MULTIPLE EMMY AWARD WINNER ROSIE O'DONNELL AND ANDIE MACDOWELL STAR IN "RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER," A NEW "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" PRESENTATION, TO BE BROADCAST, MAY 1, ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Academy Award Winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor") Directs

RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER, a new "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation starring multiple Emmy Award winner Rosie O'Donnell ("The Rosie O'Donnell Show") and Andie MacDowell, who make their network television movie debuts, will be broadcast Sunday, May 1 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The movie is based on the inspiring true story about the unbreakable bond between two very different sisters.

Rachel Simon (MacDowell) is an in-demand New York City fashion photographer whose busy life camouflages her emotional isolation. When her father suddenly dies, Rachel comes face to face with the family problems she has tried so hard to avoid. With no one else in the family willing to take on the responsibility, Rachel is forced to spend time with Beth (O'Donnell), her endearing, feisty and developmentally disabled sister who fills her days riding city buses.

During what at first was supposed to be an obligatory exercise, the time Rachel spends with Beth becomes an awakening for her as she discovers that her sister has created a whole family for herself. From the bus drivers, in particular Rick (D.W. Moffett), whose big heart and good looks impact Rachel and her sister, as well as the regular passengers, and Beth's boyfriend, Jesse (Richard T. Jones), Rachel realizes that these people value her in a way that Rachel could never have imagined. Rachel and Beth's days together are both demanding and challenging but, for the first time, the disparate sisters have the opportunity to really get to know one another and find a way to communicate as a family.

Rosie O'Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award winner who hosted and executive produced "The Rosie O'Donnell" show. Her film credits include: "A League of Their Own," "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Flintstones," "Now and Then" and "Beautiful Girls." O'Donnell also starred in Tommy Tune's revival of "Grease" and "Seussical" on Broadway. She hosted the 51st Annual Tony Awards broadcast on the Network and produced the musical "Taboo." O'Donnell established the For All Kids Foundation, which distributes money to children's charities across the country. Additionally, she has Rosie's Broadway Kids Foundation which puts theatre programs in NYC schools that are below the poverty level. O'Donnell is also a New York Times best-selling author of the books Kids Are Punny and Find Me.

Andie MacDowell was nominated for Golden Globe awards for her roles in "sex, lies and videotape" and "Green Card." Her additional feature film credits include "Harrison's Flowers," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Groundhog Day," "Green Card," "Multiplicity," "Michael," "St. Elmo's Fire" and the upcoming "Beauty Shop."

Academy Award winner and multiple Emmy Award-nominated Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor," 1985) is directing the movie based on the book of the same title by Rachel Simon. Huston was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1997 for directing "Bastard Out of Carolina." Huston directed and starred in the feature film "Agnes Brown." Her most recent film projects include "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and the upcoming release "Art School Confidential."

D.W. Moffett's film credits include: "Thirteen," "Traffic," "Stealing Beauty" and "Falling Down."

Richard T. Jones is a series regular on "Judging Amy" on the Network. His feature film credits include: "Collateral," "Phone Booth," "Moonlight Mile," "Kiss the Girls" and "What's Love Got to Do with It."

RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER is produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions in association with The Sanitsky Company. Emmy Award-nominated producer Larry Sanitsky ("The Last Don," "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All") and Rosie O'Donnell are executive producers. Emmy Award-nominated Joyce Eliason ("The Last Don" and "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All") wrote the script based on the autobiographical book Riding the Bus With My Sister: A True Life Journey by Rachel Simon.