Betty Buckley Movies

Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Unexpected revelations lead to horrifying consequences in this independent psychological thriller. Sarah (Clare Kramer) is a traveler who is driving down Route 66 one night when she stops at a diner to wait out a storm. The diner, which once was also home to a museum of the bizarre, has fallen into neglect and disrepair, and the only people there besides Sarah are members of the strange family who run the place. As Sarah's own deeply buried secrets face off against the sometimes dangerous eccentricities of her hosts, everyone is forced to re-examine their pasts, bringing the night to a terrible and unexpected climax with the rising of the sun. The Mummy an' the Armadillo co-stars Betty Buckley, Brad Renfro, Johnathon Schaech, and Busy Philipps. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A college student finds herself struggling to separate fact from bizarre supposition in this offbeat independent drama. Eris (Lauren Fox) is working on a research paper concerning fear and social phobia phenomena, when, in the course of her reading, she finds the obscure phrase "Noon Blue Apples" keeps popping up -- not once, but several times. Puzzled about what it's supposed to mean, Eris begins digging a bit deeper than before, and soon encounters Zeus (Thomas Jay Ryan), who runs a bookstore specializing in conspiracy literature. Before long, Zeus is giving Eris a crash course in alternate history, shadow government theories, and forbidden knowledge research, and faster than you can order a subscription to "Flatland Magazine," Eris' head is so full of oddball facts and figures that she can't separate which are true and which are mere paranoia -- leaving her with no idea of who or what she can trust. Noon Blue Apples was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Jon Dichter directs this taut psychological thriller about a narcissistic man getting his overdue comeuppance from a vengeful telephone operator. Lawyer Gary Wheelan (Michael Laurence) lives the good life -- he has a beautiful wife, a huge bank account, and an excess of young female associates. He is accustomed to getting what he wants, and he tends to have a fit when he does not get it. Dissatisfied with his phone service, he berates the operator with such vituperation that the badly rattled woman (Jacqueline Kim) resolves to fight back. Using a vast computer network, the operator slashes his credit rating, drains his bank account, and eventually ruins his marriage. The formerly smug Gary is soon overwhelmed and frantic as he tries to regain control of his life. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

1920 to 1949 is known as the "Golden Age of Songwriting," but not for the unknown female songwriters who composed some of the era's most memorable songs. Through archival footage, film and performance clips, old photographs, and interviews, this documentary tells the story of four of these women -- Dorothy Fields, Kay Swift, Dana Suesse, and Ann Ronell -- who were the creative geniuses behind "A Fine Romance," "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Willow Weep for Me," "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?," "Fine and Dandy," "Can't We Be Friends?," "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," and more. ~ Heather M. Fierst, Rovi

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, this epic version of the legendary western sheriff-gunslinger's life story stars Kevin Costner as Earp, who lived from 1848 to 1929. Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Earp tries to run away to join the Union Army in the Civil War, but he is turned away because of his youth. Instead, he studies law and marries Urilla Sutherland (Annabeth Gish). But Urilla dies of typhoid fever before they can have children. Earp grows despondent and descends into drinking and petty thievery, but his father Nicholas (Gene Hackman) finds him, sobers him up, and sets him straight. Earp becomes a buffalo hunter and a close companion of Bat Masterson (Tom Sizemore) and his brother Ed (Bill Pullman). With his brothers, Virgil (Michael Madsen) and Morgan (Linden Ashby), Earp sets out to clean up the violence-plagued towns of the old West -- by using his own guns to settle scores. Earp takes up with Mattie Blaylock (Mare Winningham), a drug addict and prostitute, then discards her for actress Josie Marcus (Joanna Going). In Tombstone, Arizona, the Earp brothers and their comrade Doc Holliday (Dennis Quaid), who is plagued by tuberculosis and a compulsion for gambling, meet their match in a ruthless gang led by Ike Clanton (Jeff Fahey). ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

A chilling exploration of the violation of doctor/patient trust, this made-for-TV drama is based on actual events. Singer Barbara Noel (Judith Light) is a mess. Tired of her constant depression and the effect it has had upon her husband and family, she goes to see the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jules Masserman (Judd Hirsch). Using a combination of drugs, hypno-therapy and traditional techniques, he swears he will be able to help her. Time passes, and Barbara seems to be getting worse. In addition, she has begun drinking heavily. Strange bruises periodically appear on her body. She seems inordinately attached to Masserman, and her marriage suffers. When her life completely falls apart, Barbara wakes up and realizes that her trusted doctor has been violating her during the sessions in which she was drugged into unconsciousness. She tries all the traditional venues, but finds that her screwed up self is no match for a highly respected member of the medical community. Her luck changes dramatically, however, when she finds out that other women have also suffered from Masserman's treatment. Unfortunately, it will take some doing to convince any of them to testify against him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This version of the popular saga features two real teenagers playing the notorious killers Bonnie and Clyde who were also teens during the 1930's when they went on their mass killing spree. It was filmed on location at the actual crime scenes in East Texas. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Following the disastrous Pirates (1986), director Roman Polanski got back on creative track with this finely-wrought thriller that, while failing to impress at the box office, was nevertheless his most critically well-received film of the decade. Harrison Ford stars as Richard Walker, an American doctor who has come to Paris, where he's scheduled to deliver a paper to a medical conference. Richard has brought along his wife Sondra (Betty Buckley), because Paris was the site of their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Sondra picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, which leads to her kidnapping and an ever-more complicated quest that takes Richard into the seedy and dangerous underworld of European drug smuggling and terrorist arms sales. Along the way, he is rebuffed by skeptical officials at the American Embassy and meets Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner), a sexy courier who agrees to help him in exchange for the money she's owed for trafficking in narcotics. Playing cleverly on American fears about Europe's Byzantine politics and "decadent" society, Frantic received, from many observers, perhaps the greatest compliment possible for a thriller, comparison to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

In this drama, the daughter of an Appalachian miner is determined to get revenge against the cruel mine owner who destroyed her family with his greed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Based on the novel by Belva Plain, the three-part NBC miniseries Evergreen covered a time span from 1909 to 1959. The story begins in New York's Lower East Side with the arrival of Polish-Jewish immigrant Anna (Lesley Ann Warren). At first employed as a humble seamstress, Anna is whisked into a whole new world when she becomes the wife of the enterprising Joseph Friedman (Armand Assante), who eventually becomes a wealthy Westchester contractor. Even so, Anna's heart belongs to Paul Lerner (Ian Shane), the son of the prosperous Fifth Avenue family which employs her relatives. In 1918, Anna gives birth to Paul's daughter, allowing Joseph to believe that he is the father. The secret surrounding Anna's child will lead to a daunting and frequently heartbreaking chain of events, culminating decades later in the newly formed state of Israel, where Anna's grandson Eric hopes to "find himself" -- and ends up finding more than he bargained for. Also in the cast was Richard Burton's daughter, Kate Burton, as the wealthy Gentile wife of Anna and Joseph's son Maury (Tony Soper), a woman whose very presence causes a near-irreparable rift in an already fragmented family unit. Running a total of six hours, Evergreen originally aired on February 24, 25, and 26, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall), a once-famous country western singer, wakes up broke, alone and hung over in a tiny Texas motel run by widowed Rosa Lee (Tess Harper). Having nowhere else to go, Sledge takes a job at the motel, and through the kindness and faith of Rosa he changes his self-destructive ways. He marries Rosa (after he's baptized at her urging) and becomes a father/pal to her son (Allan Hubbard). Given an opportunity to make a comeback, Sledge considers leaving his new family behind, but after a reunion with his own unhappy daughter (Ellen Barkin), he vows never again to ruin anyone else's life. A simple story simply told, Tender Mercies is a warm, persuasive tale of redemption, with Robert Duvall giving one of his finest performances. Also appearing is Betty Buckley as Duvall's ex-wife, a Dolly Parton-type country star, and Wilford Brimley as Duvall's former manager. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Getting a late start due to the 1980 Hollywood actors' strike, the fifth and final season of Eight is Enough makes up for lost time with a frantic 90-minute opening episode, in which Susan Bradford Stockwell (Susan Richardson), one of the eight children of journalist Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten), delivers the family's first grandchild, named Sandra Sue in honor of Susan's stepmother (Betty Buckley)--who of course prefers the nickname "Abby" to her given name. While the arrival of Sandra Sue is a high point in the lives of Susan and her professional-ballplayer husband Merle (Brian Patrick Clarke, things aren't quite so jubilant later down the line when Merle suffers an injury that injures his career. This is the season that Ralph Macchio joins the cast as Abby's troubled nephew Jeremy, who takes a bit of time adjusting to his new surroundings when he is brought into the Bradford household after his father drops out of sight. Also new to the cast is John Louie as Melvin, the geekish best friend of youngest Bradford son Nicholas (Adam Rich). Major developments this season include the breakup of the marriage between oldest son David Bradford (Grant Goodeve and his wife Janet (Joan Prather), though the couple eventually considers patching things up. Also, Abby lands a job as guidance counselor in a tough inner-city school; daughter Elizabeth (Dianne Kay) moves in with her boyfriend; the Bradfords are forced to economize when Tom is laid off during a newspaper strike; daughter Nancy (Dianne Kay) finds that her chosen career as an actress and model is fraught with professional perils and pitfalls; son Tommy (Willie Aames) and his pal Ernie (Michael Goodrow) return from college with a new "sophisticated" outlook on life; and later on, Tommy proposes to girlfriend Ellen (Tara Nutter) when he learns she is pregnant. The series concludes with a tense battle over legal custody of Jeremy between the Bradfords and Jeremy's irresponsible dad (George Ralph Dicenzo). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi