The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) (TV)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer (WGA):

Jane Anderson (written by)

Release Date:

10 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

She wanted to give her daughter the best shot at being a cheerleader... The things you do for your kids.

Plot:

Err, the title is almost a summary itself. Based on the true story of a Texas mom who tries to hire...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Junior High School | Murder | Black Comedy | Ruler

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Holly Hunter	...	Wanda Holloway
Beau Bridges	...	Terry Harper
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Marla Harper
Elizabeth Ruscio	...	Verna Heath
Gregg Henry	...	Tony Harper
Matt Frewer	...	Troy McKinney
Eddie Jones	...	C.D. Holloway
Frankie Ingrassia	...	Shanna Harper
Gary Grubbs	...	Detective Helton
Jack Kehler	...	Sergeant F.E Blackwell
Fred Koehler	...	Shane Harper (as Frederick Koehler)
Megan Berwick	...	Amber Heath
Kathleen Marie Archer	...	Mother
Jana Arnold	...	Florine
Nelly Bly	...	Waitress
David Brisbin	...	Assistant D.A. Mike Anderson
Claire Malis	...	June Sofar (as Claire Mallis-Callaway)
O'Neal Compton	...	Principal James Barker
Bill Cross	...	Plant Manager
Steve Eastin	...	Bob Wilbur
Jessie Jones	...	Mother
Travis Kemmer	...	Student
Susan Krebs	...	Ms. Richards
Katie Layman	...	Mickey Harper
Darrah Lemontre	...	Annette
Ryan MacDonald	...	Old Man
Patrick McGuinness	...	Reporter in Church
Devon Michael	...	Blake Heath
Patrick Montes	...	Newscaster
Marina Palmier	...	Police Officer
Andy Richter	...	Police Officer
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Pete Reyes
Michael Ritchie	...	Minister (voice)
Clive Rosengren	...	Judge George H. Godwin
Billy Ray Sharkey	...	Police Officer
Richard Schiff	...	Life Photographer
Janis Uhley	...	Donahue Audience
Noni White	...	Donahue Audience
James Manos Jr.	...	Himself - Producer / Interviewer
Jane Anderson	...	Herself - Writer
Ron Regan	...	Himself: Channel 2 News Houston Reporter
John North	...	Reporter
Michelle Holden	...	Herself - Newscaster
Charlie O'Donnell	...	Himself - Newscaster
Dan Chopin	...	Himself - Comic
Mike Watkiss	...	Himself - Producer, 'A Current Affair'
Harley Tat	...	Himself - Producer, 'A Current Affair'
Phil Donahue	...	Himself - Talk show host
Johnny Carson	...	Himself - Former talk show host
George Bush	...	Himself - Former U.S. President (voice) (archive footage)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (WGA)
Jane Anderson		(written by)

Produced by
Dana Cole	....	associate producer
Zachary Feuer	....	associate producer
Kyle A. Heinrich	....	executive producer
James Manos Jr.	....	producer
Frederick S. Pierce	....	executive producer
Art Schaefer	....	line producer

Original Music by
Lucy Simon

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Eric A. Sears

Casting by
Sharon Bialy
Debi Manwiller
Richard Pagano		(as Rik Pagano)

Production Design by
Stephen Hendrickson

Art Direction by
Rusty Smith

Set Decoration by
Douglas A. Mowat

Costume Design by
Luke Reichle

Makeup Department
Jennifer Bell	....	assistant makeup artist
Kelvin R. Trahan	....	hair stylist (as Kelvin Trahan)
Kelvin R. Trahan	....	makeup artist (as Kelvin Trahan)
Rita Troy	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Tim Healey	....	production supervisor: second unit
Helene Mulholland	....	post-production supervisor
Art Schaefer	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.C. Barnes	....	additional second assistant director
Dan Coffie	....	second second assistant director
Thomas A. Smith	....	second assistant director
David Sosna	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rick Bioni	....	assistant property master (as Richard Bioni)
David Deignan	....	set dresser
Barry Franenberg	....	property master
James LaBarge	....	lead person
Joshua Pease	....	set dresser
Mona Personius	....	buyer
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco	....	buyer
Steven Ritchie	....	prop runner
Jim Samson	....	assistant set decorator
Ron Senso	....	construction coordinator
Michelle Skoby	....	buyer
Dugald Stermer	....	set dresser
Richard Thomas	....	additional swing

Sound Department
Bill Bell	....	sound editor
Don Broughton	....	boom operator
Bob Costanza	....	sound editor
Mike Dickeson	....	sound editor (as Mike Dickenson)
David C. Eichhorn	....	sound editor (as David Eichorn)
Kristi Johns	....	adr editor
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Luna	....	sound editor (as Daniel Luna)
Gary Macheel	....	sound editor
Joseph Melody	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer (as Tom O'Connell)
Kim H. Ornitz	....	production sound mixer (as Kim Ornitz)
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Greg Russell)
John Scarpaci	....	sound: video
Richard S. Steele	....	sound editor (as Rick Steele)
Tim Terusa	....	sound editor
Rusty Tinsley	....	sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Attila T. Vari	....	utility cable
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Chuck Comisky	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Antonucci	....	lamp operator
John S. Beyers	....	best boy electric (as John Beyers)
Jeffrey R. Clark	....	first assistant camera (as Jeff Clark)
Paul Cowdin	....	rigger
Charlie Edwards	....	grip
John Emory	....	best boy grip
Cary Fisher	....	camera operator: Wobbly-Cam
Cranston Gobbo	....	dolly grip
Rick Herrington	....	gaffer
Rodger Kelderman	....	lighting technician: Mini Musco lights (as Roger Kelderman)
Michael Lapins	....	rigger
Charles Linehan	....	swing man
Deborah Lipman	....	camera loader (as Debbie Lipman)
Michael Messenheimer	....	director of photography: video
Michael Messenheimer	....	video operator
Tami Morris	....	lamp operator
Tom Murphey	....	rigger
Joe A. Ponticelle	....	second assistant camera (as Joe Ponticelle)
Larry Potoker	....	24 frame video operator
Richard Ricci	....	lamp operator
Darrell B. Sheldon	....	key grip
John Spezzano	....	grip
Paul Varrieur	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Terry Berland	....	adr casting associate
Tricia Tomey	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sharon Iris Crall	....	wardrobe supervisor
Peggy A. Schnitzer	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Catherine Best	....	assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Jonathan Chibnall	....	first assistant editor
Danny Miller	....	apprentice editor
William Pine	....	color timer (as Bill Pine)
Ivan Victor	....	editor: video

Music Department
David Levine	....	music producer
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor
Alex Shantzis	....	associate music producer
Lucy Simon	....	music producer

Transportation Department
D.J. Gardiner	....	transportation coordinator
Gordie Merrick	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Brad Arkin	....	production assistant
Susan M. Baker	....	assistant production coordinator
Susan M. Baker	....	assistant: James Manos Jr.
Bill Bence	....	unit publicist
Erik Betts	....	gymnastics trainer
Nelly Bly	....	production assistant
Bonnie Bott	....	assistant location manager
Craig Busch	....	location manager: Texas
Kathleen Callahan	....	assistant: Mr. Ritchie
Rob Carliner	....	production assistant
Michael Cooper	....	production assistant
Mark Cottrell	....	location manager
Wayne Forman	....	caterer
J.J. Geary	....	craft service
Larry Hand	....	production accountant
Edward Kalpa	....	production assistant (as Eddie Kalpa)
Marilyn Kleist	....	assistant craft service
Shaun Kring	....	extras coordinator: Texas
James Levine	....	production assistant
Janette Mathers	....	accessories designer: Verna Heath
Carrie Mayo	....	teacher
Christine McCarren	....	cheerleading coordinator
Michael McDevitt	....	second unit coordinator
Melissa McLean	....	production assistant
Gary Moglovkin	....	assistant accountant
Phill Norman	....	title designer
Lauren Alexandra Ritchie	....	production coordinator (as Lauren Alexander Ritchie)
Michael L. Ryan	....	first aid (as Michael Ryan)
Judith Saunders	....	script supervisor
Brian C.L. Shelley	....	toxicity consultant
Melissa Silverman	....	production assistant
Renee Souli	....	product placement (as Renee Soulie)
Jules Sylvester	....	spider wrangler (as Julian Sylvester)
Ivan Victor	....	production assistant
Daniel R. Suhart	....	assistant: Mr. Sosna (uncredited)

Thanks
E. Bellgardt	....	special thanks
J. Bockain	....	special thanks
Rick Ferguson	....	special thanks: Houston Film Commission
A. Goldsmit	....	special thanks
Jono Kouzouyan	....	special thanks (as J. Kouzouyan)
Robert Mayes	....	special thanks: director of the University of Houston Band
Ben Spodshini	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Frederick S. Pierce Company
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Sudden Entertainment

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Condor Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bulova Watches  special thanks
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Cinelease  grip and lighting equipment
• Clairmont Camera  production filmed with
• Echo Film Services  sound editing
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation
• Foothill Academy of Gymnastics  special thanks
• Frye Company, The  special thanks
• Keds Corporation  special thanks
• Kona Cutting  negative cutting
• Liz Soto Accessories  special thanks
• Mr. Fred Furs International Ltd.  special thanks
• Multimedia Entertainment Inc.  archive footage: Donahue excerpts
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Pepsi-Cola Company  special thanks
• Reebok  special thanks
• Riverside Community College Marching Band  special thanks
• Ruff Hewn  special thanks
• Students from the Texas Music Festival  special thanks
• Unique Catering  catering
• Video Image Associates  video services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Company:

Frederick S. Pierce Company

Trivia:

Someone discusses possibility of an exploding baton, an in-joke reference to gag from director Michael Ritchie's 1975 movie Smile (1975).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Wanda's voice on tape describes Verna's vehicle as a "1995 Grand Marquis." The film takes place in 1991.

Quotes:

Wanda Holloway:They even had me in "Sports Illustrated", in the Swimsuit Edition, but not in a swimsuit.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962)

Soundtrack:

One More Chance

Highly underrated satire

This is one of the best satires I have ever seen on film. Swoosie Kurtz & Beau Bridges are particularly outstanding but all the performances are hilarious & perfectly on target. The material is universally outrageous - all the more so for being based on a true story. Michael Ritchie was a brilliant director whose work has been sadly neglected. Prime Cut & Smile are two of his other masterpieces which deserve resurrection & pristine restoration on DVD. Interesting how some of the best & most off-beat satirical films are about Texas: This plus Texas Chainsaw Massacre plus Murder in Texas plus True Stories.