Christopher Plummer Movies
From his 1950 debut onward, Christopher Plummer has been regarded as one of the most brilliant Canadian actors of his generation. His portrayal of Hamlet was a major ratings coup when telecast over the CBC in the early '60s. Following his first Broadway appearance in 1954 (among his New York stage credits are JB, Royal Hunt of the Sun and The Good Doctor), efforts were made to convert Plummer into an American matinee idol, most of these attempts were resisted by Plummer himself. His first two films, Stage Struck (1957) and Wind Across the Everglades (1958), set no new box office records, although the latter, directed by Nicholas Ray, did earn strong critical notices. Plummer was shown to better advantage in such live network-TV presentations as The Prisoner of Zenda and A Doll's House.In 1965, the actor was cast as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, an assignment he despised, reportedly referring to the musical blockbuster as The Sound of Mucus. Nonetheless, and as Plummer has ruefully noted on many occasions, this one film did more to make the actor bankable in Hollywood than any previous effort. He went on to do steady, if varied, work throughout the rest of the century. Among Plummer's more notable films were The Return of the Pink Panther (1974), the British Empire extravaganza The Man Who Would Be King (1975), 1979's Murder by Decree (in which he starred as Sherlock Holmes), Somewhere in Time (1980), the legendary 1983 miniseries The Thorn Birds, 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and 1995's Dolores Claiborne and Twelve Monkeys. In 1999, Plummer received some of the strongest notices of his career for his uncannily accurate portrayal of 60 Minutes anchor Mike Wallace in Michael Mann's The Insider. Throughout his long career, the actor has won many awards, including Tonys for the musical Cyrano and the biopic Barrymore, and an Emmy for his work in the TV miniseries The Moneychangers. Genie nominated for performances in the films Ararat and Blizzard in 2002 and 2003 respectively, Plummer and his daughter Amanda were both nominated for Emmy awards for their television performances in 2005. Though the father would ultimately walk away empty-handed, the award would stay in the family when Amanda was bestowed the honor for her memorable guest appearance in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit. With roles in such high profile theatrical releases including The New World, Inside Man, and The Lake House keeping Plummer very much in the spotlight, it was obvious that his talent and passion for acting were still as strong as ever.
Talent seems to run in Plummer's family: he and first wife, actress Tammy Grimes, are the parents of acclaimed actress Amanda Plummer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- R
The final year of Russian Socialist writer Leo Tolstoy comes to the screen with Christopher Plummer in the lead role and Helen Mirren portraying his wife, Sofia. Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy and Anne-Marie Duff co-star in the Warner Bros. production, directed by Michael Hoffman from the novel by Jay Parini. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, (more)
A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated adventure scripted by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and co-directed by Peterson and Monsters, Inc. director Peter Docter. Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, (more)
- 2009
Producer Norman Twain spearheads this independent animated film adapted from British author J.R. Ackerley's 1956 novel detailing the 14-year friendship shared between the author and a German shepherd he once rescued. With vocal contributions by Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rossellini, Paul Hecht, and Lynn Redgrave, and animation by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger, this adult-oriented tale of friendship offers a touching testament to the bond between man and beast. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
- 2009
Set in the present day, director Terry Gilliam's fantastical morality tale follows the traveling show of the mysterious Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) -- a man who once won a bet with the Devil himself, and possesses the unique ability to guide the imagination of others. Many centuries ago, Dr. Parnassus won immortality in a bet that found the malevolent Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) coming up short. While few would be foolish enough to try their luck against the powers of darkness a second time, Dr. Parnassus did precisely that -- this time trading his mortality for youth on the understanding that his firstborn would become the property of Mr. Nick when the child reaches his or her 16th birthday. Flash-forward to the present day, and Dr. Parnassus' daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole), is about to celebrate her sweet sixteen. Dr. Parnassus is desperate to save his little girl from her fiery fate, and when Mr. Nick arrives to collect, the good doctor presents the Prince of Darkness with a wager too enticing to refuse: Dr. Parnassus and Mr. Nick will each compete to seduce five souls, with possession of Valentina going to whomever manages to complete the task first. As the competition begins to heat up, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to any man who can help him successfully navigate the surreal obstacle course that lies ahead and finally help him undue the many mistakes of his past. While the sudden death of prominent Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus player Heath Ledger in January of 2008 left Gilliam and company scrambling to find a means of salvaging the film -- which was already well into principal photography at the time -- the cavalry soon arrived in the form of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, who each serve as alternate-dimension versions of the character originally set to be played by Ledger when the character crosses through a paranormal mirror. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add 9 to Queue
Academy Award-nominated for his groundbreaking animated short of the same name, filmmaker Shane Acker makes his feature directorial debut with this expanded version of his acclaimed post-apocalyptic fable. In a world parallel to our own, the worst has happened, and humanity is in danger of extinction. From the ashes of destruction emerges a courageous rag doll named 9 (voice of Elijah Wood) whose unique leadership skills could prove the key to survival for those who have not yet perished. Perhaps with a little help from his friends, who include domineering war veteran 1 (voice of Christopher Plummer), aging inventor 2 (voice of Martin Landau), stout mechanic 5 (voice of John C. Reilly), visionary artist 6 (voice of Crispin Glover), and fearless warrior 7 (voice of Jennifer Connelly), 9 will prove capable of salvaging what still remains of this world, and laying the groundwork for a hopeful future. Produced by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch), and Jim Lemley (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), 9 takes viewers on a surrealistic journey into a world where anything is possible. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, (more)
- 2007
- Add Nuremberg: The Nazis Facing Their Crimes to QueueAdd Nuremberg: The Nazis Facing Their Crimes to top of Queue
French filmmaker Christian Delage offers a condensed version of the chilling Nuremburg Trials in a documentary that draws on restored courtroom footage shot under the supervision of filmmaker John Ford to tell the remarkable story of the Holocaust while simultaneously examining how reproduced images effect the writing of history. Narrated by esteemed actor Christopher Plummer, the film offers a captivating testimony by the female survivor who vividly recounts the horrors witnessed at Auschwitz and a chilling testimony by the SD leader responsible for the deaths of 90,000 Russian Jews. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A young man learns something about making his fantasies into reality from an older man who has already been there in this coming-of-age drama. Cameron (Michael Angarano) is a teenage film buff living in Los Angeles who dreams of making movies himself someday, an ambition that doesn't impress his parents very much. Cameron doesn't have many friends beyond fellow outcast Murphy (Joshua Boyd), and wealthy and popular classmate Brett (Taber Schroeder) takes great pleasure in making Cameron's life miserable. A major film school in L.A. has announced a competition for young filmmakers, but while Cameron has talent and ideas, Brett has the money to buy film stock and rent equipment, and Cameron wonders if he stands any chance at all. One evening, while attending a screening of Orson Welles's Touch of Evil at a revival theater, Cameron sees an elderly man who shouts at the screen about his old pal Orson. Cameron is thus introduced to Flash Madden (Christopher Plummer), who worked as a lighting man during the Golden Age of Hollywood and really did work with some of the most respected names in the business, including Welles. While cranky Flash doesn't much care for Cameron at first, in time he sees a kindred spirit in the movie-mad teenager, and offers his technical know-how and sources of equipment to the would-be director. Flash also introduces Cameron to Mickey Hopkins (M. Emmet Walsh), a former screenwriter who helped script a number of silver screen classics but is now living in a shabby Old Folks home, and in Hopkins Cameron finds the inspiration for just the sort of movie he wants to make. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, (more)
- 2007
- PG13
- Add Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning to QueueAdd Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning to top of Queue
An emotionally scarred fifty-something female, a high-profile but haunted British novelist, and a heroic dissident-cum-Soviet psychiatric hospital veteran who all formed an unbreakable bond while help prisoner in a World War II concentration camp reunite for the first time in forty years on the peaceful grounds of a renovated pastoral farm in Jefferson Lewis's adaptation of internationally acclaimed author Matt Cohen's popular novel. Paolo Barzman directs the Canadian production. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, (more)
Sixty-five years after making his screen debut as a young stoker in co-directors Noël Coward and David Lean's World War II drama In Which We Serve, Richard Attenborough perfects the balance between epic story and intimate tale with this drama starring Shirley MacLaine and Neve Campbell as a mother and daughter who find a relic from the past sparking an incendiary series of events. The year is 1991, and as a small American town mourns the passing of beloved World War II veteran Chuck Harris, his wife Ethel (MacLaine) numbs herself with alcohol to the point where she completely neglects her grieving daughter Marie (Campbell). Later, after Marie receives a telephone call from a boy in Northern Ireland who claims to have recently discovered a ring belonging to Ethel, a mystery nearly five decades in the making comes slowly into focus as the story drifts back into Chuck's wartime past and the days when he and Ethel first formed their powerful bond. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, (more)
A happy and successful family man is lured down the destructive path of revenge after his son is killed and his wife brutalized in a vicious home invasion. Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) had it all, a successful career as a senior associate at a prominent architectural firm, a beautiful wife, and a wonderful child. Just when it seemed that things couldn't get any better for Thomas, however, his life was suddenly transformed into a waking nightmare. One night, a violent criminal breaks into Thomas' home, attacking his wife and senselessly murdering his innocent young son. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Thomas implores the police for help in catching the criminals while attempting to pick up the pieces of his broken life by visiting a highly respected therapist (Christopher Plummer). When local law enforcement fails to turn up any leads, Thomas' therapist suggests that the vengeful father contact a mysterious group with the resources to ferret out his son's killer and let the father exact the any kind of justice that he sees fit. His marriage failing, Thomas decides to take his therapist up on the offer, sending the lives of everyone involved down a dark path from which there is no escape, and no return. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Eldard, Til Schweiger, (more)
The volatile showdown between a determined cop and a perfectionist bank robber is sent spiraling toward disaster when a scheming power broker steps in to take control of the situation in this hair-raising heist flick directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. Dalton Russell (Owen) is a bank robber with a difference. In his quest to execute the perfect heist, Dalton has taken every possible factor into consideration. Dalton's uncanny ability of staying one step ahead of the law thwarts even-tempered Detective Keith Frazier's (Washington) best efforts. But there's another factor at play. The bank president (Christopher Plummer) has requested the services of high-profile negotiator Madeline White (Foster). Despite her commendable track record, Madeline is something of a wild card, and before the day is over, this bank robbery will go down in history as one of the most elaborate heists ever executed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, (more)
- 2006
- Add American Experience: Eugene O'Neill to QueueAdd American Experience: Eugene O'Neill to top of Queue
The compelling life story of America's only Nobel Prize-winning playwright comes to the screen in a documentary featuring scenes performed by Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Liam Neeson, and Vanessa Redgrave, and originally produced as part of PBS's American Experience series. Despite intense family drama and raging inner turmoil, Eugene O'Neill persevered to emerge as a world-class talent through such acclaimed works as The Iceman Cometh and Long Day's Journey Into Night. In transcending the traditional documentary form to truly examine O'Neill's character in great detail, filmmakers offer a revealing meditation on loss, redemption, and the high cost that artists are forced to pay in life. Excerpts from O'Neill's plays performed by some of the greatest actors of their generation prove that, even after his death, O'Neill continues to influence and inspire. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Two people develop an unusual relationship that bends the boundaries of time and place in this romantic fantasy. Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock) is a doctor who lives in a beautiful home by a lake. Forced to move elsewhere, she requests that any correspondence that arrives at the lake house be passed on to her new address. To her surprise, she soon receives a romantic note from Alex Burnham (Keanu Reeves), an architect who lives in the cottage she once called home. However, a look at the postmark on the letter reveals that he lived at the home two years before she did, and that somehow they've come in contact with one another through a space in time. A remake of Lee Hyun-seung's acclaimed Korean romance Il Mare (aka Siworae), The Lake House was the first American production from Argentinean filmmaker Alejandro Agresti; the supporting cast includes Christopher Plummer, Dylan Walsh, and Lynn Collins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, (more)
Based on the book by Newsweek senior editor David France, the made-for-cable Our Fathers dramatizes the pedophilia scandal that literally tore apart the Catholic Diocese of Boston. The story is set in motion when the Boston Globe gets wind of a determined effort by lawyer Mitchell Garabedian (Ted Danson) to get belated justice for his client Angelo DeFranco (Daniel Baldwin), who as a youngster was repeatedly abused sexually by Father John Geoghan (Steve Shaw). Several of Angelo's contemporaries had previously come forth with stories of Father Geoghan's misdeeds, and the similar outrages of other priests, but they had made the error of complaining to the head of the Boston Diocese, the arrogant Cardinal Bernard Law (Christopher Plummer), who turned a deaf ear to the claims and in some cases went so far as to tell the complainants that they, and not the priests, were somehow to blame. All the while, Law and his colleagues covered up the scandal through a series of covert transfers of the offending priests, allowing the perpetrators to continue their sexual activities with shocking impunity. The film also details a number of related subplots, including the plight of Mary Ryan (Ellen Burstyn), all of whose seven sons suffered from the priests' abuse, and Father Spagnolia (Brian Dennehy), who dared to attack Law's handling of the scandal from his pulpit -- only to have the sexual skeletons in his own closet revealed. Our Fathers made its Showtime cable debut on May 21, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Oil drives greed in Oscar-winning Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan's labyrinthine sophomore directorial effort that traces the corruption of the global oil industry from the backrooms of Washington, D.C., to the petroleum-rich fields of the Middle East. Based in part on the writings of former CIA case officer Robert Baer, Syriana combines multiple storylines to explore the complexities that befall a proposed merger between two U.S. oil giants. Reform-minded Gulf country prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) is in favor of making his nation more self-sufficient rather than U.S.-reliant, and his money-minded Western connections couldn't be less pleased. Before settling into a cushy desk job for the remainder of his career, CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is sent on one last assignment -- to assassinate Prince Nasir and reinstate U.S. ties in the oil-rich region. Though his loyalty dictates that Barnes carry out his current mission despite lingering doubts of a previous blunder, his mission goes horribly awry when his field contact goes turncoat and Barnes becomes a CIA scapegoat. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Washington attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) attempts to walk a fine line in overseeing a tenuous merger between two oil giants that's plagued with shady business dealings. Hotshot energy analyst Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is in talks to form a lucrative partnership with Prince Nasir, though the death of his son during a party at the prince's estate makes him question his loyalty to business over family. Back in Washington, D.C., Bennet's boss Dean Whiting attempts to undermine Prince Nasir's attempts to make his country less reliant on the U.S. dollar by planting the seeds of dissonance between the progressive prince and his money-minded younger brother Prince Meshal (Akbar Kurtha). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Matt Damon, (more)
Terrence Malick, the universally acclaimed American filmmaker responsible for the key 1970s features Badlands and Days of Heaven, returns for a rare directorial outing with the sweeping period piece The New World -- an epic dramatization of Pocahontas' relationships with John Smith and John Rolfe. Malick's story opens at the dawn of the 17th century, just prior to the colonization of the United States -- when the North American population consisted of an interconnected series of native tribes. In April 1607, three maritime vessels approach the unfamiliar continent, with 103 sailors on board. As members of the Virginia Company, these adventurers carry a royal charter to mount a society on the edge of the new continent. John Smith (Colin Farrell) sits chained below one of the decks. He is a 27-year-old loose cannon, who, for his persistently rebellious acts, has been sentenced to death by hanging as soon as the ships dock. Nevertheless, Captain Christopher Newport (Christopher Plummer) acknowledges Smith's ability to aid with exploration and consents to pardon him as a result. Upon landing, Smith seeks assistance from local Native American tribes with colonization, but runs into the unexpected -- he falls desperately in love with Pocahontas, or "Playful One" (Q'orianka Kilcher), the daughter of the omnipotent Chief Powhatan (August Schellenberg). Needless to say, this does not sit well with Powhatan or the rest of the tribe. Moreover, the oft-bellicose Smith enters a head-to-head conflict with his fellow Britons when he finds his tempestuousness calmed by the tranquility of the new landscape, as the anger and violence of his shipmates concurrently build in the face of the Native Americans. Later, Smith temporarily returns to England; believing that Smith is dead, Pocahontas accepts the hand of plantation owner John Rolfe in marriage (with her father's blessing) and follows Rolfe back to the old country. When Smith returns to America, his intended is nowhere to be seen, and the entire community teeters on the brink of a British-Indian war. Malick shot the production on location in Virginia; it co-stars Jonathan Pryce, John Savage, and David Thewlis. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, (more)
Set largely in England (but filmed in Canada), Four Minutes is the story of Sir Roger Bannister, doctor by profession and runner by preference -- and the first man to run under a four-minute mile. Played by Jamie Maclachlan, Bannister is accurately depicted as a brilliant Oxford medical student, who in the years following WWII gains a reputation as England's fastest runner, but who regards his sports accomplishments as merely an adjunct to his studies, and thus avoids formal athletic training. Only after he fails to win a medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics does Bannister come to realize how important he has become as a morale-booster for a postwar Britain plagued by shortages, rationing, and unemployment. Shouldering this spiritual responsibility, Bannister submits himself to a grueling (but surprisingly scientific) training regimen imposed by disabled ex-athlete Archie Mason (Christopher Plummer). Originally slated for release in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's "great run," Four Minutes was not seen until it was picked by the ESPN2 cable service on October 6, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Maclachlan, Christopher Plummer, (more)
A woman finds herself drafted into the battle of finding the perfect man in this romantic comedy. Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) is a kindergarten teacher in her mid-thirties who is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of her divorce eight months ago. While her sisters, Christine (Ali Hillis) and Carol (Elizabeth Perkins), both think Sarah needs to start dating again, Sarah herself isn't so sure. Carol decides to force the issue by posting Sarah's photo and profile on an Internet dating site, and soon a number of seemingly eligible bachelors are sending her e-mails in hopes of a date. However, nearly every man she meets turns out to be a loser, with the exception of Jake (John Cusack), who is smart, good looking, and even brings along a dog for their walk in the park (though he doesn't tell her the pooch was borrowed for the occasion). However, Sarah also makes the acquaintance of Bob (Dermot Mulroney), the divorced father of one of her students, and she finds herself having to choose between two potentially worthwhile men. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father, Bill (Christopher Plummer), decides to give Internet dating a try, and lands himself a new steady in Dolly (Stockard Channing). Must Love Dogs is based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Claire Cook. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Lane, John Cusack, (more)
The fourth film to chronicle the life of fourth-century B.C. ruler Alexander the Great, Oliver Stone's Alexander stars Colin Farrell as the titular Macedonian conqueror. The film follows the young king as he leads his forces on a bloody empirical conquest across the known world, taking large parts of Asia and the Middle East to amass a giant empire, all by the time he turned 25. Anthony Hopkins co-stars as Ptolemy I along with Rosario Dawson as Roxane, Angelina Jolie as Olympias, Jared Leto as Hephaistion, Val Kilmer as King Philip II, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Cassander. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, (more)
A man sets out to steal a lost fortune in order to save it in this adventure drama from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) is an archeologist who is from the eighth generation of a family who has shared an unusual quest. As Gates-family legend has it, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin hid a massive cache of gold during the waning days of the Revolutionary War and left clues as to its whereabouts in the original drafts of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. With no firm proof that it actually exists, Gates sets out to crack the code that will lead him to the fortune, which, as a member of the Gates clan, he is sworn to protect from wrongdoers. National Treasure also features Sean Bean, Harvey Keitel, Justin Bartha, and Jon Voight. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, (more)
