She returned to television in "A Mother's Prayer" (1995) playing a mother who lost her husband and is diagnosed with AIDS. For her performance in the film, which co-starred Kate Nelligan and Bruce Dern, Hamilton was awarded a CableACE Award for best dramatic performance and nominated for another Golden Globe Award in 1996. That same year, Hamilton filmed two motion pictures that were released one week apart in 1997: "Shadow Conspiracy" with Charlie Sheen and "Dante's Peak" with Pierce Brosnan. "Shadow Conspiracy" flopped at the box office, but "Dante's Peak" grossed $180 million and was one of the biggest commercial hits of the year. She received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for female performance in "Dante's Peak".