Patricia Wettig Movies
Supporting actress Patricia Wettig is best remembered for co-starring with her husband, Ken Olin, on the popular television drama series thirtysomething (1987-1991). Just before that she was a regular on St. Elsewhere (1982-1988). Wettig made her feature film debut in Guilty By Suspicion (1991). Fans of the two City Slickers films starring Billy Crystal will recognize Wettig for playing his wife Barbara. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A young boy grows up among a makeshift family of oddballs and dreamers in this adaptation of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's acclaimed one-man show. Ruben Junior (Marcus Carl Franklin) is a young boy who was born in the late '40s into a family that started crumbling not long after he was born. Ruben Junior's parents were from Lackawanna, a city in Upstate New York, and were living in a rooming house run by Nanny Crosby (S. Epatha Merkerson), whose place was a hub for the local African-American community. When Ruben Junior's parents split up, he and his mother return to Lackawanna and Nanny's rooming house; with mother overworked physically and in sad shape emotionally, Nanny takes Ruben Junior under her wing, and offers him the sort of nurturing she gives all her boarders. Nanny's house is full of people struggling for a fresh start in life, ranging from former convicts to recovering drug addicts, and she opens both her doors and her heart to them as they strive to make themselves better people. Ruben Junior finds a loving home amidst the colorful eccentrics in Nanny's circle of friends, but as America changes over the course of the 1950s and '60s, so does the neighborhood where Nanny and her tenants live -- and not for the better. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Lackawanna Blues features a stellar supporting cast, including Delroy Lindo, Louis Gossett Jr., Rosie Perez, Jimmy Smits, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, and Ernie Hudson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- S. Epatha Merkerson, Julie Benz, (more)
- 2003
Marshall (Kevin Weisman) explains the full significance of the Rambaldi manuscripts, thereby revealing a 500-year-old prophecy of the Apocalypse. To prevent this, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) and Dixon (Carl Lumbly) must track down a Panamanian named Di Regno (James Carraway) -- but Dixon, determined to avenge the murder of his wife, Diane, at the hands of Sloane (Ron Rifkin), may not be up to this crucial assignment. The outcome of the story -- and the fate of the world -- may hinge upon a startling confession made to Sloane by a repentant monk named Conrad (David Carradine). And in a less somber development, new NSA special ops agent Carrie Bowman (Amanda Foreman) develops a crush on Marshall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Resolving the cliffhanger established at the end of season one, season two of Alias begins with college student-cum-secret agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) coming face to face with her presumed-dead mother, KGB agent Irina Derevko (Lena Olin, making her first appearance as a series regular). But the reunion is far from a happy one: Exposed as the master criminal whom Sydney has been tracking for months, the surly Irina displays decidedly non-maternal instincts by shooting her daughter in the arm and dashing off to parts unknown. Meanwhile, Syd's friend Will has published his exposé of the covert espionage agency SD-6, making him a marked man -- but not if Syd's father, Jack (Victor Garber), can protect Will from any and all assailants. And can it be that Syd's CIA contact, Vaughn (Michael Vartan), is really dead? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Defying the wishes of her father, Jack (Victor Garber), Sydney (Jennifer Garner) insists upon pumping her KGB-agent mother, Irina (Lena Olin), for information necessary to topple SD-6 -- and, incidentally, to allow Syd to quit the spy game for good. On other fronts, a rattled Sloane (Ron Rifkin), convinced that he has seen his wife (whom he was ordered to kill) alive and well, sends Dixon (Carl Lumbly) to investigate; the Rambaldi music box containing the vital numerical equation is now secreted at Sark's (David Anders) Falkland Islands retreat; a clue to the location of "The Bible" containing information on Irina's former cartel has been traced to a Moscow military library, which Sydney must infiltrate; and Will's ongoing exposé of SD-6 is aided by drug-addled conspiracy theorist Rebecca Martinez (Marisol Nichols). And topping things off, Vaughn (Michael Vartan) comes face to face with his father's murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Now that Sark (new series regular David Anders) is in charge of the cartel formerly headed by Sydney's mother, Irina (Lena Olin), he launches a Russian satellite spy camera that will help him corrupt the world's security systems. It is up to Sydney (Jennifer Garner) to tap into the images projected by that camera, thereby enabling her to locate a Rambaldi-designed music box containing valuable scientific equations. Though Irina insists she wants to help Sydney in her mission, Irina's ex-husband, Jack (Victor Garber), warns that the woman can still not be trusted -- and by the episode's end, it looks like Jack may be right. Elsewhere, investigative journalist Will (Bradley Cooper) finally meets Syd's CIA contact, Vaughn (Michael Vartan), and sinister SD-6 chieftain Sloane (Ron Rifkin) begins to suspect that his wife, Emily, isn't dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In this first episode of a two-part story, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) tries to come to terms with the revelation that her late mother, Laura, was a KGB assassin. This emotional upheaval, however, is forced to take a back seat when ex-SD-6 operative McKenas Cole (Quentin Tarantino), seeking revenge for having been betrayed by his own organization, captures the agency's Credit Dauphine headquarters. Cole intends to break into the headquarters' explosive-wired vault -- and give master torturer Sloane (Ron Rifkin) a brutal taste of his own medicine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In Vienna on the trail of "The Man," who may or may not have information pertaining to her late mother, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) is unexpectedly reunited with her ex-lover, fellow SD-6 agent Noah Hicks (Peter Berg). Meanwhile, Syd's father, Jack (Victor Garber), consults with CIA psychiatrist Judy Barnett (Patricia Wettig) about his nagging premonition that his wife (and Syd's mom) may still be alive. And what of the Rambaldi Prophecy -- and who will crack the secret behind that prophecy first? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Sydney (Jennifer Garner) returns to America with her ex-lover and fellow SD-6 agent Noah (Peter Berg), who offers her a way out of the spy game once and for all. But Sydney has to take care of unfinished business: Now convinced that her mother, KGB agent Irina Derevko, is still alive, she will not rest until she finds the woman. Meanwhile, Vaughn (Michael Vartan) puts a tail on an assassin known as "The Snowman" in hopes of tracking down the elusive Khasinau, who may or may not be "The Man" behind all the skullduggery occurring in previous episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Created by actor Ken Olin and Rhonda L. Moore, Breaking News was set within the walls of I-24, a round-the-clock TV news network. Dedicated to both getting the truth and scooping the competition, the network is the fiefdom of superaggressive news division president Peter Kozyck (Clancy Brown). Other I-24 employees include charismatic senior anchorman Bill Dunne (Tim Matheson), ambitious rookie reporter Jamie Templeton (Rowena King), frustrated "human interest" commentator Janet LeClaire (Myndy Crist), cutthroat executive producer Rachel Glass (Lisa Ann Walter), overworked network CEO Jack Barnes (James Handy), and Jack's son, news producer Ethan Barnes (Scott Bairstow). Patricia Wettig, wife of co-creator Ken Olin, was seen as feature reporter Alison Dunne. Originally produced for and financed by the TNT cable network, the 13-episode Breaking News lay on the shelf for several months before its was picked up by the Bravo channel beginning July 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Oregon pot dealer David (Luke Wilson) is perfectly happy with his uninspired artwork and sonambulstic slacker life. Along wih his layabout gay friends -- Tony (Andy Dick) and Robert (Jeremy Sisto) -- David seems to have no worries as long as the marijuana crop keeps coming in. But a social hitchhiker named Serena (Alicia Witt) finds her way into David's life and a relationship staggers to full blossom. As David gets more serious about his art, thanks to Serena's encouragement, Serena leaves to try out the rock 'n' roll life of New York City. David numbs his feelings for Serena with meaningless sex with her friend Mary (Brittany Murphy) and a wild mushroom-induced adventure in the woods with Jennifer (Amy Locane) and a zany drug guru Devlin (Jack Black). Meanwhile, Serena gets a brutal wakeup call about life in the big city and returns home to David. But is that the best thing for both of them? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, (more)
- 1997
Patricia Wettig guest stars in this episode as Stephanie, the attractive new neighbor of Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce). Hoping to get better acquainted with the lady, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) accepts an invitation to Niles' housewarming party, where Stephanie will be present. What Frasier hadn't counted on was the (literally) strong attachment between Niles and his pet cockatoo, "Baby" -- whose manic behavior at dinnertime proves beyond doubt that cockatoos make lousy lovebirds. ~ All Movie Guide
Ten passengers on a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston discover that they are not the only people on the plane, but after making an emergency landing in Bangor, Maine, they discover that they are the only people on the planet. This film was based off the Stephen King short story Four Past Midnight. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Wettig, Bronson Pinchot, (more)
- 1994
Directed by Linda Yellen, this made-for-cable movie originally aired on the Showtime network and featured a star-studded cast including Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and James Belushi. The plot centers around several fraternity and sorority graduates who have decided to regroup at their alma mater. Nick (Belushi), a determined but gloomy reporter, attends on the sole hope of finding some good gossip. His highest hope lies within the career ties of his ex-lover Winnie (JoBeth Williams), who now serves as publicist to rising politician Rebecca Ferguson Stone (Patricia Wetig). Fellow alumni Charlie (Ben Gazzara) is returning for equally dishonest reasons--he's hoping to convince his ex Francie (Gena Rowlands) to pay off his gambling debts. Francie, however, has found herself more interested in bonding with a single mom/housekeeper (Ally Sheedy). All of their lives take a turn for the unexpected when the big man on campus mysteriously dies. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This movie is based on the true story of Nancy Ziegenmeyer, a rape victim who announced to the world that rape is not the fault of the victim, thereby taking back her right to a normal life and inspiring other victims to stand up to what was being done to them ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The made-for-television thriller Silent Motive is about a screenwriter (Patricia Wettig) whose recent script is being used for a series of murders of film-industry executives. Consequently, a police detective (Mike Farrell) immediately assumes that she is the chief suspect behind these gruesome crimes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Cop Killers was one of five Police Story specials, telecast in the fall of 1988. These "new" 2-hour specials were actually rewrites of scripts from the original Police Story series of 1973-80; there was an industry strike going on in '88, and networks needed material in a hurry. Ken Olin stars in Cop Killers as a police officer who feels unworthy of his medal of valor. He acted "correctly" during a shootout, but his partner was killed in the crossfire. Olin's guilt gradually begins to take a toll on his marriage to Patricia Wettig (the real-life Mrs. Ken Olin). Police Story: Cop Killers was first telecast October 29, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
The made-for-TV Parole stars the music of Bob Dylan and Sting. Actually, it stars James Naughton, but the music is (or should have been) the selling angle. Naughton portrays street-smart Boston parole officer Andy Driscoll, who takes a personal interest in each of his charges and tries to mainstream them into decent society. The plot concentrates on one such parolee, played by Mark Sopper, who considers returning to crime after losing his girl, his job and his home. The film's studied grittiness is undercut by a contrived car chase and a phony happy ending. Watch for Ellen Barkin in the supporting role of "Donna." Filmed as a TV pilot in late 1980, Parole was not telecast until September of 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
