Jeff Bleckner Movies

A handsome cardiologist and his late brother's wife enter into a marriage of convenience while realizing that the harder they work to maintain their "pretend" union, the deeper their love for one another grows. When successful, 30-year-old Washington, D.C. surgeon Jake Lever (Adam Kaufman) learns that his estranged older brother Benjamin has died, the news comes as a startling surprise. Jake and his mother Janice (Mercedes Ruehl) hadn't spoken to Benjamin since he moved away to become a rabbi and began devoting all of his time to his faith and his rabbinical duties. They aren't religious, so when they arrive in Benjamin's Hasidic, Brooklyn, New York community and meet his young widow Leah (Lauren Ambrose), Jake and Janice are virtual strangers to the people Benjamin devoted his entire life to. When the still-single Jake is asked to honor an ancient Levirate marriage law stating that he marry the childless Leah in order to carry on his brother's name or reject Benjamin's existence entirely, he finds latter prospect unthinkable despite being seriously involved with beautiful surgeon Carol (Christy Pusz). On a whim, Jake suggests to Leah that they marry under accordance with Levirate law and secretly maintain a plutonic relationship. Realizing that this may be her one opportunity to follow her own dreams without disappointing her domineering mother Malka (Susie Essman), Leah accepts. But love works in mysterious ways, and over time, Jake and Leah's affections for one another blossom into true love. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The eventful life of a humble Polish priest who once decried the pomp of the Catholic Church "a circus" and labeled the Pope a "prisoner of the Vatican" before ascending to the papal throne is explored as actor Thomas Kretschmann takes on the role of Pope John Paul II in director Jeff Bleckner's cinematic tribute to the man who would usher Catholicism into the 21st century. Born in Poland and forced to carry on following the untimely death of his family, Karol Wojtyla endured both personal hardships and the rape of his homeland by the Third Reich to spread the word of God through the Catholic Church. Later, as Pope John Paul II, Wojtyla was beloved by millions of Catholics worldwide for his tireless efforts to promote peace, forgiveness, and compassion among the nations of the world. From the sexual-abuse scandal that shook the American Catholic Church in the later-20th century to the murder of Salvatorian Archbishop Oscar Romero and the near-fatal assassination attempt made on his own life, Pope John Paul II endured to bridge the gap between various faiths and encourage an open dialogue between religious people of all denominations until his death resulting from Parkinson's disease in April of 2005. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A hit Broadway musical in 1957 and an equally successful Hollywood film in 1962, Meredith Willson's The Music Man was again brought before the cameras in this lavish made-for-TV adaptation. Standing in for the original's Robert Preston is Matthew Broderick as "Professor" Harold Hill, a glib traveling salesman who descends upon the town of River City, IA, in the weeks just prior to the Fourth of July celebration of 1912. Persuading the populace that the youth of River City is in great danger of being corrupted by the presence of a new pool table, Hill convinces them that their only hope for salvation is the organization of a boy's band, with himself as a leader. Naturally, this will require the parents to shell out good money for band instruments and uniforms, and in exchange, Hill promises to teach the kids how to make music by utilizing his revolutionary "Think System." There's only one problem: Harold Hill is an out-and-out con artist, who doesn't know one note from another. Even so, he manages to win over everybody in town except local librarian/music teacher Marian Paroo (Kristin Chenoweth) and thick-eared Mayor Shinn (Victor Garber). Ultimately, however, Marian joins Hill's camp -- mainly because he has brought her sullen brother, Winthrop (Cameron Monaghan), out of his shell -- but as July Fourth approaches, Hill faces exposure and arrest thanks to a vengeful anvil salesman named Charlie Cowell (Patrick McKenna). A meticulously faithful rendition of the Broadway original, The Music Man happily includes all of the show's wonderful songs, among them "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl," "Lida Rose," "Marian the Librarian," "Pickalittle," "Til There Was You," and "My White Knight" (which was not used in the 1962 movie adaptation). Though some critics found Matthew Broderick a bit too lightweight and Jeff Bleckner's direction a tad gimmicky, no one could fault the full-bodied vocal renditions, nor the consistently inventive choreography of Kathleen Marshall. Produced by the same team responsible for the 2003 movie smash Chicago, The Music Man debuted February 16, 2003, as an "expanded" episode of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on "The Dead Zone," a magazine article by Malcolm Gladwell, the made-for-TV Runaway Virus pits a team of dedicated scientists against a deadly virus. A particularly nasty form of influenza, which leaves its victims with bloody noses and blackened feet before their inexorable demise, has spread to Los Angeles, courtesy of an illegal alien. Although the scientists work as a team to prevent a horrendous epidemic, there is ample time for individual heroics, much of these manifested in the actions of reclusive vaccine specialist Jenny Blanchard (Paige Turco) and Center for Disease Control doctor Daniel Rothman (Jason Beghe). Runaway Virus debuted January 29, 2000, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though not the first TV dramatization of the lives and careers of the popular 1960s singing group the Beach Boys, this two-part miniseries was the first that did not concentrate exclusively on Brian Wilson, arguably the most brilliant and troubled member of the quintet. Instead, the production details the triumph and heartbreaks of all five Beach Boys: Brian (here played by Frederick Weller), his brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, and non-related members Mike Love and Al Jardine. Played by Kevin Dunn, the Wilson brothers' father Murray Wilson is cast as a complete monster, shown to be both verbally and physically abusive to his grown sons, as well as a money-grubbing dictator while managing The Beach Boys during their most prolific period. The miniseries also delves into the darker side of the singers themselves, especially when Dennis Wilson (played by Nick Stabile) begins carousing with a would-be tunesmith named Charles Manson (Erik Passoja). Producer John Stamos had originally wanted to appear in the production as Dennis (who died in a surfing mishap in 1983), but the ABC network decided that Stamos was too old for the part. Many (including, reportedly, Brian Wilson himself) complained loudly about the gross liberties taken with actual events in this picture. The Beach Boys: An American Family was originally telecast on February 27 and 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic tale of suspense stars Christopher Reeve as a wheelchair-bound shut-in with a proclivity for watching the world through binoculars and making up stories about the lives of the people he observes. Trouble comes when he fabricates a murder that just may have actually occurred. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Middle-class mom Rose Earl (Kate Jackson) has always had an excellent relationship with her son Bobby (Drew Ebersole), but ever since he entered college (the first in his family to do so) they have been drifting apart. Blame for this rift could very likely be levied upon the "bad crowd" with whom Bobby is travelling. Rose's premonition that her son's new friends aren't the right kind of kids is aroused by several pungent clues, notably her son's sudden academic slump in his sophomore year, and his ever-growing fascination with firearms. Then one morning, the boy completely disappears--whereupon one of his "buddies" surfaces with the claim that Bobby is on the lam from the law. Rose doesn't buy this, and she intends to uncover the truth as to what happened to her son. Originally telecast January 28, 1997 on CBS, the made-for-TV What Happened to Bobby Earl? is based on a true story, the outcome of which is rather bluntly given away by the film's cable-TV rerun title Murder in a College Town. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Created by William Finkelstein of Civil Wars fame, the made-for-TV feature On Seventh Avenue was intended as the pilot for a weekly series. Wendy Makkena stars as Nadine Jacobs, the owner of a high-profile fashion business established by her father (played by actor-director Gene Saks). In order to keep her business afloat in a sea of cutthroat competitors, Nadine recklessly cuts several deals with a major investment firm--and with the Mob. In typical "pilot" fashion, the film ends with several loose plotlines still dangling and unresolved; guess we'll never know what happened now (sigh!) On Seventh Avenue was telecast by NBC on June 10, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Glenn Close won the "Outstanding Lead Actress" Emmy for her performance in this made-for-television drama about the rights of homosexuals in the military. Close stars as Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, an Army medical officer with an eye on a promotion who is suddenly tossed into discharge proceedings after admitting to being homosexual. The film shows how she fought the system with the help her family and the support of gay rights activists. Judy Davis stars as her lover and also won the Emmy for "Outstanding Supporting Actress." Barbra Streisand was among the executive producers and the film was nominated for several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

The full title of this made-for-TV film was In the Best of Families: Pride and Madness. Based on a true story, the film details the bitter divorce between overly idealistic Keith Carradine and emotionally disturbed Kelly McGillis. Caught in the middle are the couple's sons, played by Erik Von Detten and Ira David Wood Jr. The crisis erupts into violence, resulting in a triple homicide. Roundly criticized for its lurid and sensationalistic aspects, In the Best of Families was originally telecast in two parts on January 16 and 18, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on an autobiography by Betty Rollin, this is a heart-tugger which finds a woman with cancer seeking the assistance of her daughter in fulfilling her last wish--a wish to die with dignity. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

There is no question that the Arab terrorist portrayed by Robert Davi is guilty of killing five US citizens in Barcelona. Even his lawyers have zero respect for the rabidly sociopathic Davi. But Jewish defense attorney Ron Leibman is obsessed with the concept of Due Process, and has vowed that Davi will receive a scrupulously fair trial when the terrorist is extradited to America. The defense mounted by Leibman confounds and aggravates government prosecutor Sam Waterston--but he, like Leibman, remains a man of judiciary integrity. Though purely a work of speculative fiction, Terrorist on Trial raises ethical and moral questions that cannot be easily shunted aside with the mantra of "it's only a TV movie." The film was a worthy valedictory piece for the Emmy-winning writing team of Richard Levinson (who died just after the film's completion) and William Link. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Also released under the title The Rites of Summer, this film follows the adventures of pampered city boy Alan Block (Sean Astin) when his parents ship him off to a wilderness camp. Once there, Alan and the other three campers must attempt to live up to the tough expectations of their guide, Vic (Kevin Bacon), who is determined to push the kids as far as he can--and maybe farther. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi