Susan Seidelman directs this critically acclaimed made-for-cable TV movie based on the novel by Zena Collier. A nasty divorce leaves one-time housewife Iris Prue (
Sally Field) in unstable financial circumstances, forcing her to accept a demeaning job as live-in housekeeper to the family of imperious, snooty Paula Tanner (
Judy Davis). Slowly rebuilding her life in the small Maine town where she's employed by the Tanners, Iris makes new friends and even strikes up a romance with an artist named Jack (
Winston Rekert). When Paula is left by her own husband and undergoes a psychological crisis as a result, Iris is surprised to find herself befriending the employer with whom she once clashed, and an unexpected friendship blooms. Jerry Wasserman, Jessalyn Gilsig, and
Carly Pope co-star. Both Field and Davis were nominated for Screen Actors Guild and Emmy awards for their work in A Cooler Climate. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide