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Michael Cavanaugh Movies

2007  
 
Monk (Tony Shalhoub) agrees to investigate the "accidental" deaths of a wealthy couple who lived next door to Natalie's parents. The assignment requires Monk to go undercover as the butler for the couple's closest relative, obnoxious young billionaire Paul Buchanan (Sean Austin). His new job is perfectly suited to Monk's obsessive-compulsive nature, and soon he emerges as the "perfect" gentleman's gentleman, maintaining order in Buchanan's household with a firm but steady hand. However, Monk might not be so secure in this position were he aware that his predecessor, the late Mr. Stilson (David St. James), had been "fired" by Buchanan with a hunting pistol. Incidentally, this is the episode in which Mr. Monk discovers that he has a brand-new phobia: Frogs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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2006  
PG13  
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The legacy of a populist Southern politician whose lofty ambitions for the future leave him open to corruption and scandal is detailed as author Robert Penn Warren's thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long comes to the screen -- again -- this time courtesy of director and screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Willie Stark (Sean Penn) is a man of the people, and for the people; at least that's what he tells the people. Propelled into a race for governor by opposing forces looking to split the "hick vote," Stark is convinced by a handler -- as well as by young journalist Jack Burden (Jude Law) -- to not kowtow to the powers that be. His rhetoric grows fiery, and he makes his way into office on a not-so-solid foundation of social-service promises. When idealism gives way to the harsh realities of the time, however, the fast-talking politico is quick to discover just how far one can fall when ambition and power lead to a betrayal of one's original motivations. Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins round out an all-star cast in this second version of Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 novel; the first won a parade of Oscars after its release in 1949. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean PennJude Law, (more)
 
2005  
 
Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) attend the wedding of her brother Jonathan (Robert P. Benedict)--an event that is anything but festive for Natalie, since she has been long on the outs with her wealthy and highly judgmental parents. Soon, however, Natalie has a lot more to worry about than family friction when Disher is seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. Arriving on the scene, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) begins questioning all the guests, despite his discomfort over the possibility that one of Natalie's relatives--or even Theresa (Ashley Williams), the bride-to-be--is a potential murderer. Just before the case is solved, a hostage crisis breaks out during the cutting of the wedding cake! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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2004  
 
Having shot one guest who insisted upon leaving the hotel, Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth) demands "absolute quiet and absolute cooperation" from the rest. She tells them that medical assistance is on the way, and orders them back to their rooms. The NHS team arrives in their HAZMAT suits and begins testing everyone for the virus. She gets Alvers (Lothaire Bluteau) to describe his employer, and after cross-referencing that description with a list of Jack's (Kiefer Sutherland) contacts, they determine that the mastermind behind the virus plot is Stephen Saunders (Paul Blackthorne), a British Secret Service agent whom Jack believed was killed in Kosovo. Gael (Jesse Borrego) is suffering horribly. Michelle offers him the chance to end his life quickly. She also convinces Tony (Carlos Bernard) to send a package of suicide capsules to the hotel. Chappelle (Paul Schulze), who is following the money trail to find Saunders, suggests to a distraught Tony that he proceed as though Michelle was already dead, and "make it about revenge." Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), struggling with whether or not to raise the threat level and close the airports, receives a package from Saunders, containing an untraceable cell phone. Saunders calls him and demands that he immediately call a press conference, during which he is to use the phrase "the sky is falling." In the interest of buying time, Palmer does as he's told. With help of Trevor (Simon Templeman) from MI6, Jack tracks down Diana White (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick), an associate of Saunders, but Jack's interrogation is interrupted when the MI6 offices are assaulted. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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2004  
 
Nina (Sarah Clarke) is brought into CTU. Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) has an emotional reunion with Kim (Elisha Cuthbert). He wants to interrogate Nina about Alvers (Lothaire Bluteau), but Chappelle (Paul Schulze) insists that Jack himself be interrogated about his heroin problem. So Tony (Carlos Bernard) handles Nina, while Rae Plachecki (Jenette Goldstein) from the inspector general's office questions Jack about why he started using heroin long before he got in with the Salazars. Chappelle proposes fudging the timeline so his drug use looks more legitimate, and letting Jack get back to work, but Jack refuses to lie about his actions, or even justify them. "This office demands results," Jack tells them. "That's what I provide." Darren Richards (Butch Klein), an interrogation (torture?) specialist, is brought in to work on Nina, with disastrous results. Jack seems to be the only one at CTU who understands just how dangerous Nina is. Chase (James Badge Dale) learns that Kim found out that the baby is his. He asks Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) how she took the news. "Gee, I don't know, Chase," Chloe tells him. "I think she's kinda pissed." Meanwhile, Sherry (Penny Johnson Jerald) returns to Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) headquarters, and tells him that she only spoke to Julia (Gina Torres) on the phone. But Julia calls Wayne (D.B. Woodside) with the real story. Palmer meets with his cabinet to decide whether or not to go public with the terrorist threat. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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2004  
 
As the third-season finale of 24 begins, the subway station has been shut down, and agents are searching and photographing all the male passengers who fit the profile of the terrorist. At one point, Chase (James Badge Dale) tells Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) that he's decided to transfer out of field work in order to salvage his relationship with Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), rather than develop the kind of emotional detachment that Jack says is a requirement of the job. While Tony (Carlos Bernard) is trying to defend his efforts to save Michelle's (Reiko Aylesworth) life, Michelle has a tender moment with him, and convinces Hammond (Randle Mell) to let him run tactical on the operation to catch the terrorist carrying the last vial of the virus. Gael's widow, Theresa (Kamala Lopez-Dawson), is arriving at CTU to claim his belongings, while Saunders (Paul Blackthorne) is brought in to study the photos being transmitted from the subway station. Unfortunately, the grieving Theresa sees him, realizes who he is, and shoots him before he can identify Arthur Rabens (Salvator Xuereb). Rabens manages to escape from the station, leading Jack and Chase on a high-speed pursuit, which ends when Rabens abandons his car and runs into a middle school. Jack and Chase deal with terrified teachers and students in their frantic search for Rabens. Chase finds him, and as the detonator counts down, he's forced to handcuff himself to the device in order to make sure that Rabens doesn't escape with it. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Starring:
Zachary Quinto
 
2004  
 
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) has been forced to kill Chappelle (Paul Schulze). Back at CTU, it's determined that Saunders (Paul Blackthorne) has a 19-year-old daughter to whom he's been sending money. She's a student at UC Santa Barbara. Knowing that Saunders probably has surveillance on her, Jack tells Tony (Carlos Bernard) that they'll have to do a "plain sight swap," replacing the girl with a double so Saunders won't know she's missing. The closest match they can come up with for Jane Saunders (Alexandra Lydon) is, sadly, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert). Tony gives Kim the assignment, despite Chloe's (Mary Lynn Rajskub) reservations. But when Jack gets back to CTU and finds out about it, he goes ballistic. Kim manages to convince him that it's her duty. Jack gives her a gun, just in case. They take a chopper to UCSB, where the switch is made in the ladies' room of the library where Jane works. Kim isn't enough of a physical match to fool anyone who gets too close, and that's just what happens, forcing Kim to use that gun. Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) meets with his Cabinet and tells them what's happened with the hotel, and informs them that he's had a CTU agent murdered to meet the terrorist's demand. Meanwhile, Chase (James Badge Dale) goes to interrogate Susan Cole (Jenni Blong), the wife of the man who left the Chandler Plaza Hotel, and that man, William Cole (Patrick Fabian), goes to a pharmacy and then an emergency room, complaining of a nosebleed that just won't stop. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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2002  
R  
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This action-adventure, that features a terrorist plot from The Fugitive (1993), saw its October 2001 release date moved back four months as a result of real-life terrorist attacks on the United States. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Gordon Brewer, a Los Angeles firefighter who witnesses the deaths of his wife and child, innocent victims of a terrorist attack on a motorcade carrying Colombian dignitaries. Responsibility for the deadly explosion belongs to Claudio "The Wolf" Perrini (Cliff Curtis), a terrorist and rebel in Colombia's decade-long civil war. When times passes with no suspect being brought to justice, Brewer rejects the advice of FBI agent Peter Brandt (Elias Koteas) and travels to the jungles of Colombia to find and take revenge upon his family's murderer himself. Encountering a complex web of death squads, right-wing military officials, guerrillas, terrorists and drug-lords, Brewer is aided in his dangerous quest by an unlikely ally, the beautiful Selena Perrini (Francesca Neri), his quarry's wife. Collateral Damage (2002) co-stars John Leguizamo and John Turturro. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Arnold SchwarzeneggerElias Koteas, (more)
 
2001  
PG  
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This 2001 TV docudrama relates the story of tennis' 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" between Wimbledon champions Billie Jean King (Holly Hunter) and Bobby Riggs (Ron Silver), an event considered by many to be an early victory for feminism. Riggs, 20 years past his prime, lives to wager on anything and everything. Seeing the rise of feminism, he decides he can make some money by challenging top female players, 30 years his junior, into exhibition matches. His first choice for an opponent is Billie Jean King, but she turns him down because she is too busy organizing the members of the female tennis tour into a de facto union, and winning tennis tournaments. After Bobby defeats the number one female tennis player in the world, Margaret Court, King realizes she needs to beat him. Following months of hype in which Bobby's bluster is matched at every point by Billie's confidence, the two face off in the Astrodome before a huge live and television audience. When Billie Beat Bobby was written and directed by Jane Anderson who had previously written The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom, which also featured Holly Hunter in the title role. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Starring:
Holly HunterRon Silver, (more)
 
2001  
 
James Caan stars in this made-for-cable Western as John Flinders, a former outlaw who by the year 1910 has settled down as the warden of Arizona's Red Rock Prison. Priding himself on his fair and humane treatment of his prisoners, Flinders finds his values -- and his loyalties -- sorely tested upon the arrival of convicted murderer Mike Sullivan, who happens to be John's old saddle pal from his wilder days. As Flinders resists Sullivan's never-ending efforts to escape, he also embarks upon a romance with the widow of executed convict Carl McVale. Executive producer Brian Dennehy appears in a small but significant role. Warden of Red Rock made its Showtime network premiere on March 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
James CaanDavid Carradine, (more)
 
2000  
R  
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Reggie Rock Bythewood makes his directorial debut with this sharp comedy-drama about love, compromise, and TV. The film opens with the parallel childhoods of Tomasina "Tommy" Crawford (Nicole Ari Parker) and George Washington (Isaiah Washington). Both were utterly shaped by television -- watching Roots was one of the few times that Tommy's parents stopped fighting long enough to sit on the couch together, while George was traumatized by being banned from TV for a month after swiping some church donation cash. As adults, George is a programming executive at the WPX network where fledgling writer Tommy tries to pitch shows. On the strength of both her passion for her craft and her striking good looks, George decides to champion her show called "Just Us," a serio-comedy about a juvenile offender adopted by a judge. They shoot the pilot, the network greenlights the project, and eventually they fall in love. Even though Tommy longs to present her characters in an uncompromised, unvarnished manner, pressure from network execs and advertisers forces her to water down the plot. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Starring:
James AveryNicole Ari Parker, (more)
 
2000  
PG13  
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Science must confront a power greater than our own in this unusual sci-fi-thriller. As seismic activities around the world begin going haywire, causing untold damages in major cities and claiming thousands of lives, the President of the United States orders Kasia Czaban, one of his top scientific advisers, and Mason Rand, a leading weapons expert, to investigate the phenomenon and see if it can be stopped. Kasia and Mason's investigation leads them to the Himalayas, where they discover a strange object of otherworldly origin that can generate its own power and water, spawn and support its own life forms, and either extend or extinguish human lives at will. What is this strange item? What is its role in the history of our universe? And can Mason and Kasia unlock its secrets without falling prey to its dangers? Epoch stars David Keith, Stephanie Niznik, Ryan O'Neal, and Shannon Lee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
David KeithRyan O'Neal, (more)
 
1998  
R  
Vince Connors (Michael Dudikoff) is an Air Force test pilot who has been helping to perfect the Mach 2 fighting jet, a state-of-the-art weapon which incorporates special stealth technology which makes the plane invisible to both radar and the human eye. However, a band of Libyan terrorists have somehow gotten wind of the new jet, and in a daring raid they steal the Mach 2. Connors and his partner Jannick (Gary Hudson) are quickly sent on a secret emergency mission to recover the Mach 2, where Connors discovers that the terrorists are not his only enemies. Black Thunder also features Frederic Forrest, Nancy Valen, and Richard Norton. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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1997  
R  
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In this suspenseful actioner, former Navy SEAL James Carter (Michael Dudikoff) is called back to duty when terrorists high-jack an American submarine armed with nuclear weapons and threaten to blow up the U.S. if their demand for $100 million in gold is not met. The deadly situation arose when the sub, USS Ulysses answered a distress call from Yugoslavian refugees stranded in the Atlantic during a terrible storm. Once aboard, the rescued sailors turn out to be highly trained Middle Eastern terrorists. Carter's mission is to somehow secretly board the sub, sabotage it and subdue the hijackers. If he should fail, the Ulysses will be destroyed by another Navy sub. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Michael DudikoffFrederic Forrest, (more)
 
1996  
 
Awakening in bed with hoodlum Jimmy Liery (Christopher Meloni), Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) can remember nothing that happened after Jimmy drugged her. Back at the 15th precinct, a victim of muscular dystrophy is murdered, and the victim's neighbors seem extremely nervous about providing information. As Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) investigate a frustrating homicide involving a clever married couple, Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) nervously anticipates informing Bobby and Andy that only one of them has been promoted to detective first grade. And back in Liery's apartment, a confrontation ends in gunfire -- and guess who pulled the trigger? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1995  
R  
In this combination action-horror movie, a kick-boxing vampire hunter (Don "The Dragon" Wilson) takes on various Los Angeles-based bloodsuckers and ends up pursued by their brethren and the police. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Don "The Dragon" Wilson
 
1995  
 
In the erotic thriller Illegal in Blue, Chris Morgan (Dan Gauthier) is a young policeman who confronts the harsh reality that he must compromise his ideals to get along in a world of moral ambiguity. When police officers split a large sum of confiscated illegal gambling money among themselves, Morgan reports it to Internal Affairs. He starts receiving death threats, and the police department suspends him without pay. Morgan begins a steamy love affair with a stunning nightclub singer, Kari Truitt (Stacey Dash), whose husband is found murdered. Morgan's suspension is lifted, and he goes back to the police department to face open hostility from officers who want him to soften his testimony against the policemen who split the gambling money. He also gets caught up in the murder investigation, where his new lover is the prime suspect, and he soon finds that he must make some difficult choices. A well-integrated musical score, moody shots of the city at night, and lyrical love scenes help to make Illegal in Blue somewhat better than many similar low-budget efforts. ~ Rovi

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1995  
 
The life of Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor is told in this made-for-television drama. Sherilyn Fenn stars as Oscar-winning actress Liz Taylor, whose career began when her mother pushed her into acting as a child in the 1940s. Her tumultuous career ups and downs, and her turbulent personal life are chronicled in the film, which was based on the book by C. David Heymann. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

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1994  
 
Scott Bakula inagurates an illicit romance with the very married Chelsea Field. When Field's husband turns up murdered, Bakula can't help but feel that his bedmate is responsible. Should he act upon his suspicions, or just live for the moment? Here's an added wrinkle: Bakula is a psychiatrist. Never entirely predictable, this steamy melodrama contains what used to be called a "wow finish". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Scott BakulaChelsea Field, (more)
 
1994  
 
Originally telecast as a two-hour special, the first episode of ER has since been divided into a two-parter for syndication. In part one, young and inexperienced third-year med student John Carter (Noah Wyle) reports for work at the emergency room of Chicago's County General Hospital. During a hectic 24-hour shift, Carter is brusquely introduced to his future co-workers: his arrogant trainer, Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle); workaholic chief resident Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards); the equally hardworking Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield); the womanizing Dr. Douglas Ross (George Clooney); and troubled head nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies). All in all, it is a typical shift at the ER, with cases ranging from gunshot wounds, ruptured aneurysms, burns, and even hangnails -- but a few surprises are in store for both the staff and the viewers at home. In part two, inexperienced three-year med student John Carter continues to cope as best he can with his hectic first day in the emergency room of Chicago's County General Hospital. Meanwhile, chief resident Greene weighs the possibility of entering private practice; Carter's supervisor, Benton, oversteps his authority by operating on a patient with an aortic aneurysm; and troubled head nurse, Carol Hathaway, becomes a patient herself after attempting suicide (originally intended as a one-shot character, Hathaway proved so popular with the viewers that she was immediately pencilled in as a regular). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1993  
 
Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner return as the Harts, married private eyes who in this made-for-TV movie interrupt their carefree lives to investigate a group of corrupt government contractors. Lionel Stander also returns as their sidekick Max, with Mike Connors and Ken Howard as guest stars. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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1993  
 
Sully (Joe Lando) reluctantly agrees to guide Dr. Mike (Jane Seymour) to the high mountain stream that she believes is the source of mercury poisoning. Despotic mine owner Craig Harding (Michael Cavanaugh) captures Sully and Dr. Mike as trespassers and refuses to allow them to return to Colorado Springs. Things take an ironic turn when Harding's own son (Jared Rushton) is poisoned by the polluted water. Meanwhile, back in town, Grace (Jonelle Allen) takes an important step in affirming her equality with her white neighbors. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Joe LandoChad Allen, (more)
 
1993  
R  
Though emotionally estranged, a father and daughter team of Los Angeles police detectives must work together to stop a serial killer. Along the way, the two find themselves forced to deal with a number of painful secrets from their past. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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1992  
 
Nicollette Sheridan plays a stripper in the made-for-TV Somebody's Daughter. Together with her bodyguard/lover Nick Mancusco, Sheridan becomes involved in a murder. The subsequent official cover-up and the attendant police corruption places Nicollette's future seriously in doubt. In fact, she escapes death so often before the climax that we feel as though we've stumbled into a full-color, streetwise remake of a Pearl White serial. Somebody's Daughter was first telecast September 20, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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