Academy Award(R) Nominee Joan Cusack Headlines Razor Sharp Comedy 'Acceptance' Premiering August 22 on Lifetime Television

MAE WHITMAN Co-Stars in the Summer's Must-See Lifetime Original Movie

Directed by SANAA HAMRI and Based on SUSAN COLL'S Acclaimed Book ACCEPTANCE: A NOVEL

LOS ANGELES, June 11 -- Sharpen your No. 2 pencils, and prepare to make the grade as Lifetime Television premieres Acceptance, an all-new, original comedy about the pressures of today's college admissions process. Starring two-time Academy Award nominee Joan Cusack (Working Girl, In & Out) and Mae Whitman (TV's Arrested Development, Independence Day), the movie is directed by Sanaa Hamri (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) and is based on the critically acclaimed book Acceptance: A Novel, by Susan Coll. The Lifetime Original Movie Acceptance premieres on Saturday, August 22, 2009, at 9 pm (ET/PT).

ABOUT ACCEPTANCE

High school student and overachiever Taylor Rockefeller (Whitman) is weathering the storm of her senior year while, at the same time, struggling to cope with the stress of applying to her dream colleges. Complicating her life even further, her parents are on the verge of a break-up, and her mother, Nina (Cusack), is focused on Taylor getting into a top school for the sole purpose of meeting a suitable husband. But, when Taylor decides that the lowly-ranked Yates College is the right choice for her, she and her mom face off over what is really best for her future happiness.

Taylor's close friends, Harry (Jonathan Keltz, Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Maya (Deepti Daryanani, The Cheetah Girls: One World), also gunning for admission to top universities, are not above going to extremes themselves in order to be accepted into the schools of their choice. Together, the three friends and their modern-day, dysfunctional families navigate SAT scores, campus visits and school applications as they try to remain sane during the highly competitive process of college admissions that most American families with high school kids have to face.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Acceptance is produced by All In Entertainment in association with Von Zerneck-Sertner for Lifetime Television. Sharon Cicero (Secret Cutting, A Crime of Passion), Ronnie Clemmer (TV's Secret Cutting, A League of Their Own), Michele Samit (Lifetime's Lethal Vows, Lifetime's Passion's Web), Bob Sertner and Frank Von Zerneck (Lifetime Movie Network's Natalee Holloway, Lifetime's Flirting with Forty) are executive producers. Sanaa Hamri (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) directs from a script by Suzette Couture (The Last Templar, Lifetime's The House Next Door).

ABOUT LIFETIME TELEVISION

Lifetime is a diverse, multi-media company, committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming that celebrates, entertains and supports women. Through its award-winning public affairs initiatives, the Company also advocates a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (which includes myLifetime.com, Lifetime Games, Roiworld.com, DressUpChallenge.com and MothersClick.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.