Mary and Martha

From director Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Patriot Games) and writer Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, War Horse), this uplifting HBO Films drama focuses on two very different women -- an upscale American interior designer named Mary (Hilary Swank) and a middle-class Englishwoman named Martha (Brenda Blethyn) -- who form an unlikely bond following the losses of their only children from malaria contracted in Africa. Battling their lingering grief and the strains on their marriages, the two work together to raise awareness of malaria, a preventable and treatable disease, while recovering their sense of purpose. The film offers an inspiring template for overcoming loss, while showing how ordinary people can make a difference in influencing social policy and affecting positive change.

• drama