 George Newbern plays a developer trying to force Dearborn off his land; he tries to enlist the help of his psychologist girlfriend, played by Mary-Louise Parker, a move which backfires badly.Newbern's character tries to have Dearborn declared mentally incompetent; the effort fails, mostly because of the efforts of Parker's character, who realizes why Dearborn is held in esteem by his neighbors.For her performance in "The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn", Dianne Wiest was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Miniseries or a Movie.