''Saving Milly'' is a 2005 American

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 ...

that stars Madeleine Stowe and

Bruce Greenwood Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He has starred in five films by Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan and has been nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards, once for Best Actor for '' Elephant Song'' ...

, which first aired 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 March 13, 2005. It is an adaptation of Morton Kondracke's nonfiction book of the same name.

Plot

Madeleine Stowe and

star in this drama based on the best-selling book and real-life journey of political journalist Mort Kondracke. The movie recounts his inspiring love story with his activist wife, Milly, and the dramatic change in their lives in the years after she is diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. As a young journalist in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in the '60s, Mort Kondracke envisioned marrying a Vassar graduate whose status would facilitate his goal of becoming a top Washington journalist. His calculated plans go awry when he meets and marries Milly Martinez, a brash part-Mexican, part-Catholic, part-Jewish liberal activist who captures his heart. In

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, the loving, strong-willed partners build a passionate and volatile marriage while debating everything from politics to how to raise their two daughters as well as her insatiable, all-consuming desire to save the world by championing a never-ending list of causes—all overshadowed by Mort's struggle with alcoholism. In 1987, their lives take a dramatic turn when Milly notices a change in her handwriting and a numbness in her fingers. After a series of tests, her worst fears are confirmed and, at the age of 47, Milly is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Holding to his promise of "in sickness and in health," Mort changes his focus from being a die-hard careerist to becoming a devoted caregiver and Parkinson's advocate and the love between the couple grows stronger. As her illness progresses, his life becomes committed to saving Milly."

Cast

* Madeleine Stowe as Milly *

as Mort Kondracke * Robert Wisden as Fred Barnes *

Claudia Ferri Claudia Ferri is a Canadian-American actress. She is most noted for her performance as Anna Barberini in the 2003 film '' Mambo Italiano'', for which she was a Jutra Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the 6th Jutra Awards in 2004, and h ...

as Norma Alvarado * Rob LaBelle as Mark * Brenda Campbell as Joan Samuelson * Kyla Wise as Andrea Kondracke (as Kyla Anderson) * Erica Carroll as Alexandra Kondracke * Kylee Dubois as Alexandra Kondracke (Age 16) (as Kyle Dubois) * Jessica Lowndes as Andrea Kondracke (Age 15) * Jose Del Buey as Carlos * Dan Joffre as Tony Hot Dog (as David 'Dan' Joffre) * Leah Cairns as Senator's Aide * Susan Hogan as Senator Bates *

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...

as Himself (Uncredited) *Allison Hossack

Reception

The film received a positive review from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.TELEVISION REVIEW When the Course of True Love Is Derailed by Disease By ANITA GATES Published: March 12, 2005
/ref>

Awards and nominations

* 2005

Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an American award for film and television writing, presented to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful manner. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of ...

- Nominated - Jeff Arch for 90 Minute or Longer Category * 2005

Imagen Award The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry." To be considered for an Imagen Award, a media piece or person ...

- Won - Madeleine Stowe for Best Actress - Television

References

External links

* {{Dan Curtis 2005 drama films 2005 television films 2005 films CBS films Films scored by Lee Holdridge Films directed by Dan Curtis American drama television films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films English-language drama films