Patrick Breen Movies
As a respected American supporting player in film, television, and theater who occasionally moonlights as a screenwriter, Patrick Breen first culled recognition in the American press in 1991. That spring, the then-30-year-old delivered a bravura performance as an emotionally damaged son in Jon Robin Baitz's disappointing play The Substance of Fire. Breen hit his zenith as a film actor during the mid-'90s, with turns in several memorable (if uneven) Hollywood movies. These included For Love or Money (1993), Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty (1995) and Men in Black (1997), and Carl Franklin's One True Thing (1998). Breen's generally nondescript, albeit pleasant, appearance enabled him to fill practically any role, from a doctor (in the Sonnenfeld picture) to Mr. Tweedy (in the Franklin film).Breen first branched off into screenwriting just after the turn of the new millennium, with back-to-back indie features which he both acted in and scripted. The 2000 picture East of A constitutes a slice-of-life drama about a trio of New York City roommates over the course of ten years. Unfortunately, East of A received extremely limited distribution and was reviewed by very few mainstream critics. Its follow-up, the 2002 ensemble comedy Just a Kiss (directed by the character actor and comic Fisher Stevens and starring Ron Eldard, Kyra Sedgwick, and Marisa Tomei) provides a surrealistic exploration of the romantic vicissitudes among a group of swinging singles. That film fared better in terms of pedigree, but demonstrated an extremely unstable overtone, meandering between lighthearted romantic comedy and darker, more cynical black comedy; perhaps as a result, it premiered in 2002 to almost unanimously devastating reviews, opening and closing practically overnight, and effectively turning Breen away from produced screenwriting work for quite some time. In 2004, he returned to A-list acting as a character player in the holiday comedy Christmas with the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. He was away from movie screens for five years, returning next in 2009's Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant and had the leading role two years later in the horror film The Bleeding House. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2011
- NR
A haunted family receives an unwelcome visitor who seeks to absolve them of their sins in this grim thriller from comic book writer-turned-filmmaker Philip Gelatt. As the Smith family struggles to break free of the lingering stigma that turned them into small-town pariahs, smooth-talking Southern gentlemen Nick (Patrick Breen) shows up on their doorstep claiming that he needs a place to sleep for the night because his car has broken down. Later, at the dinner table, a casual conversation between Nick, father Matt (Richard Bekins), mother Marilyn (Betsy Aidem), and daughter Gloria (Alexandra Chando) quickly turns dark, hinting at something deeply sinister hidden just beneath the surface of the Smiths' picture-perfect home. Meanwhile, brother Quentin (Charlie Hewson) and his girlfriend, Lynne (Nina Lisandrello), hatch a plan to leave their small town behind for a fresh start elsewhere. Unfortunately for the Smiths, Nick has other plans. But later, as the true nature of the family's dark past becomes known, the unwanted intruder realizes that he may be in over his head. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Breen, Alexandra Chando, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant to Queue Add Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant to top of Queue
Based on the popular series of books by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant tells the story of a small-town teen who inadvertently shatters a 200-year-old truce between warring factions of vampires. Sixteen-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) is your typical adolescent; he spends most of his time with his best friend, Steve (Josh Hutcherson), earns decent grades, and generally manages to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds Darren when he and Steve make the acquaintance of a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) while attending a traveling freak show at a local theater. Transformed into a bloodsucker by Crepsley, Darren joins the Cirque Du Freak and quickly ingratiates himself with the unusual cast of characters who populate it, including Madame Truska the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and the traveling sideshow's towering barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren works to master his newfound powers as a budding member of the supernatural underworld, he becomes a valued pawn between the vampires and their deadlier rivals, the Vampaneze. With tensions between the two sects intensifying, Darren must figure out a means of keeping the coming war from destroying his last vestige of humanity. Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, and Jane Krakowski co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, (more)
- 2004
Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) is convinced that his widowed mother Maria (Susan Kellerman) is about to marry a con artist: namely, a much-younger antique dealer named Dalton Padron (Nestor Carbonel). As a favor to Disher, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and Sharona (Bitty Schram) pose as a married couple and join a therapy group whose members also include the redoubtable Padron and his bride-to-be Maria. What neither Disher nor Monk know (but the audience does!) is that Padron is not only a crook but a murderer, who has already killed his partner to get his mitts on a fortune in hidden gold--and isn't about to stop at only one victim! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Christmas With the Kranks revolves around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank's (Tim Allen) decision to put their normally fanatical enthusiasm for the holidays aside for a tropical cruise. With their daughter in Peru with the Peace Corps, the Kranks believe it just isn't worth it; thus, no presents, Christmas trees, or decorations of any kind will adorn their house to the great consternation of their neighbor Vic (Dan Aykroyd). Just as it looks like Christmas will be successfully skipped, Blair (Julie Gonzalo) throws a major kink into her plans when she suddenly has a change of heart and announces she'll be coming home for Christmas after all. The film ran into troubles early on in production when Ben Affleck's similar sounding bomb Surviving Christmas won the race to the theaters, forcing the filmmakers to depart from the book title in favor of the catchy Kranks one. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, (more)
Hollywood filmmaker Michael Tollin directs the sports drama Radio, based on a true story and adapted for the screen by Mike Rich (The Rookie). Set in a small South Carolina town during the '60s, the film stars Ed Harris as Harold Jones, a high school football coach who barely has time to spend with his daughter, Mary Helen (Sarah Drew), or his wife, Linda (Debra Winger). When Coach Jones meets the mentally challenged student who goes by the name of Radio (Cuba Gooding Jr.), he allows him to help out with his football team. While the townsfolk just aren't sure about Radio hanging around the team, the star player Johnny Clay (Riley Smith) is downright mean about it. Nevertheless, Radio continues to support the team for the next three decades. Also starring Alfre Woodard as the principal. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ed Harris, (more)
- 2002
It's Cordelia's birthday, but her biggest present appears to be yet another debilitating vision. During the out-of-body experience that follows, Cordy (Charisma Carpenter) receives a visit from Skip (David Denman), a demon advisor who tells her that her human form was never intended to withstand the visions of The Powers That Be and that she'll die if she remains on her current path. Given the chance to live an alternate life in which she's a famous actress who never even worked for Angel Investigations, she reluctantly agrees. But circumstances conspire to reunite her with Angel (David Boreanaz), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Gunn (J. August Richards), and she regains her memories of having been the conduit of the Powers. Ultimately, she convinces Skip to make her part-demon so that her body can withstand the visions and she can keep helping Angel. Cordy returns to the hotel and amazes the gang with her pain-free visions -- and her apparent ability to levitate. Originally broadcast January 14, 2002, on the WB network, "Birthday" marked season three, episode 11 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
They say the heart goes where it will, and six people find theirs following a very complicated road map with a seventh creating some unexpected detours in this dark romantic comedy. Dag (Ron Eldard) is a successful director of television commercials who shares his home with his beautiful girlfriend, Halley (Kyra Sedgwick). Dag, however, has a serious case of roving eye and is given to frequent flings with other women. Halley tries to turn a blind eye to Dag's infidelity, but when she discovers he had a one-night stand with Rebecca (Marley Shelton), a beautiful but troubled dancer who is dating Dag's close friend Peter (Patrick Breen), she decides things have gone too far. Halley gives Dag his walking papers and she soon makes the acquaintance of Andre (Taye Diggs), a very handsome and well-mannered classical musician. Andre, however, is married to Colleen (Sarita Choudhury), a woman with exotic sexual tastes who meets up with Peter, now suddenly without a girlfriend, on an airline flight. Meanwhile, Peter's very angry confrontation with Dag attracts the attention of Paula (Marisa Tomei), a mysterious but very sexy woman who has taken a decidedly carnal interest in Peter. However, as Paula makes her way through Peter's daisy-chained circle of friends, events begin taking a strange turn as her new acquaintances begin dropping like flies. Just a Kiss was the first feature film directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Fisher Stevens. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ron Eldard, Kyra Sedgwick, (more)
- 2002
The only clue to the identity of a dead woman is the 40,000-dollar ring she wore on her finger. Investigating, the detectives discover that the victim was previously reported as having been killed when the World Trade Center was destroyed September 11, 2001. Subsequent clues lead to the arrest of wealthy and influential Bradley Hagen (Stevie Ray Dallimore), an old friend of DA Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson). This episode was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Paul Chernuchin, the father of writer Michael S. Chernuchin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The writing/directing team of Drew Daywalt and David Schneider are responsible for the straight-to-video heist comedy Stark Raving Mad. Seann William Scott plays Ben McGewen, a guy who needs to pay off some major debts. Mostly he needs to pay the crime lord Gregory (Lou Diamond Phillips), the gangster who killed his brother. Ben gets the idea to throw a big rave in a club next to a bank vault. According to plan, the loud music and party atmosphere will disguise the fact that he and his gang (Timm Sharp, Patrick Breen, John B. Crye, and Suzy Nakamura) are breaking through the wall. Once inside the vault, they will steal a valuable statue and Ben will revenge his brother's death. This being a heist comedy, however, things don't go exactly according to plan. Dave Foley and Kavan Smith play a couple of pesky FBI agents. Alan Arkin plays cranky club owner Don Partridge. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Seann William Scott, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
- 2001
Yes, it's a day in May, and a very busy one for the Frasier gang. First off, Daphne (Jane Leeves) befriends a dog lover named Jim (Tom Verica), which makes Niles (David Hyde Pierce) jealous. Second, the caustic Lana (Jean Smart) suddenly warms up to Frasier (David Hyde Pierce). And finally, Martin (John Mahoney) is unexpectedly reunited with the person who brought about the injury that caused him to retire from the Force. This episode originally aired back-to-back with "Cranes Go Caribbean" as Frasier's eighth-season finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Amy Goldstein directs this hip, indie look at the ups and downs of a trio of New York roommates from 1985 to 1995. The film opens as Peter (Patrick Breen), Reggie (Nadine Van Der Velde), and Chart (Scott Kraft) take out a 10-year lease on a musty warehouse loft on Manhattan's gritty A street. Their landlord is also Reggie's beau, Hiro (Glen Chin). Set against such historic events as the 1986 Reds-Mets World Series and the Stock Market Crash of 1987, the roommates lives change as Reggie dumps Hiro for Peter -- only to marry Sylvester (Adam Arkin), Chart struggles with heroin addiction, and Peter cares for AIDS-infected children. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Arkin, Patrick Breen, (more)
Gary Starke (Andy Garcia) was an orphan living on the streets at 13 who grew up to preside over a crew of street hustlers as the grand master of ticket scalpers. Charming, savvy, and honorable, Gary seems beloved by everyone until Linda (Andie MacDowell), the love of his life, dumps him. Tired of Gary's unreliability after eight years, Linda takes a scholarship to the Cordon Bleu in Paris to fulfill her dream of becoming a master chef. Gary, in a tailspin, is determined to win Linda back. However, his hated rival, Casino, chooses this moment of weakness to move in on Gary's position on the streets. Gary wants to fight, but Linda may never return to him if he continues scalping. A surprise announcement is made. Pope John Paul II will come to New York to perform Easter Mass at Yankee Stadium. It's Gary's big chance. With one last big score, he can quit scalping and win Linda back. Yet Casino (and the law) still stands in his way. Gary turns to his mentor, Benny (Richard Bradford), for guidance. With his help, Gary may find a different path around his desperation and win back the woman he loves. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Andie MacDowell, (more)
A team of intrepid adventurers travels through the outer reaches of the galaxy, each week finding excitement and adventure on Galaxy Quest! Or at least that's the way it was in the mid-1970s, when brave if reckless Captain Peter Quincy Taggart, lovely Lieutenant Tawny Madison, and inscrutable alien Dr. Lazarus were the leaders of an interstellar law enforcement team on the TV series of that name. Twenty years later, the show is still in reruns, and Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), and Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) prop up their sagging careers by making appearances at sci-fi conventions, where they grudgingly shake hands and give autographs for the show's socially inept following. However, it turns out that nerdy sci-fi fans aren't the only ones watching: somewhere in another solar system, a group of alien rebels living under a regime of violence and repression have picked up broadcasts of Galaxy Quest, and they aren't aware that it's fiction. They travel to Earth and encounter the Galaxy Quest cast, who figure that they're just another bunch of guys who like to dress funny. However, they soon realize that they're being hired not for another autograph-signing session but for a real-life outer space rescue mission. Galaxy Quest was directed by Dean Parisot, who had a background in TV directing before his theatrical debut with the dark comedy Home Fries. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
Andy Dick and Cynthia Nixon star in the romantic comedy Advice from a Caterpillar as best friends who become two points in a love triangle when they each become attracted to the same man. Their feelings make a mess of their once strong friendship, as well as their opinions of themselves. Jon Tenney and Timpothy Olyphant round out the cast. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cynthia Nixon
Carl Franklin directed this family drama adapted from the 1995 novel by former New York Times columnist Anna Quindlen about a young woman who goes back home to take care of her dying mother. In 1987-88, independent Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger), a Harvard grad, is working on a New York Magazine investigative article when she hears from her father, George (William Hurt), a literary critic and university professor. He tells Ellen she's needed at home to care for her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep), who's due for surgery. Ellen needs to get away from the problems of her relationship with her boyfriend Jordan (Nicky Katt), but she plans to continue work on the magazine article from home. In truth, Ellen is uncomfortable with her mother's various ladies club lunches, and holiday preparations, and she finds communication with her mother awkward. Once Ellen arrives back home, she's dismayed to find herself caught in the web of her mother's Middle America activities. Ellen's attitude changes when it becomes apparent this probably will be the final Thanksgiving and Christmas with all family members present. But tensions erupt as long-buried family secrets emerge. Locations in New Jersey were used to create the film's Eastern coastal college town. Shown at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, (more)
For his fifth effort as a feature-film director, one-time cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld brought his cartoonish visual style and darkly humorous sensibilities to this adaptation of, appropriately enough, a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi comic book. Will Smith stars as James Darrel Edwards, a New York City cop with an athletic physique and a flippant, anti-authoritarian attitude toward law enforcement. After chasing down a mysterious perpetrator one night who turns out to be an alien, James is recruited by "K" (Tommy Lee Jones), a veteran of a clandestine government agency secretly policing the comings and goings of aliens on planet Earth. Nicknamed the "men in black" for their nondescript uniform of black suit, shoes, tie, and sunglasses, the agents are assigned to recover a bauble that's been stolen by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio). It seems the item is none other than the galaxy itself, and its theft has plunged humanity into the center of what's shaping up to become an interstellar war, unless K and his new wisecracking partner, now renamed "J," can stop the bad guy. On their side but somewhat in the dark is a pretty, unflappable city medical examiner (Linda Fiorentino) who has been zapped one too many times by K's ingenious memory-sapping device. Men in Black was a box office smash, inspiring an animated children's television series and a hit soundtrack album that featured a performance by star (and rapper) Smith. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, (more)
- 1996
In this rare Sunday-night telecast of Law & Order, the detectives investigate when a woman is shot in her sleep. The clues lead to Lonnie "Nacho" Rickman (Adam B. Zolotin), the son of crack addict Cassie Rickman (Karen Young). An additional layer is added to the mystery when it is learned that Cassie left Nacho in the "tender" care of her drug dealer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
- R
This unflinching and straightforward look at a middle-class man's descent into drug addiction was based on the diaries of an addict named Angel. Found in a Bronx apartment, the diaries were made into a film by screenwriter Lee Drysdale and director Gary Winick. Angel (Michael Imperioli) is a Wall Street functionary who lives modestly with his wife Monika (Mira Sorvino) and their young children. One day, an old friend from the Marines, Raymond (Paul Calderon), offers Angel a hit on a pipe of crack cocaine and a chance to get in on dealing drugs. Monika reluctantly agrees to the plan, and they set a limit of a couple of months in which they hope that Angel will make a quick killing and get out. The movie then flashes forward three years. Angel has become a hopeless crack addict, while Monika has become enamored of designer clothes. As Angel becomes more unreliable, Raymond kicks him out of the business. Monika achieves independence, gets a job, and finally kicks Angel out. Angel gets more desperate, even trying to sell his wife's jewelry, and finally hits bottom. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Imperioli, Mira Sorvino, (more)
A gangster is looking to get away from crooked deals and double-crossing people but ends up in the movie business anyway in this comic crime story. Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami-based loan collector for the mob trying to collect a gambling debt. His assignment takes him to Hollywood to collect money from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a mildly sleazy producer of low-budget horror movies. Although Chili intends to hurt Harry if necessary, he takes a certain liking to him and an even keener interest in Karen (Rene Russo), Harry's girlfriend, whom Chili recognizes from Harry's grade-B monster epics. It seems Harry has a script that he feels is Academy Award material, and he could get the project off the ground if he could get the right actor for the lead -- say, the well-respected but egocentric (and diminutive) Martin Weir (Danny DeVito). Chili thinks he has a feel for the movie business and decides to see what he can do to persuade Weir to get behind the project. Chili soon finds himself hip deep in the film industry, which at least puts him in contact with a higher grade of scumbags than he's used to. But Chili isn't the only criminal Harry's been dealing with; he's been obtaining financing from Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), a drug dealer with a highly uncertain temperament. An intelligently constructed crime story and a hilarious look at the absurdities of the film business, Get Shorty was based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard; Leonard based Chili on a real-life former gangster of his acquaintance, though Chili's model never worked in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1993
The second volume in this film noir style TV-anthology series, this collection of short stories revolves around the dark world of detectives and police officers. Called to look into a murder, an investigator (Gary Oldman) discovers that the victim of the crime is none other than his estranged wife (Gabrielle Anwar) in "Dead End for Delia." When an attractive woman captures the attention of a detective, he ends up entangled in mob business in "I'll Be Waiting." In "The Quiet Room," the underhanded plans of two unscrupulous officers go amok ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
Michael J. Fox stars as Doug Ireland in this romantic comedy about a brash concierge at a swanky New York hotel who always makes it a point to go out of his way for the hotel guests. But Doug doesn't want to be a concierge forever. What he would really like to do is build a swanky hotel of his own, and all he needs is $3 million to do it. When haughty and patronizing tycoon Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins) comes to the hotel for a rendezvous with his mistress Andy Hart (Gabrielle Anwar), Doug sees the opportunity to convince Christian to invest the $3 million in his dream of a hotel. So, Doug willingly agrees to baby-sit Andy when Christian has to leave her to see his wife. But the more time he spends with Andy, the more affectionate he feels toward her, until finally he has fallen in love with her. Now Doug must make a choice concerning what he really wants -- his dream of a hotel or the love of Andy. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 1992
- PG13
In this black comedy, elderly Jack Scanlan (Jack Warden) passes away just as he's about to tell his oldest son Johnny (Bob Hoskins) what he's decided is truly important in life, which does little to ease Johnny's mid-life anxieties. Jack's funeral and the subsequent wake brings together the various members of the Scanlan Family, most of whom are having troubles of their own. Johnny's mother Mary (Maureen Stapleton) is not dealing well with losing her husband. His brother Frank (William Petersen), a would-be union delegate, has a nagging wife, Denise (Debra Rush), and a pregnant daughter, Rachel (Teri Polo). His sister Nora (Frances McDormand) is a leftist nun who has brought along a guest, a South American dissident wanted by the INS. Terry (Pamela Reed) is splitting up with her husband Boyd (Tim Curry) after finally realizing that he's gay. And Johnny is thinking of quitting his job and leaving his wife Amy (Blair Brown), which makes the mysterious Cassie (Nancy Travis) seem all the more attractive. Passed Away marked the directorial debut of successful screenwriter Charlie Peters. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Jack Warden, (more)
In this adolescent-oriented, loose remake of Some Like It Hot, a lovestruck teenage boy is so desperate to be near his new beloved that he dresses up like a girl and joins the women's tennis team. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chad Lowe, Gail O'Grady, (more)
This WW II-set drama follows the creation of the first atomic bomb. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, David Strathairn, (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.