Desperate Lives

A high school counselor wages a one-woman war on drugs in Desperate Lives, starring Diana Scarwid, Diane Ladd, Sam Bottoms and future Academy Award winner* Helen Hunt. Determined to stop rampant drug abuse at Hamilton High, guidance counselor Eileen Phillips (Scarwid) puts her job on the line when the school refuses to admit a problem even exists. Taking on parents, pushers and students themselves, Eileen fights an uphill battle in a war the community will soon tragically learn it can no longer ignore. Highlighted by a title song written and performed by Rick Springfield and a rare acting performance by famed psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers, Desperate Lives remains as timely today as when it first aired.

• drama