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Small Sacrifices

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1989
  • 2h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Small Sacrifices (1989)
CrimeDramaHistory

A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room.A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room.A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room.

  • Stars
    • Farrah Fawcett
    • Ryan O'Neal
    • Gordon Clapp
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    1.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Farrah Fawcett
      • Ryan O'Neal
      • Gordon Clapp
    • 21User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Episodes2

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    TopTop-ratedSeason1989

    Photos13

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    Top cast46

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    Farrah Fawcett
    Farrah Fawcett
    • Diane Downs
    Ryan O'Neal
    Ryan O'Neal
    • Lew Lewiston
    Gordon Clapp
    Gordon Clapp
    • Detective Doug Welch
    John Shea
    John Shea
    • Frank Joziak
    Emily Perkins
    Emily Perkins
    • Karen Downs
    Garry Chalk
    Garry Chalk
    • Boyd Paul Downs
    Ken James
    • Daryl Chapman
    Sean McCann
    Sean McCann
    • Russell Wells
    Garwin Sanford
    Garwin Sanford
    • Matt Jensen (Part 2)
    Tom Butler
    Tom Butler
    Elan Ross Gibson
    • Rosalind Dyring
    Lynne Cormack
    • Lola Joziak
    Jayne Eastwood
    Jayne Eastwood
    • Evelyn Slaven
    Christopher Caravalho
    • Robbie Downs
    Anne Bradley Jaeger
    • Self
    Vicki Wauchope
    Vicki Wauchope
    • Shauna Downs
    Maxine Miller
    Maxine Miller
    • Verla Mae Wells
    Graham McPherson
    • Judge Foote
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Other than Diane Downs, most of the names have been changed; her children's names were changed from Christie to Karen, from Cheryl to Shauna, and from Danny to Robbie.

      Also Diane Downs' ex husband's name was changed from Steve to Boyd Paul; and the prosecutor Fred Hugi to Frank Josiac.
    • Goofs
      When Diane brings a pizza to her mailman friend Matt Jensen's house, she asks him if he likes mushrooms on his pizza while holding the pizza out to him. He says yes, but it's obvious that the pizza has no mushrooms on it.
    • Quotes

      Psychiatrist: As a psychiatrist, it is my professional opinion that Diane Downs' personality disorders qualify her as a dangerous offender. She is a sociopath: an antisocial personality without any concern for the rights of others. She has a brilliant mind with no conscience to guide it. A narcissist who sees herself as the center of everything, who will get what she wants no matter what means that she has to employ, no matter who or what stands in her way. She's not able to have or understand love.

      Judge Foote: The death of a child is one of life's greatest tragedies, what might have been. When it comes intentionally, at the hands of a parent, it is just an outrage. I've fought my own battles between emotion and reason. To prevent some future parole board from forgetting the enormity of the crimes, I hereby sentence you to the following: for assault in the first degree, counts three and five, twenty years with a ten year minimum; for attempted murder, counts two and four, thirty years with a fifteen year minimum; for first-degree murder, life plus five years minimum. The court hopes the defendant will never again be free; I've come as close to that as possible.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1990)

    User reviews21

    Featured review
    7/10

    Great Performance by Fawcett

    Enjoyed viewing Gordon Clapp,(Detective Doug Welch),"Splendor Falls",'99,)(NYPDBLUE), who starred in this picture and really gave Farrah Fawcett,(Diane Downs),"The Cookout",'04, a very hard time because of things that happened to her very own children. This story is about a Diane Downs who is desperately seeking to find true love in her life and winds up going from one husband to another and plenty of one night stands. Diane claims that her very own father molested her many times and gave her very little attention except for sexual advances. This story goes into great detail about all her affairs and there is a very long trial which Diane has to encounter. Farrah Fawcett gave an outstanding performance and I wish she would perform in many more pictures.
    • whpratt1
    • Aug 13, 2006
    • Permalink

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    FAQ18

    • How many seasons does Small Sacrifices have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 12, 1989 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pequeños sacrificios
    • Filming locations
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Louis Rudolph Films
      • Motown Productions
      • Allarcom Limited
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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