Aidan Quinn Movies
A leading actor of the stage and screen, Aidan Quinn specializes in portraying sensitive, intelligent characters. Easily recognizable thanks to his platitude-inspiring baby blues and classically handsome features, Quinn has long enjoyed a reputation as the thinking woman's fantasy fodder.Born in Chicago on March 8, 1959, to Irish immigrants, Quinn and his four siblings were raised in both the U.S. and their parents' native country. The family spent so much time in Ireland that Quinn had part of his high school education there, and he moved to Dublin in his late teens. While in Dublin, he tried to break into the local theatre scene; when that proved to be less than fruitful, Quinn returned to Chicago. There, he worked as a roofer and joined local acting companies. He acted in a number of productions and made his New York debut in an off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard's Fool for Love.
Quinn broke into film playing an angry young man who gets involved with faux "good girl" Daryl Hannah in James Foley's Reckless (1984). The film went largely ignored by both critics and audiences, and it wasn't until he starred in Susan Seidelman's Desperately Seeking Susan the following year that Quinn began to attract notice. The recognition he earned for that film was nicely complemented during the same year by his acclaimed, Emmy-nominated portrayal of a gay lawyer with AIDS in An Early Frost, the first TV movie to deal directly with the subject of the virus.
Quinn subsequently carved a niche for himself with strong portrayals in a series of disparate films throughout the '80s and '90s. He did some of his more memorable work in Barry Levinson's Avalon (1990), a family drama that saw him give a convincing portrayal of a Jewish father; The Playboys (1992), which cast him as an amorous Irish musician; Benny and Joon (1993), in which he played the long-suffering brother of a mentally unstable young woman (Mary Stuart Masterson); Legends of the Fall (1994), in which he portrayed wild man Brad Pitt's responsible older brother; and Neil Jordan's Michael Collins (1996), in which Quinn got to play against type as an ambitious IRA terrorist.
In 1998, Quinn collaborated with brothers Paul and Declan, starring in and executive producing This Is My Father, a heartfelt drama set in Ireland. Featuring a script and direction by Paul, cinematography by Declan, and a touching, tender performance by Aidan as a shy, stumbling dirt farmer, the film earned moderately strong reviews, particularly from critics who felt that Quinn was finally acting in a film worth his mettle. The actor followed This is My Father with a return to mainstream Hollywood fare, starring as Annette Bening's husband in the thriller In Dreams and as an old high school friend of Meryl Streep's in Wes Craven's Music of the Heart, both released in 1999.
He appeared in a pair of music-themed projects in 2000, playing Paul McCartney in the made-for-cable Two of Us, and the rural drama Songcatcher. He starred in the Project Greenlight feature Stolen Summer in 2002. He continued to get steady work in a diverse array of projects that include Cavedweller, Empire Falls, Dark Matter, and Wild Child. In 2010 he appeared as the President of the United States in the comic-book adaptation Jonah Hex, and the next year he had a major part in the fantasy family film The Greening of Whitney Brown.
In addition to his stable film career, Quinn has enjoyed a stable marriage to Elizabeth Bracco (sister of Lorraine Bracco) since 1987. They have one daughter. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Created by Dave Erickson and co-produced by actor Denis Leary, the weekly, 60-minute legal drama Canterbury's Law starred Juliana Margulies as Elizabeth Canterbury, a tough, ruthless Providence (R.I.) attorney who specialized in defending such "controversial" clients as accused child murderers and pedophiles. Yelling at everyone within earshot and playing fast and loose with ethics, Elizabeth was not by any stretch of the imagination an admirable character, but her abrasive personality was somewhat justified by the fact that she sincerely believed in the innocence of her clients. One of many "flawed" TV heroines of the early 21st century (vide The Closer), Elizabeth battled innumerable personal demons and an alcohol problem which partially stemmed from the loss of her son, who had disappeared without a trace a year or so before the series got under way. Other regulars included Ben Shenkman as Elizabeth's legal partner Russell Krauss, who'd been passed over for a D.A.'s job after clashing with his corrupt boss; Keith Robinson as cocky attorney Chester Grant, a congressman's son who had turned his back on his dad's conformist politicis; Trieste Dunn as fearless attorney Molly McConnell, one of the few people who could stand up to Elizabeth without emerging bloody and bowed; and Aidan Quinn as Elizabeth's college-professor husband Matt Furey, on whom the restless Ms. Canterbury cheated shamelessly. Originally intended as a series about a male attorney, Canterbury's Law switched genders once Juliana Margulies signed onto the project. Though the pilot was filmed in early 2007, the series itself was not added to the Fox network lineup until March 10, 2008, having shed a couple of the original regulars (Jocko Sims as Chester, Linus Roache as Matt) along the way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julianna Margulies, Ben Shenkman, (more)
- 2008
A girl experiences the joys and sorrows of adolescence in this comedy-drama set in 1979. Maeve (Ailish McCarthy) is a thirteen-year-old girl growing up in a small Irish town is keeps wondering when she's finally going to become a woman, as she's among the last in her group of friends to have her first period or need a bra. Not long after her mother gets Maeve her first brassiere -- a less-than-impressive 32A -- she learns that Brian (Shane McDaid), an older boy she fancies, has just been dumped by his girlfriend. To Maeve's surprise, Brian is also interested in her, and she finds herself experiencing her first kiss and first romance. However, she also discovers not all her friends are happy for her, and she becomes acquainted the bitter taste of jealousy and betrayal. 32A was the directorial debut from filmmaker Marian Quinn, and won the prize for "Best First Film" at the 2007 Galway Film Fleadh. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ailish McCarthy, Sophie Jo Wasson, (more)
Director Yves Simoneau explores the plight of the American Indian in the later half of the 19th century in this docudrama exploring the effects of westward expansion and based on the book by Dee Brown. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Adam Beach, (more)
The most controversial -- and one of the shortest-lived -- series of the 2005-2006 network season, The Book of Daniel concerned the troubled family of an Episcopalian priest. Aidan Quinn starred as Reverend Daniel Webster, who dealt with most crises by popping prescription pills and brooding over his inability to "reach" his parishioners. Daniel's wife, Judith (Susanna Thompson), spent much of her time drinking martinis and complaining about lost opportunities; his 23-year-old son, Peter (Christian Campbell), was a neurotic homosexual, still plagued by guilt over the death of his twin brother; 16-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill) was a would-be manga artist who sold marijuana on the side; and the Websters' adopted Chinese son, Adam (Ivan Shaw), was more concerned about scoring with chicks than anything else. Adding to Rev. Webster's burden was the remonstrative input of no-nonsense Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Ellen Burstyn) and rule-bound senior parish warden Roger Paxton (Dylan Baker). Whenever things became too much to bear for Rev. Webster, he would solicit the advice of his "best friend," Jesus Christ (Garret Dillahunt) -- yes, that Jesus Christ, beard, white robes, and all. It was the calculatedly irreverent portrayal of the Son of God (who trafficked in wisecracks rather than parables) that stirred up the bulk of the controversy surrounding the series. While many big-city critics liked the show, general audiences could not warm up to it at all. Debuting January 6, 2006, on NBC, The Book of Daniel had been slated for a six-week trial run before going to full series; slaughtered in the ratings and roundly condemned by conservative media commentators, it lasted only four episodes before cancellation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Susanna Thompson, (more)
This two-part HBO miniseries is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo. Having long since sacrificed youthful ideals and values to remain in his New England hometown for the sake of his family, middle-aged Miles Roby (Ed Harris) finds his "secure" little world disintegrating when his wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), divorces him. Equally vexing is the emotional and financial pressure exerted by domineering town matriarch Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), who owns (among other things) the Empire Grill, the little diner that Ed has run for several years. As he reflects on what he considers to be a wasted life, Ed flashes back to memories of his curmudgeonly father, Max (Paul Newman, who also executive-produced the miniseries); his long-dead mother, Grace (Robin Wright Penn); his scapegrace brother, David (Aidan Quinn); his blossoming daughter "Tick" (Danielle Panabaker); and Francine's late husband, C.B. Whiting (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Also tied in with Miles's reminiscences is the spectacular saga of the rise and fall of Empire Falls, a once-prosperous mill town that has fallen into disrepair -- as have the town's once-rigid and inviolate social barriers. Despite the initial bleakness of Miles' plight, and the revelation of innumerable family skeletons as the plot progresses, the story is ultimately both heartwarming and life-affirming. Filmed on location in Maine, Empire Falls originally aired on May 28 and 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Danielle Panabaker, (more)
Adapted by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen from their own off-Broadway play, The Exonerated dramatizes the real-life stories of six innocent citizens who spent anywhere from three to 20 years on death row until DNA testing proved that they had all been falsely convicted. Each of the six stories is related in the first person, using free-flowing flashbacks to highlight selected events. Some critics felt that, by using such A-list actors as Susan Sarandon, Aidan Quinn, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, and Delroy Lindo to play the unfairly condemned protagonists, the text of the original play was thrown off balance; this may be the reason why the relatively unknown David Brown Jr., cast as the sixth main character, received some of the best reviews. In the tradition of Schindler's List, the actual people whose experiences are enacted in the film show up on camera for the final scene. Directed by veteran Broadway and Hollywood actor Bob Balaban (Seinfeld, A Mighty Wind), The Exonerated was produced for the Court TV cable channel, and was first broadcast on January 27, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 2004
Based on short stories written by Sam Shepard and published in his semi-autobiographical collections Crusing Paradise and Motel Chronicles, See You In My Dreams is the compelling story of the star-crossed romance between Joe (Aidan Quinn), a New Mexico rancher, and Joe's war bride Angela (Marcia Gay Harden). Settling down on his ranch in the years following WW2, Joe is full of grandiose dreams about his future, but is quickly weighed down by the harsh realities of life, just as Angela grows more and more disenchanted with her role as the loyal dutiful farm wife. Having invested all his hopes in his son Ben (Will Estes), Joe allows his inner demons to get the best of him and ultimately compels Ben to leave home at the age of 15. Several years later, Ben returns with his own bride Ingrid (Jacinda Barrett), hoping to mend fences with his estranged father--while Angela has likewise drifted away and into the arms of another man. Offering sidelines advice and solace to both sides of the argument is Joe's best friend, Esteban (Cheech Martin). There are no pat answers or simple solutions in this poignant made-for-TV character study, which made its CBS debut on June 13, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
- 2004
Based on a novel by Kent Haruf, the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Plainsong looks back on a year in the lives of several very special people in a close-knit Colorado prairie community. Deserted by his seriously disturbed wife Ella (Megan Follows), dedicated high school teacher Tom Guthrie (Aidan Quinn) is forced to raise his mentally challenged sons Ike (Mick Hazen) and Bobby (Cody Arens) by himself. Cruelly tormented by their peers and shunned by many of the adults in the community, the boys find a friend and kindred spirit in lonely old Iva Stearns (Marian Seldes), who offers to let them work on her ranch. At the same time, Tom's fellow teacher Maggie Jonas (Rachel Griffiths) comes to the rescue of Victoria Roubidoux (America Ferrera), a pregnant 17-year old Native American girl who has been evicted by her mother. Maggie arranges for Victoria to stay at the home of the McPherson Brothers (Geoffrey Lewis, William Andrews), a pair of crusty old bachelors who have never lived with anyone other than themselves. The stories of these two "extended" families inevitably converge, reaching a crossroads when Ike and Bobby stumble across Iva's dead body. Despite this morbid turn of events, the story gives special emphasis to forgiveness and the acceptance of those who are different -- and the ability to come to grips with the fact that life offers no guarantees. Filmed on location in Utah, Plainsong made its CBS network bow on April 25, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Rachel Griffiths, (more)
- 2004
According to the Lifetime channel publicity, the made for cable Miracle Run was "inspired by the true story of the winner in all of us." The life of single mother Corinne Morgan (Mary-Louise Parker) is forever changed when she learns that both of her twin sons are autistic. The medical experts advice Corinne either to have the boys institutionalized or farm them out for adoption: The educational establishment writes off both kids as "unteachable" virtually before they ever set foot in a school. But Corinne is determined to the point of bullying that the twins will have as a normal a life as possible--and with the help of sympathetic handyman Douglas Thomas (Aidan Quinn), her hopes are fulfilled beyond her wildest dreams. Despite its optimistic outlook, the film stresses the fact that the lives of young Steven and Phillip Morgan will forever remain a steep and often treacherous uphill climb. Miracle Run debuted August 9, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
A teacher takes on the corrupt leadership of an Irish reform school in this drama based on a true story. William Franklin (Aidan Quinn) is a teacher who was born in Ireland and moved to the United States only to repatriate in 1939 after his leftist political views cause him to lose his job. Franklin becomes the first non-cleric instructor at St. Jude's, a school for wayward boys run by Brother John Iain Glen, who is a firm believer in strong discipline. But Franklin comes to believe the students are being treated with excessive force, with many of the children severely punished for trivial violations of the rules, and some treated as delinquents for the crime of not having parents. As Franklin campaigns for more humane treatment of his charges, he makes a powerful enemy in Brother John, who responds to Franklin's reform efforts with greater vehemence against the students, in particular Mercier (John Travers), an inquisitive child who has become a favorite of Franklin. Franklin's distrust of Brother John's regime reaches a high point when a new student informs him that he was sexually assaulted by one of the clerics. Song for a Raggy Boy was adapted from the memoir by Patrick Galvin, who also helped adapt his story for the screen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Iain Glen, (more)
- 2002
- Add Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor to Queue Add Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor to top of Queue
If one is to believe this made-for-cable biopic, America's most notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold sold out his country primarily for the love of a woman. Acknowledged as a hero of the Revolutionary War by his commanding officer, General George Washington (Kelsey Grammer), after bringing about the British surrender at Saratoga in 1776, Benedict Arnold (Aidan Quinn) is robbed of public acclaim by a glory-grabbing fellow officer and by the ceaseless politicking of the Continental Congress. Making matters worse, Arnold has lost what little money he has through misfortune and bad investments. At the urging of his Philadelphia-born fiancée (and future second wife), the pro-British Peggy Shippen (Flora Montgomery), Arnold decides to cast his lot with the Redcoats, ultimately entering into a plot to assassinate his former comrade-in-arms, Washington. Filmed in Ireland under the title Dark Eagle: Benedict Arnold, Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor made its American TV debut over the A&E cable network on January 13, 2003, and within a month it had been released on VHS and DVD. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
- 2001
Mark Twain's classic tale of two boys who exchange their lives for a while is brought to the screen again in this made-for-television production. Tom (Robert Timmins) is the son of a poverty-stricken drunkard in 19th century England who dreams of a life of carefree wealth. Prince Edward (Jonathan Timmins), the young son of King Henry VIII (Alan Bates), wishes he could go out and play with other boys his age -- and happens to look almost exactly like Tom. One day Tom and the Prince meet by chance, and after being struck by their resemblance, they decide to impersonate each other to get a taste of how the other half lives. They both learn that things often seem sunnier on the other side of the fence -- and that going back to their old lives isn't as simple as they imagined. The supporting cast includes Aidan Quinn as Miles Hendon and Jonathan Hyde as Lord Hertford. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn
- 1997
This program is the first part of a two-volume set from the History Channel chronicling the history of the people who came from Ireland to the new promised land of America, and made their mark in business, politics, and the arts and humanities. This episode, narrated by Aidan Quinn, investigates the events of the devastating potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s. Over a million people died before Ireland's mother country of England sent medicine and food. Faced with the Black Death, many Irish people chose to set off for the far away promised land of America. Archival film clips, photographs, journals, personal accounts, reenactments, and commentary by historians tell the story. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1997
This program is the second part of a two-volume set from the History Channel chronicling the history of the people who came from Ireland to the new promised land of America, and made their mark in business, politics, and the arts and humanities. This episode, narrated by Aidan Quinn, examines the fate of the Irish when they landed in New York after fleeing the Black Death of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. The program showcases the contributions made by the newest additions to America's melting pot. Archival film clips, photographs, journals, personal accounts, reenactments, and commentary by historians tell the story. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1994
- Add Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America to Queue Add Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America to top of Queue
This documentary chronicles the 200-year history and experiences of Irish-American immigrants. The film is comprised of a blend of still photographs, drawings, and on location re-creations. It also includes the personal stories of many famous Irish-Americans including modern actors Aidan Quinn and Liam Neeson. The film also includes interviews with historians and commentators. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Liam Neeson, (more)
- 1991
In a remote branch of the Brazilian Amazon, Americans Lewis (Tom Berenger) and Wolf (Tom Waits) are stranded when their plane runs out of gas. They are kept company by an evangelist missionary (John Lithgow) and his wife (Darryl Hannah). The preacher and his followers want to preach to the primitive Niaruna Indians, while others are interested in the Niaruna for more diabolical reasons-specifically, business concerns that would like to claim the Indians' land for development. The local police chief cuts a deal with the mercenaries Lewis and Wolf: if they will agree to bomb the Niarunas out of existence, they will be paid enough money to leave the country. Instead, Lewis, part Native American himself,aligns himself with the Niarunas. From this moment on, he and the tribe are doomed. A long-standing pet project of producer Saul Zaentz, At Play in the Fields of the Lord was adapted from the best-selling novel by Peter Matthiesen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 1986
All My Sons is the 1986 TV adaptation of Arthur Miller's 1947 Broadway play (a film version, starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, was produced in 1948). James Whitmore stars as Joe Keller, a bullying industrialist who'd been accused of selling defective weapon parts to the government during World War II. He was acquitted when the court decided that it was his business partner who was responsible. Keller and his family desperately await the post-war return of son Larry, who was officially listed as missing in action. Larry's fiance Ann (Joan Allen), the daughter of Keller's imprisoned business partner, is attracted to Larry's brother Chris (Aidan Quinn), but she has vowed to remain faithful to her missing fiance. The play's third act reveals that it was indeed Joe Keller, and not his partner, who was responsible for the defective material -- and that his penny-pinching carelessness ended up costing the life of his own son Larry. Michael Learned co-stars as Keller's wife, who like her husband vainly tries to lock out the truth. First telecast January 19, 1987, All My Sons was the sixth-season opener of PBS's American Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Originally telecast November 11, 1985, An Early Frost was the first TV movie to deal with the subject of AIDS. Aidan Quinn plays a personable young gay lawyer who is stricken with the HIV virus. As his health deteriorates, Quinn finds that his physical agony is secondary to his mental anguish. Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands play Quinn's parents, who must not only come to grips with their son's impending death, but with their own long-standing fears and prejudices concerning homosexuality. No easy answers are offered in this realistic drama, which also stars Sylvia Sidney as Quinn's grandmother and John Glover as a fellow AIDS victim. Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman won Emmys for their pioneering teleplay. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Gena Rowlands, (more)
- 2010
- R
- Add Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright to Queue Add Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright to top of Queue
The stunning story of the biggest investment fraud in U.S. history comes to the big screen in this high-stakes crime drama starring Aidan Quinn, Andy Garcia, Mario Van Peebles, and Gina Gershon. Shortly after vanishing without a trace, fugitive Los Angeles financer Charlie Wright (Quinn) turns up in Tijuana with $2 billion in cold hard cash. Now it seems that the FBI may be the least of Charlie's concerns. Mexican drug trafficker Jorge Garza (Garcia) is drowning in debt. With his empire on the line and his family falling to ruin, Garza recruits a small army of crooked cops to track Charlie down, and seize his stash at any cost. Meanwhile, an influential Russian mobster is none too happy about being swindled out of his ill-gotten earnings by the smooth-talking grifter, and dispatches an experienced team of mercenaries led by cold-hearted killer Damon (Luke Goss) to recoup his losses, and bring Charlie back to face the consequences of his actions. As the criminals close in on Charlie from all sides, his best hope for survival is to be captured by FBI Agent Hobbs (Van Peebles) first. With his future hinging on the capture of the criminal who once slipped through his fingers, Agent Hobbs becomes determined to smoke out Charlie, and see that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn
Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds of Munich) is a depressed widower who teaches shop in the small seaside town of Cobh, in County Cork, Ireland, where he lives with his two children. While he continues to adjust to life without his beloved wife, who died two years earlier, he begins to experience strange, possibly supernatural occurrences connected to his elderly father-in-law, who is close to death in a local nursing home. When Michael volunteers at the town's annual literary festival, he's assigned to look after Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle of High Fidelity). Lena is known for her ghost stories, and Michael, impressed with the realistic nature of her writing, shares his recent experiences with her. While Michael and Lena grow closer, another famous author, Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn), a married man with a scandalous reputation, arrives in town for the festival, hoping to rekindle a brief affair he had with Lena a year before. As Michael and Nicholas clash over Lena's affections, Michael's supernatural visions grow more vivid and disturbing. The Eclipse was directed by Irish playwright Conor McPherson (The Actors), from a script by McPherson and author/playwright Billy Roche, loosely based on the story "Table Manners" from Roche's collection Tales from Rainwater Pond. The film had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where Hinds won the award for Best Actor in a Narrative Feature. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, (more)
A man seeking to escape the past realizes that he'll first have to confront the present after receiving a desperate call from a friend on his deathbed. Harry Sweeny (Jamey Sheridan) is an aged but handsome divorcée with a grown son and a small business. He lives a comfortable life in a small town, where his main source of entertainment is stopping by the local diner to flirt with pretty waitress Muriel (Karen Young). But Harry's life hasn't always been this easy, and after getting a call from Tom Kelly (Steve Buscemi) he starts to remember why. Tom isn't long for this earth, and before he goes he seeks forgiveness from David Kagan, a fellow crewman that he and Harry knew from their Navy days. Unable to say no to an old friend, Harry sets out on a reluctant search for David, visiting old friends and drudging up painful memories in the process. Why does Tom feel like he needs David's forgiveness to pass on, and whose redemption is Harry searching for anyway? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, (more)
Inspired by actual events, director Chen Shi-Zheng's socially conscious psychological drama follows the journey of an ambitious Chinese scientist working towards his Ph.D. in America, only to be marginalized to the extent that he ultimately loses his way. All Liu Xing (Liu Ye) ever wanted was to study the origins of the universe at a Western university. Upon arriving at the school, Liu immediately rents a modest apartment with a few other Chinese students and begins flirting with the pretty American who works at the local coffee shop. Personally welcomed into Department Head Jacob Reiser's (Aidan Quinn) select cosmology group, Liu remains dedicated to his studies and optimistic about the future. Things continue to look up as Liu becomes close with wealthy university patron Johanna Silver (Meryl Streep) after the two become acquainted at an orientation for foreigners sponsored by a local church.
Eventually, Liu becomes Reiser's protégé, and makes a sizable impression at a prestigious conference attended by the pair. But attitudes start to shift when Liu's studies in dark matter come into direct conflict with his mentor's prominent theories and well-established studies. His excitement about a potential breakthrough causes him to ignore repeated warnings that he must pay his dues, and Liu's findings are eventually eclipsed by that of more studious fellow student Laurence. Determined to have his studies published, Liu goes behind Reiser's back, but he ultimately becomes the target of ire rather than accolades, with Johanna's naïve encouragement prompting him along a dangerous collision course. While Liu remains enamored with the concept of the American dream and optimistic about American science being a free market of ideas, he begins to grow dejected after his dissertation is rejected, the girl at the coffee shop blows him off, and his roommates all find lucrative jobs. Essentially left behind at the university, Liu rejects Johanna's offer for help and vows not to return home to disappointed parents. Now, as he coasts on the fumes of his unrealized dreams, the dishonored student prepares to lash out with one final act of devastating annihilation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Eventually, Liu becomes Reiser's protégé, and makes a sizable impression at a prestigious conference attended by the pair. But attitudes start to shift when Liu's studies in dark matter come into direct conflict with his mentor's prominent theories and well-established studies. His excitement about a potential breakthrough causes him to ignore repeated warnings that he must pay his dues, and Liu's findings are eventually eclipsed by that of more studious fellow student Laurence. Determined to have his studies published, Liu goes behind Reiser's back, but he ultimately becomes the target of ire rather than accolades, with Johanna's naïve encouragement prompting him along a dangerous collision course. While Liu remains enamored with the concept of the American dream and optimistic about American science being a free market of ideas, he begins to grow dejected after his dissertation is rejected, the girl at the coffee shop blows him off, and his roommates all find lucrative jobs. Essentially left behind at the university, Liu rejects Johanna's offer for help and vows not to return home to disappointed parents. Now, as he coasts on the fumes of his unrealized dreams, the dishonored student prepares to lash out with one final act of devastating annihilation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liu Ye, Aidan Quinn, (more)
Charlotte Cory, the main character in the thriller Convicted, has only days left until she is executed. Her lawyer discovers information that was kept out of her trial, and must race against time in order to save his client. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Connie Nielsen, Aidan Quinn, (more)
Cavedweller is an adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name. Anne Meredith, who also adapted Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, wrote the script, and the film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon). Kyra Sedgwick stars as Delia Byrd. As the film opens, Delia loses her wayward rock-star husband, Randall (Kevin Bacon in a bit part), to a car accident, and decides to take her angry, heartbroken young daughter, Cissy (Regan Arnold, who played the tormented little sister in Blue Car), from Los Angeles back to her hometown in rural Georgia, where Delia left her two daughters and her abusive husband, Clint (Aidan Quinn), many years ago, to join Randall on the road. "Those people are not gonna be happy to see you," warns Delia's friend, Rosemary (singer Jill Scott in her film debut), but Delia is determined to reclaim her daughters. Cissy irrationally blames Delia for Randall's death, making the drive to Georgia an unpleasant one. Upon arriving there, Delia finds that she is not remembered fondly. Her taciturn grandfather (Myron Natwick) reluctantly takes her and Cissy in, but Delia soon learns that Clint is dying, and that her daughters, Amanda (Vanessa Zima) and Dede (April Mullen), are living with Clint's fire-and-brimstone mother (Jackie Burroughs), who has no intention of letting the girls see her. Realizing he has wronged her, Clint agrees to help Delia get custody of the girls, in exchange for her caring for him until he dies. Cavedweller was shown at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival before premiering on Showtime. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyra Sedgwick, Aidan Quinn, (more)
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