Clancy Brown Movies
A tall, intense, hulking actor who was a natural to play Frankenstein's monster in The Bride (1985), Clancy Brown has utilized his naturally menacing exterior for a career's worth of villainous roles, most notably in films such as Highlander and The Shawshank Redemption. With good looks that could be described as somewhat Neanderthal in nature, he has also found the occasional sympathetic portrayal, and been equal to the task of acting it. Clancy Brown was born on January 5, 1959, in Urbana, OH, the son of a newspaperman-turned-U.S. congressman. He was raised in both Urbana and Washington, D.C., and claims to have been introduced to acting by a neighbor who got him into Shakespeare at a young age. Brown acted in high school and during his teenage summers before enrolling at Northwestern University on a track scholarship as a discus hurler. He graduated with a degree in speech and went on to mix drinks in Chicago while working in local theater. Brown's first film role established the trend for how his services would be used throughout his career. He appeared as Viking in the Sean Penn "juvy" drama Bad Boys (1983), in which he threw around his muscle as one of the detention center's intimidators. Next he appeared in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) as the cowboy Rawhide, then as Highlander's sword-wielding embodiment of evil, Kurgan, in the 1986 cult classic. A succession of roles as bruising heavies, often corrupt cops, followed during the late '80s and '90s, in films such as Dead Man Walking (1996) and The Hurricane (1999). The most memorable among these was Captain Byron Hadley, the crooked prison guard with the deadly billy club in the multiple-Oscar-nominated The Shawshank Redemption (1994). In 1997, he played one of his more infrequent good guy roles as Sergeant Zim in Starship Troopers. From 1997-1998, he had a prominent recurring guest role as a doctor on NBC's ratings champ ER. His prolific television career also includes a role on the sci-fi series Earth 2 (1994). In 2002, Brown appeared among an ensemble cast in the HBO film The Laramie Project, which was about the beating death of gay Wyoming teen Matthew Shepard. The next year, he took on the prominant role of Brother Justin Crowe on HBO's cryptic period drama Carnivàle, joining another talented ensemble cast and once again tapping into his dark side. Brown's distinctive voice has been in high demand throughout his career, resulting in dozens of voice-over credits in animated features such as The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and television series. Of course his distinctively brute face was still very much an important part of his career, with an onscreen role in the hit television series Lost serving well to provide viewers with a valuable history of the mysterious "hatch." A trip back in time found the hulking Brown assuming the role of a monstrous viking in director Markus Nispel's Pathfinder, and later that same year the actor could once again be spotted on the big screen in the Kevin Costner Coast Guard drama The Guardian. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
1934. The Dustbowl. The last great age of magic. In a time of titanic sandstorms, vile plagues, drought and pistilence - signs of God's fury and harbingers of the Apocalypse - the final conflict between good and evil is about to begin. The battle will take place in the Heartland of an empire called America. And when it is over, man will forever trade away wonder for reason. See the conflict of good vs. evil played out against a pair of vivid and unusual backdrops: a traveling carnival working the American Dustbowl circuit, and an evangelical ministry in California.
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, (more)
- 2002
In the first episode of a two part story, Superman's perennial nemesis Lex Luthor breaks out of prison. The fugitive is pursued by the Justice League, who soon realize that Luthor is dying. As a "last stand" against the Leaguers in general and Superman in particular, Luthor manages to organize his own team of super-villains called The Injustice Gang, among them the Joker, Star Sapphire, the Shade, Copperhead, Cheetah, and Ultra-Humanite! Clancy Brown and Mark Hamill, who were heard as Luthor and the Joker in several previous animated versions of Batman and Superman, repeat their roles here. Both episodes of "Injustice for All" were released on DVD in tandem with another Justice League two-parter, "The Brave and the Bold," in October of 2004. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clancy Brown, Mark Hamill, (more)
- 2002
Created by actor Ken Olin and Rhonda L. Moore, Breaking News was set within the walls of I-24, a round-the-clock TV news network. Dedicated to both getting the truth and scooping the competition, the network is the fiefdom of superaggressive news division president Peter Kozyck (Clancy Brown). Other I-24 employees include charismatic senior anchorman Bill Dunne (Tim Matheson), ambitious rookie reporter Jamie Templeton (Rowena King), frustrated "human interest" commentator Janet LeClaire (Myndy Crist), cutthroat executive producer Rachel Glass (Lisa Ann Walter), overworked network CEO Jack Barnes (James Handy), and Jack's son, news producer Ethan Barnes (Scott Bairstow). Patricia Wettig, wife of co-creator Ken Olin, was seen as feature reporter Alison Dunne. Originally produced for and financed by the TNT cable network, the 13-episode Breaking News lay on the shelf for several months before its was picked up by the Bravo channel beginning July 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
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More fun and games beneath the waves are in store for you, you, and maybe you as the animated cult favorite SpongeBob SquarePants launches its third season. The opener brings back those antiquated superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway), who must rely upon SpongeBob when they lose their utility belts; and as a bonus, SpongeBob's driving teacher Mrs. Puff is arrested -- and she likes it, she really likes it. And what else? Well, a magic pencil leaves SpongeBob a fraction of his former self; snow falls on Bikini Bottom; the Krusty Krab is apparently invaded by a phony health inspector (accept no substitutes!); Squidward ends up a "street octopus," even though there aren't any streets; SpongeBob tries to prove he's tough enough to get into the Salty Spittoon (our motto: No Weenies Allowed); an abandoned clam brings out the parental instinct -- and the absentee parent -- in the redoubtable Patrick; the outside world is given its first glimpse of the fabled "Krusty Krab Training Video" (watch for the POOP session -- it sure beats "Dating Do's and Don't's"); "My Pretty Seahorse" ends with a Very Special Moment that will leave you as confused as the live-action "dad" we see on screen; the legend of the Hash-Slinging Slasher becomes all too true; Gary enters the Great Snail Race, which is not an oxymoron, we think; and at long last, we see "The Lost Episode" -- or rather, the "Other Lost Episode." In addition, this season offers a flashback to SpongeBob's prehistoric relative, as he discovers fire (not a bad trick when you're underwater). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, (more)
Laramie, WY, is a small town which became infamous overnight in the fall of 1998, when Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was found tied to a fence after being brutally beaten and left to die, setting off a nationwide debate about hate crimes and homophobia. A month after the crime, Moises Kaufman, a writer and director with the New York City theater troupe the Tectonic Theater Project, traveled to Laramie with a handful of actors to interview people who lived in and around Laramie in preparation for an upcoming production; Kaufman's goal was to create a play that focused not on the assault on Matthew Shepard, but on the community where such an attack could happen, and how many of the citizens reacted to the crime. The result was The Laramie Project, which was first performed in early 2000, and was performed in Laramie in the fall of that year, two years after Kaufman and his associates first arrived in the city. The Laramie Project is a film adaptation of Kaufman's play, in which the thoughts and opinions of Laramie residents from all points of the political spectrum are presented alongside re-enacted excerpts from the trials of the two men who attacked Matthew Shepard. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, The Laramie Project was adapted for the screen by Moises Kaufman, who served as both writer and director. The distinguished cast includes Dylan Baker, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Janeane Garofolo, Laura Linney, Amy Madigan, Camryn Manheim, Christina Ricci, and Frances Sternhagen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christina Ricci, Peter Fonda, (more)
Actor and playwright Stephen Burrows makes his directorial debut with this independent comedy that takes a witty look at the downside of working in the movie business. Steve (Burrows) is a writer, actor, and comic who years ago left his hometown of Milwaukee, WI, for the bright lights of Hollywood and who, after years of struggling, has managed to get his foot in the door of show business thanks to his appearance in a widely seen commercial for a personal hygiene product called "Crotch Fresh." Steve decides to pay a visit to his friends in the Midwest, and while in Milwaukee he meets Sam (Traci Elizabeth Lords), an attractive woman interested in knowing more about his career in entertainment. As Steve and Sam get to know each other, he regales her with a number of remarkable stories about fascistic acting coaches, egocentric producers, and studio heads too young to hold a driver's license. Stephen Burrows was able to persuade a number of his well-known colleagues to appear in Chump Change, including Tim Matheson, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Fred Willard, and Abe Vigoda. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Matheson, Traci Lords, (more)
- 2000
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Fish are jumpin' and the seaweed is high as SpongeBob SquarePants gets into its second season. The first half-hour episode offers two brief playlets: "Something Smells", in which lovable invertebrate SpongeBob suddenly develops bad breath (a rare affliction in sponges); and "Bossy Boots", in which Mr. Krabs' insufferable daughter Pearl transforms the Krusty Krab into the hippest place beneath the sea--for a while, anyway. Later down the sandy road, the irascible Squidward proves to be that scourge of the deep, a slacker octopus, when he's put in charge of the restaurant; SpongeBob forgets how to tie his shoelaces, a situation that's good for 12 minutes at least; senile superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (voiced by Ernest Borgnineand Tim Conway face a reunion with their fiendish--and equally elderly--enemy ManRay; the president of the SpongeBob SquarePants fan club brings a little bit of Christmas cheer to Bikini Bottom; a caterpillar turns into a butterfly (film at eleven!); otherwise benign land squirrel Sandy Cheeks becomes the scourge of the deep when she starts sleepwalking; SpongeBob goes to Herculean lengths to avoid kissing his grandma, and fails his driving test again (how often do sponges have to drive anywhere, anyway?); Gary the Snail takes a bath (no film at eleven!); an oyster is traumatized by a smoking peanut; Patrick refuses to tell anyone what's in his box; a careless word transforms SpongeBob into a "Sailor Mouth"; and an exercise in procrastination plunges SpongeBob into a Daliesque nightmare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, (more)
Paul Castellano was once one of the most powerful and most feared figures in American organized crime. Starting his criminal career as a runner for numbers agents, Castellano became an associate of the Gambino crime family, and in 1976 was named the top man in New York's Mafia as he attempted to merge the mob's illegal businesses with more legitimate money-making concerns. However, Castellano's hatred and distrust of rising mob boss John Gotti earned him some very powerful enemies, and in 1985 he was murdered by Gotti's associates. Boss of Bosses is a made-for-TV movie that chronicles the rise and fall of Castellano's career in organized crime. Chazz Palinteri stars as Castellano, with Patricia Mauceri as his wife Nina, Angela Alvarado Rose as his mistress Gloria, Sonny Marinelli as John Gotti, and Al Ruscio as Carlo Gambino. Boss of Bosses was first aired on the TNT cable network on June 3, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chazz Palminteri, Daniel Benzali, (more)
Based on a true story, Vendetta tells the shocking and tragic story of a group of Sicilian immigrants working on the New Orleans docks in the 1890's. After the Chief of Police was brutally murdered, much of the city's Sicilian population was rounded up and brought in for questioning. Eventually, thirteen were formally tried for murder and nine went to trial, and while they were acquitted, a series of brutal lynchings showed they had as much to fear from the city's general populace as they did from the corrupt police force. The cast includes Christopher Walken and Bruce Davison (who previously starred in a very different look at New Orleans' past, French Quarter). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Clancy Brown, (more)
- 1999
The world's most popular invertebrate TV-cartoon star, SpongeBob SquarePants was the brainchild ofStephen Hillenburg, who graduated CalArts with two degrees: one in Marine Biology, and the other in Animation. A cheerful, yellow-skinned denizen of deep who was shaped like a common bathroom sponge and who wore a shirt, necktie and belted shorts, SpongeBob SquarePants lived in a pineapple shell in the underwater community of Bikini Bottom, where he worked at the Krusty Krab restaurant and sometimes commiserated with a land squirrel who lived in a nearby biodome, and whose name was Sandy Cheeks (and for the benefit of those viewings who are always on the lookout for "hidden meanings" in the series' million-and-one jokes and references--well, we've just listed three of 'em in the last sentence). The relentlessly cheerful SpongeBob had a habit of coming up with the most complex of solutions to the simplest of problems--in direct contrast with his best friend Patrick Star the starfish, who was not the brightest bulb under the sea. Other characters on SpongeBob's half-hour animated TV series included his boss at the Krusty Krab, curmudgeonly Eugene V. Krabs, who jealously guarded the secret of his fabled "Krabby Patties"; SpongeBob's pet snail Gary, who behaved more like a cat; his grouchy neighbor Squidward Tentacles, a clarinet-playing octopus; and Mr. Krabs' hated business rival Plankton, who ran a spectacularly unsuccessfully eatery called the Chum Bucket. Boasting superb animation, imaginative background art, and a veritable library of "in" jokes, looney nonsequiturs and obscure pop-culture gags, SpongeBob Squarepants may well have been even more popular with adults (especially college students) than with children. Certainly it was one of the most marketable cartoon series of its era, spawning zillions of dollars' worth of dolls, video games, novelty clothing, sportswear, beach toys, and so on and so forth. Offering two fifteen-minute adventures per half hour episode, SpongeBob Squarepants made its Nickelodeon cable network debut on July 17, 1999, remaining in production until put on temporary hiatus so that Stephen Hillenburg could concentrate on the SpongeBob Squarepants theatrical feature that opened to great audience and critical acclaim in the summer of 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
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Season One of the wild and crazy cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants dishes up 20 half hour episodes, each containing two to three short storylines. The opener relates how cheerful invertebrate SpongeBob SquarePants lands a job at the Krusty Krab restaurant (his lifelong goal!), how he shoos a pesky clam shell away from the front lawn of his pineapple home, and his first meeting with Sandy Cheeks, a cute land squirrel who resides in a nearby biodome. All, this, plus a musical performance by Tiny Tim. In later episodes, SpongeBob goes into business teaching his friends how to blow bubbles; the evil Plankton attempts to steal the closely-guarded secet recipe for Krabby Patties; SpongeBob's grouchy neighbor Squidward tries and fails to drive a wedge (or a wedgie?) between SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick; a simple pizza delivery turns into an "Apocalypse Now" moment; former McHale's Navy costars Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway make their first voiceover "appearances" as testy retired superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy; SpongeBob celebrates "Opposite Day", almost as if there really were an "Opposite Day"; Squidward invokes the name of Allen Ginsburg during a talent show at Krusty Krab; the legendary Flying Dutchman makes one of his rare TV appearances; a peek into the future reveals that they'll always be a few million SpongeBobs around to aggravate Squidward; and the long-suffering Mrs. Puff gives SpongeBob his first driving lesson, and lives to tell about it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, (more)
In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a top-ranked middleweight boxer whom many fight fans expected to become world champion. When three people were shot to death in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey, Carter and his friend John Artis, driving home from another club in Paterson, were stopped and questioned by police. Although the police asserted that Carter and Artis "were never suspects," a man named Alfred Bello, himself a suspect in the killings, claimed that Carter and Artis were present at the time of the murders. On the basis of Bello's testimony, Carter and Artis were convicted of murder, and Carter was given three consecutive life sentences. Throughout the trial, Carter proclaimed his innocence, saying that his African-American race and work as a civil rights activist were the real reasons for his conviction. In 1974, Bello and Arthur Bradley, who also claimed that Carter was present at the scene of the crimes, recanted their testimony, but Carter and Artis were reconvicted. In the early 1980s, Brooklyn teenager Lesra Martin worked with a trio of Canadian activists to push the State of New Jersey to reinvestigate Carter's case; in 1985, a Federal District Court ruled that the prosecution in Carter's second trial committed "grave constitutional violations" and that his conviction was based on racism rather than facts. Carter was finally freed, and he summed up his story by saying, "Hate got me into this place, love got me out." The Hurricane is based on Carter's incredible true story and stars Denzel Washington as Carter, Vicellous Shannon as Lesra Martin, and John Hannah, Liev Schreiber and Deborah Unger as the Canadian activists. Veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, (more)
- 1998
The hospital's blood supply runs out during a devastating blizzard, forcing the doctors to make literal life and death decisions. Should Carter (Noah Wyle) try to save the life of a seriously wounded serial rapist, or should the blood go to someone more "deserving"? Elsewhere, Carol (Julianna Margulies) and Weaver (Laura Innes) tackle a crisis in the lives of a mentally challenged couple who have just become parents, and Weaver declares war on the duplicitous cost-cutting organization Syngergix. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Ross (George Clooney) wants to trick Carol (Julianna Margulies) with a surprise marriage -- but is instead surprised by Carol, and none too pleasantly. Newly revealed facts about the business methods of Syngergix causes a rift between Weaver (Laura Innes) and Ellis West (Clancy Brown). Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) forms a strong bond with Anspaugh's (John Aylward) ailing son, Scott (Trevor Morgan). And Carter (Noah Wyle) tries to come to grips with the fact that his cousin Chase (Jonathan Scarfe) is a heroin addict. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The second elderly rape victim in as many weeks arrives at the ER. Elsewhere, things take a personal turn when Anspaugh's (John Aylward) young son Scott (Trevor Morgan), a recovering cancer patient, shows up at County General with stomach pains. Former ER head man Dr. Swift (Michael Ironside) pays a visit in connection with the cost-cutting organization Synergix. And while coping with her no-strings-attached relationship with Ross (George Clooney), Carol (Julianna Margulies) also must deal with disturbing news about one of her patients. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Though she has struggled to put her past behind her, a woman finds the task impossible. This drama chronicles the events that transpire after she must learn to let herself get close to the man who married her even though he was aware she was pregnant from another man. Instead of repeating her actions in that earlier relationship, she must learn to stay with a man who loves her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Delany, Clancy Brown, (more)
- 1997
Disgruntled, and highly dangerous, ex-KGB agent General Vostok once again poses a threat to mankind. On this occasion, Vostok has armed himself with the weapon that defeated Napoleon at the gates of Moscow -- a "freeze bomb." Holding the other team members hostage, Vostok demands that Dr. Quest make the weapon even more deadly than before. Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame is heard as the villainous Vostok. "General Winter" was first broadcast on March 26, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
If given the chance, would Batman have the hots for Lois Lane? Would Lex Luthor get along well with The Joker? And what, if anything, would be left for Robin to do? All these questions and more are answered in this conflation of two of the most venerable comic book legends, The Batman Superman Movie. Up to his old tricks, The Joker has stolen a priceless statue from the Gotham City museum. When Batman learns that the green figurine is made of Kryptonite, however, he knows this isn't your ordinary evil caper. The Caped Crusader sets off for Metropolis to tell the Man of Steel the news, and along the way, he falls for the beguiling beauty of Lois Lane. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1997
In Venice, a group of scientists accidentally release a malevolent spirit in an old house. The Quest team is summoned to investigate the phenomenon and hopefully send the ghost back where it came from. Containing a bit more comic relief than usual (perhaps unintentionally), "More Than Zero" originally aired on April 16, 1997, as the final first-run episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
Director Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal service -- but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot. Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits -- Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified, he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a ruthless enemy with only one goal -- survival of their species no matter what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures -- from breeder bugs to armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500 visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained). At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future -- complete with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course, and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls). Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, (more)
- 1997
When a blind homeless man abruptly regains his sight, Benton (Eriq La Salle) is hailed as a miracle worker -- and now dozens of other patients want to be anointed by "Saint Peter." Greene (Anthony Edwards) takes an important step toward getting his life back together during his treatment of 67-year-old rape victim. And Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) and Weaver (Laura Innes) temporarily bury the hatchet during a major crisis in one of their lives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Carter (Noah Wyle) is arrested after refusing to hand over confidential information in a domestic-abuse case. After seeking legal aid, Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) is allowed to return to work, precipitating another run-in with Weaver (Laura Innes) and an unexpected parting of the ways with Al (Michael Beach). In exchange for helping Greene (Anthony Edwards), zany lawyer Spivak (Dan Hedaya) wants to "play doctor" for a day. And Weaver (Laura Innes) is wooed by Syngergix executive Ellis West (Clancy Brown). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
The first patients for Carol's (Julianna Margulies) new free clinic show up a week before it is supposed to open. Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) accuses Weaver (Laura Innes) of discrimination vis-à-vis Jeanie's termination. After operating on a 12-year-old victim of a hit-and-run, Benton (Eriq La Salle) uses the boy's grieving father as grist for the mill of his upcoming journal article. And Mark (Anthony Edwards) finds out that his attorney Herb Spivak (Dan Hedaya) is slightly off-balance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Although "flub" is defined as "to make a mess of," the word "flubber" is a contraction from "flying rubber." In this remake of the 1961 comedy-fantasy The Absent Minded Professor, Robin Williams takes on the role created by Fred MacMurray and later executed by Harry Anderson on television, while the 1961 film's Flubber with anti-gravity properties has now been digitally reincarnated as a translucent green, pulsating, bouncing blob that loves to dance the mambo. Absent-minded college professor Philip Brainard (Williams), employed at a near-bankrupt university, creates the formula for Flubber, yet he can't remember to show up for his own wedding to university-President Sara Jean Reynolds (Marcia Gay Harden). His rival, Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald), plots to steal Sara and the Flubber from Brainard. Rich, corrupt businessman Chester Hoenicker (Raymond Barry) tries to force Brainard to pass his failing son Bennett (Wil Wheaton), but he soon takes an interest in Flubber after hearing about it from his flunkies (Clancy Brown, Ted Levine). After using Flubber to fly over clouds in his 1963 T-Bird, Brainard realizes Flubber can also improve the performance of the school's pathetic basketball team. Jodi Benson is the voice of Weebo, Brainard's talking, flying household robot, with a video display of Disney clips at odd moments. Many gags are embellishments from the 1961 film, with John Hughes (Home Alone) rewriting the original Bill Walsh screenplay (based on Samuel Taylor's short story, "A Situation of Gravity"). Though Walsh died in 1975, he received posthumous credit for this script. Filming began October 8,1996 in San Francisco. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
