Film star Uma Thurman plays Debby, a Jersey girl experiencing stress-induced loss of sight, in the HBO television adaptation of Laura Cahill's Hysterical Blindess. "Hysterical Blindness" airs Aug. 25 at 9:30 PM.

The eternal search for Mr. Right in 1980's New Jersey introduces Debby and her best friend Beth to a friendly, but uncommitted bartender and a Patrick Swazye-type hunk, Rick, but is either of them the one? Meanwhile, Debby's mother Virginia falls in love with a kind customer at the diner she works for, only to find that fate has different plans for them.

Gena Rowlands ("Hope Floats") is Virginia with Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape") as Beth. Also in the cast are Justin Chambers (Rick), Ben Gazzara (Nick), Anthony de Sando (Bobby) and Jolie Peters (Beth's daughter Amber).

Cahill's Hysterical Blindness was a hit Off-Broadway. Her other plays include Mercy and the one acts, Home and Jersey Girls Go to the Park.

Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding," "Salaam Bombay!") directs. Lydia Dean Pilcher is the producer; Thurman, Jason Blum and Amy Israel are executive producers. — By Christine Ehren