''The Betty Ford Story'' is a 1987

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by David Greene and written by

Karen Hall Karen Lynne Hall (born June 2, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, author, bookstore owner and a member of the George Foster Peabody Awards board of jurors, best known for her work on the television series ''Judging Amy'' and ''M ...

. This biographical film was based on the book ''The Times of My Life'' written by

Chris Chase Chris Chase (born Irene Greengard; January 12, 1924 – October 31, 2013), also known by the stage name Irene Kane, was an American model, film actress, writer, and journalist.Miller, Betty Jean. (April 1, 1975). "Writing brings fame for Chris Ch ...

and

Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a p ...

. The film originally aired on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Cast

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations w ...

Josef Sommer Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a retired German-American stage, television, and film actor. Early life He was born in Greifswald, Germany, and raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer, a professor of Art ...

as President Gerald Ford *

Nan Woods Susan Nan Woods (born June 21, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, U.S.) is a retired United States, American actress who began her brief career in the mid-1980s. Her best-known role was Cherry White in the first two seasons of the American ...

as Susan Ford *

Bradley Whitford Bradley Whitford (born October 10, 1959) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in the NBC television political drama ''The West Wing'' (1999–2006), for which he ...

as Jack Ford *

Concetta Tomei Concetta Tomei (born December 30, 1945) is an American theatre, film and television character actress, best known for her roles as Major Lila Garreau on the ABC series ''China Beach'' (1988–1991) and as Lynda Hansen on the NBC series ''Provi ...

as Jan *

John Hostetter John Hostetter (October 6, 1946 – September 2, 2016) was an American actor and visual artist. He played John, the stage manager on the fictional FYI newsmagazine, on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' starring Candice Bergen; he appeared in 65 of ...

" as News Director

Awards and nominations

Casting Society of America *Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week (nominated) Emmy Awards * Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special (

, won) *Outstanding Costuming for a Miniseries or a Special (nominated) Golden Globe Awards * Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (

, won)

References

External links

* 1987 television films 1987 films 1987 drama films 1980s American films 1980s biographical drama films 1980s English-language films ABC network original films American biographical drama films American drama television films Biographical television films Cultural depictions of Betty Ford Cultural depictions of Gerald Ford Films about addiction Films about alcoholism Films based on memoirs Films directed by David Greene Films scored by Arthur B. Rubinstein Films set in 1974 Films set in 1976 Films set in 1978 Television films based on books The Wolper Organization films Warner Bros. films {{bio-film-stub