Jack Thompson Movies
A sturdy, dependable lead with substantial romantic appeal and genre versatility, rugged Aussie performer Jack Thompson attained tremendous stardom as one of the top box-office draws in his native country. He received one of his best-known (and most visible) assignments early in his career, with lead billing on a television series: the Australian WWII adventure drama Spyforce (1971-1973).Born Jack Payne, Thompson took his big screen bow in Fever Heat (1968), but Ken Hannam's period sheep-shearing drama Sunday Too Far Away (1975) - as a cornerstone of the New Australian Cinema - represented the actor's first and most significant career breakthrough. Indeed, Thompson's subsequent rise to stardom closely matches the rebirth and renewed prominence of Australian film during the '70s. Other notable Thompson efforts include Caddie (1976), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), and The Man From Snowy River (1982). For his many contributions to Australian cinema, Thompson was awarded an Order of Australia and was named the country's Good Will Ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a post he served for several years.
In the late '90s - thanks in no small part to the runaway success of the international crossover hit The Sum of Us (1994) (in which Thompson plays an open-minded father supportive of his son's gay lifestyle), Thompson made the transition to Hollywood. His American credits included Clint Eastwood's offbeat drama Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) (as the defense attorney of an eccentric antique dealer); George Lucas's intergalactic romance Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (as Cliegg Lars, Luke Skywalker's step-grandfather); and Steven Soderberg's World War II drama The Good German (as a congressman). In 2008, Thompson teamed up with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger for the period football comedy Leatherheads.
~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The relationship between an unproven lawyer and the female convict he attempts to save from execution is detailed in this death-row drama. Sharon Stone plays against type as Cindy Liggett, convicted of murder at the age of 19, who has spent over a decade in prison awaiting execution. Having resigned herself to her eventual death, she cares little when her case falls into the hands of newly appointed clemency board attorney Rick Hayes (Rob Morrow). Hayes devotes himself to her case, however, and uncovers several inconsistencies regarding her earlier trial. Seeing a chance to save Liggett's life, Hayes fights for a stay of execution but finds himself facing opposition from powerful political figures and even Liggett herself. Largely ignored at the box office, the film suffered in comparison to Dead Man Walking (1995), the Academy Award-winning drama whose treatment of the death penalty theme may still have been fresh in the minds of audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Rob Morrow, (more)
Three years before he became a household name in Hollywood with 1997's L.A. Confidential, Russell Crowe starred in this Australian drama, the directorial debuts of Geoff Burton and Kevin Dowling. Crowe plays Jeff Mitchell, a young gay man and the son of widower Harry Mitchell (Jack Thompson). The two live together while they both search for a special someone with whom to spend their lives. And while Harry is more than comfortable with Jeff's sexuality, his new lady friend isn't, leading to tension and a personal struggle for Harry. Based on the play by screenwriter David Stevens, The Sum of Us was the 1994 recipient of the Austalian Film Institute's Best Adapted Screenplay award. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, (more)
The directorial debut of Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Mikael Salomon (The Abyss), A Far Off Place is based on a pair of books by novelist Laurens Van der Post. Reese Witherspoon stars as Nonnie Parker, a young girl living on an African game preserve with her parents. Ethan Embry is Harry Winslow, the snooty son of a visiting dignitary. When Nonnie and Harry witness the murder of their parents at the hands of ruthless poachers, they suddenly find themselves braving the harsh Kalahari Desert in an attempt to escape the gang. Along the way, the pair encounters a bushman called Xhabbo (Sarel Bok) who shows them how to survive in the barren desert. Forced to work together to survive, Nonnie and Harry learn to overcome their differences and become friends. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Jack Thompson, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this grim docu-drama an Australian photojournalist leaves her children to cover the story of Vietnamese boat people in a Malaysian refugee camp. There she becomes friends with a Vietnamese streetwalker who has married a diplomat and together they try to do something about shocking conditions suffered by the people there. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greta Scacchi, Joan Chen, (more)
- 1992
- PG13
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Wind is set in the world of competitive yacht racing, where a young sailor (Matthew Modine) is intent on winning the America's Cup, as well as regaining the affections of his ex-girlfriend (Jennifer Grey). As the film opens, Modine chooses to race the America's Cup instead of staying with Grey. She leaves him and his team loses the race, leaving him devastated. Modine tracks Grey down, finding her with a new boyfriend, who happens to be an engineer. He persuades her and her new boyfriend to help him build a new yacht, which he plans on using in his pursuit to regain the America's Cup. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey, (more)
The owner of an aircraft salvage company (Viggo Mortensen) is reported killed in a crash. However, his wife (Andie MacDowell) knows better, and she decides to find him and his secret bank accounts. She travels around the world, and winding up in Cairo, she meets Liam Neeson, who helps her uncover her husband's smuggling scheme. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Andie MacDowell, Liam Neeson, (more)
- 1992
- R
The struggles faced by Vietnamese boat people make up the focus of this story about an Australian reporter (Greta Scacchi) assigned to cover the Malaysian arrival of Vietnamese refugees. Also known as Turtle Beach. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1992
- NR
Filmed in the Australian outback, but set in an unnamed country, this stylish and decidedly liberal drama attempts to be the inspirational tale of workers and rural folk who band together to quash their oppressors: greedy corporate types and the military dictatorship that uses violence to protect the businesses. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lorna Lesley, Helen Jones, (more)
- 1990
A welcome exception to the slasher-stalker-kidnapper films usually seen on the USA cable network, After the Shock is a tribute to the courage and heroism of Bay Area residents following the San Francisco earthquake of October 17, 1989. Director Gary A. Sherman opts for a "cinema verite" approach, utilizing a hand-held camera to recreate the style of the original on-the-spot TV reporting. The cast includes Scott Valentine, Rue McClanahan, Yaphet Kotto, Jack Scalia and Richard Anthony Crenna as various firefighters, paramedics, law officials and private citizens. One of the best performances is offered by Nick Zaninovich, a real-life quake survivor who spent seven hours trapped in his car, which was buried under a collapsed stretch of the Nimitz freeway. After the Shock debuted September 12, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
"Paradise" is actually Australia, where this made-for-TV adventure was filmed. Raquel Welch stars as a rich, spoiled socialite who is shipwrecked on a desert island. Her only companion is boozy, unkempt Aussie Jack Thompson. Before the film has a chance to turn into Lina Wertmuller's Swept Away (or even Gilligan's Island), Welch and Thompson are up to their necks in intrigue. Trouble in Paradise originally floated to shore on May 16, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
Beryl Markham: Shadow on the Sun was a two-part TV movie originally telecast in May of 1988. Stefanie Powers is right in her element as the real-life Beryl Markham, an Englishwoman living in Kenya with her family. Bucking the male-dominated Kenyan social structure, Beryl becomes the first woman in Africa to train horses on a professional level. And in 1936, she thrills the world by being the first aviatrix to fly from England to the US across the Atlantic. With four hours to fill, the film is obligated to trace Beryl's love life, which (according to the script) was not always as rewarding as her public accomplishments. Inasmuch as Beryl was a contemporary (and friendly rival) of author Karen Blixen--better known as Isaak Dinesen--Beryl Markham: Shadow on the Sun contrives to include several characters introduced in Out of Africa. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stefanie Powers
- 1987
When a woman is suspected of killing her 2 young sons, New York police inspector Theo Kojak is called in to investigate. ~ Rovi
- 1987
- R
Ground Zero details a governmental cover-up as seen through the eyes of commercial photographer Colin Friels. Tipped off to the possibility that the death of his father was tied in with radioactive contamination, Friels runs into several official brick walls as he presses his investigation. At the root of everything is a hush-hush nuclear radiation test, conducted in Australia in the mid-1950s. With the help of a slightly-addled survivor (Donald Pleasence) of those tests, Friels uncovers the truth. Ground Zero was inspired by the real-life nuclear testings at Maralinga. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Friels, Jack Thompson, (more)
Struck by lightning, an endearing little robot known only as "Number 5" escapes from an experimental electronics firm. Technician Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg) and his indecipherable East Indian assistant, Ben Jabituya (Fisher Stevens), set out to locate Number 5 before the military can go through with its plans to destroy the robot. Number 5 takes refuge with loopy Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy), who is convinced that the mechanical man is an extraterrestrial. Hoping to teach the "alien" all about Earth, she fills Number 5's memory banks with reams of pop culture -- and then the real fun begins. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, (more)
The outlaws of country music--including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson--team up and head across the Southwestern desert braving Indians, brigands and conflict in this made-for television version of John Ford's classic film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1986
The frontier of the title is Australia, the locale for this sprawling four-hour TV movie. Linda Evans stars as an American divorcee who marries an Australian cattleman (Tony Bonner). He dies in a plane crash, leaving Evans and her two teenaged stepchildren stranded on a drought- and debt-ridden ranch. She finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a feud between a covetous land baron (Jason Robards) and his idealistic son (Jack Thompson). With problems of her own, Evans refuses to take sides...until she falls in love with the son. The Last Frontier was filmed on location in Australia's Northern Territory and Barossa Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
When an attempted political coup in 16th century Northern Italy fails, most of the mercenaries hired by the coup leaders disperse. Not so Martin (Rutger Hauer), who intends to rob his duplicitous former employer Arnolfini (Fernando Hillbeck). Martin is able to raise his own army by using a stolen religious artifact as a talisman. He later kidnaps Arnolfini's prospective daughter-in-law Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who saves herself from gang rape by feigning eternal devotion to her captor. Weeks of plunder and destruction follow, with a deadly plague thrown into the stew. Flesh and Blood has also been released under the title The Rose and the Sword. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
- 1985
- PG13
Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of Robert O'Hara Burke (Jack Thompson) and William John Wills (Nigel Havers), who in 1860 set forth to create the first accurate maps of the interior region of the Australian continent. To this end, Irish explorer Burke and British scientist Wills journeyed from the Southern coast of Carpenteria to the North. While they succeeded with the first part of their voyage, on the return trip they and their compatriots fell victim to intense heat and diminishing supplies of food; of the 19 men who began the expedition, only one survived to tell the tale. However, while fate was cruel to Burke and Wills, history was kind, and their story is still taught in every Australian classroom. Graeme Clifford's biopic was praised for its striking visuals and realistic portrayal of Burke and Wills' difficult journey. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, (more)
- 1983
When a pay cut sends Australian dock workers on strike, a group of Italian immigrants are hired to take their place, causing much resentment and hatred on both sides. However, when an Italian woman and an Australian man start up a passionate affair, they discover that they must work to preserve their relationship and stay true to their fellow countrymen. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was the first English-language project of Japanese director Nagisa Oshima (Death by Hanging, In the Realm of the Senses). In tune with his previous filmic essays on racism and brutality, Merry Christmas concentrates on a war of wills between rebellious POW David Bowie and camp commandant Ryuichi Sakomoto. Assuming that his other prisoners' unwillingness to protest their cruel treatment is a sign of weakness, Sakomoto is most impressed by Bowie's enigmatic defiance. While Bowie and Sakomoto seem to be operating on a high spiritual and intellectual plane, bilingual prisoner Tom Conti (the "Mr. Lawrence" of the title) engages in a more standard adversarial relationship with sadistic sergeant Takeshi Kitano. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Bowie, Tom Conti, (more)
- 1982
In this drama, adapted from a W. Somerset Maugham novel, a philandering wife is accused of killing her lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Inspired by an epic poem by A.B. "Banjo" Patterson, The Man From Snowy River was a major step forward for the regenerated Australian film industry of the early '80s. This "down-under Western" spotlights Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig, a headstrong young man who goes to work for a powerful cattle baron. Burlinson falls in love with Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), his boss' daughter, and becomes enmeshed in a bitter land feud. Kirk Douglas has a high old time in the dual role of hard-hearted landowner Harrison and grizzled, one-legged old prospector Spur. Previously filmed in 1920, The Man From Snowy River was directed by the other George Miller, not the director of the same name who helmed Mad Max (1979). A monumental moneymaker, the film inspired a 1988 sequel, confusingly titled Return to Snowy River, Part II. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Jack Thompson, (more)
- 1982
- NR
Jack Thompson plays Stan Graham, a tragic and notorious figure of New Zealand's war years. Not the most easygoing person in the world to begins with, Graham is pushed over the edge when his farm is foreclosed. With seemingly no other options, he turns into a homicidal maniac, killing everyone he considers an enemy -- in short, everyone who crosses his path. Graham's murder spree plays right into the hands of Nazi propagandists, notably British turncoat Lord Haw-Haw. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Thompson, Carol Burns, (more)
- 1981
- PG
Bruce Beresford directed this adaptation of David Williamson's play (Williamson also scripted) about the ever-widening gap between professional sport and its boardroom intrigues. Jack Thompson is Laurie, a once popular ball player on the Australian Rules football circuit, but now an ineffective coach who tries to spark a mediocre football team into winning the league championship. But as he struggles to motivate his players, he becomes increasingly disenchanted with the sport as he witnesses how big business interests have become the main motivation of the game that has turned the game that he has devoted his life to into a heartless and insensitive sports franchise. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Thompson, Graham Kennedy, (more)
- 1980
- PG
Despite its title, The Earthling is not a science fiction opus. Instead, it's a low-key character study about a doomed man who finds a new lease on life by helping another lost soul. Suffering from terminal cancer, Patrick Foley (William Holden) returns to his native Australia. Intending to live out his last few months alone, Foley comes out of his shell long enough to teach impressionable young orphan Shawn Daley (Ricky Schroder) a few Bush Country survival skills. Ironically, director Peter Collinson was himself a cancer victim, who died shortly after the film's completion. The Earthling works best on a kiddie-matinee level, with Holden's performance and the gorgeous photography its chief assets. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Holden, Rick Schroder, (more)
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