July 12, 2004

MULTIPLE EMMY-AWARD WINNER ROSIE O'DONNELL AND ANDIE MACDOWELL STAR IN "RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER," A NEW "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" PRESENTATION WHICH HAS BEGUN PRODUCTION IN HAMILTON, CANADA, FOR BROADCAST ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Academy Award-Winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor," 1985) Directs

RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER, a new "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation starring multiple Emmy Award-winner Rosie O'Donnell ("The Rosie O'Donnell Show") and Andie MacDowell, who make their network television movie debuts, has begun production in Toronto for broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The movie is based on the inspiring true story about the unbreakable bond between two very different sisters.

Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor," 1985) is directing the movie based on the book of the same title by Rachel Simon. Huston was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1997 for her role directing "Bastard Out of Carolina." Huston directed and starred in the feature film "Agnes Brown."

Rachel Simon (MacDowell) is an in-demand New York City fashion photographer whose busy life camouflages her emotional isolation. When her father suddenly dies, Rachel comes face to face with the family problems she has tried so hard to avoid. With no one else in the family willing to take on the responsibility, Rachel is forced to spend time with Beth (O'Donnell), her endearing, feisty and developmentally disabled sister who fills her days riding city buses.

During what at first was supposed to be an obligatory exercise, the time she spends with Beth becomes an awakening for Rachel as she discovers that her sister has created a whole family for herself with the bus drivers, in particular Rick (D.W. Moffett, "Thirteen"), whose big heart and good looks impact Rachel and her sister, as well as the regular passengers and Beth's boyfriend, Jesse (Richard T. Jones, "Phone Booth"), who value her in a way that Rachel could never have imagined. Rachel and Beth's days together are both demanding and challenging, but for the first time, the disparate sisters have the opportunity to really get to know one another and find a way to communicate as a family.

RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER is being produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions in association The Sanitsky Company. Emmy-Award nominated producer Larry Sanitsky ("The Last Don" and "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All") and Rosie O'Donnell are executive producers. Emmy-Award nominated Joyce Eliason ("The Last Don" and "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tell All") adapted the script.

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Press Contacts: Phoebe Glassner 212/975-3148            pglassner@cbs.com
                        Susan J. Marks  323/575-2118            susan.marks@tvc.cbs.com