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Peggy Walton-Walker Movies

2006  
R  
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The true story of one woman's brief and ultimately tragic flirtation with fame in the 1960s provides the basis for this biographical drama. In 1943, Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller) was born to a wealthy and socially prominent family, and she grew up with beauty and money, but also a history of mental illness; she was hospitalized with an eating disorder in her late teens, and by the time she was 21, two of her seven siblings had died before their time. In 1964, Edie moved to New York City, and quickly made a splash on the Manhattan social scene; she became friendly with the famous pop artist Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce), who was fascinated by her gamine loveliness and her quirky personality. Warhol wasted no time in casting her in one of his underground movies, and she quickly became a crucial part of his retinue of "superstars." Fashion icon Diana Vreeland (Illeana Douglas) was convinced Edie had the looks and charm to also become a successful model, and soon she was gracing the pages of Life, Vogue, and Glamour. But Edie's instability was hardly helped by her new fast-lane lifestyle, and when she met Billy Quinn (Hayden Christensen), a folk rock singer-songwriter often cited as "the voice of a generation," he persuaded her that Warhol and his associates were simply using her fame and beauty for their own gain, and she found herself torn between two powerful mentors, one of whom had become her lover as well. Factory Girl also co-stars Jimmy Fallon, Mena Suvari, and Tara Summers as regulars at the Warhol "Factory." The character of Musician was inspired in part by Bob Dylan, who was romantically involved with Edie Sedgwick for a brief time. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Sienna MillerHayden Christensen, (more)
 
2006  
PG13  
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Two very different men are brought together and learn a mutually important lesson about the real function of a church in this drama. Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) is a man in his mid-thirties who after years of scuffling as a musician on the West Coast has decided to move back East and work with his father. As it happens, his father is Jeremiah Jenkins (J. Don Ferguson), a well known and respected minister who leads the flock at "The Rock," a massive "superchurch" where worship often looks more like a flashy multi-media presentation than a church service. Ethan becomes an associate pastor at The Rock, but it's clear he views his mission more as a business than service to the community, and Jeremiah decides his son needs to learn a bit more about what work at a church is all about. In the early '60s, Jeremiah helped found the Second Chance Community Church during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The inner-city neighborhood Second Chance serves is now a crime-ridden slum, and Jeremiah sends Ethan there to assist pastor Jake Sanders (Jeff Obafemi Carr) as he tries to maintain an oasis of peace and hope in the middle of a gang-dominated war zone. Through Jake, Ethan gains some hard-won wisdom about the true nature of faith and service, and he tries to share his new knowledge with his father, whose new congregation is a far cry from where he started his mission for the Lord. The Second Chance marked the first feature film role for award-winning Christian musician Michael W. Smith. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Michael W. SmithJeff Obafemi Carr, (more)
 
2006  
R  
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Director Steve Stockman takes the helm for this semi-autobiographical comedy drama about an estranged family that comes together for one last goodbye, and finds their assumedly brief farewell inexorably dragged out for two excruciating weeks. Aging matriarch Anita (Sally Field) is dying, but before she goes, she has requested that her four grown children travel back home to visit their ailing mother on her deathbed. Eager to gain a better understanding of the dying process, daughter Emily purchases a variety of self-help books on the subject. Though brother Keith (Ben Chaplin) soon arrives determined to float through the process in typical L.A. Zen mode, Emily contends that the only way to be prepared for the future is to consider every detail that can go awry. When PR executive Barry arrives intent on getting some work done before death comes knocking, it appears as if he is more concerned with getting broadband Internet in the house than actually tending to his mother. Meanwhile, youngest brother Matthew sets at the sidelines biding his time as his unlikable wife, Katrina, callously speculates on which of the dying woman's luxurious jewels she will be inheriting. Now, as Anita begins to look back at her life while reflecting on the time spent with her family, the question of who will hold this family together once she is gone casts a melancholy shadow over her fond memories. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sally FieldBen Chaplin, (more)
 
2003  
R  
Add High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story to Queue Add High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story to top of Queue  
The true story of one of the most gifted card players in history provides the basis for this hard-hitting drama. Stu Ungar (Michael Imperioli) was barely in his teens when he first discovered his talent for playing cards, especially poker and gin rummy. His father, a nightclub owner and small-time bookmaker connected with the mob, was impressed with his son's abilities but worried where Stu's reckless instincts towards gambling could take him. As it happens, Stu's father was right to worry; the boy managed to lose all his bar mitzvah money during an afternoon at the racetrack (for all his skills at the card table, Stu had no talent for picking the ponies), and by the time he was 20, Stu was deep in debt to mob loan sharks. Vincent (Michael Nouri), a mob boss who knew Stu's father, gives him a chance to pay off his debts by entering a gin rummy tournament in Las Vegas; Stu wins big and soon finds the Las Vegas lifestyle is to his liking. Stu becomes something of a celebrity when he wins the World Series of Poker tournament in 1980 and 1981, but his appetite for racetrack betting, drugs and prostitutes took its toll, and the great card shark hit bottom before returning from nowhere to win the WSOP a third time in 1996; however, Stu's comeback would turn out to be tragically short lived. High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story also features appearances by Pat Morita, Renee Faia, Joe La Due, and Vincent Van Patten. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Michael ImperioliMichael Nouri, (more)
 
1990  
 
Visiting a jewelry store to buy a present for Whitley's father, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Freddie (Cree Summer) are subjected to the casual racism of a snooty saleswoman, who automatically assumes that the girls won't be able to afford any of the "better" merchandise (this humiliating incident was based on an actual experience of episode director Debbie Allen). Elsewhere, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Ron (Darryl M. Bell) attend an ROTC retreat, supervised by Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman). Not surprisingly, the event turns out to be one of the biggest military fiascoes since Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1988  
PG13  
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Young, ambitious high school students Darcy Elliot (Molly Ringwald) and Stan Bobrucz (Randal Batinkoff) have a hitch thrown into their plans to attend college and pursue professional careers when they discover that Darcy is pregnant. Deciding against abortion or adoption, the couple decides to carry the child to term and to try to raise it themselves; however they are unprepared for the myriad of decisions and responsibilities that they are forced to deal with. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

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Starring:
Molly RingwaldRandall Batinkoff, (more)
 
1986  
 
First telecast October 6, 1986, A Fight for Jenny is the compelling study of an interracial couple's struggle for happiness. White Kelsey Wilkes (Leslie Ann Warren) is married to African American David Caldwell (Philip Michael Thomas). Casting a shadow over the couple is Kelsey's first husband Ben (Drew Snyder). Using antiquated laws as his weapons, Ben demands custody of his daughter Jennifer (Jaclyn-Rose Lester), insisting that a mixed-marriage household is the wrong environment for the girl. A Fight for Jenny enjoyed a healthy second life in reruns, thanks to the Miami Vice-generated popularity of co-star Philip Michael Thomas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1985  
 
To save rock singer Stevie Faith (Valerie Stevenson) from kidnappers who claim to be opposed to her politics, the A-Team hides Stevie in a quiet suburban neighborhood. This requires our heroes to curb their violent tendencies and act like gentlemen--an assignment taken to extremes by Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who adopts the "Hi, neighbor!" personality of Mister Rogers! Meanwhile, Hannibal (George Peppard) has his troubles with a neighborhood watch group led by the inordinately zealous Joe Skrylow (Walter Olkewicz). . .while Stevie's crooked manager, the man behind the kidnapping plot, bides his time, waiting to strike again. Future Murphy Brown regular Robert Pastorelli shows up in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1982  
PG  
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We'd rather not speculate over how much of Best Friends is autobiographical. We'll just note that this story of a male-female screenwriting team was written by real-life married scenarists Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin. Lovers as well as collaborators, scriveners Richard Babson (Burt Reynolds) and Paula McCullen (Goldie Hawn) decide to make their union legal. Predictably enough, they discover that their relationship goes straight downhill after they say "I do." The stars are far less interesting than the supporting cast, including Jessica Tandy and Barnard Hughes as Hawn's parents, Audra Lindley and Keenan Wynn as Reynolds' folks, Ron Silver as an avaricious producer (no names, please!), and Richard Libertini as a Mexican justice of the peace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Burt ReynoldsGoldie Hawn, (more)
 
1974  
 
Shelley Winters is appropriately cast as Big Rose, a rough 'n' tough private detective. Nobody messes with Big Rose, least of all her new young partner (Barry Primus), who likes to joke his way through dangerous situations. The two detectives are hired to thwart a gang of confidence tricksters who specialize in blackmail. Though she makes an conspicuous target, Big Rose heads directly into the line of fire, with her younger assistant barely keeping pace. The pilot film for an unsold TV series, Big Rose is currently advailable under its alternate title, Double Trouble. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Shelley WintersBarry Primus, (more)