Watch Scattered Dreams: The Kathryn Messenger Story

Scattered Dreams: The Kathryn Messenger Story is a 1993 made-for-television movie that tells the true story of Kathryn Messenger, a woman who was forced to deal with tragedy and adversity when her husband's business collapsed, resulting in his suicide. The film is set in the late 1980s, southern United States, where Kathryn Messenger (played by Tyne Daly) lives a seemingly perfect life. She is married to a successful businessman, Roy (played by Gerald McRaney), and they have three beautiful children. However, everything changes when Roy's business fails, and the family is faced with financial ruin.

The sudden loss of their wealth, social status, and lifestyle is a severe blow to Roy's ego, and he falls into a deep depression. One day, Roy takes his life, leaving Kathryn to pick up the pieces and move on alone.

Kathryn is now a single mother with three children to support, no income, and mounting debts. The film shows her struggle to keep her family together and provide them with the bare necessities. She must work multiple jobs, including selling cosmetics and cleaning houses, to make ends meet. She also enrolls in college classes at night to further her education and hopefully secure a better job.

The film also highlights the difficulties Kathryn's children faced. Her oldest son, Steve, played by Sonny Shroyer, becomes bitter and angry, blaming his mother for their situation. Her daughter, Debra, struggles with depression and falls in with the wrong crowd. Only the youngest, Kevin, seems to adapt to their new life and provides a ray of hope for the family.

As Kathryn struggles to rebuild her life, she is confronted with legal challenges from her deceased husband's creditors who threaten to take everything she owns. She must fight for her rights and her children's future while dealing with personal tragedy and emotional turmoil.

Throughout the movie, viewers see Kathryn's resilience, inner strength, and determination to overcome the obstacles that life throws at her. Despite the difficult circumstances, she never gives up on her dreams of a better life for herself and her children.

Scattered Dreams: The Kathryn Messenger Story is a moving drama that portrays the struggles and challenges that people can face when life takes an unexpected turn. The film's strong performances, especially from Tyne Daly, who delivers a poignant portrayal of a woman's strength and resilience, make it an emotional and powerful experience. Overall, the film is a moving reminder of the human spirit's resilience and the ability to overcome adversity.

Scattered Dreams: The Kathryn Messenger Story is a 1993 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9.