M. Emmet Walsh Movies
Rarely garnering a lead role, M. Emmet Walsh has become one of the busiest character actors in Hollywood, using his ruddy, seedy appearance to embody countless low-life strangers with unsavory agendas. In his rare sympathetic roles, he's also capable of generating genuine pathos for the put upon plight of struggling small-timers. His effortless portrayals have made him a welcome addition to numerous ensembles, even if many viewers can't match a name to his recognizable mug. In fact, his work is so well thought of that critic Roger Ebert created the Stanton-Walsh Rule, which states that no film featuring either Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton can be altogether bad.Contrary to his frequent casting as a Southerner, Walsh is a native New Yorker, born on March 22, 1935, in Ogdensburg, NY. As a youth he attended the prestigious Tilton School in New Hampshire, and went on to share a college dorm room with actor William Devane. He graduated from the Clarkson University School of Business, but it was not until his thirties that he discovered his true calling: acting. He first popped up in Midnight Cowboy (1969), and has worked steadily ever since, some years appearing in as many as eight motion pictures, other years focusing more on TV movies.
Working in relative anonymity through the '70s and early '80s, appearing in films ranging from Serpico (1973) to Slapshot (1977) to Blade Runner (1982), Walsh landed his meatiest and most memorable role in Joel and Ethan Coen's remarkable debut, Blood Simple (1984). Without batting an eye, Walsh exuded more casual menace as the amoral private detective doggedly pursuing his own self-interest than a host of typecast villains could muster in their entire careers. His role was key to creating a stylish noir that would launch the careers of two modern masters. It earned him an Independent Spirit Award.
Blood Simple did not markedly alter Walsh's status as a supporting actor, as he went on to appear in this capacity in Fletch (1985), Back to School (1986), and Raising Arizona (1987), his next collaboration with the Coens, in which his bull-slinging machinist scores riotously with less than a minute of screen time. One of the first appearances of the kindly Walsh was in 1988's Clean and Sober, in which he plays a recovering alcoholic helping Michael Keaton through the same struggle.
As he crept into his late fifties and early sixties, the stature of Walsh's films diminished a little, if not his actual workload. Continuing to dutifully pursue his craft throughout the early '90s, Walsh again returned to a higher profile with appearances in such films as A Time to Kill (1996), William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996), and My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). More as a reaction to the ineptitude of the movie than Walsh's performance, Ebert called into question his own Walsh-Stanton Rule in his review of Wild Wild West, the 1999 Will Smith-Kevin Kline debacle in which Walsh is one of the only tolerable elements. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Deuce Bigalow star Rob Schneider writes and stars in this comedy about a nerdy con man whose swindling ways ultimately land him a stiff prison sentence. Terrified at the prospect of being raped while serving time, the diminutive convict-to-be enlists the aid of a respected kung-fu expert in teaching him how to properly defend himself. Once inside, however, he finds his kung-fu serving as a catalyst for peace between the many warring factions. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Schneider, David Carradine, (more)
Fate brings together two mismatched travelers in this comedy. Sherman (Michael Shulman) is a tightly wound, career-obsessed college student whose mother, Evelyn (Donna Murphy), is a successful politician who micromanages her own life as well as that of her son. Planning to spend a few weeks in Northern California with his girlfriend, Marcy (Lacey Chabert), Sherman instead discovers that she's dumped him for another, more fun-loving guy; adding insult to injury, Sherman's wallet and credit cards have been stolen and Evelyn decides it's time to cut off his allowance. With few options and eager to prove he can be free-spirited and self-reliant, Sherman decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles for an internship interview, and takes a ride with the first person willing to take him down the coast. Sherman's ride turns out to be Palmer (James LeGros), a former Olympic skiing champion-turned-footloose middle-aged bohemian who is more interested in keeping his vintage convertible in tune than in getting anywhere at any specific time. While Sherman and Palmer have next to nothing in common, before long the younger man finds himself learning some lessons about life from the scruffy stranger behind the wheel. Sherman's Way was the first theatrical feature from producer-turned-director Craig Saavedra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Shulman, James LeGros, (more)
- 2008
A thinly veiled, unsanctioned biopic of author Phillip K. Dick, first-time writer/director inventive feature debut follows the story of acclaimed science fiction author William J. Frick as he experiences a massive stroke that sends him on a fantastic journey into his own imagination. It's the summer of 1974, and author Bill Frick (Bill Pullman) is living in squalor. Despite having a sizable reputation as a sci-fi visionary, Bill doesn't have so much as a penny to his name. Nevertheless, he's determined to finish his latest masterpiece - an ambitious tome inspired by beautiful actress Nikki Principal (Taryn Manning). Bill has formed something of an obsession with Nikki as of late, and after ducking a meeting with a persistent IRS agent, he suffers a sudden stroke that renders him trapped in a limbo world with his favorite actress. There, Nikki informs Bill that his latest literary work has the power to change the world. Upon gazing out his window to see murals and statues of himself spread out across the sprawling cityscape, Bill realizes that he has finally achieved his goal of becoming a God among mortals. But not everyone worships the pages that Bill writes on; there are those like the nefarious Maurice Kroger (M. Emmet Walsh) who would wield Bill's knowledge and power as a weapon designed to help them further their own malevolent agenda. Just then Bill begins to realize that he's not living in reality at all, but in a wondrous world of his own making. Harold Perrineau, Charles Napier, and Traci Lords co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Pullman, Taryn Manning, (more)
A young man learns something about making his fantasies into reality from an older man who has already been there in this coming-of-age drama. Cameron (Michael Angarano) is a teenage film buff living in Los Angeles who dreams of making movies himself someday, an ambition that doesn't impress his parents very much. Cameron doesn't have many friends beyond fellow outcast Murphy (Joshua Boyd), and wealthy and popular classmate Brett (Taber Schroeder) takes great pleasure in making Cameron's life miserable. A major film school in L.A. has announced a competition for young filmmakers, but while Cameron has talent and ideas, Brett has the money to buy film stock and rent equipment, and Cameron wonders if he stands any chance at all. One evening, while attending a screening of Orson Welles's Touch of Evil at a revival theater, Cameron sees an elderly man who shouts at the screen about his old pal Orson. Cameron is thus introduced to Flash Madden (Christopher Plummer), who worked as a lighting man during the Golden Age of Hollywood and really did work with some of the most respected names in the business, including Welles. While cranky Flash doesn't much care for Cameron at first, in time he sees a kindred spirit in the movie-mad teenager, and offers his technical know-how and sources of equipment to the would-be director. Flash also introduces Cameron to Mickey Hopkins (M. Emmet Walsh), a former screenwriter who helped script a number of silver screen classics but is now living in a shabby Old Folks home, and in Hopkins Cameron finds the inspiration for just the sort of movie he wants to make. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, (more)
The sheltered life of a Vermont orphan is suddenly thrown into chaos with the appearance of a beautiful and free-spirited New York artist in this coming of age drama from four-time Emmy nominee Lee Shallat Chemel. JP Barton was just an infant when he was found by the elderly owner of a rustic family resort in Vermont, and over the years he has hardly ever ventured off the grounds. When a radiant artist from the big city arrives at the resort and JP begins to realize how big the world truly is, however, his entire perception of reality is turned upside down. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kimberly McCullough, Brad Raider, (more)
A horse of a different pattern becomes a spoiler in a high-stakes race in the family-friendly comedy-drama. Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood) is a farmer who once earned his living training racehorses before his wife was killed in an accident while riding, which led him to leave the racing game. Nolan tends to his farm and looks after his daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere) and a large flock of animals, who speak to one another but not to humans. After a traveling circus passes through town, a zebra pony is left behind; Nolan takes in the animal, intending to return it to the circus, but at Channing's insistence they keep the zebra, naming him Stripes (voiced by Frankie Muniz). Channing loves Stripes, and the zebra is welcomed by the other critters on the farm, including grumpy Shetland pony Tucker (voiced by Dustin Hoffman), slow-moving hound dog Lightning (voiced by Snoop Dogg), a New Jersey-born pelican named Goose (voiced by Joe Pantoliano), skinny-brained rooster Reggie (voiced by Jeff Foxworthy), and deep-thinking goat Franny (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg). Channing discovers that Stripes can outrun nearly any horse around, and Woodzie (M. Emmett Walsh), a local character who has spent years handicapping the ponies, is convinced the zebra would be shoo-in in the Kentucky Open, a prestigious race held at the estate of champion horse breeder Clara Dalrymple (Wendie Malick). Channing believes Stripes can win, but he'll need the help of Nolan, who isn't so sure he's ready to start training again; meanwhile, Stripes gets plenty of advice from the other farm animals about his big step onto the race track. Mandy Moore, David Spade, and Steve Harvey also contribute their voice talents to the picture. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hayden Panettiere, Bruce Greenwood, (more)
Based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Christmas With the Kranks revolves around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank's (Tim Allen) decision to put their normally fanatical enthusiasm for the holidays aside for a tropical cruise. With their daughter in Peru with the Peace Corps, the Kranks believe it just isn't worth it; thus, no presents, Christmas trees, or decorations of any kind will adorn their house to the great consternation of their neighbor Vic (Dan Aykroyd). Just as it looks like Christmas will be successfully skipped, Blair (Julie Gonzalo) throws a major kink into her plans when she suddenly has a change of heart and announces she'll be coming home for Christmas after all. The film ran into troubles early on in production when Ben Affleck's similar sounding bomb Surviving Christmas won the race to the theaters, forcing the filmmakers to depart from the book title in favor of the catchy Kranks one. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, (more)
- 2003
Unlike her earlier comedy series and specials, in which she "took on" dozens of vivid and distinct characterizations, Tracey Ullman focuses herein on only three of her famous alter egos. First and foremost is faded glamour gal Ruby Romaine, veteran Hollywood cosmetician and shameless dispenser of libelous gossip. In her efforts to gain re-entry into Local 706 of the Hair and Makeup Guild, the heavily wrinkled Ruby crosses paths with two other Ullman creations, Russian émigré Svetlana and actress Pepper Kane, a black woman trying to pass as white (not surprisingly, both ladies are prime targets for Ruby's unending stream of ethnic slurs). Somehow or other, Ruby's return to her days of glory also brings her in contact with such real-life popular culture icons as Debbie Reynolds, Barbara Bain, Cheech Marin, Rose Marie, Jane Kaczmarek, and former Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In producer George Schlatter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracey Ullman
Two Oscar-winning actors add a family-oriented comedy to their resumes with this Disney-produced arctic adventure. Snow Dogs stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ted Brooks, a Florida-dwelling dentist with a successful chain of offices and a comfy, poolside lifestyle. All this changes, however, when he finds out that he was actually adopted as a child, and that his birth mother has died and left him an inheritance in her home state of Alaska, of all places. After arriving in the snow-bound clime, Ted learns that he has been willed a pack of cutely named sled dogs: Demon, Diesel, Dutchess, Nana, Mack, Scooper, Sniff, and Yodel. Problem is, the town's premiere sled-dogger, Thunder Jack (James Coburn), wants the pack for himself, and encourages Ted to go back to his tropical environs. But with a major sled-dog race looming, Ted's inspired to learn the ropes, as it were, and prove himself worthy of his birth mother's inheritance -- any way he can. Snow Dogs was directed by Jingle All the Way's Brian Levant and features some animatronic dog effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop; the script was very loosely adapted from popular author Gary Paulsen's nonfiction book Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Coburn, (more)
- 2001
Normally a man who does not back down from a confrontation, Martin (John Mahoney) just stands and takes it when his new boss Rich (M. Emmet Walsh) bullies him on the job. Sympathizing with his dad's frustration, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) decides to intervene -- the last thing in the world that Martin wants him to do. As the situation develops, Frasier learns a whole new meaning for the old adage "Like Father, Like Son." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Ray (Tim Vahle) has just returned from college to run a Native-American ski lodge. A laid-back place where employees' children play in the lobby and the handyman has a habit of macking on guests, the lodge isn't exactly four-star travel guide material. So when Ray learns that a travel guide representative is coming to make an inspection, he makes an executive decision to make the lodge a professional place of business. In addition to keeping his father, who happens to be the hotel's former manager, out of his way, he also has to contend with his somewhat eccentric staff, which includes an emotional vegetarian chef (Graham Greene) who takes a certain pleasure in informing his diners of the names he has given the animals they're eating. Despite Ray's exhaustive preparations, something, of course, goes wrong: something that, in this case, turns out to be a case of mistaken identity: when Tina, a comely Mohawk woman, shows up at the lodge, Ray assumes her to be the representative, and sets about giving her the royal treatment while the actual representative (M. Emmet Walsh) is ignored and must contend with a hefty dose of hotel mismanagement. Christmas in the Clouds was an audience favorite at the 2002 Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Vahle, MariAna Tosca, (more)
- 2000
A barrel containing the dismembered body of a woman is found in a house formerly owned by mobster Pete Mangrini (Al Sapienza). In their efforts to prove that the body is that of Mangrini's long-missing wife, thereby pinning a murder rap on the mob boss, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Jones (Henry Simmons) are aided and abetted by plucky reporter Nicole Graf (Elizabeth Berkley). Meanwhile, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sorenson (Rick Schroder), pursuing another lead in the Mangini case, come up with a satisfying example of the postman ringing twice. And off the job, Sipowicz tries to help police medical examiner Dr. Kroft (M. Emmet Walsh) cope with his wife's terminal cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of several comedies at the 2000 Method Film Festival to focus on the socio-economic cross-section identified in its title, this film stars Sean Young as a determined Illinois mom who will do anything to provide a college education for her beloved son Mike Tony Denman. The first order of business, however, involves helping Mike avoid serving jail time for a prank he pulled with his inept buddy Lennie (Jacob Tierney). Lennie's grandfather (William Devane) is a high-priced attorney and might be the boys' ticket to beating the rap -- that is, if they can afford him. Their solution: stage a series of robberies around town. After some trepidation, mom and sleazy boyfriend (Jason London) decide to aid and abet the boys as they bumble one not-so-daring heist after another. The title of the film was inspired by the 1957 B-movie of the same name, although this 2000 version bears no common plot elements. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Young, William Devane, (more)
A cop looking for a chance to redeem himself comes up against a man who has built a fortune out of corruption in this thriller. Roy Murcant (Nick Mancuso) is a free-wheeling entrepreneur who has built a multi-million dollar empire on the Las Vegas strip with his own two hands. But not everyone in newly corporate Las Vegas is convinced Murcant is playing by the rules; Murcant's partners think he may be pocketing more than his fair share of the money, while others are certain he's keeping his operation afloat through bribes and kickbacks. Jack Newland (Louis Mandylor) is a police detective new to Las Vegas after questionable behavior cost him his job in Florida. Newland's new job is a final opportunity to make good, and as he investigates allegations of Murcant double-dealings, he learns that Murcant keeps two sets of books -- one for the authorities, and one that tells the real story of his illegal business transactions. Murcant's case would be made if he could find the second set of books, but there are plenty of people in Vegas looking for them, and a few would be willing to kill to get their hands on them. Jack of Hearts also stars Ben Gazzara, M. Emmet Walsh, Lucky Vanous, and Joe Penny. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Mancuso, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)
Yet another TV series is revived for the big screen, as Will Smith and Kevin Kline join forces as James T. West and Artemus Gordon, the most sophisticated government agents of the 1860's, in the film adaptation of The Wild Wild West. West and Gordon represent two opposite ends of the personality scale: West is a smooth-talking charmer and man of action who prefers to shoot first and ask questions much, much later; while Gordon is intensely methodical and cerebral, with a genius for gadgets and mechanical innovations. They're brought together by no less an authority than the President of the United States to track down an evil genius named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Loveless was once an honored military leader and inventor until one of his schemes went awry and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Driven mad by the experience, Loveless is determined to get revenge on the United States by assassinating the President, using a 60-foot tall mechanical spider. Assisting Loveless is a team of beautiful female criminals, Miss East (Bai Ling), Amazonia (Frederique Van Der Wal), Munitia (Musetta Vander) and Miss Lippenreider (Sofia Eng). As the initially suspicious West and Gordon learn to work together, they also find themselves helped by an attractive woman, Rita Escobar (Salma Hayek), who has her own bone to pick with Loveless. Wild Wild West reunites star Will Smith with director Barry Sonnenfeld, who previously worked together on the hit Men In Black (1997). Wild Wild West features a hip-hop theme song from one-time Fresh Prince Smith, along with a more traditional Western score from composer Elmer Bernstein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Kevin Kline, (more)
- 1999
M. Emmet Walsh and Tobias Mehler star in this horror story. A small town stages a monster movie festival, but the fun frights on screen merge into real life terror when one of the featured monsters comes to life and begins stalking victims. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- M. Emmet Walsh, Tobias Mehler, (more)
A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eli Marienthal, Vin Diesel, (more)
The Nobody's Fool (1994) team of Paul Newman, director Robert Benton, and scripter Richard Russo reassembled for this L.A. detective drama, beginning with a Puerto Vallarta prologue showing private eye Harry Ross (Newman) accidentally shot by 17-year-old Mel Ames (Reese Witherspoon) during his efforts to get her to return home. Two years later, the broke and divorced Ross lives in a garage apartment on the estate of Mel's parents, his movie-star friends Jack and Catherine Ames (Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon). The cancer-ridden Jack is not unaware that Harry is attracted to Catherine. Delivering a package for Jack, Harry encounters elderly Lester Ivar (M. Emmet Walsh), who shoots at Harry and then dies. Harry's curiosity is provoked when he discovers that Ivar was an investigator checking into the disappearance of Catherine's first husband, written off 20 years earlier as an unsolved case, but now reactivated as Harry's sleuth-work leads him on a trail of past crimes and cover-ups. The Ames residence is actually the former Cedric Gibbons-Delores Del Rio home, and a never-completed Frank Lloyd Wright house near Malibu served as the Ames' ranchhouse. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 1998
Harry Bromley-Davenport directed this wacky black indie comedy about ad exec Brian (Timothy Busfield), happily married to his second wife, Calamity (Melora Hardin). Unfortunately, his first wife, Stephanie (Jennifer Grant), supports her wild shopping sprees with alimony payments that squeeze Brian into near-bankruptcy. Thus, Stephanie lives in a luxurious Hollywood mansion while Brian and Calamity struggle to survive in a seedy apartment one step from the slums. Solution? Brian and Calamity hire a hitman -- who not only botches the assignment, he falls in love with Calamity. Meanwhile, Stephanie finds a new source of funding when she connects with psychotic billionaire Ralph Worth (M. Emmet Walsh). Shown at the 1998 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Busfield, Jennifer Grant, (more)
Stand-up comic Carrot Top is usually seen with his wacky inventions, such as a bald-head blowdryer and an anatomically correct fanny pack. Similar goofy gimmicks are combined with physical humor and stunt work in this comedy about the plight of Venice Beach inventor-surfer Edison (Carrot Top) and his roommates Ty (Mystro Clark) and Zak (Jack Plotnick) as they all near eviction. For rent money, Edison tries (unsuccessfully) to sell his dopey devices, including his Glo Gunk and his bug-killer helmet. A la Melvin and Howard, Edison offers a roadside assist to wealthy tycoon Armand McMillan (Jack Warden), who dies and wills controlling shares of his business to Edison, putting Edison at odds with McMillan's mean-spirited nephew (Larry Miller) and McMillan's closest corporate competitor Grace Kosik (Raquel Welch). In the Big tradition, Edison gets positive reactions to such inventions as TV dinners with real TVs and his Bull Shirt lie-detector -- while schemes and intrigue lurk around every corner of the corporate corridors. The comedian received a satirical jab from Mike Myers in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) when the words "Carrot Top movie" are seen on a document of villainous "evil schemes." ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carrot Top, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
Science fiction crime thriller from Louis Morneau, genre director and graduate of the Roger Corman school of filmmaking. Kylie Travis stars as Karen, a psychiatrist and former hostage negotiator with the Chicago Police Department. After a negotiation gone lethally wrong, Karen has quit and returned home to Texas, where her car breaks down on the side of the highway. Picked up by Frank (James Belushi) and his ex-wife Rayanne (Shannon Whirry), it becomes quickly evident that Frank, a psychotically violent and jealous man, is involved in some sort of illegal activity involving a stolen computer disk. During a break at a truck stop, Frank murders Rayanne. Karen escapes to a nearby government installation, where Brian (Frank Whaley), a scientist, is working on a time travel device. Karen uses the machine to turn back the clock a few hours and try to prevent Frank's murderous rampage, but her interference only makes things worse. Returning again and again to the past, Karen only succeeds in adding fuel to Frank's fire. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Belushi, Kylie Travis, (more)
A woman realizes that friends can be lovers, but now has to convince the friend in question in this romantic comedy. Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) and Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) were romantically involved in college, and after breaking up, they have managed to remain close friends. For years, Julianne and Michael have had a pledge that if both were single when they turned 28, they would get married. Shortly before her 28th birthday, Julianne is lamenting the sad state of her love life when she gets a call from Michael, who announces that he has important news. Julianne is convinced that Michael is going to ask her to marry him, and she is crestfallen when he announces that he's engaged to Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz). Kimmy seems like the perfect woman for Michael; she's sweet, pretty, bright, and adores Michael, and her wealthy family is just as fond of him as she is. But now that Julianne has realized how much she loves Michael, she's not about to give him up without a fight -- and isn't afraid to fight dirty. Julianne's uneasy ally in the battle for Michael's affections is her friend and editor George Downes (Rupert Everett), a cheerfully out-of-the-closet homosexual who is not prepared when Julianne asks him to pose as her boyfriend. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, (more)
- 1997
- R
A man's past comes back to haunt him -- literally -- in this thriller. After surviving a traumatic auto accident that took the life of a close friend and injured his brother, young Michael Sanford was sent off to a boarding school and didn't see his hometown in California's Sonoma Valley for close to two decades until he returned after the death of his mother. Michael (Brett Cullen) has inherited the family business, a winery, and he and his wife Diane (Tamlyn Tomita) try to build the business as they make a new home. But a psychotic killer has invaded the community, murdering a number of children, and one night Michael drives past the site of the killings and thinks that he sees more bodies. A number of people in town are convinced that Michael has never revealed everything he knows about the auto accident from 20 years ago, and as he tries to tell the police what he thinks he's seen in connection with the sudden rash of child killings, he discovers that he's now a leading suspect in the police's investigation. The Killing Jar also stars Wes Studi, Brion James, and M. Emmet Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brett Cullen, Tamlyn Tomita, (more)
