Jason Priestley Movies

The son of a Canadian actress, Jason Priestley began his own career as a child actor in TV commercials. After dropping out of acting in his teens to concentrate on high-school sports, Priestley got back in the professional swim following graduation, accepting one-shot roles on such Canada-based TV series as 21 Jump Street. The young actor's first American TV assignment was the regular role of teen orphan Todd Mahaffey on the 1989 sitcom Sister Kate. Producer Aaron Spelling's daughter Tori spotted Priestley on Sister Kate and suggested that her father audition him for a role in the upcoming Fox series Beverly Hills 90210. Priestley was cast as Brandon Walsh, twin brother of the estimable Brenda (Shannen Doherty).
Like many of his young series co-stars, Priestley was intent on laying the groundwork for life after 90210. Though his first major film role in Penny Marshall's Calendar Girl (1993) came and went without fanfare, he enjoyed some success as a 90210 director. Priestley encountered further success and even critical vindication with his turn as Ronnie Bostock, the B-movie hunk who steals John Hurt's heart in Love and Death on Long Island (1997). Critics warmed to Priestley's performance, noting that his days of idolatry had given him overly adequate preparation for his portrayal. Unlike other teen idols who rue the day when the fan mail will cease, Priestley once claimed he was happy that his idoldom seems to be on a downward slide: "It's like having a big cancerous lesion on your shoulder. Because people are fickle, man." On March 28, 2000, Priestley was undoubtedly happy that the limelight's glare had dimmed: Arrested for drunken driving after crashing his car into some trash cans, he was sentenced to five days in a Los Angeles jail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
 
 
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Dominic Shiach directs Patsy Kensit and Jason Priestley in the psychological thriller Dark Side. The film centers on a lawyer named Megan Wright who begins investigating the murder of her twin sister. The sister's involvement with unsavory elements soon begin to have a negative impact on Megan. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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1986  
 
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Marlo Thomas fully justifies her star status in the made-for-television Nobody's Child. Ms. Thomas portrays the real-life Marie Balter, a Massachusetts woman consigned to a mental hospital after a suicide attempt at age 16. For the next 20 years, Marie is and out of the institution, mostly under the care of a sensitive doctor (Caroline Cava) who treats her for panic disorder and depression. Finally able to curb her inner demons without the use of drugs and therapy, Marie leaves the hospital for good, hoping to pursue a normal life. She falls in love with another ex-mental patient (Ray Baker), and strives successfully to earn a college diploma (she later became a health administrator). Aside from Marlo Thomas' Emmy-winning performance, Nobody's Child boasts the stunning camerawork of longtime Ingmar Bergman associate Sven Nykvist. One scene, in which Marie Balter imagines she sees serpents emerging from a typewriter, is as frightening a piece of celluloid as has ever been presented on television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1986  
PG  
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Jay Underwood plays an autistic boy who provides a source of fascination to a new family in town. Never uttering a sound, Underwood spends hours in his backyard, attempting to fly like the birds. Lucy Deakins, the daughter of the new family, befriends Underwood; she is encouraged by teacher Colleen Dewhurst to try to draw the boy out of his shell, and to keep a journal on the subject. Rendered unconscious in a fall, Deakins dreams that Underwood can fly. The boy is suddenly whisked away to an institution, and Deakins despairs that she'll never see him again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Lucy DeakinsJay Underwood, (more)
1988  
R  
Based on the novel by Dean R. Koontz, this film follows the escape of an intelligent dog from a top-secret government experiment and his meeting with young Travis (Corey Haim). The boy and the dog soon become fast friends, but problems crop up when the canine's "partner," a large, deadly, orange creature, comes looking for him. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Corey HaimBarbara Williams, (more)
1988  
R  
This grim tale is based upon actual events and chronicles the coming-of-age of two high-school seniors living in gritty Caddo, Texas in 1960. The teens lose their innocence when they become involved in the corruption and seediness that exists about their town after its leading citizen, the town judge and the town sheriff begin working on the latter's re-election campaign. The sheriff's challenger is desperate to win and so engineers the release of a dangerous convicted killer, whose actions he plans to blame upon the sheriff by making it look as if the incumbent accepted a bribe for the crook's early release. No one comes out clean in the end as the crook begins a vengeful killing spree and the corruption of both the judge and the sheriff are exposed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
David CarradineJason Priestley, (more)
1990  
 
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One of the definitive, landmark shows of the 1990s, "90210" quickly became an important fixture on the FOX and in the popular discourse of adolescents and young adults. The first season's main characters, Dylan, Kelly, Donna, Steve, David, Andrea and twins Brandon and Brenda all attended West Beverly Hills High School. Brandon and Brenda Walsh and their parents, transplants from Minneapolis, were the stable nuclear family with strong values; their home was a safe haven for the whole gang and the center of much of the drama. The show dealt with a steady stream of love triangles and other romantic entanglements and occasionally touched on more serious issues as well.

