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Jake Weber
Following in the vein of (Roger Dodger and In the Company of Men), director Brent Huff presents a crash course on the relationship between sexual and corporate power plays in The 100 Mile Rule. The infamous rule states that one is well within his rights to sexually indulge himself with someone other than his wife or girlfriend, provided that he is more than 100 miles away from home. This so-called rule becomes a topic of hot debate when a couple of Detroit salesmen must attend a business trip. Jerry (David Thornton) is a vocal supporter of the rule, although most of his attempts to utilize it are met with contempt and disregard. Bobby (Jake Weber), however, is a family man who staunchly resists joining his friends in their visits to various escort services, strip joints, and porn shops. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Bobby falters and allows himself a sexual encounter with Monica (Maria Bello), a beautiful cocktail waitress. It turns out, however, that Monica demands payment for her services, and she has videotaped Bobby in bed with her. Although Jerry admits he orchestrated the entire thing due to a high-profile customer he had lost to Bobby, the two salesmen end up seeking advice from their senior manager Howard (Michael McKean), who has seen it all before. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Weber, Maria Bello, (more)
When a Jewish jeweler is found dead and his store is missing more than one million dollars in diamonds, a New York police detective (Melanie Griffith) goes undercover in a community of Hasidic Jews to find the criminal. Once she is immersed in the community, she falls in love with one of the most devout members, who helps her find the criminal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Eric Thal, (more)
One of the earliest forays into TV production by former teen idol Shaun Cassidy, the weekly, hour-long supernatural drama series American Gothic debuted September 22, 1995 on CBS. Things weren't quite right in the outwardly peaceful and respectable town of Trinity in Fulton County, South Carolina. Credit (or blame) for the ominous strangeness permeating the area could be laid at the feet of malevolent sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole), who subtly held the populace in thrall, using his demonic powers for coercion, intimidation and murder. Even so, everyone considered Sheriff Buck one of nicest guys in town. . .at least, everyone who voiced no objections to dancing to the crack of his whip. Buck's deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy) was the only person aware of the full depth and breadth of Lucas' evil, but he was powerless to stop it. As for Buck's girlfriend, sexy schoolteacher Selena Coombs (Brenda Bakke), she somehow managed to avoid his terrible wrath despite shacking up with practically every other adult male in town--including Dr. Billy Peele (John Mese), who joined the cast mid-season to battle an epidemic in Trinity. Having disposed of teenager Merlyn Ann Temple (Sarah Paulson), Lucas Buck attempted to gain custody of the girl's younger brother Caleb (Lucas Black), whose long-suppressed family ties to Lucas would not be revealed until mid-season. But Caleb's older cousin Gail Emory (Paige Turco), a crusading journalist, fought Lucas tooth and nail, and found a strong ally in the form of a stranger in town, Dr. Matt Crower (Jake Weber), who agreed to take care of Caleb himself. Incredibly, even Merlyn Ann, who'd been bumped off by Lucas early in the series, made surprise appearences to offer advice and comfort to her brother, and to steer him clear of Lucas' sinister influence. Too weird and inscrutable for the tastes of most viewers, American Gothic was put on hiatus after only seven episodes on November 3, 1995. The series was brought back on January 3, 1996, but yanked off the network again a scant five weeks later. Six of the remaining ten episodes were run off between July 3 and July 11, 1996, some of them shown out of sequence and thus confusing those viewers trying to make sense of its kinky continuity. The four untelecast episodes of American Gothic would not be generally seen until the series was released to DVD nearly a decade later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cole, Paige Turco, (more)
In the romantic comedy Cherry, Leila Sweet (Shalom Harlow) has begun to hear the faint rumblings of her biological clock at the age of 29. This isn't unusual in itself, but Leila's key obstacle in her dilemma about having a child is rather uncommon -- she's still a virgin. Leila was stood up at the altar ten years ago and promptly swore off men forever; since then, she graduated from Harvard and moved to New York City, where she runs a muffin shop and keeps a dog for company. Leila is now determined to have a baby but isn't willing to forgive the enemy in the process, so she begins advertising for sperm donors willing to assist in artificial insemination. However, most of the respondents remind her why she gave up on men in the first place. Circumstances soon force her to take a closer look at two of her neighbors who seem fond of her -- a professional clown named Eddie (Donovan Leitch) and a gynecologist named, we kid you not, Beverly Kirk (Jake Weber). While Leila weighs her options, Beverly meets a pair of sweet-natured street kids in dire need of a loving mother. Shalom Harlow, who played Matt Dillon's dim-witted super model girlfriend in In & Out, gives an able comic performance as the most beautiful 29-year-old virgin in New York in this film, which was screened at the 1999 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shalom Harlow, Jake Weber, (more)
- 1994
Though this film is billed as a comedy, it does contain some violent moments as it follows a young man's journey across the U.S. in search of himself. Our hero is vegetarian Charles Thundertrunk whose father owns the fabulously successful fast-food chain Burger World. At his father's request Charlie reluctantly goes on a tour to promote the restaurants. His journey turns inward after he witnesses a violent shootout at a Burger World outlet. Upon his new journey he re-encounters his childhood hero, Glosser. Glosser is a spaced New Ager who believes everything happens for the best. He bases his philosophy upon a near-death experience. Glosser's journal was stolen by an evil arsonist. Charlie and Glosser decide to search for it together which leads them to the films fiery climax. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Huddleston, Vincent Schiavelli, (more)
Marshall Herskovitz directed this look at life in 16th-century Venice, based on Margaret Rosenthal's 1994 book The Honest Courtesan. Positioned outside of the Venetian court, Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack) hopes to rise above her station, but her interest in nobleman's son Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) is blocked since his parents forbid their marriage. Following the path taken by her mother, Paola (Jacqueline Bisset), Veronica becomes a courtesan, finding this gives her a niche in the male-dominated society. When Vatican emissaries accuse her of witchcraft, she lashes back, using the trial as a feminist forum to expose the hypocrisies of the period. Filmed in 1996 in Venice and Rome with a variety of working titles (Courtesan, Venice, and The Honest Courtesan). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, (more)
The feature-film debut of director Zack Snyder, Dawn of the Dead is a modern retelling of George Romero's 1978 horror classic, which was actually the second film in a trilogy that began with Night of the Living Dead and concluded with Day of the Dead. Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames star as two of the last remaining people on an earth that has been ravaged by flesh-eating zombies. After escaping to a shopping mall with a handful of other survivors, they decide that they only way to truly elude the approaching throng of undead is to somehow make their way to an island that is supposedly zombie-free. Jake Weber and Mekhi Phifer also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, (more)
When a corrupt Miami businessman flees to the Cayman Islands with his daughter and a million dollars in dirty money, the resulting inferno threatens to consume father, daughter, and even a few unsuspecting innocents in a sun soaked crime drama starring Bill Paxton, Orlando Bloom, and Agnes Bruckner. Carl Ridley (Paxton) was desperate to escape the law when he boarded an airplane for the Cayman Islands, but as the heat starts to rise in paradise, he's about to realize that there are some fates far worse than prison time. As Carl attempts to cleanse his ill-gotten gains with a little help from crooked British investment banker Mr. Allen (Stephen Dillane), his resentful daughter Pippa (Bruckner) sets out to explore her exotic new surroundings on the arm of native bad boy Fritz (Victor Rasuk). A low-level thug whose connections to a powerful local crime lord threatens to spell doom for all involved, Fritz draws Pippa in to disastrous chain of events sparked by the forbidden desires of unsuspecting lovers Shy (Bloom and Andrea (Zoe Saldana). Now, as the West Indies threatens to explode into violence, Carl must choose between the safety of his daughter and fortune he's trying to hide. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orlando Bloom, Bill Paxton, (more)
- 1998
Sean Smith and Anthony Stark co-directed this romantic drama about an extramarital affair. At Columbia University, during the week of John Belushi's death, lifelong friends Ben (Rob Morrow) and Adam (Jake Weber) meet Nina (Claire Forlani) at a student bar. After Nina and Adam marry, she goes to grad school in New York, while he begins a career as a writer. Ben marries Stanford law student Kat (Jayne Brook), and they both find work in New York. Lives are altered after Ben and Nina enter into an affair. Filmed in Manhattan and the Berkshires, and shown at the 1998 Deauville Festival of American Film and the 1998 Venice Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Morrow, Claire Forlani, (more)
- 1990
Originally scheduled to air on October 11, 1990, this Law & Order episode was bumped forward to November 20 of that year. The flames of racial unrest are fueled when a young African-American honors student is shot by Freddo Parisi (John Finn), a white cop. Much to their dismay, detectives Greevey (George Dzundza) and Logan (Chris Noth) are faced with the likelihood that the cop may have planted a weapon on the deceased to get himself off the hook. Likewise made uncomfortable by the implications and possible consequences of the incident, assistant D.A.'s Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) nonetheless set a trap to catch Officer Parisi in his own web of deceit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A literary drama offering the parallel tales of two wounded souls, director Mehdi Norowzian's tale of redemption and the struggle to find one's place in life finds an ex-convict's correspondence with a young boy offering hope for the future despite the fact that the boy has yet to find his own place in the world. Believing that her husband has been unfaithful, Mary Bloom (Elisabeth Shue) embarks on an affair with a young handyman (Justin Chambers) that results in her pregnancy. Racked with guilt when her husband dies in a car accident shortly thereafter, Mary begins to hate her son, Leo (Davis Sweat), leaving the youngster hungering for affection. Assigned correspondence with a convict for a class project, the withdrawn Leo begins to form a close bond with Stephen (Joseph Fiennes), who increasingly relies on his communication with Leo as a form of cathartic repentance. When Stephen is released from jail, he gets a job at a diner where concerned co-workers Vic (Sam Shepard) and Caroline (Deborah Unger) attempt to help him establish himself on the outside. Simultaneously brutalized by local drunk Horace (Dennis Hopper), Stephen decides to leave the diner and search for the boy whose letters carried him through his darkest days. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The cycle of life on Earth hangs in the balance when Death becomes emotionally involved in this romantic fantasy. William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) is a tremendously wealthy and powerful man who oversees a worldwide multi-media empire. Despite the loss of his wife, whom he dearly loved, William is content with his life, and he's very close to his two daughters, Allison (Marcia Gay Harden) and Susan (Claire Forlaini). One night, as William is fighting a hostile takeover of his company and Allison is planning an elaborate party to celebrate her dad's 65th birthday, William begins displaying the symptoms of a severe heart attack, and he is visited by a mysterious stranger, Joe Black (Brad Pitt). Joe is actually the angel of death, who has taken the form of a man who recently passed on to pay William a call. It seems that William is due to move on to the next world, but (no great surprise) he doesn't want to go. Joe, on the other hand, is curious to know what life is like for mere mortals, so the two men strike a deal -- William will have some time to get his affairs in order, and Joe will wait and see what it's like to be a human being. Joe decides that he likes it very much when he falls in love with Susan, but negotiating the slippery slopes of romance is no easier for Joe than for any ordinary man. Meet Joe Black is an updated version of Alberto Casella's play Death Takes a Holiday, which was adapted for the screen in 1934. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, (more)
- 1996
Now that Andy Sipowicz' son Andy Jr. (Michael DeLuise) has decided to join the Hackensack police force, Andy Sr. (Dennis Franz) feels it is his bounden duty to offer professional advice. Back on the job, Sipowicz and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) join forces with Detective Martina Escobar (Wanda DeJesus) -- against whom Andy has held a long-standing grudge -- to investigate a bizarre string of child murders in which the victims are thrown from high buildings. And the precinct is sharply divided along gender lines over how Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Diane (Kim Delaney) are handling a case of date rape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The intense world of air-traffic controllers is played for both drama and laughs in Pushing Tin. John Cusack plays Nick Falzone, the top air traffic controller at New York's Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Center, where he negotiates air traffic and landing patterns for the Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, America's most congested airspace. It's a tough, stressful job that's highly demanding and Nick is very good at it -- and he takes no small amount of pride in that. So Nick is less than enthusiastic when a new controller comes on board; Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton) transferred into TRACON from the Southwest, in search of a greater challenge. In direct contrast to the wired edginess of Nick's personality, Russell is a model of Zen cool who is so focused on planes it's said he once stood in the wake of a 747 just to know what it felt like. Soon work becomes a constant competition between Russell and Nick, and their competitiveness doesn't stop when work is over. However, the rivalry begins to take a different turn when Nick takes notice of Russell's beautiful but hard-drinking wife Mary (Angelina Jolie), while Nick's wife Connie (Cate Blanchett) finds herself more than a bit intrigued by Russell. Pushing Tin was written by Glen Charles and Les Charles, who previously received notice for their television work on such series as M*A*S*H, Cheers and Taxi, and directed by British filmmaker Mike Newell, who's last project, Donnie Brasco, also took him into a little seen side of New York City. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, (more)
- 1994
- R
Will (Kirk Baltz) served in the American Army in Vietnam. More particularly, he became a prisoner of war in Vietnam. In fact, the thing it is most necessary to know about him is that, after being tortured to reveal everything he knew which might be of use to his captors, he was nursed back to health by one of the women Viet Cong, a mixed-race girl named Sophia (Hil Cato). The experience so scalded him that he cannot bring himself to have sex with any of the pretty Asian prostitutes he usually tattoos for a living. One of his non-Asian female customers (Nora Ariffin) decides to try cut through the sludge of his neuroses and see what makes him tick. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Weber
Embroiled in an affair with Thomas Callahan (Sam Shephard), her alcoholic professor, precocious 24-year-old Tulane University law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) writes up an insightful theory about the recent murder of two Supreme Court justices, one of whom, Abraham Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn), served as Callahan's mentor. When Callahan shares this so-called "Pelican Brief" with buddy Gavin Verheek (John Heard), an FBI lawyer, the document makes its way to White House flack Fletcher Coal (Tony Goldwyn), who believes it could topple the current administration. When Callahan is murdered and the President (Robert Culp) convinces the FBI to hold off on investigating Darby's theory, the resourceful student must go into hiding, stalked by relentless assassin Khamel (Stanley Tucci). Her only hope of escaping Callahan's fate and proving her theory lies in Washington investigative reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), who's already had one confidential source back out of sharing information about the assassinations. This John Grisham adaptation is fairly faithful to the best-selling novel, but the book's interracial romance between Shaw and Grantham was left out of the script (or at least the finished product), leaving many progressive viewers annoyed at Hollywood's conservatism. Fans of HBO's Sex and the City will notice one of its future stars, Cynthia Nixon, in a small role as one of Darby's New Orleans classmates. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, (more)
The Warrior Class concerns a lawyer who falls in love with the wife of a powerful mobster. He must figure out how to play everyone against each other in order to get away with the girl and his life. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anson Mount, Erica Leerhsen, (more)
