David (1988 film)

David
Directed by	John Erman
Produced by	Donald March
Written by	Stephanie Liss Novel Marie Rothenberg Mel White
Starring	Bernadette Peters John Glover Matthew Lawrence
Music by	Marvin Hamlisch
Cinematography	Steve Yanconelli
Editing by	James Galloway
Studio	Donald March Productions ITC Entertainment
Distributed by	American Broadcasting Company
Release date(s)	October 28, 1988 (1988-10-28)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	English

David is a drama, the true story of a child named David Rothenberg, who was burned by his father. This made-for-television film co-starred Matthew Lawrence as David, Bernadette Peters as his mother, and John Glover as his father. It aired on ABC.

Plot

The film is based on a book co-written by Marie Rothenberg and Mel White and relates the true story of David, a child who was burned over 90 percent of his body by his father. The parents were estranged and the non-custodial father, Charles Rothenberg, fled with David in tow to California, but quickly decided that he could not care for David alone. However, rather than return David to his mother's care, the elder Rothenberg used kerosene to set fire to his son while the boy slept in a hotel room. The movie shows how his mother, Marie Rothenberg, coped with the crisis, and the courage and determination of David.

Cast

• Marie Rothenberg -- Bernadette Peters
• Charles Rothenberg -- John Glover
• John -- Dan Lauria
• Dr. Achauer -- George Grizzard
• David Rothenberg -- Matthew Lawrence

Responses

In his review, John J. O'Connor wrote: "'David' can indeed be painful at certain moments but, in the end, its message about going beyond surface appearances comes through admirably." (New York Times, October 25, 1988, p. C22.)

Awards and nominations

• Emmy Awards

Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Miniseries or a Special (nominated)

Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special (nominated)

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries or a Special (nominated)

• Young Artist Award

Best Family TV Special (nominated)

Best Young Actor in a Special, Pilot, Movie of the Week or Mini-Series-Matthew Lawrence (nominated)

See also

• Television movies

External links

• David at the Internet Movie Database