REPLACING DAD

Divorce may be as common as fried chicken, but it’s devastating to a former southern beauty queen in a small Florida town, whose husband leaves her for their daughter’s fifth-grade teacher.

In this touching story, a woman struggles to pick up the pieces and begin her life anew.

Linda Marsh (Mary McDonnell) had an ideal life, married to her college sweetheart, George (William Russ), a popular school principal. The Marshes were a model family with three wonderful children – Drew, 15; Mandy, 10, and Willie, 4 – until George leaves his perfect wife for the perfect “Barbie.”

Linda, abandoned, humiliated and having no job skills cannot find work. Even Peter at the city dump rejects her application. In despair, she takes to her bed, binging on ice cream. With coaxing and prodding from Dixie (Tippi Hedren), her mother and beauty contest coach, Linda begins to face the world.

While George moves in with his “teacher Barbie,” Linda copes with crisis after crisis. Drew, driving with a new learner’s permit, wrecks a borrowed car. And Willie continues wearing his Halloween rabbit costume months after the holiday, feeling it’s safer to be a rabbit than a boy in his family. On Christmas eve, Linda fends off a frightening attack by roofer Charlie Pick, who comes to repair storm damage.

Finally, Linda lands a job with Dr. Mark Chandler (Jack Coleman), who has isolated himself after the tragic death of his wife. As they work together, their friendship grows. But each is afraid of relationships, and the potential for new pain.

Meanwhile, George’s new life begins to crumble. His Barbie drops him for a “hunk,” 20 years younger, leaving George feeling the way Linda did. As the harsh reality begins to set in, George realising he’s lost the people that truly matter most to him, threatens drastic measures. Lucky for George, his family comes to the rescue. Linda and his children convince him that, although things are now different, he is still “Dad” and can never be replaced.

In spite of everything that’s happened, love prevails. But there are risks. Can Linda find the courage to fall in love again? Will Mark be able to conquer his tragic past and allow another woman into his life?