Diane Sokolow Movies
- 2004
- PG13
On December 24, 2002, a woman named Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant at the time, was reported missing to police in a suburban California community. Laci's husband, Scott Peterson, initially joined police in their investigation of his wife's disappearance, which was soon presumed to be the result of foul play; however, many details of what Scott was doing the night Laci vanished didn't add up, and a woman soon stepped forward to announce that she had been having an affair with Scott. As the case of the missing woman began to attract worldwide attention, many people began to speculate that Scott may have been involved in Laci's disappearance. When her body was finally recovered, Scott found himself behind bars, charged with the murder of his spouse. The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story is a made-for-cable movie that stars Dean Cain as Scott Peterson, following the story from Laci's disappearance to Scott being charged with homicide. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Cain, Sarah Joy Brown, (more)
The made-for-cable Western The Outsider would seem to have its roots in the classic John Wayne theatrical feature Angel and the Badman. In the Montana of the late 19th century, wounded outlaw Johnny Gault (Tim Daly) is given refuge by widowed sheep farmer Rebecca Yoder (Naomi Watts). This puts Rebecca on the outs with her own people, a pacifist Quaker sect, and also incurs the wrath of a ruthless cattle baron, who has long coveted the Quakers' land--and who also was responsible for the death of Rebecca's husband. Not surprisingly, Johnny Gault turns out to be the traditional "good bad man", capable of solving everyone's problems--except, perhaps, his own. The Outsider first aired over the Showtime cable network on November 10, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Given a limited theatrical release in May of 2002 under the title The Hamptons Project, this two-part TV documentary is the handiwork of Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple (Harlan County USA). Shot between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 2001, the program chronicles the residents and visitors of the Hamptons, New York's ritziest (and most celebrity-studded) resort community. Highlights include the annual Steeplechase; a "going the rounds" session with an aspiring singer; a young woman's efforts to land an eligible (and, one assumes, wealthy) bachelor; an elaborate wedding and equally elaborate funeral; and a school-auditorium piano recital by local resident Billy Joel. Other famous faces making cameo appearances are Alec Baldwin, Christie Brinkley, and Sean "P-Diddy" Combs. The TV version of The Hamptons was shown in two two-hour installments by ABC on June 2 and 3, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A holiday comedy with dark overtones, Mixed Nuts presents a supposedly humorous look at the behind-the-scenes events at a crisis hotline on Christmas Eve. Philip (Steve Martin) runs Lifesavers, a Venice, California organization dedicated to helping the depressed and troubled. Unfortunately, Philip is a bit down himself, having learned that Lifesavers is on the verge of eviction. His staff isn't feeling particularly helpful either, with Mrs. Munchnik (Madeline Kahn) giving gruff, often insulting advice, and Catherine (Rita Wilson) obsessing over her own unspoken love for Philip. As the holiday approaches, various weirdoes of all shapes and sizes -- from to a pregnant clothing store owner (Juliette Lewis) to a disenchanted Santa Claus (Anthony LaPaglia) -- begin dropping in, throwing the already strained office into utter chaos. Director Nora Ephron followed her smash success Sleepless in Seattle with this remake of the cult 1982 French comedy Le Père Noël est une Ordure, co-authoring the script with her sister Delia Ephron. However, Mixed Nuts met with little box office or critical approval, with most viewers finding the film's manic farce disappointingly forced and abrasive. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1993
Barbara Kopple's film, made for network television, covers the early (and most fascinating) portion of boxer Mike Tyson's career. Shot while Tyson was serving a prison sentence in the wake of his 1991 rape conviction, the film considers how a fighter with such ferocious skills could allow personal demons to bring him down. Tyson's turbulent youth on the mean streets of Brooklyn (he was arrested at age 13), his tutelage by legendary trainer Cus D'Amato (who literally took in the abandoned teenager), his sympathetic management by Jim Jacobs, and his attempts to control his temper are amply documented. In 1986, at the age of 19, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever, but with success came an almost Shakespearean slide into disgrace. The flamboyant Don King stepped in to take over Tyson's career, and in 1988, the young man's support system took a big hit with the death of Jacobs from leukemia. Though successes followed for a time, Tyson's fragile psyche was a time bomb waiting to explode. The film gathers familiar coverage of the fighter's ring career as well as revealing footage of Tyson's struggles to channel his aggressions into positive conduct. Kopple conducts interviews with many Tyson associates, most importantly D'Amato. It's a departure for the filmmaker, whose previous work (the Oscar-winning films Harlan County, U.S.A. and American Dream) focused on labor issues. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- PG13
Based on a true event, this is the account of the Buttafuoco couple, whose names were splattered all over the media in the early '90s after the alleged teen-aged playmate of Mr. B., Amy Fischer (who claimed it was Mr. B's will), shot Mrs. B in the head (though the latter miraculously lived). This particular perspective claims that Amy acted of her own free will and Mr. B never had an affair with her (only vaguely flirted) nor did he in any way encourage her to make an attack on his wife. CBS paid the Buttafuocos $300,000 for their story. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Jack Scalia, (more)
Sleepless in Seattle, the sophomore directorial effort from Nora Ephron, is a light romantic comedy inspired by the 1957 film An Affair to Remember. Tom Hanks stars as widower and single father Sam. When Sam's son, Jonah (Ross Malinger), calls into a talk radio program looking for a new mother, Sam ends up getting on the phone and laments about his lost love. Thousands of miles away, Annie (Meg Ryan) hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to humdrum Walter (Bill Pullman). Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam, who, meanwhile, contends with an onslaught of letters from available women equally touched by his phone call. Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, and Rob Reiner also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG13
Based on the book by Meg Wolitzer, This Is My Life is the directorial debut for Nora Ephron, who adapted the script with sister, Delia Ephron. Dottie Engels (Julie Kavner) is a single mother with aspirations of becoming a standup comedian. When her Aunt Harriet dies, Dottie gets an apartment in Manhattan with her daughters, teenaged Erica (Samantha Mathis) and ten-year-old Opal (Gaby Hoffmann). Soon, Dottie's career is taking off and her agent, Claudia Curtis (Carrie Fisher), gets her on a comedy tour. Everything seems to work out well for Dottie, except that her daughters are left without a mother. Erica, who has just started dating Jordan (Danny Zorn) gets especially mad when she hears Dottie talking about her personal information on a talk show. The two girls are further upset with their mother's choice for a boyfriend, Arnold Moss (Dan Aykroyd). Eventually, Erica and Opal try to track down their real father, Norm (Louis di Banco), in upstate New York. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Kavner, Samantha Mathis, (more)
