Melissa Gilbert Movies
Actress Melissa Gilbert literally grew up before our eyes in the role of Laura Ingalls on the TV series Little House on the Prairie. A professional from the age of 3, Gilbert was ten years old when she assumed the role of Laura, and in her mid-20s when Little House branched off into a handful of TV movies in the 1980s. Outside of this series, Gilbert was the uncrowned queen of the TV remakes: She starred as young Helen Keller in 1979's The Miracle Worker, played the title role in 1980's The Diary of Anne Frank, and assumed the old Natalie Wood role in 1981's Splendor in the Grass. More recently, she has been showing up in made-for-TV biopics, e.g. Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story (1993) and Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story (1994). Gilbert's latter-day series-TV work has included the parts of Kate Delany in Sweet Justice and Rochelle in Stand By Your Man; she has also been heard as the voice of Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, in the daily Batman: The Animated Series. In all of these, she has been billed under her married name of Gilbert-Brinkman (her marriage to Bo Brinkman has since dissolved). Melissa Gilbert is the sister of Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene on TV's Roseanne; her grandfather, Harry Crane, was one of the creators of the Jackie Gleason series The Honeymooners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
- PG13
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A widow in mourning and a heartbroken artist enter into a passionate affair that helps to heal old wounds in this romantic drama starring Melissa Gilbert and Brad Johnson. Ofelia (Gilbert) is a single mother who recently lost her husband, and Matt is an artist who wanders the beach in search of inspiration. When these two damaged souls cross paths on a secluded beach, both begin to sense that they may one day love again. But even as their passions begin to reignite the dark clouds of the past begin to gather overhead, ominously threatening to snuff out what could be their last chance at love. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Brad Johnson, (more)
While going through the possessions left behind by her recently deceased father, a prominent and well-respected judge, High-powered attorney Natalie Jones (Melissa Gilbert) is shocked to come across a worn, yellowed snapshot showing her father in a warm embrace with famed rodeo trick rider Maggie Mae Jarrat. It soon develops that, unbeknownst to Natalie, Maggie and her dad had once been married. Hoping to get the full story, Natalie leaves her cosmopolitan surrounding and heads to wild horse country in Longmont, California, where she meets the late Maggie's gritty, tough-minded daughter Jess (Lindsay Wagner). The bond that slowly but surely develops between the two women leads Natalie to champion Jess' cause when greedy rancher Tom Grove (Grainger Hines) and his cronies begin killing off Jess' free-roaming horses so as not to "mongrelize" their own purebred stock. And, as a bonus, Natalie falls in love with dedicated local veterinarian Sam Nelson (Brian Wimmer). Made for cable, Thicker Than Water debuted March 12, 2005 on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Cassie Broadbeck (Melissa Gilbert) is the matriarch of a highly dysfunctional family whose home is invaded by an escaped convict (Thomas Cavanaugh) and his two henchmen. Painfully aware that her husband Wayne (Brian Wimmer) will be of no help whatsoever, the desperate Cassie is willing to do anything--anything--to save the lives of her two daughters. Making a bad situation even worse is the fact that a hurricane is rapidly approaching! Somewhat prophetically set in New Orleans, Heart of the Storm was first screened at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival on November 5, 2004, then made its cable-TV debut over the Lifetime channel seventeen days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
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Adapted from Jackie Collins' best-selling novel of the same name, this glittery made-for-TV movie stars three veteran small-screen divas as the "newest" generation of Tinseltown spouses. Farrah Fawcett heads the cast as film favorite and top recording artist Lissa Roman, who hires handsome private eye Michael Scorsini (Jack Scalia) to trail her much-younger husband, who is not only a philanderer but psychotic. While all this is going on, Lissa seeks out moral support from her two best friends: Taylor Singer (Melissa Gilbert), the wife of a major movie director, who has enough on her hands with the young writer with whom she is collaborating on a screenplay and cohabitating in the bedroom, and vocalist Kyndra Rossiter (Robin Givens), who, alone among her peers, aspires merely to a happy, well-balanced life -- and a closer relationship with her daughter Saffron (Kandyce McLure). Ultimately, melodrama creeps into the picture when Lissa's daughter Nikki (Pascale Hudson) is kidnapped. Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives: The New Generation debuted October 19, 2003, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, Melissa Gilbert, (more)
- 2000
"Inspired by actual events", this made-for-TV drama stars Melissa Gilbert ad Donielle, who since childhood has been blessed--or cursed--with a Sixth Sense. It all began at her best friend's funeral, when 8-year-old Donielle was seized with a vision which indicated that her friend had been murdered by his own father. Disowned by her family and ostracized by the community, Donielle learns the hard way to keep her premonitions to herself. By the time she has reached adulthood, Donielle is a rootless single mother, travelling from town to town with her children to avoid coming in close contact with anything that might retrigger her paranormal gifts. But upon arriving in a small town where the citizens are being terrorized by a serial killer, Donielle again begins experiencing horrible visions--and this time, maybe someone will listen...and believe...A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle first aired February 9, 2000, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Co-producers and former TV child stars Tony Dow of Leave It to Beaver and Melissa Gilbert of Little House on the Prairie are among those who take part in this video's panel discussion about the advantages and pitfalls of spending all or part of one's childhood as a television or movie star. Other panel members include The Partridge Family's Danny Bonaduce and Margaret O'Brien who appeared in many notable films, including Meet Me in St. Louis. The actors talk about protecting kids from unscrupulous family members who spend their children's earnings, the quality of education offered on TV and movie sets, and the problems child stars often have with maintaining positive relationships with peers outside the industry and their own family members. The panel members also talk about how difficult it can be to enter adulthood once fame is gone. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Vanessa Stewart (Janine Turner) has the soul of an artist, but her business tycoon father insists that she follow in his footsteps. As a result, Vanessa convinces herself that she wants to be a globetrotting executive, and also that she truly loves the man to whom she is engaged. But while in Venice on a business trip at the behest of her father, Vanessa meets and falls in love with adventurous Irish TV war correspondent Bill Fitzgerald (Paudge Behan). Deciding to kick over the traces, Vanessa is prepared to turn her back on her family obligations and plight her troth with Bill. But Fate, as it often does, takes a hand in matters when Bill is reported killed during a dangerous combat assignment. Based on a novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford (as if the full title of this made-for-TV feature left any doubt), A Secret Affair first aired October 27, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janine Turner, Paudge Behan, (more)
- 1999
Based on Kathleen Kane's novel Pocketful of Paradise, the fanciful TV movie The Soul Collector stars Bruce Greenwood in the title role. As an emissary from Heaven, Zachariah (Greenwood) helps recently departed souls to make a smooth and happy transition from life to death. But after showing signs of boredom and carelessness in his work, Zachariah is brought before supervising soul collector Mordecai (Ossie Davis), who "sentences" him to be a mortal for 30 days. While serving out his term, Zachariah falls in love with Rebecca (Melissa Gilbert), the widow of a man he'd "collected" earlier. As Zachariah struggles to help Rebecca save her farm from her creditors, Mordecai wonders if he's done the right thing in forcing Zachariah to experience humanity firsthand. Filmed just outside Austin, TX, The Soul Collector posted excellent ratings for CBS when the film first aired on October 24, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Ossie Davis, (more)
Based on an actual incident at the University of Virginia Medical Center, this made-for-TV drama stars Melissa Gilbert and Rosanna Arquette as Sarah and Linda, two expectant mothers who give birth on the same day in the same hospital. It is not until 18 months after the two women had contentedly gone home with the babies that a DNA test proves the infants were switched at birth thanks to a hospital snafu. Although Sarah and Linda both elect to keep the babies that they've grown to love, they reach an unusual compromise that has profound (and not entirely positive) effects on their respective families and friends -- leading, inevitably, to a heated courtroom battle. Originally telecast by CBS under the title Two Babies: Switched at Birth on November 24, 1999, the film has since been released to video as Mistaken Identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
- 1999
Suggested by a real-life homicide case which occurred in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1986, the made-for-TV Murder at 75 Birch gets underway when the wife of dentist Rick Todson (Gregory Harrison) is killed. According to Rick, his late spouse Pat (Wendel Meldrum) had been murdered by a burglar, a story the police find hard to swallow. One person who is willing to stand by Rick is his sister-in-law Gwen (Melissa Gilbert)--and when Gwen's own husband Dave (Vyto Ruginis) dies in a car accident, she turns to Rick for comfort and solace. Ultimately Gwen falls in love with Rick, but their relationship begins to unravel after a series of strange incidents which suggest that the authorities' suspicions concerning Rick's involvement in his wife's death were not entirely groundless. Reaching a tense climax as Gwen and the police work together to crack the case, Murder at 75 Birch first aired February 9, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Harrison, Wendel Meldrum, (more)
- 1998
Lifetime goes behind the scenes -- the dramatic public scenes, that is -- to uncover the real woman who has lived an entire life in the limelight. Melissa Gilbert began appearing in commercials when she was only two; by nine, she was playing Laura on Little House on the Prairie, a role which would forever endear her to the public and establish Gilbert's close relationship with Michael Landon. Unfortunately, the actress's many acclaimed performances were sometimes overshadowed by her personal troubles, including two failed marriages. For her Intimate Portrait biography, Gilbert discusses her work, her third successful marriage, and the joys she has found in motherhood. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Though she has realized a measure of success in her career, Meredith Sanders (Melissa Gilbert) has never found true happiness. Haunted by fragmentary memories of her childhood, she returns to England, the first time she has set foot in native country since being adopted and brought to the United States. Conducting a lengthy and frustrating search for her birth mother's grave, Meredith ultimately makes a shocking discovery--and, this being a Barbara Taylor Bradford adaptation, she also falls in love, with handsome architect Lucas Kent (Jeremy Sheffield. Veteran stage and screen star Jean Simmons plays a pivotal role in Her Own Rules, which first aired October 13, 1998, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Jean Simmons, (more)
- 1998
All that has been keeping the marriage of Scott and Michelle Tanner (Bruce Boxleitner, Melissa Gilbert) together is their commitment to save their 17-year-old son Mark (Zack Graham) from a drug habit. Now Mark has been killed in a bank robbery--and worse, his dad Scott, a hostage negotiator, was there when it happened. Convinced that Mark had been withdrawing money to buy drugs, the Tanners feel they have completely failed, and a divorce is inevitable. It is up to Monica (Roma Downey), here posing as Scott's partner, to prove that the couple's efforts have not been in vain--and this requires a very special screening of the documentary video Mark was working on just before he died. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Greg Davis (Michael Reilly Burke) was 12 years old when his childhood sweetheart Karen Carlson disappeared while en route to his home. 17 years later, Greg, now a schoolteacher, is astonished by the sudden appearance of an enigmatic young woman (Melissa Gilbert) who claims to be the long-missing Karen. The woman's vivid recollections of abduction, and the fact that she knows many of Karen's innermost secrets, convince Greg that she's the genuine article. But Karen's father Warren (Ronny Cox) and detective James Walker (Leon Russom) are not so easily persuaded--and when Karen begins to behave in a bizarre, erratic fashion, the possibility arises that she may not be whom she claims to be...and that her past is far more sinister than anyone could imagine. Alternating between a full-color "present" and black-and-white vignettes of "the past", the made-for-TV Childhood Sweetheart? debuted March 18, 1997, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Small-town housewife Sarah Jenks (Melissa Gilbert) would hardly qualify as the most popular woman in her community: She constantly speaks her mind, contemptuously disdains those who aren't vegetarians like herself, and (horrors!) does not attend church on Sunday. However, no one would ever claim that Sarah was not a loving and devoted mother to her children--at least not until the day that a spiteful woman named Sandy Barlow (Joely Fisher) levies accusations that Sarah is guilty of child abuse. Never bothering to question Sandy's ulterior motives (the audience knows that she has sexual designs on Sarah's husband), the authorities take her charges seriously, and before long Sarah's children have been ripped away from her and placed into foster care. Inspired by actual events, this nailbiting made-for-TV movie exposes the dangers of taking people and events at face value, accepting baseless lies as Gospel and adhering to a rigid "rules are rules" mentality. Seduction in a Small Town made itsABC debut on February 9, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Having finally figured out the Shadows' strategy, Sheridan launches a pre-emptive strike against the enemy forces. Dr. Franklin has an epiphany and tries to do a good deed -- nearly losing his life in the process. And Delenn gains a valuable ally on behalf of the Rangers. Melissa Gilbert makes a significant guest appearance. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Shadow Dancing" first aired in America during the week of October 21, 1996, some six weeks after its British TV bow on September 15. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1996
The third-season Babylon 5 saga "Point of No Return" arrived at a cliffhanger conclusion with its 22nd installment, "Z'Ha'Dum." Melissa Gilbert guest-stars as Anna, Captain Sheridan's wife, whom he believed was killed five years earlier. Against his initial protest, Anna guides Sheridan to Z'ha'dum, the homeworld of the dreaded Shadows, ostensibly to settle the hostilities that have dominated the past 21 or so episodes. In other developments, Londo is informed of the fruits of his ruthless political jockeying. The episode ends with a disturbing development, indicating that the troubles between B5 and the Shadows are far from over. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Z'Ha'Dum" was first broadcast in England on September 22, 1996; alas, the series' American fans would have to wait until the week of October 28. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1996
Rising business executive Jake Peterson (Tim Matheson) is given a make-or-break assignment when he is sent to a small town for the purpose of severely downsizing the local tractor factory. Upon his arrival, Jake is mistaken by the townsfolk as the man sent to save rather than destroy their community, and is treated as such, much to his discomfort. Making his task even more difficult is Jake's blossoming romance with factory employee Emma Murphy (Melissa Gilbert), whose daughter Noelle (Michelle Trachtenberg) regards our hero as Santa Claus Incarnate. Made for the CBS TV network (and filmed under the title A Holiday for Love, Christmas in My Hometown premiered December 10, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Melissa Gilbert stars in the title role of this made-for-television adaption of the novel by Danielle Steel. Gilbert stars as Zoya, an Russian orphan who flees her homeland and falls in love with an American Army soldier stationed in Paris. The two settle in New York, start a family and all seems well, but the dramatic twists and turns for Zoya have only just begun. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
In this drama, the mother of an autistic boy and his teacher are frequently at odds. But when they learn that the boy has been molested, the two must unite to discover the abuser's identity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Melissa Gilbert, (more)
- 1994
This made-for-television movie is based on the true story of a landmark Supreme Court decision. Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) stars as Carrie Buck, a woman who was used as the test subject in a 1927 experiment to sterilize mentally-challenged women. The test was allowed after a controversial Supreme Court ruling came down in favor of the procedure. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1993
$Arlene Sanford's docudrama Seeds of Deception stars Melissa Gilbert as the female half of an infertile couple who seek help conceiving from a doctor who specializes in fertility issues. While by all appearances everything seemed to work well, the couple discovers that they, and many of the doctor's other patients, actually were impregnated with the doctor's own semen. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, George Dzundza, (more)
- 1993
Fashion designer Melissa Gilbert is Dying to Remember in this USA Cable Network potboiler. Plagued by vivid nightmares, the fashion designer begins to believe that she's suffering from repressed-memory syndrome. It gets better: she might be conjuring up memories of a previous life. Whatever the case, it comes up murder. She may well have been killed in her past existence, and it looks as though her number will soon be up in the present. Dying to Remember debuted on December 2, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Mimi Leder, director of several 1990s action-adventure flicks directed this made-for-television drama. Melissa Gilbert-Boxleitner stars as Marion Ravinel, a wife who conspires to kill her husband with the aide of his ex-lover. The film is based on the story featured in several movies, including Diabolique. Gilbert-Boxleitner's real-life husband Bruce Boxleitner stars as her abusive husband. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
