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Valerie Bertinelli's TV movies

posted 11 years ago by TVmovieViewer
7 replies | jump to latest

I was sad to see that so many of our old threads were deleted, but here's another thread to talk about the films of one of the actresses who was known for her TV movie career. The ones I've seen are:

1. In a Child's Name (1991) Probably my favorite of all her TV movies. I don't want to give too much away, but the story starts with Valerie's sister marrying a very abusive man. This sets in motion a chain of events that leads to tragedy and injustice. Louise Fletcher has a supporting role. This movie gets my highest recommendation!

2. Murder of Innocence (1993) This is my 2nd favorite of her TV movies. The story is about a young bride who is slipping further and further into mental illness, which eventually leads to murder. This one is great!

3. Taken Away (1989) For some reason I really like this one, despite it's simple story. Valerie plays a single mom who leaves her daughter home alone while she goes to night school. While she's gone, the daughter has an accident and calls 911. The police take Valerie's daughter away from her. Valerie gets a job as a waitress to pay her legal expenses, to try to get her daughter back. Anna Maria Horsford (from "Amen") does a very good job as the unsympathetic prosecutor.

4. Two Mothers for Zachary (1996) Valerie's mom (played by Vanessa Redgrave) babysits Valerie's son while Valerie works at Wallmart. Valerie falls in love with a female coworker, and she starts her first lesbian relationship. Vanessa, who disapproves of the gay relationship, sues for custody of Valerie's son. The topic seems dated now, but the movie is still good.

5. Silent Witness (1985) Valerie plays a K-Mart cashier who hangs out at a bar with her husband after work. At the bar, Valerie witnesses a rape, but she does not come forward to the police because the rapist is her husband's brother. This one is good, but not great.

6. The Seduction of Gina (1984) Valerie plays a young wife who becomes a compulsive gambler. Dinah Manoff as a small supporting role as Valerie's friend. The background music is excellent in this otherwise unexceptional movie.

7. The Promise of Love (1980) Set in the late 1960's, Valerie plays a young bride who's husband is killed in Vietnam. Eventually she finds a new man. Shelley Long has a supporting role as Valerie's neighbor. This one is also good, but not great.

...Please add to the list if you've seen any of her other TV movies!

[–] IloveKoba 11 years ago

Check out ROCKABYE (1986) Definitely worth watching for Valerie's outstanding performance as a young mother searching for her 3 year old son who has been kidnapped by a black market baby ring. I also like her as "Maxi" in the TV mini-series I'LL TAKE MANHATTAN.But, IN A CHILD'S NAME and MURDER OF INNOCENCE still remain my personal favorites.

[–] TVmovieViewer 11 years ago

IloveKoba, Thank you for those recommendations! I'm going to try to get copies of both of those movies!

[–] TVmovieViewer 11 years ago

IloveKoba, Tonight I watched "Rockabye" for the first time and I absolutely LOVED it! I t was so interesting, suspenseful and exciting, and I loved the New York City locations. It is definitely one of Valerie's all-time best! I'd give it 4 out of 4 stars! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOMMENDING IT!
Whenever I see a TV movie that's this good, I wonder how I'd never came across it sooner, and I wonder how many other great TV movies are still out there that I've never seen!

[–] IloveKoba 11 years ago

TVmovieViewer, glad you enjoyed it, I wasn't sure if you'd even be able to find it. Where did you get it from, and in what format. I picked it up on VHS a few years back from a video shop,but have never been able to find a DVD copy. Haven't watched it myself for a long time, so will make a point of watching it again in the next couple of weeks. Another one you may like (if you can find it) is
TAINTED BLOOD (1993) this one stars Ally Mills Kerri Green Raquel Welch Joan Van Ark and Natasha Gregson Wagner.

[–] TVmovieViewer 11 years ago

I got it on ebay on vhs. it was still new and sealed. It was around $20.00, but it was well-worth it!

I've also seen "Tainted Blood", and I agree- it's excellent!

[–] txbardtobe 11 years ago

Murder of Innocence was intense! One of my favorites of hers.

Top favorite is Two Mothers for Zachary. Not only well-acted, but well-written by Linda Voorhees, who is a screenwriting professor at UCLA and associate of Lew Hunter ("Screenwriting 434").

[–] TVmovieViewer 10 years ago

I recently watched 2 more of Valerie's TV movies, and I thought I'd add them to the list:

9. Young Love, First Love (1979) Very entertaining drama starring Valerie as a high school student who finds love with another student (Timothy Hutton)... the drama in their relationship involves their first time having sex, smoking pot, and auditioning for the school play. I highly recommend this one- it's fun, and Valerie sings the theme song! (She and Timothy also sing some other songs too, as they audition for the play.)

10. Night Sins (1997) Valerie plays a police detective who is investigating the disappearance of a young boy. Her search eventually leads her to the priests at the catholic church. The best part of this mini-series is that the viewer keeps changing their mind about who the kidnapper is- at one point even Valerie's lose interest (Harry Hamlin) is a suspect! ...The negative thing about this miniseries is that it's a bit too long, and the ending is EXTREMELY unsatisfying!