Homecoming (TV film)

Infobox Film
name = Homecoming,


caption = "Homecoming" movie poster
director = Mark Jean
producer = Jack Baran
Shirō Sasaki
writer = Christopher Carlson (screenplay)
Mark Jean (screenplay)
Cynthia Voigt (book)
starring = Anne Bancroft
Kimberlee Peterson
Trever O'Brien
Hanna Hall
William Greenblatt
music = Spencer Proffer
Gaili Schoen
cinematography = Toyomichi Kurita
editing = Nancy Richardson
casting = Joy Todd
distributor = Hallmark Home Entertainment
released = April 14, 1996
runtime = 105 min.
language = English
website =
imdb_id = 0116550

About

On April 14, 1996, the TV film "Homecoming" was released ["Homecoming (1996) (1996)." Amazon.com. 17 Aug 2008. .] and aired on the American cable channel, Lifetime. The screenplay was written by Christopher Carlson and was based on Cynthia Voigt's 'Homecoming'. The movie follows the story of four children who were abandoned by their mother and left to fend for themselves. "Homecoming" was directed by Mark Jean, produced by Jack Baran, and the executive producer was Shirô Sasaki. This drama is rated PG and has a running time of 105 minutes ["Homecoming (1996) (TV)." The Internet Movie Database. 17 Aug 2008. .]

"Homecoming" did not win any awards, despite being nominated for a total of five. Anne Bancroft was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries by the Screen Actors Guild. Christopher Carlson and Mark Jean were nominated for Adapted Long Form by the Writers Guild of America, USA. The movie gathered three Young Artist Awards nominations: Best Family TV Movie or Mini-Series - Cable, Best Performance in a TV Movie/Home Video - Young Ensemble, and Kimberlee Peterson was nominated for Best Performance in a TV Movie/Mini-Series - Young Actress. ["Homecoming (1996) (TV) Awards" The Internet Movie Database. 17 Aug 2008. .]

Extended Summary

On a hot summer day in Provinceville, Momma took the children to the local mall and said she had some things to do. She told the children she wouldn’t be very long and for the younger children to mind their sister Dicey. A few hours passed and Momma did not arrive back to the car. Thirteen-year-old Dicey Tillerman is left to take care and protect her three younger siblings James, Maybeth, and Sammy. After sitting in the hot car expecting Momma to come back, Dicey decided to leave her siblings in the car and go inside to use the pay phone. A security guard is suspicious about Dicey and things she is a boy who has been breaking the windows in the mall. Dicey is in fear to tell him who she really is, knowing that the police would eventually take them into custody if he found her identity. Dicey left immediately to get her siblings and get out of town to head to their aunt’s house, hoping mother would be there.

With only a change of underwear, a map, and seven dollars Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy take off on foot to Bridgeport where their nearest known relative, Aunt Cilla, lives. This adventure is not easy for Dicey because she is now left with the responsibility of her ten,eight, and six-year-old siblings. Being only three years younger than Dicey, James should have also started out by taking responsibility to help her. Although, James acted just like six-year-old, Sammy, and whined about anything and everything. Sammy was always complaining how his feet hurt, he was hungry, and how he wanted to just rest. However, Dicey did get lucky with quiet eight-year-old, Maybeth. Maybeth hardly ever talked but when she did there was never a complaint that came out her mouth.Along the way to Aunt Cilla’s house, the children bought food for as cheap as they could possibly get it. Once that money ran out, the children stopped through a park to rest because they were weak and exhausted. This state park was full of clams, mussels, and fish that caught their eye in an instant. They also met a young runaway couple where Sammy, being the rebel he is, stole money from the couple and food from the park. Quickly the children left again back on the road when the police start looking for them.

Finally arriving to Aunt Cilla’s with no answer at the door, the children wait patiently for her to arrive home. Anxious as the bus arrives, the children slouch back over in result of Aunt Cilla not getting off. A curious woman paces back and forth on the sidewalk at the children until she finally asking who and what they are doing on her front porch. After being introduced, Eunice, their cousin, told the children that their Aunt Cilla had passed away in the spring. Later on that same day Eunice called Father Joseph from her church to come over and help with her situation. As the younger children went to bed, Dicey conferred with Father Joseph and Eunice about their options. With Eunice being busy with her church and work, Father Joseph concluded that they children could stay but only temporarily.

Trying to help as much as possible, Eunice tells Dicey of Abigail Tillerman who lives in Crisfield, Maryland. Abigail is Dicey’s grandmother who she only knew by name. Dicey’s mother never took the family to see their grandmother so Dicey was uneasy about taking that chance. As the days pass, the police look for their mother everyday and come to show Dicey pictures of deceased women but she never recognizes any of them.

Later the police find their mother comatose in a mental hospital. After the children and Eunice had gone to bed, Dicey gets her things ready to leave knowing that they will be taken into custody soon enough when Eunice can’t handle it anymore. She decides that they are going to their Grandmother Tillerman’s house for any other hope. Eunice had some extra money set aside for the children so while all is quiet Dicey takes the money then tells the children. Tired and confused the children tag along to the bus stop with Dicey.

While on the bus to New York, Dicey explains about their mother and what would have happened if they had stayed. Making their way to Crisfield was not easy. Dicey didn’t want to use all of their money on bus fares so they took their last bus to Annapolis. Later realizing, James gets upset with Dicey because they took the bus that is on the opposite side of Crisfield. Angry by this, James and Sammy wanted to give up. Destined to make it to their Grandmother Tillerman’s, they keep going.

Once arriving in Crisfield they did not know where their Grandmother lived. Stopping at a convenient store, a woman warned them of how Abigail Tillerman doesn’t have a phone and is isolated clear out of town. Dicey insisted on going to meet her alone, so she leaves James in charge of Maybeth and Sammy. Without skipping a beat, Dicey makes her way to Abigail Tillerman’s house.

Knocking on the door and getting no answer, Dicey goes around back to see “Mrs. Tillerman” sitting on the back porch. Dicey was fearless as she asked if she could do anything to help on the farm. Without a response back, Dicey’s grandmother marched back into the house and viciously started making a can of spaghettios. She asked Dicey to join her and started asking questions about what Dicey thought about death and such disturbing things. When realizes she needs to just get up and leave, Abigail Tillerman tells Dicey that she knows who she is. She made it clear that she can not stay.

Dicey fires back and said that she doesn’t need a place when they both knew that was a lie. Abigail Tillerman told her that Eunice wrote her warning her that the children could arrive. In a fierce conversation, Abigail begins to laugh and softens Dicey’s mood a little. Talking about where Dicey left the children, Abigail went out to the dock to her boat to go into town to get them. When Dicey and Gram arrive at the dock in town, Dicey’s heart began to race when she didn’t see her siblings in sight. Soon after, Sammy came running telling Dicey that James and Maybeth wanted to go meet their grandmother themselves so they were on their way.

Getting back to Gram’s house, Dicey found James and Maybeth barely arriving at the house. James acted a little stern as he faced his grandmother. During the remainder of that day Gram made it clear that the children were going to have to work for the time being. They did things around the farm and helped prepare dinner. With the awkwardness at the dinner table, Gram always broke the silence with rude comments. Wanting to give up on ever warming up to her the children knew they didn’t want to go back to Eunice’s house so they started working twice as hard.

Days passed and Gram started warming up to the children and actually acted like they were her grandchildren. As Dicey decided one day that their time was up and needed to move on Gram stopped her and wanted them to stay. She liked the company and the help the children gave her. While the children were sleeping, Gram and Dicey were awake talking. Gram didn’t want to lose the family that still had so she asked her if they would stay and keep helping out. The longer the children stayed the more the relationship grew towards Gram and the children. As the movie ends, Gram became a soft kind hearted woman who finally took the children in and gave them the chance to be a family again.

Cast

Kimberlee Peterson – Dicey Tillerman
Trever O’Brien – James Tillerman
Hanna Hall – Maybeth Tillerman
William Greenblatt – Sammy Tillerman
Anne Bancroft – Abigail Tillerman
Anna Louise Richardson – Liza Tillerman (Momma)
Scott Michael Campbell – Windy ["Homecoming (1996) (1996)." Amazon.com. 26 Apr 2001. .]

Notes