Michael Murphy

Whether you view him as one of the great American heroes or a deplorable crusader who savaged one of the West's most mighty Native American tribes, there's no denying that Christopher "Kit" Carson played a crucial role in the development of the United States. In this documentary, director Stephen Ives explores the journey of the Indian Tracker who was immortalized in dozens of bestselling novels. While Carson spent a substantial portion of his life advocating for the Native Americans, history would ultimately dictate that his name be forever associated with the "Long Walk" of the Navajos - a tragic campaign in which thousands of men, women, and children were forced on a 3000 mile journey that survivors branded a death march. Archival materials, detailed recreations, and conversations with prominent authors and historians bring the story of this infamous trapper, scout, and soldier to life while illuminating a crucial but seldom-discussed period in American history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The explosive X-Men motion picture trilogy officially draws to a close with this release that finds Rush Hour director Brett Ratner stepping in for Bryan Singer to tell the tale of a newly discovered mutant "cure," and the polarizing effect it has on mutant/man relations. With the pressure on mutants to give up their powers and pledge alliance with the human race reaching a critical turning point, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) urges tolerance and understanding as his nemesis Magneto (Ian McKellen) gathers a powerful resistance in preparation for the ultimate war against humankind. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and James Marsden return to reprise the roles they played in the previous two X-Men films, with Kelsey Grammer and Vinnie Jones joining the cast as Beast and Juggernaut respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This five-hour ABC miniseries depicts the events leading up to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, through the scope of a handful of intelligence and counter-terrorism officials in the U.S. government. Harvey Keitel plays John O'Neill, the counter-terrorism chief of the FBI whose belief that Osama bin Laden was planning assaults on U.S. soil fell on deaf ears and failed to gain the traction necessary to stop the events. In a tragic twist, O'Neill later went to work at the World Trade Center and was killed on that fateful day. Also starring Donnie Wahlberg and Stephen Root, The Path to 9/11 garnered controversy for its questionable depiction of the Clinton administration's failings related to the threat. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

In the late 1840s San Francisco was little more than a quaint seaside village of 800, and few could have foreseen that remarkable future that fate held in store for sleepy community. Soon after gold was discovered in the American River, however, the rapid growth that followed would alter the course of an entire nation. By early 1854 San Francisco was well on its way to becoming the economic powerhouse that it is today. In this documentary, filmmakers take an informative look back at that crucial era of development with original recreations and rare daguerreotypes that truly transport the viewer back to one of the most vital and transformative eras in American history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Thesps Matt Lucas, Bob Hoskins, Mark Gatiss and Lee Ingleby star in this live-action BBC miniseries adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's beloved novel The Wind in the Willows. The program weaves the familiar tale of Mole, Rat, Badger and the inimitable Mr. Toad, who remain fast friends as they experience exciting adventures involving stolen motorcars, imprisonment, houseboating. gypsies and freewheeling nighttime expeditions. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Childstar concerns an egotistical 12-year-old named Taylor who has skyrocketed to fame at that young age. His relationship with his driver, Rick, takes a turn when Taylor confides in him about the problems of celebrity and the fears of his impending teenage years. When Taylor disappears one day, Rick attempts to find the boy and help him through this troubling period. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Celebrated writer and director John Sayles turns his eye to politics in America in this drama. The son of respected Colorado politician Senator Jud Pilager (Michael Murphy), Dicky Pilager (Chris Cooper) is a charming but half-bright man with a bad habit of mangling the English language and a decided lack of political correctness. Dicky is also in the midst of a hard-fought campaign to become governor of Colorado. Dicky's campaign manager, Chuck Raven (Richard Dreyfuss), is a ruthless sort who will leave no stone unturned to see that his candidate wins, so when Dicky snags a dead body while fishing during the shooting of a campaign commercial, Raven is determined to find out if his man has been set up. Raven hires Danny O'Brien (Danny Huston), a former journalist turned private investigator, to find out who the dead man is and if he might be connected to Pilager's enemies. But the deeper O'Brien digs into the matter, the more he finds out about the candidate and his family -- and very little of it is flattering. John Sayles assembled a typically impressive cast for Silver City, with the supporting cast highlighted by Tim Roth, Kris Kristofferson, Maria Bello, Thora Birch, Daryl Hannah, Billy Zane, and Mary Kay Place. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adapted from an unproduced play by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby, et al.), the made-for-TV Footsteps stars Candice Bergen as Daisy Lowenthal, a best-selling suspense novelist who has recently "killed off" her most popular fictional character -- and who is recovering from a nervous breakdown. Determined to confront and conquer one of her most dreaded phobias, Daisy elects to spend a weekend alone at her isolated beach house, not even permitting her husband Robbie (Michael Murphy) to keep her company. As Daisy sweats out the weekend -- and an ominous storm -- she finds that she is not quite as alone as she thinks. For one, there's that curious young man named Spencer (Bug Hall), Daisy's self-proclaimed number one fan who possesses a disturbingly thorough knowledge of the writer's professional and personal life; for another, there's lawman Eddie Bruno (Bryan Brown), who has apparently been hired to keep tabs on Daisy. There's yet another player in this taut little melodrama...but to give any more away would be unthinkable. Footsteps debuted October 12, 2003, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As America geared itself for another possible armed conflict in Iraq, the HBO cable service offered a dramatization of events surrounding the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Originally telecast on December 8, 2002, Live From Baghdad recounted the efforts by the CNN network to be first on the scene when hostilities broke out in the Gulf in late 1990. Inaugurating round-the-clock coverage of the warfare with the invasion of Kuwait, dauntless CNN producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), aided and abetted by on-the-scene reporters Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom), Peter Arnett (Bruce McGill), and John Holliman (John Carroll Lynch), among many others, represented the only American news service on the scene during the first night of bombing on January 16, 1991. Not only does Live From Baghdad celebrate the heroism (and meticulous fairness) of the CNN crew, but it also vividly demonstrates how a tiny but tenacious basic cable channel managed to out-scoop the Big Three networks, thereby becoming one of the most powerful and influential journalistic forces in the world. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cat Storm (Dominique Swain) is a bored high school girl in New York City who follows her petulant, rich friends from one coming-of-age adventure to another. They experiment with cruelty, rudeness, brazenness, and idiocy before moving onto sex and drugs. Cat's best friend, Delilah (Bijou Phillips), is kicked out of school for using cocaine (her father's), forcing Cat to become best friends with Grace (Mischa Barton), who guides her into the arms of William (Brad Renfro), the boy Cat's had a crush on for some time. Eventually they all wind up at a luxurious country estate for a weekend of drugs, passion, and, inevitably, gruesome murder. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Part three of the acclaimed PBS series explores the golden age of Irish-Americans living in America as immigrants, with children who begin to make their first indelible marks upon American society. Included are brief profiles of such figures as Al Smith and Ned Harrigan. Also covered is the rise of the first Irish political machine, Tammany Hall, which proved both a blessing and a curse for the Irish in America. Serious in tone and well documented, this tape is appropriate for use in the college classroom. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide