Tribute (TV 2009)

A former child star buys her grandmother's house to rescue it from ruin but her hope for serenity is soon eclipsed by haunting dreams of her famous grandmother, who died of a supposed overdose in the house more than 30 years ago.

Director:

Martha Coolidge

Writers:

Gary Tieche (teleplay), Nora Roberts (novel)

Stars:

Brittany Murphy, Jason Lewis, Christian Oliver

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brittany Murphy	...	Cilla McGowan
Jason Lewis	...	Ford Sawyer
Christian Oliver	...	Steve Chensky
Diana Scarwid	...	Cathy Morrow
Tippi Hedren	...	Mrs. Hennessey
Tiffany Morgan	...	Janet (as Tiffany D. Morgan)
Griff Furst	...	Brian Morrow
Wallace Merck	...	Carl Hennessy
Mark Wilson	...	Det. Alvin Wilson
Elliott Grey	...	Tom Morrow
Brandi Coleman	...	Shana
Earl Maddox	...	Buddy
Jesse Moore	...	Dobby
John Wilmot	...	Dr. Rice
Jerry Leggio	...	Ice cream parlor owner

Storyline

Virginia small town local Ford Sawyer, a comics artist, takes an instant liking to his new neighbor, Cilla McGowan, a former child TV starlet who moves from L.A. to renovate her Hollywood celebrity grandmother Janet's rural last residence and start a career after passing the local contractors exam. Grumpy old neighbor Carl Hennessy is suspected of the vandalism on her garden, garage and home, even knocking friendly ex Steve Chensky. Seeking comfort and security, Cilla comes to depend on Ford, who elected her as model for his next hammer-swinging Celtic comic heroin, and they fall in love. Janet's stuff yields intriguing information which proves relevant for the present aggression, with unexpected ramifications.

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Plot Keywords:

grandmother | neighbor | artist | former child star | dream | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Lifetime TV

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nora Roberts' Tribute

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the end of the movie, when Cilla is left at Ford's while he goes to play poker her hair is in a straight high ponytail and quite a bit shorter than it has been through the movie. Then when Janet comes over, as they are walking back to Cilla's you notice her hair is in a lower pony, and back to it's long, curly length.

User Reviews

Doesn't Live Up To The Book

I have been a big fan of Nora Roberts for many years. When I hear that some of her books were being turned into movies, I was very happy. I have seen the first four movies that had the same treatment and was expecting the same quality entertainment this time around.

I was very happy with the other three movies in this set. Northern Lights, Midnight Bayou, and High Noon met and sometimes even exceeded my expectations. It was only with Tribute that they fell short. It mostly had to do with the casting of Brittany Murphy in the role of Cilla.

In the book, Cilla is assertive, active, knowledgeable about all aspects of remodeling the house and physically capable of handling any part of the remodel. Ms. Murphy manages to pull off being assertive, active, and knowledgeable but she really misses on the physical aspect. Just watching her swing a sledge hammer makes me cringe. She swings it with little force and looks as if she's going to smash her foot at any moment. I am amazed that she didn't have an accident with the sledge while filming.

All in all it was an okay movie but it's definitely my least favorite of the second four.