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The Betty Ford Story (1987)

| Biography, Drama | TV Movie 2 March 1987
The Betty Ford Story Poster
Based on the life of the former first lady, this film depicts the ups and downs of Betty Ford, the wife of President Gerald Ford. While Betty seems to ease into her prominent role in the ... See full summary »

Director:

David Greene

Writers:

Karen Hall (teleplay), Betty Ford (book) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, Josef Sommer, Nan Woods | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gena Rowlands ... Betty Ford
Josef Sommer ... President Gerald Ford
Nan Woods ... Susan Ford
Concetta Tomei ... Jan
Jack Rader ... Long Beach Doctor
Joan McMurtrey ... Diane
Kenneth Tigar ... Dr. Lukash
Laura Leigh Hughes ... Gayle Ford
Daniel McDonald ... Mike Ford
Brian McNamara ... Steve Ford
Bradley Whitford ... Jack Ford
Michael Greene Michael Greene ... Head Usher
Stanley Grover Stanley Grover ... General Alexander Haig
Peter Jason ... Counselor
Don Stewart ... Nelson
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Storyline

Based on the life of the former first lady, this film depicts the ups and downs of Betty Ford, the wife of President Gerald Ford. While Betty seems to ease into her prominent role in the White House and becomes a popular public figure, she must contend with breast cancer and secretly abuses both prescription medications and alcohol. Eventually, she confronts her problems, leading to the founding of the Betty Ford Center, a chemical dependency treatment facility. Written by Jwelch5742

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

alcohol | based on book | character name in title | See All (3) »

Genres:

Biography | Drama

Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1980 Anne Bancroft was announced as starring in an adaptation of Betty Ford's memoir, "The Times of My Life," but the film was not made. See more »

User Reviews

 
This can be a great help for those who need it and for those who don't a real learning experience!
12 June 2000 | by julianhwescott – See all my reviews

I really love this film since it is a true story about the disease of alcoholism. I've been there myself and I know what this movie portrays is how one comes to terms with the disease and how it affects all of the people around them. The acting is wonderful, the script is perfect and Gena Rowlands really deserved to win the Emmy for her portrayal. One can perhaps be helped by this film is they want to help themselves and those that don't have a problem with alcohol can learn from just watching and concentrating. Don't miss this one!
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1987 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A História de Betty Ford See more »

Filming Locations:

Long Beach Naval Hospital, Long Beach, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

David L. Wolper Productions, Warner Bros. Television See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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