Anne Openshaw Movies

Another of the many Mary Higgins Clark adaptations produced by and for the PAX Network, We'll Meet Again was one of four such adaptations filmed back-to-back in Vancouver during the summer of 2002. Laura Leighton stars as TV reporter Fran Simmons, who returns to her New England hometown for a reunion with her high school friend Molly Lisch (Brandy Ledford). The occasion is not altogether festive; Molly has just been paroled after serving nearly six years in prison for the murder of her wealthy husband. Protesting her innocence, Molly hopes that Fran will help her clear her name -- and, incidentally, track down the genuine killer. But when a new spate of killings takes place, it appears as if Molly is up to her old tricks. Making matters worse, Molly suffers from what appears to be selective amnesia and is unable to account for her actions during the latest string of murders. Key elements in this story include poisoned champagne, a fireplace poker, and a very old pair of shoes. Mary Higgins Clark's We'll Meet Again was originally broadcast on November 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The life and career of Ricky Nelson--from awkward kiddie TV star to teenaged singing idol to "young hasbeen"--is adequately encapsulated in this made-for-cable movie, one of several celebrity biopics produced for VH-1. Told in flashback as Ricky Nelson (Gregory Calpakis) recounts his experiences to a worshiping fan in the last hours before the 1985 air crash that would take his life, the story begins around 1952, as the adolescent Ricky is recruited by his bandleader-producer father Ozzie Nelson (Jamey Sheridan) to play "himself" on the movie and TV version of the popular radio series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Anxious to crawl out from under the shadow of his dictatorial father Ozzie, his vocalist mom Harriet (Sara Botsford) and his marginally more talented older brother David (Anthony Lemke), the 16-year-old Ricky begs for a chance to sing on the family's series. The wildly enthusiastic audience response to Ricky's warblings prompt Ozzie to aggressive promote Ricky's musical career, but ultimately Ricky breaks loose from the family's influence to strike out on his own. Alas, after several years at the top, Ricky's career and fan following plummets, before he has reached his 30th birthday he is grasping at straws by performing at county fairs and trade shows. Making matters worse is his unhappy marriage to Kris Harmon (depicted as something of a conniving opportunist by Anne Openshaw) and his ever-increasing dependence upon drugs. Astonishingly, the film never allows us to hear Ricky perform "Garden Party", the song that enabled him to make a spectacular comeback. Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol first aired on August 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi