Samuel Bottoms Movies
The youngest of the acting Bottoms brothers, Samuel Bottoms made his first film appearance as the retarded Billy in The Last Picture Show, appearing in several scenes with older brother Timothy. Samuel later showed up in two Vietnam-themed Francis Ford Coppola films: he was hotshot PFC Lance in Apocalypse Now (1979) and the more sober-sided Lt. Webber in Gardens of Stone (1987). In 1981, he starred in the TV-miniseries remake of East of Eden as Cal Trask, while his brother Timothy played his father, Adam Trask. Samuel Bottoms went on to co-star with Tim and Joseph Bottoms in 1987's Island Sons, a busted TV pilot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An honored soldier returns home attempting to pick up his life where he left off before the war, only to find that his oldest friend is his newest enemy in this western starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Bobby Hathaway (Phillips) served his country with pride; now all he wants is to rest easy while enjoying the company of friends and family. Upon realizing that his childhood friend (Vincent Spano) has grown up to become a ruthless land baron intent on swindling regular folks out of their rightful properties, Bobby vows to protect both his land and his family even if it means putting his own life on the line to do so. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Vincent Spano, (more)
An emotionally stunted ex-convict whose recent release from prison finds her attempting to form a relationship with her young daughter finds that redemption doesn't come easy in this emotional family drama, the feature debut of award-winning documentary filmmaker Laurie Collyer. When Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) was sentenced to three years in prison on a drug-related robbery conviction at the age of 22, she had just given birth to a daughter named Alexis (Ryan Simpkins). Placed in the care of Sherry's brother, Bobby (Brad William Henke), and sister-in-law, Lynette (Bridget Barkan), while her mother was behind bars, young Alexis has grown into an affectionate young girl eager to reconnect with the mother she has never met. Though Sherry at first seems determined to stay on the straight and narrow, increasingly infrequent visits to Alexis and a troubling revelation about her family past soon begin to lead the protective Lynette to take a stand in protecting the vulnerable youngster. Later, when compassionate 12-step veteran Dean (Danny Trejo) makes an effort to help Sherry become the mother she longs to be, the troubled ex-con is faced with the choice of truly living up to her word or potentially losing her daughter forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brad William Henke, (more)
A pair of naïve young girls learn that even the most insignificant actions can have lasting consequences in this music-driven take on teen culture starring Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips and directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Influenced by the hip-hop thug lifestyle and seeking to explore life outside of their insulated, culturally homogenized suburb, pretty young teenagers Allison (Hathaway) and Emily (Phillips) set their sights on East L.A. to experience the "gangsta" lifestyle firsthand. By the time the pair meet some true-life Latino gang-bangers and realize just how far out of their element they really are, it may already be too late to turn back. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In this independent psychological drama, Lillian (Jade Henham) is a woman who is depressed and dissatisfied with her lot in life; she's the kept woman of a successful businessman, Gene (Samuel Bottoms), who has sexual identity issues and likes to dress up as Marilyn Monroe during his encounters with Lillian. Lillian longs for a different sort of relationship, and while Gene is away on business, she meets Luke (Robert Glen Keith), a handsome and seemingly sensitive writer who seems to offer a healthier perspective on love and sex than that to which she's become accustomed. However, in time she discovers Luke has secrets of his own, and now she finds herself torn between two men, neither of whom is giving her what she needs. Looking Through Lillian was the first feature film for director and co-screenwriter Jake Torem; leading lady Jade Henham also contributed to the script. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Tom McLoughlin directs the downbeat psychological thriller The Unsaid, released straight-to-video in the U.S. Andy Garcia stars as Kansas psychologist Dr. Michael Hunter who quits his practice following the suicide of his teenage son Kyle (Trevor Blumas). Disturbed by the death, separated from his wife, and lacking the Shelley (Linda Cardellini), Michael is soon approached by social worker Barbara (Teri Polo). She needs him to evaluate her client, Thomas Caffey (Vincent Kartheiser), a traumatised teenage boy who is due for release from a juvenile center. Feeling somewhat compelled to offer his services, Michael discovers the boy's horrible past involving his father, Joseph (Sam Bottoms), who is in prison for murder . ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Vincent Kartheiser, (more)
In this drama, a much-older banker embarks upon a forbidden love affair with an adolescent girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel Bottoms, Lisa Eichhorn, (more)
This unusual comedy-drama, set in an experimental psychiatric institute, is a departure for genre director Philippe Mora, whose usual oeuvre is science fiction, horror, and low-budget action films. Rene Auberjonois stars as Dr. Sam Cohen, director of the Temporal Displacement Foundation. Cohen's highly-offbeat but well-funded mission is to treat psychotic patients whose particular dysfunction is the belief that they are famous historical figures, with the chief therapy being psychodrama, the reenactment of passages from that figure's life. Although he has some patients who believe themselves to be artists or religious icons (Mick Fleetwood as Pablo Picasso and Jesse Grey Walken as Jesus Christ), Cohen's star patient (Angus MacFadyen) believes himself to be Adolf Hitler. The clever, mentally ill genius has inexorably drawn several fellow patients into his delusion, including Tessa (T.C. Warner), who now believes herself to be Eva Braun. Enacting the part of Hitler's father, Cohen hopes for a breakthrough with the group. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Back when he died in 1900, William Marsh Rice was a Texas gazillionaire, having donated the funds to start the Rice Instittute (later known as Rice University) in Houston. In this movie, based on the director's stage play, when a suspicious will turns up on the occasion of Rice's death, the Texas Secretary of State (Sam Bottoms) investigates it. It soon appears evident that the chief beneficiary and the rich man's butler conspired to make up a false will prior to the butler poisoning the old man. In the sensational trial which resulted, expert testimony about handwriting was accepted in court for the first time. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel Bottoms, Karen Black, (more)
- 1992
- Add Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas to QueueAdd Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas to top of Queue
This video offers a profile of filmmaker Bogdanovich's first great movie, The Last Picture Show, as Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms and Sam Bottoms, Polly Platt, Randy Quaid and others reveal the impacts that the film had on their lives. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
This is one of several seventh-season Murder She Wrote episodes introduced by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) but starring Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell), a jewel thief turned insurance investigator. On this occasion, Stanton himself is the primary suspect in a murder case. The victim is the estranged husband of Stanton's old flame Christina (Susan Blakely), whom our hero had been romancing just before the murder. Will Lt. Catalano (Ken Swofford) finally be able to put Stanton behind bars again, or will the wily ex-crook manage to wriggle his way out of danger once more? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When his girl's life's in danger, this kickboxer, who'd sworn off the sport, must fight one last contest to save her. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1989
"Hip" Catholic priest Sam Bottoms is asked by his monsignor to defend their faith on The Dick Cavett Show. While preparing for his appearance, however, Bottoms begins having doubts about his religious committment. Especially troublesome is his relationship with Renee Coleman, a brilliant student who doesn't believe in God. The Bottoms--Coleman story is paralleled with a series of flashbacks to the Stone Age (!), as caveman leader James Farkas tries to make sense of a mystical tree trunk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel Bottoms, Renee Coleman, (more)
- 1989
Just before attending the funeral of an old friend, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) makes the acquaintance of young Rick Banner (Marc Singer), former college roommate of the dead woman's long-lost son Peter. When Rick hears a song written by Peter, the ball starts rolling for a onslaught of intrigue, ill will and murder predicated on the fact that the missing Peter will fall heir to millions should he ever make a return appearance. Jessica's fellow sleuth on this occasion is rumpled, clownish Chief Underwood (Lane Smith), who may remind some viewers of Peter Falk's Lieutenant Columbo (of course, both Columbo and Murder, She Wrote were created by the same writing team!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
The made-for-TV Island Sons stars real-life brothers Timothy, Joseph, Samuel and Benjamin Bottoms as fictional brothers named Tim, Joe, Sam and Ben (too bad there wasn't any Zeppo Bottoms). When their mogul father disappears in Hawaii in the aftermath of a scandal, the four brothers bury their own differences and head to the Islands. There they operate all of dad's neat stuff (his yacht, his limo, his hotel), while assistant DA Sam investigates the death in prison of his father's head bookkeeper. The boys get to the bottom of the scandal that ruined their father, and find more than they ever imagined. They don't, however, find enough to encourage a network and a sponsor to pick up Island Sons as a weekly TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
In this made-for-TV film, a high-school counselor (Joyce Brothers) faces ineffectual help from administration in combating drugs, so she recruits several students to help in the battle. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Hunt
The 1955 film version of John Steinbeck's East of Eden will always be popular because of the presence in the cast of James Dean. Even so, the film covered only a small portion of the original novel. For those Steinbeck completists who prefer a more thorough treatment, we submit for your approval the TV miniseries adaptation of East of Eden, which first aired February 8, 9 and 11, 1981. This eight-hour dramatization begins in the years following the Civil War. Braggadocio union officer Cyrus Trask (Warren Oates) is the father of gentle, loyal Adam (Timothy Bottoms) and hellraiser Charles (Bruce Boxleitner). Enter the bewitching, mean-spirited Cathy Ames (Jane Seymour), who leads both brothers on and causes an irreparable rift between them. Eventually, Adam marries Cathy, taking her and their twin sons to a 900-acre farm in California's Salinas Valley. Cathy rebels against this cloistered existence and runs off to work in a house of ill repute. In Part Three, we finally meet the "James Dean" character: Cal Trask (played by Timothy Bottoms' brother Sam), who can never hope to come up to the standards of his "good" twin brother Aron (Hart Bochner) in the eyes of his father. Cal's "bad" reputation obscures his good intentions, but by film's end he is compelled to reveal to brother Aron that their mother had not died as father Adam has claimed, but in fact has become a hard-bitten bordello "madam". Adapted for television by Richard Shapiro, East of Eden was part of ABC's informal "Novels for Television" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, (more)
- 1979
This episode of the series Greatest Heroes of the Bible recounts the Old Testament story of Joseph, who ascended from slavery to become the pharaoh's minister. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The Old Testament comes alive in this dramatic retelling of Biblical history. The story of Joseph begins with the young man being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But Joseph's wisdom soon wins him a place of honor within the Pharaoh's palace. When he meets his family again, Joseph must practice what he preaches. Sam Bottoms plays the Egyptian hero. Joseph joins an impressive lineup of Biblical superstars for this television special, among them David, Samson, and Noah. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Originally titled Stories from the Bible, Greatest Heroes of the Bible was designed as a seven-part TV miniseries; evidently the specter of low ratings forced the network execs to telescope the presentation into four installments. The series began with the story of David (Roger Kern) and Goliath (Ted Cassidy). Next we were offered the tale of Samson (John Beck) and Delilah (Ann Turkel). The Flood was next on the agenda, with Lew Ayres as Noah. This was followed by Joshua (Robert Culp) at the walls of Jericho. Moses (John Marley) was the central character in the next chapter, followed by Solomon (Tom Hallick) and Bathsheba (Carol Lawrence). The story of Joseph (Sam Bottoms) and his Brethren rounded out the presentation. While other miniseries prided themselves on being lensed in Europe and the Mid-East, Greatest Stories of the Bible declared itself as an "All American Production;" for example, Canyon City, Utah, stood in for Jericho. This miniseries was telecast November 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Susan Dey inaugurated her long and successful campaign to shuck her Partridge Family image in the made-for-TV Cage Without a Key. Dey plays a teenager mistakenly convicted for murder (some mistake!) She is sentenced to a grim woman's penal institution straight out of a Linda Blair movie. As she struggles against the iniquities of prison life, her friends and relatives on the outside fight for justice. A shockingly substandard effort from accomplished TV director Buzz Kulik, Cage Without a Key is credible only in its exterior scenes, filmed at Las Palmas School for Girls in City of Commerce, California. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Steve Martin wrote the screenplay and served as co-producer for this screen adaptation of his short novel, which takes a witty but bittersweet look at a young woman and the two men involved with her. Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) is an aspiring artist in her mid-twenties who, after graduating from college, moved to Los Angeles, where she works at the glove counter of an upscale department store. Mirabelle's job is simple and not demanding, but it doesn't pay especially well, and she finds herself struggling to get out from under a growing mountain of debt from student loans and credit cards. One night, while doing her laundry, Mirabelle meets Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), a scruffy but likable would-be musician who makes ends meet selling guitar amps. While Jeremy is obviously infatuated with Mirabelle, she isn't sure how she feels about him, especially after she meets Ray Porter (Steve Martin), a man in his fifties whom she meets at the store. Ray is independently wealthy, intelligent, and charming, and after asking her out on a date he sweeps her off her feet. However, while Mirabelle quickly falls for Ray and he's generous to a fault with her, he refuses to commit exclusively to her and suggests they should both see other people, a prospect that no longer holds much appeal for her. Shopgirl received its world premiere at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Claire Danes, (more)
Money and emotions lead to a difficult reunion between a father and daughter in this drama. Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) is a struggling stage actress in New York City whose life has become an uphill struggle -- her career isn't giving her satisfaction, her relationship with would-be rock star Ray (Dallas Roberts) is stuck in neutral, an affair with her friend Rob (Robert Beitzel) brings no excitement, and her colleague Deirdre (Deirdre O'Connell) simply doesn't understand her problems. Reese is also short on money, which is why she's willing to listen to a proposal from a publisher who wants to release a series of love letters that her mother, a well-known author who died years ago, wrote to her father, Don (Ed Harris), another respected novelist who has fallen out of the limelight but is said to be working on a final major work. Having accepted an advance for the collection, Reese pays a visit to Don in Michigan to get his OK for the project and collect the letters, but discovers two strangers have moved in with Don -- Shelly (Amelia Warner), who studied under Don and has installed herself as his business manager, and Corbit (Will Ferrell), a neighborhood sad sack who helps with the housekeeping and runs errands for the reclusive writer. As Reese vies with Shelly for her father's attention, she struggles to come to terms with issues from her childhood and the dissatisfaction with her life. Winter Passing was written and directed by noted playwright Adam Rapp; it was his first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
