The Marriage Bed

The Marriage Bed
Genre	Drama
Based on	The Marriage Bed by Constance Beresford-Howe
Written by	Anna Sandor
Directed by	Martin Lavut
Starring	Linda Griffiths Layne Coleman Jan Rubeš Vivian Reis
Country of origin	Canada
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Bill Gough
Original release
Network	CBC Television
Release	December 21, 1986 (1986-12-21)

The Marriage Bed is a Canadian television film, directed by Martin Lavut and broadcast by CBC Television in 1986.[1] Adapted from the novel by Constance Beresford-Howe, the film stars Linda Griffiths as Annie Graham, a woman who is pregnant with her third child but whose marriage to her husband Ross (Layne Coleman) is breaking down, who is confronted by her friends and family about her choice to concentrate on being a housewife and mother rather than pursuing her career as a botanist.[2]

The film's cast also includes Jan Rubeš and Vivian Reis as Annie's parents Max and Billie, Lyn Jackson as Ross's mother Edwina and R. H. Thomson as Dr. Jeff Reilly, as well as Clare Coulter, Martha Gibson, Eric Keenleyside, Carole Lazare and Sheila McCarthy in supporting roles.

For the purposes of the film, writer Anna Sandor set the story around the Christmas season; although not specifically a Christmas-themed film, she felt that the Christmas season's connotations of family togetherness helped to illuminate the film's themes.[2]

The film aired on December 21, 1986.[3]

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Gemini Awards	1987	Best TV Movie		Won	[4]
		Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program or Series	Vivian Reis	Won
		Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series	Martin Lavut	Won
		Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series	Linda Griffiths	Nominated
		Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series	Anna Sandor	Nominated

References

1. Jim Bawden, "Settling down in Marriage Bed". Toronto Star, December 21, 1986.
2. John Haslett Cuff, "A moving look at marriage gone wrong". The Globe and Mail, December 20, 1986.
3. Noel Taylor, "Superficial look at a floundering marriage". Ottawa Citizen, December 20, 1986.
4. John Haslett Cuff, "Seeing Things, Night Heat top Gemini nomination list". The Globe and Mail, October 22, 1987.

External links

• The Marriage Bed at IMDb