Too Good to Be True (1988 TV Movie) User Reviews

Pale remake of "Leave Her To Heaven"

[tcfoxfan · 2/10 · 12 July 2001]

To be honest it would be hard to equal the original 1945 classic starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain and Vincent Price. This film changes the crucial plot line of the brother relationship into a father and son relationship and falls flat. Loni Anderson is a good actress, but out of her element here in a role that seems suited more for an actress such as Linda Fiorentino.

Patrick Duffy is probably the best of the cast and brings off the right amount of passion and disbelief the role calls for. Glynnis O'Connor on the other hand seems too pathetic and weak in the role of Ruth and seems like a frighten child in an adults body. Check out the original for a highly memorable film experience.

Leave remakes on the reject shelf.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 16 August 2022]

This TV remake of "Leave Her to Heaven" once again gives Loni Anderson the opportunity to play a role previously essayed by a legendary actress who got an Oscar nomination. First it was taking on Barbara Stanwyck's role in "Sorry Wrong Number", and here, it's Gene Tierney's legendary role as one of the most deadly but (literally) colorful film noir femme fatales. She goes after Patrick Duffy in this, so basically you're getting an 80's nighttime soapy update of a classic without the panache.

There is a touch of class with the presence of Julie Harris in Faye Bainter's role, and even if she's underused, she's really the only performer worth watching. Anderson's role would have been better played by Duffy's former "Dallas"' co-star Morgan Fairchild who could have really added the spark this character needed. Anderson is just too easy to see through because sadly serious character driven drama isn't her forte. The direction and script are also quite flawed. Glynnis O'Connor disappoints in the Jeanne Crain role. Neil Patrick Harris is the young handicapped son, long before he started swallowing the scenery without chewing. Probably one of the worst TV remakes of a classic film.

Too ghastly but it's true

[mls4182 · 1/10 · 27 October 2023]

Dime store mannequin Loni Anderson is back again, this time in another butchered remake of a classic, Leave Her to Heaven. (Anderson has also done remakes of Sorry Wrong Number and A Letter to Three Wives.)

Loni punches it up this time. She exposes her strange looking cleavage in EVERY scene. She also sports hair extensions. She was middle aged when she made this but is playing a young woman.

Along for a paycheck is Patrick Duffy, Glynis O'Connor and Julie Harris.

This can't hold a candle to the original but it does have camp value because of Loni Anderson's overgrooming, artificial appearance and stinkbomb acting.