Joseph Sargent

A married couple locked in separate realities is faced with the most difficult decision of their lives after learning that their son, who loses his ability to hear at age four, could potentially regain his hearing with the help of cochlear implants. Dan Miller (Jeff Daniels) and his wife Laura (Marlee Matlin) may be husband and wife, but they're also best friends. Laura is deaf, while Dan has always been able to hear. When their four year old son Adam (Noah Valencia) suddenly loses his hearing, Dan and Laura find themselves hopelessly at odds over how to handle the situation. Laura has dealt with deafness her entire life, and believes that her son's handicap is only a minor obstacle. Dan, on the other hand, is determined to give his son a shot at living a more normal life, and becomes staunchly convinced that modern technology can make that possible. But the more research Dan conducts into cochlear implants, the clearer Laura makes it that she is completely opposed to the idea of surgery for their son. As the conflict between the couple comes to an impassioned head, Laura and Dan struggle to put aside their differences decide which option would be best for Adam's future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In the tradition of Dore Schary's Sunrise at Campobello, the made-for-cable biopic Warm Springs focuses on one of the least publicized aspects in the life of America's most-publicized (and longest-serving) president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, here played brilliantly by British actor Kenneth Branagh. Like Sunrise, Warm Springs uses as its starting point the year 1921, when the 39-year-old Roosevelt was permanently paralyzed from the waist down by an attack of polio. But whereas the earlier film concentrated on FDR's battle to return to public life despite his handicap, this film zeroes in on Roosevelt's efforts to cure himself of his affliction. Having heard of the therapeutic value of the waters of Warm Springs in rural Georgia, Roosevelt makes a pilgrimage to the area, which is little more than a swamp surrounded by dilapidated shacks. Though he never experiences the "miracle" cure that he so desperately seeks, Roosevelt is instrumental in the conversion of Warm Springs from a backwater hellhole to a streamlined, efficiently managed polio-treatment center, a virtual mecca for hundreds of thousands of others who had been crippled by the debilitating illness. And in the process, he also brings hope, optimism, and racial enlightenment to the poverty-stricken, multiethnic citizens of Warm Springs. Even more significantly, FDR removes the stigma of polio from the public consciousness, forever abolishing the misguided notions that the disease adversely affected the brain, that it could be spread merely by physical contact, or that it represented celestial "punishment" of the victim (it is noted, however, that Roosevelt was always careful never to reveal the true extent of his immobility nor his atrophied legs in public, feeling that it might diminish the nation's image of an "invulnerable" Commander in Chief). Also in the cast are Cynthia Nixon as Roosevelt's devoted wife, Eleanor; Jane Alexander (who'd previously played Eleanor Roosevelt in two TV miniseries) as his over-protective mother Sara; David Paymer as his crusty chief aide Louis Howe; Kathy Bates as his no-nonsense physical therapist Helena Mahoney; and Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless, the man in charge of Warm Springs. Originally telecast by HBO on April 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the tradition of Arthur Miller's McCarthy-era play The Crucible, this two-part TV dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials was heavily influenced by the present-day political scene. Rev. Parris (Henry Czerny), spiritual leader of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, needs a unifying issue to end the intramural squabbling between the town's Puritans. When the daughters of Ann and Thomas Putnam (Kirstie Alley and Jay O. Sanders) begin behaving in a bizarre, disruptive fashion, Parris knows that he has found something that can be transformed into a target of unilateral hatred for his flock. Before long, the Putnam girls and the family's servant Titubea (Gloria Reuben) have been labeled as witches, and eventually the hysteria spreads throughout the town, with anyone who doesn't agree with the status quo running the risk of public ostracism, and ultimately, execution for witchcraft (the eventual fate of 20 unfortunates). The climax is devoted to the notorious witch trials, staged at the behest of the Massachusetts colony's politically ambitious deputy governor (Peter Ustinov). Shirley MacLaine makes a rare TV appearance as the ill-fated Rebecca Nurse. Salem Witch Trials was presented by CBS on March 2 and 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actor and dancer Gregory Hines served as both executive producer and star for this biographical drama that chronicles the life of legendary entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. In 1916, Robinson was a successful vaudeville performer and considered the finest tap dancer of his generation when he met Fannie (Kimberly Elise), a college student nearly two decades his junior. Even though Robinson was already married, he quickly fell in love with Fannie, and in time she was swept off her feet by the charismatic dancer and became his second wife. Fannie was one of the first people to encourage Robinson to stop performing in blackface (common for African-American vaudeville performers of the time), and in the 1930s, she and manager Marty Forkins (Peter Riegert) persuaded Bill to move to Hollywood and find work in the movies. While roles for black actors in Hollywood were severely limited at the time, Robinson managed to become a recognized film star, headlining the musical Stormy Weather and appearing in a number of pictures with child star Shirley Temple. But while Robinson's film work helped make him the best-known black performer in America, his frequent roles as domestic servants did little to earn him respect among his own people, and he was often seen as an "Uncle Tom" for his aggressively cheerful on-stage demeanor. And while Robinson was confronted with the less fortunate consequences of fame, he and Fannie had to deal with his growing addiction to gambling, which threatened to leave the highest-paid black man in America flat broke. Bojangles also features Savion Glover and Maria Ricossa; the film was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on February 4, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Don Cheadle, Mekhi Phifer, and Cicely Tyson star in this drama set in the 1940s about a black man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and teacher who is to counsel him as he awaits execution. A Lesson Before Dying is based on a novel by Ernest J. Gaines. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Barbra Streisand and Cis Corman are the executive producers of this TV movie, filmed in Toronto by director Joseph Sargent (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three). The fact-based film recounts the aftermath of the night of December 7, 1993 when gunman Colin Ferguson (Tyrone Benskin) opened fire on a packed Long Island Rail Road commuter train, killing six and wounding 19. However, instead of re-creating that attack and focusing on Ferguson, this drama follows the life of suburban housewife Carolyn McCarthy (Laurie Metcalf), who entered politics on a gun-control platform after her husband of 30 years was killed and her 26-year-old son was wounded during the incident. McCarthy is depicted here as a crusading media personality appealing for assault weapon control, then a political candidate, and finally as the congressional representative from the fourth district of New York. Premiere April 19, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

In an historical docudrama that was made for television, Sidney Poitier performs the role of Nelson Mandela, while Michael Caine plays the South African president Frederick Willem De Klerk, the man who instituted the reforms that would abolish apartheid, who released Nelson Mandela from nearly 30 years in prison, and who jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 with Mandela for creating the transition to a nonracial democracy in South Africa. The negotiations between Mandela and De Klerk for an ordered, legal, and peaceful transition to a full democracy are the bulk of this film's content. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This miniseries follows the original Lonesome Dove miniseries, and both are based on the characters created by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. Although much of the cast has changed from the original, the compelling saga is as satisfying as ever. The Western tale continues with the gritty Captain Woodrow Call (played this time by James Garner), a former Texas Ranger who is hired as a bounty hunter to track down the elusive and brutal Mexican gunman Joey Garza (Alexis Cruz). The characters Pea Eye Parker (Sam Shepard) and Lorena (Sissy Spacek) also return in this moving and atmospheric drama. ~ Jessica Frost, All Movie Guide

This entry into TNT's lavish and acclaimed Bible Series follows the tale of humble shepherd Abraham (Richard Harris) as he leads his flock to the Promised Land despite great danger to both himself and the followers of Jesus Christ. When the voice of God himself tells Abraham that he must lead his family and a group of like-minded believers on a harrowing journey to the Promised Land, the travelers' faith is tested as they face famine, death, and war at every turn. Through all of their hardships, Abraham's flock is determined to make the journey no matter what the cost. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Hallmark Hall of Fame's success with Sarah, Plain and Tall inspired the making of this sequel, with the entire cast back for the second production. Initially a mail-order bride, Sarah (Close) now loves Jacob (Walken) but still wants to return to Maine. When danger threatens, she and the family finally go back to Maine. This is the story of that visit back East. With the same nostalgia value as that which kept Little House on the Prairie on the air for years, it is another irresistible Hallmark production. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

In this Hallmark Hall of Fame TV film set in the post-war era, Kyra Sedgwick is the title character, a New Yorker who has long kept her Jewish heritage under wraps. Born in Poland but sent to the U.S. before the Holocaust, the young career woman receives word that the older sister she presumed was dead has in fact survived the Nazi terror and is coming to America, forcing Rose to confront her own past and future. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

This suspenseful drama first aired on television as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame Theater. It tells the story of a young woman who suddenly appears at the family estate claiming to be the title character and demanding her rightful inheritance. The family doesn't know what to think, because they have spent the last 15 years believing that Caroline died in a plane crash. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Angela Lansbury stars as an unmarried teacher at a Minnesota Catholic grade school. An ongoing battle with new bishop Robert Prosky, coupled with her friendship with an unwed mother, awakens hera to the possibility that she hasn't lived her life to the fullest. When her grateful school staff bankrolls her vacation to Ireland, Lansbury uses the opportunity to meet the man (Denholm Elliot) with whom she has secretly corresponded for years--and with whom she has fallen in love, sight unseen. Arriving on the Emerald Isle, Lansbury eagerly arranges a meeting with her dream lover. Will she be surprised. Made for television, Love She Sought was filmed under the working titles A Green Journey and Last Chance for Romance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide