Joshua Bryant Movies

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the sprawling six-part, 12-hour TV miniseries Into the West covers 65 years of American history, from the first major migration westward in the mid-1820s to the massacre at Wounded Knee in the early 1890s. The story is largely seen through the eyes of two protagonists (and their families): Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle), a wheelwright who leaves his Virginia hometown and his family's business in 1827 to seek his destiny in the company of legendary mountain man Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin); and Loved by the Buffalo (George Leach), a Lakota Sioux holy man who spends a lifetime seeking the answers to his profound and disturbing images about the future of his country -- and his people. Eschewing the usual "old-age makeup" route often pursued in epic tales of this nature, the main characters are played by progressively older actors in the course of the story: for example, Loved by the Buffalo is portrayed by no fewer than four different performers! In a more traditionalist How the West Was Won vein, the miniseries is festooned with major stars, some cast in very brief roles: among these are Josh Brolin, Keri Russell, Matthew Modine, Beau Bridges, Gary Busey, Tom Berenger, and Judge Reinhold. Nor is How the West Was Won the only inspiration for the multi-plotted storyline: other films echoed and emulated throughout the saga include The Iron Horse, The Big Trail, Westward the Women, The Searchers, and Dances With Wolves. As mentioned, the story is divided into six parts: "Wheel to the Stars," in which the fates of Jacob Wheeler and Loved by the Buffalo become forever intertwined; "Manifest Destiny," chronicling the first major trek to California; "Dreams & Schemes," wherein the Lakota lands are despoiled by Gold Fever and war breaks out between the North and South; "Hell on Wheels," chronicling the postwar chaos and the coming of the railroad; "Casualties of War," wherein the conflict between Native Americans and the white man results in wholesale bloodshed -- and, surprisingly, a "counter-revolution" of compassion and understanding; and "Ghost Dance," the last great stand of the Lakota, which brings the story full circle. Largely filmed in the Canadian Rockies over a six-month period, and utilizing the talents of six directors, Into the West premiered June 10, 2005, on the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When it was first telecast on November 23, 1986, the made-for-TV Thanksgiving Promise (based on a novel by Blaine and Brenton Yorgason) was advertised as "A Thanksgiving Story as Only Disney Can Tell It." Actually, the film might not have come to fruition at all without the input of the Bridges family: Lloyd, Beau, Lloyd's wife Dorothy, Beau's son Jordan, and Jeff Bridges (uncredited). Jordan Bridges is the central character, a farm boy living in the shadow of his older brothers. Jordan's neighbor (Lloyd) entrusts the boy with a man-sized job: To care for a wounded gosling and fatten up the bird for Thanksgiving dinner. Inevitably, Jordan becomes attached to the bird, and as Thanksgiving approaches, he takes a series of odd jobs, hoping to buy the goose from his neighbor. But Jordan's father (Beau) insists that the boy keep his word and relinquish the goose. In addition to his costarring chores in Thanksgiving Promise, Beau Bridges coproduced and directed the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode, a young man unwittingly falls into the clutches of a slave labor ring, and it is up to the Wildside agents to set him free. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a mother and daughter become rivals for a single man's affections. The mother is a widowed movie star and the daughter is recently divorced. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Throughout his life, Higgins (John Hillerman) has been taunted, bested and humiliated by his old boarding-school nemesis William Troubshaw (Paxton Whitehead). Now it seems that he has a chance to settle the score by squaring off against Troubshaw in a fencing match. But through a freak accident, Troubshaw is killed and Higgins is accused of his murder--and even more disturbingly, he seems unwilling to defend himself against the accusation. Former child star Patty McCormick (The Bad Seed) appears as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carol Baldwin, a role played in subsequent episodes by Kathleen Lloyd). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Margaret (Loretta Swit) wonders if she should renew her battlefiled romance with scrappy soldier Jack Scully (Joshua Bryant), especially since he's been busted to Private for punching out an officer. On another front, B.J. (Mike Farrell) and Charles (David Ogden Stiers) are asked to collaborate on a medical-journal article describing a recent life-saving operation. This sparks a literary rivalry the like of which has not been seen since the days of Gilbert and Sullivan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hawkeye (Alan Alda) seeks out refuge from the unending parade of casualties by holing up in Rosie's Bar. While downing a convivial "breakfast" of cereal and beer, Hawkeye sees no pressing need to return to the 4077th--and before long, all the other doctors have joined our hero at Rosie's. Naturally, this does not rest well with Col. Potter (Harry Morgan), but it will take a more powerful force than Potter's wrath to bring Hawkeye and his colleagues back into the O.R. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hawkeye (Alan Alda) crosses swords with Lt. Hung Lae Park (Mako), a ruthless and determined ROK officer. At the center of the conflict is a wounded Korean woman (Huanini Minn), whose life Hawkeye is determined to save. But Park insists that the woman is an enemy guerilla--and as such must be turned over to him for a particularly brutal round of interrogations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charles (Michael Landon) and Caroline (Karen Grassle) are thrilled to learn that she is expecting another child. But will Charles be disappointed if the baby turns out to be another girl? To find out what is in store, Caroline goes against her better judgment and consults a gypsy fortune teller, Mme. Maria (Lily Valenty). Things take a somber turn when Caroline goes into early labor, forcing Charles to handle the birth without the aid of a doctor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A newcomer to Walnut Grove, hog farmer Adam Simms (Joshua Bryant) falls head over heels in love with local schoolmarm Miss Beadle (Charlotte Stewart). At the same time, Adam's hulking son, Luke (Bob Marsic), is smitten by (of all people!) spoiled brat Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim). Sneaking off to church to get married in the dark of night, Luke and Nellie are stopped in their tracks by Nellie's outraged parents -- but things fare rather better for Adam and Miss Beadle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Phil Karlson harks back to the no-nonsense, no-thrills directness of his 1950s "B" pictures in Framed. Joe Don Baker, Karlson's star in Walking Tall, plays Ron, a high-rolling gambler with a streak of integrity. Framed by the film's villains--including a cartel of corrupt cops--Ron is carted off to prison. Upon his release, he embarks upon a carefully calculated campaign of revenge. The film's stylistic ties to the enormously successful Walking Tall include the screenwriting contributions of Mort Briskin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The inspiration for the made-for-TV movie was an actual event which occurred in June of 1973. A crew of four sinks in a minisub off the Florida coast. As half the nation (apprised of the disaster by TV and radio) holds its breath, a daring rescue mission is organized. Lee J. Cobb and Martin Balsam are among the rescuers. Paul Michael Glaser, Joshua Bryant, Cliff Potts and Roger Kern are the helpless rescuees. Trapped Beneath the Sea was telecast fifteen months after the real-life crisis was resolved. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Kojak (Telly Savalas) makes it his personal mission to help little David Hecht (Lee H. Montgomery) find his missing father Simon (Joshua Bryant). What the viewer knows (but Kojak doesn't, at least not at first) is that Simon is being held by a group intending to use him as a decoy to locate a thief who has absconded to Brazil with $25 million--and then kill Simon when his usefulness is at an end. A pre-Magnum P.I. John Hillerman is prominently featured in this final episode of Kojak's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide