Marsha Norman Movies
- 2004
- Add Samantha: An American Girl Holiday to QueueAdd Samantha: An American Girl Holiday to top of Queue
The characters from the popular "American Girls" series of books and dolls come to life in this made-for-television drama set in the dawning years of the 20th Century. Samantha Parkington (AnnaSophia Robb) is an eight-year-old girl who is sent to live with her grandmother (Mia Farrow) after the tragic death of her parents. While grandmother takes it upon herself to teach Samantha how to behave like a lady, the girl finds she misses her best friend Nellie (Kelsey Lewis), a servant girl who became her closest companion. A visit to the bustling city of New York, however, holds both excitement and welcome surprises for Samantha. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- AnnaSophia Robb, Mia Farrow, (more)
- 2000
Superachiever Claire Raphael (Lorraine Bracco) expertly divides what little time she has between her job, her family, and her invalid mother. As a result, Claire's stay-at-home husband Dennis (Martin Donovan) suffers from a profound inferiority complex. As a means of reclaiming his "manhood," Dennis sues for divorce -- and for the custody of the couple's children. By rights, Claire could challenge her husband; instead, she cuts her losses, starting life (and love) anew in a reconditioned lighthouse. Adapted from Barbara Delinsky's novel A Woman's Place, the made-for-cable Custody of the Heart was first telecast by the Lifetime network on August 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorraine Bracco, Martin Donovan, (more)
Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in this made-for-TV biography of screen legend Audrey Hepburn, following her from her troubled youth as she grows up in Europe during WWII to her success as one of Hollywood's most sophisticated leading ladies. The Audrey Hepburn Story also features re-creations of several of Hepburn's most memorable moments onscreen, including the production of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The supporting cast includes Keir Dullea and Frances Fisher as her parents, Gabriel Macht as William Holden, Eric McCormack as Mel Ferrer, and Michael J. Burg as Truman Capote. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Love Hewitt, Frances Fisher, (more)
This taut, gritty made-for-TV drama is based on an off-Broadway play by Marsha Norman and follows the struggle of a female ex-con to reform despite the destructive influence of her terrible mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- PG13
'Night. Mother was adapted by Marsha Norman from her own harrowing Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Outwardly normal Sissy Spacek calmly informs her mother Anne Bancroft that she's about to commit suicide. Thus the stage is set for a war of nerves between the determined Spacek and the distraught Bancroft, who uses every emotional and psychological device at her disposal to stave off the inevitable. The film's tension grows not from its plot development--we know from the outset how it's going to end--but from whether or not we're going to learn all the reasons for Spacek's decision. She's an epileptic, an alcoholic, and supremely miserable, but she always holds a little something back, prompting the viewer to lean closer to the screen in hopes of ferreting out more answers. In the original play, the outcome was never predictable; perhaps understandably, there are many who prefer the staged 'Night Mother to the screen version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sissy Spacek, Anne Bancroft, (more)
- 1985
Based on a 1978 play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman, The Laundromat was made for cable by acclaimed director Robert Altman. Late in the middle of one night, two women from different backgrounds meet at a laundromat. Alberta (played by Carol Burnett) is a middle-aged ex-school teacher who normally does her wash in the safety of her home. Unfortunately, her washing machine is broken and, self-conscious about what it would mean if her neighbors saw her leaving home to do her laundry, she has traveled across town late at night to clean her clothes. Deedee (played by Amy Madigan) lives down the block from the laundromat. A newlywed, Deedeeis already discovering that her marriage is loveless and her husband is an adulterer. The two women -- one proper and controlled, the other free-spirited -- seem to have little in common, but as the night goes on, they let down their guards and air out their dirty laundry. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Burnett, Amy Madigan, (more)
