Movie stars Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek and Jane Fonda were all in 1985 invited to testify before the House Democrats' Farm Task Force dealing with the emotional toll of the financial stress experienced by farmers in the early 1980's. The three actresses were invited to this Capitol Hill meeting due to their lead film performances as troubled farmers from each of their then current farm films from that era. The pictures were, respectively, Country (1984), Il fiume dell'ira (1984) and Dollmaker (1984). Another farming picture at this time was Le stagioni del cuore (1984) which starred Sally Field but she did not attend the hearings.
As of 2013, Dollmaker (1984) is the only movie starring Jane Fonda that still isn't available on DVD.
One of the screenwriters on this production was none other than Hume Cronyn who is more famous as a Hollywood movie star. Cronyn does not appear in this tele-film.
This tele-movie, Dollmaker (1984), was Jane Fonda's first role since Sul lago dorato (1981). It was also, in fact, Fonda's TV-movie debut.
Jane Fonda traveled in Appalachia for two weeks on Dolly Parton's tour bus while researching her role for this movie.