Kate Nelligan

Based on a true story, this emotional made-for-television drama is aimed at heightening public awareness of the tragedy for children with HIV-positive parents. Linda Hamilton was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance as widow Rosemary Holmstrom, a single mother who is battling the AIDS virus. As she struggles to deal with her disease, she is also faced with the grim reality of making arrangements for the future care of her son (Noah Fleiss). Gender-bending singer RuPaul makes an appearance as a helpful HIV-positive social worker. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

A pair of misfit siblings travel across time and space to save their father from enslavement in this made-for-TV adaptation of the classic children's novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Meg Murry (Katie Stuart), a tomboy who fits in with neither the kids nor the teachers at her New England middle school, feels bereft when her scientist father vanishes, leading to unsavory speculation from small-town gossips. But thanks to Charles Wallace (David Dorfman), her gifted but idiosyncratic younger brother, Meg befriends Mrs. Who (Alison Elliott), Mrs. Whatsit (Alfre Woodard), and Mrs. Which (Kate Nelligan) -- three cosmic beings who lead Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe (Gregory Smith) on a journey to the sinister planet Camazotz, where Dr. Murry (Chris Potter) has been captured by the coercive power known as IT. Afflicted by hubris and naïveté, young Charles Wallace falls under IT's thrall, forcing Meg, Calvin, and their allies on a dangerous flight across time and space. But thanks to the healing touch of a kindly monster known as Aunt Beast (Ellen Dubin), Meg is able to face her own insecurities and attempt a final rescue of her loved ones. Originally broadcast May 10, 2004, on ABC, A Wrinkle in Time was released as an installment of the long-running Wonderful World of Disney. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

This is the true story of Dr. Norman Bethune, the Canadian doctor who tended to the needs of Mao Tse Tung's army during the communist takeover of China. Bethune's motives, most of which he preferred to keep to himself, have intrigued many filmmakers of humanistic or liberal inclinations. This Canadian made-for-TV version, directed by Eric Hill, stars Donald Sutherland as Bethune and Kate Nelligan as his wife. The political and humanitarianism issues inherent in the saga are subtly woven into a thought-provoking screenplay. Sutherland later reprised his role in the 1990 film Bethune: The Making of A Hero. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed on location in Nova Scotia, the made-for-TV Calm at Sunset is a "generation-gap" story with an unusual twist. Instead of causing his family heartbreak by refusing to follow in his dad's footsteps, the protagonist disappoints his family by insisting on being just like his dad. Fisherman Russell Pfeiffer (Michael Moriarty) has always dreamed of a better and more prosperous life for his sons, and to that end bankrolls their college education. But while older son Joseph (Christopher Orr) is willing to seek employment outside the family's sphere of influence, 18-year-old James (Peter Facinelli) drops out of law school during his first year, intending to follow his dream of owning his own fishing boat. This dream is not only a source of grief for hard-working Russell and his wife, Margaret (Kate Nelligan), but may also prove so dangerous that James will never make it to age nineteen. Add to this a shocking family secret, and you have all the ingredients for a solid and entertaining Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. Adapted from a novel by Paul Watkins, Calm at Sunset debuted December 1, 1996, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Devoted parents search for their daughter in this strange, fact-based made-for-television movie. Set in the 1850s, Louis Gossett Jr. stars as James Mink, a wealthy Canadian businessman who is married to a white woman (Kate Nelligan). When their daughter is duped into marrying a slave trader, the Minks set out for the American South to track down their missing daughter and bring her back home. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Fifteen strangers who have volunteered for an experiment in isolation are forced to deal with an even larger problem in this film from Italian director Giuliano Montaldo. A research group in Germany wants to study the effects of isolation in a nuclear shelter on human subjects and assembles a diverse group of people for the test. The strangers agree to stay in the shelter for 20 days, but are allowed to exit at any time. During their time in the shelter, the group experiences a wide range of social dynamics, but near the end of their stay in the shelter, it is learned that a real nuclear incident is underway and the test group will be forced to stay in their shelter indefinitely. Featured in the cast are Burt Lancaster, Ben Gazzara, and Kate Nelligan. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide