Chuck McLain Movies

Johnny Miller (Dale Midkiff) wants to take his wife, Susan Miller (Gail O'Grady), on a vacation to the Bahamas, but a traumatic childhood incident has left Gail with a mortal fear of swimming or even going anywhere near the ocean. As a means of curing herself, Gail signs up for swimming lessons, and in so doing, makes the acquaintance of affable instructor Laurel McArthur (Lisa Rinna). After the two women have become the closest of friends, Laurel reveals to Gail that she is in love with a handsome man who calls himself Jake. All well and good -- except that, unbeknownst to Laurel, "Jake" is actually none other than Gail's husband, Johnny. Adapted from the novel Swimming Lessons, the made-for-cable Another Woman's Husband first aired March 6, 2000, on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The life of affluent and well-connected wife and mother Joanna Kendall (Margaret Colin) begins to unravel when, while driving her car on a rainy day, she accidentally strikes down an eight-year-old child. Her first impulse is to leave the scene of the accident and search for medical assistance. When she returns, a crowd has gathered, angrily demanding justice against the "hit and run" driver who left the little girl without coming to her aid. Panicking, Joanna decides not to alert the authorities of her responsibility; nor is she able to tell her husband Doug (Drew Pillsbury), despite a half-hearted effort to confess. Only through the intervention of female police officer Lt. Rico (Lisa Vidal) is there any hope that the truth will out--and that Joanna will be able to redeem herself. During production of this made-for-TV drama, the fate of the young accident victim was not decided upon until the last day of filming, as the producers debated over the extent of audience sympathy they wanted to engender for the guilt-ridden Joanne Kendall. Clearly inspired by Crime and Punishment (as noted by more than one contemporary TV critic), Hit and Run originally aired January 11, 1999 on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed on location in the Lone Star State, the made-for-TV In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy could be described as a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, except that its perverse plot twists are more reminiscent of Jacobean than Shakespearean tragedy. After being rendered paraplegic in an accident, wealthy young Luke Constable (Michael Hayden) is deserted by his socialite girlfriend. In an extremely vulnerable state, Luke falls in love with Laurette Wilder (Laura Leighton), the daughter of a working-class family. Determined to prove that she isn't merely a golddigger, Laurette encourages Luke to break away from his family and turn his back on their fortune. Her stubborn pride ultimately shatters their marriage, but the couple remains in love--so much so that the now-impoverished Luke, determined to "make good" for his wife's sake, is willing to commit murder. Produced for the Fox network, the fact-based In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy debuted September 12, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This fact-based made-for-television drama chronicles a 17-year-long police investigation of John List, a New Jersey accountant who became a mass murderer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A terrible secret is uncovered in a child's past in this made-for-cable drama. Based on a true story, Ashley Peldon stars as 7-year-old Catherine, the newly adopted child of the Tylers. When Catherine turns increasingly violent towards her new parents and her natural brother, the Tylers try everything in their power to uncover the mysterious root of her anger. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

The 1986-87 TV season was graced by two "dueling" biopics of Frances Bradshaw, the socialite convicted of coercing her own son into murdering Frances' millionaire father Frank. The first was the four-hour At Mother's Request, starring Stefanie Powers as Frances. The second, and superior adaptation was the three-part miniseries Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder, adapted by playwright William Hanley from Shana Alexander's bestselling book. With an extra two hours' playing time at its disposal, Nutcracker was able to explore the personal history of Frances Bradshaw, from her privileged entry into Bryn Mawr in 1958, through her gradual, twenty-year descent into homicidal insanity--culminating in the murder of her father in 1978. The miniseries was structured in flashback form, continually cutting back to the trial of Frances and her son (Tate Donovan). At the risk of offending the many fans of Stefanie Powers, it must be noted that the performance of Nutcracker star Lee Remick is so powerfully persuasive that it's virtually impossible to envision anyone else in the role of Frances Bradshaw. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The expensively mounted miniseries North and South was originally telecast in six two-hour installments between November 3 and 10, 1985. Four screenwriters--Douglas Heyes, Paul F. Edwards, Kathleen A. Shelley, Patricia Green--were called upon to fashion a workable script from John Jakes' sprawling best-seller. The story covers the two decades prior to the Civil War, beginning in 1842. Real-life historical events are filtered through the eyes of two rival clans: the Mains, a South Carolina plantation-owning family, and the Hazards, a family of Pennsylvania industrialists. While top billing goes to Kirstie Alley as "Northern Belle" Virgilia Hazard, most of the footage is devoted to the fluctuating friendship between Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) and George Hazard (James Read). The huge guest-star cast includes Gene Kelly (in his TV miniseries debut), Elizabeth Taylor, Leslie-Anne Down, David Carradine, Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Hal Holbrook (as Abe Lincoln) and Johnny Cash (as abolitionist John Brown). The recipient of seven Emmy nominations, the 561-minute North and South was filmed back to back with its equally lengthy sequel, North and South, Book II. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi