Doing Time on Maple Drive
Encyclopedia
Doing Time on Maple Drive is a 1992 made-for-television drama film. Written by James Duff
and directed by Ken Olin
, the film stars James Sikking
, Bibi Besch
, William McNamara
, Jayne Brook
, David Byron, Lori Loughlin
and Jim Carrey
in an early and rare dramatic role.
Matt is injured after crashing his car; he returns home to recuperate. As he recovers, the family is revealed to be almost completely dysfunctional
. Tim is an alcoholic
. Matt's car crash was a suicide
attempt brought on by the pressure of being gay
and closet
ed from his conservative parents and lying about Allison's breaking their engagement because of it. Lisa is in deep denial about all of the problems family members are facing.
Karen's husband Tom learns that Karen is pregnant and that she is so terrified of bringing a child into a family situation like hers that she's considering having an abortion
without telling him. Tom angrily confronts her father Phil, declaring that while Phil may be destroying his own family he won't allow Phil to destroy his. He takes Karen away. Matt confronts his parents, including telling his mother that he knows she already knows he is gay after having walked in on him and another boy. Lisa continues to struggle with denial, but Phil begins to take tentative steps toward understanding.
s: Duff for outstanding writing for a miniseries or special; outstanding made for television movie; and Besch for outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or special.
on September 7, 2004.
James Duff (writer)
James Duff is an American television writer, producer and director. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and has written plays and television screenplays...
and directed by Ken Olin
Ken Olin
Kenneth Edward "Ken" Olin is an American actor, director and producer. He is known for his starring role on the television series Thirtysomething, and most recently as Executive Producer, director, and recurring guest star of the television series Brothers & Sisters .-Career:As an actor, Olin...
, the film stars James Sikking
James Sikking
James Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
, Bibi Besch
Bibi Besch
Bibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
, William McNamara
William McNamara
William West McNamara is an American actor.-Early life:Born in Dallas, Texas, McNamara is the son of a professional race car driver for the Ford Motor Company and an interior designer. He attended Columbia University and studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute...
, Jayne Brook
Jayne Brook
Jayne Brook is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama Chicago Hope. She appeared on the series from 1995 to 1999.-Early life:...
, David Byron, Lori Loughlin
Lori Loughlin
Lori Anne Loughlin is an American actress, best known for her role as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. As of 2011, she portrays the role of Debbie Wilson on 90210, the spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210...
and Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
in an early and rare dramatic role.
Synopsis
Doing Time on Maple Drive centers on the Carter family. Father Phil (Sikking) is a successful local restaurateur, married for many years to Lisa (Besch). They have three grown children, Karen (Brook), Tim (Carrey) and Matt (McNamara). Karen is married to Tom (Byron), Tim works in his father's restaurant and Matt is a college student. Matt returns from college and introduces the family to his fiancée, Allison (Loughlin).Matt is injured after crashing his car; he returns home to recuperate. As he recovers, the family is revealed to be almost completely dysfunctional
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
. Tim is an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Matt's car crash was a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempt brought on by the pressure of being gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and closet
Closet
A closet is a small and enclosed space, a cabinet, or a cupboard in a house or building used for general storage or hanging clothes. A closet for food storage is usually referred to as a pantry...
ed from his conservative parents and lying about Allison's breaking their engagement because of it. Lisa is in deep denial about all of the problems family members are facing.
Karen's husband Tom learns that Karen is pregnant and that she is so terrified of bringing a child into a family situation like hers that she's considering having an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
without telling him. Tom angrily confronts her father Phil, declaring that while Phil may be destroying his own family he won't allow Phil to destroy his. He takes Karen away. Matt confronts his parents, including telling his mother that he knows she already knows he is gay after having walked in on him and another boy. Lisa continues to struggle with denial, but Phil begins to take tentative steps toward understanding.
Cast
- James SikkingJames SikkingJames Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
as Phil Carter - Bibi BeschBibi BeschBibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
as Lisa Carter - William McNamaraWilliam McNamaraWilliam West McNamara is an American actor.-Early life:Born in Dallas, Texas, McNamara is the son of a professional race car driver for the Ford Motor Company and an interior designer. He attended Columbia University and studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute...
as Matt Carter - Jayne BrookJayne BrookJayne Brook is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama Chicago Hope. She appeared on the series from 1995 to 1999.-Early life:...
as Karen - David Byron as Tom
- Lori LoughlinLori LoughlinLori Anne Loughlin is an American actress, best known for her role as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. As of 2011, she portrays the role of Debbie Wilson on 90210, the spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210...
as Allison - Jim CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
as Tim Carter - Philip Linton as Andy
- Bennett Cale as Kyle
- Richard Israel as Student Actor
- Mark Chaet as Nick
- Janice LyndeJanice LyndeJanice Lynde in Houston, Texas and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is an American actress.Lynde began her professional career at ten years old, playing piano and singing solos with the Dallas Symphony. She attended college at Indiana University, studying music, and then the University of...
as Judy - George Roth as Dr. Norman
- Parker Whitman as Gene
- Danielle Michonne as Cindy
- Toni Sawyer as Millie
- Bodhi ElfmanBodhi ElfmanBodhi Elfman , also known as Bodhi Pine Elfman, is an American actor.-Career:Elfman has had film roles in Mercury Rising, Collateral, Godzilla and Armageddon, and smaller parts in The Mod Squad, Keeping the Faith and Gone in 60 Seconds.Elfman starred in the UPN television series Freedom, alongside...
as Joe - Mike Marikian as Kevin
- Courtenay McWhinney as Clara
Awards and nominations
Doing Time on Maple Drive was nominated for three Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s: Duff for outstanding writing for a miniseries or special; outstanding made for television movie; and Besch for outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or special.
DVD release
Doing Time on Maple Drive was released on Region 1 DVDDVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
on September 7, 2004.
External links
- Doing Time on Maple Drive at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...