Two Mothers for Zachary (1996) (TV)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Peter Werner

Writer (WGA):

Linda Voorhees (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on the true custody battle in Richmond, Virginia, a grandmother sues her lesbian daughter for...

Plot Keywords:

Grandmother Granddaughter Relationship | Custody | Richmond Virginia | Courtroom | Lesbian

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Valerie Bertinelli	...	Jody Ann Shaffell
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Nancy Shaffell
Colleen Flynn	...	Maggie Fergus
Brian McGuire	...	Dwayne
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brett Brock	...	Keith Kinchloe
Kim Dickens	...	Nancy
Cynthia Dorn	...	Nurse Smoot
Tony Frank	...	Ben Delaney
James Gammon	...	Chalmer
Barbara George-Reiss	...	Beth
Sheila Gordon	...	Process Server
Alexandria Hunter	...	Lily Delaney (as Alex Hunter)
Bill Kaiser	...	County Clerk
Barbara Lasater	...	Pat Kinchloe
Dennis Letts	...	Judge Crawford
Marietta Marich	...	Melba
Michael Marich	...	Robert Lee
Randy Means	...	Harlan
Toby Metcalf	...	Officer Hamm
Jill Parker-Jones	...	Reporter #1
Marco Perella	...	Reporter #2
Lou Perryman	...	Assistant Manager
Steven Chester Prince	...	Rusty (as Steve Prince)
Larry Randolph	...	Judge Rayburn
Adam Rehmann	...	Zachary
Steve Shearer	...	Frank Martin
Cliff Stephens	...	Judge Paxton
Joe Stevens	...	Eddie
Ramsey Williams	...	Vada

Also Known As:

For the Love of Zachary (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Quotes:

Maggie Fergus: If you have any change leftover, could you get me a cherry slushy?
Jody Ann Schaffel: You know, you really should have something healthy, something green!
Maggie Fergus: OK then, make it a lime slushy.

Absolutely heartbreaking

Throughout the movie, and then reading about the woman afterwards, I felt complete and utter anger at the legal system for allowing something like this to happen. How dare they be able to decide what is best for a child, on the basis of his mother being a lesbian? This movie literally made me want to throw things, and by the end, I was crying in desperation at how sad Zachary sounded, and shaking my head when the verdict was said. I don't think I could have hated Nancy anymore than I did.

Valerie Bertinelli was amazing in this, though.

I think people...mainly lawyers and homo-phobics should take a long, hard look at this movie, and see how things like this can affect people. By the end, what Nancy saw as the best thing for Zachary, was the worst thing she could have ever have done, and it's a shame that in the end, the real Jody Ann Shaffell had no fight left, and gave up.