''Follow the Stars Home'' is a

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

American made-for-television

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by Dick Lowry. The film is based upon

Luanne Rice Luanne Rice is an American novelist. Her 36 novels have been translated into 26 languages. She often writes about nature and the sea, and many of her novels deal with love and family. She is the author of ''The Lemon Orchard'', ''Little Night'' ...

's 2000 novel of the same name and was produced for the

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

.Review Summary
The New York Times Six years later, Dianne is a single mom taking care of her handicapped child, a daughter whom she named Julia, with the help of her mother. One day, she meets young Amy Williams, who is growing up in a dysfunctional family. Her father died and her alcoholic mother Tess gets involved with an abusive man, Buddy. Amy, trying to escape from her home life during summer, starts helping Dianne care for Julia. Amy soon develops a friendship with Julia, which delights Dianne. One day, Buddy, frustrated by the noise he is making, throws Amy's puppy from a bridge into the water. Amy, determined to save him, jumps after him and lands into the hospital. Child services are contacted and it is decided that Amy is not allowed to live with her mother anymore. Buddy is arrested and faced with the prospect of never seeing her daughter again, Tess, who still loves Amy very much, agrees to enter rehab. In the meantime, Amy is taken in by Dianne. Tragedy strikes again when she and Amy are hit by a drunk driver. Amy suffers a broken arm, but Dianne is wounded more severely. She is visited in the hospital by Mark, who wants a second chance. After questioning his motives for a while, she decides to forgive him. David meets Mark in a diner and leads Mark to believe that Julia doesn't have long to live. Mark then proposes to Dianne and she accepts. But as they are talking about their future, Dianne realizes that Mark still doesn't care about Julia and is waiting for her to die. Hurt and infuriated, she dumps Mark for good. In the end, she accepts a proposal from David. Tess also completes rehab and reconciles with Amy

Cast

* Kimberly Williams as Dianne Parker-McCune * Campbell Scott as David McCune * Eric Close as Mark McCune *

Alexa Vega Alexa Ellesse PenaVega (née Vega; born August 27, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Carmen Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' film series and Julie Corky in the 2004 film ''Sleepover''. In 2009, she starred as the ...

as Amy Williams * Blair Brown as Hannah Parker * Roxanne Hart as Tess *Tim Ransom as Buddy *Amanda and Caitlin Fein as Julia Parker-McCune * Octavia Spencer as Hildy *

Patricia Belcher Patricia Belcher (born 1954) is an American film, stage and television actress, known for her roles as Ms. Dabney in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'', and as United States Attorney Caroline Julian in the FOX crime procedural c ...

as Counselor *Judith Drake as Admitting Nurse * Suzy Nakamura as Martha

References

External links

* {{Dick Lowry 2001 television films 2001 films 2001 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Films based on American novels Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes CBS network films Films directed by Dick Lowry American drama television films 2000s American films