OPRAH WINFREY PRESENTS: TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television movie is based on Mitch Albom's factual account of the lessons on living that his mentor, Morrie Schwartz, taught him from his (Morrie's) own deathbed. Mitch Albom is a highly successful and driven Detroit sports journalist at the height of his career. Although Albom's girlfriend, Janine, urges him to make time for his personal life, he is too caught up with business trips and deadlines to pay her much attention. Mitch finally takes a brief hiatus from his hectic schedule when he finds out that his old college professor and mentor, Morrie Schwartz, is dying of Amystrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Mitch is saddened by the news, and he is torn between a desire to visit Morrie and the guilt he feels since he hasn't visited Morrie in years. Mitch finally travels to Boston, where he is warmly welcomed by his old friend. Although Mitch feels somewhat uneasy during the visit because of Morrie's frank, emotional conversation, he is also moved by Morrie's zest for living and insights about life. When Mitch returns to Detroit, he is once again caught up in the hectic lifestyle of a journalist. This time, however, Janine expresses her frustration over his work schedule and questions the viability of their relationship.
Overwhelmed by stress, Mitch goes to see Morrie on a whim, and the two spend the afternoon reminiscing and enjoying each other's company. During the course of their conversation, Morrie shares more of his wisdom concerning death and love. At the end of the visit, the two friends decide to meet every Tuesday. Although Mitch is unable to vocalize his feelings, he wants to spend as much time with Morrie as he can. Mitch also senses that he has come to a point in his life where he needs to make a change, and Morrie's life lessons are helping Mitch to examine his own situation. Ironically, when Mitch finally realizes that he needs to make his relationship with Janine more of a priority, she decides to end their relationship because she is no longer willing tired of being overlooked. When Mitch is laid off from his job as a columnist, and he is upset over his broken relationship with Janine, Mitch comes to rely on his weekly meetings with Morrie. However, as he watches his friend slowly deteriorating, he becomes inspired to live his own life to the fullest. He proposes to Janine and invites her to visit Morrie with him. The visit proves to be a turning point in Mitch and Janine's relationship, and Mitch begins to rebuild his life.
Morrie's condition worsens, and he suffers from the daily emotional and physical strain of dying. However, Morrie is committed to living and dying as joyfully as possible, and he is determined to teach Mitch his final lessons on the meaning of life. Mitch has begun tape-recording his meetings with Morrie and typing the content of their conversations as a kind of life thesis. When Morrie dies, Mitch mourns deeply with all of Morrie's friends and family, but he also celebrates the relationship they shared and the legacy that Morrie left behind. Includes commercials, promos, and public service announcements. Includes a commercial with Paul Reiser for AT&T, and a public service announcement with Colin Powell for America's Promise. This program is closed-captioned.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 5, 1999 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:35
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:58942
- GENRE: Docudrama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Death and dying; Life change events; Dating (Social customs)
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1999
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - Black & Decker Floorbuster vacuum cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Cadillac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Cellular One telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Connectforkids.org online parental guidance
- TV - Commercials - DVD Disney films
- TV - Commercials - Dell computer technology
- TV - Commercials - Hewlett Packard computer technology
- TV - Commercials - KB toy store
- TV - Commercials - Master Card credit cards
- TV - Commercials - McDonaldÕs fast-food and "Toy Story 2" (feature film)
- TV - Commercials - Merrill Lynch financial services
- TV - Commercials - Nokia telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - PetsMart pet supply stores
- TV - Commercials - Pontiac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Red Lobster restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Roche pharmaceuticals
- TV - Commercials - Saturn automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Toysmart.com online toy company
- TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Xenical prescription weight loss medicine
- TV - Commercials - Zocor prescription heart disease medication
- TV - PSA - AmericaÕs Promise Alliance For Youth
- TV - PSA - Consumer Information Center
- TV - PSA - The ALS Association
- TV - Promos - "ItÕs Like, You Know..."
- TV - Promos - "Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "Oh Grow Up"
- TV - Promos - "Once and Again"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "Sports Night"
- TV - Promos - "The Practice"
- TV - Promos - "Twenty/Twenty {20/20}"
- TV - Promos - "Two Guys And A Girl"
CREDITS
- Oprah Winfrey … Executive Producer
- Kate Forte … Executive Producer
- Jennifer Ogden … Supervising Producer
- Susan Hayer … Associate Producer
- Mick Jackson … Director
- Tom Rickman … Writer, Adapted by
- Mitch Albom … Writer, Based on the book by
- Marco Beltrami … Music by
- Deva Anderson … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
- Jack Lemmon … Cast, Morrie Schwartz
- Hank Azaria … Cast, Mitch Albom
- Wendy Moniz … Cast, Janine
- Caroline Aaron … Cast, Connie
- Bonnie Bartlett … Cast, Charlotte
- John Carroll Lynch … Cast, Walter
- Cloud Michaels … Cast, MorrieÕs Mother
- Terri Hanauer … Cast, Eva/the Stepmother
- Kyle Sullivan … Cast, Young Morrie
- Charles Homet … Cast, Rob
- Mark Helm … Cast, Jon
- Carlton Wilton … Cast, Eddie
- Ivo Cutzarida … Cast, Sergio
- Dan Thiel … Cast, Shawn Daley
- Kimble Jamison … Cast, the Baseball Player
- Eric Saiet … Cast, sports writer #1
- Shane Stevens … Cast, sports writer #2
- John Billingsley … Cast, sports fan #1
- Jesse Goins … Cast, sports fan #2
- Dori Mizrahi … Cast, the Sweatshop Boss
- Alicia Harding … Cast, the Ticket Clerk
- Kevin Lowe … Cast, the Businessman Passenger
- Christian J. Meoli … Cast, Aida
- Jon Ingrassie … Cast, the DJ
- Harry Hutchinson … Cast, the Layout Man
- Duke Valenti … Cast, the Security Guard
- Bruce Nozick … Cast, Morrie's Father
- James Thomas Bailey … Cast, acapella singer #1
- Jeff Bryan Davis … Cast, acapella singer #2
- Michael Pollock … Cast, acapella singer #3
- Joe Whyte … Cast, acapella singer #4