For its network and its star, “The Beach House” (9 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark, TV-PG) presents a comforting return to form. This Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation based on a novel by Mary Alice Monroe adds a few emotional wrinkles to the network movie template.
Cara (Minka Kelly), a busy urban careerist, returns to the bucolic small island of her youth only to rediscover its emotional tidal pull, a sense of place and the hunky but unsophisticated boyfriend from her past.
All of this could pretty much describe any Hallmark movie. But in this case, the troubled Cara has returned more out of necessity (she’s been fired) than whim. And once there, she slowly discovers that her mother (Andie MacDowell) may need her in ways she couldn’t anticipate.
MacDowell (Hallmark’s “Cedar Cove”) plays the older beauty as Earth Mother, a saver of sea turtles and an adoptive mother to a pregnant runaway. It seems she can nurture anyone, or anything. So why does Cara resist?
MacDowell’s role as an unfulfilled widow in a gorgeous Southern setting (Tybee Island, Georgia) recalls her character in the 1989 indie classic “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.”
That film continued the typecasting of MacDowell as the beautiful, if uncomplicated, object of romantic pursuit, a trend that ran from the torch Emilio Estevez held for her in the 1985 drama “St. Elmo’s Fire” to Bill Murray’s eternal courtship in the cosmic romance “Groundhog Day” (1993) and Hugh Grant’s awkward flirtation in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994).
In addition to MacDowell, the low-budget “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” featured several performers who have enjoyed long television careers, including Laura San Giacomo (“Just Shoot Me!” and “Saving Grace”), Peter Gallagher (“The O.C.”) and James Spader (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal” and “The Blacklist”).
The film was the feature debut for Steven Soderbergh, whose long career includes films big (“Oceans 11”) and small (“Bubble”). He directed the limited series “Mosaic,” seen recently on HBO. Soderbergh has been experimenting shooting film and television series using only iPhone cameras. Interesting, given that he started out on a movie about personal video recordings.
— As Dolores collects allies, a flashback reveals a financial backer’s first brush with the “Westworld” (9 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA) experience.
This first encounter careens from doubt to wonder to sexual conquest and final disenchantment. He’s last seen in a dissipated state, certain that the rise of the technology celebrated in the theme park will bring about an end to humanity.
It’s curious that HBO asks viewers to mull the dangers of technology and artificial intelligence in its big Sunday night offerings. First as tragedy (“Westworld”) and then as farce (“Silicon Valley”).
While tonight’s “Westworld” doesn’t stint for lavish visuals, it also highlights the series’ chief deficiency. Too often the action simply halts (or never gets started) to make way for stilted conversation between characters with only glimpses of self-awareness. At times it can seem like a John Ford Western written by Harold Pinter and, as such, is more cryptic than compelling. And not infrequently dull.
— Demons descend on the series finale of “Ash vs Evil Dead” (9 p.m. Sunday, Starz, TV-MA), recently canceled by Starz. In published stories, Bruce Campbell said it might be time to retire the character of Ash, who’s been around since “The Evil Dead” first hit theaters in 1981.
— “The Bad Seed” invades “The Babysitter’s Club” in the 2018 shocker “Nanny Killer” (8 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime, TV-14).
Kate (Morgan Obenreder), a striving student thinks she’s found the dream job to pay for her tuition. While caring for Rose (Violet Hicks), an angelic child in an isolated California winery, she soon ingratiates herself with the family and the rest of the staff.
When Rose’s brother (Tucker Meek) returns home after being expelled from boarding school, life around the winery becomes decidedly dangerous. Kate stumbles upon written and video evidence of the boy’s creepiness and disturbing facts about the children’s late mother.
“Devious Nanny” (10:02 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime, TV-14) follows.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Conference semifinals of the NHL playoffs (8 p.m., NBC).
— Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs (8 p.m., TNT).
— A young woman meets an old acquaintance best forgotten in the 2018 shocker “Lethal Admirer” (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— Michelle Wolf hosts the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (8 p.m., CNN; 9 p.m., MSNBC; 9:30 p.m., C-SPAN). The president has declined to attend.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): the CRISPR gene editing breakthrough revolutionizing biomedicine; recipients of 20,000 Gates Scholarships; farming seaweed for food and fuel.
— Angels of death haunt a hospital on “Instinct” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Ryan Seacrest hosts “American Idol” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— The need for revenge proves exhausting on “Fear the Walking Dead” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).
— Carrie and Saul throw plans out the window on “Homeland” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— Helen returns from her mystery trip on the finale of the four-part adaptation of “Howards End” (9:35 p.m. Starz).
— A kidnapper snatches Cameron on “Deception” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— Terror disrupts a Canadian conference on “Madam Secretary” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— A suffragette is charged with murder on “Timeless” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— A gruesome delivery makes the Getty family fear the worst on “Trust” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
— Axe conceals damaging evidence on “Billions” (10 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— Richard’s emotional immaturity has consequences on “Silicon Valley” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— Misery doesn’t need company on “Barry” (10:30 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
Susan Hayward fights to avoid the gas chamber in the 1958 drama “I Want to Live!” (8 p.m. Sunday, TCM) and fights alcoholism and marital insecurity in the 1947 shocker “Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman!” (10:15 p.m. Sunday, TCM).
SATURDAY SERIES
The top 14 perform on “American Idol” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … From Gitmo with love on “Ransom” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “Premier Boxing Champions” (8:30 p.m., Fox) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … Two hours of “48 Hours” (9 p.m., CBS) … A prime-time helping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
SUNDAY SERIES
Talented tykes on “Little Big Shots”(8 p.m., NBC, TV-G) … Grandpa outlives his deathbed confession on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Cheating at a scavenger hunt on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
Failure to launch on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Smarter than a fifth-grader on “Genius Junior” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-G) … Stewie’s invention breeds chaos on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … A possible sign of life disappoints on “The Last Man on Earth” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
(Kevin McDonough can be reached at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.)
