A dying wife and mother makes plans for her family in this made-for-television drama. Lea Thompson stars as Amy Hightower, a frontier wife and mother of four who is ill and expected to die. In an unusual move to make sure her family is cared for, she finds a prostitute named Pearl (Farrah Fawcett) and teaches her how to be a wife and mother. The movie shows how Pearl slowly transforms, Amy’s health fluctuates, and how husband Martin (Peter Weller) deals with the unusual circumstances. Filmed in Texas, this film is at times humorous and emotional, and not typical movie-of-the week fare.
Set in 1869.
“The Substitute Wife,” a unique love story about sod-busting pioneers on a 19th-Century Nebraska plain, features a frankness and sexual maturity rare for network movies. At times funny, daring, endearing and unpredictable, the production has the texture and flavor of Willa Cather’s Nebraska fiction. – LA Times
Starring Lea Thompson, Peter Weller, Farrah Fawcett, Tony Frank, Guich Koock.
Rated PG-13.