Peter Werner Movies
Director Peter Werner, born in New York City, has specialized largely in mini-series and tele-features since the mid '70s, most notably the western drama Ned Blessing (1991). ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi- 1982
- PG
This heartwarming tale of courage and devotion is set during the Vietnam war and centers upon a young medic who makes extra money on the side dealing drugs. His life is forever changed when he meets an Army doctor who persuades him to help her save a group of war orphans. First she appeals to his sense of guilt; then she blackmails him into assisting. The children are cared for by a few Vietnamese nuns. The doctor and the medic bring them badly needed food and supplies. To do this, the brave duo must face enemy bombs and the resistance of the US government. This is based on a true story and though wrenching, it is not syrupy or sentimental. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Christopher, Susan Saint James, (more)
This 40-minute TV dramatization of William Faulkner's Barn Burning stars Tommy Lee Jones as the truculent head of the Snopes family. Jones has a tendency to burn down the barns of local landowners who've incurred his displeasure. His son Shawn Willington wants no part of this vengeful practice, but is bound by loyalty to his family. Adapted for television by Horton Foote, Barn Burning was originally presented in tandem with a TV version of Mark Twain's The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg. Both dramas debuted on March 17, 1980, as part of PBS's American Short Story anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1979
This TV movie stars Jean Stapleton as the real-life "Aunt" Mary Dobkin, a physically handicapped woman living in the Baltimore of the 1940s. Concerned that juvenile delinquency is destroying her neighborhood, Aunt Mary organizes the "Dobkin Dynamiters", a baseball team comprised of disadvantaged and minority children. As she fights to have her biracial team officially sanctioned by the highly segregated Baltimore power structure, Aunt Mary is further challenged by the amputation of her left leg and right foot. Nonetheless, she perseveres over the next two decades, providing nearly 35,000 disenfranchised boys the opportunity to escape the streets and play ball. Sportscaster Ernie Harwell, who'd once called the shots for the Baltimore Orioles, makes a cameo appearance in this 1979 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
Battered concentrates upon three female victims of spousal abuse. Chip Fields is the new wife of struggling young Levar Burton. Joan Blondell is the alcoholic middle-aged spouse of the equally bibilous Howard Duff. And Karen Grassle (who cowrote the screenplay) is married to Ivy leaguer Mike Farrell. While a bit too cut-and-dried, Battered handles the issues at hand with intelligence and an avoidance of sensationalism. Made for television, the film debuted September 26, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Karen Grassle, LeVar Burton, (more)
- 1976
Fionnula Flanagan and Peter Lempert comprise the cast of the American Film Institute-subsidized short subject In the Region of Ice. Ms. Flanagan plays a sharp-tongued but compassionate nun, while Lempert is cast as a sullen, emotionally disturbed boy. The title refers to the "thawing" process that occurs when the nun attempts to break through Lempert's wall of silence. In the Region of Ice won the "best short subject" Academy Award for 1976. Director Peter Werner went on to helm such superior made-for-TV features as Aunt Mary (1979), Barn Burning (1980), The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1986) and LBJ: The Early Years (1988). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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