Peter MacNeill Movies

A straight-laced chemist begins questioning society's standards and confronting his own darkest desires after falling for the all-American homecoming queen who joined a hippie death cult and made headlines for her murderous exploits. Perry (Gregory Smith) is your typical God-fearing American: A diligent academic who landed a good job at a chemical company before proposing to his Christian girlfriend Dorothy (Kristin Adams), he always did right by the Lord and his parents. But while Perry was always fortunate in life, Leslie was irreparably damaged by her parents' divorce, an abortion, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Following Timothy Leary's advice to "tune in, turn on, and drop out," the former cheerleader joined up with charismatic cult leader Charles Manson and helped his gang slaughter an upstanding citizen in her own home. Now Perry has been chosen to serve on the jury that will decide Leslie's fate. The moment Perry and Leslie lock eyes in the courtroom, the sheltered chemist is hopelessly smitten. Could their wildly divergent paths somehow converge? The more Perry learns about Leslie the stronger his infatuation grows, and the more he begins to question the rules that society has imposed on them both. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Haunted by gruesome visions of violence and death that would be far out of place in her successful series of children's books, a sophisticated author embarks on a brief sabbatical into the countryside that turns out to be far from the convalescent getaway her doctor had prescribed. Claire Holloway (Gabrielle Anwar) is an author whose rich imagination has fueled a successful career in children's literature, but one glimpse beneath the surface of her fragile psyche reveals a woman whose life has been far from storybook perfect. Tortured by a darkness that seems to grow blacker with each passing day, Claire follows her doctor's advice to leave the city behind and collect her thoughts at the picturesque Rose Marsh Farmhouse. Upon arriving at the remote farmhouse, however, Claire quickly realizes that the formidable estate bears an uncanny resemblance to the house that plagues her nightmares. When a series of strange and seemingly supernatural events lead Claire to believe that the ghostly young girl who dwells in her dreams may in fact be real, the frightened author seeks out the aid of handsome newspaper publisher Noah (Justin Louis) and paranormal consultant hunt (Forest Whitaker) in solving the mystery of this cursed village. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Gail Harvey's Some Things That Stay stars Katie Boland as a teenager whose adolescence is complicated by her bohemian family and their resistance to the cultural mores of Eisenhower-era America. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Violet (Mary Walsh) is approaching her 55th birthday with a particularly pronounced sense of dread. As her parents, grandparents, and husband all died when they reached the magic number, Violet takes to her bed for weeks on end. However, everyone else around her continues to live their life: her gay son Carlos finds himself smitten with an Italian, her daughter Ramona plans her wedding, and her other son Rex chases any woman who crosses his path. Meanwhile, Rusty (Peter MacNeill), a farm manager, pursues the bedridden Violet, and Violet's nasty Uncle Ed and his loathsome daughter scheme to make Violet's valuable country property their own. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

The plot of the futuristic made-for-TV thriller Killer Deal is predicated on the notion that a world-wide economic collapse in 2009 AD will utterly wipe out the Middle Class in America. In this not-so-brave new world, the rich and privileged Upper Class lives in Parkland, a luxurious walled community, while the Lower Class starves in the ruins of "Oldtown." With absolutely no jobs available, the poor are left with but one opportunity to escape their lot: to voluntarily donate their vital organs to the wealthy, who have bought into an organization known as "Eternity Life." The donors are provided with $10 million, which they can spend any way they wish in the 30-day period before their bodies are dissected, while their families are permitted to live in Parkland permanently. One of the few non-rich non-donors residing in the community is police sergeant James Quinn (Rick Rossovich), who is allowed to do so because of his past heroics. Unfortunately, the lives of Quinn and his family are placed in jeopardy when the elderly creator of "Eternity Life" desperately needs an organ donor to survive. Fleeing from Parkland, Quinn learns the hard way that the so-called "voluntary" donors are anything but! Originally telecast on March 25, 1999 as part of UPN's "Nightworld" movie series, Killer Deal has been released abroad as Nightworld: Parkland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV feature is based on the true story of Dean Kraft, who worked within the traditional medical community as a hands-on healer. Discovering his unique gift at an early age, Kraft (played as an adult by Anthony Michael Hall) is reluctant to utilize his healing talents, agreeing to do so only under emergency conditions. Even when he comes to terms with his abilities, Kraft must face the often hostile skepticism of "mainstream" doctors and caregivers. The story reaches a melodramatic apex when Kraft attempts to bring a doubting doctor's daughter out of a coma. Scott Davis Jones' teleplay is careful to neither fully confirm nor flatly deny Kraft's healing prowess, permitting viewers to draw their own conclusions. A Touch of Hope made its NBC network debut on October 10, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

29-year-old defense lawyer Nick Donahue (Rick Schroder) is still tied to the apron strings of his possessive mother Diana (Judith Light)--so much so that, when he tries to move out of the family home, Diana is able to bind him even tighter by attempting suicide. While visiting Diana in the hospital, Nick meets and falls in love with Abby (Sarah Trigger), his mother's nurse. Ultimately, Nick and Abby marry, much to Diana's dismay. When Abby announces she is pregnant, it is too much for the unbalanced Diana to bear--and thus she promptly begins plotting her daughter-in-law's murder. This fact-based melodrama culminates in an intense courtroom scene, in which accused killer Diana is defended by--guess who? Made for the CBS TV network, Too Close to Home originally aired April 29, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV shocker was inspired by a true story which occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Housewife Jessica Rayner (Joanne Kerns) becomes the latest in a long line of victims when she is attacked in her own home by a vicious serial rapist and murderer who preys on blondes. The difference is that Jessica manages to survive the attack--the first victim to do so. Despite Jessica's testimony and a trail of clues, the police seem incapable of tracking down her assailant, forcing Jessica's husband Dan (Anthony John Denison) to militantly guard his wife round the clock. But it is ultimately Jessica herself who must devise the trap that will bring her attacker to justice. No One Could Protect Her debuted February 11, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This realistic made-for-TV drama chronicles the courage of three women who must leave a New York freeway to get gas in a part of town so bad that even the police avoid it. Once there, they end up fighting for their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

While Love and Hate: A Marriage Made in Hell had its American network debut in July of 1990, it was not precisely a world premiere. The film had already been shown in 1989 on Canadian TV, where it was the highest-rated TV movie of that year. Small wonder: It was based on a true story that had dominated Canadian headlines since 1980. Kenneth Welsh stars as Colin Thatcher, a wealthy Saskatchewan rancher/ politician. Kate Nelligan plays his wife, who withstands years of physical abuse before filing for divorce. Using his political and financial clout, Thatcher carries on a brutal courtroom battle to gain custody of his children. His wife wins but the victory is brief, however; Mrs. Thatcher ends up murdered. Thatcher is almost immediately pounced upon as the prime suspect, and the film concludes with his trial--which develops into a real nail-biter. Based on a true story that had hogged Canadian headlines for nearly a decade, Love and Hate: A Marriage Made in Hell was the highest-rated TV movie to be shown on Canadian TV in 1989. Its below-the-border debut occurred on July 15 and 16, 1990; in syndication, the two-part film was trimmed to 153 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A plucky seventeen-year old hockey player proves that he is good enough to play on the Canadian national team in this drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide