Michael Shulman Movies
Fate brings together two mismatched travelers in this comedy. Sherman (Michael Shulman) is a tightly wound, career-obsessed college student whose mother, Evelyn (Donna Murphy), is a successful politician who micromanages her own life as well as that of her son. Planning to spend a few weeks in Northern California with his girlfriend, Marcy (Lacey Chabert), Sherman instead discovers that she's dumped him for another, more fun-loving guy; adding insult to injury, Sherman's wallet and credit cards have been stolen and Evelyn decides it's time to cut off his allowance. With few options and eager to prove he can be free-spirited and self-reliant, Sherman decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles for an internship interview, and takes a ride with the first person willing to take him down the coast. Sherman's ride turns out to be Palmer (James LeGros), a former Olympic skiing champion-turned-footloose middle-aged bohemian who is more interested in keeping his vintage convertible in tune than in getting anywhere at any specific time. While Sherman and Palmer have next to nothing in common, before long the younger man finds himself learning some lessons about life from the scruffy stranger behind the wheel. Sherman's Way was the first theatrical feature from producer-turned-director Craig Saavedra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Shulman, James LeGros, (more)
- 2001
Former series regular Carey Lowell makes a return appearance as Jamie Ross, onetime assistant District Attorney, now counsel for the defense. The story begins with a school shooting in which four are killed and 12 are wounded. An interview with a school psychologist reveals that the suspect, a teenager with a long history of "violent episodes," had sent a threatening e-mail to the student council president just prior to the massacre. But this vital clue may never make it to court: Jamie Ross argues that the e-mail was privileged information, and as such is inadmissible. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
In this comedy-drama for the family, a young boy who feels like a misfit uses his computer and a satellite dish to send a message to space aliens, jokingly asking them to take him away. He never expects them to actually arrive, so imagine his surprise when they do show up, ready to take him up on his offer and lend him a hand on Earth before the spaceship departs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Michael Shulman, (more)
In this film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, a young boy learns lessons about life and God during a trying year of discovery in fifth grade at a Catholic boys' school. As the school year opens, Joshua Beal (Joseph Cross) is despondent over the recent death of his grandfather (Robert Loggia). On his first day at school, Joshua is harassed by the class bully. Because his grandfather played football, Joshua tries out for the school team, over the objections of his parents (Dana Delaney and Denis Leary), two physicians who don't like the risk of injury. But Joshua is inept athletically and does not make the team. Joshua continues to seek answers from God about his grandfather, so his teacher, Sister Terry (Rosie O'Donnell), advises him to approach a cardinal who is coming to visit the nearby girls school. Joshua meets a young girl at the school and falls for her. As the year goes by, Joshua continues his quest for spiritual answers and finds them in unexpected places, such as a winter snowstorm. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Cross, Dana Delany, (more)
- 1998
Craig M. Saavedra made his feature directorial debut with this romantic comedy-drama. After the death of her sister-in-law, Lilah Bloom (Penelope Ann Miller) began taking care of her brother Mitch (Ron Silver) and his three children. When Mitch meets career woman Debra (Caroline Goodall), Lilah confronts the possibility of life alone, but then she finds romance with musician Jack (Craig Sheffer). Conflicts arise when Mitch and Debra separate, Mitch assumes life will continue as before, but now Lilah has a newfound independence. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Ron Silver, (more)
- 1996
In this drama, an adolescent awakens from a coma to discover herself in the bosom of her family. This troubles her deeply because before she became comatose, she had run away from them. Matters become worse as she slowly starts remembering the events that led to her current condition. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracey Gold, Bess Armstrong, (more)
Paul Mazursky directed this comedy, which blends a broad satire of the film industry with a thoughtful tale of a middle-aged man looking back on his life's failures. Harry Stone (Danny Aiello) is a film director who desperately needs a hit -- so desperately that he gets talked into directing an inane sci-fi film about a group of farm kids (led by Ally Sheedy) who grow an enormous pickle that they turn into a spaceship, allowing them to visit the planet Cleveland (ruled by Little Richard and his right hand man, Griffin Dunne) where everyone eats nothing but meat. Convinced that the film will flop, Harry is in a state of panic as he returns to New York with his Parisian girlfriend Francoise (Clotilde Courau), a mere 20 years his junior, and visits his ex-wife Ellen (Dyan Cannon); his mother Yetta (Shelley Winters); and his son Gregory (Chris Penn). Meanwhile Harry flashes back on his childhood and the film he could have made of it, and pitches his dream film (a historical epic about the life of Montezuma) to studio executives, who instead want him to make a movie kids can relate to. The Pickle was filmed in 1991, but only received a token theatrical release two years later. Actually, the sci-fi story with Little Richard as the undisputed ruler of Cleveland looks like it might have been an ideal vehicle for Edward D. Wood Jr.. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Dyan Cannon, (more)
Jodie Foster made her directorial debut (with a script by Scott Frank) in this tale of a child prodigy's search for social acceptance. Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) is a precocious fourth grader who has no problem with the most complex mathematical problems or in banging out a Rachmaninoff concerto on the piano, but is totally inept at playing baseball or dealing with children his own age. His mother Dede (Jodie Foster) is a cocktail waitress who acts more like a child than Fred, but cares passionately about her son. Fred comes to the attention of child psychologist Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest), who runs a summer camp for child prodigies called Odyssey of the Mind. She invites Fred to attend the summer session, creating a rift between Fred and Dede. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Adam Hann-Byrd, (more)
- 1990
Richard Crenna returns as Lt. Frank Janek of the NYPD in the TV movie Murder in Black and White. As in his previous appearances in Doubletake (85) and Internal Affairs (89), Janek is called upon to solve a bizarre and baffling murder. This time the victim is Janek's own boss, the new commissioner of police. The lieutenant deduces that this murder is tied in with the killing of a physician, which occurred only a few hours earlier. Diahann Carroll plays the commissioner's widow, who may or may not be privy to a departmental cover-up. Murder in Black and White was the first made-for-TV movie to be telecast in 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
