David Anspaugh Movies
A director with a sure hand for underdog sports dramas, Emmy-winning producer/director David Anspaugh cut his teeth on 16 mm sports films during his years at the University of Indiana. Following his stint there, the Decatur, IN, native studied film at U.S.C.'s School of Film and Television. He worked as a high school teacher in Colorado in the years that followed, but the lure of a career behind the camera proved too strong to resist, and the aspiring director soon made a change. Anspaugh worked as an associate producer on such made-for-TV movies as Vampire (1979) and Fighting Back (1980), which led to work on the acclaimed television police drama Hill Street Blues. Before he left the series in 1985, Anspaugh had both taken the director's chair and won two Emmys for his work as a producer. Growing more confident behind the camera, he directed episodes of St. Elsewhere and Miami Vice, and made his feature debut with the touching sports drama Hoosiers. The memorable tale of an Indiana high school basketball team that becomes an unlikely contender for the state championship, the film put Anspaugh on the map as a director and earned star Dennis Hopper both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor.His interest in true-life tales next led Anspaugh to helm the made-for-TV drama Deadly Care (1987), and though subsequent films Fresh Horses (1988) and In the Company of Darkness (1992) did little to further his career, the sentimental drama Rudy (1994) once again warmed the hearts of audiences with the tale of a diminutive football player who wants to play for Notre Dame. The subsequent female drama Moonlight and Valentino (1995) provided a momentary break from the testosterone-laden content that had nearly defined Anspaugh's career to that point, but the low-key weeper failed to make much of an impression at the box office and eventually found most of its audience on home video. In the years that followed, the director stuck mainly to the small screen, and by the time Wisegirls was released in 2002, audiences had already had their fill of star Mariah Carey with the abysmal Glitter the previous year. The 2002 made-for-TV feature Two Against Time was the very definition of a tearjerker with its tale of a mother and daughter who have both been diagnosed with cancer; but Anspaugh was back the next year to make The Game of Their Lives, another against-all-odds, true-life sports drama, this time about the 1950 U.S. soccer team and its bid for the World Cup. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An 8-year-old boy dedicates his life to helping children rendered homeless by Hurricane Charley, and learns that you can't put a price tag on life's greatest gifts in this inspirational drama based on actual events. Dejected at the images of families whose lives were uprooted by the disaster, Zach Bonner uses his trusty wagon to collect essential items that will help them get back on their feet. When the media spotlight's Zach's benevolent endeavors, the selfless seizes the opportunity to launch his own charity, dubbed the Little Red Wagon Foundation. Later, Zach encounters a widow and her son who were rendered homeless by the story, and vows to draw attention to their plight by embarking on a cross country walk. Despite his mother's trepidations about the journey and his teenage sister's growing resentment over being stuck at the center of a media circus, Zach sets out on a journey that will transform not just his own life, but also the lives of everyone he encounters. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
In 1950, most Americans had only a passing familiarity with the game of soccer, even though it was the world's most popular sport, and few athletes in the United States played the game with any particular degree of expertise. However, when an invitation was extended to the United States to participate in the World Cup tournament in Brazil -- the international soccer championship held every four years -- Bill Jeffrey was determined that America participate. In less than two weeks, Jeffrey assembled a team comprised mostly of players from St. Louis (where soccer had developed a small but loyal following) and the East Coast (where the game gained a foothold on college campuses), with immigrants from Haiti, Portugal, and Scotland filling out the ranks. Against all odds, the Americans not only made it to the World Cup games, but defeated the British team (favored by many to win the championship) in the greatest upset of the 1950 games. The Game of Their Lives is a sports drama based on the remarkable true story of the 1950 United States team, featuring John Rhys-Davies as Bill Jeffrey, Wes Bentley as team leader Walter Bahr, Gerard Butler as goalie Frank Borghi, Jimmy Jean-Louis as Joe Gaetiens, a dishwasher born in Haiti who found his way onto the team, and Patrick Stewart as a journalist covering the games. David Anspaugh, who made the acclaimed basketball drama Hoosiers, directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Wes Bentley, (more)
David Anspaugh's mix of female bonding and mob drama, Wisegirls concerns a trio of waitresses. Meg (Oscar winner Mira Sorvino), wise-talking Raychel (Mariah Carey), and wannabe dancer Kate (Paul Thomas Anderson regular Melora Walters) grow close while working at an Italian restaurant. After saving a man's life at the eatery thanks to her time in medical school, Meg begins to realize that the establishment is mob-controlled. Soon she must hide the dead body of her boss (whose "whacking" she indirectly caused). Eventually, Meg discovers secrets about her two friends and is forced to risk her life in order to gain information on the mobsters. This mix of gangster film and female bonding screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey, (more)
- 2002
Divesting herself of her useless husband, Julie Portman (Marlo Thomas) is determined to raise her two children by herself, despite the emotional roadblocks set up by her resentful and rebellious teenage daughter Emma (Ellen Muth). Things reach the crisis stage when both mother and daughter are diagnosed with cancer. Ignoring her own weakened condition after extensive chemotherapy treatment, Julie insists upon helping Emma "tough it out" on the road to (hopeful) survival. Occasional moral support is provided by Julie's new sweetheart, philosophical lobster fisherman George (Joe Penny). Based on actual events, the made-for-TV Mother and Daughter originally aired April 21, 2002, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
- NR
In this courtroom drama set in the near future, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently overturned the Roe vs. Wade decision and thrown the issue of abortion rights back to the individual states. Alabama has subsequently outlawed abortion on demand and has prosecuted Virginia Mapes (Lisa Gay Hamilton) for first degree murder after she opted to terminate her pregnancy. Mapes and her attorney have taken the case to the Supreme Court in hopes of keeping her out of prison, and with the court evenly divided on the issue, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Joseph Kirkland (Andy Garcia) looks to be the man who will cast the deciding vote in a case that could reinstate a woman's right to choose. Kirkland, however, finds himself surrounded by proponents of both the pro-choice and pro-life agendas, with his fellow justices, his secretary and even his wife trying to influence his vote. Produced for ABC Television, Swing Vote boasts a distinguished supporting cast, including Harry Belafonte, Robert Prosky, Milo O'Shea, Kate Nelligan, Albert Hall, and Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Harry Belafonte, (more)
A woman dealing with an unexpected death has to help her friends with their own crises in this comedy-drama. Rebecca Lott (Elizabeth Perkins) gets an unpleasant surprise while waiting for her husband to return from his daily jog -- he was hit by a car and instantly killed. A handful of Rebecca's friends and relatives rally around her, including her close friend and neighbor Sylvie (Whoopi Goldberg), her former stepmother Alberta (Kathleen Turner), and her younger sister Lucy (Gwyneth Paltrow), but she has a hard time accepting the fact that she's now a widow (or, as she prefers to put it, "the 'W' word"). It also seems that the women trying to offer Rebecca emotional support could use some of their own; Sylvie's marriage is hanging by a thread, and Lucy is depressed and cynical owing to her inexperience with men. But romance begins to find its way back into Rebecca's life when a handsome younger man (Jon Bon Jovi) -- hired to paint the house -- takes a shine to her. Moonlight and Valentino was based on a play written by Ellen Simon, daughter of comic playwright Neil Simon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Perkins, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
A young man learns to let nothing stop him from realizing his ambitions in this drama, based on a true story. Ever since he was a little boy, Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) has dreamed of attending Notre Dame University, and playing on the Fighting Irish football team. However, Rudy's dream doesn't seem very practical; Daniel (Ned Beatty), his father, works in a steel mill and can ill afford to send his son to Notre Dame, while Rudy's grades are not especially impressive, and standing a shade over five feet tall and weighing a little over 100 pounds, Rudy is hardly built for the gridiron. However, with the help of Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky), a sympathetic priest, Rudy is admitted to nearby Holy Cross, and in his junior year manages to squeak into Notre Dame as a transfer student. Rudy works as an assistant to the football stadium's groundskeeper, Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), to pay his tuition (often sleeping in Fortune's office since he can't afford a room), studies diligently, and appears at tryouts for the football team. Rudy is made a member of the practice team, which means he's little more than a human tackling dummy, but Coach Ara Parseghian (Jason Miller) is impressed with Rudy's devotion and determination, and pledges that he'll allow him to dress for one game before he graduates, so his name can be recorded as an official member of the team. However, the arrival of a new coach and a tough season that allows for few unnecessary players may put a stop to Rudy's dreams within sight of the finish line. Rudy also stars Jon Favreau, Lili Taylor, and Scott Benjaminson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1992
Made for television, In the Company of Darkness was first aired on January 5, 1993. Helen Hunt stars as a small town rookie cop. Her first big assignment is to extract a confession from a male stalker who may be responsible for the murders of several small boys. The task drains her emotionally, especially when she endeavors to "enter" the psyche of the suspect. Rather reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs, it takes forever to get started, but you're not likely to tune out once you've tuned in. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Helen Hunt, Jeff Fahey, (more)
Fresh Horses features Molly Ringwald as Jewel, a Kentucky shanty gal. Jewel finds herself romantically involved with wealthy University of Cincinnati student Matt Larkin (Andrew McCarthy). Though willing to throw over his "proper" fiancee for Jewel, Matt isn't prepared for the horrible secret that Jewel holds within her. Directed by David Anspaugh, Fresh Horses is also known as The Eccentricity of People and Syntax. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
- 1987
The made-for-TV Deadly Care stars Cheryl Ladd as an intensive-care nurse. The pressures of her job, coupled with problems at home, lead Cheryl to resort to desperate "coping" measures. She develops an addiction to drugs and liquor, a deadly combination for anyone in the medical profession. Only after a near-disaster during a delicate heart transplant operation does she realize she needs help, and needs it fast. Written by Lane Slate, Deadly Care was originally telecast March 22, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Hoosiers tells the true story of a group of underdogs who become champions. Set in the 1950s, Hoosiers is about a hard-luck, unemployed college basketball coach (Gene Hackman) who gets a chance to coach a small-town Indiana high-school basketball team. Facing resentment from the community and the team itself, Hackman manages to inspire his young athletes, leading them to the state championship with the help of the assistant coach (Dennis Hopper), who happens to be a recovering alcoholic. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.