For Your Own Good

[KurtfromPitts]

This TV-movie stars Mark Rendall as Cody Luster, an emotionally troubled student at a San Francisco special-ed school whose individual rights are repeatedly violated by many of the school's workers. He is especially victimized by the school's psychologist Ruth Goldstein [Ellen Burstyn], who makes him run around the school everytime he breaks one of his "rules". All this, and a variety of other things, eat away at Cody's spirit until he suffers a mental breakdown, causing his parents Joel [Josh Taylor] and Sherri [Wendy Phillips] to sue the school. The Lusters are represented by Saul Greer [Lawrence Pressman] who manages to get confessions of conspiracy to violate Cody's rights. Also with Eileen Brennan and Lance LeGault as Cody's teachers, Dee Wallace Stone as his social worker, and Jake Smith as his brother, Damon. Plus Bob Balaban as the head administrator, Alan Kirkland.

[KurtfromPitts]

Also appearing in this MOW are Daphne Maxwell-Reid as Dorothy McCoo, the school's program director, Courtney Thorne-Smith as Mary Arthur, a classroom teacher, David Paymer as the school's lawyer, Phil Maxwell, and several unknown kid actors as Cody's schoolmates, who repeatedly taunt Cody.