Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story is an American TV film directed by Peter Levin. It was first released on April 7, 2003 in the United States.
Video Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story
Synopsis
Thora Birch stars as Liz Murray, one of two daughters of an extremely dysfunctional Bronx family. Her father watches Jeopardy! and knows all the answers. Their bathtub doesn't drain so she has to shower while standing on an overturned bucket, to stay out of the fetid water. As a young girl, Murray lives with her sister, their drug-addicted, schizophrenic mother and their father, also a drug addict who is intelligent, but has AIDS, lacks social skills, and is not conscientious. She is removed from the home and put into the care system as her father cannot take care of her. At 15 she moves in with her mother, sister and grandfather who sexually abused her mother and her aunt. After a run-in with her grandfather, she runs away with a girl from school who is being abused at home. After her mother Jean Murray dies of AIDS, which she got from sharing needles during her drug abuse, she gets a 'slap in the face' by her mother's death and begins her work to finish high school, which she amazingly completed in two years, rather than the usual four. She becomes a star student and earns a scholarship to Harvard University through an essay contest sponsored by The New York Times.
Maps Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story
Cast
- Thora Birch - Elizabeth "Liz" Murray
- Michael Riley - Peter Finnerty
- Robert Bockstael - David
- Makyla Smith - Chris
- Kelly Lynch - Jean Murray
- Jennifer Pisana - Young Liz Murray
- Aron Tager - Pops
- Ellen Page - Young Lisa
- Marla McLean - Lisa
- Marguerite McNeil - Eva
- Amber Godfrey - Dawn
- Seamus Morrison - Bobby
- John Fulton - Old Irish Cop
- Rejean Cournoyer - Young Irish Cop
- Mauralea Austin - Miss Wanda
- Cecil Wright - Mr. Maki
Reception
Awards and nominations
- 2003 Emmy Awards
- Nominated: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie -- Thora Birch
- Nominated: Outstanding Made for Television Movie
- Nominated: Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
- 2003 Casting Society of America (Artios)
- Nominated - Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week -- Susan Edelman
- 2004 American Cinema Editors (Eddies)
- Won - Best Edited Miniseries or Movie for Commercial Television -- Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
External links
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story on IMDb
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story at Hollywood.com
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story at Starpulse.com
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story movie review & synopsis at Fandango.com
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story at Mylifetime.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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