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CNN Sunday Morning

Mary Tyler Moore Returns to Small Screen in "Miss Lettie and Me"

Aired December 08, 2002 - 07:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight Mary Tyler Moore returns to the small screen in "Miss Lettie And Me." It is a story of a woman who learns some life lessons from a pint-sized teacher. Janine Sharell has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANINE SHARELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's played sweet in her old TV show. And she's played sour, think "Ordinary People."

Mary Tyler Moore is a little of both in her new TV movie, "Miss Lettie And Me."

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's turned you so bitter?

MARY TYLER MOORE, ACTRESS: I cannot raise another child.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

SHARELL: MTM plays a woman who is unhappy but settled life is upset when her great niece comes to say with her.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

MOORE: I expect you to clean up this mess, when you're finished.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

MOORE: She's nursing her wounds and she's not even aware that she's doing it. She's just fallen into a routine of running her farm. And then the arrival of this young girl makes her thing that she can't possibly go on.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What'd you get?

MOORE: School clothes.

(END MOVE CLIP)

SHARELL: This being prime time TV and the holidays, Moore's character doesn't stay angry forever. Eventually the girl melts her auntie's hardened heart.

MOORE: A tremendous epiphany happens to this women. She learns to relax and have faith again that love will give back.

SHARELL: Holisten Coldman plays young Travis. Burt Reynolds co- stars at Miss Lettie's old flame.

MOORE: Burt Reynolds, yes. Oh, it's so much fun being around him.

SHARELL: Of course, making people laugh is what Moore is best known for. It is a talent that might be inherited.

MOORE: I didn't have a lot of comedy experience when I started on the "Dick Van Dyke Show". I had none, actually. But in my family, my mother and father were -- half of them still are -- very funny people. And so it was almost a presence in the atmosphere as I grew up.

SHARELL: Some biting humor is featured in "Miss Lettie And Me" but for the most part it is a straight ahead drama, with a message.

MOORE: I think it says, never say never. Never close up. Always be open and give other people a chance. Give yourself a chance.

Janine Sharell, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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Aired December 8, 2002 - 07:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight Mary Tyler Moore returns to the small screen in "Miss Lettie And Me." It is a story of a woman who learns some life lessons from a pint-sized teacher. Janine Sharell has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANINE SHARELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's played sweet in her old TV show. And she's played sour, think "Ordinary People."

Mary Tyler Moore is a little of both in her new TV movie, "Miss Lettie And Me."

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's turned you so bitter?

MARY TYLER MOORE, ACTRESS: I cannot raise another child.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

SHARELL: MTM plays a woman who is unhappy but settled life is upset when her great niece comes to say with her.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

MOORE: I expect you to clean up this mess, when you're finished.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

MOORE: She's nursing her wounds and she's not even aware that she's doing it. She's just fallen into a routine of running her farm. And then the arrival of this young girl makes her thing that she can't possibly go on.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What'd you get?

MOORE: School clothes.

(END MOVE CLIP)

SHARELL: This being prime time TV and the holidays, Moore's character doesn't stay angry forever. Eventually the girl melts her auntie's hardened heart.

MOORE: A tremendous epiphany happens to this women. She learns to relax and have faith again that love will give back.

SHARELL: Holisten Coldman plays young Travis. Burt Reynolds co- stars at Miss Lettie's old flame.

MOORE: Burt Reynolds, yes. Oh, it's so much fun being around him.

SHARELL: Of course, making people laugh is what Moore is best known for. It is a talent that might be inherited.

MOORE: I didn't have a lot of comedy experience when I started on the "Dick Van Dyke Show". I had none, actually. But in my family, my mother and father were -- half of them still are -- very funny people. And so it was almost a presence in the atmosphere as I grew up.

SHARELL: Some biting humor is featured in "Miss Lettie And Me" but for the most part it is a straight ahead drama, with a message.

MOORE: I think it says, never say never. Never close up. Always be open and give other people a chance. Give yourself a chance.

Janine Sharell, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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