Joshua Malina Movies

Created by Jon Harmon Feldman (whose previous credits included such worthwhile weeklies as American Dreams), the semi-serious Big Shots was pigeonholed in the trade press as a "Sex and the City for guys." The series traced the activities of four upscale male friends who regularly commiserated over their lives and careers at a posh country club. The designated "moral center" of the series was James Walker (Michael Vartan), who'd become CEO of Amerimart Industries by a fluke (his boss had been killed in a freak accident just before James was to have been fired), but who was determined to be a standard bearer of integrity both in and out of the workplace -- and to tactfully ignore the fact that his wife, Stacey (Wendy Moniz), had been having an affair with his former employer. James' best buds included Brody Johns (Christopher Titus), senior vice president of Alpha Crisis Management, who had trouble "managing" his contentious spouse, Janelle (Charisma Carpenter); Karl Mixworthy (Joshua Malina), chief exec of a huge pharmaceutical conglomerate, tolerably married to Wendy (Amy Sloan) while having an affair with hyper-possessive Marla (Jessica Collins); and Duncan Collinsworth (Dylan McDermott), top man at Reveal Cosmetics, who though long divorced somehow found it difficult to resist the sexual charms of his ex-wife, Lisbeth (Paige Turco), and whose future was jeopardized by an unfortunate one-night stand with a hooker named Dontrelle (Jazzmun), who turned out to be a transsexual. Nor did Duncan's emotional entanglements end there; he also had a lot of trouble relating to his estranged 19-year-old daughter, Cameron (Peyton List), and seemed oblivious to the fact that he was worshipped by his attractive business associate Katie Graham (Nia Long). Also in the cast was Francesca P. Roberts as therapist Dr. Seaver-Filner, who was kept solvent by the repeated visits from the Walkers and the Collinsworths. Big Shots premiered on ABC on September 27, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The crises facing the various members of the Bartlet administration at the outset of The West Wing's sixth season include the ever-escalating hostilities between Israel and Palestine, with President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) refusing to exploit the situation by staging a preemptive strike against a longtime enemy; and the slow recovery of Donna Moss (Janel Moloney), assistant to Barlet's deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), after her surgery to remove a pulmonary embolism. Nor is this the only health crisis facing the staff: it is painfully clear that Josh's boss, veteran chief of staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is himself suffering from an as-yet-undetermined ailment. Alas, this doesn't take long to "determine": three episodes into season six, Leo has been rushed to the hospital to undergo an emergency bypass after suffering a massive heart attack. In his absence, press secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) is thrust into the responsibility of negotiating a peace accord in the Israeli-Palestine war with the UN and NATO. In another plot development, the race has begun for a worthwhile Democratic candidate to run for the Presidency now that Bartlet is winding down his second term. One of the leading contenders is the party's first Hispanic Presidential candidate, Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits). Emerging as the most viable Republican opponent is the venerable Senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), who, somewhat surprisingly, shares many of Bartlet's more liberal opinions. Amidst these and other intrigues, the series actually finds time to pause for a somewhat comic episode, "In the Room," featuring gonzo magicians Penn and Teller as "themselves" in a story which gently tweaks the nose of activists who equate desecration of the American flag with wholesale treason. The season climaxes at the Democratic National Convention, as Matt Santos vies with the two other leading candidates for the precious 2,162 votes needed to choose a nominee who can successfully halt the apparently invulnerable Arnold Vinick political juggernaut come November (the choice of the Democratic running mate is quite a surprise!); and the outgoing Bartlet finds he still has one final crisis to deal with, this one a matter of life or death in outer space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The administration of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is still technically in charge of the United States as The West Wing enters its fifth season (and its first without the services of longtime producer Aaron Sorkin), but Bartlet himself is no longer commander in chief -- at least, not at the moment. To avoid conflict-of-interest charges after his daughter Zoey is kidnapped by Qumari terrorists, Bartlet had relinquished power to the next person in the chain of command. And since there is no vice president, that person is Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman) -- a powerful and rather cantankerous Republican! At Walken's orders, Qumar is bombed in retaliation for Zoey's abduction, prompting Bartlet's staff to seek out a new, less reactionary vice president as soon as possible. Once Zoey is safely home, Jed lobbies for the approval of his new vice president, Robert Russell (Gary Cole), but it won't be easy. Meanwhile, the first lady's new chief of staff, Amy Gardner (Mary-Louise Parker), ruffles many West Wing feathers with her damn-the-torpedoes attitude toward her job, with Presidential Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) particularly perturbed. Other major developments include the defection of a powerful Democrat to the Republicans, for which Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) must take the heat; another volatile hostage situation, this one in the Sudan; a move to legalize assisted suicide in Oregon; an even bigger move in both houses to abolish Social Security; the ramifications of the chief justice's serious and debilitating illness; Bartlet's outrage upon discovering that nuclear testing in the Indian Ocean has been given the go-ahead by someone in his administration; and a concerted effort by Press Secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) to counteract the intentions of Bartlet's troublesome former VP, John Hoynes (Tim Matheson), to run for president by slandering the entire Bartlet administration. The season ends as Bartlet girds up to tackle the (hopefully) last major crisis in his administration -- a possible all-out war between Israel and Palestine; and Josh's fiery assistant, Donna (Janel Moloney), faces critical injuries after her convoy is attacked by terrorists while she is on a fact-finding mission in Palestine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Once the fourth season of The West Wing gets past its semi-serious two-part opener, in which White House staffers Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), and Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) get lost somewhere in Indiana while campaigning for the re-election of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), the series hunkers down to more vital matters. Driving the action during the early stages of season four is, of course, the tense election battle between the Democratic Bartlet and his Republican opponent, Robert Ritchie (James Brolin). Despite the controversy surrounding the president's multiple sclerosis and his staff's presumed efforts to cover up his illness, Bartlet easily defeats his opponent. But the victory is not altogether sweet: First Lady Abby Bartlet (Stockard Channing) may put on a happy face for the public, but inwardly she is outraged that Jed reneged on his promise to serve only one term. The other major development this season is the defection of Bartlet's longtime deputy communications director, Sam Seaborn (played by Rob Lowe, who was reportedly dissatisfied that his role had become secondary to Martin Sheen's). Running for a seat in the House of Representatives, Sam is assured of full support by the Bartlet staff -- and he has been promised that if he loses, he would someday be invited back to the White House as senior advisor to the president. Meanwhile, Sam's replacement, Will Bailey (Joshua Malina), initially hired just to help write Bartlet's acceptance speech, calmly assumes the duties of his new post. Elsewhere, Bartlet's daughter Zoey (Elizabeth Moss) begins an ill-fated romance with a charming but slightly sinister Frenchman; Press Secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) tries to cope with her father's Alzheimer's; the president's new secretary, Debbie (Lily Tomlin), imperiously plays no favorites when it comes to honoring White House protocol; Bartlet courts international disfavor by condemning genocide in the war-torn nation of Kundu; and Mary-Louise Parker joins the cast as Amy Gardner, the first lady's new chief of staff. In the season's controversial closing episode, an anguished Jed Bartlet learns that his daughter Zoey has been kidnapped by Qumari terrorists -- forcing him to avoid a conflict of interest in handling the situation by invoking the little-used 25th amendment, which will place the reins of the government in the hands of Jed's second-in-command. And since the vice president has resigned, the power passes to Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken (John Goodman) -- a powerful Republican! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Yuletide-season TV movie reverses the standard "three girls on the make" formula of many an old 20th Century Fox movie, of which How to Marry a Millionaire is a choice example. This time out, a trio of enterprising young men decide to go on the prowl for rich wives, after first consulting a nonplussed department-store Santa with their intentions. The plan, as hatched by the impoverished heroes, Tom (John Stamos), Jason (Shermar Moore), and Mark (Joshua Malina), is as follows: They will pose as hot-shot Hollywood movie producers, the better to entice attractive and wealthy young women to invest in their newest "production" -- and hopefully, to entrap said women into matrimony. As so often happens in stories of this nature, however, love ultimately triumphs over money. A bit too top-heavy with racy double entendres and potentially unsavory situations, the film is redeemed somewhat by the presence of Dabney Coleman and Rhea Perlman, cast as an older couple named -- believe it or not -- John and Jackie Kennedy. How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale made its first Fox Network appearance on December 20, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Premiering in the Midnight Movie section of the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, Kill the Man poses the question: "What would you do if you won $100,000 during a half-time basketball free-throw contest?" Stanley Luke Wilson and Bob Josh Malina decide to open a small copy center. The problem is that a large-chain copy store is right across the street, taking the lion's share of the business. So with absurd determination, they decide to declare their own comic brand of war on big business. Persuading his girlfriend Vicki to join in, Stanley must choose between his life of wreaking havoc on corporate America or taking a job from Vicki's dad Michael McKean. The answer may lie somewhere in the middle, as suddenly Stanley is in jeopardy of losing his own shop if he can't come up with the rent. Directors Tom Booker and Jon Kean use wacky characters and slapstick to cook up a David-and-Goliath story about the big guy versus the little guy, with a little rule-breaking irreverence on the side. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide

Warren Beatty directed, co-produced (with Pieter Jan Brugge), co-scripted (with Jeremy Pikser), and stars in this political satire, a comedy-drama about a U.S. senator who decides to start speaking the truth. Despondent California Sen. Jay Bulworth (Beatty), up for re-election, is disillusioned by the usual campaign banalities; his marriage to Constance (Christine Baranski) seems equally hollow. In the midst of a nervous breakdown, Bulworth goes without sleep or food for three days and takes out a $10 million insurance policy on himself while arranging his own assassination. Drinking during a return to Los Angeles, Bulworth is scheduled to speak at an African-American church in South Central L.A. Once there, he tosses aside his prepared speech, startling both the audience and his campaign manager Murphy (Oliver Platt) by improvising truthful remarks instead of the familiar rhetoric. These loose-cannon salvos gain the attention of an attractive young woman, Nina (Halle Berry). Bulworth finds an exhilaration with this new freestyle approach, and after shocking a gathering in Beverly Hills with further fulminations, Bulworth invites Nina and her girlfriends into his limo. During a spaced-out sojourn at one of South Central's more frenzied after-hours clubs, Bulworth gains respect for hiphop culture. Still reeling from insights gained by this nightlife, he arrives the next day for a fund-raising function at the Beverly Wilshire, startling everyone with a diatribe delivered in the intonations of a rap artist. His interest in Nina and his new optimistic outlook on life give Bulworth a sense of elation and a will to live. He phones to call off the hit, but gears have been set in motion. After an assumed hitman turns up during a church appearance, Bulworth flees, and Nina offers him a safe-house hideout at the home of her family, veterans of the Civil Rights movement. Here Bulworth goes through the final steps in his transformation -- making a Kennedy-styled connection with the disenfranchised as he tunes into forgotten memories of the '60s. Outfitted in homeboy clothing, the born again Bulworth heads for a TV station to unleash even more caustic comments on the American political scene. Language and drug use brought this film an R rating. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

When shady network suit Kenny Mitchell (Josh Malina) is appointed "Creative Liaison" and begins to implement drastic changes in the show's format, Larry (Garry Shandling) starts to sweat, but when his agent, Stevie (Bob Odenkirk), appears to be avoiding contract negotiations and ends up having lunch with Jon Stewart, Larry really starts to feel the heat. It seems that Kenny has been dropping increasingly frequent hints that the show could get better ratings with Stewart at the helm, and it's not long before he and a frustrated Artie (Rip Torn) nearly come to blows. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Four women reflect on their lowly place in the corporate caste system in this dryly satiric comedy. Iris (Toni Collette) is a college graduate who hasn't decided what she wants to do with her life, except that she doesn't want the job her father has lined up for her at a frozen food company. While pretending to look for other work, she signs on with a temp agency, which sends her out to do office work for Global Credit, a particularly faceless corporation where the permanent employees go out of their way to avoid the temps. Iris is very much aware that she's at the bottom rung at Global, and she bonds with three other women in the temp pool. Paula (Lisa Kudrow) talks about her career as an actress and insists that she will only temp until one of her auditions pans out. Jane (Alanna Ubach) prattles on about her wealthy fiancé, although her friends are convinced that he's cheating on her. And Margaret (Parker Posey) is at once the rebel of the group, regarding her job and general office procedure with a barely disguised contempt, and the one who most desperately wants a "real" job with Global. When office supplies and various personal items start to disappear, all signs point to one of the temp workers (most likely Margaret), though none will own up to any wrongdoing. Clockwatchers was the directorial debut for filmmaker Jill Sprecher, who co-wrote the screenplay with her sister Karen Sprecher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Alec Baldwin stars in this thriller as Dr. Jed Hill, a brilliant young trauma specialist who begins to believe he can do no wrong after he saves the life of a patient given up for dead by another doctor. Jed runs into an old classmate, Andy Safian (Bill Pullman), who is now a college dean. Andy invites Jed to stay with him in the attic bedroom of a house he is renovating with his wife Tracy (Nicole Kidman). Tracy takes a dislike to Jed, whom she thinks is a psychotic egomaniac. In the mean time, Andy has to deal with a serial killer on the loose among the campus dorms. While Andy is helping belligerent law enforcement officials with the murder investigation and Jed is drinking straight shots at the local saloon, Tracy begins to have abdominal pains and is rushed to the emergency room. Jed comes directly from the bar and slices her open, removing more from her body cavity than he should. The allegations fly fast and furious between Tracy, Andy, and Jed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

There's certainly no shortage of behind-the-scenes conflict when it comes to television, and this episode of HBO's Emmy award-winning late-night talk show satire exposes the gritty backstage battles that have become the stuff of legend among television fanatics. In addition to Artie's (Rip Torn) stress concerning a ubiquitous Entertainment Weekly writer prowling the set, an argument between John Ritter and Gene Siskel nearly comes to blows and a nippy dog attempts to take a bite out of nearly everyone with whom it comes in contact. Guest stars include John Ritter, Joshua Malina, Peter Tolan, Maureen Mueller, Elizabeth Ashley, Gene Siskel, and Warren Zevon. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide