Mark Schubb Movies

Norm (George Wendt) lands a job as a corporate hatchet man, whose task it is to fire "dead weight." Because of his unique dismissal methods, Norm soon becomes a celebrity -- and a pariah at Cheers. Meanwhile, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) goes head to head with a contentious new neighbor. This was the final episode for Nicholas Colasanto (Coach), who died February 12, 1985, two days after the show's taping. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Playwright Neil Simon made one of his periodic forays into serious themes with the drama The Gingerbread Lady, and while this screen adaptation adds a bit more wit to the proceedings, it remains a change of pace from his usual breezy comedies. Georgia (Marsha Mason) is a successful actress who has just spent 90 days in a rehab clinic in an effort to beat her addiction to alcohol. A number of crises are waiting for Georgia upon her return; her teenage daughter Polly (Kristy McNichol), whom she neglected as a child, wants to move back in, though they still have a ways to go in repairing their relationship. And her ex-husband David (David Dukes), a writer, has just penned a new drama that he wants her to star in -- a fictionalized version of their often-combative marriage. Georgia also has to tend to her best friends, bitter socialite Toby (Joan Hackett) and Jimmy (James Coco), a gay actor who drowns his sorrows in food. Only When I Laugh garnered Oscar nominations for Mason, Coco, and Hackett, while the latter won a Golden Globe for her performance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide