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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Mother’s Gift’ Offers Western Adventure

Faye Zuckerman New York Times Syndicate

The adventures and hardships of settling new land in the Wild West come to light in the best of the repeat movies on Sunday at 9.

The period drama, CBS’ “A Mother’s Gift” (1995), set in post-Civil War America, features a favorite TV face, Nancy McKeon. She plays outspoken, insightful Abby Deal.

She turns her back on a chance for a career as an opera singer and on her suitor, a wealthy medical student (Adam Storke), to settle Nebraska’s wilderness with her childhood love, Will Deal (Adrian Pasdar).

The trek, the couple’s efforts to rough it on the frontier and an encounter with Native Americans supply much of the thrills in the first half. When the movie flashes forward 20 years, it turns dull by focusing on conflicts between the landowning Deals and their kids.

The two hours ultimately become an uneventful family-in-turmoil melodrama.

McKeon, however, deserves credit for delivering a strong female role model. Her Abby has good sense and a strong personality and is competent - rare attributes found in only a few female characters on the small screen. It’s a gift worth visiting a second time.

Also on Sunday is the rerun of “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (1993), NBC at 8:30. This biography traces the hardships faced by martial-arts master and movie star Bruce Lee. Jason Scott Lee (no relation to Bruce) plays the lead role in this tale that’s mostly weepy but has some kick.

As for ABC, it has aspiring TV director-actor Ken Olin (“thirtysomething”) stepping in front of the camera to co-star with Cybill Shepherd in a two-part murder-movie, “Telling Secrets” (1993), Sunday and Monday at 9.

As Faith Kelsey, Shepherd uses her feminine wiles to entice men to commit a multitude of sins, including the murder of her estranged husband’s girlfriend. Olin portrays family man-homicide detective Jay Jensen, who initially falls under Kelsey’s spell.

In Part 2, he sees through her game and becomes one of her strongest adversaries.

It’s during Part 2 that Kelsey and Jensen partake in a fast-paced cat-and-mouse game with the detective globe-trotting to track down bail-jumping Kelsey.

Sunday’s Part 1 is bogged down with slow-moving scenes and mediocre performances by Shepherd and Olin.

Highlights

“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” (1992), ABC tonight at 9: The image of women is placed in the worst light as an avenging wife (Rebecca De Mornay) goes after a mother (Annabella Sciorra) she believes ruined her husband’s life.

De Mornay is pure evil as she tortures Sciorra in this horror tale that has predictable written all over it.

“Goosebumps,” FOX Sunday at 7: If the preteens in your house want to get some summer chills, they can tune in “Night of the Living Dummy III.” An evil dummy comes to life in an attic and starts appearing in unexpected places.

Cable Calls

“Tales From a Parallel Universe” (1997), TMC tonight at 9: This four-part miniseries, which will run the next three Saturdays, is compared to “Star Wars” and “Dune” in press material. Actually it’s more “Dune” weirdness and even a bit more Mel Brooks’ “Space Balls” (with body parts flying around and disgusting organ-eating monsters) than beloved “Star Wars.”

The first part, “I Worship His Shadow,” follows rebels (Brian Downey and Michael McManus) as they battle an evil futuristic empire run by a dictator called the Shadow.

Barry Bostwick guest-stars as the rebel leader (gadgets fly out of his nose, and his right eye becomes a weapon) on the Shadow’s starship, where human body parts are harvested, prisoners are sacrificed and giant snakes eat everything in sight.

Visiting this parallel universe results in no story line, poor acting and a loss of appetite from the tasteless violence. On an upbeat note, the special effects are some of the most impressive you’ll find on the small screen.

“Rough Riders” (1997), TNT Sunday and Monday at 5, 7 and 9: History buffs will want to make an appointment to view this story of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous regiment best known for the charge on San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey and Brad Johnson are among the cast in this fascinating tale written and directed by John Milius (“The Wind and the Lion”). “Riders” covers a lot of territory in this historical saga.

“The Hunger,” SHOW Sunday at 9: Here’s another trilogy filled with depressing stories and unhappy conclusions. Producers Tony and Ridley Scott are to blame for the downbeat tales, which are scheduled for Sundays at 10 starting next week.

In the first installment, stories center on a woman from another world; a sinister wheelchair-bound woman; and a vampire who has an effect on a stockbroker’s vacation.

“Sinbad’s Summer Jam 3: ‘70s Soul Music Festival,” HBO Sunday at 9: Be ready to snap your fingers and tap your toes during this funk-filled hour featuring the Bar-Kays, Jeffrey Osborne and the Temptations.

Movie Marquee

“Out for Justice” (1991), NBC tonight at 9: No Oscars here. But if you’re in the mood for an action-thriller, Steven Seagal has all the moves as a Brooklyn police officer who returns to his old neighborhood to take on a ruthless cocaine kingpin (William Forsythe). (NBC will advise parental discretion.)