Courtney Thorne-Smith Movies
Blonde, slim, and polished television actress Courtney Thorne-Smith first appeared as Stacy Hamilton on Fast Times, the television series spin-off of the successful teen movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She made her film debut in the sports comedy Lucas, which also starred the rising young stars Winona Ryder, Corey Haim, and Charlie Sheen. When she did work on films, they were mostly lightweight comedies like Welcome to 18, Summer School, and Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise. Back on television, she appeared in the short-lived sitcom Day by Day and some TV movies before joining the cast of L.A. Law as Kimberly Dugan. Staying with TV dramas, she played Alison on the FOX soap opera Melrose Place from 1992-1997, and then she joined the cast of Ally McBeal and its truncated spawn Ally as Georgia Thomas. She also appeared in the Carrot Top movie Chairman of the Board. After a few guest-starring roles on Spin City, she moved over to ABC for the family sitcom According to Jim as Jim Belushi's wife, Cheryl. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Television standbys Courtney Thorne-Smith (Melrose Place, Ally McBeal), Kyle Secor (Party of Five) and Tracey Gold (Growing Pains) co-star in the prime-time melodrama Beauty's Revenge (AKA Midwest Obsession), which first premiered on NBC, on Friday, September 22, 1995, but is now available in this home video release. Thorne-Smith plays Cheryl, a diabolical and sociopathic high-school cheerleader in a Midwestern small town, who has her heart set on dating nice guy mechanic Kevin (Secor). Only one problem: Kevin's already attached to Beth (Gold), a local plain Jane. Beth therefore stands as an obstacle in-between Cheryl and Kevin, and Cheryl schemes to eliminate her rival. But first, Cheryl grows irate over her father's lack of affection toward her, and decides to off Kevin's best friend, Larry (Stephen Fanning). Soon, the cops have multiple homicides on their hands - all of which point to the same girl. William A. Graham directs, from a teleplay by Duane Poole. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Written by animation master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his protégé Yoshifumi Kondo, this film is a simple tale about a young girl who falls in love and learns to believe in herself. Suzuku Tsukishima is nearing the end of her final year of junior high. An avid bookworm, she devours books while quietly dreaming about becoming a writer. Though vivacious and outgoing with her best friend, she withdraws into herself when in the presence of her bossy older sister; her studious father, who is busy researching local history; and her mother, who is absorbed in the college courses she's taking. Then one day, she meets Seiji, a lad who has the ability to both irritate and charm her, often at the same time. He also harbors an unusual ambition: to build violins in Cremona, Italy. Around the same time, she meets a kindly old man who owns an antique shop, whom she later learns is Seiji's grandfather. One item in the store particularly catches her eye -- a strange statue of a cat with glittering eyes. Inspired by Seiji's utter determination to realize his own dream, she writes a story about the feline-shaped sculpture coming to life. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
One of the definitive, landmark shows of the 1990s, "90210" quickly became an important fixture on the FOX and in the popular discourse of adolescents and young adults. The third season's main characters, Dylan, Kelly, Donna, Steve, David, Andrea and twins Brandon and Brenda all attended West Beverly Hills High School. Brandon and Brenda Walsh and their parents, transplants from Minneapolis were the stable nuclear family with strong values; their home was a safe haven for the whole gang and the center of much of the drama. The show dealt with a steady stream of love triangles and other romantic entanglements and occasionally touched on more serious issues as well.
- 1994
- PG13
This made-for-cable movie tells the story of a military wife in jeopardy. Tom Verica stars as Lt. Ted Lutz, an Army soldier who has been transferred to a Utah base. When power-hungry commanding officer Col. Andrew Case (Peter Coyote) develops an interest in Lutz' wife Helen (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Lt. Lutz is suddenly shipped off-base, leaving Helen alone on the base to defend herself and fend off the advances of the colonel. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
There's a lot happening during the 31-episode 1993-94 season of Melrose Place, the sexy, steamy, outrageous, and slightly-more-grown-up spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210. Heather Locklear (as Amanda Woodward) -- a late-first-season, ratings-boosting addition to the cast -- fully becomes the show's star this season as she purchases the titular apartment complex, takes over the D&D advertising agency, and sets her sights on Jake Hanson (Grant Show). Philandering doctor Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro) has an affair with Dr. Kimberly Shaw (Marcia Cross, later of Desperate Housewives), divorces Jane Andrews (Josie Bissett), and then takes up with Sydney (Laura Leighton). Billy Campbell (Andrew Shue) still pines for Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith), whom he jilted for a fling with Amanda -- their boss -- in Season 1. But, this being Melrose Place, that's just the start of it: Jake breaks up with Jo Reynolds (Daphne Zuniga); Michael becomes paralyzed; Kimberly slips into a coma; Sydney becomes a prostitute; and the other soapy twists that were to be the show's trademark come fast and frisky. Features on this set include select audio commentaries by series creator Darren Star and featurettes such as: "Melrose Place - Meet the Neighbors," in which viewers get the inside scoop on favorite characters; a highlight- and lowlight-filled "Melrose Place - The Best of the Worst"; and an overview of the characters' tangled webs, "Melrose Place: Complex Relationships."
A nighttime soap opera about the lives, careers, trials and tribulations of a group of young people living in an apartment building in the trendy neighborhood of Melrose Place. The show was a spin off of Beverly Hills 90210 and starred Heather Locklear as the scheming Amanda Woodward, head of her own advertising agency and owner of the apartment building.
When Milwaukee college student Monroe Clark (C. Thomas Howell) takes a summer job evicting his wealthy uncle's Los Angeles tenants, he ends up befriending one of the deadbeats, ex-volleyball pro Zack Barnes (Peter Horton), and the two join up together to compete in an important volleyball match. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Peter Horton, (more)
- 1987
Photographer Lee Horsley is married to Kirstie Alley. After suffering a miscarriage, Alley treats Horsely with Fridgidaire-level coldness. He finds solace in an affair with Laurie O'Brien-who happens to be Alley's best friend. Oddly enough, this humorless domestic drama was advertised in TV Guide with all-smiles photos of its stars. Made for television, Infidelity premiered April 13, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- PG13
In this follow-up to Revenge of the Nerds the nerdy frat boys from Lambda Lambda Lambda go to Ft. Lauderdale to a national frat conference where they again must outwit the thick-tongued jock frat-boys who are also at the conference. This they can do. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Curtis Armstrong, (more)
On the eve of his Hawaiian vacation, irresponsible high school teacher Mark Harmon is forced into teaching a summer school class. His students are all malcontents and layabouts with the standard repertoire of teenaged hangups and hostilities (two of the kids, who can't see enough slasher movies to suit them, are hilarious precursors to Beavis and Butt-Head). Harmon would rather spend his time with history teacher Kirstie Alley, but she doesn't think much of his laziness and lack of dedication. Harmon finally begins to take his job seriously when he realizes his students' problems are not all of their own making. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1986
When it was first telecast on November 23, 1986, the made-for-TV Thanksgiving Promise (based on a novel by Blaine and Brenton Yorgason) was advertised as "A Thanksgiving Story as Only Disney Can Tell It." Actually, the film might not have come to fruition at all without the input of the Bridges family: Lloyd, Beau, Lloyd's wife Dorothy, Beau's son Jordan, and Jeff Bridges (uncredited). Jordan Bridges is the central character, a farm boy living in the shadow of his older brothers. Jordan's neighbor (Lloyd) entrusts the boy with a man-sized job: To care for a wounded gosling and fatten up the bird for Thanksgiving dinner. Inevitably, Jordan becomes attached to the bird, and as Thanksgiving approaches, he takes a series of odd jobs, hoping to buy the goose from his neighbor. But Jordan's father (Beau) insists that the boy keep his word and relinquish the goose. In addition to his costarring chores in Thanksgiving Promise, Beau Bridges coproduced and directed the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Corey Haim plays 13-year-old Lucas, a bespectacled, bookish type who attracts school bullies like a magnet. Lucas befriends 16-year-old Kerri Green; she wants to be "just friends," he'd like a more meaningful relationship. The boy introduces the girl to a world of intellectual pursuits of which she'd been previously unaware. She enjoys the attention, but is physically attracted to football jock Charlie Sheen, and becomes a cheerleader to be nearer to the young athlete. Lucas feels shut out once more, but is comforted to learn that Sheen is not just one more bully but a sensitive kid who sticks up for Lucas when the younger boy is being picked on. Still hoping to impress Kerri, Lucas tries out for the football team himself, threatening legal action when the coach tries to turn him down. This original and innovative teen-oriented film threatens to come to a hackneyed "big touchdown" climax. Instead, Lucas winds up in the hospital after being injured in a game, which earns him the respect of the rest of the team. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Haim, Kerri Green, (more)
- 1986
- PG13
This teen drama revolves around the misconceived exploits of three friends, Lindsey (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Joey (Mariska Hargitay), and Robin (Jo Ann Willette). After graduating from high school, the trio take off to work for a Nevada dude ranch; when that doesn't work out, they end up in Lake Tahoe with a new friend, Talia (Cristen Kauffman). Unfortunately, Talia's brutish boyfriend Roscoe (E. Erich Anderson) is a petty gangster who gets the three friends some work at a casino, basically the wrong jobs at the wrong time. Before long, the trio are in trouble, and after Roscoe bails them out, their problems only gets worse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Courtney Thorne-Smith, Mariska Hargitay, (more)
