''Day-O'' is a 1992 American

made-for-television 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 fo ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

about an imaginary childhood friend, "Dayo", played by

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012). Woo ...

, of a woman played by

Delta Burke Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer, and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom ''Designing Women'', for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstan ...

. The film aired 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 ...

as a presentation of ''Disney Night at the Movies'' on May 3, 1992.

Plot

The return of an imaginary childhood friend, Dayo, helps a woman named Grace Connors through various crises, Grace struggles against her timidity to save her grandfather's restaurant. The arrival of her imaginary childhood friend spurs her on to success.

Cast

as Grace Connors ** Ashley Peldon as Grace (age 4) *

as Dayo * Carlin Glynn as Margaret DeGeorgio *

Charles Shaughnessy Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy (born 9 February 1955) is a French actor. He is known for his roles on American television, including Shane Donovan on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', and Maxwell Sheffield on th ...

as Ben Connors * David Packer as Tony DeGeorgio *

Fred Dalton Thompson Freddie Dalton Thompson (August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, actor, and radio personality. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Tennessee f ...

as Frank DeGeorgio * Caroline Dollar as Cory Connors * Bekka Eaton as Judith * Richard K. Olsen as Papa Louie * Michael Hunter as Man at the Park

Reception

Carole Kucharewicz of Variety magazine wrote: "Acharming, well-done telepic revolving around a frazzled Delta Burke, "Dayo" is full of Disney "magic" and above-average performances. Telefilm is enjoyable for adults who want some escape from "60 Minutes," but it's doubtful if children will glean much from the well-written script."

References

External links

* 1992 television films 1992 films 1990s fantasy comedy films American fantasy comedy films NBC network original films Disney television films Films directed by Michael Schultz Films scored by Lee Holdridge Films shot in North Carolina 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{US-tv-film-stub