Amy O'Neill Movies
- 1985
Wheelchair-bound law student Kristen (Barbara C. Adside), a protégée of Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson), asks Harry to escort her to her graduate prom. When Harry balks (as he has always previously balked whenever she'd invited him anywhere), Kristen accuses him of being prejudiced against the handicapped -- and he begins to brood over the possibility that she might be right. Selma Diamond makes her last appearance as court matron Selma Hacker in this, the final episode of Night Court's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Erstwhile inventor Rick Moranis has been experimenting with an electro-magnetic shrinking machine. He leaves the device unattended in his attic; shortly afterward, it is accidentally activated. Alas, the demon machine is aimed at Moranis' children, as well as the son of neighbor Matt Frewer. The kids, shrunk to 1/4-inch height, are tossed into the trash bin by the unwitting Moranis. For the rest of the film, our teeny-tiny protagonists attempt to gain their parents' attention--and to survive the wilds of the backyard, where all sorts of dangers, from bumblebees to lawnmowers, threaten their well-being. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids features Marcia Strassman as Moranis' wife, and juvenile players Robert Oliveri, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Brown, Jared Rushton and Amy O'Neill. The visual effects are the handiwork of such masters as Joe Johnston, Phil Tippett, and David Allen. When originally released to theatres, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was double-billed with the "Roger Rabbit" cartoon Tummy Trouble; this is how it is presented on videotape as well. The film (the live-action one, that is) prompted a 1992 sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, (more)
- 1989
Based on a true story, the two-part TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven tells the tragic story of Steven Stayner. At age seven, Steven was kidnapped by two men who held him captive in a tiny shed for seven years. One of the men, a habitual child abuser named Kenneth Parnell, sexually assaulted Steven on an almost daily basis during the boy's ordeal. At age 14, Steven finally was able to escape and return to his family. But we are shown that Steven's safe return was far from the happy ending it appeared to be. He's forced to adjust to a family he'd never really known, to convince himself that his parents had never forgotten him, and to put his seven-year hell behind him. While I Know My First Name Is Steven ends on an upbeat note, the real Stayner died in a motorcycle accident only a few months after this film was first telecast in May 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Friends in Georgia are broken up when an enticing teenager comes between them as told in this true story. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
While attending a convention in Las Vegas, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) links up with Susan Hartley (Amy O'Neill), the daughter of her editor Ted Hartley (Bruce Gray). When Susan's boyfriend is accused of murdering a nasty casino manager, Jessica steps in to prove the poor fellow's innocence. In so doing, our heroine places her own life in dire jeopardy. Andrew Brye makes his second appearance in the semi-regular role of Ahmed Shanker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, a bumbling but brilliant scientist (Rick Moranis) accidentally makes his two-year-old son into a giant who becomes larger every time he comes in contact with electricity. Though he and his wife try to control their son, the child inevitably escapes and wreaks havoc, eventually terrorizing the streets of Las Vegas. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Moranis, Marcia Strassman, (more)
- 1993
In this outdoor adventure drama, high school teacher Jake (Matt McCoy) leads five of his students on a hike through the wilderness. Four of the kids come from wealthy families, while one is poor and has developed a serious chip on his shoulder after a great deal of harassment from his classmates. One night, Jake shares with the kids a story of how he was lost in the woods as a child and was saved by a white wolf. The next morning, the students discover Jake had slipped over a cliff during the night and is hovering near death. The bickering teenagers decide that they must put their differences aside, as three of them keep watch over Jake while the poor boy and a rich girl set out to get medical help. White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II also stars David Moscow, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Ami Dolenz, Amy O'Neill, and Marc Riffon as the students. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
