Hallmark Drama Explores Love, Politics, Racism

You can escape the barrage of holiday specials on Sunday by tuning in a top-notch family film from the folks at Hallmark.

“The Summer of Ben Tyler” (CBS at 9) is set during the summer, and there’s nothing about it that has anything to do with Christmas.

This Hallmark Hall of Fame centers around a family headed by a struggling lawyer named Temple Rayburn (James Woods). Rayburn decides to make a bid for the senate and believes he has a good chance of winning when the town’s bigwig (Len Cariou) agrees to back him.

The story, set in the 1940s, may sound simple, but life becomes complicated for Rayburn when his longtime housekeeper dies and asks that the Rayburns look after her developmentally delayed son, Ben Tyler (Charles Mattocks).

The folks in his hometown quickly display racism and begin to attack Rayburn for taking a black man into his home.

Rayburn is left to make difficult choices involving his family and career, and the viewer is unsure how this lawyer will choose between right and wrong. Honesty becomes blurred in this movie especially when Rayburn’s daughter (Julia McIlvaine) lies about a damaging wildfire.

Highlights

“General Hospital: Twist of Fate,” ABC tonight at 9: Daytime goes prime time when this soap opera airs a night episode. Followers will find out the bad news Tony has for Bobbie and how much Sonny has suffered over his feelings for Brenda. What I don’t understand is why so little action occurs in a hospital?

“To Love, Honor and Deceive” (1996), ABC Sunday at 9: The title says it all: Vanessa Marcil plays a loving wife, who honored her marriage. Her husband (Thomas Gibson), on the other hand, is a crook, thief, kidnapper and liar.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Faye Zuckerman New York Times Syndicate