Annette O'Toole Movies
Woefully underappreciated American actress Annette O'Toole combined intelligence, wit, and delicate, often teasing allure with a girl-next-door magnetism that served her impeccably, both during her ingenue years and well into adulthood. Born in 1953, the scarlet-haired Houston native followed the lead of her dance studio owner mother by practicing her footwork with stunning determination. Annette's family moved to the City of Angels before her 14th birthday, where she shifted gears from dancing to acting, enrolled in drama courses, and landed guest roles in such series as The Partridge Family and Hawaii Five-O.In 1974, O'Toole tackled her first major feature role -- that of sweet-hearted beauty pageant contestant Doria Houston (otherwise known as Miss Anaheim) in Michael Ritchie's legendary satire Smile (1975). She did stellar work opposite Robby Benson in the romantic comedy One on One (1977), which premiered to favorable critical reviews, but a similar effort with Gary Busey a few years later, called Foolin' Around (1980), failed to display like chemistry. For better or worse, O'Toole's big break arrived in 1982, when she was cast opposite Christopher Reeve as Lana Lang in Superman 3; the film, of course, clocked in as an enormous stinker, overbloated to the point of absurdity, with O'Toole providing its only saving grace. That film imparted bittersweet undercurrents to O'Toole's life; it brought her the greatest character identification of her career, to be certain, but (along with an ill-advised appearance in Paul Schrader's awful 1982 movie Cat People), may have contributed to keeping her offscreen for several years. She rebounded with force in Armyan Bernstein's outstanding sex comedy Cross My Heart, as one of two romantic leads opposite Martin Short. The late 1987 release displayed the wit, charisma, and intelligence of both of its stars (and incorporated a hilarious nod to Superman 3, suggesting that Bernstein and Gail Parent may have written the role specifically for O'Toole), but for some unascertainable reason, failed to connect with an audience. O'Toole then signed for roles in the Alan Rudolph comedy-mystery Love at Large (1989) and the horrific Stephen King telemovie It (1990), which found the actress, along with John Ritter, Richard Thomas, and others, squaring off against homicidal clown Pennywise (Tim Curry). Her next major feat came in the late '90s, when she played Lisa, the spunky ex-wife of the police detective title character (Don Johnson) on the series Nash Bridges (1996-2001). She then achieved recognition by playing a different Superman role than the one previously essayed -- that of Clark Kent's mother, Martha -- on the popular prime-time series Smallville (2001). At about the same time, O'Toole made headlines by marrying her second husband, comedian and actor Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley, This Is Spinal Tap), in 1999. The two co-authored a song for the Christopher Guest mockumentary A Mighty Wind (2003), entitled "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," in which McKean co-starred sans O'Toole. In a particularly memorable bit, the couple performed that number together on-stage at the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A variation on the "buddy-cop" hybridized genre, 48 HRS. greatly bolstered the career of Nick Nolte and made comedian Eddie Murphy a bonafide box-office sensation. When a pair of reckless cop-killers break out of prison, grizzled detective Jack Cates (Nolte) is left no alternative but to spring fast-talking hustler Reggie Hammond (Murphy) from the penitentiary in order to find the criminals. The catch: the pair only have 48 hours to complete their assignment before Hammond must return to prison. Naturally, the two despise each other and even engage in fisticuffs, but eventually the danger facing them proves a strong enough common bond for them to play on the same team, and even achieve a little mutual admiration. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, (more)
Adapted from Gene Stratton-Porter's novel, the story of an Indiana farmgirl growing up with her widowed mother. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanna Cassidy, Heather Fairfield, (more)
The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, (more)
- 1993
Horrified and angered when she learns that the boy who brutally raped her daughter is free to do it again thanks to ineffectual laws and courtroom rigamarole, a mother vows to get her own kind of justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Bruce Davison, (more)
- 1985
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is the portmanteau pilot film for the subsequent TV revival of Hitchcock's celebrated anthology series of the 1950s and '60s. Four short tales are presented, each of them remakes of earlier Alfred Hitchcock programs. "Incident in a Small Jail," originally presented in 1961 with John Fiedler in the lead, stars Ned Beatty as a traveling salesman who finds himself sharing a jail cell with an accused rapist -- the target of an angry, indiscriminate lynch mob. "Man from the South," based on an oft-adapted Roald Dahl piece, stars John Huston as a cagey gambler who makes a grisly wager with novice Steven Bauer. The original 1959 Hitchcock version of this tale starred Peter Lorre and Steve McQueen; featured in the cast of the remake are former Hitchcock movie leading ladies Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren, as well as Hedren's daughter Melanie Griffith. "Bang, You're Dead" is a taut, tension-filled tale of a child who wanders around town with a loaded gun. The child is a little girl (Bianca Rose), but in the initial 1961 version the protagonist was a boy, played by Billy Mumy (who appears in this remake in a small role). The final playlet, "The Unlocked Window," is an abbreviated version of a story first shown on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965. Bruce Davidson is featured in a virtual reprise of that beloved old Hitchcock protagonist Norman Bates. Each of the four stories in Alfred Hitchcock Presents had its own director -- in order of appearance, they are Joel Oliansky, Steve De Jarnatt, Randa Haines, and Fred Walton -- and all were narrated by co-star John Huston. The late Alfred Hitchcock opens and closes each playlet via colorized footage from the original series -- a bizarre touch that "The Master" might have approved of. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This family drama features the riotous exploits of a lovable seal who befriends a family of animal lovers living in Rockport Maine. The father in this family is Harry Whitney, the harbor master with a great love of animals. His wife Thalice, teenagers Steve and Paula also adore wild critters. But the one who loves them most of all is Toni, a grade-schooler. Every corner of their seaside home is filled with small animals. At work Harry battles the fishermen who hate the seals because they interfere with their catch. Their leader is Billy Baker who drinks too much. At school Toni is persecuted by her schoolmates, the sons and daughters of fishermen. Andre, the seal, has been separated from his clan and is sick. He is rescued by Harry, who brings him home. With Toni's special help, Andre returns to health and becomes a real handful by getting into innocent trouble at every turn. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Tina Majorino, (more)
- 1999
Real-life husband and wife Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole appear as Topanga's parents Jedediah and Rhianna (roles played in subsequent episodes by Mark Harelik and Marcia Cross). Arriving in town for the wedding of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel), Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence put a damper on things by announcing their impending divorce! Elsewhere, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) finally proposes to Dean Bolander (Bonnie Bartlett, in her last series appearance); and Eric (Will Friedle) asks Shawn (Rider Strong) to help him get over losing Rachel (Maitland Ward) to Jack (Matthew Lawrence). A cliffhanger ending caps this final episode of Boy Meets World's sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jess is determined to be the fastest kid in his fifth-grade class, and to that end, he's been diligently practicing the entire summer. His plans are upset, however, when Leslie, his new next-door neighbor, turns out to be faster than he is. Initially upset at this turn of events, Jess soon comes to value Leslie as a friend, and the two create an imaginary secret kingdom called Terabithia, and install themselves as king and queen. Terabithia, which can only be reached by swinging on a rope across a creek bed, is a haven for the two friends, a place where they can be safe from the problems that confront them in the real world, and where they can let their imaginations run wild. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes one morning as Leslie attempts to travel to Terabithia alone, and then Jess is forced to come to terms with the results of that tragedy. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
This drama explores the inner turmoil of a parish priest who begins to question his beliefs and his celibacy after he becomes mixed up with the girlfriend of a murder victim. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Annette O'Toole, (more)
In this loose adaptation of the 1942 horror classic of the same name, a 2001-style opening montage establishes some sort of sacrificial, mystical union between panthers and an ancient tribe of humans. Flash forward to 1980's New Orleans, where waifish Irina (Natassja Kinski) meets her older brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell), a minister, for the first time since their animal trainer parents died and she was sent to a series of foster homes. Paul's Creole housekeeper, Female (Ruby Dee), helps Irina settle into her brother's home, but Paul himself disappears. Cut to a fleabag motel where a blasé prostitute finds an angry panther instead of a client; after mauling her, the cat is captured by police and a team of zoologists: Oliver (John Heard), Alice (Annette O'Toole), and Joe (Ed Begley Jr.). The next day Irina finds herself in the zoo where these scientists work; drawn to the newly captured panther, she befriends Oliver and takes a job in the gift shop. Shortly after the panther's violence turns deadly, it escapes, and soon Paul turns up spouting an unbelievable story about his family's were-cat heritage and his inevitable sexual union with little Irina. On the run from her dangerous brother, Irina takes refuge in a sexually frustrated romance with Oliver, afraid of what might happen if she consummates their passion. Astute viewers will notice that the zoologist characters refer to the film's panthers as leopards; "panther" is actually a generic term for any large cat, especially a black one, but Cat People's panthers are in fact leopards whose black color comes from a recessive trait known as melanism. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
- 1985
This campy drama, set in the 1940s, was inspired by a hit song by Barry Manilow. It tells the tale of an aspiring songwriter, Lola, a showgirl, and the sleazy owner of the Copa. Tragedy ensues as the two men duel over Lola's love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Martin Short and Annette O'Toole star in this comedy documenting a date from hell. Short is David, a sunglasses salesman, who makes a date with Kathy (Annette O'Toole) in order to celebrate his new promotion. David and Kathy have gone out a few times before, but they both think that this is the date that will put both of them over the top, convinced that they have finally found the right person. With anxiety in their hearts, they both prepare anxiously for the date. But there is trouble on the horizon. Before heading out on the date, David discovers that instead of getting a promotion, he has been fired. Afraid that Kathy will think that he is loser, he doesn't tell her that he lost his job. He has also borrowed the car and the apartment of his friend Bruce (Paul Reiser) for the date, permitting her to think that they all belong to him. But Kathy hasn't been entirely truthful to David either. For example, she has conveniently forgotten to tell him about the existence of her seven-year-old daughter. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Short, Annette O'Toole, (more)
When an American socialite's husband dies, she is faced with running the business the two have successfully created--a vast jewelry empire--together with staving off the petty jealousies and rivalries she has with her siblings. Of course, there is also romance off in the wings, or it wouldn't be a Danielle Steel novel, would it? ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A charming demeanor cannot mask the misogyny in husband Brad's heart, something that drives his wife to divorce him. Desperate to insure that his son's are not raised by their mother, Brad begins to plan her death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Olin, Lindsay Frost, (more)
- 1997
A spectacular mid-air collision leaves a commercial jet liner severely damaged forcing its pilot to draw from all his years of experience in order to safely land the aircraft. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1998
Enraged when a jury acquits the obviously guilty man who murdered her brother, a young woman abducts the attorney responsible for his freedom. Made especially for the Lifetime cable network, this drama follows what happens when the woman herself is caught and sent to trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael McKean, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1980
- PG
In a conventional, tried and true way, Foolin' Around tells the predictable story of a couple of widely divergent students who fall in love against all odds. Wes (Gary Busey) is attending a well-endowed college when he signs up for a psychology experiment and meets Susan (Annette O'Toole), a young woman from a terribly rich family. The two are immediately attracted to each other though they face more than economic differences -- Susan is engaged to the stolid Whitley (John Calvin). As events unfold, her grandfather (Eddie Albert) places his millions on Wes' side of the table since Whitley's opportunistic streak is as apparent as the white stripe on a skunk. Maybe the lovers have a chance after all, even if Whitley's mother (Cloris Leachman) is hung up on social status. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Annette O'Toole, (more)
John Flansburgh and John Linnell are a pair of musicians who met when they were fellow junior-high misfits in the town of Lincoln, MA. Sharing a fondness for off-center pop music and absurdist humor, the pair decided to form a band, and later moved to Brooklyn, NY, in search of their big break. Adopting a rather unusual two-man lineup (guitar and accordion accompanied by a drum machine), the duo began performing as They Might Be Giants, and their shows were part concert, part performance art, and part edgy comedy. Slowly but surely, They Might Be Giants became one of the biggest bands on the alternative rock scene, and while they never threatened to break into the upper reaches of the Billboard charts, they've managed to develop a loyal cult following, and after nearly 20 years together, are still recording and performing their one-of-a-kind songs on their own terms. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary which looks at the long and sometimes strange history of They Might Be Giants, featuring extensive interviews with Flansburgh and Linnell; thoughts from fellow musicians Frank Black and Syd Straw; endorsements from noted authors Dave Eggers, Gina Arnold, and Michael Azerrad; and readings of the group's lyrics from actors (and fans) Harry Shearer, Janeane Garofalo, Michael McKean, and Annette O'Toole. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- They Might Be Giants, Frank Black, (more)
- 1989
Follow the military career of Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North beginning with his Naval Academy days through to his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Keith, Barnard Hughes, (more)
- 1989
The made-for-TV Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North was heralded by the following ad copy: "Patriot. Zealot. Husband. Soldier. Honored. Accused." Add to that "Pedantic" and "Plodding" and you've summed up the film. Presented in two parts, the film traces the career of Oliver North (David Keith) from his years at the US Naval Academy, on to his tour of duty in Vietnam, and ending up with a post on the National Securities Council. Part Two of Guts and Glory covers the Iran-Contra affair, but is forced to leave the denouement open-ended, since North's guilt or innocence was still being deliberated when the film premiered on April 30 and May 2, 1989. The audience is permitted to draw its own conclusions, though Ollie North is no more warm and fuzzy on film than he was in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Keith, Barnard Hughes, (more)
In this romantic drama, a young man must make some difficult decisions when he discovers that his girlfriend's future is almost used up. Kelley (Chris Klein) and Samantha (Leelee Sobieski) are waiting out the summer after their high school graduation before moving on to college. Although Kelley comes from a wealthy family and Samantha's folks are working class, they soon find that they have more in common than they imagined, and they fall in love. However, Samantha's parents (Annette O'Toole and Bruce Greenwood) soon learn that their daughter has only a few more months to live. When Kelley learns the awful truth, he must decide if he should stay by the side of the first girl he's ever loved or obey his father's wishes and go to college. This was the second feature film for director Mark Piznarski, who has directed episodes of the TV series E.R., My So-Called Life, and Relativity, as well as the TV miniseries The 60s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Chris Klein, (more)
Usually cast in showy or unsympathetic supporting roles, Harvey Keitel here gets the rare chance to play a leading role as a "nice guy" -- albeit a nice guy with some serious problems -- in this family drama. Ray Weiler (Keitel) is the widowed father of two girls, high school senior Sonya (Fairuza Balk) and her younger sister Greta (Elizabeth Moss). Ray is full of get-rich-quick schemes that never quite pan out and often skirt the edges of the law. While it's obvious that he loves his daughters, he's hardly a healthy role model, and Sonya and Greta both know it -- dealing with bill collectors and angry investors who've dumped money into one of their father's schemes is just a part of life at the Weiler household. Ray has enrolled Sonya in a private school that he can't actually afford, but he's certain his latest mining venture is going to bring him some real money. Mr. Webster (Vincent D'Onofrio), one of Sonya's teachers, thinks she has a real gift as a writer and should go on to college. Sonya, however, knows that Ray would be against it -- and even if he did approve, how would they pay for it? Meanwhile, Ray seems to have found a backer for his latest mining project -- a man named Jarvis (Chris Penn) -- but one of his partners starts to get cold feet, and Jarvis looks like a man who does not take disappointment well. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Keitel, Fairuza Balk, (more)
Originally titled Stephen King's It, this two-part TV movie first aired on November 18 and 20, 1990. The story starts in Maine, where a small child is lured into the hands of what audiences everywhere can be assured is one mean clown. The 30-year struggle against an evil supernatural force that masquerades as a circus clown named Pennywise (Tim Curry) begins in 1960 and spans until 1990. Featured are a group of six young men and one young woman who call themselves "the lucky seven" and are the unfortunate targets of Pennywise from pre-adolescence into their mid-forties. The lucky seven emerge physically intact but emotionally scathed after their first battle with Pennywise -- who is a self-labeled "eater of worlds...and children." When Pennywise returns 30 years later, the seven are forced to remember their terrifying past and faced with the prospect of destroying him once and for all. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Richard Thomas, (more)
This outdoor adventure is set in the mid-18th century. In the wilderness of Maine a boy struggles to survive and keep a promise when his father does not return from a trip to Massachusetts. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Annette O'Toole, (more)
Not surprisingly, this fascinating dissection of Gypsy life in America was vilified by several ethnic special-interest groups, who'd previously delivered their mimeoed missives to novelist Peter Maas, on whose book the film was based. Sterling Hayden is the "king" of a New York-based gypsy tribe, who on his deathbed passes his crown to his reluctant grandson, Eric Roberts. Roberts' scuzzy father Judd Hirsch, envious that he's been passed over, begins plotting the demise of his own son. It appears at first that the boy, a thoroughly assimilated Manhattanite, would be more than willing to give up his invisible throne to Hirsch, but there's something about his heritage that always draws him back to his own people. Several genuine gypsies took part in the film as extras, bit players and technical advisers; reportedly, they also spent much of the shooting time trying to cadge a few dishonest dollars from cast and crew. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Shelley Winters, (more)
