Maura Tierney Movies

Jason Bateman's troubles begins when he gets his girl friend pregnant. Thrown out of high school, he falls in with traditional bad crowd, and soon he's up to his eyelids in mob activity. When his family is threatened, Bateman must turn stoolie...if he can avoid sleeping with the fish before the film is over. Most trade mags barely acknowledged this TV movie's existence, chalking it up as a ratings-hype assignment for young star of The Hogan Family. Crossing the Mob was originally telecast October 14, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

There are murderous goings on at a sweatshop that specializes in lingerie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The impossibly obstreperous Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) matriculates from recurring to regular character as the Chicago-based hospital drama ER enters its sixth season. Other incoming cast members include Maura Tierney as OB nurse Abby Lockhart, who is introduced when she delivers the twin babies of Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies); Goran Visnjic as troubled Eastern European émigré and war veteran Dr. Luka Kovac, Erik Palladino as zany Dr. Dave Malucci; and, back after a lengthy absence, Ming-Na as former intern and now full doctor Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen, who in her med-student days had been a formidable competitor to Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). Conversely, a number of familiar characters make their exits this season, most notably George Clooney as maverick Dr. Douglas Ross and Julianna Margulies as long-suffering Nurse Carol Hathaway; the season's penultimate episode, detailing with the ultimate fates of Ross and Carol, is among the series' most famous sequences -- and one which was surprisingly kept secret until the very night of the telecast. Additional "defectors" include Gloria Reuben as HIV-positive Jeanie Boulet, who has gotten over her earlier romance with prickly Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) and has wed police officer Reggie Moore (Cress Williams); and Kellie Martin as med student Lucy Knight, who is stabbed to death by a deranged patient, an attack that also seriously imperils the life of Lucy's erstwhile lover Carter -- who even upon recovery endangers himself by turning to drugs. Season five plot developments include Romano's ascension to chief of staff, a promotion given as part of a deal whereby Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) would be appointed ER chief; Romano's subsequent and surprising appointment of his verbal sparring partner Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) as his assistant; Corday's blossoming romance with her colleague Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), and the reciprocal love affair between Corday's mom and Greene's dad (who dies later in the season); Benton's affair with Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele), counterpointed by his incessant squabbling with his sister Jackie (Khandi Alexander); and guest star Alan Alda, who in a poignant story arc plays a celebrated surgeon in the first stage of Alzheimer's. The traditional season-ending cliffhanger finds Carter facing a crucial decision: seek out treatment for his ever-growing drug dependency or destroy whatever career he has left. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Resolving the cliffhanger ending of season seven, season eight of the award-winning hospital drama ER surveys the damage done when the emergency room of Chicago County was besieged by a gun-wielding lunatic whose son Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) had put in foster care. In subsequent episodes, two new characters are introduced: medical student Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) and intern Dr. Gregory Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), two polar-opposite personalities whose only common bond is the fact that they are both African-Americans. Under normal circumstances, the season's most dramatic development might have been the return after a five-year absence of Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), who finds herself re-upping with the ER even though that hadn't been her original intention (the fate of Susan's troublesome sister Chloe and Chloe's daughter, Suzy, would be explained in a "crossover" episode with another NBC series, Third Watch). However, too much happens this season for any one plot strand to predominate. For starters, Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle) enters into a bitter custody battle over his son, Reese, with Roger (Vondie Curtis-Hall), the widow of Reese's late mother, who had previously been helping to raise the boy, during which Benton's paternity is called into question; this and other crises ultimately inspire Benton to leave the ER and go to work in a small clinic with his current girlfriend, Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele) -- who, ironically, has become exposed to the HIV virus, just like Benton's former sweetheart Jeanie Boulet. Elsewhere, nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) tries to mediate an argument between her neighbors, only to get beaten up for her trouble; though East European émigré Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) seizes upon this incident to appoint himself Abby's "protector," she is still sweet on Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). As for Carter, he is burdened with family problems brought about by his estranged parents -- especially his guilt-tripping mom. On a lighter note, a case of on-the-job political incorrectness gets several of the ER doctors "sentenced" to a weekend sensitivity-training session, which evolves into the series' own version of The Breakfast Club. In addition to the departing Eriq La Salle, season eight of ER marks the exit of Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene. After learning that his tumor has returned and is now truly inoperable, Greene slowly loses his faculties and wastes away, as his new wife, Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston), and daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh) stand by helplessly. Greene's final episode, largely told in flashback, is one of the series' most poignant moments. Curiously, however, the demise of Dr. Greene does not take place in the season finale; that particular episode is reserved for a cliffhanger situation involving a smallpox scare, a lockdown at the ER, and a riot -- not to mention a passionate kiss between two of the principal characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season ten of ER finds Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) returning to Chicago County after a brief sojourn with a Doctors Without Borders project in a war-torn Congolese field hospital. Reportedly, Carter's co-worker in this project, Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic), was killed in the fighting -- but this report proves to be slightly exaggerated when Kovac himself reappears at the ER. In a related development, the romance between Carter and nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) is stifled by the news that Carter has had a fling with his Doctors Without Borders co-worker Kem Likasu (Thandie Newton), who is carrying his baby. Elsewhere, Parminder Nagra joins the cast as nervous new med student Neela Rasgotra, who is mentored by Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins), who in turn is now a doctor. Neela catches the eye of Gallant's longtime rival Dr. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), arousing the jealousy of Dr. Deb Chen (Ming-Na). Later on, Neela passes her medical boards, but the more experienced Abby does not. Another newcomer to the cast is Glenn Howerton as Dr. Nick Cooper, a second-year resident. This season marks the departure of Paul McCrane as irascible Dr. Robert Romano, who has become all the nastier since being fitted out with a prosthesis after losing his hand and forearm in a helicopter accident; ironically, it is another helicopter, this one crashing off the hospital roof, which ultimately seals Romano's doom. Even more ironically, Romano's death saves the job of Dr. Archie Morris (Scott Grimes), whom Romano had just caught smoking pot on the job. In other developments, Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) recovers sufficiently from the death two seasons ago of her husband, Mark Greene, to enter into a hot-and-heavy romance with Dr. Eddie Dorset (Bruno Campos), who happens to be married; later on, she is made head of surgery and juggles dating two other men at the same time. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) strikes up an unusual friendship with a suicidal architect (brilliantly portrayed by Bob Newhart). And Kerry Weaver's (Laura Innes) parter, paramedic Sandy Lopez (Lisa Vidal), gives birth to a baby boy, Henry; however, Kerry's euphoria is tragically cut short when Sandy later dies in a fire and Kerry ends up in a bitter custody battle with Sandy's family over the child. The season ends on another cliffhanger, as doctors Pratt and Chen are seriously wounded in a particularly nasty case of "road rage." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Struggling musicians vie for success in the hard world of the New York hip-hop scene in this gritty urban drama. Rich (Jeffrey D. Sams) is convinced he has a future as a rapper -- so much so that he leaves his wife and family to go to New York and reach for the brass ring. While scuffling for work, Rich meets another MC, I Tick (Ron Brice), whose roughneck style is a contrast to Rich's smooth delivery. The two rhymers begin working together and soon find that they may have a shot at the big time. The supporting cast includes Maura Tierney, Larry Gillard Jr., and Leo Burmester; rapper MC Lyte contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ben (Ben Affleck) has two days to get from New York to Savannah, Georgia for his wedding to Bridget Cahill (Maura Tierney). Everything is running smoothly until his plane skids off the runway. Ben inadvertently saves the life of his seatmate, Sarah (Sandra Bullock), who becomes his companion for the longest two days of his life. As fate begins to repeat itself through a series of disasters involving a rental car, a train, and a bus (not to mention a hurricane), Ben has to wonder if someone's trying to give him a message. Inevitably, he also finds himself falling in love with Sarah. Meanwhile, Bridget wonders where, exactly, Ben is, and her old boyfriend Steve (David Strickland) attempts to take advantage of the situation. Not that Bridget's dad (Ronny Cox) really minds, since Steve is much more successful than Ben. En route, Ben and Sarah collide with Ben's best man, Alan (Steve Zahn) and his girlfriend, the maid of honor (Meredith Scott Lynn), which further adds to the series of cosmic tests that Ben must try to answer. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide

A man who leaves humanity behind to live with animals returns to society under unpleasant circumstances, but with valuable lessons about human and animal relationships. Anthony Hopkins stars as Ethan Powell, a noted anthropologist studying the behavior of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The longer Powell follows the apes, the more he comes to admire their simple but peaceful society. He begins to spend most of his time with the apes until one day he ventures into the jungle and doesn't return. Powell throws in his lot with the gorillas and lives among them as primitive man once lived in the wild with animals. However, two years later, poachers kill several of the gorillas, and Powell flies into a murderous rage, killing two of the men who attacked his friends. Extradited to the United States, Powell is sent to a grim maximum-security prison in Florida, where he will be held while awaiting trail. A psychological evaluation must be performed on Powell, and the task falls to Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an ambitious young psychiatrist who sees this as a case with the potential to make him famous. However, since Powell initially won't speak to anyone, getting through to him will be a challenge, and Powell's daughter Lyn (Maura Tierney) has little insight on the father she barely knew. As Caulder slowly builds a rapport with Powell, he comes to realize what Powell has learned from his experience with the gorillas -- and how much Powell can teach him about living with others. Loosely adapted from the novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, Instinct also features supporting performances from Donald Sutherland and George Dzundza. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A young aspiring actress is killed by a lethal drug overdose. At first glance, it seems the girl was driven to her death by her mother, the proverbial "stage mom from hell." But as the detectives and the D.A.'s office pursue the investigation, it becomes painfully clear that both mother and daughter are inextricably linked with the sleazy producer of porno films. This episode offers an interesting change-of-pace role for frequent Woody Allen co-star Tony Roberts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mr. Show alumnus Bob Odenkirk's directorial debut, Melvin Goes to Dinner, is based on the play Phyrogiants! by Michael Blieden, who also adapted the script for the screen and stars in the film's titular role. Melvin has just broken up with his girlfriend, Trenice (Melora Walters), and has met up with his friend Joey (Matt Price) and two women, Alex (Stephanie Courtney) and Sarah (Annabelle Gurwitch), whose relationship to the men remains ambiguous. From there, the bulk of the action takes place around a table at a restaurant, as the four bare their innermost secrets and discuss everything from ghosts to stewardesses to masturbation. The film was shot simultaneously on five hand-held cameras in order to capture the essence and idiosyncrasies of the constantly overlapping conversations. Featuring appearances by Odenkirk, David Cross, Maura Tierney, and Jack Black in an unbilled cameo as a mental patient, and a score by Michael Penn, Melvin Goes to Dinner was the winner of the Audience Award for First Film at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, the Best American Feature Award at the 2003 Avignon Film Festival, and the Best Picture Award at the Phoenix Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide