''Saving Milly'' is a 2005 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 ...

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 ...

that stars Madeleine Stowe and

Bruce Greenwood Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He is known for his role as the American president John F. Kennedy in '' Thirteen Days,'' for which he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion ...

, which first aired on

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

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 Morton Matt Kondracke (; born April 28, 1939) is an American political commentator and journalist. He became well known due to a long stint as a panelist on ''The McLaughlin Group''. Kondracke worked for several major publications, serving for twen ...

. 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 long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. As a young journalist in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

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. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, 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 *

* Robert Wisden as Fred Barnes *

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

as Norma Alvarado * Rob LaBelle as Mark * Brenda Campbell as Joan Samuelson *

Kyla Wise Kyla may refer to: *Kyla (given name), including a list of people with the name **Kyla (Filipino singer) (born 1981), Filipino R&B singer **Kyla (British singer) Kyla Reid ( Smith; born 22 September 1983) is a British house music singer in the U ...

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 Leah Cairns (born June 2, 1974) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson in ''Battlestar Galactica'' and as Kathryn McLaren in the TV series "Travelers." Early life Cairns was born in ...

as Senator's Aide * Susan Hogan as Senator Bates * Michael J. Fox as Himself (Uncredited) *Allison Hossack

Reception

The film received a positive review from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''.TELEVISION REVIEW When the Course of True Love Is Derailed by Disease By ANITA GATES Published: March 12, 2005
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Awards and nominations

* 2005

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

- Nominated - Jeff Arch for 90 Minute or Longer Category * 2005 Imagen Award - Won - Madeleine Stowe for Best Actress - Television

References

External links

* {{Dan Curtis 2005 drama films 2005 television films 2005 films CBS network 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