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
The World War II set romantic drama Above and Beyond concerns a young man and woman who fall in love, but must consider putting country before self in order to do what is right for the world. Richard E. Grant and Jason Priestley star in this tale of love in the RAF. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard E. Grant, Jason Priestley, (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
- Starring:
- Jon Stewart, Jason Priestley, (more)
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.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
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.
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.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
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.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, (more)
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.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, (more)
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.
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, (more)
- 2003
Several cast and production crew members of the long-running (1990-2000) FOX teen-drama series Beverly Hills 90210 were gathered together in this retrospective special, which is staged in the form of a high-school reunion (including badges with class photos and name tags). Taking place in a mockup of the Walsh family's suburban living room, the special provides the participants with ample opportunity to catch up, compare notes, reminisce, and even open a few old wounds. Thanks to FOX's extensive pre-show publicity, it is no surprise to the viewers that the much-maligned Shannen Doherty shows up to face the actors with whom she'd once been on the "outs." What is surprising is the handful of no-shows, including three prominent actors who ostensibly had no axes to grind with anyone (where, for example, is cast member Tori Spelling, daughter of series producer Aaron Spelling?). In order to create the aura of spontaneity, the camera crew assigned to Beverly Hills 90210: Ten Year High School Reunion not only recorded the events occurring on-stage, but also the activity backstage, before, during, and after each commercial break. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, (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
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Gabriel Olds, (more)
Finn Taylor's quirky comedy Cherish concerns Zoe (Robin Tunney), a woman unlucky in love. She is berated at work and always seems to strike out with the opposite sex. After being asked by an attractive co-worker (Jason Priestley) to dance at a party, Zoe is kidnapped by a stalker who has fallen in love with her. During a scuffle, they accidentally kill a police officer. The stalker disappears and Zoe is charged with the crime. Soon she is under house arrest. The technician in charge of her ankle bracelet (Tim Blake Nelson) is as socially awkward as she is. Soon they grow close and he gets her a nine-hour window in which the pair tries to find the stalker and clear her name. Rocker Liz Phair and Saturday Night Live alumnus Nora Dunn round out the cast of this film that was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Tim Blake Nelson, (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
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Delany, Rod Steiger, (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
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Peter Riegert, (more)
A courageous group of soldiers plot their escape from the well-fortified Colditz compound in this World War II adventure drama starring Jason Priestly, Damian Lewis, and Sophia Myles. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hardy, Laurence Fox, (more)
- 2000
Harvey Fierstein, Terrence McNally, and Paula Vogel each wrote episodes for this three-part made-for-cable drama which examines changing attitudes and issues facing the gay and lesbian community in the small town of Homer, Connecticut. Opening in the 1950s and leading up to the present day, Common Ground features Eric Stolz, Mimi Rogers, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Margot Kidder, Edward Asner, Beau Bridges, Jason Priestley, and Steven Weber, as well as co-writer Fierstein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Beau Bridges, (more)
- 2009
This taut, family-friendly adventure from Canada follows the plight of the Childs family - author Robert (Jason Priestley), his second wife Teresa (Andrea Roth), and Robert's 16-year-old daughter from his first marriage, Christy (Genevieve Buechner) - who get pushed to the brink of disaster when their boat crashes during a storm and leaves them stranded on an uninhabited, rocky island in the middle of a wild, raging river. Although the family knows discord all too well given the widening rift between Christy and stepmom Teresa, they must set aside misgivings and help one another survive the treacheries of an unforgiving wilderness, especially given Robert's grave wounds from the accident. The loss of supplies with the sunken boat makes the situation even direr, and the family's needs grow more pressing when they must subdue a voracious bear. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Andrea Roth, (more)
A high-profile magazine editor is framed for murder after refusing the advances of a powerful billionaire's brother in this thriller starring Beverly Hills 90210's Jason Priestley and Showgirls' Elizabeth Berkley. When V Magazine editor Tyler Nobel arrives at work on what seems to be an average morning, the discovery of a detailed sex diary on her desk reveals a young woman involved with a wealthy society man whose underworld connections raise dark implications. Realizing that the man mentioned in the diary is reclusive billionaire J.C. Peck, Nobel's hunger for a high-profile, international cover story finds her making the acquaintance of a J.C.'s younger brother Mark at a party. Though Mark draws Tyler to his remote country estate with the pretense of offering a private meeting with his brother, his advances toward Tyler once they reach the estate turn aggressive and she is forced to knock her assailant unconscious in order to escape. Arrested the following morning for Mark's murder, Tyler must launch her own investigation if she is to reveal the true killer and discover the fate of the sex-diary's mysterious author. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Priestley, (more)
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
Playwright, performer, and drag queen Charles Busch appears in the leading role as aging pop star Angela Arden in the darkly comic melodrama Die Mommie Die. Based on Busch's own play, this film marks the directorial debut of Mark Rucker. In 1967, Angela's career has hit bottom and she's trapped in a loveless marriage to film producer Sol Sussman (Philip Baker Hall). She gets involved in an affair with unemployed TV actor Tony Parker (Jason Priestley). After Sol suddenly dies, Angela's daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne) plots a conspiracy of revenge and enlists the help of her brother, Lance (Stark Sands). Also featuring Nora Dunn and Frances Conroy. Busch has previously appeared in drag for the film adaptation of his play Psycho Beach Party in 2000. Die Mommie Die premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Busch, Natasha Lyonne, (more)
- 1999
Dill Scallion is a mock-documentary that chronicles the fast rise and even faster fall of a country singer whose IQ appears to equal the waist measurement of his jeans. Billy Burke plays a school bus driver in a small Texas town who becomes a Country and Western superstar overnight thanks to songs like "I Found Love At A Family Reunion" and his unique dancing skills; unfortunately, his dance style is the result of an injured foot, and Dill has to keep hurting himself to keep giving his audience what they want. The film includes cameo appearances from actual country stars (including Willie Nelson and LeAnn Rimes) and supporting performances from Jason Priestley and Henry Winkler; rocker Sheryl Crow contributed an original music score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Burke, Peter Berg, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Peter Dobson, (more)
Part high-tech spy thriller and part psychological study, Eye of the Beholder was Ewan McGregor's first feature film following his mainstream breakthrough performance in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The Eye (Ewan McGregor) is an agent of the British Secret Service, equipped with the latest in high-tech crime fighting gadgetry and assisted by his indefatigable collegue, Hilary (k.d. lang). The Eye's latest assignment is a surveillance project; the son of a well-known politician has been spending a great deal of money on someone, and they would like to know who and why. A little sleuthing reveals that the mysterious person taking the cash is a woman named Joanna (Ashley Judd), but the trail gets much stickier when the Eye witnesses Joanna pulling a knife and killing the politician's son. Normally, he'd take the shortcut to putting her behind bars, but some time ago he lost contact with his daughter when his wife left him; Joanna reminds the Eye of his daughter, and he's too fascinated with her to bring her to justice. The Eye now follows Joanna obsessively, and discovers that she's also involved with a blind man (Patrick Bergin) and has a history of emotional instability from being abandoned by her father at a young age. Eye of the Beholder was directed by Stephan Elliott, best known for the comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Ashley Judd, (more)
- 2002
Composer and man-about-town Asa (Jason Priestley) can either be found hard at work writing a new song or trying to pick up women dressed in tails and a top hat. With considerable success in both ventures, Asa has no need to trouble himself with a real job, especially since he is quite capable of getting by on his trust fund. The one responsibility Asa does have is as father to young son Michael (Connor Price), who lives with Asa's ex-wife Charity (Deborah Odell) and her new boyfriend. One night, Asa brings Michael along with him as he hits his usual watering holes and Charity finds out about the adventure after the fact -- prompting the angry woman to threaten the removal of Asa's visitation rights unless the carefree musician straightens out his act. Unwilling to lose his son, Asa takes a job in his uncle Billy's (Dave Thomas) advertising agency and is soon forced to make a choice that may compromise his self-respect. On the other hand, he gets to work with the alluring Karen (Tanya Allen) on the project, which would give Asa the opportunity to get close to his new co-worker. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Tanya Allen, (more)
