Lawrence Konner

Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), an Oakland State University Ph.D. student, is hired as an Art History instructor at Wellesley College for the 1953/54 school year. She is not an obvious choice as Wellesley is an exclusive upper crust institution where its faculty, students and alumni generally look down upon "State" universities. President Jocelyn Carr (Marian Seldes) runs Wellesley, the most conservation institution in the United States. Katherine intends to complete her PhD and is on probation at Wellesley for the first year. Katherine quickly learns that her paper credentials do affect how her students treat her. She also learns that the students are book smart, but do not know how to think for themselves. Their parents and the school administration foster a predetermined path in life for the girls, namely, to stick to traditional mores and thoughts, with the primary goal of marrying into a good family. Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst), Joan (Julia Stiles), Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Susan Delacorte (Laura Allen) & Connie (Ginnifer Goodwin) are Katherine's students in her art class & have read the entire books before the first class. They imply that Katherine can't impart any more knowledge & rudely leave her class. Amanda (Juliet Stevenson) & Nancy (Marcia Gay Harden) are Kath's apartment mates as she chose not to live in the college dorm due to its no male visitor rules. Nancy teaches speech, elocution and poise. Amanda is the College nurse and is a lesbian. Her companion was a teacher at the college who taught biology and has recently died. Bill Dunbar (Dominic West) is a fellow teacher at the college and has a reputation of sleeping with his students. Betty writes editorials in the school newspaper and has an out-sized influence on forming popular opinion on critical topics. There are pockets of free thinking among faculty and the students, but those thoughts and associated actions are generally quashed by the overall tone of the school. Katherine decides to instill into her students her own beliefs of what is important in learning. She starts her next class by bringing topics and images from art history that are not in the prescribed books and encourages debate on their relative merits and demerits. Betty is ultra conservative & looks down upon any thoughts of women's liberation. Giselle is an erotic woman. Giselle is willing to accept that woman like Katherine can choose to have a life without a husband and a family, but Betty is unwilling to accept the possibility that any woman would want a career over a family. Giselle agrees with Katherine that a woman's only role is not to oversee the advancement of her husband. Amanda is the school nurse & distributes contraceptives. Betty finds out, writes an article & gets Amanda fired via her mother (Donna Mitchell) who is the president of alumni association. Kath finds that Joan has ambitions to go to Yale for Law but is willing to sacrifice all for marriage. She encourages Joan to apply. Joan has a rich family boyfriend named Tommy (Topher Grace). Betty meanwhile sees Joan as her lifelong friend, getting married to rich families & raising kids in adjacent houses. Beth tells Joan that her fiance Spencer are good friends, and that Tommy is looking for an engagement ring for Joan. Meanwhile, Kath notices that Giselle is trying to get close to Bill Dunbar. In reality they had a falling out as Bill moved on to other conquests. Giselle gets jealous when she sees Dunbar making a love for Katherine. Giselle begs Dunbar to take her back, but he refuses and moves on. Betty gets married to Spencer Jones (Jordan Bridges) while in school. As Betty leaves for her honeymoon the mood in the class improves as they start to appreciate other perspectives. Joan tells her she has been accepted to Yale & Betty is furious. Kath's boyfriend Paul (John Slattery) is visiting her over Christmas & she makes him sleep on the sofa due to Nancy's stupid house rules. Paul proposes to Kath, but she refuses. Betty misses 6 classes due to her honeymoon & Kath threaten to fail her. Betty threatens consequences if she fails her. Betty tells Kath not to disrespect their traditions, just because she is subversive, while Kath wants her not to disrespect the class just because she is married. In her next editorial, Betty takes the shot at Katherine & says she is threatening the established marriage values & traditions at Wesley by encouraging girls to forsake marriage for their other ambitions in life. Kath is hurt that she is being criticized for training tomorrow's leaders & not their wives. Katherine makes the students realize that the smartest girls in the country are being trained not to think for themselves in the name of tradition. She demonstrates how all contemporary art is designed to berate any free-thinking woman and idolize the ones who are wiling to sacrifice their lives at the altar of marriage. Dunbar makes Kath realize that changes take time and that she needs to allow the college to catch up with her thinking. Dunbar calls her the Mona Lisa, for her smile. Kath has sex with Dunbar. As the news of this affair spreads, Kath is judged by Nancy. Connie is dating Charlie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Betty's cousin. Connie is from a normal family & not filthy rich like Betty. Betty manipulates Connie into believing that she was Charlie's mistress as he was already seeing a rich girl. Connie stops meeting Charlie & later she finds out that Charlie had no girl friend at that time & Betty just didn't want Connie as part of her family. Connie reconciles with Charlie. Then Kath finds that even though Joan was accepted into Yale, that she would get married to Tommy & give up on Yale. Joan says to Kath that this was her choice. Joan says that not every housewife is a sellout of her dreams and ambitions. Betty criticizes Giselle for being a prostitute (for sleeping with Dunbar earlier and now having an affair with yet another older married man) but is hiding her own pain of her husband having an affair with another woman (Giselle saw Spencer in town with another girl in his arms). Giselle hugs Betty and she completely breaks down in her arms. At the year end, enrollments for Kath's class for next year are the highest for any faculty. So, the board of directors extend their offer of employment to Kath conditionally to her accepting that she would only teach the prescribed syllabus & submit her class plans in advance for review & change, with Betty as her strongest supporter. Kath meets Bill's friend Stan and finds that Bill has never been to Europe (Bill had claimed he was an Italian) and had lied to her about everything. Kath breaks up with Bill. By the end of the year, Kath's class fully accepts Kath & even discussed art in its true form. Betty files for divorce & gets an apartment with Giselle. Kath quits college & leaves for Europe.

While protecting an autistic boy who cracks a secret government code, FBI agent Art Jeffries leads us through an action-packed thriller with government assassins at every turn.

After years of war, the Federation and the Klingons are nearing peace when a Klingon ship faces an apparent attack from the Enterprise, leading to what may be their deadliest encounter.

An escaped con, on the run from the law, moves into a married couple's house and takes over their lives. Psychotic criminal, Michael Bosworth's about to go on trial. But prior to doing so, he cons his lawyer into helping him escape. As the pair try to make their getaway, she's left behind. He decides to wait for her to come to him. He hides out at the house of the Cornells. Now it appears the Cornells have problems of their own. The husband and wife are separated, and there's an FBI agent after them who's using the lawyer to lead them to Bosworth. —<rcs0411@yahoo.com>

After declaring that he intends to rid the world of all nuclear weapons, Superman must defeat Lex Luthor`s Nuclear Man, who fights him around the world and even in outer space.

In Corpus Christi, Texas, teenagers Billie Jean Davy (Helen Slater) and her younger brother Binx (Christian Slater) drive to a lake, and while they swim, a bully named Hubie Pyatt (Barry Tubb) and his gang steals Binx's motorbike. Billie Jean reports the theft to police, but Lieutenant Ringwald (Peter Coyote) tells her to wait two days for Hubie to return it on his own before he gets involved. Billie Jean goes home and finds the damaged scooter, and her brother bloody and beaten after retrieving the bike himself. Billie Jean visits Hubie at his father's surf shop, and gives him a $608 bill for damages. Hubie's father, Mr. Pyatt (Richard Bradford), agrees to give Billie Jean the money, but when he gets her alone, he gives her only $50, and tries to assault her. Binx and their neighbor Ophelia (Martha Gehman) wait outside for Billie Jean. When she takes too long, they enter the empty shop, and Binx opens the register, planning to take the money he is owed, but instead finds a gun. When Billie Jean runs into the room with Pyatt chasing after her, Binx points the gun at him and demands his sister's release. Hubie enters the shop and his father falsely accuses Billie Jean and Binx of attempted robbery, and tells Hubie to call police. Pyatt walks toward Binx and tells him the gun is not loaded. Binx checks the chamber for bullets, and the gun accidentally goes off, shooting Pyatt in the chest. The teens flee, and Billie Jean wants to go to the police, but Ophelia insists they will not believe their story. Instead, they return home, pack a few items, and go on the run, with their young neighbor, Putter (Yeardley Smith), tagging along. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Ringwald learns that Billie Jean and Binx were involved in a robbery, and blames himself for not properly handling their initial complaint. The teens listen to news of the shooting on the radio, but are not sure if Pyatt is alive. When they stop for food at a gas station, some teenagers approach Billie Jean with her picture in the newspaper and ask for her autograph. They buy the runaways some groceries, and treat them as heroes. Billie Jean and Binx are relieved to learn that Pyatt is in good condition. Billie Jean telephones Lt. Ringwald and the fugitives agree to turn themselves in, on the condition that Pyatt pay the $608 they are owed. Billie Jean agrees to meet Ringwald the following day at a shopping mall. Her photograph is posted around town, and she develops a following among her peers. Pyatt refuses to pay the money, so Ringwald donates his own $608 to make things right, and Pyatt gives Billie Jean the money, as if it came from him. At the hand-off, Pyatt continues to sexually threaten Billie Jean, and has Hubie attempt to grab her. She runs away as Hubie and Ringwald's officers chase after. Ringwald is furious with Pyatt, and tries to help the teens, but Binx points a toy gun at the Lieutenant before they drive away. On the run again, Billie Jean's legend grows. The runaways seek food and shelter in what they think is in empty mansion. While exploring, Billie Jean enters a room full of Halloween decorations, and the homeowner's son, Lloyd Muldaur (Keith Gordon), playfully sneaks up on her wearing a mask. She kicks him, and he removes the mask to reveal he is her age. Lloyd recognizes the "outlaws," and welcomes them into his home. They watch the television news and hear untrue stories being spread about them. On another channel, Billie Jean sees a movie about Joan of Arc. Lloyd regales the story of how she was a hero who sacrificed herself, and Billie Jean becomes inspired. She instructs Lloyd to get a video camera prepared so she can record a message. Billie Jean cuts off her long blonde hair in the short style of Joan of Arc, puts on a colored wet suit with the sleeves ripped off, and records a message claiming her innocence. The teens leave so they do not get Lloyd into trouble, but he suggests they use him as a hostage to get their demands met. Billie Jean sneaks her videotaped message into the police station and on television. In the video, she demands Pyatt pay her the $608 for the scooter repair claiming, "fair is fair," and her supporters begin using the phrase as a slogan. Ringwald investigates Lloyd's home and surmises the teens are working together. Lloyd's wealthy father Mr. Muldaur (Dean Stockwell) offers $10,000 for his son's safe return, but Lloyd is insulted at the bargain-basement ransom amount. Pyatt sells T-shirts and souvenirs with Billie Jean's name and image on them. While her friends are in a store, children approach Billie Jean and ask her to help their friend, Kenny, who is being abused by his father. They lead her to Kenny's home, and when Billie Jean enters, the boy's father recognizes her from the news, and sees the large group of children gathered outside his window. He allows his son to leave with Billie Jean, and she announces to her followers that Kenny will be moving in with his grandmother. As the teens drive away, a local man shoots at them, hoping to capture Billie Jean for the reward money. He chases the teenagers down city streets and shoots their tire, before his own truck flips over. The teens rest for the night and discuss going to Vermont, where Binx has long dreamed of visiting. Lloyd advises they stay in town to clear their names, and kisses Billie Jean. To prevent Ophelia and Putter from getting into trouble, Billie Jean waits until the girls are asleep, and reports their whereabouts to Ringwald. Binx, Lloyd and Billie Jean make their way to a country club and discuss stealing a vehicle, but Billie Jean does not want to commit yet another crime. However, Binx attempts to steal an automobile, and is chased by security guards. The teens become separated, and Billie Jean is offered a ride by a girl sporting her same short hairstyle. Elsewhere, Ringwald questions Ophelia and Putter at the police station, and several girls with short hair turn themselves in, claiming to be Billie Jean. Meanwhile, Billie Jean gets a series of rides from several look-alikes. She goes to an abandoned carnival where she reunites with Binx and Lloyd. Ringwald follows a lead that takes him to their hideout. While they remain hidden, Ringwald shouts out an offer to repair Binx's motorbike and drop the charges if the runaways turn themselves in. Sometime later, Billie Jean telephones the lieutenant and accepts the offer, agreeing to meet at a beach side "Billie Jean Day" event. Ringwald awaits her arrival, and is alarmed that someone has called in snipers. At the exchange, Binx disguises himself as Billie Jean, holding a toy gun to Lloyd's back, while Billie Jean hides in the crowd, wearing a wig. Billie Jean sees a brand new scooter, and confirms that the deal is legitimate. Hubie recognizes Binx, and when Binx waves his gun towards Hubie to quiet him, the snipers shoot Billie Jean's impersonator in the shoulder. Mayhem ensues. Billie Jean slips away unnoticed as she chases after the ambulance carrying her brother. When Billie Jean sees Pyatt selling souvenirs with her image on them, she removes her wig and confronts him. A crowd of onlookers and TV camera crews gather, and Pyatt agrees to give her the money. However, she realizes that Lloyd's father, not Pyatt, paid for the new scooter awaiting her brother, and refuses to accept the offer. Billie Jean insults him and reveals in front of the crowd that he tried to sexually assault her. She kicks him and throws the money in his face. A torch is knocked over and burns his display booth, but no one comes to his aid, and the fire spreads throughout the event. Sometime later, Billie Jean and Binx arrive in wintry, snow-covered Vermont. Binx (with his arm in a sling and recovering from his gunshot wound) claims that the weather is too cold as they continue to hitchhike. Binx sees a snowmobile parked nearby at the rest stop they are at and gets an idea.... implying that he and Billie Jean plan to steal it. Fade out.