Follow the Stars Home
Follow the Stars Home is a 2001 American made-for-television romantic drama film directed by Dick Lowry. The film is based upon Luanne Rice's 2000 novel of the same name and was produced for the Hallmark Hall of Fame.[1]
Follow the Stars Home | |
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Based on | Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice |
Written by | Sally Robinson |
Directed by | Dick Lowry |
Starring | Kimberly Williams Campbell Scott Eric Close Alexa Vega |
Music by | Mark Adler |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Richard Welsh |
Producer(s) | Gordon Wolf |
Cinematography | Steven Fierberg |
Editor(s) | Tod Feuerman |
Running time | 103 minutes |
Production company(s) | Hallmark Hall of Fame |
Distributor | CBS |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Original release | May 6, 2001 |
Plot
Brothers David and Mark McCune are both in love with Dianne Parker, their neighbor who has been living with her mother Hannah since the death of her father when she was 17 years old. Although David treats her better, Dianne falls in love with Mark. They soon marry and it does not take long before she finds out she is pregnant. But their happiness is short-lived when their doctor announces that the child will have severe genetic abnormalities. Not wanting a less-than-perfect child, Mark orders Dianne to have an abortion. Dianne refuses and Mark leaves her.
Six years later, Dianne is a single mom taking care of her handicapped child, a daughter whom she named Julia, with the help of her mother. One day, she meets young Amy Williams, who is growing up in a dysfunctional family. Her father died and her alcoholic mother Tess gets involved with an abusive man, Buddy. Amy, trying to escape from her home life during summer, starts helping Dianne care for Julia. Amy soon develops a friendship with Julia, which delights Dianne.
One day, Buddy, frustrated by the noise he is making, throws Amy's puppy from a bridge into the water. Amy, determined to save him, jumps after him and lands into the hospital. Child services are contacted and it is decided that Amy is not allowed to live with her mother anymore. Buddy is arrested and faced with the prospect of never seeing her daughter again, Tess, who still loves Amy very much, agrees to enter rehab. In the meantime, Amy is taken in by Dianne.
Tragedy strikes again when she and Amy are hit by a drunk driver. Amy suffers a broken arm, but Dianne is wounded more severely. She is visited in the hospital by Mark, who wants a second chance. After questioning his motives for a while, she decides to forgive him. David meets Mark in a diner and leads Mark to believe that Julia doesn't have long to live. Mark then proposes to Dianne and she accepts. But as they are talking about their future, Dianne realizes that Mark still doesn't care about Julia and is waiting for her to die. Hurt and infuriated, she dumps Mark for good. In the end, she accepts a proposal from David. Amy and Tess are reconciled.
Cast
- Kimberly Williams as Dianne Parker-McCune
- Campbell Scott as David McCune
- Eric Close as Mark McCune
- Alexa Vega as Amy Williams
- Blair Brown as Hannah Parker
- Roxanne Hart as Tess
- Tim Ransom as Buddy
- Amanda and Caitlin Fein as Julia Parker-McCune
- Patricia Belcher as Counselor
- Judith Drake as Admitting Nurse
- Suzy Nakamura as Martha
References
- Review Summary The New York Times