Bonds of Love (1993) (TV)

Director:

Larry Elikann

Writer (WGA):

Mary Gallagher (written by)

Release Date:

24 January 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A divorced woman falls in love with a mentally-disabled man, but his family objects to their relationship. |

Plot Keywords:

Mentally Disabled | Love Against The Odds | Mental Retardation | Kansas

Cast

Kelly McGillis	...	Rose Parks
Treat Williams	...	Robby Smith
Steve Railsback	...	Ken Smith
Grace Zabriskie	...	Emma Smith
R.H. Thomson	...	Jake Hobart
Gordon Pinsent	...	Leon
Kenneth Welsh	...	Judge
Hal Holbrook	...	Jim Smith
Colin Fox	...	Dr. Roche
Gordon Clapp	...	Evaluator
Shannon Lawson	...	Corrie
William Colgate	...	Charlie
Brenda Bazinet	...	Sally
Graham Losee	...	Scott
Lindsay Leese	...	Carol Maxwell
Gene Mack	...	Minister Craig
Jodi Kaczur	...	Connie
Steven Samuels	...	Steven
Diana Leblanc	...	Psychologist
Nicky Guadagni	...	Karen Turney (as Nicki Gaudagni)
Kenner Ames	...	Darrell
Michael Rhoades	...	Jason
Kelly Fiddick	...	Kenny
Ron Lea	...	Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Callow	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Larry Elikann

Writing credits (WGA)
Mary Gallagher		(written by)

Produced by
Harry B. Chandler	....	executive producer
Julian Marks	....	producer
Joel S. Rice	....	co-producer
Mark Teitelbaum	....	co-executive producer
Heidi Wall	....	co-producer
Treat Williams	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George S. Clinton

Cinematography by
Rodney Charters

Film Editing by
Peter V. White

Casting by
Clare Walker

Art Direction by
David M. Davis

Set Decoration by
Kim Steede

Costume Design by
Laurie Drew

Makeup Department
Maribeth Knezev	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paul D. Goldman	....	post-production supervisor
Tony Thatcher	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ann-Marie Ferney-Tellez	....	third assistant director (as Anne Marie Ferney)
Tony Lucibello	....	first assistant director
David Till	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Maltese	....	set dresser
Jeffrey A. Melvin	....	property master
Robert Shipman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Bill McMillan	....	sound mixer
Burton Weinstein	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Frank C. Carere	....	special effects
Brock Jolliffe	....	special effects

Stunts
Branko Racki	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
Kevin Murphy	....	gaffer
Mark Silver	....	key grip
Patrick Stepien	....	first assistant camera
John Sztejnmiler	....	generator operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robyn Rosenberg	....	costume truck supervisor

Music Department
Marty Wereski	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Thomas Osmond	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Sarah Grahame	....	script supervisor
Charles W. Gray	....	dialect director
Kristine Michaels	....	production coordinator
Kimberley A. Robyn	....	production accountant
Howard Rothschild	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Hearst Entertainment Productions
• Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI)

Distributors

• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1993) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:M | USA:Unrated | Iceland:L

Company:

Hearst Entertainment Productions

An Uncommon Subject For A Romantic Story.

Joel Rice, who describes himself as a "social worker/producer" is credited for several interesting films that rub against problems of people having learning difficulties, and in this item made for television, reportedly based upon actual events, the theme is decidedly unusual, a romantic affair absorbing a man with such difficulties and a woman without. Robbie Smith (Treat Williams) is scorned and carelessly harassed by people in his Kansas home town but is loved by his parents with whom he lives, and by his brother. Despite his mental slowness, Robbie has been accepted as merely a local oddity, a status that is capsized when Rose Parks (Kelly McGillis), a divorcée with a sordid past meets him, their comfortable beginning friendship turning into something stronger as the censure of those about them serves to refill their shared desire to be together. The relationship between evidently mismatched lovers is not effectively developed, little but melodrama filling the scenario, a notable scripting weakness being Robbie's plainly non-discriminatory feelings of affection to others while simultaneously being romantically obsessed with Rose, but a strong element of the film is its emphasis upon the struggles of those involved in their dealings with a non-compassionate officialdom. There are no true villains in this piece shot in Ontario with acts of reconcilement amid the principals lacking conviction, as does Williams in general although he works very hard at creating his part, with McGillis earning acting honours for her full-blooded performance as a woman seeking another chance, while other capable turns in an intriguingly cast production come from Steve Railsback as Robbie's protective older brother, Gordon Pinsent playing Rose's father, and Colin Fox as a judgemental doctor who instigates the primary set of problems for the lovelorn pair.