Jason Ritter

When a lonely young girl named Anna walks into her local independent video store in search of an erotic film, the clerk behind the counter vows to transcend her emotional barriers and win her heart in this quirky relationship comedy written, directed by, and starring Marianna Palka. Though the lovelorn clerk in question (Jason Ritter) is a bit of a creep and perhaps even a potential stalker, the contentious relationship forged between the pair as he repeatedly seeks Anna's affections (and is continually shot down) eventually leads to an unusual, yet wholly unavoidable, confrontation that offers offbeat insight into the state of modern romance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

It was reported that CBS okayed the weekly sitcom The Class sight unseen when its producer, Friends' David Crane, assured the network that everyone in the cast was 28 or younger. The eight main characters were all graduates of the same third grade class (Mrs. Klingers', at Woodman Elementary School), reunited some twenty years later at a surprise anniversary party thrown by straight-arrow Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter) for his live-in fiancée Joan (Kasey Wilson). Some things hadn't changed at all in the intervening two decades; others had changed dramatically, especially in terms of relationships. The ensemble included Heather Goldenhersh as incurable romantic Lina Warbler; Lizzy Caplan) as Lina's sarcastic but goodhearted twin sister Kat; Jon Bernthal as former class clown Duncan Carmello, now a professional musician but still living in the basement of his mother Tina's (Julie Halston) house; Jesse Tyler Ferguson as self-effacing ex-"geek" Richie Velch; Sean Maguire as every girl's "dream date" Kyle Lendo, who in adulthood had come out of the closet and was living with another man; Lucy Punch) as class "brain"-turned-news anchor Holly Ellenbogan, who had never gotten over being jilted by Kyle at the high school prom and was now wed to the gormless Perry Pearl (Sam Harris); and Andrea Anders) as Tina Carmello, the most popular girl in the third grade, who had once been in love with Duncan but had since become trapped in a dull marriage with ex-NFL star turned commercial spokesman Yonk Allen (David Keith). Opening to some mighty impressive ratings, The Class debuted September 18, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A teenage girl learns that reaching for your dreams isn't always easy in this heartfelt drama with music. Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a small-town girl with a great love of music and a fine singing voice. Already one of the lead vocalists in her church choir, Terri has also appeared at local nightspots with some help from her older brother. When he tragically dies in an auto accident, Terri becomes all the more determined to make the most of her talent, and she's elated when she's accepted as part of a summer study program at one of California's most prestigious music schools; however, Terri attends over the stern objections of her father. As she tries to hold together her relationship with her family, she finds herself falling for one of her fellow students, Jay (Oliver James), and competing for attention against dozens of kids whose talent rivals her own. Raise Your Voice also features Jason Ritter, Rebecca De Mornay, Rita Wilson, David Keith, and John Corbett. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Being "the chosen one" isn't exactly a barrel of laughs for teenager Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn) during the first season of the critically acclaimed CBS drama series Joan of Arcadia. For one thing, poor Joan never knows when God will choose to have one of his many conversations with her -- nor is she ever quite certain in what guise God will appear (a little boy, a street person, the school lunch lady, etc.). Also, the things God asks Joan to do don't always make sense; sure, she understands his motives when he persuades her to volunteer to work with underprivileged, but why in his name does he want her to join the school debate team? Finally, Joan has a tough time keeping her celestial chit-chats a secret from her police-detective dad, Will (Joe Mantegna); her art-teacher mom, Helen (Mary Steenburgen); her nerdy brother Luke (Mike Welch); her paraplegic older brother Kevin (Jason Ritter); and her somewhat befuddled artist boyfriend, Adam (Christopher Marquette). In the course of season one, Joan tries to help her dad Will capture a serial killer; she is shamed by God into enrolling in an advanced-placement chem class; she learns to play chess, a move that is linked with her dad's investigation of a missing child case; her brother Kevin ever so gradually adjusts to life in a wheelchair, though mom Helen never gives up hope of a miracle (the one issue that God hasn't entirely broached yet!); Will later lands a newspaper job, possibly via divine intervention, possibly not; God sees to it that Joan comes out of her shell by prodding her to try out for the pom-pom squad; Joan becomes mighty uncomfortable (one might say hot under the collar) when certain parties draw comparisons between her and another Joan of "Arc" fame; an acquaintance of Joan's dies, leading to some very pointed queries during her next conversation with the almighty; a cryptic request leads Joan to believe that God wants "something more" from their relationship; and in the season finale, Joan's mood swings lead her parents to wonder just where she goes and whom she's with when she's not at home -- and in so doing, realign their own attitudes toward faith in a greater power. ~ All Movie Guide

A moment of temptation leads to a high body count and untold regrets for a high-school swimming star in this thriller starring Bring It On's Jesse Bradford and Traffic's Erika Christensen. Despite a shady past involving drugs and the juvenile justice system, Ben Cronin (Bradford) seems to have it all: a loving mother, a devoted girlfriend (Shiri Appleby), and a shot at a college scholarship in California. But the same week that athletic scouts will be deciding his future, Ben finds himself embroiled in a flirtation with Madison Bell (Christensen), a bewitching transfer student who seduces him into supposedly strings-free sex during an impromptu swim lesson after hours in the school pool. When Ben takes Madison at her word and goes about his business as if nothing had happened, she insinuates herself into his life with sinister glee. Showing up at Ben's house, befriending his girlfriend, and sending him naked pictures -- none of her strategies wins his heart. So Madison turns to other, more devious forms of courtship. Soon, Ben finds himself kicked off the swim team for supposed steroid use, suspected of murdering a rival (Clayne Crawford), and rejected by his girlfriend for his sexual indiscretions. Eventually, though, he receives help in uncovering the genesis of Madison's uncanny fixation from an unexpected source. Originally titled "Swimfan85" (after Madison's Internet screen name), the retitled Swimfan hit the top spot at the back-to-school box office when it was released September 6, 2002. Dan Hedaya co-stars as Ben's stern but loving mentor, Coach Simkins. Actor-turned-director John Polson previously helmed Siam Sunset. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Lawrence Kasdan wrote and directed this comedy about a young psychologist named Mumford (Loren Dean), who arrives in a small town and sets up a practice. Mumford's style is short on analytic mumbo-jumbo and long on practical advice, and he soon finds that he has a long list of satisfied clients in his new home town, including many of the city's most prominent citizens. Mumford's advice also helps love bloom among the city's single residents. However, the city already had a psychologist, Ernest Delbanco (David Paymer), who is quickly losing business to Mumford. So Ernest starts asking questions: who is this Mumford, and just what are his qualifications? Mumford's supporting cast includes Ted Danson, Martin Short, Alfre Woodard, Hope Davis, Jason Lee, and Pruitt Taylor Vince. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This sentimentalized biography of Oz creator L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) stars John Ritter in the title role. Richard Matheson's teleplay accurately depicts Baum as a business failure with the singular gift of being able to communicate with children. In keeping with Matheson's grounding in fantasy and the supernatural, Baum's characters occasionally come to life to palaver with the author and bring him inspiration. Annette O'Toole co-stars as Mrs. Baum, while Charles Haid is seen in the dual role of "Badham" and the Cowardly Lion. Also on hand as a Munchkin is Jerry Maren, who played one of the Lollipop Guild in the 1939 Hollywood adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Made for television, Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story debuted December 10, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide