Divorce Wars

A high-powered divorce lawyer sees life from both sides of the fence in this cautionary love story that brought TV audiences a deeper understanding of the emotionally turbulent terrain explored in the then-recent theatrical hits Kramer vs. Kramer and Ordinary People. A successful but self-centered attorney, Jack Sturgess (Tom Selleck) finds himself in the same boat as his clients when his long-suffering wife (Jane Curtin) sues for divorce. Hurt and angered by his wife's allegations, a vengeful Jack begins to question his values when the frequent pain and endless process of separation finally begins to hit home. Mimi Rogers, Viveca Lindfors and legendary screen star Joan Bennett (in her final performance) co-star in this truthful and moving tale.

This superior ABC THEATRE OF THE MONTH presentation is not so much about the reasons for divorce as it is about the tensions surrounding the actual litigation. Tom Selleck plays a topnotch Seattle divorce lawyer, juggling several delicate cases at once. Arrogantly secure in his legal prowess, Selleck suffers a major ego blow when his own wife (Jane Curtin) files for divorce. In a half-comic, half-serious manner, the travails of Selleck and Curtin are counterpointed with those of Selleck's clients. Donald Wrye and Linda Elstad's high-quality script for DIVORCE WARS: A LOVE STORY bears a very faint resemblance to the recent movie hits KRAMER VS. KRAMER and ORDINARY PEOPLE--a resemblance pounced upon and amplified by the print ads for this TV movie.