Caroline? (1990)

A mysterious woman claiming to be the deceased daughter of a rich man tries to solve the problems of his untrusting son and supposedly mentally handicaped daughter. But one question stands in her way: is she really Caroline?

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

E.L. Konigsburg (novel), Michael De Guzman (teleplay)

Stars:

Stephanie Zimbalist, Pamela Reed, George Grizzard

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephanie Zimbalist	...	Caroline
Pamela Reed	...	Grace Carmichael
George Grizzard	...	Paul Carmichael
Patricia Neal	...	Miss Trollope
Dorothy McGuire	...	Flora Atkins
Shawn Phelan	...	Winston Carmichael
Jenny Jacobs	...	Heidi Carmichael
Libby Whittemore	...	Bunny
John Evans	...	Winston as Adult
Barbara Britt	...	Hilary
John Bennes	...	Simmons
Judith Sullivan	...	Agnes
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Aunt Helen
Dan Albright	...	Mr. Phillips
Warde Q. Butler	...	Randolph

Storyline

A woman named Caroline reappears after a 14-year absence, during which time she was thought to have died in a plane crash. Claiming to be the daughter of wealthy Paul Carmichael from his first marriage, she explains that she didn't board the plane, and had used the chance to flee her shallow debutante lifestyle. Paul's new wife, Grace, is deeply suspicious of the woman's story -- especially since Caroline stands to inherit a fortune.

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Plot Keywords:

grandmother | 1950s | inheritance | brother sister relationship | nurse | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: Caroline? (#39.3)

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A TV movie made for the CBS network, as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series.

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Stunningly original tv-drama is bold and brilliant

Discovering "Caroline?" in a flea market video stall bin for a buck and being less than curious by its uninspired packaging, this video seemed doomed for re-recording. Having missed its original airing on NBC in 1990 I was completely unprepared for the luminous screenplay of this partial thriller/part human-interest tale of a young girl who claims to be the daughter of a wealthy Atlanta businessman who had allegedly been killed in a plane crash 15 year prior. What unfolds is an exciting, tautly directed (emmy winner Joseph Sargent) and uniformly brilliant performances by a beautifully cast emsemble. Pamela Reed, as the businessman's second wife (consistently great and underappreciated George Grizzard) delivers a masterpiece of character- a complex woman of cruelty, compassion and fear. Reed is stunning! Ditto Stephanie Zimbalist, heretofore taken for granted as a flavor-of-the-month is astoundingly smart and a real revelation in her only decent non-tv series role of her career. What a shame. The children are a joy, especially 15-year old Shawn Phelan playing a spoiled but delightfully dutiful son . What a horrific tragedy to discover his godawful death in 1997 in an auto accident. It puts a damper on this thrilling achievement. "Caroline?" is a sleeper and a gem and has the guts to abandon its mystery plot pretense to reveal a wonderful tale of philanthropy. Ms. McGuire and Ms. Neal add another dose of class in critical cameos. Easily Hallmark's best and bravest production of the '90's. Jake