Veteran British filmmaker Philip Saville directs the religious epic The Gospel of John, a production of the Canadian company Visual Bible International. This three-hour drama attempts to accurately follow the Gospel According to John, written sometime during the first century. The gospel contains four segments: an introduction to the nature of Jesus Christ; testimony by disciples and the presence of miracles; the Last Supper and crucifixion; and the appearance of the risen Christ. Henry Ian Cusick plays Jesus and Christopher Plummer provides voice-over narration. The Gospel of John was shown in a special presentation at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Ian Cusick, Christopher Plummer, (more)
A young girl still saddened by the decision of her best friend's family to move away learns an important life lesson about change from her eccentric aunt in this family-friendly holiday tale directed by LeVar Burton and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Pollak, Christopher Plummer, and Zoë Warner. When ten-year-old Jess' best friend Bobby moves to another town, Jess is inconsolable. Seeing the young girl's grief at the loss of her friend and hoping to offer some comfort, Jess' aunt Millie (Brenda Blethyn) tells her niece the story of a young girl named Katie (Warner) and her lifelong dream to become a world-famous ice skater. Befriended by former Olympic skating champion Otto Brewer while practicing at an outdoor rink near her home, Katie soon is soon transformed into a world-class skater thanks to the help of her newfound friend. As Katie's father breaks the news that he has lost his job and the family must move to a new home in a new town, a miracle occurs in the North Pole. It seems that reindeers Blitzen and Delphi have given birth to a new baby reindeer named Blizzard, and Blizzard possesses the three powers held by every famous reindeer: the power of flight, the power of invisibility, and the ability to navigate life with her heart. Immediately sensing the sadness of young Katie's loss, Blizzard sets out on her first mission, much to the dismay of Santa's disapproving task-master elf Archimedes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoë Warner
New Yorkers get a crash course in the more dangerous aspects of moving to the country and buying a "handyman's special" in this thriller from award-winning director Mike Figgis. Cooper and Leah Tilson (Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone) are a wealthy couple who have grown tired of the high stress of life in New York City and are looking to move to someplace with more breathing room. Upstate, they find a mansion in the village of Cold Creek which has fallen into disrepair after it was repossessed. Convinced the house has great possibilities, The Tilsons buy it, and with a little hard work Cooper, Leah, and their two children are soon living in their dream home. Unknown to The Tilsons, the house used to belong to a lifelong Cold Creek resident named Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff), a ne'er-do-well who ended up behind bars. After he's released from prison, Massie makes it clear to the new owners that he wants his home back, and before long Cooper and Leah begin learning the disturbing truth about the history of the mansion -- and that many Cold Creek residents don't take kindly to new arrivals. Cold Creek Manor also stars Juliette Lewis and Christopher Plummer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, (more)
Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan explores his Armenian heritage, and how the country's tragic history has touched several generations of the nation's expatriates, in this ambitious drama. Edward Saroyan (Charles Aznavour), a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent, is in Toronto shooting a film about the Siege of Van, in which invading Ottoman armies forced the evacuation of Armenian communities in 1915, leading to the genocide of over a million Armenian people at the hands of Turkish troops. Twenty-one-year-old Raffi (David Alpay) has been sent to Turkey to shoot background footage for the film; Raffi's mother Ani (Arsinee Khanjian), an author and historian, is also involved in the project as a consultant. Lately Raffi and Ani have been at odds; Raffi has been dating Celia (Marie-Josee Croze), Ani's stepdaughter, who is convinced that Ani is somehow responsible for the death of her father. Ani's first husband, who was Raffi's father, is also dead, after taking part in an assassination attempt on a Turkish political leader. As Raffi attempts to re-enter Canada with cans of exposed film, he's detained by David (Christopher Plummer), a suspicious customs official who has his own tenuous link to Saroyan's film -- David is struggling to come to terms with the gay lifestyle of his son Philip (Brent Carver), whose lover Ali (Elias Koteas) is playing the villain in the picture. Ararat also features Eric Bogosian and Bruce Greenwood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, (more)
