An American Daughter (film)

Plot

Dr. Lyssa Dent Hughes (Lahti) is the daughter of U.S. Senator Alan Hughes (Stanley Anderson). She appears to be headed for nomination as the U.S. Surgeon General until a background check reveals she once neglected to return a jury duty notice. Then, she makes a faux pas in comments about her homemaker mother that leaves her open to a media blitz and her certain nomination suddenly appears to be in doubt. She is supported by her best friend, Judith Kaufman (Lynne Thigpen), an "African American Jewish feminist" physician, who has her own set of troubles.

Principal cast

Source: New York Times

Production

The made-for-TV film was broadcast on the Lifetime network in June 2000. The TV film is based on Wasserstein's play of the same title, An American Daughter, which ran on Broadway in 1997.

Critical response

The Variety reviewer noted that the "screenplay is much more than an exploration into the mutual adulation of and animosity toward powerful women. It’s also a provocative look at the complex issues that converge when the definition of roles, be they gender or political, are called into question."

Awards and nominations