Ian Barry Movies
Based on "Poor Little Innocent Lamb," a short story by Katherine Patterson, Miss Lettie and Me stars Mary Tyler Moore as Lettie Anderson, an embittered oldster who has been forced throughout her life to sacrifice any chance for lasting happiness. Living on a remote farm with only her handyman Isaiah Griffin (Charles Robinson) as company, Lettie has effectively shut herself off from the rest of the world--and, having done so, is hardly pleased when her 9-year-old grandniece Travis (Holliston Coleman) comes to live on the farm for the summer. Hoping to melt her great-aunt's frozen heart, Travis succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, even bringing Lettie together again with her "lost love" Samuel Madison (Burt Reynolds, an ex-ballplayer turned drug store owner). A "Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation" produced for the TNT cable network, Miss Lettie and Me debuted on December 8, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
With their "bad" reputation growing apace, Moya's crew has trouble securing vital supplies on the planet Kanvia -- none more vital than Chromextin, a stimulant necessary to cure Moya's offspring starship Talyn. Making matters worse, the crew gets into a brawl with Kanvia security director Tolven (Sandy Winton), who promptly refuses to do business with them ever again. A ray of hope is provided by the machinations of Crichton (Ben Browder) -- or rather, the two diametrically opposite personalities of Crichton's twin alter egos -- but Aeryn (Claudia Black) messes things up when another unsavory aspect of her past returns to haunt her. "Thanks for Sharing" first aired on June 15, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
When the ailing Aeryn (Claudia Black) rejects a restorative neural implant, Talyn must seek out another host body. But before this happens, Talyn is lured into the gravitational pull of a blazing star, causing a mysterious mist to seep from the starship's inner workings, complicating the crew's efforts to save both Talyn and Aeryn. And who is this not-so-friendly stranger with the really bad sunburn who calls himself Mu-Quillus (Mark Mitchell)? "Meltdown" first aired on July 14, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A couple looking for adventure and romance get a lot more than they bargained for in this made-for-TV drama based on a novel by Louis L'Amour. It's 1955, and John and Helen Lacklan (Keith Carradine and Paris Jefferson) are two scientists who've been working for the United States government as part of the nuclear weapons development program. They're also man and wife, and when John wed Helen, he gave her a ring without a stone, promising to someday find the diamond that she deserved. Needing a vacation, the Lacklans travel to Borneo, hoping to find a diamond while getting away from it all. Needing a guide, the Lacklans hire Mike Kardec (Billy Zane), an American expatriate who knows the jungles of Borneo and has done some diamond hunting himself. Mike soon finds he's strongly attracted to Helen, and Helen is equally drawn to Mike; it doesn't take long for John to see what's happening, and he angrily fires Kardec, hiring instead a native boy who claims to know where diamonds can be found. However, what John doesn't know is, the boy is a member of the Dyak tribe, whose leader Jeru (Piripi Waretini) has been responsible for the disappearance of a number of visitors; when Mike gets word of this, he sets out to find the Lacklans before it's too late. The Diamond of Jeru also stars Jackson Raine and Peter Carroll. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Paris Jefferson, (more)
- 2000
This Yuletide TV movie was based on the novel Flight of the Reindeer, which also served as the film's British release title. As a child, Jerry McNeal (Richard Thomas) was rescued from certain death by a creature he described as a flying reindeer. Now an adult and a professional zoologist, Jerry is determined to prove that reindeers with the power of flight do indeed exist; a mission which, alas, causes him to neglect his wife, Debbie (Maria Pitillo) and daughter, Grace (Taylor-Anne Reid). Ultimately, Jerry's obsession takes him to the North Pole, where a jovial, elfin chap named Nick (Beau Bridges) may or may not be able -- or willing -- to satisfy our hero's insatiable curiosity. Underwritten by such commercial enterprises as Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, and General Motors, The Christmas Secret first aired over the CBS network on December 17, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Jason Robards made his final filmed appearance in this relentlessly heartwarming made-for-TV drama. With her career as a book editor thriving, Katherine Barton (Sherry Stringfield) has no burning desire to return to her home town. But the decision is made for Katherine when she is informed by an old friend that her formerly robust and level-headed father, Charles (Robards), has been mailing packages to his son -- who died decades earlier in Vietnam. Upon her arrival, Katherine contacts local medico Dr. Warren (played by country singer Clint Black), who prescribes a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and other forms of "stimulation" for the elderly Barton. Dr. Warren further suggests that Charles' survival hinges upon Katherine's willingness to give up her career and remain with her father. First broadcast by CBS, Going Home was originally shown on March 12, 2000, some eight months before Jason Robards' death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Robards, Jr., Sherry Stringfield, (more)
- 1998
Returning to his home town after the death of the grandfather who raised him, slick and cynical Wall Street trader Will Martin (Neil Patrick Harris) feels decidedly out of place, and not at all in tune with the Christmas preparations being made by the local citizenry. But Will isn't really taking a sentimental journey at all: He's merely in town to modernize and streamline his family's real-estate company. While going through his grandfather's effects, Will and his grandmother (Debbie Reynolds) come across the old man's diary--which reveals a lengthy relationship with a woman named Lillian. Determined to locate this mystery mistress (if indeed that's who Lillian is), Will learns a few vital lessons about love, forgiveness, and recapturing the Yuletide spirit that has so long eluded him. Adapted from a novel by Richard Siddoway, the made-for-TV The Christmas Wish premiered December 6, 1998, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- PG13
In this speculative disaster outing, a solar explosion results in a scorched Earth. Though most of humanity dies, there are a few survivors. The story centers on a band of Californians, representing all walks of life, who must work together to stay alive. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathryn Morris, James Remar, (more)
This Australian animal adventure begins at a Queensland farm where young Billy (Jamie Croft), who lives with his widowed mother Penny (Rebecca Gibney), likes to watch the kangaroos, including baby Joey. Mean-spirited neighbor Dixon (Errol O'Neill) hires brutish Kanga Catcher (Harold Hopkins) to remove the 'roos. They are drugged and carted off, leaving Joey without a mother, so Billy heads for the city with Joey in his backpack. After he teams with Linda Ross (Alex McKenna), free-spirited daughter of American ambassador Ted Ross (Ed Begley Jr.), the two youths take off to reunite Joey with the kidnapped kangaroos. Sydney street scenes shown here are actually in Brisbane. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Croft, Alex McKenna, (more)
- 1995
- R
In this Australian thriller set in Queensland, a writer returns from LA to Michelton, his tiny hometown, to attend the funeral of his best friend, and finds himself involved in a manhunt for a deranged serial killer. It all begins at the funeral when Matt Curran sees the sister of Andy, his late friend. Cathy, who is also an ex-lover of Matt's, and who doesn't believe the official report that Andy committed suicide. She believes that he was murdered because Andy knew that the courts convicted the wrong man for the killings of several young men. Matt is intrigued and decides to look for the truth. He is opposed by Chris, the town cop who is jealous because his wife Sandra had once loved the writer. Matt is not deterred and continues looking. Soon he finds himself following a baffling trail of clues, consisting of obscure biblical references, and body parts from the slain women. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judd Nelson, Dee Smart, (more)
- 1994
Brooke Shields stars in this futuristic suspense thriller as Kate Fletcher, a woman whose apartment is controlled by a high-tech computer system. Her conveniences become a trap, however, when a psychotic murderer invades her building, convinced his dead sister is commanding him to kill again. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Holly McPhee (Jacqueline Bisset) is a woman leading two lives. Most people know her as a well-regarded judge and faithful wife, but only a few realize she is also the brains and beauty behind a crime ring responsible for a string of daring robberies, which she coordinates with her lover. Holly's dangerous obsession with crime and illicit sex leads her to bigger and riskier capers, until one day she and her lover find they've bitten off more than they can chew. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Three imprisoned woman exact revenge upon the womanizing criminal who used them to smuggle his drugs while they were in college in this drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Underrated leading man Jeff Fahey carries most of the dramatic weight of the Australian Wrangler. Fahey plays a handsome, athletic businessman who vies for the hand of rancher's daughter Tushika Bergen. Our hero must not only contend with his romantic rival, a dashing but dangerous cattleman (Steven Vidler), but also with a villainous creditor who craves the land left to Bergen by her late father. By nature of its plotline and setting, Wrangler can't help but invite comparisons to the popular The Man From Snowy River. Still, the stars and director Ian Barry keep up the appearances of freshness and originality. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Fahey, Tushka Bergen, (more)
- 1984
Though not the same series as the 1959 The Flying Doctor, this long-running Australian weekly dealt with essentially the same subject matter. Created by Vincent Moran and Terry Stapleton for Australia's Nine Network, the program was launched as a three-part miniseries (actually consisting of six hour-long episodes) in 1984, dealing with the courageous activities of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Photographed on location in the Outback and other far-flung regions, the series proved to be as popular internationally as it was Down Under. Over 200 hour-long installments of The Flying Doctors were produced between 1986 and 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
- R
The Chain Reaction is an Australian-made drama about a nuclear accident and its effect on the workers of the plant. Oates (Patrick Ward) knows of the accident and the eventual effects it will have on the workers and the surrounding community, and he tries to tell them but the owners of the reactor try to have him eliminated before he can do so. The cast includes Mel Gibson in an uncredited role as a mechanic. Also released as Nuclear Run, this thriller, with an intelligent script by Ian Barry, is worth a view. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
An undercover cop named Stone (Ken Shorter) infiltrates an outlaw biker gang called the Grave Diggers, only to discover that he has more in common with the two-wheeled warriors than he previously though after a professional assassin attempts to set them up for a big fall. A prominent environmental activist has just been assassinated, and the police suspect that the Grave Diggers are withholding crucial information relating to the killing. Realizing that the Grave Diggers will never speak to regular policemen, the cops recruit Stone to ride with the gang and find out what they know. Accepted into the fold after saving the life of a grateful Grave Digger, Stone begins to respect the Undertaker (Sandy Harbutt) and his crew due to the fact that they operate by their own unique code of ethics. Later, as the Grave Diggers prepare to strike back against a rival motorcycle club, Stone suspects a set-up and attempts to convince them not to fall for it. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Stone was correct. When the violence finally erupts, no one is safe from the bloodshed that threatens to destroy the Grave Diggers, and consume Stone in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
