Jack Shepherd

U.K. documentary filmmaker Philippa Lowthorpe brings an experimental approach to the costume drama The Other Boleyn Girl, produced for television by BBC Films. Shot with a handheld digital camera, the film is a largely improvised project based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory. In 16th century England, the recently married Mary Boleyn (Natascha McElhone) is encouraged to have an affair with the notorious King Henry VIII (Jared Harris) in order to improve the power of her family. When she gets pregnant, the king turns his attention to her sister Anne Boleyn (Jodhi May). Learning to play by the degrading rules of the king's court, Anne conspires with her brother George (Steven Mackintosh) to produce a male heir. The Other Boleyn Girl first aired on BBC Two March 28, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Filmed in London and Wales, this two-part adaptation of the oft-dramatized R.D. Blackmore novel Lorna Doone was praised for its realism, though one or two nitpickers pointed out that the costumes were not all "in period" for 17th century Scotland. This time around, Amelia Warner starred as the titular Lorna, whose romance with young John Ridd (Richard Coyle) was imperiled by the bloody, long-standing feud between the Doones and the Ridds. The show was stolen by Martin Clunes in the flashy role of the redoubtable Jeremy Stickles. Lorna Doone aired over BBC1 on December 24 and 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The members of a British working-class family see their lives starting to come apart as the Nation prepares to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day (named for an anarchist who tried to blow up Parliament) in Michael Winterbottom's drama Wonderland. Eileen (Kika Markham) and Bill (Jack Shepherd) are a married couple with four grown children. Bill has lost his job and is drifting through life, unsure of what to do. He's also having sexual problems with Eileen, who is being driven insane by their noisy neighbors. Neither Bill nor Eileen have seen their son Darren (Enzo Cilenti) for a long time, and his birthday is a heartbreaking experience for them. (Darren, on the other hand, would prefer to celebrate his birthday by spending the night in a hotel with his girlfriend rather than seeing his parents.) Bill and Eileen also have three daughters, Nadia (Gina McKee), Debbie (Shirley Henderson) and Molly (Molly Parker). Nadia works in a cafe and has trouble meeting men; she's signed up with a dating agency, but has yet to meet anyone she likes. Debbie is suddenly a single mother after separating from her drunken lout of a husband. Debbie drowns her sorrows in a series of meaningless one-night-stands, while her husband flies into uncontrollable rages and their son is left with no one to turn to on either side. And while Molly's story seems happy on the surface -- she's soon to give birth to her first child and her husband has done well in kitchen sales -- she's suddenly thrown into instability when she finds her husband has quit his job, without telling her, to follow his dream of becoming a chef. Wonderland received enthusiastic reviews for its ensemble cast when shown at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A man from the future fights to survive in a society thrown back to the dark ages in this sci-fi adventure set in 2022. Capt. Robbins (Ray Liotta) is a military man who, after he's convicted of the murder of his superior officer, is sentenced to a high-tech prison ruled by the Warden (Michael Lerner), a cruel taskmaster who enjoys torturing his inmates. After a scuffle with the Warden, Robbins is transferred to a primitive island penal colony known as Absalom, where the civilization is dominated by two groups, the Insiders, a peaceful tribe led by the Father (Lance Henriksen), and the Outsiders, a pack of violent misfits led by Marek (Stuart Wilson). Robbins runs afoul of the Outsiders and is injured in a skirmish; he escapes to the Insiders' camp, where he plots his revenge. No Escape was based on the novel The Penal Colony by Richard Herley. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on the novels of W.J. Bailey, the British drama series Wycliffe concerned itself with the exploits of an extremely thorough Cornish detective. Jack Shepherd starred as Det. Supt. Wycliffe, whose beat included virtually the length and breadth of the Cornwall coast. The series first aired August 7, 1993 with the 90-minute pilot episode "Wycliffe and the Circle of Death." Making its "official" debut on July 24, 1994, Wycliffe yielded 38 hour-long episodes over a four-year period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this film, Barbara, a middle-aged woman living in Edinburgh in the present, is overwhelmed by memories of Greta, her long-dead mother from the 1930s to the 1950s. Flashbacks show the girl with her poetess mother in Edinburgh and the Orkney Isles. Her mother was fascinated by the sea which would later claim her life. In the present, one of her long-time friends is a well-known artist, and Barbara begins to rekindle strong ties with him when they meet at a gallery showing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Filmmaker David Leland handled the directing chores on this British drama that stars Liam Neeson as an unemployed Scotsman whose inability to find a job threatens his family's wellbeing. Against his better judgement, Neeson is coerced into a bare-knuckle boxing match. Crossing the Line's supporting cast includes Hugh Grant, Joanne Whaley-Kilmer, Cameron Mitchell, and Billy Connolly. Adapted from a novel by William McIvanney, the film has also been released under the title The Big Man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ben Kingsley stars as Simon Weisenthal, an Austrian Jew who is interred in the Malthausen concentration camp during World War II. When the camp is liberated, it is Weisenthal's eyewitness testimony, coupled with sketches that he's made of the many Nazi atrocities, that leads to the capture of Malthausen's escaped commandants. Weisenthal goes on to join the American War Crimes unit, collecting evidence for the Nuremberg trials. Eventually he dedicates his life to tracking down Nazi war criminals, at great personal cost to himself and his wife (Renee Soutendjik). His most daunting task is to convince his daughter (Louisa Haigh) that he is pursuing justice, not vengeance. Made for HBO, Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story premiered April 22, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film within a film is based on the painting Las Meninas by Diego de Velazquez. A young boy enters the canvas of the famous picture of the Spanish king and his court. In order to return to the real world, he must convince the artist to create his famous painting. The other plot involves a film director who is not sure how his film within a film will be created. He is distracted by his troubled marriage and has difficulty focusing on his project. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

During WWII, Sobibor was a notorious Nazi death camp. This gripping, fact-based drama chronicles the courage of an inmate who managed the largest escape from such a place. Thanks to him, over 300 prisoners were freed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide