''Rose Are for the Rich'' is a 1987 American two-part, four-hour

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

starring

Lisa Hartman Lisa Hartman Black (born June 1, 1956) is an American actress and singer from Houston, Texas. Hartman gained prominence after her role in the prime time drama ''Knots Landing'' from 1982 to 1986. She recorded four solo albums between 1976 and ...

Bruce Dern Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He has received several accolades, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the Silver Bear for Best Actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Suppo ...

Joe Penny Joseph Edward Penny Jr. (born June 24, 1956) is a retired American actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on the detective series '' Riptide'' from 1984 to 1986, and as Jake Styles in the CBS television series ''Jake and the Fatman'' from ...

Richard Masur Richard Masur (born November 20, 1948) is an American character actor who has appeared in more than 40 films. From 1995 to 1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). He is best known for playing David Kane on '' One ...

and

Howard Duff Howard Green Duff (November 24, 1913July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career ...

. The film is directed by Michael Miller and written by Judith Paige Mitchell, based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Jonell Lawson. It was originally broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

on May 17 and 19, 1987.

Plot

In a small town in

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

, Autumn's father died in a coal mining accident, and her boyfriend Lonnie died the same way. She thinks that the fatalities would not have happened if the owner of the mines, Douglas Osbourne, was concerned about others. His son, Brian Osbourne, is angry with his father because of how he treats others, so he decides to not inherit the business. Due to her belief that Douglas murdered her husband because of his disregard for others, Autumn decides to go up against him and his business. Autumn becomes a successful businesswoman by working at a store and a bar. Both the store owner and bar owner fall in love with her, but she is only interested in stopping Douglas.

Cast

as Autumn McAvin Norton Corbett Osborne *

as Douglas Osborne *

as Lloyd Murphy *

as Everett Corbett *

as Denton *

Morgan Stevens Morgan Stevens (October 16, 1951 – January 26, 2022) was an American actor, primarily seen on television. Biography Stevens played Paul Northridge in one episode of ''The Waltons'' and in three reunion movies. In ''A Wedding on Walton's Moun ...

as Brian Osborne *

Sharon Wyatt Sharon Wyatt is an American soap opera actress. Career Wyatt portrayed Tiffany Hill on the daytime soap ''General Hospital'' from July 14, 1981, to July 10, 1984, and again from July 30, 1986, to February 24, 1995. Wyatt was nominated for Outst ...

as Harriet Osborne *

Jim Youngs Jim Youngs (born October 13, 1956) is an American actor. Early life Youngs was born in Old Bethpage, New York, the brother of actor John Savage and journalist Robin Young. Career He appeared in such films as '' The Wanderers'', ''Footloose'' ...

as Lonnie Norton *

Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...

as Ella

Reception

Tom Jicha, writing for ''

Miami News ''The Miami News'' was an evening newspaper in Miami, Florida. It was the media market competitor to the morning edition of the ''Miami Herald'' for most of the 20th century. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called ''The Miami ...

'', said, "The soapy plot is preposterous, tedious, disjointed and predictable." A reviewer for ''

Schenectady Gazette ''The Daily Gazette,'' from 1902 to 1989 ''Schenectady Gazette,'' is an independent, family-owned daily newspaper published in Schenectady, New York, Schenectady, New York state, New York. ''The Daily Gazette'' also owns and operates ''The Amste ...

'', said, "This is silly stuff, getting sillier by the hour". Tom Shales, of the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', ""Roses Are for the Rich" has enough storm and schmaltz-and, indeed, enough on-screen breeding, too-to loom as a crowd pleaser. Provided it's a very docile crowd. As these things go it is haplessly entertaining."

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0093883 1987 television films 1987 films 1987 drama films CBS films Films set in Appalachia American drama television films Films directed by Michael Miller (director) 1980s English-language films 1980s American films