Elaine Stritch Movies

It's not unusual to see two women fighting over the same man in a movie, only this time it's his mother and his fiancée vying for his attention in this broad comedy. While Charlotte Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez), known to her friends as Charlie, has never had much luck in her love life, one day her ship arrives in a big way when she meets Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan), a doctor who is charming, handsome, and wealthy. Kevin also has a famous mother, Viola Fields (Jane Fonda), who has enjoyed a long and successful career as a news broadcaster. When Kevin and Charlie fall head over heels for one another, he opts to propose marriage to her as he's introducing Charlie to Viola over lunch. However, as far as Viola is concerned, this could not come at a worse time -- Viola has just been fired from the anchor desk, and regards her son as the only anchor left in her life. Not willing to share Kevin with anyone, Viola sets out to sabotage his relationship with Charlie in any way she can, often with the wary assistance of her secretary Ruby (Wanda Sykes). But once Charlie gets wind of Viola's schemes, she decides two can play this game. Monster-in-Law marked Jane Fonda's return to the screen after a long leave of absence; it was her first film after co-starring with Robert De Niro in 1990's Stanley & Iris. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The Lord works in mysterious ways, and when astronaut Bobby Paradise (David Strathairn) has a divine vision during a moon mission gone wrong, he returns to terra firma a changed man. Subsequently devoting his entire existence to God and the ministry in order to do better spread the gospel, Bobby soon builds a vast religious empire as one of the most successful televangelists to ever grace the airwaves. When a corporate merger sparks a government investigation that reveals both a searing sex scandal and a son about to be paroled from prison, Bobby will need every ounce of faith he has to make it out of the coming storm with the grace of God still on his side. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Directed by Rick McKay, who traveled across five continents during the documentary's production, Broadway: The Golden Age is both a celebration of current Broadway stars and a tribute to Broadway legends past. Through a plethora of interviews and vast amounts of archival footage, McKay presents a variety of factoids, anecdotes, and memories from over 100 Broadway actors, writers, and directors. The careers of Laurette Taylor, Kim Hunter, Jessica Tandy, and Marlon Brando are all animatedly retold, as is some of the Broadway "lore of olde," such as Angela Lansbury's struggle to land a role in Mame and the shocked reaction to West Side Story on its opening night. In addition to footage and discussion regarding highly successful Broadway stars, a variety of actors recount their experiences and struggles in finding even a small amount of critical recognition. The cast includes Shirley MacLaine, Bea Arthur, Edie Adams, Alec Baldwin, and Kaye Ballard, and many others. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the screenwriting team who penned Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Man on the Moon, made their debut as directors with this broad comedy. Norm MacDonald stars as a chauffeur who decides to get revenge on his wealthy boss by kidnapping her dog. Produced under the titles Pittsburgh, Ballbusted, and Foolproof, Screwed also stars Danny De Vito, Dave Chappelle, Sherman Helmsley, Elaine Stritch, and Sarah Silverman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An man gets an unexpected lesson in love and life from a much younger woman in this romantic drama. Will Keane (Richard Gere) is a wealthy 50-year-old restaurant tycoon who has a knack for wooing beautiful women, but is unable to commit to a lasting relationship. On day Will meets a beautiful woman in her early-20s named Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder); he turns on the charm in an effort to impress her, and soon the two are having an affair. But what Will thought would be a brief, casual fling proves to have far deeper repercussions when he learns that Charlotte is suffering from a serious illness and does not have long to live. Autumn in New York was directed by actress-turned-filmmaker Joan Chen and co-stars Anthony LaPaglia, Elaine Stritch, and Jillian Hennessy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) are visibly shaken by their latest investigation, centering around the murder of a retired cop. When it turns out that the victim trafficked in illicit sex and murder, the trail leads to a pair of interior decorators who "moonlight" as prostitutes. Once the ball is in the D.A.'s court, McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Ross (Carey Lowell) must again deal with feminist lawyer Lanie Stieglitz (Elaine Stritch). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As detective Cerreta (Paul Sorvino) recovers from his gunshot wounds, Logan (Chris Noth) adjusts himself to his new partner, Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach, in his first Law & Order appearance, save for an earlier guest-star appearance in a different role). Logan and Briscoe's current investigation results in the arrest of a suspect who claims self defense. In mounting his case against the accused, assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) is distressed to learn that he will be coming face to face with an old enemy from his law-school days. Elaine Stritch won an Emmy award for her performance in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An Inconvenient Woman, an excellent television mini-series based on the novel by Dominick Dunne, which is loosely based on the Alfred Bloomingdale scandal, tells the story of the mistress of a famous man who he has murdered when she threatens his security. Jules Mendelson (Jason Robards) and his socialite wife Pauline (Jill Eikenberry) have a marriage of convenience that is threatened by the existence of Jules cast-off mistress Flo (Rebecca De Mornay) who knows too much and can cause them all too much trouble. So, Jules plans to have her eliminated. The fine cast all give good performances in their roles, and the subject matter, while potentially lurid and tasteless, is treated with sophistication and tact in this excellent adaptation of the best-selling novel. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a mayor's political career is threatened by the avaricious land speculators who are trying to force her to give into their demands. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Schoolteacher Mrs. McGee (Elaine Stritch) informs the Huxtables that Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) has refused to participate in a "Roaring Twenties" dance presentation. It turns out that Rudy is too self-conscious to appear on stage with her more experienced dance partner George (Z. Wright). To build up her daughter's confidence, Clair (Phylicia Rashad) orders Rudy to enroll in a tapdancing class--where the teacher turns out to be none other than the legendary Howard "Sandman" Sims. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With both Clair (Phylicia Rashad) and Denise (Lisa Bonet) out of town, Cliff (Bill Cosby) is left alone to take care of his other daughters, as well as Denise's stepchild Olivia (Raven-Symone). Almost immediately, Cliff alienates Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) by giving her some advice which backfires--and to make matters even dicier, Rudy's teacher Mrs. McGee (Elaine Stritch) tears into Cliff for giving the girl too much help with her homework. Meanwhile, Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) tries to finagle Cliff in letting her attend a party which had previously been vetoed by Clair; and Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) takes advantage of Olivia's presence to impress his latest girlfriend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A weekend stay at a Vermont summer house provides glimpses into the lives of six unhappy people, plagued by unrequited feelings, thoughts and desires. Mia Farrow plays Lane, a troubled woman who hides from a terrible childhood memory. She's in love with Peter (Sam Waterston), who is tempted by Stephanie (Dianne Wiest), her good friend. As the summer days come to a close, resentments and anger come to the surface, many of them related to Lane's relationship with her actress mother (Elaine Stritch). ~ All Movie Guide

Including such songs as "Broadway Baby," "I'm Still Here," "The Ladies Who Lunch," and "Losing My Mind," this video features a filming of the well-known Stephen Sondheim musical as it was performed at New York's Lincoln Center in 1985. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide