| Director: | Roger Spottiswoode |
| Producer: | Clara George |
| Starring: | Shane Meier Stockard Channing Sam Waterston |
| Music: | Jeff Danna Mychael Danna |
| Cinematography: | John Bartley |
| Editor: | Dominique Fortin |
| Network: | NBC |
| Runtime: | 88 minutes |
| Country: | Canada United States |
| Language: | English |
The Matthew Shepard Story is a 2002 made-for-television film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay youth who was murdered in 1998. The film scenario written by John Wierick and Jacob Krueger, it starred Shane Meier as Matthew and Stockard Channing as Judy Shepard and Sam Waterston as Dennis Shepard.
Producers were Alliance Atlantis Communications, with the assistance/participation of CTV and Cosmic Entertainment, with support from the Cdn. Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC). The film premiered on NBC on March 16, 2002, the same day HBO aired another Shepard film entitled The Laramie Project. The Matthew Shepard Story was also shown on CTV, with language versions shown in many countries.
In 1998, a young gay man by the name of Matthew Shepard (Shane Meier) was robbed, viciously beaten and left tied to a fence to die. Although he's found by the police, rescued and hospitalized, he dies from his injuries. This film recounts the events after the conviction of the two men responsible for this hate-motivated murder.
Matthew's parents, though satisfied by the conviction, are finding the sentencing phase of the trial more difficult. The parents initially want to request the death penalty for their son's murderers, but the mother, Judy Shepard (Stockard Channing), starts to reconsider. As they struggle with their decision, they decide to reexamine the life of their son and rediscover his personality, his struggle to accept his homosexuality as a natural part of his being and above all, his generous humanity to others. All of this leads the parents to appeal to the court the way their son would have wanted, not out of vengeance but to represent best of what their son was and the tragedy of his loss.
Principal photography began from May 5, 2001 to May 30, 2001.[1]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Awards | Best Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Sam Waterston | [2] | ||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | John Wierick and Jacob Krueger | ||||
| Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series | Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna | ||||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Stockard Channing | [3] | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | [4] | |||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | [5] | |||
| Outfest | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Shane Meier | [6] | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Stockard Channing | [7] | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | [8] | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Paul Selvin Award | John Wierick and Jacob Krueger | [9] | ||
The film also contains soundtrack album with the following: