''The Marriage Bed'' is a Canadian television film, directed by Martin Lavut and broadcast by CBC Television in 1986. Adapted from the novel by Constance Beresford-Howe, the film stars

Linda Griffiths Linda Pauline Griffiths (7 October 1953 – 21 September 2014) was a Canadian actress and playwright best known for writing and starring in the one woman play ''Maggie and Pierre'', in which she portrayed both Pierre Trudeau and his then-estran ...

as Annie Graham, a woman who is pregnant with her third child but whose marriage to her husband Ross (

Layne Coleman Layne Coleman is a Canadian actor, playwright and theatre director, most noted as a former artistic director of Theatre Passe Muraille. Originally from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, he first became prominent as a cofounder and artistic director ...

) is breaking down, who is confronted by her friends and family about her choice to concentrate on being a housewife and mother rather than pursuing her career as a botanist.John Haslett Cuff, "A moving look at marriage gone wrong". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', December 20, 1986. The film's cast also includes

Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not long after World War II, ...

and Vivian Reis as Annie's parents Max and Billie, Lyn Jackson as Ross's mother Edwina and R. H. Thomson as Dr. Jeff Reilly, as well as Clare Coulter, Martha Gibson,

Eric Keenleyside Eric Keenleyside (born October 11, 1957) is a Canadian actor. Early life Eric was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, grew up in London, Ontario, and spent time in Brisbane, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (acting) from the Univers ...

Carole Lazare Carole Lazare, sometimes credited as Carol Lazare, is a former Canadian film and television actress who was prominent in the 1970s. She is most noted for her role in the film '' One Man'', for which she won the Canadian Film Award for Best Support ...

and

Sheila McCarthy Sheila McCarthy (born January 1, 1956) is a Canadian actress and singer. She has worked in film, television, and on stage. McCarthy is one of Canada's most honoured actors, having won two Genie Awards (film), two Gemini Awards (television), an A ...

in supporting roles. For the purposes of the film, writer

Anna Sandor Anna Sandor is a Hungarian-born Canadian/American film and television screenwriter.Tom McMahon, "A marriage made for TV". ''Windsor Star'', December 20, 1986. Sandor began her career as an actress, becoming a writer in her mid-twenties. Her films ...

set the story around the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

season; although not specifically a Christmas-themed film, she felt that the Christmas season's connotations of family togetherness helped to illuminate the film's themes. The film aired on December 21, 1986.Noel Taylor, "Superficial look at a floundering marriage". ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris, it was renamed the ''Citizen'' in 1851. The new ...

'', December 20, 1986.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* 1986 films 1986 television films CBC Television original films English-language Canadian films Films based on Canadian novels Canadian drama television films Films directed by Martin Lavut 1980s Canadian films {{Canada-tv-film-stub