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyShannen Doherty, (more)
1991  
 
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The prime television destination for many younger viewers during the early '90s, Beverly Hills 90210 delivered scandal, controversy, and sexy story lines on a weekly basis. The series centered on the lives of the teenage Walsh twins, Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Brandon (Jason Priestly), who move with their parents from rural Minnesota to drama-rich Beverly Hills at the beginning of Season 1. Learning to assimilate to the California lifestyle isn't easy; it takes the help of their high school friends Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), Steve (Ian Ziering), Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris), and David (Brian Austin Green), as well as bad boy (and teen heartthrob) Dylan (Luke Perry) to get Brenda and Brandon to come out their shells. Season 2 (1991-92) of the Aaron Spelling/Darren Star-created drama features a pregnancy scare for Brenda; Dylan's rehab stint; the truth about Steve's birth mother; an accidental shooting; and the introduction of the fascinating but troubled Emily Valentine (Christine Elise). Also new to the scene is Jake Hanson (Grant Show), who eventually went on to anchor the 90210 spin-off Melrose Place, which launched in the autumn of 1992. Bonus features in this eight-disc include: "Our Favorite Valentine," Elise's look back at Emily; "Meet the Walshes," during which actors Carol Potter and James Eckhouse discuss their roles as the "perfect" Beverly Hills parents Cindy and Jim Walsh; and "Everything You Need to Know About Beverly Hills 90210 Season 2," featuring pop-culture experts and comedians Michael Colton and John Aboud.

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1992  
 
This 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jason Priestley and features musical guest Teenage Fan Club. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyTeenage Fanclub, (more)
1992  
 
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One of the definitive shows of the 1990s, Aaron Spelling's Beverly Hills, 90210 joined the elite TV club in 1992, spinning off the slightly more grown up ensemble soap Melrose Place. The series focus remains on the lives of the teenage Walsh twins -- Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Brandon (Jason Priestly) -- who move with their parents from rural Minnesota to drama-rich Beverly Hills. Season 3 marks senior year for Brenda, Brandon, and their high school friends: Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), Steve (Ian Ziering), Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris), David (Brian Austin Green), and bad boy heartthrob Dylan (Luke Perry). Naturally, they all get closer together as they make the high-stakes decisions for their post-graduation lives. Every juicy moment from 1992-93's Season 3 is highlighted on this 8-disc set, including the prom, overseas travels, addictions, summer jobs, secret liaisons, and of course, graduation.

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyShannen Doherty, (more)
1992  
 
Roy Orbison's last video starred Jason Priestley and Jennifer Connelly and featured rare concert footage. ~ All Movie Guide

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1993  
R  
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A high-energy action adventure based on legend rather than historical fact finds Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) desiring to retire from law enforcement. With brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton), he arrives in Tombstone, Arizona intending to build his fortune. He discovers that long-time friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) is there and that the town is run by a group of brutal outlaws called the Cowboys. Earp, frustrated with his laudanum-addicted wife, begins a romance with traveling stage actress Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany). Meanwhile, the Cowboys terrorize the citizens of Tombstone unchecked.

When the town marshal is killed by a Cowboy, Earp steps in to prevent a lynching by an angry mob. He also refuses to hand the killer over to his fellows, beginning the enmity between the Cowboys and the Earp brothers. Virgil, overcome with guilt at doing nothing to help the Tombstone citizens, accepts the position of town marshal. With Wyatt and Morgan as his deputies, and the help of Doc, Virgil attempts to arrest several Cowboys, resulting in the famous OK Corral shoot-out. The Cowboys take revenge by ambushing two of the brothers and injuring Virgil and killing Morgan. The Earps leave town, apparently cowed. Wyatt returns, wearing the badge of a U.S. marshal, vowing to destroy every last Cowboy. He hunts them mercilessly, until the leader, Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) challenges Wyatt to a duel. While not regarded as an artistic masterpiece, "Tombstone" is considered the best of director George P. Cosmatos' prolific films. The all-star cast (including Thomas Haden Church and Billy Bob Thornton in small roles) delivers solid performances. Both William A. Fraker's cinematography and Bruce Broughton's stirring musical score are expertly designed for dramatic effect. Blood is shown liberally in several key scenes, but seems intended to show that there is nothing glorious in Wyatt Earp's actions, only necessity. He and his deputies take on the symbolism of the horsemen of the apocalypse -- dispensing judgement, and the Biblical references form a symmetry at the beginning and end of the film.
~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kurt RussellVal Kilmer, (more)
1993  
 
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The ensemble drama about young adults growing up in Beverly Hills is a blend of romantic drama and subject matter that crosses all cultural boundaries. The storyline has followed the Walsh family as they moved from a middle-class Midwestern neighborhood to wealthy and glamorous Beverly Hills, maturing from high school to college students, facing new challenges as they continue to grow and discover more about themselves and their personal ambitions. As their worlds evolve, old friendships will be tested as new relationships develop, but no matter how complicated their worlds become, they will always share in their strengths and experiences.

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyShannen Doherty, (more)
1993  
PG13  
Lots of guys used to dream about having a date with Marilyn Monroe, but three friends who are about to graduate from high school to go their separate ways try to make that fantasy a reality in this comedy, set in 1962. Roy (Jason Priestley), Ned (Gabriel Olds), and Scott (Jerry O'Connell) have been buddies since the age of six, when they were entered together in a Howdy Doody look-alike contest. With only a few weeks to go before they graduate from high school, Roy has impulsively joined the Army to get away from his abusive father, while Ned has discovered he's going to be a father, and Scott is still plagued by his pesky virginity. Wanting to enjoy their last few weeks of freedom, Roy "borrows" a wad of cash and a blue Galaxie 500 convertible from his former employers, repo men Arturo and Antonio Gallo (Kurt Fuller and Stephen Tobolowsky), and persuades his friends to join him as he heads to Hollywood. Roy wants to meet the woman of his dreams, Marilyn Monroe, whom he's learned is working on a new picture, Something's Got to Give. With the help of Roy's Uncle Harry (Joe Pantoliano), they locate Monroe's home and camp out at her gate, hoping to get a glimpse of the glamourous goddess. However, Roy breaks out a reefer to smoke while they attempt to stay up all night (tactical error number one: marijuana does not make you more alert!), and when she slips out without their noticing, the three end up on a mad chase to find Marilyn before she gets away. Meanwhile, the Gallo Brothers have noticed their car is gone, and they are determined to get it back, without much concern for the health or safety of the thief. Calendar Girl was Jason Priestley's first vehicle following his success on the television series Beverly Hills 90210. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyGabriel Olds, (more)
1994  
 
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The friends of Beverly Hills, 90210 are just getting warmed up! Join Brandon (Jason Priestley), Dylan (Luke Perry), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), David (Brian Austin Green), Steve (Ian Ziering), Val (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), and Clare (Kathleen Robertson) as they discover new love, battle addictions, and test the waters outside the college campus in all 31 sizzling episode of 1995-6's Season 6. Witness Kelly's terrifying descent into drugs; Dylan's unlikely marriage proposal; and a porno that is filmed at Brandon's house! As their lives twist, turn, and bend in different directions, it's the bonds of friendship that will never break.

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyLuke Perry, (more)
1995  
R  
A quiet young fellow becomes a reluctant, but effective hit man in this comedy. Cosmo, a robot-like bookie, is promoted to hit man by his crime boss, Gordon. Cosmo's teacher is to be the philosophical and chatty Steve, a real pro. Cosmo is an excellent shot and quickly learns. His problem is that he likes to get to know his clients and empathize with them before he kills them. In time Cosmo feels conflict after he begins to fall in love with Jasmine, his yoga-instructor. He wants out of the profession. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyPeter Riegert, (more)
1995  
 
Add Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story to QueueAdd Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story to top of Queue
Dana Delany stars in this made-for-TV movie as Margaret Sanger, a nurse who, in 1914, became a pioneering crusader for women's reproductive rights after she published a booklet on birth control techniques that flew in the face of a law established by Anthony Comstock (Rod Steiger) forbidding the dissemination of information on contraception. Sanger later helped to establish America's first birth control clinic in 1916, and in 1925 was one of the founders of Planned Parenthood. Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story also stars Henry Czerny and Julie Khaner.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Dana DelanyRod Steiger, (more)
1995  
 
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The ensemble drama about young adults growing up in Beverly Hills is a blend of romantic drama and subject matter that crosses all cultural boundaries. The storyline has followed the Walsh family as they moved from a middle-class Midwestern neighborhood to wealthy and glamorous Beverly Hills, maturing from high school to college students, facing new challenges as they continue to grow and discover more about themselves and their personal ambitions. As their worlds evolve, old friendships will be tested as new relationships develop, but no matter how complicated their worlds become, they will always share in their strengths and experiences.

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyLuke Perry, (more)
1997  
 
Years of trial-and-error experimentation by doctors James Houghton (Stephen Lang) and Charles McCamber (Michael Ontkean) has culminated in a new-miraculous invention. The "Scanning Molecular Reorganizer" actually enables Houghton and McCamber to bring the dead back to life. There are, however, a few glitches in the device -- as Houghton discovers to his horror when it is used on him. Directed by former child actor Jason Priestley, "New Lease" was originally telecast on March 21, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1997  
 
Can a stodgy intellectual who regards the 20th century as a waste of time find happiness with an American teen idol who doesn't really know him? That's the question posed in this gentle satiric comedy. Giles De'ath (John Hurt), who takes great pains to remind people that his surname is pronounced "Day-ath," is a well-regarded British author whose wife passed away a decade ago. Since then, Giles has retreated into a world of his own; he is thoroughly disinterested in contemporary culture and lives in the 20th century only to the degree that it is absolutely necessary. However, one night Giles accidentally locks himself out of his apartment just as a rainstorm has begun to open up the sky. Soaked to the skin, he takes refuge in a nearby movie theater, since he's heard that the works of E.M. Forster have lately become popular screen fodder. However, once inside the multiplex, Giles discovers to his disgust that he's accidentally bought a ticket for a low-brow teen flick called Hot Pants College II. Just as he's about to register his repugnance with the management, actor Ronnie Bostock (Jason Priestley) appears on screen, and immediately Giles is entranced. In Ronnie, Giles discovers an unexpected sort of beauty that he's never considered before, and he's eager to learn more about the young actor. However, Giles soon discerns that reading up on his new obsession means buying teen-oriented fanzines (whose covers proclaim him "Snoggable!"), where he learns that Ronnie's own cultural signposts include Axl Rose and Stephen King, whose names could just as well be Sanskrit to Giles. He also discovers that to view the rest of Ronnie's screen work, he must visit a video rental store, which means he must first purchase a VCR, and that he'll also require a (gulp!) television in order for the VCR to work. Eventually, Giles finds out that Ronnie lives in a small town on Long Island, and decides to fly there, hatching a scheme to meet Ronnie by first making the acquaintance of Audrey (Fionna Loewi), Ronnie's fashion model girlfriend. Based on the acclaimed short novel by Gilbert Adair, Love and Death on Long Island was adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Kwietniowski. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
John HurtJason Priestley, (more)
1997  
 
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In this satirical "inside" look at the world of TV scripters, agent Danny (Tom Arnold) gives a 22-episode assignment to depressed, self-destructive writer-producer Brian (Stephen Rea), creatively spent and bereft of ideas. At his weekly poker game, Brian sees a romantic couple on a hotel balcony. When he tells the other writers about this, it triggers an impromptu story session. All four retreat across the street to the bar where Brian sees Georgia Feckler (Illeana Douglas) and decides she was the woman on the balcony. Desperate for ideas, he offers to buy the story of her life. After Brian vanishes with Georgia, his fellow scripters become concerned as to his whereabouts and decide to break into his living quarters. Shown at the AFI/Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Stephen ReaIlleana Douglas, (more)
1997  
 
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A Desert Storm veteran with a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger and a need for speed incurs the wrath of authorities when he makes a cross-country dash to be by the side of his ailing, pregnant wife in this remake of director Richard Sarafian's 1971 cult classic. Jimmy Kowolski (Viggo Mortensen) is a troubled man and devoted husband, and when his pregnant wife is suddenly hospitalized with labor problems the ex-race car driver punches the gas without hesitation. With vengeful state trooper Sgt. Preston (Steve Railsback) and the entire FBI riding his back bumper, Jimmy's only ally is fearless radio DJ The Voice (Jason Priestley) whose outspoken support finds the desperate driver becoming a national folk hero. As Jimmy races ever-faster toward an impenetrable police roadblock with the single-minded goal of being there for his wife in her moment of need, the law closes in for one final showdown on the open highway. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Christine EliseKeith David, (more)
1999  
R  
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A tightly-knit foursome of lifelong friends and unrepentant gamblers wage more than money in a winner-takes-all tale of epic proportions from director Mars Callahan. David Zigman (Jason Priestly) always manages to come through and beat the house at the last minute, but when he and his three pals risk it all in the name of one priceless thrill, they may have finally gone too far. Now, as each man pulls his hand close to his chest for one final go at the gold, these friends will finally find out what's thicker these four friends will finally find out where their love, loyalty, and honor truly lies. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jason PriestleyPeter Dobson, (more)
1999  
 
Were it not for Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies would probably have been the biggest pop act to come out of Canada in the 1990s. Entirely male and generally fully clothed, the band scored a number of multi-platinum albums in their home country and enjoyed a healthy following in America before their fifth album, Stunt, and its hit single "One Week" made them stars. Actor Jason Priestley, a fan of the group, took a camera crew with him as he followed the band on their U.S. tour following the breakthrough of Stunt. Barenaked in America captures the band onstage, performing the quirky but good-natured pop-rock tunes that have made them famous, and offstage, as they kill time on the bus, talk about how the band came together, discuss keyboardist Kevin Hearn's bout with leukemia, and reveal themselves to be the well-mannered, self-effacing boys they seem to be. The filmmakers also went along for several TV appearances, including a spot on Conan O'Brien's talk show and a meeting with Jon Stewart. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jon StewartJason Priestley, (more)

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