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Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes

  • TV Movie
  • 19941994
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
63
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
  • Biography
  • Drama
Unauthorized docudrama centering on the romance and eventual breakup of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.Unauthorized docudrama centering on the romance and eventual breakup of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.Unauthorized docudrama centering on the romance and eventual breakup of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
63
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard A. Colla
  • Writers
    • Eugenie Ross-Leming
    • Brad Buckner
  • Stars
    • Patrika Darbo
    • Stephen Lee
    • Jan Hoag
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard A. Colla
  • Writers
    • Eugenie Ross-Leming
    • Brad Buckner
  • Stars
    • Patrika Darbo
    • Stephen Lee
    • Jan Hoag
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)
    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee in Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes (1994)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Patrika Darbo
    Patrika Darbo
    • Roseanne Arnoldas Roseanne Arnold
    Stephen Lee
    Stephen Lee
    • Tom Arnoldas Tom Arnold
    Jan Hoag
    Jan Hoag
    • Geraldineas Geraldine
    Nancy Youngblut
    Nancy Youngblut
    • Nancy Curryas Nancy Curry
    Robert Neches
    • Tom Bergeras Tom Berger
    Andrew Hill Newman
    Andrew Hill Newman
    • Joey Jordanas Joey Jordan
    Steven Anderson
    Steven Anderson
    • Bobby Matthewsas Bobby Matthews
    Stephen Mendel
    Stephen Mendel
    • Bill Pentlandas Bill Pentland
    Scott Harlan
    • Toddas Todd
    Ria Pavia
    Ria Pavia
    • Costumeras Costumer
    David Powledge
    • Dickas Dick
    • (as Dave Powledge)
    Tom Ormeny
    Tom Ormeny
    • Bud Rokeras Bud Roker
    Heather Dubrow
    Heather Dubrow
    • Kim Silvaas Kim Silva
    • (as Heather Paige Kent)
    Harvey J. Alperin
    • Attorneyas Attorney
    Lily Mariye
    Lily Mariye
    • Secretaryas Secretary
    Susan O'Sullivan
    • Sales Clerkas Sales Clerk
    Connie Sawyer
    Connie Sawyer
    • Motel Clerkas Motel Clerk
    Beatrice Colen
    Beatrice Colen
    • Rehab Counseloras Rehab Counselor
    • Director
      • Richard A. Colla
    • Writers
      • Eugenie Ross-Leming
      • Brad Buckner
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Unauthorized docudrama centering on the romance and eventual breakup of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Have the ultimate Halloween fun... With the ultimate Hollywood couple.
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Drama
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Includes a scene in which the producers discuss firing Roseanne Barr and continuing her sitcom with John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf. Decades later, this scheme became a reality in The Conners (2018).

    User reviews2

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Remarkable performances in a film that sticks close to the story
    First, a little history to put things into context. By the time this movie aired on Halloween night 1994, America was completely sick of hearing about the Arnolds. Earlier that year, Roseanne joked that she, Tom, and their assistant Kim Silva were a thruple, but the situation changed when she discovered Tom and Kim had actually slept together. A tabloid frenzy ensued and dominated headlines as the Arnolds separated, with Tom being treated as an ousted Yoko Ono.

    At the same time, there were a whole string of unauthorized TV movie docudramas in the works (Madonna, Liz Taylor, Nancy Kerrigan, etc.), so Fox and NBC each scrambled to to get a story about the power-couple's breakup on the air. Fox beat NBC by 3 weeks with their "Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography," a reprehensibly inaccurate telefilm starring an utterly miscast Denny Dillon. Critics were uniformly disparaging, but no one showed more disdain for the movie than Roseanne herself. Probably driven by spite, Rosey quickly announced plans to host NBC's upcoming film and provide commentary, but she changed her mind and backed out ten days before the premiere. It's too bad that it didn't happen because it would've been fascinating and given this now-obscure movie a well-deserved boost.

    Patrika Darbo and Stephen Lee had each guest-starred on "Roseanne" (Darbo was particularly memorable as a waitress whom Rosey had perceived as a doppleganger), and this might explain why their performances were so good -- as a matter of fact, Lee deserved of an Emmy for his thoroughly uncanny portrayal of Tom. Probably in an attempt to avoid a lawsuit, the Fox movie had played fast and loose with the facts, but the NBC film stuck relatively close to the true story... so much so that it almost feels like a love letter.

    The popular sitcom is viewed peripherally, taking a backseat to the saga of the Arnolds, from their affair through their rocky marriage to their ultimate divorce. Roseanne is depicted as the brash and ballsy broad that she is, but we're also shown a woman who is struggling with the demands of fame, family, and the man-child who rocked her world off its foundation. Tom isn't portrayed as a villain, but rather as a drug-addicted sadsack who had fallen in love with TV's most popular and outspoken new star. Public perception was NOT on Tom's side at the time, but the writing and Lee's nuanced performance managed to make him seem sympathetic.

    The movie does have some issues, most notably in how Roseanne is portrayed as a victim. While she was (and continues to be) one in many respects, we don't see much of the humor that she continuously uses as a coping mechanism. As such, she comes off looking sort of pathetic in spots. Now, that's not to say that there's no comedy, but strangely, it's Tom who instigates many of the film's moments of levity, dealing with Roseanne's tantrumatic kids, indulging in overblown shopping sprees with his bride-to-be and partaking in on-set shenanigans.

    Another problem is the treatment of... well, most everyone else in the story. Roseanne's sister Geraldine has such a slight role that it's not especially clear who she is, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalfe seem almost sinister, and Rosey's kids are totally one-dimensional.

    The script isn't perfect, a few details were altered, and the affair that ended their marriage was so recent and high-profile that they opted to gloss over it, but the performances are remarkable and if you're interested in the story of Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, this is undeniably the best movie available.
    helpful•4
    0
    • VinnieRattolle
    • Nov 6, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Roseanne and Tom: A Hollywood Marriage
    • Production companies
      • Brian Pike Productions
      • NBC Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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