Adrian Dunbar Movies

A young woman learns important lessons about family and communication while making friends with a group of dolphins in this drama. Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) is a troubled teenager who has been feeling at odds with the world since the death of her mother, the only parent she has ever known. Alyssa's grandmother Lucy (Katharine Ross) has been looking after her, but when the girl becomes more than Lucy cares to deal with, she sends Alyssa off to spend some time with her father, Hawk (Adrian Dunbar). Hawk is a marine biologist living in the Bahamas, where he's involved in a major research project involving dolphins, and he has neither the time nor the inclination to bond with his long-lost daughter. Alyssa is no more happy to see Hawk than he is to see her, and Hawk is on edge as his funding for the project is about to be pulled. But Alyssa finds a supportive friend in Tamika (Christine Adams), Hawk's girlfriend, and as Alyssa learns to enjoy life along the idyllic Bahamian coast, she develops a strong connection with the dolphins, which not only helps her father with his work but brings her closer to her long lost dad. Eye of the Dolphin also features Jane Lynch, George Harris and Christopher Harrod. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson's enduring 1886 adventure novel, receives its 11th film adaptation in this two-and-a-half-hour miniseries starring young British TV vet James Anthony Pearson as Davie Balfour, the naïve and hopeful 15-year-old, poised to receive a vast inheritance when he is lured onto a cargo ship, knocked unconscious, and kidnapped by his malevolent uncle Ebenezer (Adrian Dunbar, Richard III), who devises a scheme to sell him into slavery. But Davie's unforeseen rescue at the hands of a Scottish rogue, Alan Breck (Iain Glen, Mountains of the Moon) sends Breck and Balfour racing across the Scottish moors, with English bounty hunters in hot pursuit. The film includes supporting performances by Paul McGann as Colonel MacNab and Kirstin Coulter Smithas Davie's paramour, Catriona. Co-produced by WGBH Boston and the BBC, and originally aired episodically on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, the first 90-minute segment of Kidnapped debuted Sunday evening, October 30, 2005, and the miniseries concluded with an hour-long segment on Sunday evening, November 6, 2005. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Veteran Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic leaves the battles in the Balkans behind for this drama set in rural Ireland. Believing that "a man is measured by his enemies," Harry Maloney (Colm Meany) sets out to ruin George O'Flaherty -- the most powerful man in town, who not only owns the local pub and most of the businesses in the area, but is also the local matchmaker. When Harry's son Gus -- upon whom Harry regularly heaps abuse -- falls for the lovely Eileen, George helps broker their nuptials. All the while, Harry quietly mobilizes his dastardly plans. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Shooters stars Andrew Howard as an ex-convict with a drug problem who lacks the skills to be anything other than a flim-flam man. He has gotten his friend Gilly into a tight spot by putting Gilly's money into gun-buying proposition. Soon the pair must tangle with a variety of nefarious types in order to get their lives straightened out. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Adrian Dunbar starred in this two-part British drama as the ethically challenged Detective Chief Inspector Mike Love. Although Love invariably got results, pulling dozens of vicious criminals off the streets, his methods were, to say the least, questionable, and there was every possibility that he was mired knee-deep in corruption. Thus, Love's superiors launched an inquiry into his activities -- and in an ironic twist, the man leading the investigation was Mike's best friend, Detective Constable Lenny Milton (Ray Winstone). Presented by Granada Television, the two 90-minute episodes of Tough Love were telecast on October 1 and 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally adapted for German television in 1966, Francis Durbridge's mystery novel Melissa was remade as a British miniseries in 1974. That version was sufficiently famous to warrant an expensive four-part reworking nearly a quarter of a century later. Expanding considerably upon the original, this new version of Melissa told the story of war correspondent Guy Foster (Tim Dutton), who, after the death of his wife in a car accident, embarked upon an ocean voyage to forget his troubles. En route, he enjoyed a shipboard romance with an ethereally beautiful woman named Melissa (Jennifer Ehle), who shortly afterward died in mysterious circumstances. The plot thickened as several of Guy's other acquaintances were likewise knocked off, one by one, until the hero found himself accused of their murders. Melissa debuted over Britain's Channel 4 on May 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Near Room, a British crime drama in the noir tradition, tells the story of reporter Charlie Colquhoun (Adrian Dunbar), a man who finds himself the prime suspect in both a kiddie porn ring and a murder. Hired by his ex-wife, Charlie begins his own investigation looking for his daughter, Tommy, whom he gave away as a baby. He discovers that Tommy is the crucial link in a kiddie porn ring run by Clegg (Peter McDougall), who was a former employer of Tommy. Several murders occur, and Charlie finds himself fighting for his life. The film combines social issues with the noir view of the grim reality of life. The performances are uniformly good, and director David Hayman moves the story with an eye to detail and character, making this an above-average crime thriller. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

In the Irish town of Kilshannon in the 1920s, a matriarchal clique of widows tightly sets the rules for behavior. Heading the town's ruling circle is the doughty Mrs. Counihan (Joan Plowright). The only non-widow in town is a reclusive middle-aged spinster, Miss O'Hare (Mia Farrow), who seems to be guarding some kind of secret. Crashing into this provincial coterie is dashing, urbane Edwina Broome (Natasha Richardson), who immediately starts feuding with O'Hare, for no apparent good reason. Broome mangles O'Hare's prize roses and bumps her skiff in a boat race. Counihan's dimwitted son, Godfrey (Adrian Dunbar), proposes marriage to Edwina. Eventually, the true motives of all involved are revealed. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

In this successful psychological thriller, a reluctant agent of the Irish Republican Army discovers that some people just aren't who you expect them to be. Fergus (Stephen Rea) is an IRA "volunteer" who, despite personal misgivings, takes part in the kidnapping of a black British soldier, Jody (Forest Whitaker), stationed in Northern Ireland. The IRA hopes to use Jody as a bargaining chip to win the release of IRA operatives behind bars, but, while guarding Jody, Fergus becomes fast friends with his prisoner. Jody makes Fergus promise him that if he dies, Fegus will look in on his girlfriend, Dil (Jaye Davidson), and see if she's all right. Jody escapes, and Fergus doesn't have the heart to shoot him; as fate would have it, Jody runs from the woods into a street only to be run over by a British police vehicle, which then flushes out the IRA compound. Fergus escapes to London, where he's wanted by the law for Jody's kidnapping and also by his former girlfriend, IRA operative Jude (Miranda Richardson), who thinks he knows too much to fall into the hands of the British authorities. Good to his word, Fergus tracks down Dil, and soon the two outcasts find themselves entering into a love affair, although Fergus discovers that Dil is not the sort of woman he thought she was. Writer/director Neil Jordan won an Academy Award for his screenplay; the title song, which was a U.K. hit for Dave Berry in 1965, was re-recorded for the film by one-time Culture Club vocalist Boy George with backing by the Pet Shop Boys. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The owner of a British nightclub attempts to do the impossible by coaxing a legendary Irish tenor out of retirement for a once-in-a-lifetime show in this engagingly quirky comedy. The owner, Mickey O'Neill, is particularly desperate to land a performance by the great Josef Locke, as his already questionable reputation was ruined when he booked an impostor claiming to be Locke. Now only providing a show by the real thing can make up for it. Trouble is, Locke fled England several decades before to avoid charges of tax evasion, and would face immediate arrest upon his return. Naturally, the comedy emerges from O'Neill's desperate attempts to convince Locke to participate in the scheme. Much of the film's charm comes from the presentation of eccentric but believable characters, particularly Locke himself -- a real historical figure given warm life by Ned Beatty, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his performance. The film as a whole manages a similar balancing act between realism and comic fantasy, grounding even the less believable aspect of the narrative in strongly observed local color. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

An alternative to the general run of "triumph over the odds" biopics, My Left Foot is the true story of Irish cerebral palsy victim Christy Brown. Paralyzed from birth, Brown (played by Hugh O'Conor as child and Daniel Day-Lewis as an adult) is written off as retarded and helpless. But Christy's indomitable mother (Brenda Fricker) never gives up on the boy. Using his left foot, the only part of his body not afflicted, Brown learns to write. He grows up to become a well-known author, painter, and fundraiser, and along the way falls in love with nurse Mary Carr (Ruth McCabe). There's no sugarcoating in My Left Foot: Brown, a heavy drinker, was by no means lovable. Day-Lewis and Fricker both won Academy Awards for their performances, and the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Also notable are the late Ray McAnally in his next-to-last film role as Christy's father, and venerable Cyril Cusack as Lord Castlewelland. Director Jim Sheridan co-scripted with Shane Connaughton from Christy Brown's autobiography. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Richard Huw stars as Roger Bannister in this British TV biopic. Overcoming childhood paralysis, Bannister grows up to be one of the true legends of the athletic world. While holding down a fulltime physician's job in 1954, he finds time to become the first man ever to run the mile in four minutes. His story is fleshed out by numerous subplots and peripheral characters. Michael York does a guest turn as Frank Stampfl, while Nique Needles appears as John Landy, the runner who came in second to Bannister. Originally produced in 1988, The Four Minute Mile was made available to American cable TV in 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide