Sara Botsford Movies
Actress Sara Botsford had to make do early in her career with such Canadian horror films as Murder By Phone (1980) and Deadly Eyes (1982). A more prestigious assignment came her way in the A-budgeted mystery Still of the Night (1982), in which, as Gail Philips, Botsford was billed fifth, after Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, Jessica Tandy, and Joe Grifasi. She was later seen as Barbara in the Robert Redford-Debra Winger starrer Legal Eagles (1986), and as Lady Sarah Phillips in the benighted Whoopi Goldberg vehicle Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). On television, Sara Botsford starred as predatory producer Ann Hildebrandt in E.N.G., a Lifetime Network soap opera, set in a network newsroom. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
John Carpenter's well-remembered thriller gets an update in this remake from director Rupert Wainwright. Nick Castle (Tom Welling) is a charter-boat captain in the small coastal town of Antonio Bay. Castle's ancestors helped to found Antonio Bay, but while the city's mayor (Kenneth Welsh) and the head of the local historical society (Sara Botsford) are spearheading an effort to raise money for a statue that would honor the city fathers, Castle is more interested in seeing the town's rickety docks and aging sea wall replaced. However, Castle has been too distracted with personal matters to wage a campaign of his own -- he's been having an affair with Stevie Wayne (Selma Blair), a single mom who runs a combination radio station and lighthouse, while his former flame Elizabeth Williams (Maggie Grace) has returned to town to mend fences with her mother and finds herself renewing her romance with Castle. One night, Castle and his first mate, Brett Spooner (DeRay Davis), discover an antique ship's bag filled with treasure, not knowing the salvage came from a ship that sank over a hundred years before. As it happens, there's a terrible secret behind the ship's disastrous fate, and now that Castle and Davis have unwittingly awakened the watery grave, the souls of the ship's crew and passengers have come back to claim their revenge in the form of a thick and impenetrable fog. The remake of The Fog proved to be one of the last projects for producer Debra Hill, who also worked on the original film; Hill was fighting cancer when work began on the film, and she died shortly before filming commenced. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, (more)
Writer/director Michael Clancy makes his feature film debut with the black comedy Eulogy. Zooey Deschanel plays Kate Collins, an unhappy college student who is made even more unhappy when her grandfather (Rip Torn) dies. Even though the entire family hates each other, they reunite at the home of Grandma Collins (Piper Laurie). Among other family members, Kate observes a war between her washed-up actor dad, Daniel (Hank Azaria); her lesbian Aunt Lucy (Kelly Preston); her wound-up Uncle Skip (Ray Romano); and her strict Aunt Alice (Debra Winger). Tensions escalate and family secrets are ultimately revealed. Kate is also inundated with the eulogy-writing duties, as she's the only one capable of such a task. Meanwhile, she reunites with old flame Ryan Carmichael (Jesse Bradford). Eulogy premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hank Azaria, Jesse Bradford, (more)
- 2002
Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) really has his hands full, dividing his time between moving his belongings into Connie McDowell's (Charlotte Ross) apartment and helping John Clark Sr. (Joe Spano) wrest free of the IAB's grasp. Andy also continues having problems concerning his relationship with his son Theo (Austin Majors). Back at the 15th, a schizophrenic who attacked his own father is the prime suspect in another murder; and precinct skipper Rodriguez (Esai Morales) tries to help his drug-addicted former wife, Angela (Jessica Ferrarone). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 1999
The life and career of Ricky Nelson--from awkward kiddie TV star to teenaged singing idol to "young hasbeen"--is adequately encapsulated in this made-for-cable movie, one of several celebrity biopics produced for VH-1. Told in flashback as Ricky Nelson (Gregory Calpakis) recounts his experiences to a worshiping fan in the last hours before the 1985 air crash that would take his life, the story begins around 1952, as the adolescent Ricky is recruited by his bandleader-producer father Ozzie Nelson (Jamey Sheridan) to play "himself" on the movie and TV version of the popular radio series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Anxious to crawl out from under the shadow of his dictatorial father Ozzie, his vocalist mom Harriet (Sara Botsford) and his marginally more talented older brother David (Anthony Lemke), the 16-year-old Ricky begs for a chance to sing on the family's series. The wildly enthusiastic audience response to Ricky's warblings prompt Ozzie to aggressive promote Ricky's musical career, but ultimately Ricky breaks loose from the family's influence to strike out on his own. Alas, after several years at the top, Ricky's career and fan following plummets, before he has reached his 30th birthday he is grasping at straws by performing at county fairs and trade shows. Making matters worse is his unhappy marriage to Kris Harmon (depicted as something of a conniving opportunist by Anne Openshaw) and his ever-increasing dependence upon drugs. Astonishingly, the film never allows us to hear Ricky perform "Garden Party", the song that enabled him to make a spectacular comeback. Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol first aired on August 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
The staff must spend some political capital as the president is five votes short on a gun-control bill being voted on in the House. They must bargain with members of Congress, as well as Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), in order to get the needed "yea" votes. Communications Director Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) appears to have an ethical problem after a stock he invested in becomes lucrative. On the home front, Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) gets into a marriage-ending argument with his wife who is upset about the amount of time he spends working. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
A successful business tycoon finds himself targeted by colleagues and clients when he decides to clean up his act and run an honest institution. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jon Voight, Brenda Bakke, (more)
- 1997
A female literary editor is found murdered in an apartment occupied by a fast-rising young author, and by the author's lawyer. Though both of the "roommates" offer good alibis, the detectives are decidedly skeptical. What happens next unfolds like one of the author's steamy romance novels -- but this time, there might not be a happy ending. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Canadian actress Genvieve Bujold headlines this taut tale of an attorney whose irate client holds her daughter at gunpoint and threatens to kill her unless the lawyer commit suicide. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nancy Beatty, Geneviève Bujold, (more)
- 1996
In 1988, Marlene Moore, the first woman to be designated a "dangerous offender" by Canada's legal system -- even though she had never committed a serious crime -- killed herself in a Kingston, Ontario federal woman's prison. The Canadian TV movie seeks to explain the circumstances that brought the unfortunate Moore to this tragic turn of events. As played by Brooke Johnson, Marlene is shown to be an awkward, withdrawn young girl, cruelly maligned and sexually abused by family and peers alike, and never afforded the moral support or mental-health treatment she deserved. Under these circumstances, Marlene's subsequent self-destructive, sociopathic behavior seems almost predestined, and her many years behind bars for various minor crimes a logical extension of her miserable upbringing. The climactic efforts by her dedicated lawyer to prevent Marlene from being entombed in prison for an indefinite term are heartrending, and Moore manages to evoke audience sympathy almost in spite of herself by the final fade-out. The film earned two Gemini Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Emmies) for both Brooke Johnsonand supporting actress Jayne Eastwood (as Marlene's mother). Originally telecast by the CBC, Dangerous Offender was first seen in America via the Lifetime network on November 7, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brooke Johnson, Sara Botsford, (more)
Based on the story of real breast-cancer survivor Joyce Wadler, this drama follows the noted journalist on her quest to stay alive and rebuild her life after she receives news of her potentially fatal condition. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meredith Baxter, Jamey Sheridan, (more)
- 1992
The made-for-TV Fatal Memories is based on a true story. Shelley Long stars as a California woman whose repressed memories suddenly burst forth. She promptly accuses her father of murder that occurred 20 years earlier. Then she experiences flashes of recollection suggesting that her father was also a party to her preteen rape. Many questions are raised but few are resolved during the climactic courtroom sequence. The theory of Repressed Memory Syndrome is in such disrepute nowadays that it's likely a rebroadcast of Fatal Memories will be even more controversial than its original telecast on November 9, 1992. The film has been syndicated as The Eileen Franklin Story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Dean Stockwell, (more)
- 1989
E.N.G is a "feature film" comprised of episodes from the Canadian TV soap opera of the same name. Set in the studios of a fictional "Channel 10," the title stands for electronic news gathering. Sara Botsford stars as Ann Hildebrandt, the know-all TV news executive producer. Ann's affair with cameraman Jake Antonelli (Mark Humphrey) is but one of a myriad of plot threads. The third principal player is Mike Fennell (Art Hindle), E.N.G's news director, who will do literally anything to pump up ratings. Shown in the daytime hours in Canada, E.N.G was telecast in the U.S. in a variety of timeslots by the Lifetime Cable Network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Penny Marshall in her feature film directing debut, four screenwriters, and a ebullient Whoopi Goldberg join forces to make Jumpin' Jack Flash, a modern espionage comedy. Goldberg plays Terry Doolittle, a computer operator in a large New York City bank who picks up a cry of help on her computer. The signal is from a man who signs off as Jumpin' Jack Flash. Based on the Rolling Stones tune of that name, she figures out his secret password and opens up a Pandora's box of international intrigue. It seems Jack Flash is a pseudonym for a British agent who is trapped in Russia and desperate for information from the British Embassy that will help him escape. When Terry agrees to help him, the CIA, the KGB, British intelligence, and sundry other law enforcement organizations are all hot on her tail as she tries to help the beleaguered British agent. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Pryce, (more)
