Peter Werner Movies

In the tradition of such omnibus films as Tales of Manhattan and Flesh and Fantasy, the made-for-TV Snow Wonder features five separate stories, tenuously linked together by a single plot strand -- in this case, a freak Christmas Eve snowstorm that has blanketed the world, striking even in such traditionally snow-free areas as Malaysia and Hawaii. While Madagascar-based meteorologist Billy (Josh Randall) tries to make sense of the phenomenon, his lovely assistant, Joey (Michelle Krusiec), muses philosophically "Snow can change people's lives." How right she is. As the film progresses, we are whisked off to Kentucky, where lovelorn bridesmaid Paula (Poppy Montgomery) watches in mute astonishment as her best friend's wedding crashes and burns as a result of the sudden blizzard; to New Mexico, where recently widowed Bev (Camryn Manheim) has retreated in hopes of overcoming the bitterness attending the death of her husband exactly one year before; to New York, where young Luke (Eric Szmanda), an aspiring writer whose parents seem to take great delight in discouraging him, receives a surfeit of inspiration from his freewheeling aunt Lila (Mary Tyler Moore); and to Baltimore, where philandering husband Warren (Jason Priestley), who has prepared the "perfect alibi" with which to hoodwink his loving wife, is helplessly snowbound with his current mistress. By film's end, the good have been rewarded, the bad have been punished, and something special develops between Billy and Joey...suggesting that this is no ordinary "random" snowstorm. Based on Connie Willis' short story Just Like the Ones We Used to Know, Snow Wonder made its CBS debut on November 20, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The new girl in town is 16-year-old Jacey Jeffries (Danielle Panabaker), who lives with her divorced mother, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl), and her two siblings. A popular and highly intelligent student, not to mention a talented athlete, Jacey nonetheless seems to be harboring a private, profound sadness -- or at least that's the perception of her high-school guidance counselor, Donna Cooper (Jane Krakowski). Ultimately Donna figures out the truth behind Jacey's melancholia: her baby "brother" Charlie is actually her own son, born out of wedlock and raised by Jacey's overbearing mother in a misguided effort to shield her daughter from disgrace. Upon discovering Jacey's secret, Donna takes a special interest in the girl's welfare -- an interest undoubtedly fueled by the fact that Donna herself is unable to have children. The scenes taking place in the sex-education class have an air of reality often lacking in made-for-TV films, due to the fact that the young actors playing the students were encouraged to improvise their dialogue. Produced for the Lifetime cable network, Mom at Sixteen first aired on March 21, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, this made-for-cable crime drama stars Jean Smart as veteran FBI agent and divorced mother Candace Long. Burned out by years of tracking down this most vicious criminals in America, Long is about to take a well-deserved retirement and devote her energies to her family and her current lover (A. Martinez), a married man. But she changes her mind and goes back to work with a vengeance when a serial rapist-killer preys upon one of her best friends. First telecast on the Lifetime network, Killer Instinct: From the Files of Agent Candace Long debuted October 6, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This cable TV series respectively starred Lea Thompson and Debbi Morgan as dedicated L.A. prosecuting attorneys Camille Paris and Lori Gibson. Most of the stories dealt with the diametrically opposite political viewpoints of the two women, and how they would begrudgingly work together in the interests of justice for all. Contrary to expectations, it was Camille, the white Chief Deputy DA, who was the heart-on-sleeve liberal, while her DA boss Lora, a black woman, was the staunch conservative. Other regulars included Camille's recovering alcoholic sister, Erica (Wendy Gazelle); nephew Zach (Matthew Richards); ex-husband Michael Olivas (A. Martinez), with whom Camille enjoyed a better relationship as a single than she ever had as his wife; and assistant Anita Lopez (Cecilia Suarez). The weekly, 60-minute For the People made its first Lifetime Network appearance on July 21, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As a child, Lucy Cullins asked Santa Claus to bring her father home from Vietnam. But when her dad returned in a pine box, the embittered Lucy decided that Christmas -- and every other holiday for that matter -- was a humbug. Now all grown-up (and played by Whoopi Goldberg), Lucy is the hard-as-nails producer for the Shop-A-Lot Channel, a home-shopping cable service. While auditioning actors to play Santa Claus for a hokey Yuletide informercial series, Lucy hires a twinkly eyed old gentleman named Nick (Nigel Hawthorne), who, unbeknownst to everyone but the audience, is the genuine, bonafide "Ho Ho Ho" man himself. Facing mandatory retirement at age 200, Nick must find someone to take his place as Santa Claus for the next two centuries. The person he chooses in none other than Lucy Cullins -- and if she doesn't accept the job, the North Pole will melt, wreaking havoc upon everyone in the world, whether they're "naughty" or "nice." Originally conceived as a vehicle for a black man, Call Me Claus was reshaped as a showcase for Whoopi Goldberg when the actress signed on as co-executive producer. Also in the production lineup was country & western singer Garth Brooks, who penned a handful of new songs for the occasion. Call Me Claus debuted over the TNT cable network on December 2, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When their young daughter is killed in a tragic car accident, a devastated couple goes to extreme measures to bring love back into their lives in a heart-rending family drama starring Adam LeFevre, Valerie Mahaffey, Mary Beth Hurt, and Bridget Fonda. Chris (LeFevre) and Virginia Hytner (Mahaffey)'s once idyllic world has been shattered by the untimely death of their beloved daughter, and now, in order to let go of the past and find happiness once again, they choose to put their future in the hands of Dr. Amanda Gordon (Hurt) of the Center for Reproductive Medicine. Since Virginia is now over forty and the couple's chances of an uncomplicated pregnancy are slim, they have opted to attempt the unprecedented feat of cloning their deceased daughter. When a minor league reporter looking for a major league story (Fonda) transforms the Hytner's desperation into a sensationalistic headline, the firestorm of controversy that follows forces the couple and their doctor into the underground as it compromises the safety of their unborn child. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Perhaps befitting its subject, this cable TV biopic of Playboy magazine maven Hugh Hefner is as glossy and superficial as Playboy itself. In the tradition of Sunset Blvd., the story is narrated by a dead person: Hefner's assistant, Bobbie Arnstein (Natasha Gregson Wagner), who killed herself in 1975 in the midst of a drug scandal at Playboy Enterprises. Hefner himself, played by Randall Batinkoff, is given a much happier denouement, when, after nearly 40 years of heading a publishing empire that has elevated the nudie-mag format into an empire, he surprises everyone by (briefly) giving up his notorious girl-chasing hedonism and weds Kimberly Conrad (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos). Since this film was shown on the basic-cable USA Network, there was no actual nudity, but plenty of implication along the way. Pauly Shore appears uncredited as legendary comedian Lenny Bruce, whom Hefner regularly featured on his early '60s TV variety show. Hefner: Unauthorized originally aired on December 12, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This four-hour miniseries is based on author Alex Haley's continuing family saga. Covering the 1920s-1970s, the story centers on Mama Flora, the matriarch of a large black family who is determined to keep her brood together and close to their God during rapidly changing and tempestuous times. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

It can hardly be described as a match made in heaven when manic-depressive teenager Zoe (Kellie Martin falls in love with violence-prone Jake (James Marsden) while both a being treated at a mental institution. When parents and doctors alike express harsh disapproval of the romance, Zoe and Jake decide to escape, taking three other serious disturbed patients along with them. Hitting the road towards the Mexican, the gang of misfits commit several minor crimes to stay alive--and then find themselves on the lam for a murder that they didn't commit. Filmed for the NBC TV network, On the Edge of Innocence originally aired April 20, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This fact-based TV movie takes place in Richmond, Virginia, the home of single mother Jody Shaffell (Valerie Bertinelli). Appalled by the fact that Jody has come out of the closet and is living in an openly gay relationship with her female lover, Jody's mother Nancy (Vanessa Redgrave) sues to gain custody of her grandson Zachary (Adam Rehman). A homophobic judge arranges for Zachary to be taken out of Jody's home, whereupon Nancy sets about to thoroughly wipe her grandson's memory clean of his previous "immoral" lifestyle--even unto demanding that the boy refer to her as Momma. The film's script is careful to weigh both sides of the argument equally, demonstrating that for most of her life, Jody was hardly a paragon of responsible motherhood, having supped full of booze and promiscuity before realizing she was gay and promptly cleaning herself up; nor is Nancy depicted as a cold-hearted villain, merely a concerned grandmother who wants what she thinks is best for Zachary. Indeed, if there are truly any "heavies" in the piece, they are the best friend and brother of the beleagured Jody, who callously testify against her in court. Originally seen over the ABC network, Two Mothers for Zachary debuted September 22, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A dying wife and mother makes plans for her family in this made-for-television drama. Lea Thompson stars as Amy Hightower, a frontier wife and mother of four who is ill and expected to die. In an unusual move to make sure her family is cared for, she finds a prostitute named Pearl (Farrah Fawcett) and teaches her how to be a wife and mother. The movie shows how Pearl slowly transforms, Amy's health fluctuates, and how husband Martin (Peter Weller) deals with the unusual circumstances. Filmed in Texas, this film is at times humorous and emotional, and not typical movie-of-the week fare. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Set in the 19th century on the eve of his execution, the title swashbuckler decides to tell the truth about his life and his professions as both upholder of the law and criminal. As he speaks, his adventures unfurl upon the screen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide