Sela Ward Movies

Based on the book of the same name by Gwenda Blair, this made-for-cable drama chronicles the life and premature death of NBC anchorwoman Jessica Savitch. Sela Ward was nominated for an Emmy award for her portrayal of Savitch, the ambitious 1980s TV phenomenon, who rose to fame quickly despite her erratic and often out-of-control personal life. It took an on-air incident to bring down the facade hiding her drug and alcohol abuse -- -- and a mysterious car accident to end her life at age 36. Director Peter Werner and the film's producers were also nominated for Emmy awards that year, and Ward received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Female Actor. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

While on a location shoot, spoiled movie actress Sydney Clarke (Sela Ward) clashes with her equally temperamental director. Storming off the set in a snit, Sydney gets lost in the woods, then hitches a ride to a small New England steel town -- where, amazingly, no one seems to recognize her. Curiously enjoying her anonymity, she befriends bowling-alley waitress Joyce (Rebecca Jenkins), who helps her land a job as a nurse at the local steel mill, managed by a handsome, down-to-earth hunk named Ryan (Andrew Jackson). Upon learning that the mill is in danger of demolition at the hands of greedy corporate fat-cats, Sydney vows to save the community's only source of income -- but will the citizens rally behind her if they find out she's been posing as something she's not? Made for the CBS TV network, Catch a Falling Star premiered March 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not a sequel, not really a prequel, sort of a remake, more of a re-imagining, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights follows the blossoming love affair of young couple Katey (Romola Garai) and Javier (Diego Luna) against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution in 1958. Katey is an American girl living in Cuba with her parents who meets Javier, a local. Javier takes Katey to a nightclub where he teaches her how to dance dirty Cuban-style. The two grow closer and closer, but when Castro takes over, Katey's parents decide to flee for the U.S., leaving Katey to make the ultimate decision. Tying the film together with the classic 1987 original is Patrick Swayze who reprises the role of Johnny Castle in a cameo. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-cable TV movie, a man (Bruce Boxleitner) travels to visit his ex-girlfriend (Rachel Ward) and arrives just in time to witness her kill her vicious boyfriend. However, when his lawyer wife (Sela Ward) is assigned to his ex's case, the man finds himself in the problematic role of key witness. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Writer Susan Isaacs and director Frank Perry of Compromising Positions re-team for this unsuccessful resurrection fantasy comedy. Shelley Long plays Lucy Chadman, the accident-prone wife of plastic surgeon Jason Chadman (Corbin Bernsen). When she chokes to death after eating a South Korean chicken ball, a funeral is held and she is mourned, but then everyone goes on with their lives and forgets about her. Everyone, that is, except her sister Zelda (Judith Ivey). Zelda runs an occult bookstore and as she peruses one of her books of incantations, she discovers a magical chant that can raise the dead. Obeying the rules of the incantation -- it has to be performed a year after the person dies and the resurrected person must find love within 30 days or the person will die again -- she brings back Lucy to life. Lucy immediately proceeds to her husband's home and finds that he is married to her best friend Kim (Sela Ward). She now has to deal with the changed circumstances of her husband, along with a burgeoning love affair with Kevin Scanlon (Gabriel Byrne), the emergency-room doctor who had tried to save her life. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

While House (Hugh Laurie) and Stacy (Sela Ward) are in Baltimore to explain House's highly suspect Medicaid billing practices, journalist Fletcher Stone (Michael O'Keefe) is rushed to the New Jersey clinic. After suddenly collapsing during a reception, Stone has begun speaking in gibberish, and Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Foreman (Omar Epps) are unable to agree on the cause of the man's affliction. The three doctors contact House by phone in hopes of getting him to return to the clinic, but he is snowed in at the Baltimore airport. Worsening the situation is the fact that Stone has been hiding certain details of his medical problems from his wife (Erica Gimpel)--and now is unable to say anything at all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Alfredo Ignacio Serricho), the handyman working on Cuddy's house repairs, suffers an apparent athsma attack and falls off her roof. Feeling responsible, Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is unable to treat the man, so House (Hugh Laurie) takes over. But before any treatment can be implemented, Alfredo develops a stunning array of horrifying symptoms, each one seemingly cancelling out the last--leading House to the conclusion that neither the fall nor the "athsma" is the root cause of the man's plight. Elsewhere, Foreman (Omar Epps) nervously seeks out a "politically correct" treatment for a hypersentive black patient (Charles Robinson) suffering from high blood pressure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While 34-year-old "supermom" Margo Dalton (Juile Warner) is being treated for uncontrollable muscle spasms, her daughter Stella (Ellie Fanning) runs amok throughout the clinic. The doctors are unable to find the reason for Margo's bizarre affliction, mainly because (surprise!) she has been lying to her husband about her medical condition. As for House (Hugh Laurie), he and Stacy (Sela Ward) have come to an "understanding" which permits him to wallow in misery as only he can, while Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), who has had plenty of romantic misadventures of his own, tries to help House pick up the pieces. And after her run-in with AIDs patient in the earlier episode "Hunting", Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is worried that she is now HIV-positive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Six months after the death of patient Kaya McGinley (Alison Smith), whose illness was misdiagnosed by Chase (Jesse Spencer), a disciplinary hearing is held to probe the situation. Prior to being grilled by a panel of his superiors, Chase is questioned about the incident by Stacy (Sela Ward), as are House (Hugh Laurie) and Cameron(Jennifer Morrison)--and to say that their stories don't quite match up is putting it mildly. Making matters worse is the fact that Chase isn't being completely up-front about his relationship with Kayla. Also on the schedule is some behind-the-scenes chicanery involving a famous transplant surgeon (John Rubinstein) with a roving eye for the ladies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dan (John Larroquette) and Harry (Harry Anderson) both angle for the attentions of Christine's gorgeous friend Heather (Sela Ward). After carefully weighing the options, Heather decides to spend the weekend with Dan, sending Harry spiraling into a depression. But worse is still to come: It seems that Harry's idol Mel Torme prefers Dan's company as well! Jay Robinson,the unforgettable Caligula in The Robe, appears as Roland Jeffries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the process of divorcing her restauranteur husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), who refused to regard himself as "part of the problem," computer-service worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is reluctant to re-enter the dating scene as season one of Once and Again gets under way. Lily also doesn't want to injure the sensibilities of her 14-year-old daughter, Grace (Julia Whalen), who is going through a typically pubescent period of self-loathing, nor her nine-year-old daughter, Zoe (Meredith Deane), who is still holding out hope that her parents will get back together again. But Lily's attitude toward midlife romance changes when she meets successful architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell), himself divorced from a contentious spouse, a woman named Karen (Susanna Thompson), who blames everyone but herself for her sorry lot in life. And like Lily, Rick has a problem child, a 16-year-old son named Eli (Shane West) with a learning disability and a poor self-image (Rick's 12-year-old daughter, Jessie [Evan Rachel Wood], is reasonably well adjusted by comparison). Clearly, Lily and Rick are kindred spirits, and clearly they are going to fall in love, hoping to beat the odds against lasting happiness. Most of the first season finds Rick waiting patiently for Lily to settle her marital dispute with Jake. He also makes a valiant effort to win over Grace and Zoe, who are markedly resistant to his charms. Other stories focus on a trio of secondary characters: Jake's new girlfriend, Tiffany Porter (Ever Carradine); Rick's business partner, David Casilli (Todd Field); and Lily's sister, Judy Brooks (Marin Hinkle), who operates a wine-and-cheese bookstore. And, of course, every so often the characters express their feelings in the form of Truffautesque "confessionals," delivered directly to the camera (and, by extension, to the viewers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide