Erica Fox Movies

The will-o'-the-wisp black sheep of a North Carolina farming family, Frannie Vaughan (Farrah Fawcett) reacts to the news that her mother has only six months to live in her usual quirky fashion -- she dashes off to parts unknown, intending to return home in exactly six months so that she may be at her mother's bedside "when the time comes." Imagine her embarrassment when, upon coming back to the farm, Frannie learns that her mother's demise occurred three days before schedule,in fact, she is even late for the funeral. When she finds out her embittered sister, Natalie (Ashley Crow), intends to sell the farm, Frannie tries to make up for past misdeeds by earning enough money (200,000 dollars to be exact) to keep the property in the family. That is why the heroine ends up packing underwear in the local silk mill owned by a handsome and unattached chap named Ruben (Brad Johnson). An odd mixture of comedy, pathos, and heavy drama (including the loss of a limb in some faulty factory machinery), the made-for-TV Silk Hope originally aired October 17, 1999, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Entrepreneur and aspiring film producer Kevin Johnson is presumed dead when his car is pulled out of the harbor after an accident, and a British documentary film crew comes to Los Angeles to trace the story of his rise and fall in this mockumentary. While Johnson rubbed elbows with movie stars and Hollywood power brokers, most of whom remember him fondly on camera, his greatest talent seems to have been his gift for schmoozing and his willingness to tell people what they want to hear (and get them what they want for the evening). He got his start by bribing a travel agent, Fred Barrett (Guy Siner), to put him next to the right people on flights to and from L.A., and with the help of agent Ricky Ryan (John Hillard), he begins pitching his script idea to anyone and everyone who might listen. However, it was Kevin's willingness to find female companionship for men in power (and eagerness to blackmail his new "friends") that helped get him financing for his project just before his car hit the water. James Coburn, Pierce Brosnan and Dudley Moore appear as themselves, and director Francis Megahy plays the leader of the documentary film crew. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Balto is an animated trifle, based loosely on a true story from the 1920s, that may offer some amusement for young children. A live-action intro and outro set the stage for the story of Balto (voiced by Kevin Bacon), a stray who's half dog and half wolf, who is shunned as a half-breed outcast by both humans and his own kind. Balto does have some friends, like the goose Boris (Bob Hoskins) and two polar bears named Muk and Luk (Phil Collins), but he is particularly resented by canine pack leader Steele (Jim Cummings), with whom he is competing for the affections of Jenna (Bridget Fonda). He eventually becomes a hero when he guides a medication-carrying sled to a townful of sick kids in the wilds of Alaska. The film features a number of positive messages (subtlety is not its strong point), but it may not feature enough humor or excitement to keep anyone but the very smallest viewers engrossed. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

The endurance of an upper-middle-class family is put to the test in this well-made television drama about drug abuse. Based on the book of the same name by Beth Polson, Viveka Davis (Shoot The Moon) stars as Susan Bowers, the teenage daughter of a successful surgeon (George Segal) and homemaker (Stockard Channing). When innocent-looking Susan's secret life as a druggie comes to light, her parents try anything and everything to get her clean. Unable to make any headway, they turn to a strict drug-treatment center, where streetwise counselors deal with tough kids on their own terms. The Bowers soon learn that their daughter's rehabilitation will not only be a long haul but also an exercise in family dynamic exploration. Young Davis is compelling as the rebellious daughter, and Channing and Segal are wholly believable as the bewildered parents. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi