Actor Mel Gibson (1956)

What Women Want (2000) is an American romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Nancy Meyers, and featuring the talents of Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. Nick Marshall, a Chicago advertising executive, was raised by his mother, a showgirl in Las Vegas. Surrounded by beautiful women who treated him as their cherished mascot, and with rough casino men as his guides, Nick grew up to become a skilled chauvinist who excels at selling products to men and wooing women. When his boss at Sloane Curtis unexpectedly hires top competitor ...

Chicken Run (2000) is an animated comedy film, a joint production of Pathé, Aardman Animations, and DreamWorks Animation. Set in the Yorkshire countryside, the film follows a flock of chickens living on an egg farm that resembles a prisoner-of-war camp. The farm is under the control of Mrs Tweedy and her husband, Mr Tweedy, who have no qualms about killing and eating any chicken that can no longer lay eggs. Led by the rebellious Ginger, the chickens continuously devise new escape plans but are always caught. Despite Mr Tweedy’s suspicions that they are organizing resistance, his wife dismisses his theories while becoming increasingly frustrated with their meager ...

Payback (1999) is an American neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut. Porter, a career thief and former U.S. Marine, has been shot and betrayed for $70,000. Following months of recovery, he takes matters into his own hands, using a series of petty thefts and short cons to obtain cash, a new suit, and a revolver. He had previously stolen $140,000 from a local Chinese Triad with the help of his partner-in-crime Val Resnick. However, things took a turn when Val manipulated Porter’s wife Lynn into thinking that he was having an affair with Rosie, a call girl he ...

The American buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), was directed and produced by Richard Donner. Pregnant LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs and his partner Lorna Cole were not married, but the idea had crossed their minds. Meanwhile, the daughter of Riggs’ fellow sergeant Roger Murtaugh, Rianne, was also expecting a child. Due to issues with their department’s insurance carrier regarding their behavior as sergeants, Police Chief Murphy promotes them to captains. Along with Leo Getz, they stumble upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after accidentally grounding an oceangoing vessel. Unfortunately, the ...

Conspiracy Theory (1997), a political action thriller directed by Richard Donner, follows the events surrounding New York City taxi driver and self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist Jerry Fletcher. Jerry frequently shares his ideas with Alice Sutton, a lawyer at the U.S. Justice Department whom he once saved from a mugging. Unbeknownst to her, Jerry also spies on her at her home. Meanwhile, Alice is focused on solving the mystery of her father’s murder. In a state of paranoia, Jerry becomes convinced that he has uncovered CIA agents and follows them into a building, where he is captured. During interrogation, he is ...

Ransom (1996) is an American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. While billionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean disappears from their sight. He is taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, the Mullens’ caterer, along with brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes, and tech expert Miles Roberts. As it turns out, NYPD Detective Jimmy Shaker, who is dating Maris, is the man behind Sean’s kidnapping. The kidnappers send an email ...

The American animated musical historical drama film, titled Pocahontas (1995), follows the story of a Powhatan woman named Pocahontas and the arrival of English settlers from the Virginia Company. Set in 1607, the Susan Constant sets sail from London to the New World with Captain John Smith and other settlers on board. Excited by the prospect of adventure, finding gold, and fighting ‘Injuns’, they hope to make a new home in this foreign land. Meanwhile, in Werowocomoco, Tsenacommacah, Virginia, Pocahontas is faced with the possibility of marrying Kocoum, a serious warrior who does not share her free-spirited nature. After receiving a vision of a spinning ...

Braveheart (1995) is an epic historical drama set in late-13th century Scotland. Directed and produced by Mel Gibson, the film follows Sir William Wallace, a brave Scottish warrior who leads his people in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. After the Scots’ king dies without an heir, Edward I, also known as ‘Longshanks’, conquers Scotland in 1280. Witnessing the brutal execution of several Scottish nobles by Longshanks, young William Wallace loses both his father and brother when they resist the English. He then goes to live with his uncle, Argyll. As years pass, ...

Maverick (1994), directed by Richard Donner, is an American Western comedy film. In the American Old West, gambler Bret Maverick is en route to a major five-card draw poker tournament on the paddle steamer Lauren Belle. His intention? To prove that he is the best card player alive. However, he is $3,000 short of the $25,000 entry fee. To make up for this deficit, Maverick heads to Crystal River to collect on debts and earn some poker winnings. During one game in town, he crosses paths with two interesting characters – ill-tempered gambler Angel and young con artist Annabelle Bransford. Although Maverick manages to ...

The American drama film, The Man Without a Face (1993), marks both the directorial debut and starring role of Mel Gibson. Based on the 1972 novel by Isabelle Holland with the same title, the story follows Justin McLeod, a reclusive painter who has been living in solitude for the past seven years due to a car accident that left him disfigured on one side of his face and with chest burns from the ensuing fire. Meanwhile, Chuck Norstadt struggles in his relationship with his gifted sisters and overbearing mother. When Chuck’s frustration leads to an act of vandalism, ...

Forever Young (1992) is an American fantasy romantic drama film directed by Steve Miner. In 1939, Captain Daniel McCormick, a United States Army Air Corps test pilot, successfully lands a prototype North American B-25 Mitchell bomber at Alexander Field in Northern California. As he reunites with his longtime friend and scientist Harry Finely, McCormick learns of Finley’s latest experiment: ‘Project B’, which involves cryonic freezing. The next day, as McCormick plans to propose to his girlfriend Helen, she falls into a coma after a car accident and doctors fear for her recovery. Grief-stricken, ...

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), an action flick directed by Richard Donner and written by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen, follows the last days of Sergeant Roger Murtaugh’s career at the L.A.P.D. Alongside his partner Martin Riggs, they are reassigned to street patrol after a failed attempt to defuse a bomb in an office building. While on duty, they witness the theft of an armored car and with the help of driver Delores, manage to stop the crime. Although one of the thieves escapes, the other is apprehended. It is later ...

The drama film Hamlet (1990), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy. After the death of his father, the King, Hamlet returns to Denmark where he discovers that his mother Gertrude has married his uncle Claudius, who is now the new King. Both Gertrude and Claudius encourage Hamlet to marry Ophelia, but soon he is visited by the ghost of his father. The ghost reveals that he was murdered by Claudius and Gertrude, leaving Hamlet with a difficult decision between passively accepting his fate or seeking revenge, which could have tragic ...

Bird on a Wire (1990), directed by John Badham, tells the story of Attorney Marianne ‘Muffie’ Graves and her unexpected encounter with her former fiancé Rick Jarmin. While in Detroit for a business deal, Marianne discovers that Rick, who she believed to be dead after a plane crash, is actually alive and living under an assumed identity as part of the Witness Protection Program. After witnessing an attempt on his life by DEA agents Eugene Sorenson and Albert ‘Diggs’ Diggins – who were released from prison due to Rick’s testimony – Marianne decides to help Rick go on the run. She ...

Director Roger Spottiswoode’s comedy film, Air America (1990), follows the story of Billy Covington, a helicopter pilot whose license was suspended for violating safety regulations. Despite his rebellious nature, Billy catches the attention of a government agent who recruits him to work for Air America – an allegedly civilian company that is actually a front for CIA operations in Laos. Once there, he meets the unconventional pilots and becomes close with Gene Ryack, a seasoned pilot who uses his official flights to buy illegal weapons for personal use. Gene plans to save enough money through this job to ...

Richard Donner directed the American buddy cop action comedy film, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Two years after the first film, LAPD sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh chase unknown drug suspects and discover they were actually transporting a shipment of illegal gold Krugerrand coins from the South African government under apartheid. Following this, consul-general Arjen Rudd and security agent Pieter Vorstedt eliminate Hans, who had lost the Krugerrands, and consider ways to divert police attention from their activities. Pieter suggests deterring Murtaugh from pursuing the case and proceeds to invade his home. As a ...

Tequila Sunrise (1988) is a romantic crime flick penned and helmed by Robert Towne. Former drug dealer Dale ‘Mac’ McKussic is determined to leave his shady past behind. His longtime friend, Detective Lieutenant Nick Frescia from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, must uphold the law and arrest Mac if he resumes his illegal activities, as believed by DEA Agent Hal Maguire. Meanwhile, Mac finds himself attracted to Jo Ann Vallenari, a restaurant owner. As Nick delves deeper into Mac’s affairs, specifically his ties to Mexican drug lord Carlos, who is suspected of coming into town by DEA ...

Lethal Weapon (1987), an  American buddy cop film, was directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and also co-produced by Joel Silver. After the recent loss of his wife, Martin Riggs, a former Special Forces soldier and narcotics Sergeant in the LAPD, has become erratic and suicidal. The captain of the police department believes Riggs is pretending to be mentally unstable in order to retire with a large pension. As a result, he assigns Riggs to work with Roger Murtaugh, an experienced Homicide ...

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), an Australian action film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie with a screenplay by Miller and Terry Hayes, is set in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by ecocide and nuclear war. In this barren landscape, Max Rockatansky is traveling through the desert pulled by camels. However, his journey is interrupted when he is attacked by Jedediah, an airborne bandit, and his son who steal his vehicle. Determined to get it back, Max tracks ...

Directed by Mark Rydell, The River (1984) is an American drama film about the Garvey family – Tom and Mae, their children, and their struggle to make ends meet on their East Tennessee farm. Along with their neighbors, they have been facing challenges due to a weak economy and declining land values. The main issue for the Garveys is that their farmland is constantly prone to floods due to its proximity to a river. This situation is being exploited by powerful figures in the community such as Senator Neiswinder and the local bank. Adding to this misfortune is Joe Wade – a former resident who now owns the local mill and ...