Kathy Bates Movies
Actress Kathy Bates has been involved in the arts in one way or another since graduating from Southern Methodist University. Among the Memphis native's earliest jobs were a stint as a singing waitress in a Catskill resort and a sojourn as a gift shop cashier in New York's Museum of Modern Art. Bates was type-cast in character roles early on, which assured her a lot more work than the thousands of faceless ingenues in the business. Her film debut occurred with 1971's Taking Off, and she made her off-Broadway debut five years later in Vanities.For a long while, Bates made her name on the stage, only to see her roles go to other actresses in the plays' subsequent film adaptations. In 1983, she was nominated for a Tony award for her stage appearance as a garrulous would-be suicide in 'Night, Mother, a role played on screen by Sissy Spacek. She also appeared as Lenny McGrath in Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Crimes of the Heart, a role played on screen by Diane Keaton. And in 1987, playwright Terrence McNally wrote a part specifically tailored to Bates' talents: the much-abused waitress Frankie in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, a role which won her an Obie award, and, following a familiar pattern, was played on screen by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Bates finally got to star in a movie herself in 1990. And what a starring role it was: in Misery, she portrayed the psychotic "Number One Fan" of romance writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a searing performance which earned the actress an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Appropriately enough, Hollywood screenwriters subsequently began making more room for Bates in their scripts. She worked steadily throughout the rest of the decade in films of greatly varying quality. Particular highlights included Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), A Prelude to a Kiss (1992), Dolores Claiborne (1995), Titanic (1997), and Primary Colors (1998), the latter of which featured Bates giving an Oscar and Golden Globe nominated performance as a political muckraker. Following her firey, foul-mouthed performance in that thinly veilied political biopic, Bates added a new credential to her resume, that of director. Initially taking the helm for the made-for-cable feature Dash and Lilly, Bates would subsequently direct episodes of the quirky HBO drama series Six Feet Under, simultaniously taking minor film roles before returning to more substantial roles with the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame entry My Sister's Keeper. Roles in Love Liza and Dragonfly (both 2002) were soon to follow, and with her turn as an extroverted mother who catches the attention of Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt Bates would recieve her third Oscar nomination. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG13
- Add The Blind Side to Queue
Taken in by a well-to-do family and offered a second chance at life, a homeless teen grows to become the star athlete projected to be the first pick at the NFL draft in this sports-themed comedy drama inspired by author Michael Lewis' best-seller The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Michael Oher was living on the streets when he was welcomed into the home of a conservative suburban family, but over time he matured into a talented athlete. As the NFL draft approaches, fans and sports radio personalities alike speculate that Oher will be the hottest pick of the year. Sandra Bullock stars in a film written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, (more)
Stephen Frears, the director who bolstered his international reputation with his Choderlos de Laclos adaptation Dangerous Liaisons (1988), returns to the annals of period intrigue over 20 years later with this melodrama, which reunites him with Liasons scripter Christopher Hampton and star Michelle Pfeiffer. An adaptation of Colette's 1920 novel of the same name, the tale unfurls in late 19th century Paris -- La Belle Époque -- where numerous courtesans (or female companions of noblemen who occupied the royal courts) have worked their way up through the ranks of high society. Two retired courtesans, Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates) and Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), meet for some routine gossip; Lea then meets Charlotte's hedonistic playboy son, nicknamed "Chéri" (Rupert Friend), and a passionate, erotic affair blossoms for the next six years between Lea and Chéri. Eventually, Charlotte makes an aggressive attempt to interfere with the situation by setting up an arranged marriage between Chéri and the virginal 18-year-old Edmée (Felicity Jones), the daughter of another ex-courtesan, Marie-Laure (Iben Hjejle). Lea feels irritated, and responds by seeking out young male lovers during a vacation in Biarritz, but the attached Chéri is not far behind, and in seemingly no time at all the two resume their bedroom liaisons. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, (more)
Titanic shipmates Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet step onboard for director Sam Mendes' tale of suburban malaise in 1950s-era Connecticut. Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different. They strive to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road, the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually become the very thing that they both feared most -- a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April's independent spirit hasn't been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank's desire to hold on to what they already have. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
- Add Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys to QueueAdd Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys to top of Queue
Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates star in writer/director Tyler Perry's family drama about an upper-crust family and their working-class counterparts, who discover that scandal knows no social boundaries. Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and Alice Pratt (Woodard) may be from different sides of the tracks, yet over the years they've managed to nurture a strong and healthy friendship. That friendship is put to the ultimate test, however, when their adult children begin to act out in ways that neither parent ever saw coming. Alice's daughter Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) is married to a trusting husband named Chris (Rockmond Dunbar), but lately she's been betraying that trust by sleeping with her boss, William (Cole Hauser), who just so happens to be Charlotte's son. William is married to Jillian (KaDee Strickland), and in addition to being unfaithful, he's also scheming to take over the role of COO at his mother's lucrative construction firm. Meanwhile, Alice's other daughter, Pam (Taraji P. Henson), and her husband, Ben (Perry), a faithful family man and construction worker, have both recognized that their family has strayed from the course of righteousness, and become determined to help their loved ones back on the right path. When paternity secrets, shady double dealings, and a series of other scandals become too much for Charlotte and Alice to take, the two women set out on a cross-country trip in order to clear their heads and devise a plan for saving their families. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, (more)
Ashton Kutcher stars as a broken man who sets off on a vengeance-filled search for his sister's murderer, only to fall into the arms of a gorgeous older woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) who may share the same torment in this romantic drama from Insight Studios. TV veteran David Hollander directs from his own script. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
- Add The Day the Earth Stood Still to QueueAdd The Day the Earth Stood Still to top of Queue
Keanu Reeves tops this adaptation of the seminal 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still with this 20th Century Fox production. Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) helms the story of an alien traveler, Klaatu (Reeves), who heads to Earth along with his bodyguard robot, Gort, to deliver a warning of planetary destruction if the people of the world fail to stop laying waste to the environment. Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Bates co-star in the David Scarpa-penned film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
Barry B. Benson (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) is your average honeybee. Despite having recently received his diploma from bee college and being virtually guaranteed a bright future in honey, Barry feels he has the skills to pursue a number of different career paths and resents the fact that his employment opportunities are strictly limited to producing the sweet nectar. Upon breaking away from the hive and developing a friendship with an insect-loving New York florist (voice of Renée Zellweger), Barry makes the shocking discovery that human beings eat honey in mass quantities. Having finally found his calling in life, the infuriated Barry decides to sue the human race for stealing all of the honey that his fellow bees work so hard to produce. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, (more)
A young girl embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her best friend and fight the forces of darkness in director Chris Weitz's adaptation of the first installment of author Philip Pullman's best-selling fantasy trilogy. Screen newcomer Dakota Blue Richards stars as young heroine Lyra Belacqua, Casino Royale star Daniel Craig appears as Lyra's ruthless adventurer uncle, Lord Asriel, and Nicole Kidman assumes the glamorous guise of the villainous Mrs. Coulter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, (more)
A grieving widow finds her husband's warmth radiating from the afterlife when she discovers that he left her a series of tasks to be revealed in ten monthly messages and designed to help her overcome her sorrow while gradually making the transition into a new life. Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is a New York real estate broker whose good-humored husband, Irishman Gerry (Gerard Butler), always stood by her side. Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, Gerry succumbs to a brain tumor and Holly is left to face an uncertain future. No one in the world knows Holly better than Gerry, not even her mother (Kathy Bates) or her best friends, Sharon (Gina Gershon) and Denise (Lisa Kudrow). But while Holly remains unsure if she can go on without the love of her life to help guide her, Gerry has planned ahead. On Holly's 30th birthday, she receives a cake and a special tape recording from Gerry that implores her to get out and celebrate instead of staying in and mourning. Later, as the months wear on, a series of additional messages arrive from Gerry -- always delivered in the most remarkable and surprising of ways. With each new message comes a new adventure, and each letter signs off in the same familiar way: "P.S. I love you." Despite the fact that Holly's mother and friends think these humorous, posthumous messages are keeping Holly bound to the past, the truth is that they are lovingly guiding her into the future while proving that sometimes death isn't just the end, but a new beginning as well. Director Richard LaGravenese teams with screenwriter Steve Rogers to adapt author Cecelia Ahern's best-selling novel. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, (more)
Santa's black-sheep brother gets a much-needed shot at redemption in this holiday comedy reuniting actor Vince Vaughn and director David Dobkin (Clay Pigeons, Wedding Crashers). It's not easy being the brother of a benevolent and beloved saint, and no one knows that better than Fred Claus (Vaughn). After struggling for years to live up to the example set by his younger sibling Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), Fred has finally given up. These days Fred is working as a repo man taken to stealing the items he repossesses, and his shady tactics have just landed him in jail. While Mrs. Claus vehemently insists that Fred fend for himself, Nicholas refuses to sit idly by as his brother rots in jail and agrees to set bail if Fred will repay the debt by coming to the North Pole and help make toys for the upcoming Christmas season. But Fred isn't nearly as productive as your average elf, and he's got quite an attitude to boot. With Christmas fast approaching and Fred threatening to sideline Nicholas' entire finely tuned operation, the brother that always struggled to get out from under his sibling's substantial shadow finds out just how far the patience of a saint can be pushed before jolly old Santa reaches his breaking point. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, (more)
A overgrown mama's boy who hasn't found the courage to take flight from the nest gets a little help from the girl of his dreams in the one comedy that proves it's never to late to strike out on your own. Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) may have hit 30, but that doesn't mean that he's ready to give up the many benefits of living at home with mom (Kathy Bates) and dad (Terry Bradshaw). His desperate parents have had enough, though, and after years of gentle nudging they soon realize that it's going to take a concerted effort to get Tripp out and enjoy their twilight years in peace. Realizing that their only hope for ridding themselves of their reluctant-to-leave offspring rides on the off-chance of his meeting the ideal female companion, mom and dad enlist the help of a beautiful and talented woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) in providing the romantic incentive needed to finally get their son out of the family home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, (more)
A woman looking to fulfill her late husband's final wish sets out on a transformative cross-country road trip in director Christopher N. Rowley's warmhearted tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the memories that make life worth living even after the ones we love have gone. Arvilla (Jessica Lange)'s husband Joe has recently died during a trip to Borneo, and his ashes have just arrived at her home in Pocatello, ID. Though Joe had previously specified in his will that he would like his ashes scattered by his beloved wife, the well-intending Arvilla soon becomes locked in a heated battle of wills with Francine (Christine Baranski) -- Joe's well-to-do daughter from a previous marriage. Francine is determined to see her father laid to rest next to her mother in Santa Barbara, and she's threatened to sell the house that her father and Arvilla have lived in since marrying to ensure that she gets her way. Now Arvilla has lost Joe's will, leaving no way to confirm either what he wanted done with his remains or what Arvilla is to receive upon her husband's death. Defeated, Arvilla sets her sights on Santa Barbara to surrender the ashes to Francine and attempt to come to terms with the loss of her husband. When Arvilla's sassy best-friend Margene (Kathy Bates) and uptight pal Carol (Joan Allen) agree to join their recently-widowed friend on her journey and offer some much-needed moral support, the trio soon sets out in Arvilla's vintage '66 Pontiac Bonneville for a journey of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, (more)
A successful psychologist with a picture-perfect family and a best-selling self-help book that's fast racking up sales hires a dogged detective to investigate his brother's claim that he was actually adopted, only to watch as his life falls to pieces in the aftermath in a dark comedy about success and family starring Danny DeVito, Kathy Bates, Ron Livingston, and Neve Campbell. Dr. Richard Clayton (Livingston) has everything a man could ever want in life: a loving fiancée (Campbell), two loving parents who are always there to support him (Edward Hermann and Christine Baranski), and a career that's on the fast track to success. When Richard's embittered brother (Bob Odenkirk) resentfully tells his sibling that he was adopted, however, the once-thriving specialist embarks on a tireless quest to locate his true birth parents. Though his dreams of finding his biological mother and father fade into a nightmare when a private investigator reveals to Richard that he was in fact conceived by crude carnies Frank and Agnes Manure (DeVito and Bates) -- who subsequently make it their mission in life to make Richard miserable -- the desperate doctor soon finds that even if he can't stand his real parents, he has learned a valuable life lesson from them. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Livingston, Neve Campbell, (more)
E.B. White's classic children's story comes to the screen in this live-action adaptation with an all-star voice cast. Fern Arable (Dakota Fanning) is a young girl growing up on her family's farm. When a sow gives birth to some piglets, Fern's father (Kevin Anderson) intends to do away with the runt of litter, but Fern has become attached to the little pig and persuades her father to let him live. The pig, named Wilbur (voice of Dominic Scott Kay), becomes Fern's pet, but when he grows larger, he's put in the care of Homer Zuckerman (Gary Basaraba), a farmer down the road. Fern is still able to visit Wilbur regularly, and it soon occurs to both of them that pigs tend to have a limited life expectancy on a farm, and that unless something unusual happens, Wilbur will eventually becomes someone's dinner. Charlotte, a friendly spider, hatches a plan to make Wilbur seem special enough to save by weaving messages about the "terrific" pig into her web, and she soon persuades her barnyard friends to join in her plan. Charlotte is voiced by Julia Roberts, while the other actors who provide the voices of the animals on Zuckerman's farm include Robert Redford, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates, Cedric the Entertainer. Thomas Haden Church, and André Benjamin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, (more)
In the tradition of Dore Schary's Sunrise at Campobello, the made-for-cable biopic Warm Springs focuses on one of the least publicized aspects in the life of America's most-publicized (and longest-serving) president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, here played brilliantly by British actor Kenneth Branagh. Like Sunrise, Warm Springs uses as its starting point the year 1921, when the 39-year-old Roosevelt was permanently paralyzed from the waist down by an attack of polio. But whereas the earlier film concentrated on FDR's battle to return to public life despite his handicap, this film zeroes in on Roosevelt's efforts to cure himself of his affliction. Having heard of the therapeutic value of the waters of Warm Springs in rural Georgia, Roosevelt makes a pilgrimage to the area, which is little more than a swamp surrounded by dilapidated shacks. Though he never experiences the "miracle" cure that he so desperately seeks, Roosevelt is instrumental in the conversion of Warm Springs from a backwater hellhole to a streamlined, efficiently managed polio-treatment center, a virtual mecca for hundreds of thousands of others who had been crippled by the debilitating illness. And in the process, he also brings hope, optimism, and racial enlightenment to the poverty-stricken, multiethnic citizens of Warm Springs. Even more significantly, FDR removes the stigma of polio from the public consciousness, forever abolishing the misguided notions that the disease adversely affected the brain, that it could be spread merely by physical contact, or that it represented celestial "punishment" of the victim (it is noted, however, that Roosevelt was always careful never to reveal the true extent of his immobility nor his atrophied legs in public, feeling that it might diminish the nation's image of an "invulnerable" Commander in Chief). Also in the cast are Cynthia Nixon as Roosevelt's devoted wife, Eleanor; Jane Alexander (who'd previously played Eleanor Roosevelt in two TV miniseries) as his over-protective mother Sara; David Paymer as his crusty chief aide Louis Howe; Kathy Bates as his no-nonsense physical therapist Helena Mahoney; and Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless, the man in charge of Warm Springs. Originally telecast by HBO on April 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon, (more)
Academy Award-nominee Kathy Bates (Misery, Fried Green Tomatoes) helms and stars in Ambulance Girl - her third directorial credit on a made-for-television feature. Produced by and originally aired on Lifetime Television, Bates's comedy concerns Jane Stern (Bates), a housewife of thirty years who spent decades building a successful career as co-author of food books with her husband, the rebounding ex-alcoholic Michael (Robin Thomas). When faced with a chain of unpredictable mood swings, Jane refuses to take the problem lying down - and instead opts to launch a new career as an EMT. Her only real obstacle is a beast: she must learn to surmount her phobia of ambulances! Ambulance Girl waxes bittersweet, interweaving over-the-top, hilarious comedy with perceptive insights and a heartwarming message about confronting and overcoming the obstacles that life dishes out. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Bates, Robin Thomas, (more)
Thornton Wilder's award-winning novel is given a lavish screen adaptation in this historical drama from writer and director Mary McGuckian. In Peru in 1714, a rickety bridge collapsed as five people were attempting to cross, forcing them to plunge to their deaths. Brother Fray Juniper (Gabriel Byrne) is a Franciscan monk who has been given the duty of looking into the tragedy by the archbishop of Lima (Robert De Niro), and to learn what he can about the victims. It is Juniper's belief that these particular people died for some reason, and that it is his duty to determine why God chose these five people to perish, while others in the vicinity survived. After five years, Juniper delivers his findings to the archbishop as well as the viceroy of Peru (F. Murray Abraham), as Juniper tells them of the lives of the troubled Dona Maria (Kathy Bates), the nun Pepita (Adriana Dominguez), warm-hearted Uncle Pio (Harvey Keitel), street kid-turned-actress La Perichola (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), and others involved in the tragedy. The Bridge of San Luis Rey also features Geraldine Chaplin, John Lynch, and brothers Mark Polish and Michael Polish. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, F. Murray Abraham, (more)
Directed by Nick Hurran, Little Black Book follows Stacy (Brittany Murphy), an associate producer of a popular daytime talk show starring Kippie Kann (Kathy Bates), as she tries to figure out the root of her boyfriend's (Ron Livingston) commitment-phobic nature. Rather than continue to fruitlessly question Derek (Livingston) regarding his slew of failed relationships, Stacy sneaks into his Palm Pilot and begins interviewing his ex-girlfriends under the pretense of gathering information for a future show. Though she justifies the deception with her need to find out whether or not Derek can be trusted for a long-term relationship, complications arise when Stacy becomes good friends with one of Derek's former flames. Holly Hunter makes an appearance as Stacy's boss (the show's senior associate producer), while Josie Maran, Julianne Nicholson, Rashida Jones, Sharon Lawrence, and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale are featured in supporting roles. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brittany Murphy, Holly Hunter, (more)
- 2004
- Add The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing to QueueAdd The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing to top of Queue
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Editing teaches the viewer how editors compile strips of film in order to create memorable moviegoing experiences. In addition to interviews with a variety of respected and award-winning editors, the movie offers clips form some of the most memorable films in the history of the artform. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Bates
Jules Verne's famous novel of a daring man who takes on the greatest voyage in history is once again adapted for the big screen in this adventure comedy. In 1872, eccentric British inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) has come up with any number of gadgets to help people travel with greater speed and ease, and is working on plans for a flying machine. In a lively discussion with Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), the head of the Royal Academy of Science, Fogg states his belief that it's possible for someone to travel around the globe in a mere 80 days. Kelvin, who makes no secret of his belief that Fogg is a crackpot, challenges him to do just that, and adds a wager to the bargain to make things interesting: if Fogg can't circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, he'll give up inventing forever. Fogg takes the challenge, and teams up with his manservant, a former acrobat named Passepartout (Jackie Chan), and lovely navigator Monique (Cécile De France) to make the epic voyage -- traveling by train, boat, balloon, horseback, or any other means at their disposal. However, Fogg and his companions are dogged along the way by the false accusation that the inventor took part in a bank robbery, forcing him to not only complete the journey but clear his name as well. Like the blockbuster 1956 adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, this film features a number of major stars in cameo appearances and supporting roles as Fogg makes his way around the globe, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cleese, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Sammo Hung, Rob Schneider, Richard Branson, Mark Addy, and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, (more)
- 2003
Harvard historian Laurie Kahn-Leavitt (A Midwife's Tale) writes and directs the documentary film Tupperware!, narrated by Kathy Bates. She and her team spent a year doing research at the Smithsonian Archives and interviewing around 300 people involved with the company. The story starts with the invention of Tupperware by scientist Earl Silas Tupper. Then homemaker Brownie Wise got the idea to sell Tupperware to other housewives through the magic of Tupperware home parties. In 1958, the business partnership between Tupper and Wise ended, but Tupperware ladies continued to proliferate. As a lucrative business, Tupperware marked a time of social change where many different classes of women were encouraged to become financially independent. Tupperware! is scheduled for a 2004 broadcast on PBS as part of the American Experience series. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Lisa (Lili Taylor) has been missing for two weeks, leaving Nate (Peter Krause) to stew and the rest of the family to slowly lose hope. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- her certainty that her daughter-in-law is dead, Ruth (Frances Conroy) plunges into a new romance with George Sibley (James Cromwell), the handsome mourner who comforted her during a recent funeral (see "Death Works Overtime"). The Fisher matriarch even toys with wedding her new beau until she learns of his six previous marriages and decides to proceed more carefully. David (Michael C. Hall), in contrast, decides the time for caution is over. After impulsively sleeping with his friend Patrick (David Hornsby), he dumps Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) and moves out of their apartment. Nate, too, goes in for some reckless sex; he beds Allison Williman (Anne Dudek), the troubled daughter of a serial killer (Graham Beckel) who recently received the death penalty and was buried by Fisher and Diaz. Afterwards, however, Nate feels just as empty and distraught about Lisa as ever. Not that he's ready for comfort -- at least not from Brenda (Rachel Griffiths), who gets an angry brush-off when she turns up at the house to offer her support. But Claire (Lauren Ambrose), who just happens to witness the end of their argument, does receive some assistance from Brenda, who agrees to accompany her on a trip to an abortion clinic. Originally broadcast May 18, 2003, on HBO, "Twilight" marked season three, episode 12 of the made-for-cable drama. Although her character, Bettina, had been absent from the show since mid-season, actress/director Kathy Bates steps in to helm this episode. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
