Mercedes Ruehl Movies

Walter Hill's hip, super-stylized action film unfurls in a dystopian near-future, when various gangs control New York City. Each gang sports a unique moniker ('The Warriors,' 'The Baseball Furies,' 'The Rogues'), with a costume underscoring its "theme"; each, in turn, is also responsible for one geographic area. Hill sets up the landscape as a massive, violent playground - replete with bridges, vacant subway tunnels, parks, abandoned buildings and the like, all ripe for exploration and adventure. As the tale opens, the titular Coney Island has traveled to the Bronx to attend a city-wide meeting of all gangs; at that event, however, the psychotic leader of a rival gang, The Rogues (David Patrick Kelly of Dreamscape) assassinates the head of the city's foremost gang, but The Warriors are pegged as culpable. This sends the gang fleeing through the labyrinthine city. With every thug in Manhattan in vicious, homicidal pursuit, they must also overcome all obstacles in their way. Throughout, Hill keeps the onscreen violence absurd, exaggerated and unrealistic, downplaying death to an extreme degree; despite this fact, the film sparked a massive amount of controversy and an ugly backlash for allegedly inciting violence and destruction in several theaters where it initially played. James Remar, Michael Beck and Deborah Van Valkenburgh lead the ensemble cast. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Mary Kay Place stars in this Emmy-winning ABC Afterschool Special, which was based on a true story. Fed up with her lazy husband and her ungrateful children, housewife Ellie Skinner (Mary Kay Place) plants a sign on her front lawn declaring herself to be "on strike." Pitching a tent on the lawn and walking a daily picket line, Ellie becomes a local celebrity and a heroine to beleaguered mothers everywhere -- while her hubby and kids must fend for themselves for the first time in their lives. Ellie's daughter, Jenny, who also serves as narrator, is played by Yeardley Smith, soon to game fame as the voice of Lisa Simpson; also in the cast is future Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl. Mom's on Strike was remade (more or less) as a full-length TV movie in 2002. ~ All Movie Guide

Helene Hanff's book 84 Charing Cross Road had previously been a TV program and a stage play before it was converted into this 1986 film. The scene is New York, 1949: Anne Bancroft plays a struggling writer and passionate bibliophile, who answers an advertisement from a rare-volumes bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Road in London. Thus begins a two-decade romance by correspondence between Bancroft and Briton Anthony Hopkins, the man in charge of the overseas department of Marks and Company. Though several meetings are arranged, Bancroft and Hopkins never come face to face thanks to mitigating circumstances. But Anne finally makes it to London, and finds that much has changed. 84 Charing Cross Road was produced by Mel Brooks, the husband of star Anne Bancroft. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Released at the height of his popularity on Family Ties and in the wake of Back to the Future and Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox stars in this "country boy in the big city" comedy, directed by Herbert Ross. After making the move from Kansas to New York City, Brantley Foster (Fox) secures a job in the mailroom at his uncle's large corporation. Doffing any plans of working his way up the corporate ladder the old fashioned way, Brantley begins impersonating an executive to impress a high-ranking female co-worker, played by Helen Slater. Once his oversexed aunt enters the mix, Brantley finds himself juggling two identities, two jobs, and two women. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

An out-of-work musician (Steve Landesberg) agrees to coach a talentless high-school marching band in this comedy from Nessa Hyams. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Michelle Pfeiffer is Married to the Mob in this comedy. The wife of Mafia hitman Alec Baldwin, Pfeiffer regularly chastizes her husband for his underhanded line of work. Baldwin refuses to entertain any thoughts of quitting the mob-and besides, he's got a good thing going with Nancy Travis, the promiscuous girl friend of gang boss Dean Stockwell. When Stockwell catches on to Travis' peccadilloes, he murders both his mistress and the unlucky Baldwin. At Baldwin's funeral, Stockwell is overwhelmed by Pfeiffer's beauty, and immediately begins plying her with expensive gifts. But Pfeiffer is through with this sort of thing, and with her young son in tow, she leaves town, hoping to start life anew. Upon making the acquaintance of bumbling, seemingly sincere Matthew Modine, Pfeiffer is convinced that Modine is just another mob flunkey. But it's even worse: Modine is an FBI agent, ordered to get to Stockwell by using Pfeiffer as bait. Reluctantly (he's grown quite fond of her himself), Modine blackmails Pfeiffer into setting up a rendezvous with Stockwell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Involved in a legal action to prevent a community center from losing its playground, Clair finds out that the opposing attorney is her longtime friend Bernadette Foley (Mercedes Ruehl). At the same time, the Huxtables' novelist neighbor Jeffrey Engels (Wallace Shawn) is undergoing a middle-aged crisis, desperately endeavoring to change his lifestyle and appearance so that no one will consider him "dull." Inevitably, Bernadette and Jeffrey meet--but will romance result? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Terry Gilliam directed this adaptation of Richard LaGravenese's mystical (and mythical) tale of redemption in the hard-time town of New York City. Jeff Bridges is shock radio DJ Jack Lucas, whose low opinion of humanity lends itself well to his radio talk show, where the enmity rubs off on his listeners. One fan in particular takes Jack's rants to heart and goes to a fancy restaurant with a gun, murdering innocent diners. Jack is so distraught at what his on-air suggestion wrought that he sinks into a three-year depression, drinking himself to sleep and mooching off of his girlfriend Anne Napolitano (Mercedes Ruehl, in an Oscar-winning performance), an attractive owner of a video store. Hitting bottom, Jack slumps to the river, prepared to commit suicide. To his rescue comes a crazed but witty homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), who tells Jack he's destined for great things -- all his has to do is find the Holy Grail (conveniently located in mid-town Manhattan) and save Parry's soul. He also wants Jack to help him out with the woman of his dreams, Lydia Sinclair (Amanda Plummer), a shy type who works at a publishing company. Parry was once a university professor became unglued by a tragic event in his past; Jack soon realizes that to save himself, he first must save Parry. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

An adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning, semi-autobiographical stage play by popular dramatist Neil Simon, this comedy-drama focuses on the difficulties faced by two young brothers forced to live with a group of eccentric relatives. Arty (Mike Damus) and Jay (Brad Stoll) are young teenagers when their their widower father heads South to seek work, leaving the boys with their stern, intimidating grandmother (Irene Worth). Also part of the household is the more likable Aunt Bella (Mercedes Ruehl), an odd duck with a scattered personality and childlike enthusiasm that make her seem more like a fellow kid than an adult. Bella is kept under close watch by Grandma, who reacts strongly when she attempts to show her independence, leaving Arty and Jay as witnesses to a conflict that could tear the family apart. Lost in Yonkers offers much of Simon's trademark humor with a more bittersweet feel than in most of the playwright's other work, thanks in large part to the performance by Ruehl, who reprises her Tony Award-winning role as the troubled but cheerful Bella. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Originally broadcast on HBO, Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a docudrama concerning the infamous McMartin child abuse case. In 1984, seven employees of Los Angeles' prestigious McMartin Preschool, including four members of the McMartin family, were arrested and charged with child abuse and sexual molestation. The film centers on the story of lawyer Danny Davis, an opportunistic attorney who agrees to defend the McMartins. Initially, Davis takes the case solely for the publicity, but as he investigates further, he becomes convinced of his clients' innocence. Meanwhile, however, the family is pronounced guilty by the media, which airs heated allegations of "Satanic rituals" and a "nationwide conspiracy of sexual predators," in an increasing frenzy that the film compares to a modern-day witch trial. To convince the jury of the falsehood of these charges, however, he must overcome opposition from zealous prosecutor Lael Rubin and discredit Kee McFarlane, the child therapist that Davis believes has unfairly manipulated the McMartin Preschool children into giving damaging testimony. At the time of its airing, the film met with controversy; while some found its case convincing, others alleged that the filmmakers were unfairly biased in favor of the McMartin family. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, former antagonists Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Kate Costas (Mercedes Ruehl) are now enmeshed in a torrid romance. In fact, "torrid" hardly covers it: The two can't keep their hands off each other, either in or out of the office. When they end up "doing it" in the radio booth, the action is inadvertently broadcast all over Seattle -- and soon the city is abuzz as to the identity of the mysterious "dirty girl." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

New KACL station manager Kate Costas (Mercedes Ruehl) thinks that encouraging her on-the-air talent to play practical jokes on each other will improve ratings. When Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) falls victim to a nasty prank perpetrated by sports-show host Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler), he decides to get even in a peculiarly personal matter. Taking advantage of Bulldog's phobia about lizards, Frasier plants a slithery little critter just where his nemesis will find it. What he hadn't counted on was that Kate would stumble upon the lizard first -- and the results are nearly fatal! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Subways provide the common setting for this modern anthology comprised of distinct vignettes made by ten of Hollywood's top directors and featuring some of Tinseltown's most popular actors. The episodes are based on real stories submitted by scores of subway regulars. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide