Sam Waterston Movies
Educated at Yale and the Sorbonne, Sam Waterston is far more than the "general purpose actor" he was pegged to be by one well-known film historian. A respected player on the stage, screen, and television, Waterston has cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic, unfailingly solid performances.After beginning his career on the New York stage -- where he has continued to perform throughout his long career -- Waterston made his film debut in The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean in 1966. For a long time, his film career was not nearly as remarkable as his work on the stage and television, although non-New York audiences were made acutely aware of the depth and breadth of Waterston's talents when, in 1973, he starred in the television adaptation The Glass Menagerie (appearing alongside Katherine Hepburn) and -- also on TV -- in Tony Richardson's A Delicate Balance. The following year, the actor further impressed television audiences when he starred as Benedick in the CBS TV adaptation of Joseph Papp's staging of Much Ado About Nothing.
Also in 1974, Waterston proved to be the best of the screen's Nick Carraways when he was cast in that expository role in the The Great Gatsby; subsequent films ranged from the midnight-movie favorite Rancho Deluxe (1975) to the unmitigated disaster Heaven's Gate (1981). In the late '70s, Waterston was "adopted" by Woody Allen, joining the director's ever-increasing unofficial stock company for such films as Interiors (1978), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), September (1987), and Crimes and Misdemeanors. Waterston was nominated for an Academy award for his powerful portrayal of a conscience-stricken American journalist in The Killing Fields (1984); three years later he appeared in Swimming to Cambodia, Spalding Gray's acclaimed documentary about the making of the film. Subsequent film appearances included a turn as Kathleen Turner's hilariously timid husband in Serial Mom (1994) and a role in Ismail Merchant's The Proprietor in 1996.
However, Waterston has continued to make his greatest mark on television, starring in the acclaimed The Nightmare Years in 1989 and in the similarly lauded series I'll Fly Away and Law & Order. In addition, he has gained a certain amount of fame playing Abraham Lincoln multiple times: In 1988, he starred in Gore Vidal's Lincoln on television, while he won a Tony nod playing him in the Lincoln Center production of Abe Lincoln in Illinois and supplied the president's voice for Ken Burns' documentary The Civil War. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
An American and a Russian find themselves fighting a literal cold war as they struggle to survive in the arctic in this action-adventure. Royce (Sam Waterston) is an American meteorologist who is on a flight mission with the Royal Air Force when the crew spots what appears to be a wrecked Russian plane stranded on the Arctic wastes. A lone survivor can be seen from the air, and while the crew are unable to stop to rescue him, Royce, an outgoing and optimistic sort, volunteers to bail out with supplies and tend to the wounded man until help can arrive. But the Russian, Averyanov (Alexander Potapov), is a cynical if darkly witty man, who is convinced that it is his destiny to die amidst the ice and snow. Royce will have none of Averyanov's pessimism and turns the fuselage of the wrecked plane into a warm shelter. But as fuel and food run low and a heater begins leaking poison gas into their shanty, it becomes increasingly obvious that help is not on the way any time soon. Royce tries to formulate a plan that will lead the two men to safety, while a grateful but realistic Averyanov urges Royce to let him die and use his flagging energies to save himself. A Captive in the Land was dedicated to veteran screenwriter Lee Gold; this was his final film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Waterston, Alexander Potapov, (more)
A Delicate Balance is the 1973 film adaptation of Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Katharine Hepburn and Paul Scofield play an old married couple, Agnes and Tobias, who much prefer to be alone. Each time someone visits them, their "delicate balance" is threatened. The first intruder is Agnes' inebriated sister, Claire (Kate Reid). The next is their much-divorced daughter, Julia (Lee Remick). The limit is reached when well-meaning friends Harry (Joseph Cotten) and Edna (Betsy Blair) show up unexpectedly and threaten to stay forever. In keeping with the austerity of the other American Film Theatre presentations, director Tony Richardson eschews his usual cinematographic pyrotechnics here. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
This historical drama, based on a true story, is set in Georgia in the mid-1800s. David Dickson (Sam Waterston) owns a large plantation, as well as a number of slaves who do the labor required to run it. Dickson finds himself attracted to one of his new slaves, a bright and willful teenager named Julia (Lisa Gay Hamilton); Dickson rapes Julia, and nine months later she gives birth to a daughter, Amanda. Amanda is fair-skinned and can pass for white, so Dickson raises her as his daughter without acknowledging Julia as the mother, fabricating a story that Amanda's mother died in childbirth. After Amanda (now played by Jennifer Beals) has grown to adulthood, Dickson dies, leaving his entire estate to her. However, Henry (Ron White), Dickson's younger brother, knows the truth about Amanda's heritage and questions the will in court; a high-minded lawyer named Charles Dubose (Tim Daly) agrees to represent Amanda in court as the sordid secrets of the Dickson family air in a public courtroom. Sam Waterston served as co-producer as well as male lead for A House Divided, which was produced for (and first aired by) the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Beals, Lisa Gay Hamilton, (more)
- 1994
Bigotry and values are questioned when a Black West Point cadet is singled out and harassed by fellow cadets and senior officers. ~ All Movie Guide
Astronauts Charles Brubaker, John Walker, and Peter Willis (James Brolin, O.J. Simpson, and Sam Waterston, respectively) are hailed as heroes when they become the first men to be rocketed to Mars. Actually the space travelers are as phony as their mission controller, Dr. James Kelloway (Hal Holbrook); to avert a failure that might cost the space program its funding, the Mars-bound vessel has been sent up without a crew, while the helmeted astronauts sit on a movie soundstage, pretending to be in outer space for the benefit of the TV cameras. Unfortunately the Mars ship crashes on arrival, making the astronaut trio thoroughly expendable. Investigative reporter Robert Caulfield (Elliott Gould), who's smelled a rat all along, races against time to prevent NASA from "terminating" the hapless astronauts in order to cover up the conspiracy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, James Brolin, (more)
- 1970
- PG
An amoral film student will stop at nothing to gain a movie contract in this pretentious effort. Tony Hall (Robert Forster) insults his cinema professor (Reegis Toomey), degrades his girlfriend Sondra Locke), and alienates his agent. Ken Kerchival and Sam Waterston also appear in this dreary film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Forster, Sondra Locke, (more)
Woody Allen spent most of the 1980s and '90s veering between comedy and drama, and he rarely combined the two with greater success than in Crimes and Misdemeanors, in which he weaved together two stories, one deadly serious, one often funny, both ending in sadness. Martin Landau plays Dr. Judah Rosenthal, a prominent ophthalmologist with a successful practice, a loving family, and a reputation for generous charity work. But Rosenthal also has a secret: his mistress, Dolores (Anjelica Huston). What began as a casual fling has become uncomfortably intimate, and as he tries to break off the relationship, Dolores threatens to expose his infidelity to his wife and some unorthodox financial arrangements to his colleagues. Fearful that Dolores will make good on her threats, Judah confesses his secret to his brother Jack (Jerry Orbach), who has ties to organized crime and offers to "make the problem go away." Meanwhile, Cliff Stern (Woody Allen) is a filmmaker working on his pet project, a documentary about philosopher Prof. Louis Levy (Martin Bergmann). However, films about philosophers don't pay the rent, so Cliff's wife Wendy (Joanna Gleason) arranges for him to make a documentary for public television about her brother Lester (Alan Alda), a famous TV comedian whose vapidity is exceeded only by his arrogance. While Cliff tries to bite the bullet and finish the film, he finds himself falling in love with PBS producer Halley Reed (Mia Farrow). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Landau, Woody Allen, (more)
- 1976
- PG
Sweet Revenge was originally shipped out as Dandy, the All-American Girl. The multitalented Stockard Channing plays a car thief with a penchant for elaborate disguises. She hopes to trade in her stolen goods and purchase a snazzy sports model for herself. Sam Waterston costars as a public defender who, much against his will, falls in love with the charming thief. Producer/director Jerry Schatzberg seems so certain of Channing's considerable talents that he feels a coherent story is unecessary. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stockard Channing, Sam Waterston, (more)
Kirstie Alley earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in this moving made-for-TV drama. She plays Sally Goodson, the devoted mother of autistic child David. Abandoned by her husband years before, Sally has sacrificed much for her son but has felt it in his best interest. One of the key things she accomplished was keeping her son out of the institution that the government feels is in his best interest. Unfortunately, she could not avoid "the System" forever and when a well-meaning social worker learns that the boy is still in Sally's care, a heated battle ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Sam Waterston, (more)
Dempsey is the TV biopic of boxer William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey, a.k.a. Manassa Mauler. The film opens in Utah in 1911, where the teenage Dempsey works out in hopes of cracking the big time. Eight years later, Dempsey enters into his famous bout with reigning champ Jess Willard. From 1919 through 1926, Dempsey is heavyweight champion; he also carries on a wild and profligate private life, including an expensive marriage to--and even more expensive divorce from--silent film star Estelle Taylor (Victoria Tennant). Sally Kellerman co-stars as the first of Dempsey's five wives. Dempsey star Treat Williams was trained by Al Silvani, who worked with Stallone on the earliest Rocky epics. Scripted by Edward di Lorenzo, Dempsey premiered on September 28, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Escher (Jurgen Prochnow) wanders through the South Sea islands after his partner Quinn (Tony Doyle) is murdered in this drama taken from a novel by Joseph Conrad. When he checks into the Grand Pacific Hotel, Escher encounters a variety of memorable guests. Included are the perverted Mr. Jones (Sam Waterston), the sinister innkeeper Schomberg (Mario Adorf), and Julie (Suzanna Hamilton), a saxophone player in an all-female band. Escher helps Julie escape from the lecherous intentions of the philandering Schomberg. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jürgen Prochnow, Sam Waterston, (more)
- 1979
- PG
Though made in Britain and Europe, Eagle's Wing qualifies as a Western. Easterner Pike (Martin Sheen) does a lot of growing up in a hurry when he becomes a trapper out-West. By mid-film, Pike is accomplished enough to compete with Comanche chief White Bull (Sam Waterston, there's a masterpiece of nontypecasting!) over possession of a white, wild stallion. The film contains subliminal pro-ecological and pro-tolerance messages, courtesy of its politically-minded stars and the screenplay by future Gandhi scrivener John Briley. Supporting Sheen and Waterston are such never-fail performers as Harvey Keitel and Stephane Audran. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston, (more)
Actor Martin Sheen hosts this PBS program that looks at some of the special contributions made over the years to the nation's White House in Washington D.C. Avery Brooks, Blythe Danner, Campbell Scott, Sam Waterston, and Dianne Wiest are among those who read what former Presidents, First Ladies, and others have written about the time they spent in this magnificent place. Additional commentary focuses on the architectural changes made since the White House was first built. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen
- 1998
Essentially a feature-length episode of NBC's long-running series Law & Order, this crime and courtroom drama marks the return of Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) to Manhattan's 27th precinct. For the past three years, Logan has been stuck on Staten Island, the result of an incident in which he lost his temper. Regretting his outburst, Logan yearns to return to his home station. A murdered hooker's body found floating in the harbor may provide the key to his return. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Noth, Dabney Coleman, (more)
- 1984
- PG
Written by Walter Lockwood and directed by Joan Micklin Silver, Finnegan Begin Again is a whimsical comedy drama about a late-blooming romance. Robert Preston plays a Mike Finnegan, 65-year-old newspaperman resigned to wasting his time on a lonely hearts column and caring for his ailing, unappreciative wife (Sylvia Sidney). Mary Tyler Moore portrays Liz DeHaan, a much-younger schoolteacher, recently widowed and mired in a go-nowhere relationship with a mortician (Sam Waterston). Liz comes to Mike for advice...and nature takes its course. Finnegan Begin Again premiered February 24, 1985, over the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
When an aging philanthropist falls on hard times, her butler starts to rob the rich so that she can keep on giving to the poor in this comedy. Claude Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), known to his friends as "Fitzwilly," works as a butler for Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who -- ever since the death of her husband -- has been using her inheritance to benefit her favorite charitable causes. However, no one has the heart to tell Mrs. Woodworth that she doesn't have much money left, and to compensate for the shortfall brought on by her philanthropy, Fitzwilly and his fellow domestics have been pulling a series of robberies at department stores. When Mrs. Woodworth gets the idea of compiling "A Dictionary for Dopes," which indexes phonetic spellings of commonly misspelled words, she hires Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon) to help on the project as a secretary. Juliet senses that there's something fishy about Fitzwilly, especially when she finds out that he has a college education but earns a meager salary as a butler, and she imagines the worst when she finds out about his criminal activities. Watch for Sam Waterston in a small role; this was his first film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, (more)
- 1985
- R
Also known as A Certain Desire, this French murder melodrama stars Sam Waterston and Marisa Berenson. Waterston plays Gerry Morrison, an Interpol agent assigned to solve the murder of a Bordeaux wine heiress. Jeanne Barnac Berenson is one of the suspects, who in the course of the investigation is revealed to be a lesbian, in love with the widowed Marlene Bell-Ferguson (Lauren Hutton). Pretty soon, Morrison has exposed virtually all the secrets of those closest to the murder victim. Indeed, with so much else going on, the solution of the mystery is almost an afterthought. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Waterston, Marisa Berenson, (more)
- 1979
The Emmy-winning TV movie Friendly Fire was adapted by Fay Kanin from the fact-based book by C.D.B. Bryan. Carol Burnett and Ned Beatty play Peg and Gene Mullen, the parents of a young soldier who is killed in Vietnam. Dissatisfied with the "official" version of their son's death, Peg and Gene conduct a soul-wrenching investigation of their own. Only after months of military stonewalling does the truth come out: their son was accidentally killed by "friendly fire" from American artillery. This revelation leads to Peg Mullen's full-scale embracing of the anti-war movement. Even allowing for the grimness of the story, Carol Burnett's taciturn performance wears on the viewer after a while (one wonders if Peg Mullen ever smiled before her son died). Far better within the framework of the film is the superbly detailed performance of Ned Beatty as Gene. Friendly Fire was originally offered on April 22, 1979, as an ABC Theatre presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Burnett, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1982
Loretta Swit was still appearing on a weekly basis in MASH when she starred in the made-for-TV Games Mother Never Taught You. She plays Laura Bentells, the first female executive in a traditionally "good ole boy" office. Refusing to be patronized or disregarded, Laura quickly learns the ropes of corporate gamesmanship. Sam Waterston and Eileen Heckart co-star as, respectively, Laura's husband and mother. And that's an uncredited Madlyn Rhue as the wife of skirt-chasing executive David Spielberg. Based on the "from the front lines" book by Betty Lehan Harrigan, Games Mother Never Taught You first aired November 27, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Swit, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1969
Time for Giving is the British title for the American comedy film Generation. This exercise in late-sixties "mod"-ness is based on William Goodhart's Broadway play, which originally starred Henry Fonda. David Janssen takes over Fonda's role as the harried father of rebellious daughter Kim Darby. It was bad enough when Darby married kooky Peter Duel and moved to Greenwich Village. Now Darby is pregnant, and she and her husband insist upon partaking of that new hippie craze known as "natural childbirth," dispensing with the aid of an obstetrician. Fortunately for the Establishment status quo, Darby's husband gets cold feet, and loyal family doctor Carl Reiner is brought in when the kid is ready to come out of the chute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Kim Darby, (more)
Originally telecast in two parts on March 27 and 28 of 1988, Lincoln was adapted from the bestselling "factual fiction" by Gore Vidal. Sam Waterston stars as Abraham Lincoln, with Mary Tyler Moore frighteningly convincing as the tragic Mary Todd Lincoln. Predictably, Part One of Lincoln deals with the inauguration, the outbreak of War, and the president's tiltings with his cabinet, while Part Two includes the Emancipation Proclamation, the appointment of General Grant (James Gammon), and the assassination. The throughline of the script is the deteriorating mental condition of Mary Lincoln, not to mention her injurious impulsiveness: at one point, Honest Abe must cover up the fact that Mary has stolen a copy of his inaugural speech and sold it. Evidently, the name of Gore Vidal was not considered enough of a drawing card by the NBC publicists, who insisted upon advertising Lincoln as the second coming of Gone With the Wind, adding the teaser tagline "The Untold Story." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A Woody Allen Manhattan mosaic, Hannah and Her Sisters concerns the lives, loves, and infidelities among a tightly-knit artistic clan. Hannah (Mia Farrow) regularly meets with her sisters Holly (Dianne Wiest) and Lee (Barbara Hershey) to discuss the week's events. It's what they don't always tell each other that forms the film's various subplots. Hannah is married to accountant and financial planner Elliot (Michael Caine), who carries a torch for Lee, who in turn lives with pompous Soho artist Frederick (Max Von Sydow). Meanwhile, Holly, a neurotic actress and eternal loser in love, dates TV producer Mickey (Allen), who used to be married to Hannah and spends most of the film convinced that he's about to die. Appearing in supporting parts are Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O'Sullivan (Farrow's real mom), as the eternally bickering husband-and-wife acting team who are the parents of Hannah and her sisters. The film begins and ends during the family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner, filmed in Farrow's actual New York apartment. Unbilled cameos are contributed by Sam Waterston as one of Wiest's brief amours and Tony Roberts as one of Allen's friends. Hannah and Her Sisters collected Oscars for Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, and Woody Allen's screenplay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, (more)
