David's Mother

David's Mother
DVD cover
Directed by	Robert Allan Ackerman
Produced by	Julian Marks
Written by	Bob Randall
Starring	Kirstie Alley Sam Waterston Stockard Channing Michael Goorjian Chris Sarandon Phylicia Rashad
Music by	David Mansfield
Cinematography	Walt Lloyd
Editing by	Susan B. Browdy
Distributed by	CBS Hearst Entertainment Productions Morgan Hill Films
Release date(s)	April 10, 1994
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

David's Mother is a 1994 television film directed by Robert Allan Ackerman and stars Kirstie Alley as a devoted mother trying to cope with her autistic teenage son David (Michael Goorjian).^[1] The film aired on CBS on April 10, 1994, it has also aired internationally. In the UK it can often be seen on television movie channels True Movies 1 and True Movies 2.^[2] It has also been released in home entertainment formats in countries including the United States, UK and Australia.

The film has received several awards and nominations. Kirstie Alley and Michael Goorjian both received Emmy Awards for their roles in the film, Alley was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Plot

Sally Goodson has always tried to do what is best for her autistic son David, always blaming herself for the way David is. Sally lives alone with David in a New York apartment and is often visited by her sister Bea (Stockard Channing), who tries to help Sally turn her life around by getting out a little more and giving David some space, but Sally rarely lets him out of her sight. In the end, it caused her husband Philip (Chris Sarandon) to have an affair, leave her and re-marry, and her daughter Susan to go to live with him, as they were tired of watching Sally being too over-protective with David. Sally, having enough to cope with in her life, is visited by a social worker, Gladys Johnson (Phylicia Rashad), who informs her that David must go into a care home, but Sally refuses to send him to a home because of the way he was treated as a child in his previous care home. Gladys then gives her some time with David before she has to make arrangements. Bea manages to talk Sally round and sets her up on a date with wallpaper salesman John Nils (Sam Waterston); they begin to see each other, he even teaches David to work a VCR, something Sally thought he could never do. Things go well until Sally makes plans to move when she is forced to give up David to a care home, her plan cause an argument between her and John, as she didn't tell him of the move. Sally is finally forced to give up David as he is permanently taken in by the care home.

Cast

• Kirstie Alley ... Sally Goodson
• Sam Waterston ... John Nils
• Stockard Channing ... Bea
• Michael Goorjian ... David Goodson
• Chris Sarandon ... Philip
• Phylicia Rashad ... Gladys Johnson

Awards and nominations

• 1994: Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress Miniseries or a Special - Kirstie Alley^[3]
• 1994: Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special - Michael Goorjian^[4]
• 1994: Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or a Special - Bob Randall (writer)^[5]
• 1994: Won Humanitas Prize for 90 Minute Category - Bob Randall^[6]
• 1994: Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film - Kirstie Alley^[7]
• 1994: Nominated Artios Award for Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week - Reuben Cannon
• 1995: Nominated C.A.S. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Movie of the Week of Mini-Series - David E. Fluhr (re-recording mixer), John Asman (re-recording mixer), Melissa Sherwood Ashman (re-recording mixer), Chaim Gilad (production mixer)^[8]

Releases

David's Mother has been released on VHS and DVD format. In the United States, the film received it's DVD release on May 4, 2004 by Trinity Home Entertainment.^[9] In the UK, the film has been released several times. The first VHS was released by Odyssey Entertainment^[10] It was also released on VHS as part of a "Tear Jerker Collection". On DVD it was released by Odyssey Entertainment on September 25, 2000, which includes the trailer and cast information.^[11] It was re-released on DVD by Infinity Entertainment on February 4, 2008.^[12] In Australia, the film was released on DVD by Payless Entertainment on January 24, 2008.^[13]

References

1. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. pp. 1444. ISBN 0-345-45542-8. 
2. ^ "David's Mother". truemovies.tv. http://www.truemovies.tv/tvguide/film.aspx?mID=62. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
3. ^ "Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or Special 1994". emmys.com. http://www.emmys.com/nominations/1994/OUTSTANDING%20LEAD%20ACTRESS%20IN%20A%20MINISERIES%20OR%20SPECIAL. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
4. ^ "Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or Special 1994". emmys.com. http://www.emmys.com/nominations/1994/OUTSTANDING%20SUPPORTING%20ACTOR%20IN%20A%20MINISERIES%20OR%20SPECIAL. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
5. ^ "Outstanding Individual Achievement In Writing In A Miniseries Or A Special 1994". emmys.com. http://www.emmys.com/nominations/1994/OUTSTANDING%20individual%20achievement%20in%20WRITING%20IN%20A%20MINISERIES%20OR%20A%20SPECIAL. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
6. ^ "Past Winners - 90 Min.". humanitasprize.org. http://www.humanitasprize.org/Prize_PastWinners.html. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
7. ^ "Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television". glodenglobes.org. http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/year/1994. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
8. ^ "TELEVISION - MOW'S and Mini-Series". cinemaaudiosociety.org. http://www.cinemaaudiosociety.org/casawards/casprev.php. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
9. ^ "David's Mother (1994)". amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Davids-Mother-Kirstie-Alley/dp/B0001WTVCK/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1317310585&sr=1-1. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
10. ^ "David's Mother [VHS"]. amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Davids-Mother-VHS-Kirstie-Alley/dp/B00004CP3V. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
11. ^ "David's Mother [1993 [DVD]"]. amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Davids-Mother-DVD-Kirstie-Alley/dp/B00004Y3MN/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1317310831&sr=1-1. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
12. ^ "David's Mother [1993 [DVD]"]. amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Davids-Mother-DVD-Sam-Waterston/dp/B00129XQ7C/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1317310831&sr=1-2. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 
13. ^ "David's Mother". jbhifionline.com.au. http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/drama-romance/david-s-mother/289054. Retrieved 29 September, 2011. 

External links

• David's Mother at the Internet Movie Database
• Movie review by Bonnie Sayers