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Holland Taylor
- 2002
Never mind that every other TV sitcom about a talking baby had been virtually strangled in its crib: CBS boldly went forward with yet another variation on the theme, Baby Bob. The title character was a six-month-old infant, who, with the aid of voice-over artist Ken Hudson Campbell and Clutch Cargo-like special effects, was gifted not only with the power of speech, but also with the ability to crack wise and insult his elders. Baby Bob's mom Lizzy (Joely Fisher) would have loved to tell the world about her miracle infant, but dad Walter, a neurotic PR executive, was determined to keep Bob's loquaciousness a secret -- especially from his dour father Sam (Elliott Gould) and his flighty mother-in-law Madeline (Holland Taylor). Even so, Baby Bob regularly carried on spirited conversations with his babysitter Teala (Marissa Tait), who figured it was best not to tell anyone about her new "pal." Baby Bob first gurgled onto the airwaves on March 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Arkin, Joely Fisher, (more)
- 1994
A chilling exploration of the violation of doctor/patient trust, this made-for-TV drama is based on actual events. Singer Barbara Noel (Judith Light) is a mess. Tired of her constant depression and the effect it has had upon her husband and family, she goes to see the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jules Masserman (Judd Hirsch). Using a combination of drugs, hypno-therapy and traditional techniques, he swears he will be able to help her. Time passes, and Barbara seems to be getting worse. In addition, she has begun drinking heavily. Strange bruises periodically appear on her body. She seems inordinately attached to Masserman, and her marriage suffers. When her life completely falls apart, Barbara wakes up and realizes that her trusted doctor has been violating her during the sessions in which she was drugged into unconsciousness. She tries all the traditional venues, but finds that her screwed up self is no match for a highly respected member of the medical community. Her luck changes dramatically, however, when she finds out that other women have also suffered from Masserman's treatment. Unfortunately, it will take some doing to convince any of them to testify against him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Light, Judd Hirsch, (more)
Richard Murphy made his feature directorial debut with this drama about sexy Hollywood film star Betty Monday (Cheryl Pollak) who walks away from a $70-million movie during production. In search of a more meaningful way of life, she drives to Palm Springs, rents a condo from slightly unreal real estate agent Vincent Lord (Udo Kier), and pursues her quest for "the truth" by delivering groceries and cleaning pools -- despite pressure from her manager, Crystal Ball (Holland Taylor), who wants her back in front of the cameras. Shown at the 1998 Palm Springs Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Pollak, Udo Kier, (more)
Fifty years after releasing their opulent adaptation of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, Walt Disney Productions revisits the characters in this direct-to-video sequel. Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True encompasses three short stories; first, after Cinderella (voice of Jennifer Hale) marries Prince Charming (voice of Christopher Daniel Barnes), she finds it difficult to reconcile her new station in life with the simple ways she's known in the past. Secondly, the friendly mouse Jacques (voice of Rob Paulsen) wishes he could be a human being -- but after the Fairy Godmother (voice of Russi Taylor) makes it so, he discovers it's a lot tougher than he imagined. And finally, Cinderella takes pity on her stepsister, Anastasia (voice of Tress MacNeille), and teaches her how to smile in the hopes she can find a love of her own. Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True also includes a new song by Brooke Allison, "Put It Together." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Experience a compelling twist on the familiar fairy tale in an animated Disney sequel that explores just what may have happened had the mythical glass slipper not fit. Cinderella's wicked stepmother has stolen the Fairy Godmother's magic wand, and now she's determined to turn back the hands of time. Now, in order to break the evil spell, the frightened Cinderella will have to find her beloved Prince Charming before her time runs out. Gus, Jaq, and all of the characters who made the original Cinderella a beloved classic return in an enchanting animated sequel filled with show-stopping musical numbers, nail-biting suspense, and magical wonders for the entire family. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Hale, C.D. Barnes, (more)
When an eight-year-old black youth (Norman D. Golden II) witnesses a mob hit, he orders the police to make him a cop for a day before he will help identify the killer. Detective Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) is the unfortunate assigned to the case. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Norman D. Golden II, (more)
Filmmaker Angela Robinson writes and directs the action comedy D.E.B.S., a feature-length adaptation of her award-winning short film produced by a grant from POWER UP (Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up). This 90-minute spy parody involves a secret crime-fighting unit made up of sexy schoolgirls Amy (Sara Foster), Dominique (Devon Aoki), Janet (Jill Ritchie), and Max (Meagan Good). A government agency recruited them for the team based on their standardized test scores, which assumed a propensity for lying and thieving. Their assignment is to take down major villain Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster). As it turns out, all she really wants to have an illicit affair with D.E.B.S. leader Amy. Michael Clarke Duncan plays the president of D.E.B.S. Academy. D.E.B.S. was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sara Foster, Jordana Brewster, (more)
- 2000
Bored with her dead-end existence in a small Iowa town, neurotic Janet Flanders (Jordan Ladd) retreats into the rarefied world of romance novels. Her dreams of being swept off her feet by a handsome young prince seem to come true when Chicago businessman Brett Becker (Vincent Spano) enters her life. Alas, Brett already has a bride -- but this won't stop the unhinged Janet from dreaming, or from taking violent action to fulfill those dreams. What starts out as something fine and beautiful degenerates into a sordid murder trial, with attorney Evelyn MacInnis (Holland Taylor of The Practice fame) taking a pivotal hand in the matter. Made for cable, The Deadly Look of Love originally aired July 10, 2000 on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordan Ladd, Vincent Spano, (more)
- 1999
During a power outage at the ER, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is forced to improvise to treat an injured utilities repairman. Elsewhere, a helpful neighbor brings in an elderly couple suffering from suspicious injuries. Carol (Julianna Margulies) tries to send word to Ross about her pregnancy, despite a total shutdown of communication within the building. Romano (Paul McCrane) finds himself in the position of begging to Corday (Alex Kingston). And a rapist is on the loose somewhere in County General. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jay Ward's fondly-remembered cartoon series about a klutzy king of the jungle gets the big-screen, live-action treatment in this comedy from Walt Disney Pictures. A young boy named George becomes lost in the jungles of the African nation of Bukuvu following a plane crash, where he's rescued and raised to manhood by an articulate ape called Ape (voice of John Cleese). George grows to become a strapping adult (played by Brendan Fraser) who is cheerful and good-hearted but not terribly bright, not to mention his nasty habit of running into trees while swinging on vines from one part of the jungle to another. Ursula Stanhope (Leslie Mann), an heiress from San Francisco, travels to Bukuvu for a safari, both to satisfy her thirst for adventure and because she's trying to get away from the snooty Lyle Van Der Groot (Thomas Haden Church), whom she is engaged to marry even though she doesn't like him very much. Lyle follows Ursula to Bukuvu, hoping to catch up with her and locate the legendary White Ape of the Jungle; when Ursula becomes stranded and is rescued by George, Lyle is determined to rescue her from the savage ape man, even though George is a greater threat to himself than anyone else. George finds himself infatuated with the lovely Ursula, and he hopes to win her heart, even though he's a bit rusty on the particulars of the human courtship ritual (Ape tries to help by lending him a copy of "Coffee, Tea, or Me?"). We also get to meet George's faithful pet Shep, an elephant who seems to have gotten the idea that he's a Cocker Spaniel. Blaxploitation legend Richard Roundtree also appears as Bukuvu dignitary Kwame. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Leslie Mann, (more)
Is Ruby Weaver's Mr. Right really an emissary from the year 2,470, or is he just a complete loon ball? This question is at the heart of Brad Anderson's whimsical romantic comedy. The story opens with Ruby (Marisa Tomei) lamenting over her boyfriend Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio) to her shrink (Holland Taylor). In a series of flashbacks, the film quickly sketches Ruby as a neurotic with an unhappy track record concerning men and Sam as an oddball who is afraid of small dogs and has a barcode tattooed to his arm. But he's nuts over Ruby, and at least initially, that is enough for her. Slowly, Sam begins to reveal his "past." He tells her that he is from the Dubuque of the future and that he hails from a rare "anachronistic" family who believe that reproduction should occur the old-fashioned, fun way as opposed to the more popular cloning method. At first, Ruby is amused, until she realizes that he's not kidding. After a series of arguments, he agrees to visit Ruby's analyst, which yields unexpected results. This film premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio, (more)
American independent filmmaker Paul F. Ryan makes his feature debut with the psychological drama Home Room. The students of Valley High School try to get on with their lives in the aftermath of a traumatic school shooting in which nine students were killed. Even though the perpetrator is dead, the townspeople still want to find some answers. Detective Martin Van Zandt (Victor Garber) decides to interrogate high school student Alicia Browning (Busy Philipps), who was present during the attack. Because of her cynical attitude and dark fashion choices, she is viewed as a possible threat. Principal Robbins (James Pickens Jr.) sentences her to regular hospital visits with the pretty and popular Deanna Cartwright (Erika Christensen), who was seriously injured in the attack. Alicia and Deanna overcome their initial differences and develop a nurturing friendship with psychological help from Dr. Hollander (Holland Taylor). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Busy Philipps, Erika Christensen, (more)
A young woman at a crossroads in her life finds herself receiving plenty of advice from her older and wiser counterparts in this drama. Finn Dodd (Winona Ryder) is a graduate student trying to finish up her doctoral thesis on women's folk art while deciding if she should marry her fiancé Sam (Dermot Mulroney); she's not sure if she's ready to settle down, and suspects that Sam is unfaithful to her. Needing time to sort things out, Finn chooses to spend the summer with her grandmother Hy (Ellen Burstyn) and great aunt Gladys Jo (Anne Bancroft). Hy and Gladys Jo are avid quilters, and with a group of their friends, they work on a special quilt for Finn's wedding; as the women work together, they share stories of their lives, and Finn finds herself learning as much from hearing them talk as she does from her schoolwork. Finn also receives a visit from her free-spirited mom Sally (Kate Capshaw) and finds herself infatuated with a good looking young man who lives nearby. Maya Angelou plays one of the quilters, as do Kate Nelligan, Jean Simmons, and Alfre Woodard. How to Make an American Quilt was the directorial debut of Jocelyn Moorhouse, and was based on a novel by Whitney Otto that itself began as a doctoral thesis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, (more)
- 1982
Determined to prove that the men who answer advertisements for mail-order brides are nothing more than jerks and lechers, Chicago magazine writer Kate Tosconi (Valerie Bertinelli) places a typical "object matrimony" ad and awaits the inevitable drooling replies. Meanwhile, L.A. lawyer Robert Fitzgerald (Ted Wass) has bet his practical-joking friends that if he were to answer such an ad, he could easily remain celibate for two weeks after meeting his "bride." Anyone who can't guess what happens next should be drummed out of the TV room in shame. A fascinating example of what passed for "feminism" and "male compassion" back in the early '80s, the made-for-TV I Was a Mail Order Bride was first broadcast by CBS on December 14, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
The full title of this made-for-TV film was In the Best of Families: Pride and Madness. Based on a true story, the film details the bitter divorce between overly idealistic Keith Carradine and emotionally disturbed Kelly McGillis. Caught in the middle are the couple's sons, played by Erik Von Detten and Ira David Wood Jr. The crisis erupts into violence, resulting in a triple homicide. Roundly criticized for its lurid and sensationalistic aspects, In the Best of Families was originally telecast in two parts on January 16 and 18, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly McGillis, Keith Carradine, (more)
Actor Edward Norton debuts as a director with this comedy-drama about love, friendship, and faith. Priest Brian Finn (Norton) and rabbi Jacob Schram (Ben Stiller) have known each other since childhood. When Anna Reilly (Jenna Elfman), whom they both knew as children, returns to New York, both men find themselves infatuated with her, sparking both rivalry and personal dilemmas: Brian has taken a vow of celibacy, and Jacob is allowed to marry only within his faith. Award-winning director Milos Forman appears in the supporting cast, alongside Anne Bancroft, Ron Rifkin, and Eli Wallach; the screenplay marks the debut of writer Stuart Blumberg, whom Norton met when they were both undergraduates at Yale. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Norton, Ben Stiller, (more)
- 1985
- R
Based on a play by Kevin Wade, this comedy stars Brooke Adams as a television producer who demands commitment from her free-spirited lover (Ben Masters). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Masters, Brooke Adams, (more)
- 1977
Season Hubley is cast as Sister Maria, a young nun whose sister has been killed in a highly suspicious auto accident. Vowing vengeance against the airline executive whom she holds responsible for her sibling's death, Sister Maria formulates a plan to see that justice is serve--and ulitmately finds herself in the middle of a dangerous war of wills between Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) and the Mob. Among the supporting players is Holland Taylor, who later won an Emmy for her portrayal of oversexed judge Roberta Kittleson on TV's The Practice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A legendary theatrical family gather for one final show at their East Hamptons estate in this verbose comedy-drama. Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors takes center stage as Helena, the family matriarch, who has made the difficult decision to sell the estate due to financial problems. A mixed group has come for what will be the last of the family's annual summer performances, a gathering that naturally brings conflicts and rivalries to the surface. Much of the trouble centers on Oona (Victoria Foyt), a financially successful Hollywood actress seeking artistic approval from such theatrical colleagues as avant-garde director Ivan (André Gregory) and gay playwright Jake (real-life dramatist Jon Robin Baitz), who each has difficulties of his own. As in all of writer/director Henry Jaglom's films, the focus is on conversation over action, as the various characters share personal torments and debate their individual philosophies. The talky, intellectual dialogue will be seen by some viewers as witty and perceptive and by others as pretentious and slow-moving. Regardless of one's opinion of Jaglom's idiosyncratic style, Last Summer in the Hamptons is distinguished by the presence of Lindfors in her final film, giving a career-capping performance that addresses the problems of older actresses and looks back fondly on the star's own history. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Foyt, Viveca Lindfors, (more)
Reese Witherspoon stars in this romantic comedy, the feature film debut of award-winning Australian director Robert Luketic. As a ravishing Miss Hawaiian Tropic, sorority president, and calendar girl, Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is a big hit on the campus of her sun-drenched Los Angeles college. She's also got the perfect boyfriend in Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), a wealthy East Coast blue blood. Fearing that his snooty friends and family will never accept the bubble-headed Elle, however, Warner dumps her before heading off to graduate law school at Harvard University. Determined to win back her man, Elle enrolls in the same imposing institution, quickly becoming an object of scorn and ridicule, especially to Warner's old prep school flame (Selma Blair). Despite her penchant for malls, makeup, and tanning, Elle is no dummy and is soon showing elite Ivy League snobs a thing or two about class, self-confidence, and courtroom victory. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, (more)
- 2000
The fun begins when Kenny Witowski, a typical middle school student, begins seeking out e-mail pals on the Internet. Thanks to a glitch in the system, Kenny is connected with a correspondent who signs himself "Average Joe," and who solicits our hero's opinion on practically everything. Little does Kevin realize that "Average Joe" is actually one A. Thorton Osgood II -- President of the United States! Mail to the Chief was first telecast on April 2, 2000, as an entry in the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Holland Taylor, (more)
- 2005
Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) attend the wedding of her brother Jonathan (Robert P. Benedict)--an event that is anything but festive for Natalie, since she has been long on the outs with her wealthy and highly judgmental parents. Soon, however, Natalie has a lot more to worry about than family friction when Disher is seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. Arriving on the scene, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) begins questioning all the guests, despite his discomfort over the possibility that one of Natalie's relatives--or even Theresa (Ashley Williams), the bride-to-be--is a potential murderer. Just before the case is solved, a hostage crisis breaks out during the cutting of the wedding cake! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Monk (Tony Shalhoub) agrees to investigate the "accidental" deaths of a wealthy couple who lived next door to Natalie's parents. The assignment requires Monk to go undercover as the butler for the couple's closest relative, obnoxious young billionaire Paul Buchanan (Sean Austin). His new job is perfectly suited to Monk's obsessive-compulsive nature, and soon he emerges as the "perfect" gentleman's gentleman, maintaining order in Buchanan's household with a firm but steady hand. However, Monk might not be so secure in this position were he aware that his predecessor, the late Mr. Stilson (David St. James), had been "fired" by Buchanan with a hunting pistol. Incidentally, this is the episode in which Mr. Monk discovers that he has a brand-new phobia: Frogs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Up for re-election as mayor of Cabot Cove, Sam Booth (Richard Paul) figures that his staunch anti-development platform will enable him to easily defeat his pro-development opponent. Unfortunately, Sam's campaign is seriously compromised when a strange woman shows up in town and accuses the confirmed-bachelor mayor of being the father of her five children! While Sam tangles with this embarrassing turn of events, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) temporarily takes his place as the mayoral candidate--just in time to solve yet another murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
