Mr. Movie: Anne Heche

Poor Anne Heche died at only 53 years old as a result of a tragic automobile accident. She had lots of good parts, and lots of work. In fact, she had around eight projects running at the time of her death. Here’s a look at her cinematic highlights.

She portrays young attorney Beth in Return To Paradise (1998). Three men are vacationing in Malaysia when they buy marijuana from a local. Tony and Sheriff return to New York but Lewis remains behind. Beth tells them Lewis has been arrested and is imprisoned and will receive the death sentence unless they return to share the blame. After they return, she reveals that Lewis is her brother and she has been playing them. Things don’t go well in the Malaysian court and Lewis is sentenced to die.

In Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Heche plays Robin, a high-end fashion photgrapher. She and her fiancé Frank (David Schwimmer) go on vacation to a tropical island. She hires rough-hewn bush pilot Quinn (Harrison Ford) to fly her to a photo shoot. Their plane crashes on an uninhabited island in a storm. There are pirates and other adventures.

Wag The Dog (1997) stars Anne Heche as a presidential aide tasked with diverting public attention from a sex scandal involving her boss. She hires spin doctor Conrad (Robert DeNiro) who in turn employs film director Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman). They concoct a fake news show about a fake war in Albania and the media buys it. Best line: “Of course, it’s true — I saw it on TV.”

Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an undercover cop who infiltrates the Mafia for the FBI. His marriage to Maggie (Anne Heche) becomes more and more shaky as he advances further into the mob. He uses the assumed name Donnie Brasco (1997) and succeeds spectacularly. Though his marriage suffers due to his lengthy absences and the stress of his job, his Maggie sticks with him. They are still a couple at the end, living in an undisclosed location with a half million dollar price on his head.

The Juror (1996) is based on George Dawes Green’s crackerjack novel of the same name. Annie (Demi Moore) is selected as a juror trying a mafia hit man. She is threatened into voting to acquit and the mob decides she is now a loose end and has to go. Her friend Juliet (Anne Heche) pays the ultimate price for their friendship. Annie and her son try to hide from the mob in Guatemala but don’t completely succeed.

Heche can also be seen to good effect as Brooke in Opening Night (2016) and as Joan in the very complicated but enjoyable Cedar Rapids (2011).

All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults.