Edward James Olmos Movies
Though most easily recognized as a respected actor of stage, screen, and television, Edward James Olmos is also a distinguished humanitarian who spends considerable time and money supporting various causes and charitable organizations in his native Los Angeles. Born the son of an immigrant and a Mexican-American mother, Olmos was raised in an ethnically diverse area of East Los Angeles. Although he was placed in his mother's custody at age seven following his parents' divorce, Olmos kept in close contact with his father. In his teens, Olmos was a rock musician and with his close friend Rusty Johnson formed the Pacific Ocean, a popular group at Sunset Strip area clubs during the late '60s. It was Johnson who suggested Olmos, who by his own admission was not much of a singer, that he try acting.Olmos spent nine years trying to establish himself as an actor, making his film debut (billing himself as Eddie Olmos) as an extra in Aloha, Bobby and Rose in 1975. Prior to that, Olmos had worked as a bit player and extra in several early '70s television shows ranging from Medical Center to Hawaii Five-O. In 1979, he made a splash on Broadway playing Pachuco in Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit. The play was originally staged in L.A. and represented the first time in which Olmos was paid to act on-stage. During the show's New York run, Olmos earned a Tony Nomination and a Drama Critics Circle Award. In 1982, Olmos reprised the role in Valdez's film version. Early in his film career, Olmos showed a preference for socially conscious films and after his first screen appearance played a leading role in Robert M. Young's Alambrista (1977). In 1982, he played a creepy police detective in Blade Runner. That year, Olmos and Robert M. Young co-founded YOY productions to make socially conscious films such as their first joint effort The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982). Olmos became a star when he played the super-pragmatic Lieutenant Castillo on the hip police drama Miami Vice (1984-1989) and in 1985 won an Emmy for his efforts. He earned an Oscar nomination for his inspirational performance as a determined teacher who helps a troubled group of urban kids excel in math and science in Stand and Deliver (1986). Though his film career was sporadic during the '80s and '90s, Olmos continued to show up regularly in television movies. He made his feature film directorial bow in 1992 with the powerful American Me, a grim look at a reformed gangster's attempts to stay away from the violent, criminal ways of his old cohorts. Other notable 1990s efforts include the 1994 miniseries Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills and Gregory Nava's beautiful My Family/Mi Familia (1995).
Olmos' humanitarian activities include acting as a United States Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, being the national spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, serving a place on the boards of the Miami and Los Angeles Children's Hospitals, serving as the executive director of the Hazard Education Project, and contributing to the foundation for the Advancement of Silence and Education. For his many good works, Olmos has received Honorary Doctorates from five educational institutions including the University of Colorado, California State University at Fresno, and the American Film Institute in Hollywood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this series of films, the legends and mysteries that surround certain regions are investigated, with an emphasis on the spiritual beliefs of their residents. The programs explore the influences of these beliefs on the daily lives of the people, and how the mystique draws visitors from other parts of the world. The Burmese practice of Theravada Buddhism is explored, as actor/host Edward James Olmos goes to the monasteries of Sagaing and Mandalay and visits Schwedagon Pagoda and the ruins at Bagan. Emmy award-winning photographer Chip Duncan provides footage of the scenic wonders. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1996
While a serial killer continues to taunt and terrorize San Francisco residents, police detective Jon Lucca (Edward James Olmos) doggedly follows his tracks. Unlike other members of the department, Lucca does not believe the main suspect -- who was shot over a decade ago in a police gun battle -- was the guilty person. Still, Lucca firmly believes in the justice system and refuses to launch his own investigation, preferring instead to wait cat-like for the killer to make a mistake. The trouble is, the concentration required becomes obsession. As time passes, the obsession slowly erodes his sanity. Originally aired on cable, this taut psychological thriller ranks as one of the better entries in the genre. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Author Larry McMurtry revisits Gus and Woodrow, the aging lawmen from his bestselling Western novel Lonesome Dove, in their early days as young men determined to make a name for themselves as Texas Rangers in this made-for-TV prequel. Gus (David Arquette) and Woodrow (Jonny Lee Miller) join up with a ragtag band of Rangers determined to take Santa Fe away from Mexico, but they soon find they've walked into a dangerous but forbidding territory of populated by hostile Indians and dangerous opportunists. Dead Man's Walk also features Brian Dennehy, F. Murray Abraham, Keith Carradine, and Edward James Olmos. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The Anasazi were the ancestors of the Pueblo tribe of native Americans, and in Mystic Lands: Anasazi -- The Ancient Ones, their culture and history is examined. This installment is part of a series describing the spiritual significance of various cultures, and details their stories and daily lives. Edward James Olmos provides narration, and the original soundtrack is performed by Chris Spheeris. Sites significant to the Anasazi are visited, and they include Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, and Hovenweep. The videos are also available in a classroom edition. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Locations that are considered sacred by certain cultures are the subject of the Mystic Lands series of programs. Edward James Olmos hosts this look at the island of Bali, home to practitioners of the Hindu faith and other spiritual persuasions. Mystic Lands: Bali offers an exploration of the Besakih Temple, the city of Denspar, and the Batur volcano. Some residents of the island participate in cremation rituals in the event of a death, and these customs are discussed. Photography for the series is provided by Emmy award-winner Chip Duncan. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The residents of Bhutan believe that gods dating back to ancient times still exert an influence over their lives. Actor and host Edward James Olmos visits the kingdom tucked into the eastern Himalayas, and offers an insightful glimpse into the forces that drive the beliefs of the people who live in this isolated land. Tantric Buddhism is the primary religion, as it has been since the 7th century, and the Bhutanese regard all forms of life as sacred. Olmos attends the Paro Valley Teschu Festival, and travels to a pre-fire Tiger's Nest, Thimpu, and Punakha. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This documentary chronicles the travails of six Southern California state prison inmates as they endure grueling vocational training to become deep-sea salvage experts. The unique 10-month program has been effect in the Chino Institution for Men since 1970. These inmates originally were part of 65 fellow students; by the course's end, only 11 inmates can make the final cut. Two of the six, have successfully completed the training and function as teacher's aides. The course is more rigorous than Army boot-camp. In addition to brutal calisthenics, the trainees must endure 30-minutes in a water tank wearing a blacked out helmet. But the program is more than physical training; the students must also become intimate with underwater physics, medicine, and the maintenance of complex equipment followed by an all-day final exam. What is most fascinating is that many of those who succeeded, entered the program with almost no literacy skills--some of them were even unable to swim. Upon their release from prison, these divers have a much-needed skill and can easily find high-paying jobs. Typically, they find work repairing oil rigs. They also come out with a renewed sense of self-worth. Only 5% of the Chino graduates are reincarcerated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Featuring Jennifer Lopez in her first major big-screen role, Gregory Nava's My Family traces three generations of the Sanchez's, a Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles. Beginning in the 1930s, the film outlines the struggles faced by Jose (Jacob Vargas) and Maria (Lopez) as a recently immigrated married couple raising a family. As Jose and Maria age, the focus shifts to their son, Jimmy (Jimmy Smits), as he starts his own family in the 1960s. While Lopez' role was uncredited, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance. My Family has also been released under the titles My Family, Mi Familia, Cafe Con Leche, and East L.A. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
This unintentionally campy suspense thriller takes a large part of its plot from Hitchcock's Vertigo. Matteo Juarez, a former policeman in Palm Springs, has been emotionally devastated by his accidental death of a female hostage he was trying to save. Donald Gale, a wealthy capitalist and environmentalist, is determined to save California's unique Salton Sea. He hires Juarez to protect his mysterious wife. Jennifer is not all she seems. Juarez, who tails her, is surprised to find her working secretly as a blond wigged stripper. After saving her two times, Juarez falls in love with her. After she is brutally murdered, Juarez again sinks into depression, alcoholism, and self-blame. Things turn around when he encounters a waitress who appears identical to Jennifer. She says she is a recent Irish immigrant, but Juarez doesn't believe her and sets off to solve the mystery once and for all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
We'd rather not rehash the sordied Menendez murder case in this space; besides, it isn't necessary, inasmuch as no fewer than two TV movies were produced on the subject in 1994. The first was Fox's Honor Thy Father and Mother; the second, telecast less than a month later, was Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills. Two hours longer than the first film, Menendez spends half of its running time recounting the events leading up to the Menendez brothers' murder of the parents, while the second half devotes itself to their overpublicized trial. Lyle and Eric Menendez are played, respectively, by Damian Chapa and Travis Fine. Edward James Olmos and Beverly D'Angelo costar as the ill-fated parents, while Margaret Whitton is cast as attorney Leslie Abramson. Once past the most lurid aspects of the case-notably the Menendez boys' insistence that their crime was motivated by extreme parental abuse-this 4-hour wallow gets pretty tiresome. Menendez was originally telecast in two parts, on May 22 and 23, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, Beverly D'Angelo, (more)
This comedy, set in the barrios East L.A. is loosely based upon Mark Twain's parable The Million Pound Bank Note. The new version tells the tale of Juan Lopez a nice, but uneducated hombre trying to earn enough money to support his little boy. Though Juan was born in the States, he lacks proper documentation and is sent back to Mexico. Now he sells oranges at an intersection. His life looks hopeless when a limousine pulls up and he is handed an envelope containing a check for one million dollars. He is told that he has one month. If he uses the money correctly he will get an award. Juan is suspicious and takes it to his immigration worker who encourages him to check it out. A Beverly Hills banker almost has apoplexy upon examining the check and Juan knows he has the real thing. Now the good-hearted Juan must avoid the temptations, and the greedy people that suddenly surround him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rodriguez, Polly Draper, (more)
- 1994
This highly acclaimed made-for-cable movie tells the real-life story of one man's battle to save his land. Raul Julia stars as Chico Mendes, the Brazilian union leader who rallied his people to rise up and fight the exploitation of the rainforest. Mendes called on the locals to protest land developers building a road through the Amazon in an effort to make it more accessible for business. Julia is outstanding in his portrayal of the impassioned worker, who was subsequently assassinated in 1990. Nominated for many awards, the film took the Golden Globe for "Best Mini-series for TV" and several Emmy awards. Raul Julia won the Golden Globe and the Emmy for his inspiring lead performance. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
Milcha Sanchez-Scott adapted her own play for this moving and poetic tale of family obsessions directed by Robert M. Young. Edward James Olmos stars as Gallo, the macho head of the Morales family. He has been in prison for the last seven years for murdering a man over a cockfight, but now he is returning home to his family -- his wife Juana (Sonia Braga) and his sister-in-law Chata (Maria Conchita Alonso). Also awaiting his homecoming are his two children -- Hector (Danny Nucci), who is embittered by his father's imprisonment, and Angela (Sarah Lassez), who eagerly looks forward to his return. Gallo, however, has his own agenda upon returning home. Consumed by his passion for cockfighting all his years in prison, he wants to begin to raise a new prize flock of roosters -- and he won't let anyone or anything stand in his way. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, Sonia Braga, (more)
- 1993
Edward James Olmos was directing American Me, a movie about gang violence in his real-life old neighborhood in east Los Angeles, and he also produced and narrated this documentary. In order to produce either movie on location, complex negotiations with the many rival gang factions were required. Here, residents and gang members of all kinds are interviewed about their lives, their plans, the future they see for themselves and their relatives, etc. None of those interviewed pulls any punches. Similarly complex negotiations enabled the documentarians to interview gang members serving time in Folsom Prison. The cumulative effect of these images and interviews may be more powerful than Olmos' feature movie, or even the classic cautionary documentary about juvenile crime, Scared Straight. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Edward J. Olmos made his directorial bow with the powerhouse crime saga American Me. Olmos stars as street-gang leader Santana, who during his 18 years in Folsom Prison rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits. The omniprescene of the "Mexican Mafia" in the southwest is sufficient to make this film a daunting, demoralizing experience. Upon its release, American Me received a lot of press play due to the fact that Olmos shot his Folsom sequences on location, using actual prisoners as extras and bit players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, William Forsythe, (more)
- 1992
Done in a documentary form, this is really a biography of Maria Serrano, one of the guerrilla forces in the civil strife in El Salvador. Opening in 1988, this film follows Maria; her husband, Jose; and their family and comrades through the horror that has become a way of life to them -- living and dying together in the belief that their cause is worth any sacrifice. Although she only started out as the guide for the filmmakers in their effort to portray the strife in war-torn El Salvadore, her sacrifices and hardships so inspired them that they made their movie into her story, feeling that she embodied the spirit and belief system they were trying to capture with their film. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
Sammy Bodean is the newest, most promising recruit according to the advertisement of the California Angels--and has to prove it come game time. Following the team's sale to young business whiz Gil Lawrence (Terry Kinney), ex-player Virgil Sweet (Edward James Olmos) has to prove himself as the team's talent scout to keep his job. Via a car break-down near a small farm-town in Idaho, Virgil stumbles across young Sammy Bodean (Jeff Corbett) who performs mean pitching skills in a rural sandlot. After bringing Sammy to LA where he pitches out the team's best, owner Gil begins a massive media campaign in which he appears in a press conference and not only brags of the boy's talent but of his intention to feature him--without warm-up or orientation--in the big game the following week. Virgil, though promoted to assistant manager, is upset at Gil's exploitative measures to save the slagging Angels at the expense of Sammy. Game day arrives and the pressure is on to keep the other team swinging, which causes young Sammy to choke. Or not. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
- 1990
A cast of celebrities gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. It is an entertaining special that points out the crisis state of our planet's environment. It provides scientific facts and detailed analysis. The show provides ways in which everyone can participate in saving the planet. There are ways we can do this everyday with the choices we make. It strives to make us all take responsibility for the condition of the environment. The cast entertains and teaches through comedy, singing, and storytelling. The Earth Day Special is an entertaining motivational tool that encourages everyone to do their part in saving the earth. ~ Beth Deki, All Movie Guide
Triumph of the Spirit is the true story of Salamo Arouch, a Greek-Jewish boxer imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. Arrested while attempting to help his family and friends escape the Nazi juggernaut, Arouch (Dafoe) is slated for extermination. He manages to survive--and to serve as an inspiration for his fellow inmates--by literally boxing for his life. He does this at the orders of his SS captors, who gamble on the outcome of Arouch's bouts. With each victory, Arouch is rewarded with extra bread rations, which he passes on to his family. Counterpointing the main story is the seemingly foredoomed romantic relationship between Arouch and female inmate Allegra (Wendy Gazelle). An uplifting coda rounds out this grim factual account. Triumph of the Spirit was filmed on location at Auschwitz--the first film of its kind to be lensed in that infamous locale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Edward James Olmos, (more)
Edward James Olmos portrays the real-life Jaime Escalante, a no-nonsense mathematic teacher in a tough East LA high school. Handed a classroom full of "losers" and "unteachables," Escalante is determined to turn his young charges' lives around. Drawing from his own cultural heritage, Escalante forms a bond with his largely Hispanic student body, evoking the names of famous Spaniards and Latin Americans whose great accomplishments were predicated on their ability to learn. The students gradually come to realize that the only way they'll escape their own poverty-stricken barrio is to improve themselves intellectually. As a result, the class' academic achievements soar dramatically -- too dramatically for the Educational Testing Service, which is convinced that the class' high test scores are the results of cheating. The triumphant exoneration of Escalante's students provides Stand and Deliver with its rousingly upbeat conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
The fifth and final season of the ultrahip crime series Miami Vice opens with a 2-parter resolving the incredible cliffhanger from Season Four. A blow on the head had caused Dade County vice cop Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) to assume the identity of his undercover alter ego Sonny Burnett, and while in this "role" he foments a deadly turf war between two crime families. Though Crockett's memory will return, his partner Det. Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) worries that Sonny has passed the point of no return--and may have to be destroyed! This of course doesn't happen, and a few episodes later it's business as usual for the two cops. However, there are more personal crises in the offing for both Sonny and Tubbs--especially the latter when, while undercover, he falls in love with the widow of a murdered drug lord. The series' trademarked utilization of offbeat guest stars has fallen off a bit this season, with the supporting players cast along more traditional lines. A noteworthy exception is the young John Leguizamo, who, after making an indelible impression during the first few seasons as the chief "wiseguy" in the vicious Calderone crime clan, re-emerges in an entirely different role in the fifth-season episode "Victim of Circumstance" Highlights this year include the two-part episode "Freefall", in which Crockett and Tubbs virtually sign their own death warrants when they agree to protect the brutal dictator of "Costa Morada" (played with a florid Latino accent by Ian McShane!). And in "World of Trouble" the detectives are confronted with a ghost from the past as mob boss Al Lombard (Dennis Farina), presumed killed in the series' first-season finale, suddenly pops up as if nothing had happened. The series officially ends it run with Episode #110, "Leap of Faith", featuring Laura San Giacomo. There was, however, still one episode in the hopper. "Too Much Too Late" was never seen during Miami Vice's NBC run, but instead made its debut over cable's USA network on January 25, 1990, six months after the series' over-the-air cancellation. This poignant episode reunites Tubbs with his former love Valerie Gordon (Pam Grier), who unfortunately must keep Tubbs at arm's length as she protects an old friend from a homicidal drug dealer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, (more)
Season Four of Miami Vice marks the first of several appearances by singer Sheena Easton in the role of recording star Caitlin Davies, with whom Dade County undercover vice cop Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) falls in love in the episode "Like a Hurricane"--and to whom he is abruptly wed in the very next episode "Rising Sun of Death." This star-crossed romance inaugurates a story thread that will eventually build to the 2-part season finale, in which an amnesiac Sonny part of an ongoing story thread that will build up to the 2-part season finale, in which an an amnesiac Sonny believes himself to be his undercover alter-ego, a drug kingpin named Sonny Burnett, and accordingly ties up with a Colombian crime boss! No, the scripters did not forget costar Philip Michael Thomas as Crockett's partner Ricardo Tubbs, even though it would be Don Johnson who commanded much of the audience's attention this season. As usual, one of the key selling points of Miami Vice (besides its hip dialogue, MTV-style editing and wall-to-wall background music) is the series' intelligent and offbeat utilization of guest stars. Examples include comedian Ben Stiller and character actor Brian Dennehy in "Amen. . .Send Money"; Miguel Ferrer, Penelope Ann Miller and a pre-CSI Paul Guilfoyle in "Death and the Lady"; the versatile Alfred Molina in "The Big Thaw"; up-and-coming Ving Rhames and soul-music icon Isaac Hayes in "Child's Play"; hard-working James Brown and brash youngster Chris Rock in "Missing Hours"; and the multitalented Harry Shearer in (and we're not making this up) "The Cows of October". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, (more)
- 1986
- PG
This is an Italian comedy about a runaway, incognito Pope who makes his way to a village for a temporary stay and tries to bring a few good works to fruition while there. After Pope Leo XIV gets locked out of the Vatican garden one day, he opts for taking off on a small escape from official and bureaucratic burdens. Since he is not in his robes, who's to know? He heads for a remote village in the south of Italy that has no priest. He finds shelter with a former hooker and her mute daughter and then sets to work overcoming the local thugs and repairing a broken aqueduct. Meanwhile, back at the Vatican, the Cardinals are wringing their hands, trying to hide the fact that His Holiness has taken a powder. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conti, Fernando Rey, (more)
