John Shepherd Movies
- 1998
- R
This rodeo family film stars Michael Biehn as a former bull-riding champ. After a barroom conflict, boozing gambler Smokey Banks (Biehn) is sentenced to community service at a ranch camp for orphans and underprivileged kids -- where young Danny O'Neil (Brock Pierce) recognizes the ex-champ. Terminally ill, Danny is bald from chemotherapy, and he requests training from the champ that could prepare him to compete at a junior dude's event. As the training gets underway, the tough cowboy soon realizes his own problems are minor league compared with Danny's. Not to be confused with another 1998 release titled Ride. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Brock Pierce, (more)
A woman in need of a miracle finds one in an unexpected manner in this inspirational comedy-drama. Amanda (Julie Condra) works as a secretary for Sully (Leo Rossi), a mid-level mobster working out of Las Vegas. Amanda, who seems to be perpetually at the end of her rope, and her spineless live-in boyfriend Alan (Jay Underwood), have a habit of living beyond their means, and they find themselves deep in debt. Unable to pay their bills, Amanda gets the bright idea of "borrowing" $250,000 from Sully without telling him, and putting it on a "sure thing" at the racetrack. However, the horse that couldn't lose does just that, and Amanda has to come up with a quarter-million dollars before Sully gets wind of her embezzlement. Amanda learns she has a grandfather that she's never met, Nathan (Pat Hingle), and it seems Grandfather is a multi-millionaire. Amanda tracks Nathan down, and to her relief, he agrees to lend her the money. But there's a string attached -- Nathan, who is in a convalescent home, wants to visit his favorite fishing hole in Redemption, MT, one last time before he dies, and he'll give Amanda the money only if she'll escort him there. Amanda and Nathan soon hit the highway, with Sully's men following close behind, and as Amanda finds herself in the middle of a series of unexpected adventures, she also learns something about her grandfather's deep and abiding Christian faith. Road to Redemption was produced by World Wide Pictures, a media outlet of the Billy Graham Crusade (excerpts from Mr. Graham's radio broadcasts can be heard in the film, though he does not appear on camera). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Condra, Pat Hingle, (more)
An action-filled adventure drama with conservative Christian overtones, The Climb (2002) tells the story of Derrick Williams (Without a Trace's Jason George) and Michael Harris (Apollo 13's Ned Vaughn), two professional mountain climbers constantly at each other's throats. The men push their lives to the edge -- and test one another's endurance -- when they decide to scale one of the highest peaks in the Chilean Andes. Executive produced by Barry Werner (of Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures) and directed by John Schmidt (Kevin Can Wait, Wait of the World), The Climb co-stars Dabney Coleman, Clifton Davis, and Todd Bridges. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Winston George, Ned Vaughn, (more)
Based on the real-life story of golf legend Bobby Jones, Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius features Jim Caviezel as the temperamental but highly talented amateur who threw a wrench in the golf world of the mid-'20s. Though Jones would eventually become the founder of the internationally renowned Augusta National Golf Club, which is father to the prestigious annual tournament known as The Masters, the combination of his ambition and tumultuous relationship with the media interfered with his personal life to such an extent that his future in the sport seemed doomed. With the help of his wife, Mary Malone Jones (Claire Forlani), the gifted, oftentimes tortured golfer was forced to balance his family life and the public scrutiny regarding his golf career, lest both of them dissolve entirely. Directed by Rowdy Herrington, the film also stars Jeremy Northam, Aidan Quinn, and Malcolm McDowell. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caviezel
Filmmaker Michael O. Sajbel explores the relationship between wealth and happiness with this spiritual-minded tale about a privileged young man who receives a most unexpected inheritance. Adapted from the best-selling book by author Jim Stovall, The Ultimate Gift opens as trust-fund baby Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) prepares to receive a sizable inheritance from his late grandfather Red (James Garner). Though Jason is convinced that the money is about to come flowing in, he receives a sudden shock upon discovering that Red has instead decided to offer him something much more valuable than simple cash. Realizing that his spoiled grandson has lived a sheltered life in which he has always been handed the very best of everything, Red has devised a crash course in living comprised of 12 gifts that will challenge the arrogant young man in ways that he could never have imagined nor anticipated. In the weeks that follow, Jason will befriend a terminally ill child (Abigail Breslin) and her grief-stricken mother (Ali Hillis) while attempting to determine whether it is money or happiness that truly matters in life. Brian Dennehy and Lee Meriwether co-star in an uplifting drama from the director of The Ride and One Night with the King. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Fuller, James Garner, (more)
- 2008
This guided tour of Mount Sinai surveys many of the relevant Biblical locations in the area, including the spot where the Israelites made their camp when they were led by Moses, the altar of the Golden Calf, the cave of Elijah, and more. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Director Cyrus Nowrasteh teams with screenwriter Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh to illuminate the dangers of religious fundamentalism, gender apartheid, and mob rule with this fictionalized adaptation of Freidoune Sahebjam's best-selling novel centering on a true-life tragedy. The story takes place in 1986, just as Khomeini is coming into power in Iran. Undercover French journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel) is traveling though a small southwestern village when his car breaks down. Surrounded by strife but left with little choice other to wait until his car is repaired, the anxious Freidoune is soon approached by persistent local Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who convinces him to follow her into the courtyard behind her home. There, she reveals to him that she has just borne witness to a most heinous crime. Just the previous day, Zahra had watched the men or her town stone an innocent woman to death. That woman was Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), long-suffering wife of abusive tyrant Ali. Soraya wed Ali in an arranged marriage, never realizing the horrors that she and her children would endure under her husband's heavy hand. When Ali requested a divorce so that he would be free to marry a 14-year-old girl, Soraya boldly refused, knowing that she and the children would most certainly starve to death without a husband to support them. Ali was too poor to return Soraya's dowry as custom dictates in a divorce, but he found another way out of the marriage. Under Shariah law, adultery is a crime punishable by death if the accused is unable to prove her innocence. Scheming with the newly installed, counterfeit mullah, Ali accused his wife of adultery. In order to ensure that she had no chance of defending herself, he blackmailed several male villagers to testify on his behalf. A tribunal was quickly called, and Soraya's fate forever sealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marnò, (more)
Ebenezer Scrooge gets the parody treatment from veteran writer/director David Zucker (Airplane!, Scary Movie 4) with this comedy starring Kevin Farley as a derisive documentarian (à la Michael Moore) who's visited by three ghosts intent on instilling the American spirit in the disillusioned filmmaker. Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, and Dennis Hopper co-star in the Vivendi Entertainment production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
