The Women's Room (film)

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The Women's Room
GenreDrama
Based on The Women's Room by Marilyn French
Written by Carol Sobieski
Directed by Glenn Jordan
Starring Lee Remick
Ted Danson
Colleen Dewhurst
Tovah Feldshuh
Music by Billy Goldenberg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerPhilip Mandelker
Producers Anna Cottle
Kip Gowans
Cinematography Terry K. Meade
EditorJohn Wright
Production company Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseSeptember 14, 1980 (1980-09-14)

The Women's Room is a 1980 American made-for-television drama film directed by Glenn Jordan and starring Lee Remick, Ted Danson, Colleen Dewhurst and Tovah Feldshuh. [1] [2] In spite of Esther Shapiro's (ABC's vice president for miniseries) struggle with the (predominantly male) network to release the film despite its feminist content, "The Women's Room finally aired, and it received a huge 45 share (the highest rated movie on TV that week), prompted a raft of positive mail, and won an Emmy". [3]

Contents

The film is an adaptation of the novel The Women's Room by Marilyn French.

Premise

A married mother of two leaves her philandering husband and enrolls in graduate school.

Cast

Critical reception

Critic Tom Shales found the film to be annoying and a "stinker." [4] John J. O'Connor found the film to be a successful adaptation of the book and thoroughly enjoyed the movie, stating that "No one will be bored." [5]

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References

  1. Unger, Arthur (September 10, 1980). "A controversial feminist drama that defeats its own purpose". The Christian Science Monitor .
  2. Dresser, Norman (1980-09-16). "'Women's Room' A Political Message". Toledo Blade .
  3. Faludi, Susan (1991). Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women . New York: Anchor Books. pp.  149. ISBN   0-385-42507-4.
  4. "The Women's Room: TV Preview: Wrathful Melodrama on the Evils that Men Do Whining Made-for TV Melodrama" by Tom Shales, The Washington Post , September 13, 1980
  5. "TV View: 'The Women's Room'--Devastatingly on Target" by John J. O'Connor, The New York Times , September 14, 1980