Ivan Reitman directed this film, starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah, that is an amalgam of a thriller, courtroom drama, mystery and Tracy-Hepburn romantic comedy, with a little Mark Rothko-type scandal thrown in. The film revolves around troubled Chelsea Deardon (Daryl Hannah) who as an eight-year-old girl witnessed her father, a famous artist, perishing in a blaze along with his valuable art works. Twenty years later, Chelsea is arrested for stealing one of her father's paintings from an unscrupulous New York art dealer. She claims many more of her father's paintings survived the fire long ago. Defending Chelsea is lawyer Laura Kelly (Debra Winger). Pitted against her is suave district attorney Tom Logan (Robert Redford). Laura thinks if Tom knew the facts behind the case, he would reconsider and exonerate Chelsea. He doesn't, but one night when Chelsea appears at his doorstep, he does permit her to seduce him. The next morning, one of the art dealers involved in the case is found dead, and Chelsea is found in Tom's apartment. Chelsea becomes the prime suspect in the murder and Tom's career is ruined. Inexplicably, Laura hires Tom to help her defend Chelsea. The two lawyers, in researching their defense, not only uncover a scandal involving art dealership, but also fall in love. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Debra Winger, (more)
- 1984
- R
Filmed in 1984, The Gunrunner didn't receive a widespread release until 1989, thanks in great part to the presence of Kevin Costner in the cast. The future Oscar-winning actor is herein cast as the title character, an illicit "arms dealer" named Ted Beaubein. Set in 1926 Montreal, the story finds Beaubein trying to muscle in on the speakeasy racket, a decision prompted by his fondness for "speak" owner Maude (Sara Botsford). Things get hairy when Rosalyn (Mitch Martin), the socialite girlfriend of Beaubein's late brother George (Ron Lea), is kidnapped by the Mob. Attempting to deliver the ransom money, Ted discovers what the audience has known all along -- that no one in his particular circle of friends can be trusted. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Sara Botsford, (more)
- 1982
- R
A super breed of rats is accidentally given large doses of steroids, and the rodents grow five to ten times their usual size. While the city is being overrun, a science teacher (Sam Groom) and a health inspector (Sara Botsford) struggle to survive while plotting the rats' demise. The film was originally known as The Rats. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sam Groom, Sara Botsford, (more)
- 1982
- PG
In Still of the Night, a mystery thriller written and directed by Robert Benton, a psychiatrist falls in love with a woman who is suspected of the murder of one of his patients. Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) is treating a married museum curator. When the man is killed, Sam is visited by his dead patient's mistress and co-worker Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep) who wants him to return a watch -- that was left at her home -- to the patient's wife. Sam is immediately attracted to the cool, aloof Brooke, who has been discussed during numerous therapy sessions. When he hears about the mysterious death of Brook's father, and he himself is stalked by a woman who resembles Brook, he begins to both desire and fear her. Despite its rather leisurely pace, and some dream sequences which distract from the suspense, Still of the Night is an effective thriller despite a contrived surprise ending when the killer is revealed. Scheider is believable as the doctor in love, but Streep is rather strained in a role that demands a sexual allure and eroticism which she seems uncomfortable portraying. Benton's cinematography is moody and frightening, particularly when Scheider is followed through Central Park. Despite its flaws, Still of the Night should please fans of psychological thrillers. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, (more)
- 1982
- R
In this shocking chiller an environmentalist, lecturing at a New York City college begins looking for the brutal killer who has been murdering his students. His search leads him to a psycho technician who has been using long-distance telephone calls to do his dirty work. The story is also known as Bells. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, John Houseman, (more)
- 1981
- R
Looking for the perfect biological father, a lesbian couple attempts to have a child after they are refused adoption privileges. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Sara Botsford, (more)
- 1977
- PG
The Northern Canadian wilderness is the background for the fight for survival of 2 prejudiced men after their military plane crashes. (AKA Men of Steel) ~ Rovi
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