Cusack is best known for her work in "Say Anything," "Working Girl," "In & Out," "Grosse Point Blank," "Nine Months" and "High Fidelity." Whitman, now 20, had supporting roles as a child in "Independence Day," "Hope Floats" and "One Fine Day."

Lifetime said the actresses will play mother and daughter in the small-screen comedy "Acceptance," which is based on Susan Coll's book and which will be directed by Sanaa Hamri, who directed "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2."

Like the novel, the TV movie is about the pressures of the modern-day college-admissions process. It is scheduled to air on the network next summer.

"Joan Cusack and Mae Whitman are amazingly talented actresses with impressive bodies of work and spot-on timing," Tanya Lopez, senior vice president of original movies for Lifetime Networks, said in a statement. "Acceptance is a topical comedy that shines a spotlight on the competitive nature of contemporary education."