Season of Giants, A (1991) TV Movie

A Season of Giants succeeds more in ambition than in execution. This 195-minute TV movie proposes that a great professional rivalry existed between Renaissance geniuses Michelangelo (Mark Frankel) and Leonardo da Vinci (John Glover). While the Florentine and Roman scenery is authentic, certain elements of the story cause the viewer to doubt its credibility. For starters, both Michelangelo and Da Vinci weather several years' time without either aging or changing their clothes; also, the "creative process" is minimized, with both artists going from inspiration to final product in what seems to be a matter of hours (maybe Michelangelo used a roller on the Sistine Chapel). A Season of Giants was originally shown in two parts over the TNT Cable service, with a surprising paucity of advertising fanfare. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Season of Giants (1991) TV Movie

Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Vittorio Amandola, Steven Berkoff, Mark Frankel, John Glover

Twist of Fate (1989) TV Movie

The four-part British miniseries Pursuit, based upon Robert L. Fish's novel of the same name, was first telecast in the United States as the two-part "movie special" Twist of Fate. Bruce Greenwood essayed the leading role of Helmut Von Schraeder, an ex-S.S. officer on the run after conspiring to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Undergoing plastic surgery, Von Schraeder assumed the new identity of Jewish concentration camp survivor Daniel Grossman. And as if that wasn't unbelievable enough, "Grossman" went on to a colorful career as an Israeli freedom fighter. The huge multinational cast included British film and TV stalwart Ben Cross and American leading lady Sarah Jessica Parker. Though made for British television, Pursuit did not air in that country until 1990, a full year after its American debut. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Twist of Fate (1989) TV Movie
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Jakov Baron, Geoffrey Bateman, Branko Blace, Mirko Boman, Nick Brimble, Ben Cross, Paul Freeman, John Glover, Bruce Greenwood

Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987) TV Movie

The 1986-87 TV season was graced by two "dueling" biopics of Frances Bradshaw, the socialite convicted of coercing her own son into murdering Frances' millionaire father Frank. The first was the four-hour At Mother's Request, starring Stefanie Powers as Frances. The second, and superior adaptation was the three-part miniseries Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder, adapted by playwright William Hanley from Shana Alexander's bestselling book. With an extra two hours' playing time at its disposal, Nutcracker was able to explore the personal history of Frances Bradshaw, from her privileged entry into Bryn Mawr in 1958, through her gradual, twenty-year descent into homicidal insanity--culminating in the murder of her father in 1978. The miniseries was structured in flashback form, continually cutting back to the trial of Frances and her son (Tate Donovan). At the risk of offending the many fans of Stefanie Powers, it must be noted that the performance of Nutcracker star Lee Remick is so powerfully persuasive that it's virtually impossible to envision anyone else in the role of Frances Bradshaw. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987) TV Movie
Cast: David Ackroyd, G.D. Spradlin, Inga Swenson, John Glover, Jonathan Frakes, Lee Remick, Linda Kelsey, Tate Donovan, Tony Musante