''Baby Brokers'' is a 1994 American true-life-event

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Mimi Leder Miriam Leder (; born January 26, 1952) is an American film and television director and producer noted for her action films and use of special effects.Hurd, Mary G. Women Directors and Their Films. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007. She was the first f ...

and written by Susan Nanus. The film stars

Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...

Nina Siemaszko Antonina Jadwiga Siemaszko (born July 14, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her film roles in '' Little Noises'' (1992), ''The Saint of Fort Washington'' (1993), and for her role as Eleanor Bartlet in ''The West Wing'' (2001–2006). ...

, Anna Maria Horsford,

Jeffrey Nordling Jeffrey Richard Nordling (born March 11, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Manning in ''Once and Again'', Larry Moss in '' 24'', Nick Bolen in ''Desperate Housewives'', and Gordon Klein in '' Big Little Lies'', as wel ...

, Tom O'Brien,

Joseph Maher Joseph Sylvester Maher (29 December 1933 – 17 July 1998) was an Irish actor, playwright, and occasionally theatre director. He was best known for his roles in the comedies of Joe Orton. He received three Tony Award nominations for his roles in ...

and

Shirley Knight Shirley Knight Hopkins (July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020) was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and charac ...

. The film premiered on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

on February 21, 1994.

Plot

Debbie Freeman (Shepherd) is an LA psychotherapist who wants to adopt a baby. An expectant couple, Leanne (Siemaszko) and Frankie Dees (O'Brien), who at first appear willing to let her privately adopt their child in exchange for financially supporting them for six months during Leanne's pregnancy, disappear when Freeman discovers they are in negotiations with another couple. The Dees, who gave up numerous children in the past while scamming multiple couples with each pregnancy, also run out on the latest prospective parents, leaving behind an incriminating notebook with names and phone numbers. Taking her story public, Freeman is instrumental in the Dees' arrest and Leanne's later conviction in federal court for multiple counts of mail and wire fraud. Freeman's going public with her anguish in losing a child she expected to adopt results in a woman reaching out to her to arrange a private adoption.

Cast

as Debbie Freeman *

as Leeanne Dees * Anna Maria Horsford as Randi *

as John * Tom O'Brien as Frankie Dees *

as Leo *

as Sylvia *Gary Werntz as Dick Plager *

Leah Lail Leah Lail is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Kay Simmons the communications and systems expert on the syndicated television series ''V.I.P. (American TV series), V.I.P.''. Early life Lail graduated summa cum laude from th ...

as Carly * Lou Liberatore as Tom Culbert *

Scott Jaeck Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann ...

as Scott Tillman *Lynn Milgrim as Laurie Tillman *Peter Crook as Dr. Robert Silk *Catherine MacNeal as Rita Hoyt *Bob McCracken as Alan Hoyt *Barbara Worthington as Sister Elizabeth *

Takayo Fischer Takayo Fischer (née Tsubouchi; born November 25, 1932) is an American stage, film and television actress, as well as voice actor, voice-over actress. Personal life Fischer was born in Hardwick, California, the youngest of four daughters of ''Iss ...

as Dr. Emily Weiss *

Esther Scott Esther Scott (April 13, 1953 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress. Early years Scott was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, on April 13, 1953. When she was a child the family moved to Brooklyn, New York. She developed an interest i ...

as Polly O'Neill * Patricia Childress as Angela *Secunda Wood as Julia *

Paul Perri Paul John Perri (born November 6, 1953) is an American-Canadian film and television actor. Perri is best known for portraying Edwards and Skinless Parker in '' Hellraiser: Bloodline'', Harry Hume from ''Chaos'', and as Dr. Sidney Bloom from '' ...

as Dr. Carlson * Terry Murphy as Herself *

Lynn Milgrim Lynn Milgrim (born March 17, 1944) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is best known as an accomplished stage actress and has been in numerous Broadway, national, and regional product ...

as Laurie Tillman

References

External links

* {{Mimi Leder 1990s American films 1994 television films 1990s English-language films 1994 drama films 1994 films NBC network original films Films directed by Mimi Leder American drama television films