Maryedith Burrell Movies

Kelsey Grammer stars as Nick St. Nicholas, a Miami-based playboy philanthropist who is about to make his life complete by wedding the girl of his dreams, gorgeous TV weathercaster Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix). Not known to the general public is that the profligate St. Nicholas is really the son of none other than Santa Claus (Charles Durning)--or, as the jolly old elf is known in this story, Nicholas XXX. Expected to take over the "family business" at the North Pole before his father's power fades, Nick balks, choosing instead to remain in Miami, where he is about to launch his latest charity at the behest of his fiancee Heidi. By the time he realizes that his "dream girl" is actually a mercenary nightmare, Nick finds himself besieged by a vindictive INS agent (Colin Cunningham)--and racked with guilt over the gloomy fate awaiting his father and the North Pole toy factory. It is up to Santa's head elf Jasper (Brian Bedford) and Nick's lovely Latino cook Lorena (Ana Ortiz) to come to the rescue. Armed with a surprising number of sexually suggestive jokes for an ostensible family film, Meet St. Nick was coproduced by Disney Films and Hallmark Entertainment, and was first broadcast as an episode of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney anthology on November 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This week, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is visiting the set of "Floppieville", a TV puppet show based on one of her children's stories. But it isn't kid stuff when the designer of the puppets finds out that someone is profiting from his ideas without proper credit or remuneration. Inevitably, a murder takes place--with one of the smiley-face Floppieville puppets as the weapon! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This light-hearted comedy depicts a typical summer camp, but with a special twist: this camp was designed by the campers themselves! "Mud" Himmel is a nerd. Once again he is faced with attending computer camp. His buddy Zack will be marching into go to military camp while Trish is acting happy about theater camp. That Gaby is going again to fat camp weighs heavily upon her mind. None of them are thrilled with their camp prospects and it is rebellious Mud who suggest that they create their own, secret camp. Enter Dennis Van Welker, their crazy high school drama instructor. He offers to join the conspiracy and act as their camp counselor. Just as it looks as if the four misfits are going to have a really great summer together, two dozen of their peers find out about the camp and decide to come along. For a time it's one big chaotic party. But as the kids act out their camp fantasies, they are gaining valuable insight into their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Bo Derek stars as B.J. Cassidy, a Texas millionaire out to take over a French chocolate production company who instead finds romance with the factory's owner (Robert Hays). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Bad Attitudes was first shown on the Fox Network. A pair of thick-skulled terrorists attempt to hijack a wealthy man's private jet. But the villains haven't taken into consideration a gang of five obnoxious preteens, all possessed of the bad attitude mentioned in the title. Bad Attitudes was not previewed for TV critics when it first surfaced in September of 1991, which all things considered may have been a wise defensive move. Was this Home Alone clone a TV pilot? Need you ask? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this off-beat sci-fi adventure, a female scientist creates a sexy android version of herself and equips it with both the passionate emotions she lacks and a nuclear bomb. The trouble begins when the android is taken out for a test run and it ends up in the midst of a bank robbery where its internal bomb is accidentally activated. Things get worse, when the robot comes emotionally unglued and launches into a destructive rampage while enacting out its repressed creator's darkest desires. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Keshia Knight-Pulliam stars as the title character, an orphaned waif of the 1920s who helps instill the Christmas spirit into a contentious New England family. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

The nude, strangled body of a teenaged girl lies on the edge of the river. Her murderer is her boyfriend, Daniel Roebuck. All the kids in Roebuck's dismal, dead-end town know who committed the murder. Trouble is, no one bothers to turn Roebuck in; some of the teens don't know how to react to the crime, while others, strung out on drugs and booze, just don't give a damn. A study of contemporary alienation, River's Edge was based on a real-life incident that occurred in Milpitas, California, in 1981. That same year, Neal Jimenez wrote his screenplay for River's Edge, but was not able to finance the project until 1987. Except for Dennis Hopper, cast as a holdover from the sixties who hobbles about on one leg and makes love to a blow-up doll, the cast was largely comprised of unknowns, many of whom (Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye) would definitely be heard from in the future. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Perky social worker Laura Mathews (Pam Dawber) takes up the cause of a group of senior citizens, whose dilapidated apartment building has been targetted for demolition. While on a blind date, Laura falls in love with Richard Wylie (James Naughton)--who, alas, turns out to be the very building inspector who condemned the building. But help is on the way in the unlikely shape of Laura's ex-boyfriend, a hotshot attorney. Populated with the sort of "cute" oldsters that generally infest TV movies of this nature (the old ladies swear and play cards, the old men keep unusual pets and pursue eccentric hobbies, etc.), The Last of the Great Survivors premiered January 3, 1984 on CBS. ~TV Guide/Marrill/Internet/Expert ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Robert Mulligan directed this Americanized re-make of the successful Brazilian comedy Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. Sally Field stars as Kay Villano, a lonely widow of three years who can't forget the memory of her dead husband, Jolly (James Caan). Jolly was a selfish and unfaithful Broadway choreographer who still managed to win Kay over with his charm. But Kay has fallen in love again with Rupert Baines (Jeff Bridges), a stuffy professor of Egyptology. As her wedding day approaches, Kay receives a visit from Jolly's ghost, who taunts and harasses her, clearly upset that Kay is marrying someone so dull. Kay goes ahead with the marriage and Jolly refuses to disappear, resulting in a bizarre menage-a-tois. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi