Mike Robe Movies
- 2009
Northern Lights is one of four made-for-TV movies adapted from Nora Roberts' romance novels for the Lifetime channel in 2009 (along with Tribute, High Noon, and Midnight Bayou). Country singer LeAnn Rimes stars as Meg Galligan, an Alaska bush pilot who finds herself falling for her small town's new chief of police, Nate Burns (Eddie Cibrian), a former Baltimore cop haunted by the death of his partner. The couple's relationship is tested when Meg's long-missing father turns up dead in the Alaskan wilderness, leading Nate on a murder investigation that uncovers some unsavory town secrets. This romantic thriller features Rosanna Arquette in a supporting turn as Meg's mother, Charlene. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- LeAnn Rimes, Eddie Cibrian, (more)
When a recently deceased rancher leaves his multimillion-dollar estate to his three daughters, the girls discover that they will only be able to receive their inheritance by living together on the ranch for one year in this rural family drama starring John Corbett, Ashley Williams, and Charlotte Ross. Having never even previously met, the three half sisters agree to the curious stipulation despite reservations that their forced family reunion might be a complete disaster. The biggest problem that the girls face, however, is the discovery of a saboteur in their midst. It seems that when dear old dad died, he left some pretty bitter enemies behind -- enemies who would love to see his daughters fail. Now, in order to get what is rightfully theirs, the three siblings will have to work harder than ever before to clean up the mess their father left behind. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashley Williams, Charlotte Ross, (more)
Based on the best-selling novel by author Scott Turow, this four-hour miniseries tells the tale of a lawyer determined to find the evidence that will deliver the potentially innocent convicted murderer from a grim walk down the silent halls of death row. The date of execution is drawing ever closer, and mentally challenged convict Romeo "Squirrel" Gandalf's (Glenn Plummer) lawyer, Arthur Raven (William H. Macy), stumbles across evidence indicating that his client was framed for the murder. Though Raven sees the case as clear cut, he has underestimated the determination of original prosecuting lawyer Muriel Wynn (Monica Potter) and her lover, Larry Starczek (Tom Selleck), who also happens to be the original investigating officer in the case and is resolute in seeing the case followed through and the original verdict upheld. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William H. Macy, Tom Selleck, (more)
- 2004
A suspense novel by Sue Miller was the source for the made-for-TV While I Was Gone, which made its CBS network debut on October 10, 2004. Boston veterinarian Jo Beckett (Kirstie Alley) feels trapped in her marriage to kindly but unexciting minister Daniel Beckett (Bill Smitrovich). Then, one day, a dog that may have to be put down is brought into Jo's office. The dog's owner turns out to be her old college friend Eli Mayhew (Peter Horton), with whom Jo shared a hippie pad along with several other shaggy students back in the 1960s. As she waxes nostalgic over her carefree youth, Jo considers leaving staid Daniel for footloose Eli, and goes so far as to set up a clandestine meeting with him. But Jo's dream romance turns into a nightmare with the revelation of a horrible secret from her past -- and the fulfillment of a strange "out-of-body" premonition which Jo had experienced in the opening scenes of the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Peter Horton, (more)
- 2003
Set in the mid-'80s and early '90s, this made-for-cable drama is the true story of Joan Carey Lowell, a 32-year-old teacher at a Tucson school for the blind. In a stroke of tragic irony, Joan loses her own sight in a short three weeks due to accelerated muscular degeneration. The tragedy is compounded five years later when Joan's husband Joe dies of cancer, leaving her to raise their eight-year-old daughter Joy alone. Armed with an inexhaustible supply of resilience and an extremely well-developed sense of humor, Joan carves out a whole new, successful career for herself as a best-selling author and motivational speaker, aided and abetted by her former high school sweetheart (and, ultimately, second husband) Jim Brock (Dylan Walsh). Filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, More Than Meets the Eye: The Joan Brock Story first aired June 16, 2003, on the Lifetime network, marking actress Carey Lowell's return to television after a voluntary six-year absence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carey Lowell, Dylan Walsh, (more)
- 2002
Presented as part of the Lifetime cable network's ongoing "Stop Violence Against Women" program, the made-for-TV Scared Silent was based on a true story. Penelope Ann Miller stars as Kathy Clifson, happily married to the police chief (Reed Diamond) of Fremont, MN. Kathy's tranquil lifestyle is shattered when her husband hires a new deputy, John McCrane (Andrew Jackson). It seems that when Kathy was a 17-year-old high schooler, she was raped by McCrane, who terrorized and browbeat her into silence. As the weeks go by, Kathy comes in contact with three other women (including her best friend) who have been sexually assaulted by McCrane. Each of the women has either been unable or unwilling to bring him up on charges due to lack of substantial evidence -- not to mention the egregious wagon-circling tactics of McCrane's fellow "good old boy" law officers. Determined that McCrane will pay for his crimes, and to symbolically stand up behalf of all violated women everywhere who have been too scared or guilt-ridden to take action against their attackers, Kathy convinces the other victims to form a strong -- and unfrightened -- united front. The incident upon which this film was based resulted in "The Debbie Smith Act," a proposed bipartisan anti-sexual abuse law that was still in litigation at the time of filming. Following the original telecast of Scared Silent on May 20, 2002, the phone exchanges of the National Sexual Assault Hotline were literally swamped with calls of support for the Debbie Smith Act, and with reports of similar outrages against women. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Reed Diamond, (more)
Long before his legendary association with the Alabama Crimson Tide, football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was athletic director at Texas A&M University. In this made for TV movie, the hard-as-nails Bryant (played by Tom Berenger) shepherds 100 potential college football players into the desolate village known as Junction, Texas, in the summer of 1954. Determined to find out which of his boys has the guts and fortitude to play winning football, Bryant forces the applicants to train eight hours a day in 120 degree heat, without food or water. Ultimately, only 35 players make the cut, among them such gridiron luminaries as Gene Stallings and Jack Pardee (though, outside of Bryant, none of the players' actual names is mentioned in the script). "Bear"'s grueling regimen is tough, relentless and perhaps unfair, but the football players emerge as a unified whole, dedicated both to victory and to their tireless coach. The second feature film produced especially for the ESPN cable network, The Junction Boys was based on the book by Jim Dent, and originally aired on December 14, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Fletcher Humphrys, (more)
- 2001
Its hokey title notwithstanding, this intensely dramatic TV-movie chronicled the true story of the star-crossed romance between Bahrainian princess Meriam Al-Khalifa (Marisol Nichols) and U.S. Marine Jason Johnson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Even if Meriam was not already committed to an arranged marriage, her strict Muslim parents would never approve of her union with an American Mormon. Determined to be together, the couple manages to sneak out of Meriam's homeland with forged papers. Will they make it to the United States -- and if so, will diplomatic protocol dictate that Meriam be returned to her own country? The Princess and the Marine made its NBC bow on February 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A woman behind bars learns to reach out to someone with whom she has almost nothing in common as she begins to help others in this made-for-TV drama, inspired by a true story. Joan Thomas (Ellen Burstyn) is a woman whose life has been a long trip down a rough road; Thomas has a problem with drugs, and after being arrested for possession, she's sentenced to prison with a number of hardened criminals. Sister Pauline Quinn (Laura Dern) is a nun working with prison inmates who senses Thomas is at heart a good person whose life can still be turned around; while Thomas proves to be a tough nut to crack, in time Quinn is able to interest Thomas in a special program in which inmates help train dogs which will be used to help the handicapped. As Thomas works with Quinn and helps teach her dog the needed skills, she learns the positive aspects of connecting with others for the first time. Within These Walls was originally produced as part of the award-winning television anthology series The Hallmark Hall Of Fame; it first aired on August 20, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Laura Dern, (more)
- 1999
In this two-part miniseries, the formative days of rock & roll are relived through the experiences of a fictional musical quartet called the Heartaches. The group is led by the handsome Tyler (Brad Hawkins), whose heart belongs to Lyne (Bonnie Somerville), the female member of the band. Along the bumpy road to fame, Tyler achieves enormous success, his ego swelling with every new gig -- and the chasm between himself and his three fellow band members growing ever wider. Eventually Lyne breaks up with Tyler, finding success of her own in a most unexpected fashion. The soundtrack reverberates with expert re-creations of vintage rock & roll tunes, while B.B. King shows up to offer a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Fur Slippers." Shake, Rattle & Roll: An American Love Story was telecast on November 7 and 10, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonnie Somerville, Samaria Graham, (more)
- 1999
"1000 Tons of Steel! 200 Lives at Stake! 100 Miles per Hour! One Man to Stop it!" That's the situation as set up by the ad campaign for the thrill-packed TV movie Final Run. The action takes place on board the Grand Royale, a luxury train controlled by a supercomputer created by a shady electronics firm called American Rail. Inevitably, human error causes the computer to suffer a glitch -- and as a result, the Grand Royle speeds precariously out of control. It is up to hero Glen "Lucky" Singer (Robert Urich) to stop the train and rescue the human cargo of TV-movie stereotypes. Curiously, the original TV Guide listings for this film failed to provide a synopsis, perhaps assuming that the title spoke for itself. Final Run premiered October 10, 1999, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tired of the loneliness pervading her daily life, 75-year-old Emma blows out her birthday candles and makes a single wish: that she be allowed a month in which to care for and make peace with her estranged daughter. The next morning, she awakens 35 years younger but still wise. Masquerading as a nanny, she convinces her daughter, who does not know her, to hire her. Once in the household, Emma realizes that there is trouble afoot, and that her daughter's marriage is in trouble. As only a mother can do, Emma begins to quietly help her daughter reassemble her life. This made-for-television drama originally aired on the CBS network. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanna Kerns, Della Reese, (more)
- 1997
A spectacular mid-air collision leaves a commercial jet liner severely damaged forcing its pilot to draw from all his years of experience in order to safely land the aircraft. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1996
The presence of a malicious stranger armed with damning information from the past threatens to destroy the peace and harmony of a vacationing executive's family life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Harrison, Corin Nemec, (more)
Popular mystery writer Richard North Patterson found two of his potboilers, Eyes of a Child and Degree of Guilt, turned into a four-part miniseries for NBC with this star-studded opus. Degree of Guilt stars Daphne Zuniga as Terri, a young wife and mother trapped in an abusive marriage to Ritchie (Vincent Ventresca) in the San Francisco Bay area. With Ritchie sleeping around on her and burning through the family's savings, Terri turns to the sheltering arms of Patterson's recurring attorney-hero Christopher Paget (David James Elliott), much to her mother Rosa's (Tricia O'Neil) dismay. Torn between two men, Terri moves back in, child in tow, with the scolding Rosa. But when Ritchie turns up dead, it's up to Christopher to get his love off the hook. Degree of Guilt also stars Sharon Lawrence as an icy femme fatale whom Christopher is called upon to represent. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daphne Zuniga, Vincent Ventresca, (more)
The first of a number of sequels to the highly successful western mini-series Lonesome Dove featured few of the same actors as the original, nor was it based on a novel by Larry McMurtry. In this outing, onetime Texas Ranger Call (Jon Voight, replacing Tommy Lee Jones) heads a group of cowboys leading horses from Texas north to Montana. Along the way, Call again meets Clara Allen (Barbara Hershey, taking over for Anjelica Huston), the love of his late partner McCrae's life. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Voight
- 1992
This made-for-TV movie was originally offered in two parts under the title Scott Turow's Burden of Proof. Adapted by John Gay from Turow's bestselling novel, the film stars Hector Elizondo as defense attorney Alejandro "Sandy" Stern, the same character played by Raul Julia in the 1990 cinemazation of Turow's Presumed Innocent. This time, Stern's private and professional life have merged, as he investigates the suspicious suicide of his wife. He also comes to the aid of his rather unsavory brother-in-law Dixon Hartnell, a commodities broker who is under federal investigation. Hartnell is played by Brian Dennehy, who also appeared in Presumed Innocent, albeit in a different role. Part One of Burden of Proof first aired February 9, 1992; Part Two, wherein Sandy Stern is confronted with numbing revelations of sexual and economic misconduct, was telecast February 10. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Learn about the work which went into the creation of the miniseries . ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
This second half of the sweeping TV adaptation of Evan S. O'Connell's novel (see entry 129099 for details on Part One) stars Gary Cole as George Armstrong Custer, leader of the 7th Cavalry of the Great Plains in the early 1870s. Custer's efforts to maintain peace with the surrounding Native Americans are doomed to failure due to his own arrogance and miscalculations. The Indians reluctantly marshal themselves for war when the white man's lust for gold results in broken treaties and ravaged lands. Part Two culminates in a spectacular (and fairly accurate) recreation of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, pitting Custer against another headstrong tactician, Chief Crazy Horse (Rodney Grant). As in Part One, Part Two of Son of the Morning Star is narrated by Buffy St. Marie, attempting--with moderate success--an "old lady" characterization. Parts one and two were later merged into a single 186-minute TV movie. Side Note: Kevin Costner was offered the role of Custer in Son of the Morning Star, but turned it down to concentrate on his own Native American epic--a little diversion called Dance With Wolves (which also featured Rodney Grant). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cole, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
- 1990
In this made-for-TV mystery a troubled psychologist must somehow reach a traumatized 8-year old boy who witnessed a family murder. The trouble is the boy cannot distinguish between reality and fact. According to him, the killer is Captain Hook from Peter Pan. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The made-for-TV Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North was heralded by the following ad copy: "Patriot. Zealot. Husband. Soldier. Honored. Accused." Add to that "Pedantic" and "Plodding" and you've summed up the film. Presented in two parts, the film traces the career of Oliver North (David Keith) from his years at the US Naval Academy, on to his tour of duty in Vietnam, and ending up with a post on the National Securities Council. Part Two of Guts and Glory covers the Iran-Contra affair, but is forced to leave the denouement open-ended, since North's guilt or innocence was still being deliberated when the film premiered on April 30 and May 2, 1989. The audience is permitted to draw its own conclusions, though Ollie North is no more warm and fuzzy on film than he was in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Keith, Barnard Hughes, (more)
- 1989
Follow the military career of Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North beginning with his Naval Academy days through to his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Keith, Barnard Hughes, (more)
Based on the autobiographical book by Chris Oyler, the made-for-TV Go Toward the Light is a sometimes wrenching, ofttimes inspirational AIDS drama. Claire and Greg Madison (Linda Hamilton and Richard Thomas) discover to their horror that their hemophiliac son Ben (Joshua Harris) has contracted the deadly virus through a tainted transfusion. Faced with the likelihood that Ben will not live out the year, the grief-stricken Madisons vow to make every day of that year count and to see to it that their son will not have to endure his agony alone. The excellence of the performances are matched by the script (by Susan Nanus and Beth Polson) and direction (Mike Robe). Go Toward the Light debuted November 1, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Hamilton, Richard Thomas, (more)
- 1987
Murder Ordained is the true story of a crime of passion in Emporia, Kansas. Terry Kinney plays the reverend Tom Bird, whose wife Sandy (Annabella Price) was found dead in 1983. At first, it seems as though Sandy was killed in a car accident. But highway patrolman John Rule (Keith Carradine) has a different theory: Rule believes that Bird murdered his wife out of love for his mistress (JoBeth Williams). A second killing in another Kansas county serves to confirm Rule's hypothesis. Filmed on location, the two-part Murder Ordained was originally telecast May 3 and 5, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, JoBeth Williams, (more)
News at Eleven is a stacked-card study of journalistic ethics -- or rather, the lack of same. Martin Sheen stars as the well-respected senior anchorperson at a fictional San Diego TV station. Honcho news-director Peter Riegert insists that the news is becoming a tune-out, and demands more sensationalism in the coverage. When a junior high school teacher is accused of statutory rape, Riegert orders Sheen to exploit the story to the hilt. This results in a near-tragedy involving the high school girl who's accused the teacher. The conscience-stricken Sheen exacts a clever "hoist on his own petard" revenge for the unrepentant Riegert. Made for television, News at Eleven was actually telecast at 9 PM (EST) on April 2, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Peter Riegert, (more)
