Solid Acting Enhances Chills In ‘Kalifornia’
There’s a ton of talent in “Kalifornia,” a violent, rambling 1993 film that will have to be toned down a bit for its television appearance on FOX at 8.
David Duchovny (“The X-Files”) and Michelle Forbes (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) play a graduate student and his photographer girlfriend who share a cross-country ride with a tough couple (Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis).
The grad student’s dissertation is on serial killers.
Pitt, it turns out, is a cold-blooded murderer.
The psychological thrills give way to a formula cat-and-mouse game but a pretty good one nonetheless.
Highlights
“Roseanne,” ABC at 8: Art imitates art when the Connors’ life-after-the-lottery becomes fodder for a TV movie. But two network programers (Bob Einstein, Patty Ross) have different ideas.
One wants to make an incredibly boring movie. The other wants to sensationalize the story.
Meanwhile, Bev (Estelle Parsons) unknowingly blabs to a tabloid reporter.
“Childhood Sweetheart?” (1997), CBS at 9: Melissa Gilbert plays an emotionally troubled young woman who returns after disappearing 17 years earlier.
Remember “Caroline?” Sounds like the same movie, complete with the question-mark title.
Ronny Cox co-stars. Unavailable for review.
“Spin City,” ABC at 9:30: Marlee Matlin guest-stars as a community leader offended by the mayor’s new sign-language interpreter. It’s up to Michael (Michael J. Fox) to make peace.
Cable Calls
“Biography,” A&E at 5 and 9: A big part of Hollywood died when Henry Fonda passed away. Few actors matched his capacity to play disarming “Everyman” roles such as Tom Joad (“The Grapes of Wrath”), Wyatt Earp (“My Darling Clementine”) and Doug Roberts (“Mister Roberts”).
This hour focuses on his on-screen accomplishments as well as on the stubbornly unemotional personality that complicated his private life.
Jane and Peter Fonda are interviewed, along with Anthony Quinn, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Roddy McDowall.
“Hollywood Walk of Fame: America’s Street of Dreams,” AMC at 6:30 and 9: This fawning minidocumentary is more like a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce visitor’s film.
Johnny Grant, the “honorary mayor of Hollywood,” gushes about the stars he’s seen honored with a bronze star on Hollywood Boulevard. Vintage clips help ease the blabbering.