January 29, 2002

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER DIANE KEATON AND JENNIFER JASON LEIGH STAR IN "CROSSED OVER," A NEW TELEVISION MOVIE TO BE BROADCAST MARCH 3 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

CROSSED OVER, a new television movie starring Academy Award winner Diane Keaton ("Annie Hall," 1977) and Jennifer Jason Leigh ("Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," "Single White Female") will be broadcast as the "CBS Sunday Movie," Sunday, March 3 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The thought-provoking drama is based on the true story of Beverly Lowry (Keaton), a woman whose unusual friendship with female death row inmate Karla Faye Tucker (Leigh) helps her come to terms with the untimely death of her rebellious teenage son.

Beverly Lowry is a middle-aged woman whose life falls apart after her son Peter is killed in a tragic hit-and-run car accident. When Peter's killer remains unidentified, Beverly sinks into a deep depression. Despite the urging of her husband, Ethan (Maury Chaykin), Beverly refuses to leave the house and becomes fixated with the notion that the person responsible for Peter's death was a woman.

Beverly's obsession leads her to create a scrapbook of female killers. While sifting through newspaper clippings, she comes across a photo of a woman who has her son's bright optimistic eyes. This woman is Karla Faye Tucker, a convicted murderer awaiting execution on death row. Beverly impulsively decides to visit her in prison, determined to hate her and to take out her unending grief on her. One visit turns into several visits, and an unusual bond of friendship forms between the two women. Through this bond, Beverly and Karla each comes to terms with unresolved personal issues, and Beverly learns to live again from a woman about to die.

Diane Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977 for her performance in "Annie Hall" and received Academy Award nominations for her roles in "Reds" and "Marvin's Room." Her feature film credits also include "The Godfather" trilogy, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," "Manhattan," "Shoot the Moon," "Crimes of the Heart," "Radio Days," "Baby Boom," the "Father of the Bride" films, "Manhattan Murder Mystery," "The First Wives Club," "The Other Sister," "Town and Country," and "Hanging Up," which she also directed. Among her television credits are "Running Mates," "Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight" and "Sister Mary Explains It All." Keaton has also directed the films "Heaven" and "Unstrung Heroes" as well as episodes of the television series "Pasadena," for which she also served as executive producer, "China Beach" and "Twin Peaks."

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Jennifer Jason Leigh has starred in such films as "Last Exit to Brooklyn," "Single White Female," "Short Cuts," "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Delores Claiborne," "Georgia," "Washington Square" and "eXistenZ." Her most recent film work includes "The Anniversary Party," which she co-wrote and co-directed with actor Alan Cumming, and "The King Is Alive." Leigh also appeared with Cumming in the hit Broadway revival of "Cabaret." Her television credits include the film "Bastard Out of Carolina."

CROSSED OVER is an Alliance Atlantis production, in association with Spring Creek Productions. Peter Sussman ("Haven"), Ed Gernon ("Joan of Arc") and Paula Weinstein ("The Perfect Storm") are the executive producers. Diane Keaton is the co-executive producer. Bobby Roth ("A Holiday Romance") directed the film from a script by John Wierick ("Ready To Run") based on Beverly Lowry's book Crossed Over: A Murder, A Memoir.

RATING: To Be Announced

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Press Contacts: Kate H. Fisher          212/975-3818            khfisher@cbs.com
                        Susan J. Marks  323/575-2118            susan.marks@tvc.cbs.com