Tim O'Brien Movies

When an innocent lie takes on a life of its own, true love may be lost forever in this romantic comedy from director Tim Vandesteeg. Recently dumped by his longtime girlfriend over his choice to become a school bus driver, lovelorn thirty-something Steven Jacobs is completely inconsolable. While Steven is sure he'll never find another love like the one he so recently lost, things soon begin to look up when the bus-driving bachelor crosses paths with beautiful hospital volunteer Maria. The only problem now is that a simple series of misunderstandings has led Maria to mistakenly believe that Steven is suffering from a rare form of kidney disease. His judgment clouded by the intoxicating tinges of true love, Steven reluctantly goes along with the ruse as his relationship with Maria grows increasingly serious. Of course it doesn't take long for Steven to realize that he can't lie to Maria forever, yet just as he prepares to come clean any chance for redemption is hopelessly lost when Maria unexpectedly discovers the deception for herself. With only one chance left to express his true love and convince the lovely Maria that his intentions are true, Steven is about to find out whether there is truly any substance to that old adage about love conquering all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Based on Tim O'Brien's novel, In the Lake of the Woods is the story of a man driven by demons from his past and a mystery surrounding the disappearance of his wife. John Waylan (Peter Strauss), a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, is leading in pre-election polls when a reporter for a Minneapolis newspaper breaks a story about Waylan's involvement in a massacre of civilians while he was a soldier in Vietnam. Waylan loses the election and retreats with his wife, Kathy (Kathleen Quinlan), to a luxurious lakeside cabin owned by friends, where he broods over the past -- not just his tour of duty in Vietnam, but also his troubled childhood, marked by conflict with an abusive, alcoholic father. When Kathy goes missing, John goes to the local authorities, who mount a search for her and a missing boat while Waylan continues to brood over his shattered life. The story is told in multiple flashbacks, with a reporter questioning those who knew Waylan and his wife, including a political operative (Peter Boyle) and Kathy's sister (Nancy Sorel). This film originally ran on Fox in the spring of 1996 and was produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi