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No Laughing Matter (1998) (TV)
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Overview
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Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
1 April 1998 (USA)
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Plot:
Since 4 year-old Charlie Poleski's dad Matt's death while on police duty, he has been common working mother Emma's pride and joy...
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Plot Keywords:
Drinking
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Ritual
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Undressing
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Therapy
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Father Figure
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User Comments:
Suzannne Somers does quite well...she is not over the top;
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Suzanne Somers | ... | Emma Poleski |
 | Chad Christ | ... | Charlie Poleski |
 | Selma Blair | ... | Lauren Winslow |
 | Robert Desiderio | ... | Richard Warren |
| Ann Bosler | ... | Corrie |
 | Frank Gerrish | ... | George Nevi |
| James Brewster Thompson | ... | Daryll Lemay |
| Brad Slocum | ... | Larry |
| Elizabeth Hansen | ... | Janet Winslow |
 | Michael Flynn | ... | Robert Winslow |
| Melissa Pace | ... | Police Woman |
 | David Jean Thomas | ... | Old Cop |
| Dawn Bluford | ... | Sarah |
| Laraine Mestman | ... | Instructor |
| William Moore | ... | Bartender |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and thematic elements involving alcoholism and teen pregnancy.
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Runtime:
90 min
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which says a great deal, for a Lifetime Movie. While the other characters are a bit underdeveloped, the audience empathizes with Ms. Somers, who portrays a widow raising a son,(Chad Allen) on her own.
Robert Desiderio portrays a concerned suitor (to Somers) who tries to help Charlie (Jonathan Jackson) decide between college or young fatherhood; while the story is hardly original, Desiderio adds substance to the film, as does Suzanne Somers.
In real life, Ms. Somers endured veritable hell, as her own father was a full-blown alcoholic; this is part of the reason, I believe, that she does so well in this movie, and deserves special mention. I would like to see her in more of these roles, where she has a chance to be more than the trite blonde femme fatale.
Selma Blair has the part of the troubled girlfriend; this was the only weak link to the story; while Somers is struggling to survive and pay her mortgage, the son's girlfriend lives in a mausoleum; this is the usual Lifetime plot exaggeration, to show the audience that Somers (the alcoholic) has it worse than the "öther people" of upper classes. This is a banal exaggeration; think of real people who "have it all"(Betty Ford, Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Moss; et. al.) and you will see my point.
While there are several flaws in the story flow, Somers especially makes the story work. She is believable and sympathetic; the part where she finally attends AA is realistic.
The one issue that was hard to swallow was her employer, generously offering her 3 months sabbatical, after learning of her illness. This movie may have been even more effective if it addressed real-life employment issues, where people are fired for having excessive absences even due to medical illness. This is a prevalent problem in American society, which is rarely addressed by Hollywood filmmakers.
Despite this, it is a worthwhile movie, and if you have any friends or relatives with this problem, it will certainly show you the unintentionally selfish acts of the alcoholic, who can rarely receive treatment until they decide to do so.