ABC MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: THE BETTY FORD STORY (TV)
Summary
This Emmy Award-winning made-for-television film is about Betty Ford's experience as First Lady and her subsequent treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, as described in her book "The Times of My Life." The program begins in April 1978 as Betty is hounded by photographers as she heads into a rehabilitation hospital. She is surprised to learn that she will be sharing a room with three other women and then writes a press statement acknowledging her problem with "overmedication," though her doctor presses her to admit that she also has a problem with alcohol, which she firmly denies. Back in 1974, her husband Gerald, who is the vice-president, misses yet another birthday because of work. He promises Betty that he will leave politics at the end of the term and they will finally be a "boring old retired couple," but he then learns from General Haig that the Watergate tapes prove that President Nixon was indeed involved in a cover-up and that he, Gerald, must face the likelihood of taking office. Gerald breaks the news to Betty, who is appalled that Nixon has lied so much, and the whole family watches his resignation speech on television. Later, the Ford tour the White House, and Betty immediately decides to end the tradition of President and First Lady having separate bedrooms. When asked, she declares that she supports equal rights for women and likes the idea of a female vice-president, and quickly begins her work as First Lady, organizing state dinners and hiring a press coordinator, Jan.
Gerald decides to publicly pardon Nixon for his crimes, and though he considers it "political suicide," he admits that he will likely run again in 1976. Betty is annoyed at his broken promise, and matters worsen when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. She briefly delays the surgery because of her duties and then decides to make a statement in the press, explaining that she does not want to keep secrets from the public as Nixon did. When she returns to the White House, she is pleased to learn that American women were comforted by her candid statements and have begun getting themselves checked for cancer in much higher numbers. She then appears on "60 Minutes" and makes some frank comments about premarital sex, among other things, which attracts controversy. She objects strongly to the idea that as First Lady she is supposed to be a "political robot" and talk only about frivolous topics, and she makes a number of phone calls to senators explaining her point of view. Polls then show that she is extremely popular with voters, and she accepts Gerald's official decision to run for president again, though the stress causes her to drink even more heavily. In September, Betty is shocked to learn that a woman has made an attempt on Gerald's life, though the gun misfired. Jan is then surprised to find that Betty's arthritis is worse than she has let on, causing severe pain that is not always quelled by medicine.
Betty and Gerald head to San Francisco to unwind, but another gunwoman tries and fails to kill the president only seventeen days after the first, and Betty turns to drinks and Valium to handle the stress. They begin campaigning for his reelection, traveling and making speeches, and the couple and their four children are soon exhausted. She is frustrated when she begins to make errors and fumble her words in public, and her daughter Susan observes that she is taking a great number of prescription pills. On Election Night, everyone gathers anxiously to watch the results, and they are crushed when Gerald loses to Jimmy Carter. They move to Palm Springs, where Betty settles into a boring life of social luncheons and inactivity, and Susan grows more worried when she begins forgetting conversations and snapping at Gerald for continuing his active lifestyle. The family spends Christmas in Vail, and the kids agree that Betty is listless and seems to care only about drinking. Back in California, Susan tells Betty that she has talked to a doctor about her issues, and Betty, humiliated, reacts with anger and throws Susan out of the house. Eventually, the entire family stages an intervention, bringing along professionals from a Long Beach medical center, and Gerald leads the conversation, telling Betty that she has addiction problems and that it is hurting the family. She continues to deny their statements, but the kids all offer specific examples of her embarrassing behavior, and she finally breaks down and agrees to enter treatment.
