Linda Elstad Movies

The Cosby Show's Malcolm-Jamal Warner stretches his acting muscles in this powerful ABC Afterschool Special. Warner is cast as Charlie Curtis, a teenager who on surface seems to have everything -- loving parents, supportive teachers, and many friends. Why then, does Charlie find life so bleak that he ends up committing suicide? Charlie's best friend, Jed (Rob Stone), spends the bulk of the story trying to solve the puzzle -- and to come to terms with the tragedy. A Desperate Exit is based on Eve Bunting's novel Face at the Edge of the World, which is also the title of the 30-minute VHS version of this film. ~ All Movie Guide

This superior ABC Theatre of the Month presentation is not so much about the reasons for divorce as it is about the tensions surrounding the actual litigation. Tom Selleck plays a topnotch Seattle divorce lawyer, juggling several delicate cases at once. Arrogantly secure in his legal prowess, Selleck suffers a major ego blow when his own wife (Jane Curtin) files for divorce. In a half-comic, half-serious manner, the travails of Selleck and Curtin are counterpointed with those of Selleck's clients. Donald Wrye and Linda Elstad's high-quality script for Divorce Wars: A Love Story bears a very faint resemblance to the recent movie hits Kramer vs. Kramer and Ordinary People--a resemblance pounced upon and amplified by the print ads for this TV movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide