Small Sacrifices is a 1989 made-for-TV movie written by Joyce Eliason and based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder of her three children. It stars Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal, Gordon Clapp, John Shea and Emily Perkins. The film premiered on ABC on 12 November 1989. On 19 May 1983 at approximately 10:48 p.m, Downs drove to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon with a gunshot wound to her arm. She claimed that an unknown assailant attempted to carjack her and shot her three children:... Karen, 8 ; Shauna, 7 ; and Robby, 3 . Shauna was dead on arrival at the hospital. Eldest daughter Karen was badly injured, but survived suffering a temporary loss of speech due to a stroke after the shooting, but recovered sufficiently to serve as a witness in court against her mother. Diane's son was paralyzed from the chest down. Downs was eventually tried and convicted of murder, attempted murder, and assault.
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| Release date: | November 12, 1989 |
| Directed by: | David Greene |
| Runtime: | 159 Minutes |
| Screenplay by: | Joyce Eliason |