a closeup of Shelley from a publicity pic
from the mid/late '80s
In 1993, Shelley starred in the made-for-TV movie Shattering the Silence (a.k.a. Not in My Family and Breaking the Silence). It was aired on the ABC network on February 28, 1993; and, aside from Shelley, it starred Joanna Kerns, Michael Brandon, Richard Gilliland and acting veterans Dina Merrill and George Grizzard. The movie tackled the very sensitive issue of sexual abuse within a family. Postpartum depression awakens memories in Veronica Ricci (Kerns) about being sexually molested by her father, Malcolm Worth (Grizzard) when she was a child. She runs to her husband Ted (Brandon) and later her other siblings Becky (Hack) and Tom (Gilliland) for more information as well as help. She's also afraid that their father might be causing the next generation the same trauma. Meanwhile, their mother Clair (Merrill) is in denial of the entire affair. The film explores the effects of child sexual abuse in a family and the repercussions and pain that is left in its wake. The film is very well cast, very well paced and a really good watch. (note: Shelley's performance in the film was moving and poignant, especially in the scene where she cries after seeing the stuffed animal that figures so much in her character's sordid past. Her soundless, helpless and painful cry is just heartbreaking.)
10 True Stories Collection DVD sets, 2011
In 2011, Shattering the Silence was included in three separate 10 True Stories Collection DVD sets. It was included in the 10 Exceptional True Stories Collection DVD set along with First Do No Harm (Meryl Streep), Fatal Love a.k.a. Live for: The Alison Gertz Story (Molly Ringwald), Gone In The Night (Shannen Doherty), People Next Door (Faye Dunaway), To Live For a.k.a. My Last Love (Nancy Travis), Deep In My Heart (Anne Bancroft), Dead Before Dawn (which starred Shelley's co-Angel Cheryl Ladd), Death In The Shadows (Peter Strauss), and Judgement Day: The Ellie Nesler Story (Christine Lahti). It was also included in the 10 Amazing True Stories Collection DVD set and the 10 Of The Best True Stories Ever Made Collection DVD set. Both sets also featured First Do No Harm, Fatal Love, To Live For, Deep In My Heart, Dead Before Dawn, Death In The Shadows, Judgement Day: The Ellie Nesler Story; but instead of Gone In The Night and People Next Door, they both had Behind The Mask (Donald Sutherland, Matthew Fox) and False Arrest (Donna Mills, Robert Wagner) as part of the 10 films. All three DVD sets feature exceptionally well-made, well-acted, and oh-so-compelling TV movies.
Shelley in a publicity pic
from the mid/late '80s
