John Savage Movies

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, Message In A Bottle stars Robin Wright Penn as Theresa Osborne, a writer for the Chicago Tribune. While her son visits her cheating ex-husband, Theresa goes on a vacation by herself. One day, while running on the beach, she finds a bottle washed up on the shore. She opens it and inside finds a love letter unlike any she's ever read. Captivated by the author's words of love, she returns to her job at the Tribune where she convinces her boss to run an article about the mystery writer, known only as "G." He approves, and Theresa begins her hunt. Scrutinizing every physical detail of the letter and the path the bottle may have taken, she eventually locates Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a North Carolina boat-restorer who has not been the same since the tragic death of his beloved wife Catherine. Since her death, Garret has written several letters to his dead wife, put them in a bottles, and let them loose in the sea. As Theresa spends time with Garret, she quickly falls in love with him, though she neglects to tell him she knows about the letters. Garret, prodded by his cantankerous, no-nonsense dad, Dodge (Paul Newman), emerges from his shell of grief and develops an interest in Theresa as well. Theresa returns to Chicago and Garret soon visits her; he meets her son, Jason (Jesse James), but also discovers her knowledge of the letters. Eventually the two, who have both lost love, must cast off their emotional baggage and decide if they will pursue love even if it can't always last. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide

In the summer of 1977, a serial killer who called himself Son of Sam (real name David Berkowitz) held New York City in terror as he went on a killing spree, periodically writing letters to New York's media in which he took full responsibility for the murders and made clear that he intended to kill again. Spike Lee's Summer of Sam deals in part with this crime spree, but it mostly looks back at the fearful impact of his crimes on New York's collective consciousness. Vinny and Dionna (John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino) are an unhappy young married couple living in the Bronx; Vinny often cheats on Dionna but is wracked with guilt about it, while Dionna fears she lacks the looks or allure to hold onto a man. Ritchie (Adrien Brody) is a neighborhood kid turned punk rocker (complete with a fake British accent); he has a band and a girlfriend (Jennifer Esposito) but also makes money as an exotic dancer at a gay club. And Luigi (Ben Gazzara), a longtime leader of organized crime in the Bronx, is approached by the police, with whom he generally has a less cordial relationship, to help them find the killer, as the citizens of some neighborhoods barricade their streets in fear that he will strike there next. Meanwhile, a tortured psychopath named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) seethes with rage in his gloomy apartment and receives messages from a demonic dog who commands him to kill and kill again. Spike Lee's first film without a primarily African-American cast (though bearing the unmistakable New York stamp that's one of his hallmarks), Summer of Sam was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The return of director Terrence Malick to feature filmmaking after a twenty year sabbatical, this World War II drama is an elegiac rumination on man's destruction of nature and himself, based on James Jones' semi-autobiographical novel, his follow-up to From Here to Eternity. James Caviezel stars as Private Witt, a deserter living in peace and harmony with the natives of a Pacific island paradise. Captured by the Navy, Witt is debriefed by a senior officer (Sean Penn) and returned to an active duty unit preparing for what will be the Battle of Guadalcanal. As Witt goes ashore in the company of his fellow soldiers, they meet diverse fates. Sergeant Keck (Woody Harrelson) is killed by an exploding grenade. Captain John Gaff (John Cusack) is an intelligent, sober leader facing the destruction of his command because his commanding officer Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) is bucking for a general's star. Sergeant McCron (John Savage) loses his mind. Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) gets a "Dear John" letter from his beloved wife. However, as the U.S. troops advance up grassy slopes toward entrenched Japanese positions, it is Witt's voiced-over ruminations on life, death, and nature that are the real heart and soul of The Thin Red Line (1998). Adrien Brody appears as Private Fife, the major character of Jones' novel and the author's alter-ego, although Fife has been relegated to a minor supporting role by Malick's filmed adaptation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The animal movie Hollywood Safari features a case of mistaken identity. Kensho, a trained lion used on film sets, is mistaken for a mountain lion that has killed people after he becomes separated from his handlers and goes into the wild. Troy and Jane, the animal trainers who control Kensho, realize what is happening and must, with the help of their sons, stop an overly enthusiastic deputy from killing the wrong creature. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Following the death of an American war correspondent (John Rice) in Nicaragua, his best friend, a New York stock broker (Louis Gossett, Jr.) is sent down by the State Department to claim the body. Upon his arrival to the nation's capitol, Managua, he discovers that the body has supposedly already been interred. His suspicions aroused, the stockbroker (who is really an undercover commando) surreptitiously investigates. He soon discovers that his friend (a fellow commando sent down to infiltrate a drug cartel) may be very much alive, but also may be a turncoat. Thus begins a quest that becomes as tangled as rainforest vines. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ally Sheedy, John Savage and Nicholas Walker co-headline this barely released indie feature from 1996, which arrived just prior to Sheedy's shattering onscreen rebound in Lisa Cholodenko's High Art. Walker stars as Paul, a sleazy, philandering pastor in an American small town, married to the soft-spoken and backward Martha (Sheedy) but caught up in the throes of a torrid affair with Veronica (Dara Tomanovich), his stepson's teacher. The two have begun meeting up for illicit encounters at a motel run by the nutty Charlene (famed acting coach Sally Kirkland), where Paul regularly registers under a fake pseudonym - the name of a local boy who drowned in the area years earlier. Eventually, Paul grows so desperate to leave Martha and run away with Veronica that he decides to stage his own death at the lake, but at the last minute he falls, hits his head and slips into amnesia, left with no recollection of who he is. Meanwhile, a slimy insurance investigator named Tim (Savage) crops up with the stated intention of investigating Paul's death, and promptly decides to wheedle his way into Martha's bed. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

In this alternately somber and witty coming-of-age drama, a pair of teenage boys growing up in a working-class neighborhood become aware of their homosexuality. Introspective Jamie (Glen Berry) is the son of Sandra (Linda Henry), a tough but warm-hearted barmaid who lives in a public housing block in a rough-and-tumble section of South London. Living a few doors away is Jamie's classmate Ste (Scott Neal), an athletic type who often has to take a beating from his hard-drinking father and hard-headed brother. One night, Jamie and Sandra discover that Ste has been kicked out of the apartment and has nowhere to spend the night; Jamie lets him stay at his place, and a casual closeness eventually stirs sexual feelings. While both were vaguely aware they might be gay, neither had ever acted on their impulses, and once Jamie and Ste decide that they're attracted to each other, neither is sure just what to do. Tony (Ben Daniels), Sandra's boyfriend, doesn't know what to think about Jamie's new lifestyle. Meanwhile, Jamie and Ste are themselves a bit puzzled by their neighbor Leah (Tameka Empson), a teenager obsessed with the life and music of Mama Cass Elliott. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on a true incident from 1960, White Squall is the story of the tragic sinking of the Albatross, a prep school educational two-masted schooner, during a Caribbean storm. Screenwriter Todd Robinson wrote the script after meeting one of the tragedy's survivors, Chuck Gieg. In the film, Gieg (Scott Wolf) is the narrator. He and his fellow students, whose parents have paid handsomely for their schooling, which combines classroom work with real-life adventure, are introduced to their grizzled seafaring captain, Christopher Sheldon (Jeff Bridges). Gieg is initially skeptical of Sheldon's authority, but he gradually comes to see the captain as a model of manhood. The other boys aboard include Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto), a self-absorbed snob; Dean Preston (Eric Michael Cole), a troublemaker and bully; Tod Johnston (Balthazar Getty), a returning student; and the naïve Tracy Lapchick (Ethan Embry). John Savage plays the pompous English teacher aboard the ship. Various incidents establish the boys' insecurities and relationships with the authorities -- and foreshadow their eventual fate. The killer squall comes up quietly but soon turns deadly, and the boys are forced to go beyond their privileged upbringings and deal with real danger. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

A collection of losers, misfits, and outcasts find their lives unexpectedly converging at a diner along a desert highway in this violent and offbeat comedy drama. Dwayne (John Savage) is a strait-laced-looking vacuum cleaner salesman with a bad habit of murdering prospective customers, while Patty Mae (Jennifer Tilly) is a sexy mystery woman who has amassed an impressive collection of carpet sweepers. Martin (Eric Roberts) is a down-on-his-luck family man wondering how he'll support his wife and kids now that he has lost his job. Johnny (Luke Perry) is a deeply depressed young man who has arranged for a hired killer (Sam J. Jones) to murder him, not knowing that the killer has no intentions of allowing him to die quickly or easily. And Harv (James Russo) and Gene (Joe Viterelli) are a pair of mobsters from Las Vegas who discuss their various problems with women, not very concerned about the fact there's a man locked in the trunk of their car. American Strays also features Carol Kane, Brion James, and Melora Walters. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Sean Penn wrote and directed this tale of loss, guilt, and revenge. The daughter of Freddy and Mary Gale (Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston) was killed by a drunk driver, John Booth (David Morse). The death of their child took a heavy toll on the Gales; their marriage broke up, and, while Mary has remarried and attempted to put her life back together, Freddy has become an embittered alcoholic, seething with directionless rage and searching for a purpose in life. Freddy intends to kill Booth as soon as he's released from prison, as he believes that jail was not a severe enough punishment for his daughter's death. But Freddy discovers that Booth is still wracked with guilt for his crime and can barely live with himself. He tells Booth that he has three days left to live; Booth tries to find solace in the arms of artist Jojo (Robin Wright), while Freddy continues to wallow in alcohol and self-pity at a strip club. The Crossing Guard also features an original song by Bruce Springsteen; Penn's previous directorial outing, The Indian Runner, was loosely based on a Springsteen song from his album Nebraska. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Billy Drago, John Savage, and Nick Mancuso star in this violent crime drama about a pair of crime bosses battling over the same turf, which they both want to use to sell drugs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Another Tom Clancy political thriller is put to film with this made-for-television movie. Harry Hamlin stars as Paul Hood, the new director of an obsolete government crisis management center. Hood is assigned to downsize the center, but during first day on the job some nuclear warheads are hijacked by terrorists. Hood has to rise to the occasion and prove himself as a leader in unfamiliar territory. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Unorthodox FBI agent Jack Scalia is assigned to investigate the kidnapping of a prominent clothing manufacturer. It seems to Scalia that the whole event has been staged as part of a large-scale fraud. The principal suspect is onetime fashion model Bo Derek, the victim's much-younger wife. Despite his seen-it-all veneer, Scalia finds it difficult to maintain objectivity when he falls in love with Bo. Made for television, Shattered Image debuted January 21, 1994 on the USA Cable Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide