Robin Schiff Movies
- 2006
Heather Graham starred in this ABC sitcom as Emily Sanders, a successful young businesswoman engaged in the business of publishing self-help books. In order to keep her friends, her values, and her head on straight, Emily rigidly adhered to her own inner set of "Reasons" why to do certain things, and why not to do certain others (for example, she maintained five reasons why or why not to date a guy). Alas, our heroine's self-imposed guidelines flew out the window when she fell in love with a philandering author, forcing her to do some serious mental retrenching to get herself back on track. Helping Emily get back on her emotional feet were her cynical best female friend Reilly (Nadia Dajani) and her gay best male friend/severest critic Josh (Khary Payton). Created by former TV publicist Carrie Gerlach, Emily's Reasons Why Not was dismissed by several critics as a PG-rated Sex and the City (complete with voiceover narration), with undertones of Ally McBeal, notably in the characterization of Emily's former assistant and bête-noire Glitter Cho (Smith Cho), a bitch-on-wheels whose entrances were accompanied by the musical theme from Jaws (similar to the Wicked Witch of the West music heard whenever Ally McBeal's Lucy Liu stormed into view). After innumerable production-personnel changes, Emily's Reasons Why Not premiered January 9, 2006, as a companion piece to ABC's recently revitalized Jake in Progress. Although six episodes were filmed before the debut date, Emily's Reasons Why Not was cancelled after only one telecast, having been pummeled in the ratings by rival series Two and a Half Men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heather Graham, Nadia Dajani, (more)
- 2004
This made-for-cable prequel to the popular 1997 comedy film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion was written by the same person who penned the original film, and stars Katherine Heigl and Alex Breckenridge respectively as Romy White and Michele Weinberger, the roles originated by Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino. Set in the decade before High School Reunion, Romy and Michele: In the Beginning finds our fresh-out-of-high-school heroines scrimping and saving to escape their hometown of Tucson, Arizona and land with both feet in Hollywood. It takes several years, but Romy and Michele finally arrive in La-La-Land, where in emulation of their favorite movie Pretty Woman they naively try to secure work as hookers! Fortunately they are rescued before "the worst" can happen by their new friend Donna (Alexandra Billings), who despite "her" name and appearance is actually a man in the process of becoming a woman. About to go on vacation, Donna allows the girls to live in his posh apartment, where they begin formulating their next scheme to get ahead in Tinseltown: namely, to gain access to the Ozone, the coolest nightclub in town. Along the way, the ladies meets their stud-muffin next door neighbor Taylor Bradley (Scott Vickaryous)--who, because of their association with Donna, assumes that Romy and Michele are female impersonators--and must contend with the velvety viciousness of nasty socialite Linda Fashiobella (Kelly Brook). Oh, and Paula Abdul shows up too. Romy and Michele: In the Beginning was first telecast by the ABC Family channel on May 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
An all-grown-up Alicia Silverstone starred on this lightweight NBC comedy drama series as attorney Kate Fox. A divorce lawyer by day, Kate moonlighted as a matchmaker, finding suitable mates for her recently broken-up clients. Sometimes, Kate's good intentions were nullified by the disastrous results of her Cupidity, but generally things turned out okay. Also in the cast was Ryan O'Neal as Kate's boss -- and father -- ruthless attorney Jerry Fox, and David Conrad as Michael Mendelsohn, who could have been Kate's own Mister Right had she been savvy enough to realize it. Miss Match first aired on September 26, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Silverstone, Ryan O'Neal, (more)
Darren Star, the creator and principle writer behind such series as Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, and Sex and the City, offers a satiric look at his own medium in this situation comedy that offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the production of a youth-oriented prime-time soap opera. Hunter Fallow (Irene Molloy), the show's leading lady, is queen of the set and will go to any lengths to keep it that way, while Quentin King (Kohl Sudduth), her male counterpart, is a bit paranoid about his advancing age and the state of his hairline. William Ragsdale and Joely Fisher play Rob Fields and Hope Lustig, the show's producers, who have to keep their ego-driven cast happy while cranking out a show once a week. Grosse Pointe debuted on the WB network on September 22, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle Howard, Irene Molloy, (more)
- 1997
- R
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Two dimwitted pals attempt to fib their way through their high school reunion with disastrous results in this bubbly comedy from David Mirkin, frequent director of the cult TV sitcom Get a Life!. Los Angeles dim-bulbs Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michelle (Lisa Kudrow) have been best friends since childhood. Their shared passions include shopping, club-hopping, and creating their own candy-colored fashions. When their tenth high school reunion looms, the friends realize that their lives are not impressive enough to cow the popular crowd that tormented them in their teen years. So Romy borrows a Jaguar, and the duo concocts a story about how they became top corporate executives by creating Post-It Notes. Once they are at the reunion, however, Romy and Michelle's scheme unravels. Saturnine classmate Heather (Janeane Garofalo), who really did make a fortune as an inventor, exposes their fraud, and the girls find themselves mocked again, by everyone except Sandy Frink (Alan Cumming), a nerd millionaire with a lingering crush on Michelle. Kudrow reprised the role of Michelle from her late 1980s stage performance in the play Ladies' Room by Robin Schiff, who expanded both the play and the part of Michelle for the feature film version. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, (more)
Joan Micklin Silver's farce stars Patrick Dempsey as a pizza delivery boy who begins satisfying the romantic needs of a group of bored Beverly Hills housewives. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Kate Jackson, (more)
- 1989
William Katt, Catherine Oxenberg and Nia Peeples star in this comedy about an advertising agency who are about to lose their biggest client, the Saltaire Swimwear Company, until they come up with a brilliant idea -- create a swimsuit model talent search. Saltaire loves the idea and the media eats it up, but the contestants prove to be more trouble than anyone expected. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
