ANY DAY NOW: IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BUTTER {PARTS 1 AND 2} (TV)
Summary
One in this drama series about best friends M.E. and Rene, a white woman and black woman living in Birmingham, Alabama. Episodes often flash back to the 1960s -- at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement -- to show how the women's friendship was forged.
In this extended episode, Rene and M.E. are at dinner when M.E. accidentally mistakes an African-American woman for their waitress. Rene questions whether M.E.'s confusion was racially motivated. Though initially outraged, M.E. attempts to write a freelance article examining the state of race relations at the turn of the millennium -- and tries selling it to the magazine that recently fired her.
M.E. knows that her first interview should be with her Uncle Jimmy, a Ku Klux Klan member, though she's scared of the implications and puts it aside for the time being. M.E. invites her parents and Rene's mother over for dinner -- a potentially explosive pairing considering their pasts. Despite becoming spooked by her diggings into her family's history, M.E. knows she must delve all the way, eventually confronting her despicable uncle. Meanwhile, Rene, in need of a new office assistant, finds herself interviewing an interesting applicant.
In the flashback story, Rene's lawyer father prosecutes the city for preventing African-American men from taking the police exam, causing the Jackson family much strife. Back in the present, M.E. discovers a flaming cross burning on her lawn.
M.E. knows that her racist Uncle Jimmy must be the culprit, even though it has yet to be proven, and runs off to confront him. When Colliar arrives to aid his wife, he attacks Jimmy, injuring him with a blow and necessitating a trip to the hospital. There, M.E.'s parents refuse to believe Jimmy burned the cross, instead castigating M.E. for what they perceive as her contentious article on racism.
Meanwhile, Bill arrives back in town, upsetting Rene over his delay in contacting her. Searching on the internet, Davis finds some explosive material on Uncle Jimmy's website -- a "hit list" which includes the names of Rene and her mother. Instead of cowering, Rene decides to file suit against Jimmy, taking him to court.
In the flashback story, James Jackson continues his suit against the police department, resulting in a humiliating repercussion to his family from Uncle Jimmy. As the Jacksons find themselves living in fear, they ponder moving back to Detroit. Commercials deleted. This program is closed-captioned.
Details
- NETWORK: Lifetime
- DATE: October 24, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 01:28:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:59611
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; She Made It Collection (Carole Black); African-American Collection - Drama; Friendship
- SERIES RUN: Lifetime - TV series, 1998-2002
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Gary A. Randall … Executive Producer
- Sheldon Pinchuk … Executive Producer
- Nancy Miller … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Dee Johnson … Co-Executive Producer
- Bob Lowry … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Sibyl Gardner … Producer
- Valerie Woods … Producer
- Lori-Etta Taub … Producer
- Kathleen McGhee-Anderson … Consulting Producer
- Artie Mandelberg … Director
- Deborah Joy Levine … Created by
- Annie Potts … Cast, Mary Elizabeth "M.E." O'Brien Sims
- Lorraine Toussaint … Cast, Rene Jackson
- Shari Dyon Perry … Cast, Young Rene Jackson
- Mae Middleton … Cast, Young Mary Elizabeth O'Brien
- Donzaleigh Abernathy … Cast, Sara Jackson
- Dan Byrd … Cast, Young Colliar Sims
- Olivia Friedman … Cast, Kelly Sims Williams
- Chris Mulkey … Cast, Colliar Sims
- Elise Shirley … Cast, Young Teresa O'Brien
- Geoffrey Blake … Cast, Glenn
- William Converse-Roberts … Cast, Matthew O'Brien
- John Lafayette … Cast, James Jackson
- Nancy McLoughlin … Cast, Catherine O'Brien
- Mike Pavone … Cast, Jimmy O'Brien
- Bronson Picket … Cast, Joe Lozano
- Calvin Devault … Cast, Davis Sims
- Mary-Pat Green … Cast, Odessa
- Michele Kelly … Cast, Michelle
- Richard Biggs … Cast, Bill Moody
- Jack Laufer … Cast, Mr. Lowenstein
- Steve Rankin … Cast, Police Officer
- Chris Babers … Cast, Young Elston Jackson
- John P. Connolly … Cast, Judge Leonard
- Bert Kramer … Cast, Judge Samuels
- Richard Penn … Cast, Dr. Constat