| Genre: | Drama |
| Based On: | The Marriage Bed by Constance Beresford-Howe |
| Director: | Martin Lavut |
| Starring: | Linda Griffiths Layne Coleman Jan Rubeš Vivian Reis |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Producer: | Bill Gough |
| Network: | CBC Television |
The Marriage Bed is a Canadian television film, directed by Martin Lavut and broadcast by CBC Television in 1986.[1] Adapted from the novel by Constance Beresford-Howe, the film stars Linda Griffiths as Annie Graham, a woman who is pregnant with her third child but whose marriage to her husband Ross (Layne Coleman) is breaking down, who is confronted by her friends and family about her choice to concentrate on being a housewife and mother rather than pursuing her career as a botanist.[2]
The film's cast also includes Jan Rubeš and Vivian Reis as Annie's parents Max and Billie, Lyn Jackson as Ross's mother Edwina and R. H. Thomson as Dr. Jeff Reilly, as well as Clare Coulter, Martha Gibson, Eric Keenleyside, Carole Lazare and Sheila McCarthy in supporting roles.
For the purposes of the film, writer Anna Sandor set the story around the Christmas season; although not specifically a Christmas-themed film, she felt that the Christmas season's connotations of family togetherness helped to illuminate the film's themes.[2]
The film aired on December 21, 1986.[3]
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Awards | 1987 | Best TV Movie | [4] | ||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program or Series | Vivian Reis | ||||
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Martin Lavut | ||||
| Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Linda Griffiths | ||||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Anna Sandor |