Kristen Vigard Movies
Illeana Douglas delivers a superb performance as Denise Waverly, a fictional singer and songwriter whose life bears more than a passing resemblance to that of real-life pop star Carole King. Edna Buxton, the daughter of a Philadelphia steel tycoon, aspires to a career as a singer, and when against her mother's bidding she sings a sultry version of "Hey There (You With the Stars in Your Eyes)" (instead of Mom's choice, "You'll Never Walk Alone") at a talent contest, she wins a recording contact and moves to New York City. She cuts a record and gains a new stage name, Denise Waverly; however, she soon finds that girl singers are a dime a dozen in the Big Apple and her career as a vocalist goes nowhere. But she has a knack for writing songs, and eccentric producer Joel Milner (John Turturro) asks her to pen some songs for his upcoming projects. Teamed with Howard Caszatt (Eric Stoltz), a hipster songwriter who wants to express his political and social ideals through pop tunes, she finds both a successful collaborator and husband. While her work with Howard gains Denise writing credits on a string of hit records and respect within the industry, their marriage falls apart, and she becomes involved with Jay Phillips (Matt Dillon), the gifted but unstable leader of a popular West Coast surf music combo. Students of pop music history will have a ball with the various characters modeled after real-life rock legends, and the 1960s-style song score includes numbers written by Joni Mitchell and J. Mascis (of the band Dinosaur Jr.), as well as one-time King collaborator Gerry Goffin; a collaboration between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, "God Give Me Strength," led to a full album written by the two great tunesmiths. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, (more)
License to Kill is a serious TV movie dealing with the subject of drunken driving. The film begins when a popular high school girl is killed in a head-on collision by inebriated-businessman Don Murray. Though he's had a drinking problem for some time, Murray has dismissed it as a byproduct of the tensions of his job. Facing a manslaughter charge, the well-heeled Murray hires an expensive defense team....while the father of the dead girl (James Farentino), with hardly a penny to his name, is doggedly determined to see that Murray pays for his misdeed to the fullest extent of the law. The conflicting personalities of the two men are counterpointed by the anguish experienced by their wives (Millie Perkins and Penny Fuller). Written by William A. Schwartz, License to Kill debuted on January 10, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Director Michael Ritchie spoofs survivalists in this rambling black comedy. Donald Quinelle (Robin Williams) is a successful young executive who is called to his boss' office one morning and is fired by a parrot sitting in the CEO's chair -- a method the company uses to axe high-powered execs. Donald meets Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau), a former gas station owner who is out of work because his business was blown up. At a diner, the two newfound friends witness a robbery and catch sight of the perpetrator, Jerry Reed (Jack Locke). Reed is a mob hit man who swears to kill the two men who saw him commit the crime. Donald, formerly afraid of weapons, becomes obsessed with guns as a way to protect himself from the mob. He enrolls in a survivalist training school in the mountains of Vermont. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Robin Williams, (more)
This beautifully mounted adaptation of Walter Farley's story for children tells the tale of Alec (Kelly Reno), a young boy touring the world with his adventurous salesman father (Hoyt Axton). While travelling back to the United States by ship, Alec discovers a wild, beautiful Arabian stallion being brought along in the cargo hold. When disaster strikes at sea, the ship sinks, and Alec and the stallion are the only survivors. Alone together on a nearby island, the boy and the horse develop a relationship; wary of each other at first, they learn to trust each other, and they become close friends. When a rescue party finally finds Alec, he refuses to leave the island without the stallion, and the horse goes with Alec to the small town that is his home. Alec's mother (Teri Garr) is at a loss about what to do with this remarkable but difficult animal. Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney), an elderly horse trainer who lives in the neighborhood, senses a special connection between the boy and his horse; he's soon convinced that with the right training, and the boy as his jockey, the horse could be a champion on the race course. First-time director Carroll Ballard captures the mysterious relationship between humans and animals, treating the stallion with the same intelligence and respect as the rest of his cast; he also draws fine, understated performances from Kelly Reno and Mickey Rooney, and Caleb Deschanel's photography makes this a feast for the eyes. The Black Stallion is that rare contemporary family film that will fascinate adults as much as their kids, if not more so. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, (more)
- 1978
Set in Illinois (and filmed in Canada), Home to Stay stars Henry Fonda as an aging farmer who resists the notion of moving into a nursing home. Fonda's son Michael McGuire would like to honor his father's wishes, but realizes that the old man is becoming increasingly unable to care for himself. Conversely, McGuire's teen-aged daughter Kristen Vigard feels that her grandpa is being unfairly shunted away. Together with her friend David Stambaugh, Vigard contrives to "kidnap" Grandpa and drive off to Chicago, there to get financial and emotional support from Kristen's aunt and uncle. Directed by television vet Delbert Mann, the made-for-TV Home to Stay was originally broadcast May 2, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
