Lifetime Television Greenlights the Lifetime Original Movie, 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter,' Based on Kim Edwards' Best-Selling Novel

DGA Award-Winner Mick Jackson('Live From Baghdad,' 'Tuesdays With Morrie') To Direct

Popular Novel Has Spent Sixty Weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List and Named USA Today's 'Book of the Year' for 2006

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22 -- Building on a successful history of turning beloved books into original movies, Lifetime adds Kim Edwards' best- selling, critically acclaimed novel The Memory Keeper's Daughter to the roster, ordering production of the Lifetime Original Movie of the same name, it was announced today by Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, Lifetime Networks. Named by USA Today as their "Book of the Year" for 2006, the novel has five million copies in print and has spent sixty weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, holding the number one spot for seven weeks. DGA Award-winning and Emmy(R) nominated director Mick Jackson ("Live from Baghdad," "Tuesdays with Morrie") has signed on to helm the project. Casting is currently underway. "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" will premiere in 2008 on Lifetime Television.

"The enormous popularity of The Memory Keeper's Daughter has been phenomenal and we're proud to bring this story to life for fans of the book," said Daniels. Adding, "We're also thrilled to be working with Mick Jackson, an incredibly respected top director who will lend a keen eye and create what will surely be an 'event' for Lifetime and our viewers."

In "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," a secret shapes the lives of two families over a quarter of a century, beginning in 1964. During a paralyzing winter storm, Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twin babies. With his wife Norah under heavy sedation, he welcomes a healthy son, Paul, and a daughter, Phoebe, who has Down's syndrome. Hoping to spare his wife any heartache for having to care for a special needs child, David tells Norah their daughter died at birth and orders the nurse, Caroline, to place Phoebe in an institution. However, unable to abandon the newborn, the nurse secretly decides to raise Phoebe as her own in another city. As years pass, the two families' lives are in stark contrast to each other. David's overwhelming guilt surrounding his deception shatters the Henry's marriage and Norah mourns the loss of their child. Meanwhile, Caroline's relationship with Phoebe becomes the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of her life.

A renowned feature film and television director, producer and author, Mick Jackson is best known for directing "The Bodyguard," starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and "Tuesdays with Morrie," starring Jack Lemmon, for which he received a DGA Award. He also received two additional DGA Awards and two Emmy(R) nominations for his direction of HBO's "Live from Baghdad" and "Indictment: The McMartin Trial." His other television credits include "Numb3rs," "Jack and Bobby," "A Very British Coup," Life Story" and "Threads."

Author Kim Edwards has also penned an award-winning short story collection, The Secrets of a Fire King. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she currently teaches writing at the University of Kentucky.

Other books previously adapted into popular movies by Lifetime include four titles from Nora Roberts including "Nora Roberts' Angels Fall" with Heather Locklear and "Nora Roberts' Montana Sky" with John Corbett; Jodi Picoult's "The Pact" and "Plain Truth"; Joyce Carol Oates' "We Were the Mulvaneys"; Luanne Rice's "Beach Girls"; and Sue Monk Kidd's "The Mermaid Chair."

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" is produced by Jaffe/Braunstein Films for Lifetime Television. Howard Braunstein and Michael Jaffe (Lifetime's "Odd Girl Out," "Elvis") serve as executive producers. John Pielmeier ("Hitler: The Rise of Evil") wrote the teleplay, to be directed by Jackson.

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

SOURCE Lifetime Networks
http://www.lifetimetv.com