Acting Makes ‘Child’ Difficult To Watch

Sat., Aug. 17, 1996

Faye Zuckerman New York Times Syndicate

Grandparents might become a bit disconcerted if they tune in to the repeat of CBS’s fact-based “No Child of Mine,” Sunday at 9.

This was the TV movie that portrayed grandparents as having few rights especially when it comes to obtaining legal custody of a grandchild. Not helping matters is that the grandmother here is played with holier-than-thou enthusiasm by Patty Duke.

She depicts grandmatriarch Lucille Jenkins as controlling, close-minded and inflexible. The film should be renamed “Grandma Dearest.”

Grandpa, played by G.W. Bailey, doesn’t help matters. He goes along with his wife as she pulls out all the emotional and legal stops to halt the adoption of their Down syndrome grandson to a caring, loving, young couple (Susan Blakely and Marshall Teague).

The movie’s main issue - how few rights grandparents have - becomes muddled with too much focus on proving Duke’s scheming character is Joan Crawford reincarnated. Duke’s chattiness and intrusiveness become unbearable; you may have trouble sticking with this story.

Highlights

“Kennedy Center’s 25th Anniversary,” KSPS Sunday at 7: The performing arts center ushers in its silver anniversary with a three-hour gala featuring drama, song and dance. The Dance Theater of Harlem and the American Ballet Theater will perform; 13-year-old Han-Na Chang plays a Hadyn Concerto; and Tyne Daly, Laurence Fishburne and Christine Lahti read excerpts from well known 20th century plays.

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