Dan Butler Movies

Can a gay character actor find happiness with a disgraced Republican powerbroker? The actor seems to think so, even if no one else does, in this satiric mockumentary. Dan Butler is an actor who becomes the subject of a documentary by Phil Leirness, who's eager to look into the career of one of America's best supporting actors. During an interview, Butler explains to Leirness that he's become fascinated with the career of Republican political strategist Karl Rove, as he's a "supporting player" in the George W. Bush White House but is also one of the most important figures in the administration. Butler decides to create and stage a one-man-show about Rove, but since he knows next to nothing about him, Butler's first step is to start doing some research. The more Butler learns about Rove, the more fascinated he becomes, until he's developed a head-over-heels infatuation with the former presidential advisor, which begins taking both his show and his life down an increasingly strange path, with Leirness along for the ride. Karl Rove, I Love You was conceived, co-written and co-directed by Dan Butler, who cut his teeth as a director helming episodes of the television comedy series Frasier, where he was a regular cast member. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

After crashing his ATV and sustaining burns over 40 percent of his body, 16-year-old Adam (James Immekus) suffers heart trouble, seizures and a brain dysfunction--but none of these ailments are connected with his injuries! As House (Hugh Laurie)is wrestling with this medical mystery, he is also plotting sweet revenge against Dr. Philip Weber (Dan Butler) who had ratted him out for cheating way back in med school. House's master scheme is to prove publicly that Weber's revolutionary new migrane therapy is a fraud--by testing it on himself! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though she has decided to leave Seattle for a better job out of town, Roz (Peri Gilpin) begins having second thoughts about bidding farewell to Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) -- especially since he is drawing ever closer to the mercurial Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman). This state of affairs leads to two different showdowns, while a third is in the offing as Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) square off against Daphne's meddlesome mother (Millicent Martin). This was the final episode of Frasier's tenth season. ~ Rovi

Ken Hanes wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his controversial play about a reporter who finds himself torn between the firmly held beliefs of two psychologists. Frank Johnston (Andrew Elvis Miller) is an investigative journalist who is involved in a long-term relationship with Dr. Jonathan Baldwin (Paul Provenza), a psychologist. Both Frank and Jonathan are have an interest in the work of Dr. Arthur Apsey (Dan Butler), another psychologist who has become controversial for his claims that he can "cure" gay men of their homosexual orientation. Jonathan thinks Apsey is a fraud, and Frank thinks there's an exposé
to be written about Apsey, so they come up with a plan: Frank will begin seeing Apsey as a patient, claiming he wants to be wants to be rid for his desires for other men, and Jonathan will use Frank's inside data on Apsey to reveal the flawed thinking behind his techniques. However, Frank soon discovers Apsey is shrewder than he imagined; it doesn't take long for the doctor to figure out what Frank is trying to do, and as he begins to question Frank, he forces the journalist to examine the flaws in his relationship with Jonathan that he's been willing to ignore, as well as poking holes in Frank's assumptions about Apsey's work. Fixing Frank was screened at the 2001 L.A. Outfest, a festival for gay- and lesbian-themed films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

No longer a Frasier regular, Dan Butler makes a "special guest appearance" in his familiar role as KACL radio's gonzo sports guy Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe. Hoping to take a break from her maternal responsibilities, Roz (Peri Gilpin) asks Bulldog to be her nanny for a few days. This turns out to be a major mistake, as Bulldog uses the opportunity to screw up Roz's social life. Elsewhere, the Cranes (Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney) try to face up to their own mortality. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Armistead Maupin calls the three-story wooden house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco "my homestead, my Tara." He began his portrait of Barbary Lane life during the '70s in a daily newspaper serial, expanding the material into a series of six novels. PBS aired the original TV miniseries in 1994, but threats and pressures prompted PBS to drop their plans for a follow-up, leaving an unresolved cliffhanger for four years. Several members of the original PBS cast were reunited for this six-part Showtime sequel (adapted from Maupin's second novel in the series), set in San Francisco of 1977. It picks up the threads of the story six weeks after the point where the PBS miniseries ended. When Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney), hoping for romance, and her cynical gay friend Michael (Paul Hopkins) take a Mexican cruise, Mary Ann meets amnesia victim Burke Andrew (Colin Ferguson) and Michael runs into his former lover, Dr. Jon Fielding (William Campbell). Michael's roommate Mona Ramsey (Nina Siemaszko), in a purple haze of pot and angel dust, answers phones at a Reno brothel owned by Mother Mucca (Jackie Burroughs). Mona learns about her lineage and also about Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis), the former Mr. Madrigal. Rich widow Frannie (Diana LeBlanc) finds a cure for her depression at the rural resort Pinus, where society ladies celebrate their 60th birthdays with youthful houseboys. Beauchamp Day (Thomas Gibson) is married to Frannie's pregnant daughter DeDe (Barbara Garrick), but Beauchamp isn't the father. Locations include San Francisco, Montreal (substituting for some areas of San Francisco), and Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Premiered June 7, 1998 on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The eternally unlucky-in-love Roz (Peri Gilpin) begins dating one of Niles' (David Hyde Pierce) patients. Armed with the knowledge that Roz's new beau is a serial womanizer, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) agonizes over how to break the news to her without violating the standard psychiatrist-patient confidentiality. As a result of Frasier's veiled and somewhat convoluted warnings, Roz leaps to the conclusion that he himself has fallen in love with her. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Milo O'Shea guest stars as Dr. Schachter, a "couples" specialist. During this particular session, the good doctor is counseling a most odd couple indeed -- namely, sibling psychiatrists Frasier and Niles Crane (Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce), whose relationship is in danger of collapsing. In flashbacks, Frasier and Niles woefully recall their foredoomed efforts to save money on office space by opening up a joint practice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

KACL's gonzo sports-show host Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler) asks Roz (Peri Gilpin) to become his producer. Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is convinced that Bulldog is less interested in Roz's talents than in her body and says so in loud, snide, and snotty words. To spite Frasier, Roz decides to accept the job -- even though she knows full well that the libidinous Bulldog yearns to collar her in a dark corner of his doghouse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Evidently having seen Misery once too often, Frasier is convinced that his "number one fan," Kari (Renee Lippin), has begun stalking him. As a result, he fears for his life, especially during the upcoming SeaBee award ceremony. At wit's end, Frasier hires a bodyguard -- who turns out to be a gorgeous woman. As any dyed-in-the-wool Frasier fan will tell you, the identity of the "guest voice" in this week's episode has special significance: This particular actor had been the first choice for the role of Frasier Crane back in the old Cheers days. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An upcoming election causes a rift between Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney) when Frasier, turned off by the platform of Martin's favorite candidate, decides to support the man's opponent, Phil Patterson (Boyd Gaines). At first, Frasier's choice seems to be a model of logic and sanity, but when Patterson begins prattling on about space aliens and extraterrestrial conspiracies, Frasier realizes that he has cast his lot with a looney tune. Unfortuantely, Frasier finds this out just before he is to film an endorsement for the addlepated Patterson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi