Brian Reilly Movies
Fresh out of prison and eager to start a new life, ambitious ex-con Tommy (Tim Allen) plots to revive the family business and rekindle the romance with his ex-flame, only to discover that life as a free man can be even tougher than life on the inside. In order to get back on his feet, Tommy moves in with his extended family, including his sister, Viki (Sigourney Weaver), a compulsive liar, and her husband, Ed (J.K. Simmons), a weatherworn cynic. Thanks to Viki, Tommy's grandmother thinks he's been in France the last few years. Now, as Tommy scrambles to get his life back together, his no-nonsense probation officer, Angela (Jeanne Tripplehorn), tracks his every move. Informed by his sister that his former girlfriend Christy (Julie Bowen) perished in a freak accident, Tommy goes to work flipping patties at Pirate Burger. Then, one day, Christy walks into the restaurant and it's like they were never apart -- aside from the fact that she's now engaged to marry Frank (Kelsey Grammer). Meanwhile, as Tommy's criminally inclined pal Gray (Ray Liotta) attempts to lure him back into a life of petty thievery, the confused ex-con begins to feel like he's falling for his probation officer. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Ray Liotta, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
A complacent, middle-aged ear, nose, and throat doctor attempts to win back his wayward wife with a little help from their college-bound son in this romantic comedy from writer/director Barra Grant (Glory Days, Life of the Party). Dr. Ben Bingham (Richard E. Grant) has everything a man his age could want in life -- a good job, a gorgeous home, and a beautiful wife -- yet, as a result of being so content, he's lost his passion for living. His wife, Amanda (Carrie-Anne Moss), on the other hand, is excited to start a new phase in her life once their teenage son, Justin (Johnny Pacar), leaves for college. Unfortunately, she sees Ben as dead weight, and decides to walk out on the marriage before he drags her down, too. With Amanda gone, Ben sinks into a deep depression, slipping into his pajamas for weeks on end and numbing his sorrows in gallons of booze. Disturbed by his father's increasingly morose behavior, Justin give his dad a makeover and encourages him to go out on the town. Before long, every single woman has her eyes on Ben. But there's only one woman he wants, and in order to get her back he'll have to convince her that he has a new outlook on life. When teenage player Justin falls hard for a virtuous Russian ballerina, Ben returns the favor by schooling him in the fine art of romance. In the process, Ben realizes just what Amanda means to him, and vows to do whatever it takes to win her back. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard E. Grant, Carrie-Anne Moss, (more)
High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale headlines this coming of age comedy about an unpopular high school senior who lands a date with the most popular boy in school, only to find herself grounded on day of the big event. Mandy Gilbert (Tisdale) never ran with the "in" crowd, but the biggest party of the year is coming up and she needs to land a date as soon as possible. Much to Mandy's surprise, high school hunk Drew (Robbie Amell) agrees to accompany her to the big event. But just when it seemed like everything was going to work out in the end, Mandy is placed under detention by her overprotective dad. Perhaps with a little help from her resourceful friends and her handy new video phone Mandy will be able to trick her father, outsmart Drew's jealous ex-girlfriend, and finally prove that she has what it takes to become the most popular girl in school. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Amell, (more)
- 2006
- G
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Tim Allen returns as a regular guy-turned-Jolly Old Elf in the second sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who doubles as Santa Claus, has settled into his home at the North Pole with his new wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell), and is preparing for another Christmas when he receives a visitor -- Jack Frost (Martin Short), the cold-weather sprite who has been sent to help out St. Nick by Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler) and Father Time (Peter Boyle) after making a scene at a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. However, while Jack is supposed to acting as an assistant to Santa, he has a habit of making things go haywire, and as it happens this is no mistake -- Jack is hoping that an exasperated Santa will quit his position so Jack can take over and finally have a holiday he can bend to his will. Meanwhile, Scott has invited Carol's parents, Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret), over for a long-promised visit, but since he needs to keep his other identity a secret, he and his elves are forced to go to great lengths to convince them that they're actually in Northern Canada. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and Spencer Breslin also reprise their roles from the first two Santa Clause films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
A former high-school track star who has taken to staving off reality with the all-too-occasional cocktail must summon the strength to save his marriage and pull back from the abyss when his friends and family stage an intervention that goes horribly awry. Michael Elgin (Eion Bailey) may have been a master of the track back in high school, but now he's hit his thirties and his once-perfect form has devolved into a depressing drunken stumble. Life after high school just wasn't what he expected, and when his wife (Ellen Pompeo) threatens to walk out while his career hangs by a thread Michael simply drinks away the pain. Michael isn't alone in life though, and when he crashes his best friend's car and emerges miraculously unscathed the people who care for him most plan an emergency intervention. When Michael arrives home one day to find his friends and family waiting for him it appears as if the jig is up, but the psychiatrist who was supposed to lead the intervention proves a no-show and crafty Michael skillfully convinces his guests to stay and party. Some things just aren't a laughing matter though, and as tensions flare and bottled-up secrets spill Michael finally begins to realize just how dire his situation has truly become. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eion Bailey, Ellen Pompeo, (more)
Two marriages and four lives are brought to a crossroads by infidelity in this drama, based on a pair of short stories by author Andre Dubus. Jack (Mark Ruffalo) is a college professor whose marriage to Terry (Laura Dern) has been going through a rough patch. Beyond the tensions over Terry's failings as a mother and housekeeper, Jack is deeply infatuated with Edith (Naomi Watts), the beautiful wife of his best friend, Hank (Peter Krause), a fellow professor and struggling poet. As it happens, Edith is also attracted to Jack, and they soon begin an affair that Edith is certain will soon be found out. Hank, meanwhile, is a man with a flexible attitude about his own fidelity, and he falls into a relationship with Terry. Before long, all four parties learn about the infidelity of their spouses and friends, with differing reactions; Terry becomes desperate to save her marriage, Jack decides he's in love with Edith, but neither couple is willing to divorce. We Don't Live Here Anymore received its world premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where it was honored with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, (more)
Eight years after getting a crash course in the fine art of personifying Christmas, Tim Allen returns as Kris Kringle's replacement in this sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. While Scott Calvin (Allen) initially had mixed feelings when he became the new Santa Claus, after eight years on the job he's come to enjoy being Father Christmas, and he and the Elves are looking forward to another holiday season when things begin going a bit wrong. Scott finds he's becoming less and less "Santa-like," and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) has become difficult enough to land on the official "Naughty" list. Scott discovers most of his problems stem from an obscure passage in his contract with the North Pole which decrees that he has to find a Mrs. Claus. Scott has little choice but to start dating, but he soon learns that when you're a big guy from the North Pole who lacks conventional employment, single women do not come running. In order to leave him more time to search for a wife, Scott and the Elves create a duplicate Santa to keep an eye on the shop; however, the "other" Santa turns out to be more Naughty than Nice, and in time Scott has to wrestle control of the North Pole away from his doppelganger. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and David Krumholtz also reprise their roles from The Santa Clause. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
Following their television series Home Improvement and the features The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), the actor/director team of Tim Allen and John Pasquin collaborate once again on this high-concept comedy. Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a nice guy video specialist for a Minneapolis pharmaceutical company who's plodding through both his thankless job and an unhappy divorce from his ex-wife Callie (Kelly Lynch). When Joe brings his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere) to the office with him on Take Our Kids to Work Day, he's humiliated in a spat with company bully Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) over a parking space. It's the last straw for the mild-mannered Joe, who challenges McKinney to a rematch, hires a has-been action movie star (Jim Belushi) to instruct him in martial arts, and pays a stylist to make over his wardrobe and hair. As Joe's image improves and the big day approaches, he finds his new self-respecting stance has positive effects in both the workplace, as he lands a long-overdue promotion, and in his romantic life, as both Callie and a cute "wellness coordinator" (Julie Bowen) start warming up to him. The levelheaded Natalie, however, seems to prefer the previously non-confrontational dad she already loved. Joe Somebody (2001) is the feature debut of screenwriter John Scott Shepherd, who actually worked as a corporate filmmaker in Minneapolis. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, (more)
A man finds the son he never knew he had, and a boy discovers a city he never knew existed, in this comedy. Michael Cromwell (Tim Allen) is a commodities broker who deals in coffee beans; while on a trip to Brazil, Michael is abandoned by his wife, Patricia (JoBeth Williams), an anthropologist who decides to stay behind to study the indigenous tribespeople of the area. Fourteen years later, Michael has decided to marry his new girlfriend, Charlotte (Lolita Davidovich), but since he never formally divorced Patricia, he must go to Brazil, find her, and get her to sign a divorce agreement. Once he arrives, he discovers that there's a bit of a complication -- Patricia was pregnant at the time she left Michael, and she is now the mother of a 13-year-old son, Mimi-Siku (Sam Huntington). Mimi-Siku is about to undergo the manhood rituals of the tribe that adopted Patricia and himself, and when the leader discovers that the boy's father has arrived, he insists that Mimi-Siku should return to the "Stone Island" of Manhattan to get to know his dad. Arriving in New York City with a loincloth and a blowgun, Mimi-Siku has a lot to learn about living in contemporary America. Charlotte is not too happy about discovering that she's about to be a stepmother, while Richard (Martin Short), Michael's business partner, wishes the boy wouldn't eat the tropical fish from his aquarium. Jungle 2 Jungle is an Americanized remake of the French comedy Un Indien Dans la Ville. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Martin Short, (more)
A psychiatrist treats a most unusual patient, only to find that the doctor is the one who gains the most from their sessions in this philosophical romantic comedy. A young man in a mask and cape (played by Johnny Depp) is standing atop a billboard, threatening to jump. When the potential suicide is finally talked down, he's brought to a psychiatric facility where after one doctor washes his hands of the case, he's placed under the supervision of Dr. Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando), an aging psychiatrist soon to retire. The patient informs Mickler that he is actually the great lover Don Juan, who has seduced over 1,500 women, but has fallen into a deep depression after being unable to win the hand of the woman of his dreams. Mickler has ten days to work with "Don Juan," after which he will either be released on medication or committed to a long-term stay in a mental hospital. As Mickler talks with the young man, who speaks rapturously of the art of love, the doctor finds that his philosophies are helping to kick start his failing relationship with his wife (Faye Dunaway), and he slowly becomes convinced that his patient might really be Don Juan after all. Don Juan DeMarco's theme song, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," became a major hit for singer and songwriter Bryan Adams; after working with Marlon Brando on this film, Johnny Depp cast the legendary actor in a key supporting role in his directorial debut, The Brave. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, (more)
The unbreakable bond forged between a troubled boy and a gorilla forms the basis of this family-oriented children's adventure. Fourteen-year old Rick has become quite rebellious since his father abandoned them. Margaret Heller, his mother, is a behavioral scientist who studies communication with gorillas. She is finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with the sullen, isolated Rick. The story opens just as Rick, who had stolen his mother's van for a joyride, is released from jail. To punish him, Margaret forces him to clean out the animal research lab. Rick is especially loathe to clean out the gorilla cage. In that cage is a gorilla adept at sign language, Katie, whom Rick immediately despises. In time, he and Katie begin conversing, and the two become friends. But then Katie's legal owner, the cruel Gus Charnley, reclaims her and forces her to perform caged up in a carnival act. The degradation of his friend is more than Rick can handle, so he frees her and together they hit the road. Mayhem and adventure ensues until the two end up in court where Katie makes a touching plea on their behalf. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wil Horneff, Helen Shaver, (more)
Television sitcom star Tim Allen made his big screen debut with this light, family-friendly holiday comedy. Allen stars as Scott Calvin, the divorced dad of Charlie (Eric Lloyd). Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) and Charlie's psychiatrist stepfather Neal (Judge Reinhold) have informed his son that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside, where Scott startles the intruder, who tumbles from the roof. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of a legal technicality known as "the Santa clause," Scott inherits the jolly old elf's job. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) -- who is the one who really runs the North Pole -- while Charlie regains his Christmas spirit. However, Neal becomes concerned about Scott's sudden change in appearance and insistence that he's Santa, and he forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Director John Pasquin previously directed Allen in the TV series Home Improvement and would team with him again for Jungle 2 Jungle (1997). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, (more)
- 1991
- PG13
- Add Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead to Queue Add Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead to top of Queue
Christina Applegate stars in this convoluted comedy that comes across as a teen fantasy combination of Home Alone and Working Girl. The premise is all in the title -- when the mother (Concetta Tomei) of a sniveling group of surly kids goes on a much-deserved summer vacation, she leaves her kids under the charge of an elderly distaff granny (Eda Reiss Merin). When granny ups and dies, the kids load her dead body in a trunk and deposit the package on the steps of the local funeral home. The kids are ecstatic thinking that with the big wad of cash Mom has left, they can have a summer of consumer madness. But when they find out that the money has been buried with the baby-sitter, the kids have to fend for themselves to make ends meet. Dream teen Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) tries working at a fast food restaurant but she can't stand the grease. So, she puts together a false resume and, posing as a twenty-eight-year old, she applies for a job as a receptionist at a garment manufacturing company. The company vice president, Rose (Joanna Cassidy), is so impressed by her resume that she hires her on the spot as her executive assistant. Her deception looks to be working out great -- Sue Ellen manages to hold off the office lady killer Gus (John Getz), avoids exposure by the embittered receptionist, borrows money from the company's petty cash box for household incidentals, and continues her relationship with restaurant employee Bryan (Josh Charles). But suddenly, the clothing firm is set to go under, and Sue Ellen must use her teen fashion sense to save the company and her job . . . and she has to get the rest of the brood involved. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, (more)
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