Roe vs. Wade
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Gregory Hoblit
Randy Oglesby
James L. Avery
Teddi Siddall
Daniel Benzali
Morgen Drasnin
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
A television movie about the events leading up to the famous Roe vs. Wade decision ruled on by the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing women to obtain abortions legally. In February 1970, Ellen Russell, a poor, pregnant carnival barker in rural Texas, asks an inexperienced attorney, Sarah Weddington, to help her in a ground-breaking suit against the district attorney of Dallas so that she can have an abortion (then illegal under Texas law). The district court's refusal to issue an injunction prevents Russell from legally terminating the pregancy, and she is ultimately forced to give away her newly born baby. In the meantime, the suit places personal and financial strains on attorney Weddington.
Director
Gregory Hoblit
Cast
Randy Oglesby
James L. Avery
Teddi Siddall
Daniel Benzali
Morgen Drasnin
James Gammon
Dion Anderson
Paul Lambert
Jeff Allin
David L Crowley
Karole Selmon
Jeff Perry
Kathy Bates
Randal Patrick
Chris Mulkey
Kevin Cooney
Amy Madigan
Ward Costello
Terry O'quinn
Dierk Torsek
Angela Paton
Stephen Tobolowsky
Jim Antonio
Marnie Andrews
Holly Hunter
David Wohl
Wendy Cutler
George Murdock
Ken Jenkins
Susan Forristal
Glenn Morshower
Ali Grant
Katherine Cortez
Annabella Price
David Selburg
Maggie Baird
Kenneth Tigar
Micole Mercurio
Jerry Hardin
Crew
Janis Cercone
Clay Collins
Betsy Cox
Alison Cross
Alison Cross
Carlos Delarios
Joe Ann Fogle
Jamie Gelb
Gregory Hoblit
Elodie Keene
Michael Kohjt
Junie Lowry-johnson
Michael Manheim
Ronald R Reiss
Aaron Rochin
David Ronne
Bennett Salvay
Rick Sharp
Leslie Shatz
Leslie Shatz
Newton Thomas Sigel
Hilda Stark
Jon Gary Steele
W.g. Snuffy Walden
Joy Zapata
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner Golden Plaque award at 1990 Chicago International Film Festival in category of Feature Films Made TV. (Tied with "Winnie.")
Winner of American Women in Radio and Television's 15th annual commendation award in the entertainment category.
Winner of the 1989 Golden Eagle Award in the Television Entertainment category from the Council on International Nontheatrical Events (CINE).
Winner of the 1989 Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for sexual responsibility in the media in the entertainment special category. Presented by The Center for Population Options.
Winner of the annual Maggie Awards competition in the TV entertainment category. Sponsored by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and named after founder Margaret Sanger, the award recognizes "outstanding media projects dealing with issues of sexuality education, AIDS, contraception, teenage pregnancy, international family planning, abortion and other reproductive concerns."
Aired in United States 1992
Aired in United States May 15, 1989
Released in United States on Video February 22, 1990
Completed shooting in April 1989.
NBC presented a one-hour news special following the movie, examining the political, social, and religious ramifications of the abortion issue that have arisen since the Supreme Court's controversial 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion.
