Ricki Lake ('The Business of Being Born') and Holly Robinson Peete ('One on One') to Star in the Lifetime Original Movie 'Matters of Life & Dating,' the Irreverent and Poignant Story of Searching for Mr. Right While Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Ricki Lake ('The Business of Being Born') and Holly Robinson Peete ('One on One') to Star in the Lifetime Original Movie 'Matters of Life & Dating,' the Irreverent and Poignant Story of Searching for Mr. Right While Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Movie Airs in October as Programming Centerpiece of Lifetime's Award-Winning Public Awareness Campaign, 'Stop Breast Cancer for Life'

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricki Lake ("The Business of Being Born," "Mrs. Winterbourne"), stars as a single woman returning to the dating scene after having a mastectomy in the upcoming Lifetime Original Movie "Matters of Life & Dating," based on breast cancer survivor Linda Dackman's book, Up Front. Co-starring Holly Robinson Peete ("For Your Love," "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper"), the film explores universal frustrating, complicated and often comedic insights into looking for Mr. Right, while grappling with ingrained notions of beauty and finding unexpected strength and support from friends and family. "Matters of Life & Dating" will premiere Monday, October 22 at 9pm (ET/PT) on Lifetime Television.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070814/NYTU071 )

In making the announcement, Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, Lifetime Networks said, "Following in the footsteps of last year's Emmy- nominated film 'Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy,' this year's centerpiece of our Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign is unique as it tackles a very different subject matter -- dating. The story highlights the current issue of living beyond cancer, but it's also a humorous and touching look at the trials and tribulations of dating that all women can relate to, whether they've faced breast cancer or not. Personally and professionally, I couldn't be more excited to be working again with both Ricki Lake and Holly Robinson Peete, two extremely talented actors teamed together in what will be Lifetime's must-see movie this fall."

In "Matters of Life & Dating," Linda Dackman (Lake) is a thirty-something successful single woman living in Boston. She's always had a boyfriend but wants to play the field before getting married and settling down. Her life plan comes to an abrupt halt when she finds out she has breast cancer. She undergoes a mastectomy, which shatters her body image and self-confidence, believing that she will never be desirable to a man again.

Filled with anger, resentment and fear, Linda attends a support group where she reconnects with Nicole (Peete), a childhood friend. While undergoing reconstructive surgery, Linda re-enters the dating world, meeting a succession of "Mr. Wrong's." She even returns to an old boyfriend but realizes that being in a safe and comfortable relationship isn't what she's looking for. To be fulfilled, she must take chances to find real love, despite her insecurities. With the help of her friend Carla (Rachael Harris) and Nicole, Linda rediscovers her self-confidence, and proudly learns what being sexy is all about.

Most recently, at the Tribeca Film Festival, Ricki Lake screened her documentary "The Business of Being Born," which she executive produced. She made her film debut starring in the original version of the 1988 John Waters film "Hairspray." Waters also cast her in several other films including "Cry- Baby," "Cookie, "Serial Mom" and "Cecil B. Demented." Lake's other film credits include "Working Girl," "Last Exit to Brooklyn," "Where the Day Takes You" and "Mrs. Winterbourne." Lake's television credits include her long- running talk show "The Ricki Lake Show," "King of Queens" and "China Beach."

Holly Robinson Peete is an accomplished actress who started her career at the age of four on the award-winning children's show "Sesame Street." She went on to star in the series "21 Jump Street," "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," "Love, Inc.," "For Your Love" and "One on One." She portrayed Diana Ross in the television miniseries "The Jacksons: An American Dream" and also starred in telefilms "Killers in the House" and "After All."

"Matters of Life & Dating" premieres during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month as the centerpiece of Lifetime's 13th annual multi-platform Stop Breast Cancer for Life public service and advocacy campaign, which reaches women and families in more than 93 million homes across the country in partnership with the Network's cable affiliates, advertising sponsors and twelve leading nonprofit organizations. The film echoes the creative concept of this year's campaign, "Be My Support, Be My Strength, Be My Bra," a playful but forceful depiction of the universe of strength at hand and within ourselves when facing breast cancer, based on the slang term for friend, "bra." Lake and Peete also will appear in the Network's original PSA campaign throughout October.

The film also touches on many important messages of Lifetime's campaign, including promoting early detection of breast cancer, ensuring access to health care for all women and ending "drive-through" mastectomies, when women are forced out of the hospital sometimes hours after surgery and before they and their doctors feel they are ready to go home. The Network has now collected more than 18 million signatures on a petition on LifetimeTV.com urging Congress to pass critical bi-partisan legislation that would stop this practice.

Lifetime's 2006 movie in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy" was recently nominated for an Emmy(R) Award in the category of "Outstanding Made for Television Movie."

"Matters of Life & Dating" is produced by Barbara Lieberman Productions for Lifetime Television. Executive producers are Barbara Lieberman (Lifetime's "Murder in the Hamptons," "Obsessed"), Salli Newman ("The Good Old Boys," "A Slight Case of Murder") and Ricki Lake ("The Business of Being Born"). Peter Wellington ("Slings and Arrows," "Luck") directs from a script written by Nina Colman ("Meet Prince Charming," "Dr. Doolittle 3").

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

*Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070814/NYTU071
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN7
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Lifetime

CONTACT: Tracy Speed of Lifetime, +1-310-556-7541,
tspeed@lifetimetv.com

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment