Rosilyn Heller Movies

2007  
R  
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After his 13-year-old sister is abducted by sex traffickers, a determined Mexican teen travels from the barrios of Mexico City to a run-down stash house in New Jersey in a desperate attempt to rescue the frightened girl before she is swallowed whole by one of the criminal underworld's darkest secrets. Jorge's (Cesar Ramos) adolescent sister, Adriana (Paulina Gaitan), has been kidnapped and thrust into a lucrative underground trade in which young girls are bought and sold to the highest bidder. Now, as the terrified youngster is herded through a complex network of underground tunnels leading into the United States, her only ally is a Polish woman named Veronica (Alicja Bachleda), who has been tricked into the trade by the same nefarious gang. After circumventing immigration officers and eventually working his way across the border, the desperate Jorge comes into contact with a Texas lawman named Ray (Kevin Kline), whose own devastating personal loss to sex traffickers causes him to join the search for Adriana. In the dark days that follow, Jorge and Ray form a close bond as they witness the horrors of a secret Internet sex slave auction and discover just how far the depths of human depravity can plunge while attempting to maintain hope that brother and sister will one day be reunited. In the world of international sex trafficking, however, innocent victims disappear without a trace every day and few who fall prey to these reprehensible predators are ever seen again. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kevin KlineCesar Ramos, (more)
1994  
 
Carolyn Chute's fascinatingly complex novel Beans of Egypt, Maine was softened and simplified for this 1994 film treatment. Martha Plimpton plays Earlene Pomerleau, who resides in the Maine backwoods community of Egypt. Earlene is swept off her feet by her studdish, irresponsible neighbor Beal Bean (Patrick McGaw), the youngest member of the much-despised Bean family. She lives to regret her sexual impulsiveness, while Beal is forcefully reminded of the importance of family loyalty. Co-produced by PBS' American Playhouse, the film is a toned-down version of the rough-hewn Chute original, ending so abruptly that it seems as though someone tore out the last five script pages just before shooting started. Beans of Egypt, Maine has been released to video as Forbidden Choices. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Martha PlimptonKelly Lynch, (more)
1993  
 
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Following up on Streetwise, his powerful documentary on the homeless kids of Seattle, director Martin Bell returned to that city for a dramatic feature. Nick Kelson (Edward Furlong) is a troubled teenager whose mother has been dead for many years; he spends much of his time with other throwaway kids roaming the city. When Nick's father Jack (Jeff Bridges) is released from a long stretch in prison, the father and child reunion is a bumpy one. Jack senses an obligation to his son but is trying to focus on taking responsibility for his own life before he can extend himself. Nick is wary of his father's criminal background, but he also craves the stability of a real home life. Aware that a return to the city whose mean streets spawned his criminal career might pull him back into his old ways, Jack talks about moving to Alaska to make a fresh start, but it's not clear if Nick is part of his plan. The film's unsentimental look at its characters always on the verge of backsliding didn't endear it to ticket buyers, but it was lauded by many critics for its honesty and for Bridges' strong performance, which won an Independent Spirit award. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jeff BridgesEdward Furlong, (more)
1987  
PG  
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A year after appearing in the box-office sleeper Shanghai Surprise, pop superstar Madonna starred in the screwball comedy Who's That Girl? She plays Nikki Finn, who is being released from prison after serving a four-year sentence for a murder she didn't commit. Meanwhile, wealthy lawyer Loudon (Griffin Dunne) is about to get married that afternoon to the snobby Wendy (Haviland Morris), the daughter of Simon Worthington (John McMartin). Worthington does not approve of the wedding and he wants Nikki out of town as soon as possible, so he sends Loudon to collect Nikki and take her to the bus station. Instead, the flamboyant Nikki seeks her revenge while trying to find out what happened to her friend Johnny, which causes Loudon a lot of trouble. Naturally, wild action ensues -- some of it involving an escaped Cougar belonging to Loudon's boss, the millionaire animal collector Montgomery Bell (John Mills) -- and Loudon having to choose between the prim Wendy and the unpredictable Nikki. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
MadonnaGriffin Dunne, (more)
1985  
 
After twenty-five years, a trio of old high school friends are held responsible for a rape incident they have, until now, kept secret in this television miniseries based on Thomas Thompson's novel. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

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1981  
 
After allegedly stealing a customized van, 17-year-old Randy Webster (Gary McCleery) is chased down by the Houston police. Randy is killed in a car crash; on his body is found a weapon, supposedly the one used in the commission of the van theft. But Randy's father (Hal Holbrook) suspects that the "official" story of his son's death is the result of a cover-up. The elder Webster attempts to conduct his own investigation despite hostility from an hostile police department and an overcrowded judicial system. Throughout his ordeal, Webster remains convinced that his son was not a criminal, but was set up posthumously by the overzealous authorities. Based on journalist Tom Curtis' s account of a true incident, The Killing of Randy Webster was originally telecast on March 11, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1979  
PG  
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In this sports melodrama that boldly illustrates the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, Lynn-Holly Johnson plays Iowa farm girl Alexis Winston, who has a God-given talent for ice skating. With the encouragement and training of the local ice-skating rink operator Beulah Smith (Colleen Dewhurst), she manages to win the first prize trophy at a regional ice-skating competition. At the competition, she is spotted by Olympic coach Deborah Machland (Jennifer Warren), who promotes her as an underdog competitor, and she skyrockets to fame. Her career is going like gangbusters, until she is blinded in a freak accident. But with the help of her caring boyfriend Nick (Robby Benson) and her encouraging father Marcus (Tom Skerritt), she overcomes her depression just in time to prove herself at a major competition. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Lynn-Holly JohnsonRobby Benson, (more)

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