Signs and Wonders (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Maurice Phillips

Writer:

Michael Eaton (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Claire Palmore (Jodhi May) is caught in the web of a dangerous religious cult. Her mother (Prunella Scales) hires a cult de-programmer (James Earl Jones) who must rescue her before it's too late. |

Plot Keywords:

Deprogramming | Cult

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Earl Jones	...	Diamond
Prunella Scales	...	Elizabeth Palmore
David Warner	...	Rev Timothy Palmore
Jodhi May	...	Claire Palmore
Michael Maloney	...	Stephen Palmore
Donald Pleasence	...	Cornelius Van Damm
David Rasche	...	Brother Nahum
William Chubb	...	Piers Dearbourne
Ric Young	...	Father Mercy
Sean Harris	...	Carl Maynard
Ricky Dean Logan	...	Daniel
Colin Farrell	...	Samuel Gamston
Alex Norton	...	William Gimble
Debora Weston	...	Sherry Rossen
Gavin Harrison	...	Brandon
Tim Ransom	...	Scut
Billie Neal	...	Sidnee
Joe Minjares	...	Agent Santamaria
Lily Mariye	...	Agent Sung
Colin Bower	...	Geoffrey
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ted Barba	...	Rocker 1
Adam Berman	...	Benjamin Palmore
Rick Bowan	...	Miner 2
Darwyn Carson	...	Female Sheriff
Mike Chapman	...	Miner 1
Wendy Clifford	...	Flight Attendant
Katharine Cohen	...	Lindi
Keith Frederick	...	Special Branch Officer
Marlene Galan	...	TV Reporter
Susan Gardner	...	Management Lecturer
Rebecca Greene	...	Cult Member
Tina Harris	...	A&E Nurse
Jane Jenkins	...	Receptionist
John Kingsley	...	Forestry Lecturer
Judy Liebert	...	Vice Chancellor
Joseph Anthony Macias	...	Taxi Driver
Tanya Myers	...	Miner's Relative
Jeanette O'Connor	...	Waitress
Dave Perks	...	Orderly
Jack Rader	...	LAPD Detective
Arthur Senzy	...	Male Sheriff
Melanie Sharpe	...	Ward Nurse
Brandhen Snyder	...	David
Hal Sparks	...	Rocker 2
Patrick Wildgust	...	Hospital Helper
Erick Bieger	...	Pimp (uncredited)

Directed by
Maurice Phillips

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Eaton		writer

Produced by
David Newcombe	....	associate producer
Elaine Steel	....	producer
Michael Wearing	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Daemion Barry

Cinematography by
John McGlashan

Film Editing by
Masahiro Hirakubo

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Roger Cann

Art Direction by
Gershon Ginsburg
Felicity Joll

Costume Design by
Jackie Vernon
Hilary Wright

Makeup Department
June Brickman	....	makeup assistant: USA
Nicola Matthews	....	makeup assistant
Victoria Voller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robb F. Dalton	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lennie Appelquist	....	third assistant director: USA
Chris Ballantyne	....	first assistant director
Rowan Clarke	....	third assistant director
Theo de Rosé	....	first assistant director (as Theo De Rose)
Mark A. Freid	....	additional assistant director: USA
Heather Kritzer	....	second assistant director: USA
Oak O'Connor	....	first assistant director
Debbi Slater	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Graham Bishop	....	production buyer
Dave Channon	....	construction manager
Melinda Ritz	....	production buyer: USA
Drew Williams	....	leadman

Sound Department
Ross Adams	....	dubbing editor
Mike Donald	....	boom operator
Mike Dowson	....	dubbing mixer
Nigel Galt	....	dubbing editor
Richard Geerts	....	boom operator: U.S.
Patrick Hanson	....	sound recordist: USA
Graham Ross	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects designer

Stunts
Chuck Borden	....	stunts
Anita Hart	....	stunts
Claudette James	....	stunt double
Claudette James	....	stunts
Colin Skeaping	....	stunt coordinator
Jerry Spicer	....	stunt coordinator: USA

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin M. Andersen	....	electrician: USA
Joe Celeste	....	grip: USA (as Joseph Celeste)
Rick Faigh	....	best boy: USA
John Hembrough	....	focus puller
Shelley Hirst	....	focus puller: USA
Nigel Kirton	....	Steadicam operator
Roger Lowe	....	best boy
Jim Moriarity	....	grip: USA
Ronan Murphy	....	grip
Larry S. Prinz	....	gaffer (as Larry Prinz)
Jane Waldock	....	clapper loader
Sarah Wheat Thomas	....	clapper loader: USA

Casting Department
Amy McIntyre Britt	....	casting assistant (as Amy McIntyre)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Justine Brady	....	costume design assistant: USA
Giles Gale	....	costume design assistant

Editorial Department
Emma Matthews	....	assistant film editor

Transportation Department
Robert J. Young	....	driver

Other crew
Frances Alcock	....	script supervisor
Cahal Bannon	....	programme budget assistant
Carole Beams	....	production coordinator: USA
Teri Fischer	....	programme budget assistant: USA
Mark A. Freid	....	production runner: USA (as Mark Freid)
Lisa Gravelle	....	location manager
Carlos Healy	....	assistant to director
Barry Jones	....	location manager: USA
Alison Liddle	....	location manager
Alice Mascarenhas	....	production runner
Una Saplamides	....	production coordinator
Daniel E. Tibbets	....	production coordinator: USA

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Cinnabar Films
• Pinnacle Communications Inc.

Runtime:

UK:60 min (4 episodes)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Overlong, but astonishing performances.

Anglo-American co-production focusing on the Palmore family, each of whom has a crisis of faith: the father loses his congregation to a rival preacher and his faith in God; the mother reconsiders her marriage, and the son - a university lecturer - discovers that the philosophy to which he devoted his career is a Nazi sham. The inter-connecting stories each have some extremely powerful moments (Christ appearing to Warner; an extremely eerie confrontation between Maloney and Pleasence), but generally feel plodding; interfering with the main story-line of the Palmore daughter in LA.

Jodhi May plays a member of the Mercy Mission of Divine Revelation, kidnapped by "exit counsellor" James Earl Jones (in her mother's employ), who slowly tries to reverse-brainwash her. May initially hallucinates that he is Satan, but quickly proves herself an extremely quick-witted woman who angrily battles him point by point in logical debate, before collapsing under the emotional strain.

Under chase from the FBI, the American section is fast-paced and nail-biting; scenes between May and Earl Jones are terrifying. May's relationship with her mother is extremely emotionally affecting (such as the scene where she first hugs her then, distraught, beats her, declaring "You're nothing to me") - and the whole series should be watched for Jodhi May's peerless performance. If only it had been a two-hour film focusing on the one plot, however; the writer's only flaw is trying to build up suspense by frequently inserting slow, dull scenes about the Palmore men.