At the hospital, she acknowledges her problem with pills but still refuses to accept the title of "alcoholic," though the doctor suggests that she is trying to avoid dealing with her own responsibility to herself. She panics that she cannot handle the treatment program, but Gerald firmly tells her that she has handled worse and cannot quit now. Betty attends group meetings and does her assigned chores, and during her one-on-one counseling sessions, the nurse explains that she cannot change the hardships in the world around her, but can, with hard work, change her reactions to them. In a group meeting, the counselor challenges her to consider who she truly is outside of her First Lady title, and she finally writes a press statement acknowledging her alcoholism. Gerald visits and promises to slow down and stay home with her more, but she encourages him to continue his busy life, describing all that she has learned about assuming responsibility and choosing to change herself. The program closes by explaining that Betty checked out of rehab and in 1981 began construction on The Betty Ford Center, which has since helped thousands of people to deal with addiction issues. The real Betty Ford then offers resources and advice for people who identify with the film's themes. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 2, 1987 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:54:09
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:09741
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Biography; Addiction; Women's Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1987
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Always Plus sanitary pads
- TV - Commercials - Arrid Extra-Dry Solid deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's Chunky soups
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Loving Care hair color
- TV - Commercials - Diet Coca-Cola soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Excedrin painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's baby shampoo and conditioner
- TV - Commercials - Kleenex tissues
- TV - Commercials - L'Eggs Sheer Energy stockings
- TV - Commercials - L'Oreal Performing Preference hair color
- TV - Commercials - Luvs diapers
- TV - Commercials - Made in the USA products
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Orville Redenbacher popcorn
- TV - Commercials - Pontiac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Post Raisin Bran cereal
- TV - Commercials - Reach toothbrushes
- TV - Commercials - Renault automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Saran wrap
- TV - Commercials - Scope mouthwash
- TV - Commercials - Sinutab sinus medication
- TV - Commercials - Snuggle fabric softener
- TV - Commercials - Stayfree sanitary pads
- TV - Commercials - Tucks hemorrhoid relief pads
- TV - Commercials - Van Heusen shirts
- TV - Commercials - Vaseline Intensive Care lotion
- TV - Commercials - Wendy's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Yoplait yogurt
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Growing Pains"
- TV - Promos - "Harry"
- TV - Promos - "Jack and Mike"
- TV - Promos - "Moonlighting"
- TV - Promos - "Moonraker"
- TV - Promos - "Perfect Strangers"
- TV - Promos - "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
- TV - Promos - "Starman"
- TV - Promos - "Who's the Boss?"
CREDITS
- Robert A. Papazian … Executive Producer
- David L. Wolper … Executive Producer
- Mark M. Wolper … Producer
- David Greene … Director
- Karen Hall … Writer
- Betty Ford … Based on the book by
- Chris Chase … Based on the book by
- Arthur B. Rubinstein … Music by
- Gena Rowlands … Cast, Betty Ford
- Josef Sommer … Cast, President Gerald Ford
- Nan Woods … Cast, Susan Ford
- Concetta Tomei … Cast, Jan
- Jack Radar … Cast, Doctor #1
- Joan McMurtrey … Cast, Diane
- Kenneth Tigar … Cast, Dr. Lukash
- Laura Leigh Hughes … Cast, Gayle Ford
- Daniel McDonald … Cast, Mike Ford
- Brian McNamara … Cast, Steve Ford
- Bradley Whitford … Cast, Jack Ford
- Michael Greene … Cast, Head Usher
- Stanley Grover … Cast, General Haig
- Peter Jason … Cast, Counselor
- Don Stewart … Cast, Aide #1
- Richard Kuss … Cast, Will
- Sierre Pecheur … Cast, Pat Benedict
- Ellen Blake … Cast, Sandra
- Sheila Kelley … Cast, Charlotte
- Eric Menyuk … Cast, Jake
- Patricia Allison … Cast, Woman #1
- Kellie Bennett … Cast, Reporter #4
- Frank Birney … Cast, Benji
- Rod Britt … Cast, Reporter #5
- John David Conti … Cast, Pete Abbruzzese
- Michael Flanagan … Cast, Dr. Fouty
- Jeanne Hepple … Cast, Reporter #2
- John Hostetter … Cast, News Director
- Charles Howerton … Cast, Man #1
- Grant Loud … Cast, Limo Driver
- Muriel Minot … Cast, Reporter #1
- Richardson Morse … Cast, Doctor
- Annie O'Donnell … Cast, Woman
- Ben Rawnsley … Cast, Bob Hartman
- Toni Sawyer … Cast, Reporter #3
- Susan Watson … Cast, Louise Abbruzzese
- For "ABC News Brief"
- Ted Koppel … Anchor