Northern Lights

Northern Lights
Directed by	Linda Yellen
Produced by	Warren Carr
Written by	John Robert Hoffman, Kevin Kane
Starring	Diane Keaton, Maury Chaykin
Music Composer(s)	Patrick Seymour
Distributed by	Disney Channel
Release date(s)	August 23, 1997
Running time	111 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Northern Lights is a 1997 television film based upon the 1988 stage play of the same name by John Hoffman. It was produced for the Disney Channel and premiered on August 23, 1997. It starred Academy Award Winner Diane Keaton.

Some sources identify Northern Lights as the first Disney Channel Original Movie^[1], though Northern Lights was not included in Disney Channel's 100 Original Movies celebration that aired in May–June 2016, and Disney Channel considers 1997's Under Wraps to be the first official Disney Channel Original Movie.^[2]

Plot Summary[]

A stranger's call informs Roberta that her estranged brother has died in a small town under bizarre circumstances. Ben, his best buddy from college, also gets the call.

Arriving just in time for his funeral, it becomes quickly obvious to them that the little slice of small-town America in which they find themselves is like an episode of the Twilight Zone featuring Frank's eccentric friends, his amazing secrets and his stunning final request.

Both Ben and Roberta are shocked to discover that Frank not only had a child, but that he has left them responsible for his son's care. Through a series of comic events, each tries to foist off responsibility on the other.

Cast[]

Diane Keaton - Roberta Blumstein
Maury Chaykin - Ben Rubadue
Joseph Cross - Jack
Kathleen York - Daphne
John Robert Hoffman - Joe Scarlotti
Crystal Verge - Aggie
John R. Taylor - Arthur
Sheila Patterson - Arlene
Frank C. Turner - Willard
Thomas Cavanagh - Frank
Peter Wilds - Ratman
Chilton Crane - Margaret
Sheila Moore - Louise
Alexander Pollock - Billy
Leam Blackwood - Emily
Zahf Paroo - Young Manager (as Zang Haju)
David Paul Grove - (as Beck)
Phillip Hazel - Sterling

See also[]

Preceded by
The Paper Brigade

Disney Channel Original Movies

Succeeded by
Under Wraps

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List of Disney Channel Original Movies
1997-1999	Under Wraps • You Lucky Dog • Brink! • Halloweentown • Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century • Can of Worms • The Thirteenth Year • Smart House • Johnny Tsunami • Genius • Don't Look Under the Bed • Horse Sense
2000-2009	Up, Up, and Away • The Color of Friendship • Model Behavior • Alley Cats Strike • Rip Girls • Miracle in Lane 2 • Stepsister from Planet Weird • Ready to Run • Quints • The Other Me • Mom's Got a Date With a Vampire • Phantom of the Megaplex • The Ultimate Christmas Present • Zenon: The Zequel • Motorcrossed • The Luck of the Irish • Hounded • Jett Jackson: The Movie • The Jennie Project • Jumping Ship • The Poof Point • Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge • 'Twas the Night • Double Teamed • Cadet Kelly • Tru Confessions • Get a Clue • Gotta Kick It Up! • A Ring of Endless Light • The Scream Team • You Wish! • Right on Track • The Even Stevens Movie • Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off • The Cheetah Girls • Full-Court Miracle • Pixel Perfect • Going to the Mat • Zenon: Z3 • Stuck in the Suburbs • Tiger Cruise • Halloweentown High • Now You See It... • Buffalo Dreams • Kim Possible Movie: So The Drama • Go Figure • Life Is Ruff • The Proud Family Movie • Twitches • High School Musical • Cow Belles • Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior • Read It and Weep • The Cheetah Girls 2 • Return to Halloweentown • Jump In! • Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board • High School Musical 2 • Twitches Too • Minutemen • Camp Rock • The Cheetah Girls: One World • Dadnapped • Hatching Pete • Princess Protection Program • Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
2010-2019	Starstruck • Den Brother • Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam • Avalon High • The Suite Life Movie • Lemonade Mouth • Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure • Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension • Geek Charming • Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! • Frenemies • Radio Rebel • Let It Shine • Girl vs. Monster • Teen Beach Movie • Cloud 9 • Zapped • How to Build a Better Boy • Bad Hair Day • Teen Beach Movie 2 • Descendants • Invisible Sister • Adventures in Babysitting • The Swap • Tangled: Before Ever After • Descendants 2 • Z-O-M-B-I-E-S • Freaky Friday • Kim Possible • Descendants 3
2020‍-present	Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2 • Upside-Down Magic • Spin • Under Wraps (2021) • Christmas Again • Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 • Under Wraps 2 • Prom Pact • The Slumber Party • The Naughty Nine • Big City Greens: The Movie • Descendants: The Rise of Red
Upcoming	From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Unofficial DCOMs	Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars • 16 Wishes • My Babysitter's a Vampire

References[]

↑ Grant, Stacey (June 15, 2016). "Why Is The Disney Channel Original Movie Marathon Missing One Major Film?". MTV News. Retrieved March 16, 2017. The 1997 film Northern Lights, which is widely considered to be the first Disney Channel Original Movie, is not on the list. Some fans, however, peg the DCOM Under Wraps, about a mummy brought back to life, as the first-ever DCOM. Either way, Under Wraps is certainly more well-known than Northern Lights, which starred Diane Keaton."
↑ Snetiker, Marc (June 22, 2016). "Disney Channel Original Movies: 12 little-known stories". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2016. Disney Channel considers 1997's Under Wraps as its first official DCOM...

[MTV-1] Grant, Stacey (June 15, 2016). "Why Is The Disney Channel Original Movie Marathon Missing One Major Film?". MTV News. Retrieved March 16, 2017. The 1997 film Northern Lights, which is widely considered to be the first Disney Channel Original Movie, is not on the list. Some fans, however, peg the DCOM Under Wraps, about a mummy brought back to life, as the first-ever DCOM. Either way, Under Wraps is certainly more well-known than Northern Lights, which starred Diane Keaton."

[EW-2] Snetiker, Marc (June 22, 2016). "Disney Channel Original Movies: 12 little-known stories". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2016. Disney Channel considers 1997's Under Wraps as its first official DCOM...

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