Deryl Hayes Movies

The scene is Cornwell University, where college journalist Mary Stuartson (Melissa Joan Hart) shares a dorm room with Holly Sherman (Lisa Dean Ryan). Returning to the room one night in a battered state, Holly tells Mary that she has been raped by the school's star athlete, Clay Roberts (Josh Hopkins). Mary urges Holly to alert the authorities, but Holly is afraid of what the incident might do to her reputation--and besides, who'd take her word over Clay's? Galvanized into action, Mary investigates the situation and unearths several other examples of date rape that have been swept under the rug on campus. She then writes a series of articles about fictional rape victim "Molly", thereby making herself a target of persecution, recrimination and retribution by students, faculty members and "townies" alike--but Mary isn't the sort of young woman who backs down when she knows she's right! This made-for-TV drama was produced by the mother and aunt of star Melissa Joan Hart, and features Melissa's younger sister Emily Hart in a supporting role. Silencing Mary originally aired March 8, 1998 on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another fact-based entry in the hard-hitting NBC "Moment of Truth" TV-movie series, The Accident revolves around three teenage girls, all lifelong friends: Lizzie (Bonnie Root), Janie (Marisa Rudiak) and Kate (Deanna Milligan). All three enjoy sneaking about and defying their parents, especially when it comes to drinking liquor. But where Janie and Kate limit themselves to wine, the troubled Lizzie is a heavy tippler, guzzling down vodka as if it was going out of style. At their pre-graduation party, Lizzie manages to get both Janie and Kate thoroughly smashed on booze. . .and then she hops in her car to drive Janie home. A horrible accident is inevitable--and though Lizzie escapes with only a mild concussion, Janie is killed outright. Tortured with guilt, and with both a court trial and the merciless wrath of Janie's vengeful mother on the horizon, Lizzie "solves" her problems by hitting the bottle harder than ever! Not surprisingly, the film contains several sobering lessons for its viewers, young and old alike; and while Lizzie is not let off the hook, much is made of the negative influences brought to bear by the adults in her life in the years prior to her tragic "moment of truth." The Accident originally aired on September 15, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Crush is a psychological thriller wherein a young man is the object of the obsession of a mentally unbalanced young girl. Journalist Nick Elliot (Cary Elwes) rents the guest house of a wealthy couple. The family's 14-year-old daughter Darien (Alicia Silverstone) flirts with him, and when her advances are not reciprocated she becomes increasingly obsessed with him resorting at last to violence and murder. Alicia Silverstone is beautiful and surprisingly good as the obsessed girl. Cary Elwes is also good in conveying his attraction and restraint in his dealings with so young and troubled a girl. However, the premise of the man being trapped by the aggressive, vengeful female is somewhat outdated and cliched. The Crush which should concentrate on the motivations of the girl, instead focuses on her increasingly violent acts, which include the vandalism of Nick's car and the attempted murder of his girlfriend. None of the characters are very real, and the plot is contrived, depending on illogical coincidence and implausible behavior by the principal characters. The Crush, an exploitive, cliched melodrama masquerading as a thriller, fails to either surprise or thrill. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

A physician--an amateur sleuth--decides to investigate the suicide of a former student of his and begins to suspect that it was murder. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

This murder mystery from director Carl Schenkel stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander) as Peter Sanderson, an expert chess champion. When a woman Sanderson has recently slept with is among several women brutally murdered at a chess tournament, he becomes a suspect. But when the murderer contacts Sanderson and informs him that he's set up a maniacal human chess game, he realizes that he'll have to beat the murderer to stop the killings and clear his own name. Diane Lane plays a psychologist who falls for Sanderson, and Tom Skerritt is the local sheriff investigating the case. Knight Moves won the Critics Award at the 1992 Cognac Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

The mother of the title is played by Meredith Baxter. Her daughter (Carrie Hamilton) is raped by an unknown assailant who leaves no tangible clues behind. Obsessed with bringing the rapist out in the open, Ms. Baxter sets herself up as a potential assault victim. Farfetched though it sounds, A Mother's Justice was based on an actual case that occurred in Portland, Oregon. This TV movie had the rotten luck to be scheduled opposite Monday Night Football and a CBS M*A*S*H retrospective when it was first telecast on November 25, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michele Lee plays the outwardly cheerful mother of two very different young sons. Rick Schroder, the oldest, is mom's favorite; Corin Nemic, the youngest, is his brother's literal whipping boy. Despite the most damning evidence, Ms. Lee refuses to let herself believe that Schroder is a sadistic psychopath...until it's too late. This tragic state of affairs was, alas, based on fact. The painfully convincing performances of Michele Lee and Rick Schroder effectively lift My Son, Johnny out of the "dysfunctional family of the week" TV movie syndrome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though its PG-13 rating is well earned, Look Who's Talking has some elements that might appeal to a family audience. Chief among them, of course, is the "talking baby" protagonist. The product of an extramarital affair, infant Mikey (played by several different babies, and given voice by Bruce Willis) is a cynical, sarcastic observer of his new world. Mikey's mother, Kirstie Alley, having been dumped by her married lover George Segal, searches high and low for a new father for her baby. Of course, the perfect daddy is right under her nose all the time: cab driver John Travolta, who was on the scene when she went into labor on the sidewalk. The best moments in Look Who's Talking include Ms. Alley's imaginary flights of fancy, and the misadventures of Mikey as he progresses from sperm to reluctant newborn (his violent vocal protests against being yanked from the womb are worth the admission price in themselves). Look Who's Talking has spawned two sequels, neither of which are as charming or disarming as the original. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Even without observing the opening credits, or noting that the film was first shown on The Disney Sunday Movie, the casual viewer could tell in a minute that Hero in the Family was a Disney production. Cliff De Young plays an American astronaut who, through a freakish occurrence in space, finds that his brain has been transferred to his flight companion, and vice versa. Said companion happens to be a monkey, who is as funny as any monkey has ever been on a Disney TV show (take that as you will). DeYoung's teenage son Christopher Collet endeavors to correct the brain-switch, while attempting to treat both dad and monkey as "normal" characters. You'll laugh till you stop. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide