A Father for Brittany (1998) (TV)

Director:

Alan Metzger

Writer (WGA):

Scott Swanton (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Keith and Kim Lussier are a childless couple who are given custody of a 3-month-old foster child, Brittany...

Plot Keywords:

Foster Child | Cancer | Adoption | Adopted Daughter | Terminal Illness

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Andrew McCarthy	...	Keith Lussier
Michael Learned	...	Edna Humphreys
Teri Polo	...	Kim Lussier
Linda Sorenson	...	Marge Lussier
Chuck Shamata	...	Bob Minkowitz
Andrew Tarbet	...	Jack
Jonathan Welsh	...	Robert Lussier
Shirley Knight	...	Donna Minkowitz
Diana Belshaw	...	Bea
Robert Bockstael	...	Atty. Sam Turturro
Linda Brooks	...	Reporter #1
Hugo Dann	...	Father John
Dan Duran	...	Field Reporter
Deborah Grover	...	Judge Harriot Richardson
Judah Katz	...	Jacobs

Also Known As:

A Change of Heart (Australia) (cable TV title)
The Child in Question (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Bright Street Pictures

The Title Confused Me

This TVM is known as A CHANGE OF HEART in Britain . There's also another TVM with the same title that centres around a family whose father is a homosexual and the family having to come with terms with this bombshell . Some TV guides actually confused the two so I sat down expecting to see a movie where the loving husband and father comes out of the closet . Keith Lussier is always telling his wife how much he loves her and how much he's looking forward to starting a family . " What a rat " I told myself " He's saying this to his wife while he's batting for the other team " and questioned why no one noticed he seemed to be spending more time with his limp wristed buddy than with his sexy blond wife . Some people are blind . But I became more and more confused as to when the shock revelation was going to happen and as the end titles rolled I scratched my head wondering why it wasn't revealed Keith was gay . Probably because the TV guide had confused this TVM with an entirely different one

A FATHER FOR BRITTANY ( A far better title ) personifies one of those typical " disease of the week " made for television movies . There's lots of sugary sentimental scenes of tears and " I love you darling " and triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity except this one revolves around a male protagonist in an example of role reversal. It's okay if you like this sort of stuff but I'm not really keen on it and it's amazing to think that Andrew McCarthy was being touted as the next big thing in the late 1980s and this is how his career ended up as