Picking Up the Pieces (1985) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writer:

Gordon Cotler (writer)

Release Date:

22 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A sheltered wife (Margot Kidder) of a surgeon (David Ackroyd) suddenly finds herself thrust into the middle of a messy divorce. |

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Surgeon | Husband Wife Relationship | Male Female Relationship | Doctor

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Margot Kidder	...	Lynette Harding
David Ackroyd	...	Dr. Eric Harding
Ari Meyers	...	Stacy Harding
Barbara Rhoades	...	Denise
Joyce Van Patten	...	Harriet Goodman
Len Birman	...	Carew
Herb Edelman	...	Mac Goodman
Robin Gammell
Stephen Young
James Farentino	...	Don Hagan
Tom Heaton	...	Officer Berie
Jackson Davies	...	Dr. Simmons
Betty Phillips	...	Mrs. Gersten, piano
Stephen E. Miller	...	Bailey
Sheila Moore	...	Mrs. Welch

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

CBS Entertainment Production

Margot Kidder deserved an Emmy Award for this.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Although this is written as a standard TV movie about the complications of divorce, Margot Kidder pushes the material to a higher level with her terrific performance. She outshines everyone else in the cast - they all seem like high school drama students compared to her. It is tragic that she didn't get more recognition for it. She does an amazing job - she's in practically every shot. That's a big responsibility for any actor, and she handles it like a pro and seems ready to give even more. She gives a dimension to this character that is seldom seen in TV movies. It's unfortunate that she has been treated by the industry as just another 'working actress', always struggling for her next gig, when she obviously has so much more to offer. And while she was always terrific in big-budget films like the "Superman" movies, she was made for the idiosyncratic characters she played in lesser-known projects such as this film, another called "Never Met Picasso", Brian DePalma's twisted "Sisters", and particularly a little-seen gem called "Heartaches". She deserved an Emmy here. I do hope this little treasure becomes available on DVD. Does anyone know whatever became of her memoir, "Calamities"? I'd love to read it.