Melinda Dillon

Acting

Melinda Dillon

Born — Died

1939-10-13 — 2023-01-09

Place of birth

Hope, Arkansas, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

55 titles

Melinda Rose Dillon (October 13, 1939 - January 9, 2023) was a twice Oscar nominated American actress. She was best known for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Absence of Malice and the holiday classic A Christmas Story.

Known for

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster
8.0

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

Bonanza poster
7.5

The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

Bonanza

1959

Judging Amy poster
7.5

Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.

Judging Amy

1999

The Twilight Zone poster
7.7

This 1980s revival of the classic sci-fi series features a similar style to the original anthology series. Each episode tells a tale (sometimes two or three) rooted in horror or suspense, often with a surprising twist at the end. Episodes usually feature elements of drama and comedy.

The Twilight Zone

1985

The Defenders poster
6.3

The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series . It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing.

The Defenders

1961

The Jeffersons poster
7.3

Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.

The Jeffersons

1975

Film credits

2000s · 6 titles

Reign Over Me poster
7.2

A man who lost his family in the September 11 attack on New York City runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief.

Reign Over Me

2007

Debating Robert Lee poster
6.5

A group of jaded high school students sign up for a debate class taught by a tough, combative teacher from the Georgia Military Academy who teaches them that life is debate and DEBATE IS WAR.

Debating Robert Lee

2004

Adam & Steve poster
5.4

Adam and Steve are two gay youths who have a one-night stand that ends embarrassingly. Nearly two decades later, Adam, now a Manhattan tour guide, and Steve, a psychiatrist, meet again -- but neither remembers the other from years before. The two begin dating, even playing matchmaker for their friends Michael and Rhonda, but their promising relationship hits a major snag when Adam and Steve finally recall their past connection.

Adam & Steve

2005

A Painted House poster
7.1

A young boy, his family, and the migrant workers they hire to work their cotton farm struggle against difficult odds to raise and sell the crop. Meanwhile, the boy dreams of living in better conditions. However, with this particularly tough farming season, the boy learns that his challenges guide him in discovering who he really is.

A Painted House

2003

Cowboy Up poster
5.9

"Cowboy Up" is a celebration of the risk-taking, daredevil personalities of modern rodeo. In the world of professional bull riding, newcomer Ely Braxton (Marcus Thomas) is the craziest guy around; his brother Hank (Kiefer Sutherland) is a rodeo clown, and the two use each other to play up their acts. But love may be one thing that tears the brothers apart. When Ely falls for the rodeo's sweetheart (Daryl Hannah), Hank is filled with jealousy and hatred. The brothers try to come to grips with their differences, but the competition gets as fierce as the bulls in the ring.

Cowboy Up

2002

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' poster
7.1

A documentary film on the making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

2001

1990s · 13 titles

Magnolia poster
7.7

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.

Magnolia

1999

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar poster
7.5

Veteran drag queens Vida Boheme and Noxeema Jackson take novice Chi-Chi Rodriguez under their wing on a madcap road trip across the country to compete in the Drag Queen of America pageant in Los Angeles.

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

1995

Captain America poster
4.5

During World War II, a brave, patriotic American Soldier undergoes experiments to become a new supersoldier, "Captain America". Racing to Germany to sabotage the rockets of Nazi baddie "Red Skull", Captain America winds up frozen until the 1990s. He reawakens to find that the Red Skull has changed identities and is now planning to kidnap the President of the United States.

Captain America

1990

The Prince of Tides poster
6.6

A troubled Southern man talks to his suicidal sister's psychiatrist about their family history and falls in love with her (and New York City) in the process.

The Prince of Tides

1991

How to Make an American Quilt poster
6.4

Soon-to-be-wed graduate student Finn Dodd develops cold feet when she suspects her fiancé is cheating on her. In order to clear her head, Finn visits her grandmother, Hy, and great aunt, Glady Joe Cleary, in Grasse, Calif. There, Finn learns that Hy and Glady Joe are members of a group of passionate quilters, and over the course of her visit she is regaled with tales of love and life by women who have collected rich experiences and much wisdom.

How to Make an American Quilt

1995

Sioux City poster
5.1

A young Lakota Sioux, adopted by a wealthy Jewish couple in Beverly Hills, gets in touch with his cultural roots and solves a mystery in this thriller.

Sioux City

1994

Judgment Day: The John List Story poster
5.7

The pious John List regularly goes to church and is respected by his neighbours. But one day the police finds his wife Helen and their three children slayed in their house - obviously by John, who left two letters for the police and his priest and disappeared. Chief Richland is disgusted by the murder and starts an intensive investigation. In flashbacks we learn about the history of the disaster.

Judgment Day: The John List Story

1993

The Effects of Magic poster
4.5

A magician, aided by his talking magic bunny, joins forces with his previously estranged magician father, and together they fight the forces of evil to protect the art of magic.

The Effects of Magic

1998

Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge poster
6.7

This is a true story about the relationship between a mother and her daughter, and their struggle to make it to the top in the music world. It is about hopes and dreams... about relationships and about growing up.

Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge

1995

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil poster
5.4

Two men being questioned in a police station on Christmas Eve both confess to the murder of a cop. With both stories seeming plausible, an investigator is called in to determine which suspect is telling the truth - and why the other one is lying. Crime drama, starring James Earl Jones and Jason Bateman.

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil

1994

State of Emergency poster
5.7

Medical drama about a major hospital whose emergency room regularly faces an overload of patients. One of the doctors finds it necessary to adopt an unorthodox procedure to try to save a patient, and finds himself in trouble in consequence.

State of Emergency

1994

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas poster
5.8

Christmas abounds with traditions, from neighborhood carolers to lovingly decorated trees, but from where did all these rituals emerge? This enlightening program looks at the origins of the Western world's most popular Christmas traditions -- from the significance of December 25th and its relationship to winter solstice to the enchanting legend of Santa Claus and Prince Albert's 1841 unveiling of the Christmas tree.

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas

1997

Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story poster
5.4

The firebrand reporter, feminist and philanthropist Dorothy Day co-founds The Catholic Worker with Peter Maurin, an eccentric philosopher.

Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story

1996

1980s · 14 titles

A Christmas Story poster
7.2

The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.

A Christmas Story

1983

Harry and the Hendersons poster
6.1

Returning from a hunting trip in the forest, the Henderson family's car hits an animal in the road. At first they fear it was a man, but when they examine the "body" they find it's a "bigfoot". They think it's dead so they decide to take it home (there could be some money in this). As you guessed, it isn't dead. Far from being the ferocious monster they fear "Harry" to be, he's a friendly giant.

Harry and the Hendersons

1987

Absence of Malice poster
6.6

Megan Carter is a reporter duped into running an untrue story on Michael Gallagher, a suspected racketeer. He has an alibi for the time his crime was allegedly committed—but it involves an innocent party. When he tells Carter the truth and the newspaper runs it, tragedy follows, forcing Carter to face up to the responsibilities of her job when she is confronted by Gallagher.

Absence of Malice

1981

Spontaneous Combustion poster
4.7

A young man learns that his parents had been used in an atomic-weapons experiment shortly before his birth, and that the results have had some unexpected effects on him.

Spontaneous Combustion

1989

Right of Way poster
7.4

Miniature Dwyer is named after her mother, who was making miniature doll houses when Minnie was born. Minnie, too, has built doll houses for years, and when she learns that she is terminally ill, she and her husband Teddy begin planning their joint suicide. She makes sure that her dolls are placed with people who will appreciate and cherish them. The couple refuse to allow their grief-stricken daughter or the solicitous social worker or anyone else to forestall the death they are determined is right for them

Right of Way

1983

Songwriter poster
5.5

Doc Jenkins may be one of country music's most beloved stars, but his private life is a wreck. He's split up with his longtime partner, Blackie Buck, a country outlaw with a heart of gold. Doc's singer-wife, Honey Carder, has thrown him out of the house. And now he's gotten involved with a sleazy music manager, Rodeo Rocky, who's out to steal his material. Teaming up with Blackie, Doc takes drastic measures to win back his family and reclaim his songs.

Songwriter

1984

Nightbreaker poster
6.7

Dr. Alexander Brown arrives in Las Vegas, awarded for his recent medical invention. An ex-G.I. tells Brown he was a test subject during the 1950's, exposed to atomic bomb radiation in the Nevada desert-- will Brown help the man uncover the truth? In 1950's Nevada, Brown is a young psychiatrist and a guest of the U.S. Army, where soldiers were routinely exposed to excessive radiation. The young Brown and a colleague interview soldiers, who show their ignorance and insouciance in the face of this danger. The movie intercuts scenes between the young Alexander Brown and older Alexander Brown, some thirty years after the nuclear tests. Will the decorated psychiatrist finally speak out on the atrocity he witnessed?

Nightbreaker

1989

Fallen Angel poster
6.5

Twelve year old Jennifer is unhappy with her widowed mom's relationship with a family friend. Feeling lonely, she readily accepts the friendship of an adult man named Howie and joins the softball team he coaches. Soon, Howie is convincing Jennifer to pose for photographs which become more and more revealing. Howie turns out to be a pedophile who works in child pornography and he plans to make Jennifer a "star". Will Jennifer's mother be able to help her daughter before it's too late?

Fallen Angel

1981

Hellinger's Law poster
8.8

A flamboyant criminal lawyer named Nick Hellinger takes on the case of a syndicate's accountant (actually a Justice Department agent who has infiltrated the mob) accused of murdering a local TV newscaster.

Hellinger's Law

1981

Shattered Spirits poster
5.8

When his drinking problem takes control of his life, a father tries to leave the bottle behind while putting his and his family's lives back together.

Shattered Spirits

1986

Staying Together poster
5.4

After their father abruptly sells the beloved family-owned restaurant that has employed them for years, the charismatic McDermott boys - hot-tempered Brian (Quill), lovelorn Kit (Mulroney) and jokester Duncan (Astin) - find themselves at odds with their parents and each other.

Staying Together

1989

Shattered Innocence poster
6.7

A high school graduate leaves behind her modest life and finds work in the sex industry, but it ends in disaster. A dramatized account of the life of the adult actress Shauna Grant.

Shattered Innocence

1988

The Shadow Box poster
5.3

Over the course of a day in a California hospice, three terminally ill patients are observed with their families reflecting on life and death.

The Shadow Box

1980

Marriage Is Alive and Well poster
4.7

A talented wedding photographer, at a crossroads with his own marriage, reflects on tales of past clients and the hope, adversity and romance that holy matrimony brings. Starring as the photographer, football great Joe Namath narrates the unconventional tales of three couples: Judd Hirsch and Melinda Dillon as a twosome who have married and divorced multiple times and who are on the verge of repeating their mistake; an anxious newlywed who prefers the "freedom" that living together allows; and Jack Albertson as an aging comedian who wants to marry his much younger secretary despite the disapproval of his son.

Marriage Is Alive and Well

1980

1970s · 6 titles

Series credits

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster
8.0

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

Bonanza poster
7.5

The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

Bonanza

1959

Judging Amy poster
7.5

Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.

Judging Amy

1999

The Twilight Zone poster
7.7

This 1980s revival of the classic sci-fi series features a similar style to the original anthology series. Each episode tells a tale (sometimes two or three) rooted in horror or suspense, often with a surprising twist at the end. Episodes usually feature elements of drama and comedy.

The Twilight Zone

1985

The Defenders poster
6.3

The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series . It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing.

The Defenders

1961

The Jeffersons poster
7.3

Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.

The Jeffersons

1975

Picket Fences poster
7.4

An aging Sheriff tries to keep the peace in Rome, Wisconsin, a small town plagued by bizarre and violent crimes.

Picket Fences

1992

CHiPs poster
6.8

Lighthearted look at the adventures of two Highway Patrol officers in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jon Baker and Frank Poncherello, two motorcycle officers always on the street to save lives.

CHiPs

1977

The Lyon's Den poster
8.8

John "Jack" Turner is a maverick scion from an American political dynasty, a "true believer," who must reconcile his passion for the purity of law in the morally ambiguous world he inhabits, in which no one is who they appear to be. Content with working in a small pro-bono law clinic in Washington, D.C. – at the urging of his more practical longtime friend and colleague, George Riley – Turner reluctantly accepts the position of managing partner in the sponsoring law firm of Lyon, LaCrosse, and Levine in order to save the clinic.

The Lyon's Den

2003

Heartland poster
6.5

Dr. Nathaniel Grant is a pioneering organ-transplant surgeon who takes risks that other doctors would not in order to save the lives of his patients. He works closely with his ex-wife, Kate Armstrong, an organ-donor coordinator with whom he has a volatile relationship. Grant's arrogance and willingness to perform risky procedures causes him to butt heads with the hospital administration. But his main focus is on his intense relationship with his job and his patients, often at the expense of his family.

Heartland

2007

Hallmark Hall of Fame poster
8.8

Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

Space poster
7.7

A 13-hour miniseries detailing James A. Michner's fictional account of the American space program from the years after World War II to the Apollo landings on the moon in the early 1970s.

Space

1985

The Critical List poster
9.0

A hospital director in line for a federal cabinet post discovers that his private life may jeopardize the opportunity and then finds himself in the middle of a scandal involving stolen federal health funds.

The Critical List

1978