Karen Sillas Movies
A favorite player of director Hal Hartley, Karen Sillas has appeared to great effect in a number of his films, notably Trust and Simple Men. Her work in Hartley's films established the blonde, strong-jawed actress as a solid talent with a proclivity for deadpan humor, something she has also exhibited in a variety of film, television, and stage productions including Tom Noonan's What Happened Was..., a darkly humorous date movie that earned Sillas particular praise.A native of Brooklyn, where she was born June 5, 1965, Sillas studied at the acting conservatory at the State University of New York at Purchase. She got her start in films in the 1980s, making her debut in Hartley's first film, the 1984 short Kid. She and Hartley next collaborated on Trust (1990), which cast Sillas in the supporting role of a sage, no-nonsense abortion clinic nurse. She had a more substantial part in Hartley's Simple Men (1992), playing a lonely cafe owner. Sillas was given her first chance to carry a movie with Tom Noonan's What Happened Was...; her turn as a woman out on a singularly awkward date with a co-worker (Noonan) earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination, while the film itself received the Grand Jury Prize at the 1994 Sundance Festival.
As a result of her work in What Happened Was..., Sillas landed the starring role of the only female detective in an otherwise male-dominated squad room on the acclaimed TV detective series Under Suspicion. Although the show was eventually cancelled, the actress continued to appear in a number of TV series and independent films, including Hartley's Flirt (1995), Susan Streitfeld's Female Perversions (1996), which cast her as Tilda Swinton's psychiatrist lover, and Sour Grapes (1998), a black comedy which featured her as the girlfriend of a greedy neurologist. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2001
First seen over the Showtime cable network on June 29, 2001, On the Edge is a compendium of three short science-fiction films, each with a decidedly feminist slant. The first segment, directed by Helen Mirren, is "Happy Birthday," in which a straight-A student (Sidney Tamilia Poitier) seeks recourse after she is "quota'd out" of graduate school. Next up is "The Other Side," directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, wherein a scientific genius (Anthony LaPaglia) clones himself upon learning that he has inoperable cancer -- only to find himself and his clone as two points in a romantic triangle. Closing out the program is writer/director Anne Heche's "Reaching Normal," the tale of a bored housewife (Andie McDowell) and her "telepathic twin," an eccentric college professor (Paul Rudd). The best of the batch is "Happy Birthday"; the other two stories are distressingly predictable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andie MacDowell, Paul Rudd, (more)
- 2000
The reunion of a dysfunctional Texas family provides the setting for this somber drama from first-time writer/director Hyatt Bass. Letty (Karen Sillas), a successful artist, returns home for the first time in several years. The ostensible purpose of her visit is to attend a posh gallery showing of her work, but her return quickly opens the gates for a flood of recriminations and long-suppressed resentment from various family members. Her sister Kay (Heidi Swedberg) resents Letty's success, something she finds hard to accept given her own long-ago abandonment of a promising career as a singer. Kay has instead opted to raise a family with Jed (William Moses), whom she constantly berates for being an employee of her father, the mean-spirited Rick (Harris Yulin). Kay and Letty's mother Jo Beth (Shirley Knight), meanwhile, is a control freak who constantly undermines her daughters' confidence and makes the most of any opportunity to remind Letty that her professional success has come at the expense of her ability to find a husband. As the drama further unfolds, it becomes clear that Letty and Jed were childhood sweethearts before Kay nabbed Jed from her sister, and that all the members of their family are far from resolving any of their problems with one another. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley Knight, William R. Moses, (more)
In this most recent spin on a familiar suspense-movie plot device, the 6-year-old son of wealthy Seattle industrialist Dan Carlin (Stephen Elliott) is kidnapped by a disgruntled ex-employee. Innocently unaware of his plight, the captive boy is locked in a room with his toy teddy bear, which has been booby-trapped with a time bomb. Tension mounts when the kidnapper is accidentally killed, leaving Carlin and a dedicated police detective (Karen Sillas) with less than 24 hours to locate both boy and bomb. As Time Runs Out made its CBS network debut on October 5, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Collins, Karen Sillas, (more)
- 1999
Dubbed as a Canadian counterpart to American Beauty (1999), this film satirizes suburban banality. Graham Greene plays a white-bread father who slowly descends into an emotional morass when he gets sacked from his job. Meanwhile, a timid health food restaurateur toys with adding meat to the menu and tries to dump her boyfriend. Bad Money was screened at the 1999 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Graham Greene, Karen Sillas, (more)
Sitcom veteran Larry David, the co-creator of TV's Seinfeld, made his big-screen directorial debut with this clever comedy featuring distinct Seinfeld overtones. Sour Grapes was released April 17, 1998, only four weeks prior to the last Seinfeld episode. Selma Maxwell (Viola Harris) is the adoring mother of boyish, fun-loving shoe designer Richie (Craig Bierko), who would like to see his more-mature cousin Evan (Steven Weber), a respected neurologist, enjoy himself more. So the two head for Atlantic City for a gambling weekend. They lose heavily at the tables and soon are down to pocket change at the slot machines. After Richie inserts his last quarter, he asks Evan for two coins to go a final round. The spinning cylinders land on three grape clusters, triggering alarms, flashing lights, and a $400,000 jackpot. Richie is ecstatic. But Evan feels that since the win was made with his quarters, he deserves 50%. Richie refuses, and heady with power, Richie soon turns nasty and is fired after he insults his boss. Richie's girlfriend Roberta (Robyn Peterman) suggests he settle down and give Evan something, while Joan (Karen Sillas) wants Evan to drop his money demands. An attempt to renew the friendship goes awry when Richie finds Evan's jogging-suit gift ludicrous, while Evan becomes incensed by an offer of only 3% of Richie's $400,000. The film's score punctuates the escalating conflict with witty excerpts from familiar classical compositions. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Weber, Craig Bierko, (more)
- 1998
- R
William Ryan made his directorial debut with this comedy-drama set in the small town of Shermer, Illinois, where vandalism by Robin Fleming (Alessandro Nivola) gets him thrown in jail by the two-man police force -- Sergeant Phil Quinn (William Sadler) and his dim-bulb deputy, Ernie (Bruce Norris). Quinn blames Fleming for the accidental swimming death of his nephew (Norman Reedus) four years previous. While the inept cops aren't looking, Fleming steals the key to his cell and exits, creating more town problems -- and then he returns. It's all a gambit on his part to gain forgiveness from Quinn and also to get his ex-girlfriend Lise (Brooke Langton) to bail him out, in hopes of attracting her attention. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Sadler, Alessandro Nivola, (more)
- 1998
This is the first episode of a two-part story, which originally concluded on the Touched by an Angel spinoff series Promised Land. Monica (Roma Downey) and her fellow angels once again pay a visit to the family of Russell Greene (Gerald McRaney), on the one-year anniversary of the traffic accident in which Russell's ne'er-do-well brother Joe (Richard Thomas) killed two people. Though Joe has ostensibly reformed, he is still not quite out of the woods: Sandra Mills (Karen Silas), whose husband and son were killed in the accident, has sworn to put Joe in his grave. In a curiously parallel development, Russell's wife Claire, who teaches reading to Death Row inmates, tries to help condemned prisoner Darlene (Tracy Gold) reconcile with her family. The episode ends in a cliffhanger, with two lives (and maybe more!) in the balance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Reminiscent of the "best" of David Lynch, the two-part TV movie Night Sins uses a mysterious abduction as catalyst for a progressively bizarre and disturbing expose of small-town corruption, hypocrisy and perversion. When the 8-year-old son of a doctor is kidnapped from his home in the rural Washington town of Deer Lake, government agent Megan O'Malley (Valerie Bertinelli) arrives to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that this most recent abduction is tied in to a string of kidnappings and murders that have occurred in the region over the past twenty years. As Megan pursues her investigation with the help of friendly local cop Mitch Holt (Harry Hamlin)--to whom she grows extremely close--innumerable local skeletons are dredged out of innumerable local closets. In fact, it seems that everyone concerned with the story is harboring a dark, unsavory