brings 100 couples together without the benefit of magic, he can return to Olympus. Naturally, this tale gets him institutionalized. In the course of Hale's extensive therapy, his shrink, Dr. Claire Allen (Paula Marshall), remains skeptical of Hale's bizarre Cupid concept, but even so, she invites him into a singles group, an ideal arena for Hale to begin his difficult assignment. Filmed in Vancouver, this series premiered September 26, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Originally an episode of the Touched by an Angel spinoff Promised Land, this is the conclusion of a two-part story begun on Angel (and as such is included in the current Angel syndication package. Having been chosen to act as the "eyes" for temporarily inded angel Monica (Roma Downey), young Joshua Greene (Austin O'Brien) is himself rendered sightless in a drive-by shooting. Dr. Serena Hall (Lynn Whitfield) holds Michael Burns (George Newbern), the man who brought Joshua to the inner-city Denver neighborhood where the shooting occurred, responsible for the tragedy, but both Monica and friendly beauty-shop owner Queenie (Jenifer Lewis) do their best to alleviate Michael's guilt feelings. Meanwhile, Joshua's dad Russell (Promised Land star Gerald McRaney) rallies the neighborhood to take a strong stand against gang violence. Evidently, this episode was intended as the pilot for a new series starring George Newbern, which never got off the ground; however, the Denver-ghetto setting would be utilized again during Promised Land's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whoopi Goldberg headlines this youth-oriented comedy fantasy set in a near future where scientists for some reason have genetically resurrect dinosaurs. This time, the revitalized reptiles are intelligent and equipped with humanoid articulatory tracts so they can speak. They also wear shoes. Goldberg plays a leather-clad smart-alecky detective who is assigned the odious task of teaming up with Teddy Rex, a dino-detective. Naturally lizards and leather don't mix and the two constantly bicker their way into buddyhood as they investigate the death another dinosaur, a death that turns out to be linked with a crazed scientist's nefarious, chilling plot. Goldberg (to her credit) attempted to back out of making this film soon after production started. Were it not for the threat of major legal retaliation by the studio, she may have succeeded. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this emotional drama, a group of young professionals tries to get away from their problems, only to find that their friends create new annoyances. The marriage of Ellie (Jennifer Connelly) and Ryland (Jim True) has been strained by the recent death of their infant daughter. Hoping that some time away will ease Ellie's mind, Ryland organizes a weekend getaway in the nearby resort of Far Harbor, where they'll stay at a beach house with several friends, including Arabella (Marcia Gay Harden), Ellie's sister, and Frick (Edward Atterton), Ellie's ex-husband. Frick, a struggling filmmaker, hears a rumor that a yacht anchored off the beach belongs to David Speckman, a successful movie director; and the soothing weekend soon turns maddening, as he devises scheme after scheme to meet Speckman, oblivious that those around him have serious problems to deal with. Far Harbor marked the feature debut of writer/director John Huddles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Though not quite as bad as it might have been, the 1994 "reunion" TV-movie I Spy Returns was some distance removed from great. Written by Michael Norell, this two-hour film is set some 25 years after the conclusion of the original I Spy weekly series. Former secret agent Alexander "Scotty" Scott (Bill Cosby), now a romance-language professor at a tweedy California college, is aghast to learn that his feisty daughter Nicole (Salli Richardson) has signed up as a spy with Special Services. Making a beeline to the organization's director Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp), who'd once been his partner in the espionage business, Scotty demands that Nicole be bounced from the program. Kelly merely chuckles and replies that the girl couldn't be in safer hands: Her partner is the organization's most gifted and resourceful young agent-Kelly's own son Ben (George Newbern). Realizing that he will never be able to win an argument with his old pal Kelly, Scotty agrees to join Robinson in surreptitiously supervising Nicole and Ben as they head to Vienna to tackle their first assignment: Providing protection for defecting Russian scientist Cherbakov (Nikalous Parlya) and his wife (Lynsey Baxter). When they discover that their former adversary Baroodi (Jonathan Hyde) is also in Vienna, Kelly and Scotty take an active hand in matters-and the results are, if not hilarious, certainly diverting. The film's high points include the lengthy "bickering banter" exchanges between old pros Culp and Cosby. I Spy Returns originally aired as a "CBS Movie Special" on February 3, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide