John Getz Movies

Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) teams with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) to explore the meaning of success in the early 21st century from the perspectives of the technological innovators who revolutionized the way we all communicate. The year was 2003. As prohibitively expensive technology became affordable to the masses and the Internet made it easy to stay in touch with people who were halfway across the world, Harvard undergrad and computer programming wizard Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) launched a website with the potential to alter the very fabric of our society. At the time, Zuckerberg was just six years away from making his first million. But his hearty payday would come at a high price, because despite all of Zuckerberg's wealth and success, his personal life began to suffer as he became mired in legal disputes, and discovered that many of the 500 million people he had friended during his rise to the top were eager to see him fall. Chief among that growing list of detractors was Zuckerberg's former college friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), whose generous financial contributions to Facebook served as the seed that helped the company to sprout. And some might argue that Zuckerberg's bold venture wouldn't have evolved into the cultural juggernaut that it ultimately became had Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) not spread the word about Facebook to the venture capitalists from Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence) engage Zuckerberg in a fierce courtroom battle for ownership of Facebook that left many suspecting the young entrepreneur might have let his greed eclipse his better judgment. The Social Network was based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Filmmaker Bill Guttentag takes a closer look at the atrocities committed by the Japanese after Nanking fell to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1937 with this documentary that was inspired by Iris Chang's novel The Rape of Nanking. Compiled from over 700 hours of footage including news-reel footage, interviews with survivors and soldiers, and staged readings, Nanking was financed in large by millionaire Ted Leonsis, who had read Chang's obituary and subsequently been prompted to read the author's best-selling account of the massacre. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Amanda Goodwin's Living 'Til the End concerns a man who, after being told by a psychic that he will die on his next birthday, decides to set up his life so that he never has to leave his apartment. His phobia about the prediction coming true manifests itself as a form of severe agoraphobia. The first challenge to his fear comes from a female neighbor, a pretty young woman who is also dying. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Marking the directorial debut of Sergio Arau, son of Like Water for Chocolate director Alfonso Arau, A Day Without a Mexican ponders the potentially catastrophic results that would occur if California-based Mexicans, who make up over a third of the state's population, were to suddenly disappear. The mockumentary postulates that the lack of Latino gardeners, nannies, cooks, policeman, maids, teachers, farm workers, construction crews, entertainers, athletes, and the world's largest growing consumer market would create a social, political, and economic disaster, leaving the concept of the "California Dream" in shambles. A Day Without a Mexican proved controversial even before its release: promotional billboards reading "On May 14th, there will be no Mexicans in California" caused a stir with immigrant rights groups, who believed the sign was a statement against the Latino community. The film stars Yareli Arizmendi, John Getz, Maureen Flannigan, and Muse Watson. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

The body of a woman, infested with bugs and insects, is found in the desert. Grissom (William L. Petersen) does not follow the conventional wisdom that the woman's husband is responsible. In other developments, a missing person's car turns up unexpectedly at a bus station, several valuable art treasures are stolen, and Warrick (Gary Dourdan) is suspected of gambling while on duty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the non-fiction best-seller, The Late Shift is an irreverent, behind-the-scenes look at the conflict over who would succeed Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno or David Letterman. Beginning with Carson's retirement, the made-for-cable film follows the backstage manueverings of both camps. When NBC chooses, Letterman refuses to lose quietly. Hosting The Tonight Show has been his life-long dream, and he is willing to do whatever it takes, even hiring an agent, to get what he wants. Indeed, Letterman soon finds himself working with ultra-powerful Hollywood agent Mike Ovitz and receiving huge offers from competing networks. Meanwhile, NBC has more trouble with the Leno Tonight Show than expected, thanks to Leno's manager Helen Kushnick (Kathy Bates). Kushnick's acerbic, foul-mouthed manner and increasingly petty behavior infuriates the higher-ups at NBC -- so much so that some suggest they give the show to Letterman after all. A series of intense negotiations follows, under the shadow of ludicrously frenzied media attention. While the presentation of both Leno and Letterman (played by unknowns Daniel Roebuck and John Michael Higgins, respectively) is fairly sympathetic, the film is far-less charitable to Kushnick and NBC executives. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Appointed honorary commodore of the World's Cup Regatta, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) bears witness to the intense rivalry between yachtsmen Kyle Kimball (John Getz) and Ned Larkin (Steve Forrest). Sustaining a pre-race injury, Larkin turns the command of his vessel "Free Spirit" over to his daughter Anne (Andrea Parker). Then, two days before the race, Kyle is murdered--and Anne finds herself the number one suspect. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Country music star Dwight Yoakam plays a rodeo clown in this actioner. Virgil Kidder is running from his girlfriend and his son. He left them seven years ago and finds a haven working in small-time rodeos. At night he occupies himself with brief, meaningless affairs. As the story really opens Virgil is pushed by his old buddy Brownie to return to Waco and face his past. Among those he must deal with is Sheriff Gil Acuff who blames Virgil for his debilitating rodeo accident. Soon after his arrival to town, Acuff's delusional niece, who thinks she is a vampire, is found dead in Virgil's car with a stake protruding from her chest. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A woman who believes in a troubled child must go against the law in order to help her in this made-for-TV drama, inspired by a true story. Six-year-old Caitlin is a deeply disturbed child whose violent and disruptive behavior prevents her from attending school or day care with other youngsters. However, special-education teacher Maggie Barnard (Cathy Lee Crosby) senses that there is a great intelligence in Caitlin, and she believes Caitlin can be taught if someone can find out how to reach her. However, not everyone Maggie works with agrees with her assessment, and as she attempts to break through the walls of anger and abuse that surround Caitlin's mind, she must also do battle with a system that sometimes does more harm than good to kids. Based on a true story, Untamed Love also features John Getz, Gary Frank, and Frank Novak. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Blood, sweat, and betrayal in the South East Asian jungles is what drives this action thriller about sleazy Canadian diplomat Carl Pimmler (Michael Ironside), who sends Peter Kernan (Matt Salinger) and his wife Johanna (Sam Jenkins) into deepest, darkest Cambodia to deliver "medicine." When the two realize the true nature of the items they are toting, they struggle to flee for their lives. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Following an temporary insanity acquittal of her daughter's rapist and murderer, a mother goes after the criminal. ~ Rovi

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

A pair of garbage workers (Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez) are shocked to find the body of a city councilman in one of their trash cans. With help from a supervisor (Keith David), the duo must solve the case and find the man's killer while hiding the body from the cops. Estevez also directed and provided the screenplay for Men at Work. ~ John Bush, Rovi