Charlotte Ross Movies
A fair-haired actress who ultimately parlayed her photogenic looks into a healthy and substantial career in both film and television venues, Charlotte Ross grew up in affluent Winnetka, IL, as the daughter of a saleswoman mother in a single-parent household. Ross graduated almost immediately to acting work, initially stepping before the cameras in late adolescence with small supporting roles in such features as Touch and Go (1986), Foreign Student (1994), and Love and a .45 (1994), but found far greater exposure on the small screen. She essayed the lead role of Lori Volpone on the Showtime pay-cable series Beggars and Choosers (1999-2001), then embarked on a multi-season portrayal of Detective Connie McDowell on Steven Bochco's gritty cop drama NYPD Blue. After that high-profile role, Ross returned to big-screen features in a lead capacity, this time, with roles in Donny Most's comedy Moola (2006) and Mike Robe's family drama Montana Sky (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie GuideWhen a recently deceased rancher leaves his multimillion-dollar estate to his three daughters, the girls discover that they will only be able to receive their inheritance by living together on the ranch for one year in this rural family drama starring John Corbett, Ashley Williams, and Charlotte Ross. Having never even previously met, the three half sisters agree to the curious stipulation despite reservations that their forced family reunion might be a complete disaster. The biggest problem that the girls face, however, is the discovery of a saboteur in their midst. It seems that when dear old dad died, he left some pretty bitter enemies behind -- enemies who would love to see his daughters fail. Now, in order to get what is rightfully theirs, the three siblings will have to work harder than ever before to clean up the mess their father left behind. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashley Williams, Charlotte Ross, (more)
- 2007
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Eva Mendes, Jay Hernandez, and Eric Lively star in a scathing mockumentary/media satire concerning a network executive (Mendes) who pitches a controversial show in which willing contestants participate in a real-life game of Russian Roulette. As the show goes into production, a documentary crew turns their cameras on the production to capture the firestorm of controversy that erupts as the premier date draws ever closer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Mendes, David Krumholtz, (more)
Directed by former Happy Days cast member Don Most, the comedy Moola stars William Mapother and Daniel Baldwin as best friends who are working together at a business that is failing. When a new venture offers them the promise of success, the duo face a series of challenges that tests their loyalty and friendship. Moola screened at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Mapother, Daniel Baldwin, (more)
As NYPD Blue entered its tenth season, there was a perception that the series had become flat and predictable, and that the leading characters were merely going through the motions. But the series had confounded its critics the previous season by retaining its popularity despite a change to an earlier and less advantageous time slot, and it would continue thriving -- and even improving -- throughout season ten. Some of the emphasis during the 2002-2003 season was on couples. The May-December romance between 15th precinct detectives Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross), tentatively inaugurated during season nine, experienced a number of rocky moments -- many of them tied in with the vacillating feelings of Andy's son Theo (Austin Majors). But their relationship was strengthened and reaffirmed by a major crisis: Connie's determination to retain custody of her baby niece Michelle, whose mother (Katherine La Nasa), Connie's sister, was killed by her low-life husband, Frank Colohan (played by former X-Files menace Nicholas Lea). Despite the efforts by Frank's nasty and manipulative parents to obtain custody of Michelle, the forces of good triumphed, largely because Andy marshalled extra assistance from an old friend, Detective Diane Russell (Kim Delaney, in a most welcome one-shot return to the series). The other couplings of note involved Andy's partner John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Detective Rita Ortiz (Jacqueline Obradors), the off-and-on relationship between detective Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) and Assistant DA Valerie Haywood (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), and the brief reunion between 15th precinct skipper Lt. Tony Rodriguez (Esai Morales) and his drug-addicted former wife, Angela Lupo (Jessica Ferrarone). Two of these three couples would be broken up by season's end, one of them under tragic circumstances, while John Clark Jr. would begin a liaison with police doctor Jennifer Devlin (Chandra West). Back "on the job," the 15th was again targeted for persecution by Internal Affairs captain Pat Fraker (Casey Siemaszko), who was so determined to get something damaging against his longtime enemy Andy Sipowicz that he was willing to engineer a frame-up that sent John Clark Jr. to jail on a trumped-up drug charge. This plot development would result in the disgrace of a longtime NYPD Blue recurring character, the suicide of Clark Jr.'s alcoholic father (Joe Spano), and ultimately a bloody confrontation which, for the season-closing cliffhanger, left Lt. Rodriguez hovering between life and death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Franz, Henry Simmons, (more)
In the tradition of the theatrical film Sliding Doors, this episode of Frasier offers two alternatives to a single twist of fate for both Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce). In Frasier's case, we are given the opportunity to see what will happen to him if he decides to go out on Valentine's Day -- and what will happen if he stays at home (and taking things a step farther, we see two different methods of courtship involving Frasier and a cute but klutzy artist [Charlotte Ross]). Meanwhile, a similar "either-or" situation is played out for Niles and Daphne (Jane Leeves), who may or may not go on a Hawaiian vacation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
At the end of NYPD Blue's eighth season, Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder), the troubled young partner of the 15th precinct's Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), had disappeared under sinister circumstances after a botched undercover operation. It was not until season nine got under way that Danny's murder was confirmed, sending Sipowicz -- not to mention the rest of the 15th -- into an emotional spiral. In the fine revolving-door tradition of NYPD Blue, Danny was immediately replaced by another handsome young detective with personal issues: John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), the son of a veteran cop (Joe Spano) who happened to be an old enemy of John's new partner Andy. To compensate for the defection of another longtime series regular, Kim Delaney (Detective Diane Russell), Jacqueline Obradors was added to the cast as Det. Rita Ortiz, formerly of the vice squad who had transferred to the 15th at the insistence of her jealous, possessive Assistant DA husband, Don Harrison (Stan Cahill). Inasmuch as the series was falling into a pattern of predictability by this time, it was hardly surprising that Rita Ortiz would have been minus one husband and plus one new boyfriend (John Clark Jr., of course) by the end of season nine.
Of the holdover actors from previous seasons, Esai Morales had neatly settled into the role of Lt. Tony Rodriguez, the no-nonsense replacement of former 15th precinct skipper Lt. Fancy -- and had brought along his own emotional baggage in the form of a vengeful Internal Affairs Bureau captain (Casey Siemaszko) who had seemingly made it his life's work to force Rodriguez out of his job. The inner demons of Det. Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) surfaced to plague her when she attempted to touch base with Jennifer (Katie Fountain), the daughter whom she'd given up for adoption 16 years earlier. Gay cop John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) took a brief respite from his duties to embark upon an African "safari" with his new boyfriend. And the off-again, on-again relationship between Det. Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) and ADA Valerie Haywood (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) took on a new and slightly melancholy dimension when Valerie became pregnant. As usual, it was top-billed Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz who bore the brunt of the dramatic developments. In addition to having to adjust to the tragic loss of another partner, Dennis also found himself enmeshed in the financial intrigues surrounding wealthy old eccentric Mrs. Hornby (Elmarie Wendel), for whom he worked as a bodyguard in his off-hours. And, of more importance to future plot developments, Andy finally made a romantic decision between two of the women in his life, Connie McDowell and the very-much-younger Cynthia Bunin (Juliana Donald) -- or rather, the decision was made for him following a traumatic hostage crisis. With Steven Bochco replacing the departing David Milch as senior executive producer, NYPD Blue was poised to begin its ninth season in early October of 2001 -- thereby breaking the tradition established in the past two seasons, when the debut date had been moved up to January (or mid-season) due to backstage intrigues and scheduling conflicts. However, the tragic events of September 11 obliged both the producers and the network to delay the season opener until November 6, by which time several scripts had been rewritten to reflect the 15th precinct's reaction to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Of the holdover actors from previous seasons, Esai Morales had neatly settled into the role of Lt. Tony Rodriguez, the no-nonsense replacement of former 15th precinct skipper Lt. Fancy -- and had brought along his own emotional baggage in the form of a vengeful Internal Affairs Bureau captain (Casey Siemaszko) who had seemingly made it his life's work to force Rodriguez out of his job. The inner demons of Det. Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) surfaced to plague her when she attempted to touch base with Jennifer (Katie Fountain), the daughter whom she'd given up for adoption 16 years earlier. Gay cop John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) took a brief respite from his duties to embark upon an African "safari" with his new boyfriend. And the off-again, on-again relationship between Det. Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) and ADA Valerie Haywood (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) took on a new and slightly melancholy dimension when Valerie became pregnant. As usual, it was top-billed Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz who bore the brunt of the dramatic developments. In addition to having to adjust to the tragic loss of another partner, Dennis also found himself enmeshed in the financial intrigues surrounding wealthy old eccentric Mrs. Hornby (Elmarie Wendel), for whom he worked as a bodyguard in his off-hours. And, of more importance to future plot developments, Andy finally made a romantic decision between two of the women in his life, Connie McDowell and the very-much-younger Cynthia Bunin (Juliana Donald) -- or rather, the decision was made for him following a traumatic hostage crisis. With Steven Bochco replacing the departing David Milch as senior executive producer, NYPD Blue was poised to begin its ninth season in early October of 2001 -- thereby breaking the tradition established in the past two seasons, when the debut date had been moved up to January (or mid-season) due to backstage intrigues and scheduling conflicts. However, the tragic events of September 11 obliged both the producers and the network to delay the season opener until November 6, by which time several scripts had been rewritten to reflect the 15th precinct's reaction to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Franz, Henry Simmons, (more)
Season eight of NYPD Blue began minus the services of longtime executive producer David Milch, who left to develop a project of his own. Steven Bochco, who'd co-created the series with Milch, took full charge of the series. This was far from the only eighth-season personnel change. Andrea Thompson (Det. Jill Kirkendall) had already quit the series in order to launch a new career as a TV news anchor. Kim Delaney, who played Kirkendall's partner, Det. Diane Russell, remained on the scene, the better to develop a new plot strand involving a steamy romance between Russell and her troubled colleague Det. Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder). But by the end of the season, Delaney was gone -- as was Schroder. One of the series' mainstays since its 1993 debut, James McDaniel, announced his intention of leaving his role as 15th precinct skipper Lt. Fancy after the first 13 episodes of the season. Fancy's initial replacement, hypersensitive feminist Lt. Susan Falto (Denise Crosby), had such a negative effect on the 15th that she herself was quickly supplanted by Lt. Tony Rodriguez (Esai Morales), a by-the-book type who (surprise, surprise) almost immediately clashed with gonzo "I make my own rules" detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Andy's private life was no less turbulent than his professional one; the moment the bone-marrow tests of his son Theo (Austin Majors) came back positive -- thereby resolving one of the unresolved subplots set up by the previous season's cliffhanger finale -- Andy began considering a reconciliation with ex-wife Kate (Debra Monk), but instead became sidetracked with a blossomed May-December relationship with Cynthia Bunin (Juliana Donald), the niece of Andy's old cop pal Gibson (John F. O'Donohue).
Along with Esai Morales and Juliana Donald, Charlotte Ross, and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon joined the series, respectively cast as Det. Connie McDowell and new Assistant DA Valerie Haywood. Initially shunned as a possible "spy" from Internal Affairs, McDowell quickly proved her mettle and earned the right to remain at the 15th -- and in the process set the foundation for future plot complications by revealing that, 15 years earlier, she had had a daughter out of wedlock whom she had given up for adoption. As for Haywood, she almost immediately got off on the wrong foot with the extremely touchy Det. Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons), in the tradition of the first-season flareups between Andy Sipowicz and the late ADA Sylvia Costas. But also like Andy and Sylvia, Baldwin Jones and Valerie Haywood quickly found themselves extremely attracted to one another.
The opening episodes of season eight resolved a dilemma left hanging during season seven, that of the 15th precinct's possible complicity in the drug-smuggling operations of Don Kirkendall, ex-husband of the beleagured Jill Kirkendall. The closing episodes established a brand-new crisis, concerning a botched undercover operation which may or may not have cost the life of the missing-in-action Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder). Viewers would have to sweat it out until the beginning of season nine before Danny's ultimate fate would be revealed. For the second year in a row, NYPD Blue's season opener was not seen until January, due to backstage hagglings between the ABC network and the producer. Also, only 20 new episodes were produced, rather than the standard 22, reportedly an economical rather than artistic decision. The late start and diminished output did not affect the series' popularity, nor prevent it from garnering another Emmy Award nomination for series star Dennis Franz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Along with Esai Morales and Juliana Donald, Charlotte Ross, and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon joined the series, respectively cast as Det. Connie McDowell and new Assistant DA Valerie Haywood. Initially shunned as a possible "spy" from Internal Affairs, McDowell quickly proved her mettle and earned the right to remain at the 15th -- and in the process set the foundation for future plot complications by revealing that, 15 years earlier, she had had a daughter out of wedlock whom she had given up for adoption. As for Haywood, she almost immediately got off on the wrong foot with the extremely touchy Det. Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons), in the tradition of the first-season flareups between Andy Sipowicz and the late ADA Sylvia Costas. But also like Andy and Sylvia, Baldwin Jones and Valerie Haywood quickly found themselves extremely attracted to one another.
The opening episodes of season eight resolved a dilemma left hanging during season seven, that of the 15th precinct's possible complicity in the drug-smuggling operations of Don Kirkendall, ex-husband of the beleagured Jill Kirkendall. The closing episodes established a brand-new crisis, concerning a botched undercover operation which may or may not have cost the life of the missing-in-action Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder). Viewers would have to sweat it out until the beginning of season nine before Danny's ultimate fate would be revealed. For the second year in a row, NYPD Blue's season opener was not seen until January, due to backstage hagglings between the ABC network and the producer. Also, only 20 new episodes were produced, rather than the standard 22, reportedly an economical rather than artistic decision. The late start and diminished output did not affect the series' popularity, nor prevent it from garnering another Emmy Award nomination for series star Dennis Franz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season two of the uninhibited, uncensored satirical cable sitcom Beggars and Choosers begins with yet another vicious power play between E.L. Luddin (Bill Morey), doddering owner of the LGT television network, and his avaricious trophy bride Lydia (Carol Kane). In the final analysis, both Luddins lose out when 53 percent of the network's stock is scooped up by flaky dot.com billionaire Dan Falco (Beau Bridges). This upheaval inspires LGT's predatory vice president of development Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross) to put her romance with poetry-spouting Russian gangster Nicky Krasnakov (Rudolf Martin) on hiatus while she plays up to the fabulously wealthy Falco. Before long, however, Falco has departed the country to enter a Bhuddist monastery, leaving the network in the hands of his dimwitted brother Freddie (James Belushi), whose "experience" in television consists largely of turning his set on and off and changing the channels. Despite Freddie's ineptitude, popular LGT star Sandra Cassandra (Samantha Ferris) figures it is in her best interest to inaugurate an affair with the younger Falco. Meanwhile, long-suffering LGT president Rob Malone (Brian Kerwin) is given all sorts of new reasons to bash his head against the wall, not least of which is the breakup of his marriage to the demanding Cecile (Isabella Hofmann). Elsewhere, the network's "outed" cast director Malcolm (Tuc Watkins) once again stirs up negative publicity when he casts a gay actor in a straight role; Nicky Krasnakov makes a talk show appearance and manages to offend a powerful minority group; the inherent bitterness and backstabbing at LGT gets really up close and personal when the police seal off the network's headquarters during a bank robbery; and the sperm bank containing the "legacy" of late sitcom star Parker Meridian suffers a freezer breakdown. One of the most persistent of the season's many subplots involves a case of industrial espionage, when it appears that a "mole" in the network is leaking LGT's best series ideas to rival web NBC. Intimately involved in this intrigue are two of LGT's newest hires, bed-hopping staff assistant Kelly Kramer (Christina Hendricks) and opportunistic Britisher Nigel Gibney (Justin Carroll). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Kerwin, Charlotte Ross, (more)
To paraphrase the late, great NBC programming executive Brandon Tartikoff, the television industry is comprised of two different groups of people: The "beggars," those actors, writers, directors, and producers who tirelessly and relentlessly package and pitch ideas, concepts, and premises for new TV series; and the "choosers," those elite network chieftans who make the final decisions as to what will or will not be seen on the air. With this in mind, Beggars and Choosers was the perfect title for a raunchy, ribald cable-TV satirical sitcom, set behind the walls of a major (but not too major) television network. The setting for this weekly, 60-minute series was the headquarters of the LGT network, which, though it ran a distant last to such prestigious webs as ABC, CBS, and NBC, still managed to score a few ratings successes, notably the Seinfeld clone "Peter's Pals" and the ethnic soaper "Puerto Vallarta." Like most contemporary entertainment-manufacturing concerns, LGT was a hotbed of betrayals, double-crosses, backstabbings, dark intrigues, covert conspiracies, and sexual shenanigans. Heading the huge cast of regulars and recurring characters was Brian Kerwin as youthful LGT president Brian Kerwin, who manfully kept his wits about him while swimming with sharks at the workplace and dealing with domestic problems engendered by his demanding wife Cecile (Isabella Hoffman) and his troublesome teenaged children Audrey (Keegan Connor Tracy) and Cary (Kaj-Erik Eriksen). Co-starring with Kerwin was Charlotte Ross as Lori Vopone, LGT's barracuda-like vice president of development, who would stop at literally nothing to get bigger ratings and advance her own career. Others in the cast included Tuc Watkins as the network's closeted homosexual casting executive Malcolm Laffley, who spent most of the first season trying to work up the courage to "out" himself; William McNamara as supercilious talent agent Brad Advail, who was convinced that his success hinged upon which pair of socks he wore on any given day; Christopher Kennedy as Marty Hertz, LGT's bean-counting head of business affairs; and Sheila Moore as the network's hypersensitive vice president of standards and practices. Initially, LGT was owned by the senile, semi-comatose E. L. Ludden (Bill Morey) and his scheming trophy wife Lydia (Carol Kane). During a bitter power struggle between Mr. and Mrs. Ludden, control of the network was seized by flaky dot.com billionaire Dan Falco (Beau Bridges), who shortly thereafter turned the business over to his nitwit brother Freddie (James Belushi). The gloriously uninhibited and diabolically clever Beggars and Choosers debuted over cable's Showtime network on June 19, 1999, remaining in first-run for the next two seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Kerwin, Isabella Hofmann, (more)
- 1999
- Add Beggars and Choosers: Season 01 to QueueAdd Beggars and Choosers: Season 01 to top of Queue
Season one of the racy Showtime sitcom Beggars and Choosers begins as Rob Malone (Brian Kerwin), the harried president of the LGT television network, pins all his hopes for high ratings and job security by greenlighting a reality series about a group of violent extroverts called the Mountainmen. Though Rob's strategy proves successful, it later bites him in the backside when LGT faces a lawsuit after a youthful fan imitates the Mountainmen's destructive behavior. If this wasn't migraine-inducing enough for Mr. Malone, he must also contend with the self-serving program ideas cooked up by Lydia Luddin (Carol Kane), the conniving trophy wife of LGT's comatose owner E.L. Luddin (Bill Morey). Then there are Rob's problems on the home front, namely the neverending efforts by his wife Cecile (Isabella Hoffman) to conceive a child, his son Cary's (Kaj-Erik Ericksen) attempts to have "phone sex" with a beautiful TV star, and his teenage daughter's romance with Parker Meridian (Paul Provenza), the egotistical star of the popular NGT sitcom "Parker's Pals." While the "Parker matter" would ultimately be resolved, there are plenty of other intrigues to keep the NGT employees in a state of constant hysteria. Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross), the network's sharkish vice president of development, is swept off her feet by poetry spouting Russian gangster Nicky Krasnakov (Rudolf Martin), who is pitching a miniseries based on his career. Casting director Malcolm Laffley (Tuc Watkins) wiffles and waffles about declaring himself a homosexual, until an embarrassing sexual harassment suit forces him to "out" himself on a coast-to-coast network hookup. The lead character in the LGT ethnic soap opera "Puerto Vallarta," who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, runs afoul of the FCC as the result of her uncontrollable outbursts of profanity. And the much-beloved female star of the heartwarming LGT family drama "An Angel in the Family" is revealed to be sleeping with her teenaged co-star. Amidst all this fictional chaos, real-life TV favorite Bea Arthur makes an appearance as herself, showing up at LGT to pitch a TV biopic about Ethel Merman with herself in the lead -- only to end up competing for the role with a transvestite hooker! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Kerwin, Charlotte Ross, (more)
In this TV family drama series set in NYC's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Eileen McCallister (Jill Clayburgh) is the matriarch who oversees the working-class Irish-Catholic McCallister clan, along with her husband Simon McCallister (John Spencer). The focus is on their five grown children -- priest Kevin (Tate Donovan), union organizer Liam (Sam Trammell), police detective Bobby (Justin Louis), addicted Amanda (Bonnie Root), and bond trader Fiona (Charlotte Ross). A sixth sibling died at some point in the past. Combining marriage melodramas, pregnancies, politics, police procedures, and spiritual struggles, this family soap opera is a slightly overcooked Irish stew. Filmed in New York, the series premiered October 16, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Clayburgh, John Spencer, (more)
Joely Fisher stars in this seagoing thriller as Beth, a lawyer from Denver who flies to the Caribbean Islands for the wedding of her sister, Megan (Charlotte Ross). Beth has always had a certain amount of resentment towards her sister; Beth has gotten where she is through hard work, while Megan has managed to coast through life thanks to her ability to wrap men around her finger, staring with her father. Megan and her fiance, Jack (Kerry Corcoran), invite Beth along for a weekend excursion on Jack's yacht, but when Beth and Megan start to bicker, Jack calls for a boat to pick up Beth and take her back to shore. However, the first ship to respond to their call turns out to be manned by a band of modern-day pirates, led by the evil Renard (Robert Kneeper), who kidnap Megan and sink the yacht. However, while Jack is killed, Beth manages to escape, and when the police prove to be of little help in finding Renard, she enlists the help of Matt (David Beecroft), a free-lance deck hand who knows the waters like the back of his hand, despite a sordid past and a drinking problem. Kidnapped In Paradise was produced for the USA Cable Network, who first aired the film several months before it became available on home video. Star Joely Fisher is best known for her role on the TV series Ellen; her sister is actress, author and Princess Leia Carrie Fisher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Originally a two-part, five-hour NBC miniseries, this turn-of-the-20th-century tale follows the adventures of a headstrong American woman who sets forth to fulfill her dreams of becoming a professional photographer. Along the way, she makes many sacrifices. The story also chronicles the lives of this woman's daughter and grandaughter, both of whom come to draw strength and inspiration from the extraordinary life of their matriarch. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lea Thompson, Ellen Burstyn, (more)
In this suspenseful thriller the murder of a college co-ed's roommate puts her in danger too because the killer may be someone closer to her than she knows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- DeDee Pfeiffer, Charles Shaughnessy, (more)
Benton (Eriq La Salle) strongly suspects that Vucelich (Ron Rifkin) is manipulating the results of his study on the "clamp-and-run" procedure. Elsewhere, rumors buzz throughout the ER that Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) are lovers. And Carter (Noah Wyle) risks his career when he goes ballistic while dealing with an alcoholic patient named Nathan (Mark Pellegrino) and Nathan's "enabler" girlfriend, Angel (Charlotte Ross). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A French boy goes to Virginia and finds love with an intelligent black girl in this nostalgic French drama set in 1955, and based on the popular 1986 novel by Philippe Labro. The movie was filmed in both Paris and Virginia. The film contains many references to blues and jazz, Faulkner, Chandler and Salinger. The French student Phillippe Le Clerc meets many interesting characters when he becomes a foreign exchange student in a Virginia college. Of all the people he meets, the one he loves the most is April, a highly educated "Negro girl," who must clean faculty houses when she is not in school. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marco Hofschneider, Robin Givens, (more)
Two young lovers go on the run from the law after a convenience store robbery goes bad in this road movie. Love and a .45 centers on philosophically inclined thief Watty Watts (Gil Bellows), who believes in a little robbery but not real violence. An ill-advised collaboration with a crazed, drugged-out biker (Rory Cochrane) ends badly, however, forcing Watty to go on the run. His girlfriend Starlene (Renee Zellweger) joins him, and the two become media darlings thanks to television coverage of their flight from the law. First-time director C.M. Talkington's combination of violence and ironic attitude recalls both 1970s crime dramas and Quentin Tarantino's violent, quirky takes on the genre. However, the film's warmed-over feel may be redeemed by its irreverent tone and appealing performances, including a self-parodying appearance by Peter Fonda. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger, (more)
Nobody takes Bud (David Faustino) seriously when he insists that his middle-aged teacher Miss McGowen (Linda Gibboney) has the hots for him, but no one is laughing when both Miss McGowen and a rapacious student named Darlene (Charlotte Ross) make their moves on the Bundy boy. Elsewhere, Al (Ed O'Neill) goes around crashing kiddie parties to get free pizza, Peggy (Katey Sagal) suffers from a bad cold, and both of them squabble over the respective merits of their favorite TV series "Psycho Dad" and "Psycho Mom." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
She Says She's Innocent stars off as a standard "legal issue of the week" TV movie. Katey Sagal refuses to believe that her daughter Charlotte Ross is guilty as charged of murder. Usually this is a cue for a feature-length fight against the legal system: Not so here. Instead, Sagal spends the last 20 minutes of the film playing amateur sleuth to track down the real killer--and in so doing leaves herself open to a near-fatal confrontation. If the name of the director She Says She's Innocent seems familiar, it should; Charles Correll was the grandson of the radio actor of the same name--the man who, with Freeman Gosden, created Amos N Andy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katey Sagal, David Lascher, (more)
Michael Keaton plays a famous Chicago-based hockey player who befriends trouble-prone teenager Ajay Naidu (after Naidu's gang has tried to mug him!) He also extends the hand of friendship to Naidu's mother Maria Conchita Alonso, a friendship that blossoms into a physical relationship. Too self-centered to make a commitment to Alonso, Keaton tries to break things off, but Naidu won't let him go so easily. This seemingly frivolous situation is underscored by the more serious efforts of Alonso to make a better life for herself and her son. The comic and dramatic elements of Touch and Go never quite jell, but the winning performances of the three main characters help gloss over the film's unevenness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Maria Conchita Alonso, (more)



















