R.H. Thomson Movies

An untrusting wife attempts to prove that her husband is cheating by hiring an escort to seduce him, inadvertently endangering her entire family in the process. Catherine (Julianne Moore) is a respected doctor, and her husband, David (Liam Neeson), is a dedicated music professor. They've been married for years and have a teenage son together, but lately the passion has faded from their romance. The morning after David misses his flight home -- and the elaborate surprise birthday party Catherine had planned to celebrate his return -- Catherine finds a text message on his phone that leads her to believe her husband is sleeping with a female student. Her suspicions grow over the following weeks, and when Catherine has a run-in with an escort named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried), she hires the ravishing blonde to test her husband's fidelity. After each encounter with David, Chloe reports back to Catherine with all the sordid details. But the further the experiment goes, the less clear Chloe's motivations for taking part in it become, and the more the untrusting wife begins to fear that the situation has spiraled out of control. Directed by Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, Ararat), this erotic thriller is a remake of Anne Fontaine's French film Nathalie..., and was adapted by Erin Cressida Wilson. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When the former best friend of a now-successful writer suddenly appears following an extended absence, the confrontation that follows will alter their views of the past and forever transform the future in a simmering tale of lost friendship from director Matt Bissonnette. It's been five long years since Daniel Bloom (Adam Scott) has heard from his longtime friend Will Morrison (Lukas Haas). After growing up together and even seeing Daniel serve as best man at Will's wedding to the beautiful Maggie (Molly Parker), no one would have suspected that the pair would part ways on such awkward terms. Now, after half a decade away, Will has suddenly appeared on the doorstep of Mary (Wendy Crewson) and Arthur's (R.H. Thompson) remote island cottage. Subsequently summoned back to his childhood haunt by a concerned phone call from his mother, Daniel departs from New York to finally find what became of the long-missing Will. But quite a bit has changed since those innocent days of youth, and just as the harsh words exchanged between the pair suddenly erupt into physical violence, Mary receives word that Maggie is waiting to be picked up at the local dock. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Perhaps inspired by the finale of the 1954 horror film Them!, the made-for-cable chiller Bugs explores the consequences stemming from a swarm of giant insects gathering in a major metropolitan subway systems. These bugs not only eat human beings, but tear their bodies apart and leave the fragments scattered to and fro. It is up to entomologist Emily Foster (Angie Everhart) and civil engineer Matt Pollock (Antonio Sabato, Jr.) to save humanity from the oversized scourges. Bugs made its Sci-Fi Channel debut September 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this broadly satirical TV biopic, Shirley MacLaine pulls out all the stops as legendary cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash. In Citizen Kane fashion, Mary Kay relates her rise to the top of the home-beauty industry to an inquiring reporter (Rachel Crawford), never allowing an opportunity pass to emphasize how many doors she has opened for the working women of America. Ultimately, however, Mary Kay's predominance is threatened by a much younger (and shriller) rival, Jinger Heath (Parker Posey), whose BeautiControl company takes an enormous bite out of Mary Kay's share of the market. Caught in the middle is a slightly off-center beauty named Lexi Wilcox (Shannen Doherty). Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay originally aired on October 6, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rutger Hauer plays William Palmer, formerly the chief medical examiner of Chicago who now makes his living as a writer. Palmer has written a novel based on one of the more interesting cases he investigated, a psychopathic murderer who would remove the bones from his victims while they were still alive. In his novel, the fiend, nicknamed "Bone Daddy," is caught and brought to justice, but in real life he was never found, and after the publication of his novel, the real-life Bone Daddy is inspired to resume his grisly work. Palmer begins receiving revolting packages in the mail -- human bones wrapped in pages from his book -- and it turns out the bones belong to William's agent. William has to find out where Bone Daddy is while his friend might still be alive, especially since the police have developed the mistaken notion that Palmer's son might be the culprit. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The seventh and final season of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) brings shocking news to Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna): her erstwhile fiancé Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen) has been reported killed in a shipwreck in the Caribbean. As she wrestles with her grief, Felicity turns to "good works," establishing the Avonlea Foundling Home. In other developments, Felicity's brother Felix (Zachary Bennett) is on the outs with his girlfriend, Izzy Pettibone (Heather Brown). And Jasper Dale (R.H. Thompson), the husband of Felix's aunt Olivia (Mag Ruffman), returns from a brief teaching assignment in England, only to discover that the size of his family has increased in his absence. Olivia has taken in a single mother named Lottie Cooper (Katherine Ashby), who works in the cannery owned by the Dales, and Lottie's young daughter; this situation will get a bit sticky when the cannery burns down and the now-unemployed Lottie takes a powder, leaving her kid with Jasper and Olivia. In the episode "Woman of Importance," Dianne Wiest guest stars as Izzy Pettibone's aunt Lillian, allegedly a woman of vast wealth who turns out to have quite a surprise for her family. And in "King of the Great White Way," Eugene Levy and Sheila McCarthy are cast as a Broadway songwriting team who raise a ruckus in Avonlea when they decide to transform Felicity and Felix's nonplussed farmer father, Alec (Cedric Smith), into a singing sensation. Meanwhile, Alec's sister Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs) announces plans to marry her new business partner, Simon Tremayne (Ian D. Clark) -- only to decide at the last minute that she and Simon are better friends than lovers. The series comes to an end as the presumed-dead Gus returns to Avonlea, now blinded and with a major surprise that bids fair to resolve many of the series' long-standing problems. This occasion also provides an opportunity for Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) to make her own return appearance to Avonlea, thereby bringing full circle a TV series that began when a much-younger Sara first set foot in the tightly knit Prince Edward Island community. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season six of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) begins not in the titular Prince Edward Island village but instead in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna) has defied the standard gender expectations of early 20th century Canada by enrolling in medical school. While walking to class one day, Felicity is unexpectedly reunited with her hometown boyfriend, Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen) -- who in turn is accosted by a derelict woman who turns out to be his long-lost mother. This sobering discovery obliges Gus to leave Canada and head to the Caribbean with his mom -- but not before popping the question to Felicity for the umpteenth time. Back in Avonlea, Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley), fresh out of finishing school, pays a return visit, only to announce that she intends to leave again immediately to study in Paris -- which fact does not sit well with her aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) nor her old nanny, Louisa (Frances Hyland). In other developments, Felicity King's brother Felix (Zachary Bennett) has fallen in love with Izzy (Heather Brown), daughter of widowed schoolteacher Clive Pettibone (David Fox) -- who in turn has proposed to school superintendent Muriel Stacey (Marilyn Lightstone), much to Izzy's dismay; and orphaned siblings Davey (Kyle Labine) and Dora Keith (Lindsay Murrell) are taken in by Hetty after their guardian, Rachel Lynde (Patricia Hamilton) -- with whom Hetty has never gotten along -- suffers a series of debilitating strokes.

This season marks the introduction of Molly Atkinson in the role of Felicity and Felix's kid sister, Cecily King, a role hitherto played by child actress Harmony Cramp. Having been diagnosed with tuberculosis during the previous season, Cecily is now living in a New York sanitarium, anxiously awaiting the day that she is cured and will be allowed to return to her family. And speaking of new cast members, watch for Faye Dunaway and Maureen Stapleton, both making their one and only Road to Avonlea appearances in a story involving the simultaneous arrival in town of a glamorous European countess and a disheveled old lady who claims to be the mother of the local hotel owner -- and as it turns out, these two ladies have a lot more in common than one might think. As the season draws to a close, Felicity returns to Avonlea to serve her apprenticeship under Dr. Snow, an experience that proves so unnerving that she drops out of medical school. And Cecily has recovered sufficiently to return to her family -- only to dash off again with a disgruntled Felicity in hopes of catching up with Gus Pike, who at last report was still somewhere in the Caribbean. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Felix King (Zachary Bennett) finds himself torn between holding on to his job at Avonlea's White Plains Hotel and upholding family tradition by becoming a farmer like his dad, Alec (Cedric Smith), in "Fathers and Sons," the fifth-season opener of the popular Canadian drama series Road to Avonlea. Soon thereafter, the 50th birthday celebration of Alec's sister Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs) is tarnished by the likelihood that she will lose her job -- to say nothing of a sudden appendicitis attack. Later on, Hetty helps arrange for her sister Olivia (Mag Ruffman) and her eccentric, slightly impractical brother-in-law, Jasper (R.H. Thomson), to take charge of the local lobster cannery. And as for Hetty's city-bred niece, Sara (Sarah Polley), she does her bit for the greater good by coming to the aid of a young boy who has managed to coast through school without ever learning to read or write. Also, Alec courts trouble when he hires a mysterious farmhand, played by guest star Bruce Greenwood; and another guest performer, the highly respected Canadian character actor Gordon Pinsent, is cast as a noted politician whom Alec idolizes -- until the truth about the politician's clay feet is revealed. Elsewhere, Alec's daughter Felicity (Gema Zamprogna) receives the first of several marriage proposals from Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen), a former drifter now gainfully employed; however, Felicity has her heart set on attending medical school, an extremely lofty goal for a young girl in early 20th century Canada. Other developments include the arrival of a new minister and his wife, Viola (guest star Stockard Channing), who exhibits some mighty peculiar behavior -- and for a mighty disturbing reason; and the concerted efforts by certain interested parties to play matchmaker for widowed schoolteacher Clive Pettibone (David Fox) and provincial school superintendent Muriel Stacey (Marilyn Lightstone). By far the most crucial development during season five is the revelation that Alec and Janet King's youngest daughter, Cecily (Harmony Cramp), is suffering from tuberculosis -- and must be bundled off to a more healthy climate if she ever hopes to recover. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It is the 1960s, but Hal Kingswood (R.H. Thomson), the old-fashioned headmaster of a small school in British Colombia not far from Vancouver hasn't quite gotten hip to it yet. He won't even let his late-teen daughter Cleo (Tara Frederick) go to a concert alone with her boyfriend Dwayne (Gabe Khouth). Zoe (Aloka McLean) is Hal's youngest daughter, full of romantic ideas and idealistic notions, and she narrates most of this domestic drama. At school, a beloved teacher suddenly dies, and she is replaced by Anne-Marie Andrews (Michele-Barbara Pelletier), a stylish and charismatic younger woman from Quebec who immediately inspires Zoe to feats of imitation. However, Zoe is horrified to discover that she is not the only one who finds Anne-Marie inspiring: her father Hal is having an affair with her. This all comes to light when the family is together celebrating Christmas, and for a time it looks like everyone will split up. It doesn't help the family much when Cleo has announces that she is pregnant and isn't interested in participating in the outmoded institution of marriage. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The year is 1948 and the place is Montreal's Mont Royal Park. Chaim Kovler, a Holocaust survivor who has become a journalist for a Yiddish newspaper bumps into Hersh Rasseyner, a rival he had known in Hebrew school. The two went their separate ways when Chaim became an author while Hersh became a rabbi. Both spent time in different camps and emerged with wildly disparate viewpoints. After they finish their initial descriptions of their experiences, their conversation turns to larger philosophical issues and this thoughtful drama follows its many twists and turns as the two debate the nature and the very existence of God and the place of religion, politics and morality in the human experience. Though they never agree philosophically, they do make peace with their personal issues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Bonds of Love in this made-for-TV drama are those forged between divorcee Kelly McGillis and mentally disabled Treat Williams. What begins as a friendship between two lost souls blossoms into a deep and genuine romance. Their wedding plans are challenged by his mother (Grace Zabriskie) and father (Hal Holbrook)-who are not depicted as villains but merely well-meaning and overprotective (only Williams' brother, played by Steve Railsback, comes off in negative terms). Based on a true story, Bonds of Love is set in Kansas (though it was lensed in Ontario). The film premiered January 24, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-cable Disney effort stars Jason Robards as the writer Mark Twain who, in the twilight of his life, met and befriended an 11-year-old girl named Dorothy Quick. Their relationship served as the basis for Quick's autobiographical book Enchantment: A Little Girl's Friendship with Mark Twain, on which Cynthia Whitcomb's screenplay is based. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Season two of Road to Avonlea (aka Tales From Avonlea) begins as Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) reluctantly returns to Montreal after spending a happy year living with her relatives, the King family, in the Prince Edward Island village of Avonlea. But upon her arrival home, Sara discovers to her dismay that her wealthy father has been killed in an accident -- and to make matters worse, she is later kidnapped by a pair of greedy fortunehunters. After this ordeal, Sara's strict but loving aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) welcomes Sara back to Avonlea with open arms -- and even manages to persuade the girl's overprotective nanny (Frances Hyland) to let her stay. This season marks the introduction of Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen), a vagabond teenager from a poor (and mysterious) background whom Hetty selects as a test case to prove her schoolteaching skills when her job is placed in jeopardy by the "progressive" new provincial school supervisor, Muriel Stacey (Marilyn Lightstone). In a later episode, Peter Coyote guest stars as Hetty's onetime sweetheart Romney Penhallow, whose reunion with Hetty after all these years is a most bittersweet experience. Joseph Bottoms shows up in a subsequent story as the man who might have married Hetty's younger sister, Olivia (Mag Ruffman), if Hetty hadn't dismissed him as unsuitable; ironically, this fellow's return prompts Olivia to fall in love with an even less "suitable" character, local eccentric Jasper Dale (R.H. Thompson). Eventually, and with (surprisingly) Hetty's blessing, this alliance will become permanent by marriage (but not quite yet). Also, Hetty's brother Alec (Cedric Smith) is racked by guilt by a visit from his crippled brother, Roger (Andrew Gillies); Michael York guests in a brace of episodes as reclusive ex-sea captain Ezekiel Crane, who inadvertently delivers Gus Pike into the hands of Gus' outlaw father, and later makes up for this misstep by involving Gus in a search for hidden gold. And Madeline Kahn tears a passion to tatters as traveling actress Pigeon Plumtree, who nearly lures the impulsive Sara into a life upon the wicked stage. The season closes with the episode "Misfits and Miracles," wherein a desperate Sara has to improvise when her pregnant aunt Janet (Lally Cadeau) suddenly goes into labor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi