Erin Karpluk Movies

The inspirational program Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Gift of Love features two uplifting short films. The first, "Mrs. Wetherby's Treasure," concerns two sweet and innocent 9-year-old girls who extend themselves to an elderly neighbor and cannot begin to prepare themselves for the wondrous discovery that the newfound friendship yields. The second, entitled "Dear Grandmother," observes a series of unexpected developments in the life of New York fashion coordinator Celia Davis. In a brief span of time, Celia loses her estranged mother and is appointed guardian of her 12-year-old half sister Merry, a child with aviatophobia and a sharp tongue. The two strangers embark on a lengthy cross-country journey together and forge a joyous, deep-seated bond. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Former Beverly Hills 90210 costars Jason Priestleyand Emma Caulfield are reunited in this frothy made-for-cable romantic comedy. Priestly plays Ryan Banks, a once-popular movie actor whose career is in the toilet, not only because of bad role choices but also because of his unsavory reputation as an irresponsible womanizer. In hopes of revitalizing Ryan's career, his manager and best friend Todd Doherty (Bradley Cooper) comes up with an inspiration: A network reality show called "I Want to Marry Ryan Banks", in which the title character will live in the same house with 15 attractive young women, all of them prospective brides. In fine Mark Burnett tradition, one of the female contestants will be voted out each week by the viewers, with the winner chosen by popular demand. The girl who seems to have the inside track is blue-collar Charlene "Charlie" Norton (Emma Caulfield), who has entered the contest because she needs the prize money. Complications arise when, as the series draws ever nearer to its conclusion, Charlie balks at the notion of wedding Ryan Banks, only to be told that if she doesn't, she'll be sued within an inch of her life--and making things even stickier, Todd Doherty has fallen in love with Charlie himself! Produced for the ABC Family channel, I Want to Marry Ryan Banks was first seen on January 18, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The made-for-TV It Must be Love is based on "Rediscovered Love", a chapter in Meant to Be, a book by marital-advice columnists Barry Vissell and Joyce Vissell. Both film and chapter were inspired by the true story of Nancy and Leo Whitmore, a divorce-bound couple who learned the hard way how to truly appreciate their life together--and to truly appreciate life itself--when they trapped in a snowbound camper for a month. As adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart), the film stars real-life married couple Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen as George and Clem Gazelle, who labor under the misapprehension that just because they are being "amicable" and "civilized" about their impending divorce, their split-up will be a happy one with no unpleasant side effects for their children. All this changes when George and Clem are trapped in their camper by a freak Main snowstorm. As they hope and pray for rescue, the couple begins to ponder the reasons for their breakup, and wonder if perhaps they should have given their marriage a second chance. As the days turn into weeks, and despite their ever-diminishing health, the Gazelles carry on lively domestic debates in their "Divorce Camper", concluding at last that if they must die (which may indeed happen at any moment), they would much rather die together than apart. One of the highest-rated TV movies of its year, It Must Be Love was seen February 15, 2004, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi