Rainn Wilson Movies

Love and reinvention -- sometimes touching, other times cringe-worthy -- are major themes in Season 5 of the acclaimed mockumentary that perfectly captures the petty agonies and daily lunacies of corporate America. The first episode sets up story arcs that resonate throughout the season. Repressed party-committee peon Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) reveals her scheming side by blackmailing Angela (Angela Kinsey), whom Phyllis witnessed having an interpersonal encounter of the illicit kind with Dwight (Rainn Wilson) at Season 4's end. But it's the coveted party-planning power Phyllis desires, not money. She later uses her newfound authority to plan a Moroccan-themed holiday fete that she promises will not be "your grandmother's Christmas party...unless of course she's from Morocco." A not-so-humbled Ryan (B.J. Novak) returns to Dunder Mifflin as a temporary replacement for new art-school student Pam (Jenna Fischer), and later participates in an ill-conceived business venture by dunderhead boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell). A relationship develops between Michael and new human-resources associate Holly (Amy Ryan), possibly the only person in the world who doesn't think he's an idiot. Interfering with the budding romance, however, is the cold corporate machine that is Dunder Mifflin -- not to mention Michael's very pregnant (and, according to Oscar, "certifiably insane") ex-girlfriend Jan (Melora Hardin). There's also a few surprises concerning the relationship between Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam, and Idris Elba has a deliciously deadpan seven-episode arc as Michael's new boss, a no-nonsense manager who makes Jan look like a softy. ~ Dianne Zoccola, All Movie Guide

A man who serves subpoenas with the suaveness and intensity of James Bond sets out to ensure that the folks who are set to appear in court know the exact date and time of their trial in this comedy starring The Office's Rainn Wilson. Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk directs a script penned in collaboration with screenwriter B.J. Porter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Rainn Wilson and features musical guest Arcade Fire. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide

Season 4 of the acclaimed mockumentary opens with the discovery that Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) has ascended the corporate ladder from fresh-faced intern to stylishly bearded corporate chieftain. The young gun promptly exercises his authority by charging Dunder Mifflin into the digital age, an affront to technologically dull Scranton branch boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Here are the romantic "fax" of life at the office: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) are hot, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) are not, and Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and Angela are giving it a shot. A giddy Jam (Jim/Pam) proudly bring their hushed and long-delayed romance to public light, even spending an unsettling night at the Schrute family farm. Dwight confesses to killing Angela's treasured cat Sprinkles, prompting Angela to terminate their romance, which leaves tight Dwight heartbroken and miserable. Angela, in turn, falls into the arms of newest staffer Andy, but only reluctantly. As for Michael, he huffs and puffs through a 5K fun run; hopes to attend a Web-site launch party in the Big Apple; faces a ballooning personal debt; goes on a wilderness survival retreat; butts heads with desk jockey Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker); and travels a bumpy-road romance with high-maintenance ex-bigwig Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), who's mired in a messy wrongful-termination lawsuit with corporate. All this doesn't stop Michael from obsessing over a model in an office-supply catalog or clubbing for "hot hotties" with Ryan in New York. As the year winds down, slumping human-resources drone Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) decides to quit his post and move to Costa Rica. This development prompts the arrival of a new HR worker named Holly (Amy Ryan), whose sunny presence clearly begins to brighten Michael's downcast world. ~ Dean Maurer, All Movie Guide

As Season 3 of The Office gets underway, Pam (Jenna Fischer) remains unable to express her feelings for Jim (John Krasinski) after the pair recently shared a kiss and now Jim has taken a promotion that means transferring to Connecticut. Michael (Steve Carell) has discovered that Oscar (Oscar Nunez) is gay, and has enlisted the aid of Dwight (Rainn Wilson) in determining who else in the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin might be homosexual. Despite the fact that Pam called off her wedding to Roy (David Denman), her ex-fiancé is determined to win her back. Later, Michael holds a special meeting to encourage others who may be gay to openly express their sexuality. In a misguided effort to sincerely express that he believes there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, Michael attempts to kiss Oscar, who is clearly uncomfortable, on the lips. After that incident, Jan (Melora Hardin) attempts to get Oscar to sign a document saying he will not sue Dunder Mifflin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The American TV version of the award-winning British sitcom The Office opens by establishing its faux documentary format, as Michael Scott (Steve Carell), regional manager of a branch office of Dunder-Mifflin Paper, jumps through hoops to convince the filmmakers that he presides over a happy, well-running ship. This is but one of Michael's many pathetic self-delusions: he also thinks he's the epitome of "cool," he's convinced that everything he says is a laugh riot, and even worse, he actually labors under the misapprehension that he is qualified for his job. Meanwhile, Dunder Mifflin's employees inadvertently but efficiently put the lie to Michael's self-serving prevarications: sales rep Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) continually cooks up methods to undermine his hated cube-mate, the obnoxious know-it-all Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson); receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) continually deals with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and office temp Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) acts mostly as an observer of the insanity around him. Some of the episodes in The Office's six-episode trial run carried over general plot ideas from the earlier British series, particularly the threat of wholesale downsizing that weaves through the various plots and subplots; however, only the pilot was a direct adaptation of one of the U.K. version's episodes. ~ All Movie Guide

Matthew McConaughey stars as explorer and adventurer Dirk Pitt in this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Clive Cussler. Pitt thinks he may have found both a fortune and the answer to a long-standing mystery when he discovers a rare coin in the waters of a river in West Africa. During the Civil War, an ironclad battleship with a valuable cargo went missing, and Pitt's theory is that the coin places the ship somewhere in the Sahara Desert. Pitt and his goofy sidekick, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), set out to find it, but along the way they make the acquaintance of Dr. Eva Rojas (Penélope Cruz), a scientist and physician who is trying to determine the source of a strange and deadly disease sweeping the nation. As Eva joins Dirk and Al, they begin to wonder if the mysteries they're trying to uncover might be somehow linked. Sahara was only the second of Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures to be adapted for the screen; the first, 1980's Raise the Titanic, was publicly dismissed by the author. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An attractive, middle-aged woman (Donna Bullock) dies while waiting in line at a self-help seminar, the apparent victim of a massive blood clot from a long-ago nose job. But it's another corpse -- an awesomely large one that falls out of its casket in the middle of the night -- that presents a headache for Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) and his new intern, Arthur (Rainn Wilson). On watch at the funeral home while Nate (Peter Krause) and Lisa (Lili Taylor) go camping with another couple, the hapless undertakers must enlist the help of Claire (Lauren Ambrose) and Russell (Ben Foster) in returning the voluminous body to its oversized coffin. Russell is on hand because, despite her decision not to date him, Claire has somehow ended up taking his virginity instead. This turn of events pleases her until David (Michael C. Hall) insinuates that Russell is gay, after all -- a notion she dismisses out of hand. Ruth (Frances Conroy), too, finds herself falling for a man of indeterminate sexual proclivities: stuffy, virginal Arthur, whose old-fashioned manners and idiosyncrasies charm her despite their large age gap. As for Nate, he's none too charmed by the constraints that new fatherhood imposes on his camping trip with his wife. Unable to get gloriously stoned or go off on walkabout like he did as a bachelor, he instead finds himself clashing with Lisa, who's freaking out about the deficiencies in their love life since she gave birth to Maya. Eventually, she and Nate reconcile with some seriously twisted al fresco sex. But Nate is haunted by a daydream about Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) stalking him. Originally broadcast April 6, 2003, on HBO, "Making Love Work" marked season three, episode six of the made-for-cable drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Threesomes, romantic triangles, and even polygamy intersect in the lives of the Fisher family when they're asked to bury Daddy (Leon Rippy), the patriarch of a commune known as "The People." Nate (Peter Krause) and Ruth (Frances Conroy) both find themselves charmed by Daddy's unorthodox clan -- Nate by one of his daughters and Ruth by one of his wives. Meanwhile, Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) and David (Michael C. Hall) bring an unconventional element into their own union: Sarge (Josh Stamberg), a burly hunk who ends up in their bed after an afternoon of paintball and an evening of hard drinking. Claire (Lauren Ambrose) isn't quite so willing to share her man; she freaks out when she suspects there may be something going on between her boyfriend, Russell (Ben Foster), and her Machiavellian art professor, Olivier (Peter MacDissi). By these standards, Ruth's furtive crush on intern Arthur (Rainn Wilson) seems downright wholesome, although her feelings don't remain hidden for long once she starts kissing him. Lisa, however, is perfectly capable of keeping a secret, and she does so after meeting Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) under an assumed name by posing as a massage client and picking her brain. Originally broadcast April 20, 2003, on HBO, "Tears, Bones and Desire" marked season three, episode eight of the made-for-cable drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Nate (Peter Krause) continues his descent into quiet desperation as Fisher & Diaz prepares to bury the recently unearthed remains of a young husband and father who disappeared without a trace decades earlier. Adding to Nate's just-married angst, Lisa (Lili Taylor) spends her time micromanaging his finances instead of finding a new job of her own. She also goes ballistic when Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) turns up to make amends with Nate as part of a 12-step recovery program for sex addicts. Nate and Brenda share a few drinks, but he keeps his guard up and expresses none of his doubts about his sudden matrimony. David (Michael C. Hall), too, is haunted by an old lover: Terry (Matt Winston), a fellow singer in the gay men's chorus, who reminds David of their brief and frenzied encounter years ago in a department-store men's room. Ashamed of his own past repression, David is relieved to realize he's finally at peace with his sexual identity. Speaking of which, Claire (Lauren Ambrose) finds her feelings in disarray when Russell (Ben Foster), her supposedly gay best friend, declares that he's actually straight and wants to date her. She considers it -- until Olivier (Peter MacDissi), her manipulative art professor, advises her to shun emotional intimacy if she wants to become a great artist. Blowing Russell off, Claire focuses on her new job as Olivier's assistant. Federico (Freddy Rodriguez), too, hires a new sidekick: Arthur (Rainn Wilson), a mortuary school student who agrees to work for nothing but room and board at the Fisher house. As for Keith (Mathew St. Patrick), he's still stuck in the same terrible job as a rent-a-cop. A disturbing altercation with a fellow security guard, however, convinces him it's time to look for other employment. Originally broadcast March 30, 2003, on HBO, "The Trap" marked season three, episode five of the made-for-cable drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

With Lisa (Lili Taylor) still missing, mortality hangs heavily in the air as Six Feet Under begins its third-season finale. Simultaneously, however, romantic and sexual liaisons spring -- and cling -- to life. Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) enjoys a chaste, quirky date with a sexy neighbor, while Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) finds solace from his marital problems in the arms of a stripper, David (Michael C. Hall) reluctantly agrees to reconcile with Keith (Mathew St. Patrick), and a defiant Ruth (Frances Conroy) decides to marry George (James Cromwell) after all. Her announcement elicits a variety of negative reactions from her children. A distraught Nate (Peter Krause) drips with contempt, while diplomatic David says the timing is just bad. Pouty Claire (Lauren Ambrose) can't believe her mother would try to replace the late Nathaniel (Richard Jenkins) so suddenly. But as Claire embarks on a fanciful tour of the afterlife, her departed father tells her that her hang-ups about the impending nuptials are her own problem. While wandering around the great beyond, Claire encounters a variety of deceased characters -- including, to her surprise, ex-boyfriend Gabe (Eric Balfour) and her own recently aborted child, who's being cared for by Lisa herself. Whether Claire's wanderings are a dream or a visitation, one thing's for certain: Lisa really is dead. Nate receives a fateful phone call confirming that her nearly unidentifiable body has been discovered. Unaware of the news, his siblings reluctantly attend their mother's wedding while Nate drinks himself into a stupor and instigates a bar brawl. Bloody and broken, he nearly drunk-drives to his own death, but instead he turns to the one person he's been fleeing from all season: Brenda. Originally broadcast June 1, 2003, on HBO, "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" marked season three, episode 13 of the made-for-cable drama. In addition to the show's typical corpse-of-the-week opening, a second white title card eventually appears to announce the death of "Lisa Kimmel Fisher, 1973-2003." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Love and death (and the problems they bring) remain the constants in the third season of the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. In season three, now that Federico (Freddy Rodriguez) has bought a 25 percent interest in the funeral home, the name changes from Fisher and Sons to Fisher and Diaz, and he sees to it that his presence is felt in the business. Nate (Peter Krause) has a series of bizarre and troubling dreams, and his relationship with Lisa (Lili Taylor) becomes strained; he becomes all the more conflicted in his feelings about her when she disappears en route to a visit with her sister. Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) and David (Michael C. Hall) hit a rocky patch in their romance, with the two trying counseling, vacations, and even threesomes in hopes of smoothing things out. Ruth's (Frances Conroy) loneliness manifests itself in not one but two romances. And Claire (Lauren Ambrose) finds her love life becoming quite complicated as she becomes involved with a crematorium employee as well as a troubled fellow student, and must also fend off the advances of a lecherous art teacher. The 13 episodes in the show's third season originally aired between March and June of 2003. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide