Cody Newton Movies

Two people dealing with failing relationships unexpectedly cross paths in this romantic drama. Megan (Teri Hatcher) has left New York City and her career in real estate to come to the small southern town of Chester, NC, where she hopes to revive a slowly dying long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Craig (Daniel Green). Meanwhile, Ray (Rob Treveiler) is a lawyer who, after several years in Los Angeles, has reluctantly come back home to Chester to care for his mother, who does not have long to live. Adding to Ray's woes is his less-than-cordial relationship with his brother James (David Andrews) and sister Betsy (Jacqueline Anderson). One night, Kenny (Gil Johnson), a local man with a long history of bad luck, stumbles out of a bar after a bender brought on by the news that the lottery ticket he purchased happened to be a big winner. Megan swerves to avoid hitting Kenny with her car, only to hit a truck that runs him over. As Kenny's wife and son try to claim the prize after he dies, the tragic accident brings together Megan and Ray, who discover they may have found what their lives have been missing after leaving the big city. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Originally intended for theatrical release, The Angel Doll is an adaptation of Jerry Bledsoe's bestselling novel of the same name. Set in the South of the '50s, the story focuses on "Whitey" Black (Cody Newton), a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who befriends middle-class youngster Jerry Barlow (Michael Welch) while the two share a paper route. Jerry learns that Whitey wants to purchase a "very special" doll as a Christmas present for his terminally ill sister. Not only does Whitey meet with opposition from the locals because his sister has polio and is thus regarded as "contagious," but the doll he wants is nowhere to be found in his hometown. Thus it is that Whitey and Jerry embark upon a lengthy, adventure-laden journey in search of the elusive doll, meeting people of all sorts (and all temperaments) along the way. Keith Carradine is top-billed as the adult Jerry Barlow, while Diana Scarwid is given the extremely difficult (and highly contrary) role of Whitey's drink-sodden mother. Filmed in 2002, The Angel Doll was not widely seen until it was picked up for cable play by the Lifetime network in 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi