George Newbern Movies

The producers of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight team with some of the most respected anime artists in Japan to explore Bruce Wayne's transition from tormented crime fighter to heroic icon of a crumbling metropolis. Separated into six distinct chapters but intended to be viewed as a whole, this stylized look at immortal DC Comics superhero is the result of a collaboration between Shojiro Nishimi (Tekkonkinkreet), Yasuhiro Aoki (Steamboy), Futoshi Higashide (Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack), Toshiyuki Kubooka (The Secret of Blue Water), and Hiroshi Morioka (Chronicle of the Wings). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Frank Whaley, Traci Lords, Gabrielle Anwar, and Dina Meyer star in director James Koya Jones' tale of six childhood friends who band together to confront a lingering secret from the past. A man has died, and now the six friends who knew him best have returned home to pay their final respects. Later, while settling their late friend's estate issues, the group discovers a map leading them to a long-forgotten time capsule that they had all buried many years ago. Upon unearthing the capsule, the six friends find themselves forced to confront a lingering childhood trauma as they begin the painful journey into their crumbling childhood home. Once there, a terrible secret concerning a mysterious dead girl emerges, and the fate of the entire group of forever sealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a famous author is abducted by obsessed fanboys and winds up in the clutches of two sinister brothers, it's up to his daughter and her friends to stage a daring rescue mission. All fourteen year old Melissa (Emily Osment) ever wanted was some quality time with her father Neal (George Newbern), the author of a series of popular young adult adventure novels. But Neal spends more time dreaming up missions for his fictional hero Tripp Zoome than bonding with his lonely daughter. Hoping to pry her dad away from work for just a few days, Melissa organizes a special daughter-dad vacation. Unfortunately Melissa's plan overlaps with a promotional event for her dad's latest book. Just then, Neil becomes the target of a treacherous kidnapping plot. Now in order to rescue her father and save the day, young Emily attempts to channel her "inner Zoome" and races to the rescue. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Disney's Double Switch stars George Newbern and....George Newbern. The plot revolves around a teenaged rock idol named Bartholomew (Newbern #1). Trapped by his celebrity, Bartholomew finds a way out when he meets the geeky winner of a Bartholomew lookalike contest (Newbern #2). In the tradition of The Prince and the Pauper, the two teens trade places, then refuse to go back to their true identities because they're having too much fun. A very young Elizabeth Shue costars as the "other" Bartholomew's girlfriend. Double Switch originated as the January 4, 1987 episode of TV's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steve Martin stars in this remake of the 1950 Vincente Minnelli classic as shoe executive George Banks, whose happily married existence hits a bump when he greets his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams), home from a semester studying in Europe. She tells her father that she is engaged to be married. When the shocked George asks to whom, she says his name is Bryan (George Newbern) and that he is an "independent communications consultant." George is even more shocked when he finds out what the wedding will cost (when George goes through the card file for invited wedding guests and is told someone is deceased, George chirps, "He died? That's great!"). As George is ignored during the mad preparations for the wedding, he wistfully looks back to all the good times he has had with Annie and sadly looks forward to the time when he loses his little girl. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

An average American family suffers from a grave and unexpected loss that forces its members to confront past issues in this all-star ensemble drama from acclaimed director Dennis Lee (Jesus Henry Christ). Julia Roberts stars as Lisa Taylor, the wife of a college professor, Charlie (Willem Dafoe), living in the Midwest. As the tale opens, the aging couple are proud parents of two grown and reasonably successful children, Michael (Ryan Reynolds) and Ryne (Shannon Lucio). Then tragedy strikes: not long after Michael arrives in town (visiting from Manhattan), Lisa perishes in a fatal car accident, leaving the family bereft of its matriarch. As the devastated Taylors feebly attempt to cope with their loss, tensions resurface that have long boiled beneath the surface between Charlie and Michael; meanwhile, Michael's estranged wife, Kelly (Carrie-Anne Moss), turns up at the funeral to pay her respects to Lisa and gradually begins making amends with Michael. When Michael announces to the family that he's planning to publish a memoir about his childhood, Lisa's younger sister, Jane (Emily Watson), grows horrified that it will unearth devastating long-buried skeletons from the family's past; moreover, it seems that prior to her death, Lisa was guarding one major secret of her own that lingers just out of view and threatens to destroy everyone's sense of familial security when it finally comes to light. ~ Nathan Southern, 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

Emily (Helen Baxendale) continues to insist that Ross (David Schwimmer) divest himself of all memories of his past. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) is queasy over the notion that Monica and Chandler (Matthew Perry) are making out in his apartment. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is upset over a gift from her mother. And Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) think they've spotted Bigfoot in the apartment building. George Newbern makes his first series appearance as Danny. ~ Hal Erickson, 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

Having appeared as "guest stars" and "extra added attractions" in such previous animated series as The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, DC comics' legendary superhero team The Justice League was awarded its own starring series on November 17, 2001, courtesy of Warner Bros. Television Animation and The Cartoon Network. Though its personnel fluctuated throughout its comic-book run, for TV purposes the celebrated League was comprised of such familiar A-list crime fighters included Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Flash, and a character that had never previously headlined a cartoon program: J'onn J'onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter. Initially summoned to Batman's orbiting space station to do battle against a battalion of extraterrestrial invaders (spearheaded by a U.S. senator who turned out to be an alien in disguise), the various members of the League, accustomed to working solo, were forced not only to adopt a "team" mentality, but also to put aside their various philosophical differences and personality conflicts -- which sometimes was more difficult than battling villains! For its third season on Cartoon Network, the series' title was changed to Justice League Unlimited, in honor of the many additional DC "specialist" superheroes who freelanced for the organization. The League itself was now under the guidance of The Martian Manhunter, who organized the various and sundry do-gooders into command teams, sending them off to jobs uniquely suited for their individual talents. Several half-hour episodes of both Justice League and Justice League Unlimited have been bundled together thematically for DVD release. ~ All Movie Guide

The second season of the animated series Justice League finds the titular superheroes -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and the Martian Manhunter -- continuing to combine their awesome powers to vanquish all manner of villainy, both earthbound and extraterrestrial. As in season one, several of the Justice League's adventures unfold in two- and three-episode story arcs, the better to give the viewer full value in terms of action and thrills -- and the better to explore the various personality quirks and intramural rivalries that are part and parcel of the League's makeup. This season, the League does battle against such familiar comic-book heavies as Darkseid, Brainiac, Lex Luthor (who in one incredible plot strand ends up as President of "New Earth"), the Joker,Harley Quinn, and Gorilla Grodd. Also seen during the season's 26 episodes are a few representatives of the "normal" side of the League members' existence, notably Superman's occasional girlfriend Lois Lane and Batman's faithful butler Alfred. Season two of Justice League wraps things up with a powerful three-part adventure, "Starcrossed," wherein the denizens of Hawkgirl's home planet lay siege upon the human world -- the better to destroy it. ~ All Movie Guide