ULTIMATE BETRAYAL
Sunday, march 20 on CBS-TV 9:00-11:00 p.m. (ET)
MarloThomas, Mel Harris, Ally Sheedy
MARLO THOMAS STARS IN TRUE STORY
OF LANDMARK LEGAL CASE IN "ULTIMATE BETRAYAL"
In May of 1990, two adult sisters sued their father in the
Denver courts, claiming extensive childhood abuse. The case
fractured the family -- pitting the women in the family
against the men--and the entire drama struck sparks in the
national media when it became known that the father was
not only a former FBI agent, but also a recognized authority
on child abuse. In the end, the court decided in favor of
the sisters, Sharon Simone and Susan hammond, and Colorado's
Representative Patricia Schroeder introduced legislation
into Congress that would establish procedures allowing adult
victims of child abuse to claim restitution years afterward.
Marlo Thomas heads a remarkable cast when she plays Sharon
Simone in ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, a motion picture for television
airing Sunday, March 20, 9:00-11:00 p.m. (ET) on CBS. Susan
Rodgers is played by Mel harris, and Ally Sheedy and kathryn
Dowling portray the other two Rodgers sisters. Eileen Heckart
and henry Czerny also star.
Sharon (Rodgers) Simone suffered the effects of child abuse
for years. The memories, which slowly surfaced in her adult
life, drove a wedge between her and her husband and imperiled
her relationship with her children. It was this aspect of
Simone's character -- her search to discover the truth --
that attracted Marlo Thomas to the project.
"I've never been drawn to abuse stories," she
says. But this is almost a mystery. Three of the four daughters
of this man always knew what happened to them, but the fourth,
Sharon, was in denial. She had the memories but she couldn't
put them together into a coherent picture. She didn't see
how those memories were connected o her present life, and
she wouldn't be able to recover until she did."
Thomas was also fascinated by the sisters' strength. "They
refused to be victims. They sought help, and when they went
to their father, they went for acknowledgment, for healing,
not for revenge. Sharon's fantasy was that after the confrontations
were over, she and her father would use what they'd learned
to help others. They'd work together in a good cause.
"But, he refused to acknowledge anything. And that
forced them to seek acknowledgment in a court of law. They
took their secret shame and made it public. When the jury
said, 'yes, this happened,' it acknowledged all they had
gone through, and I think it freed them of the secret shame
they had carried all their lives."
In preparing for the role,Ms. Thomas spent hours with the
real Sharon Simone. "What surprised me most about her,
I think, was her courage. She had taken her most hidden
fears and shames public because she believed it was the
right thin to do. if there's one thing I hope people get
from the film, it's that shame loses its power when it's
brought into the light.
"Everybody is ashamed of something. They weren't loved,
perhaps, so they don't feel lovable. Something happened
to them in their childhood that they feel responsible for.
mel Harris' character, Susan, says in the film, 'I realize
now I didn't do this. This was done to me.' Children think
everything is their fault. As adults, they have to realize
that they're not responsible for things that were done to
them."
ULTIMATE BETRAYAL is produced by Polongo Productions in
association with Hearst Entertainment Productions. The screenplay
is by Gregory Goodell. Donald Wrye is director and executive
producer.
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Press Contacts:
Stone/Hallinan Associates, Inc.
Los Angeles: 213-655-8970
New York: 212-489-5590
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