secret--including Megan. If nothing else, this offbeat melodrama may well be the only TV movie to feature an evil chess club! Originally telecast on CBS, Night Sins was first seen on February 23 and 25, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The made-for-TV Lies He Told is based on one of those true stories that most producers would reject outright as ludicrous and impossible were it offered as fiction. Feeling confined by his marriage to wife Cindy (Teddi Siddall) and his family and military responsibilities, USAF Sgt. Major Davis Bay (Gary Cole) senses the opportunity to start life all over again when he meets and falls in love with Alyson Haywood (Karen Sillas). Faking his own death, Bay then weds the unwitting Alyson, assuring her that he'll be able to support her once his Air Force pension comes in -- which of course it never will, since he's officially deceased. Over the next few years, Bay is forced to feed Alyson and her family a pack of outrageous falsehoods to keep from being exposed as a deserter and a bigamist, not least of which is the claim that he's on a "covert mission" for the government. When all else fails, he resorts to a series of bank robberies to support himself and his new bride. Meanwhile, Bay's mother, who has never believed that he is truly dead, comes closer and closer to shattering his wall of lies. Originally filmed for the ABC network, Lies He Told first aired March 17, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cole, Karen Sillas, (more)
- 1996
- R
An outwardly successful woman teeters on the brink of emotional collapse in this psychological drama. Evelyn Stevens (Tilda Swinton) is a skilled and well-regarded attorney who is being considered for a prestigious judicial appointment. However, she's plagued by self-doubt and neurotic obsessions (the "perversions" referenced in the title), including an obsession with expensive clothes and cosmetics, lingering fears about her relationship with her lover John (Clancy Brown), an exaggerated sense of competition with the new lawyer in her office, and an intense sexual curiosity about Renee (Karen Sillas), the psychiatrist who has just moved into her building. Evelyn is forced to put her own problems on hold for the moment when she learns that her sister Madelyn (Amy Madigan), a Ph.D candidate struggling to complete her doctoral thesis, has been arrested again for shoplifting. In time, the two sisters realize that they have to come to terms with the psychic damage inflicted upon them in their childhood. Female Perversions was based on the best-selling novel by Louise J. Kaplan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tilda Swinton, Amy Madigan, (more)
The fishing industry of a small Northwestern coastal town is nearly destroyed when a mysterious giant sea creature takes up residence. Based on a novel by Peter Benchley, the story bears more than passing resemblance to the author's most popular story, Jaws in that a few, including a scientist, learn the terrifying truth and try to convince a skeptical community that they are all in danger should they go too near the water. Once the town believes, it is up to the hero, a lady coast guard officer, and the scientists to stop the beast. This feature originally aired as a two-part miniseries on network television. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Karen Sillas, (more)
- 1995
- R
A lover, an ultimatum, a phone call, and a gun: these elements are found in each segment of Hal Hartley's Flirt, an experimental comedy-drama that essentially repeats the same story three times. But while the basic narrative remains the same -- a congenital flirt must decide whether or not to commit to a current lover, who otherwise will marry someone else -- the details differ greatly, from the location of the film to the gender of the participants. The initial segment, set in New York, tells the tale with a male flirt in turmoil over his relationship with a woman. The film then moves to Berlin, where the same drama is played out amongst a gay male couple, with an added touch of self-reflexive humor. The third and final episode takes place in Tokyo, with a female flirt and a more abstract cinematic approach, including several sequences in traditional Japanese pantomime. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Sage, Parker Posey, (more)
- 1994
Writer/director Deidre Fishel's debut film is a powerful drama about an artist who enters into a turbulent love affair with a troubled and unpredictable young man. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Sillas, David Ilku, (more)
- 1994
- R
Two vaguely acquainted co-workers meet for a first date. This is the deceptively simple premise of What Happened Was..., the directorial debut of actor and playwright Tom Noonan. Noonan also portrays Michael, a paralegal; Karen Sillas plays Jackie, an executive assistant at the same New York law firm. The film limits itself to their first encounter outside the office, a dinner date at Jackie's apartment, and allows the evening to unfold at a natural, unforced pace. Michael and Jackie are humorously awkward at first, nervously focusing their conversations on the office; in these early sections, the film plays as a sly, humorous dissection of modern mating rituals. But as the evening continues, Michael and Jackie begin to open up. As they reveal more about themselves, it becomes clear that they both have secrets; though the conversation remains relatively mundane, something ominous is lurking beneath the surface. By the end of the evening, the film takes a turn towards serious drama, as Michael and Jackie reveal more about themselves than they ever intended. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Sillas, Tom Noonan, (more)
- 1994
A woman is the seemingly random victim of a letter bomb. As the detectives and the D.A.'s office pursue their investigation, it becomes painfully apparent that the killing was no accident of fate. It seems that the dead woman was the estranged wife of scientist Edward Manning (Harris Yulin), and she had driven him to distraction by delaying their divorce proceedings. This episode was directed by former Law & Order regular Dann Florek. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A pair of brothers dodge the law while trying to locate their long-lost father in this third feature from independent New York filmmaker Hal Hartley. Robert John Burke stars as Bill McCabe, a failed computer thief who's just been doublecrossed by his girlfriend and partner. Vowing revenge on the next beautiful blonde he encounters, Bill meets up with his younger brother Dennis (William Sage), a philosophy student concerned about their father William (John A. MacKay). It seems the McCabe paterfamilias was a former major league shortstop who became an anarchist bomber in the 1960s, nearly blowing up the Pentagon. On the run for twenty-three years, William was recently caught by the FBI but escaped again. Based on information from their mother, the McCabes travel to Long Island, where William may be hiding. Along the way, the brothers meet the epileptic Elina (Elina Lowensohn) and her friend Kate (Karen Sillas), a beautiful blonde with whom Bill is instantly smitten. While Dennis figures out that Elina is somehow connected to William, Bill contends with Kate's ex-con husband Jack (Joe Stevens) and Jack's best friend Martin (Martin Donovan), both of whom are also in love with her. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, (more)
Liebestraum is a moody, stylish suspense thriller written and directed by British director Mike Figgis. Nick (Kevin Anderson) is an architectural writer who goes home to be with his dying mother, Mrs. Anderssen (Kim Novak) from whom he was separated as a baby. There he meets an old friend and has an affair with the friend's wife, who was herself adopted after her mother went insane. Through a series of coincidences and a good deal of investigation Nick learns some terrible truths concerning everyone. The film, while beautiful to look at, and with a wonderful score composed by Figgis, is more interested in style and emotion rather than cogent explanations for the actions of the characters, however, taken for what it is, a mood piece, Liebestraum succeeds beautifully. Figgis has beautiful technique and is greatly aided by Juan Ruiz-Anchia's stark and evocative images. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Anderson, Pam Gidley, (more)
- 1990
- R
The unlikely relationship between a pregnant high school student and a brooding electronics repairman lies at the center of this droll comedy from writer-director Hal Hartley. Intelligent but unconventional, Maria (Adrienne Shelly) has more to worry about than her pregnancy, as her expectant state drives away her boyfriend and triggers a fatal heart attack in her father. Meanwhile, Matthew (Martin Donovan) has his own problems: an abusive father, a heightened sense of morality that prevents him from taking semi-lucrative television repair jobs, and a suicidal streak that causes him to carry around a potentially deadly grenade. The meeting of these troubled minds at first promises to be beneficial for both, but sours as they are forced to interact with each other's dysfunctional families. As in all of Hartley's pictures, the narrative is filtered through an amusingly detached sensibility that some may consider an acquired taste. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, (more)
