This film deals with a psychotic woman who lusts after the lawyer who got her off a murder charge. It has many of the essentials a woman who supposedly kills her husband ( Warren) How she's gotten off by her lawyer ( Coyote) Actually more on a no bill from grand Jury as opposed to a trial. But it lacks something which I consider essential. The film was presented as a docudrama. It didn't have a final narrative as to what eventually became of the participants. As a film it is entertaining but in a docudrama I expect some type of summary as to what became of the characters since it is supposes to be a true story. In spite of it's short comings it does provide some entertaining viewing . If only there had been a postscript it would have passed for a good film.
5 Reviews
Based on a true story of murder in Missouri...
MarieGabrielle17 October 2006
and the fact that this incident actually occurred, it may have been helpful if the writer had included more background information on Leslie Ann Warren. She portrays Melanie Evans, a woman who murdered her husband and subsequently resorts to other acts of violence when she does not get her way.
Peter Coyote portrays the defense lawyer who clears her of murder charges. They live in Travis, Missouri, a nice small town where people are supposed to be supportive of one another. Peter Coyote's wife (Jean Smart) is later murdered by a brainless hit man, who claims he had "some kind of spell" put on him by Melanie Evans (do they still use that hackneyed phrase?!).
Anyway the conclusion brings too many protracted court scenes, and I agree with the other review, Warren having a breakdown on the stand equals ho-hum melodrama. Also the scene where she puts on too much lipstick and resembles a clown is reminiscent of "The Bell Jar" and far too many other films where the director does not know how to show a character with a mental breakdown.
Peter Coyote is good, however (similar to the "Jagged Edge role") Leslie Ann Warren- wonder whatever became of her?. 7/10.
Peter Coyote portrays the defense lawyer who clears her of murder charges. They live in Travis, Missouri, a nice small town where people are supposed to be supportive of one another. Peter Coyote's wife (Jean Smart) is later murdered by a brainless hit man, who claims he had "some kind of spell" put on him by Melanie Evans (do they still use that hackneyed phrase?!).
Anyway the conclusion brings too many protracted court scenes, and I agree with the other review, Warren having a breakdown on the stand equals ho-hum melodrama. Also the scene where she puts on too much lipstick and resembles a clown is reminiscent of "The Bell Jar" and far too many other films where the director does not know how to show a character with a mental breakdown.
Peter Coyote is good, however (similar to the "Jagged Edge role") Leslie Ann Warren- wonder whatever became of her?. 7/10.
Average TV Fare
rmax3048233 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The murder of a lawyer's wife takes second place in importance to the impact of gossip on members of the small town. By gossip, I mean the exchange of supposedly confidential information about persons and their relationships. It's a better research problem than murder because we can all understand why someone might kill someone for personal reasons. They hurt us or they stand in our way. But when malicious gossip endangers the peace of mind and the social status of a heretofore upstanding citizen, we must wonder about it. What is it that makes some of us hate well-known and respected people? Why do we seem so eager to believe everything bad about them? The victim doesn't even get a trial, just summary judgment.
Briefly, the plot is this. Peter Coyote is a kind of smug defense lawyer who gets Lesley Ann Warren off after she murders her husband. Coyote beams. He's won yet another case, which makes him look good but makes the police chief look like an idiot.
Warren becomes enamored of Coyote, power and celebrity being the aphrodisiacs that they are, but Coyote is happily married and has a few kids. He spurns her advances. Hell hath no fury like a woman spurned. Warren hires some dumb stud to kill Coyote's wife, telling the murderer that the whole thing is being instigated by Coyote himself. After the killing, Warren blames Coyote publicly and at the grand jury she testifies that she was nothing more than an intermediary between Coyote and the killer. The cops having been humiliated by Coyote once too often, are happy to dig up whatever circumstantial evidence they can to make him look bad.
Then the plot falls apart. Warren takes the stand to make sure that Coyote gets skinned alive, but she begins to stutter. The media describe this as a "nervous breakdown on the stand." (It would be nice to see a courtroom drama in which nobody has a nervous breakdown on the stand.) Coyote is set free. He walks out of the courtroom vowing never to leave Travis.
I don't know why he doesn't leave Travis. With some exceptions, the towns folk seem to have leaped on him like a rabid pack of his namesakes on a rotting pronghorn carcass. And what kind of climax is that, anyway? All this intrigue, murder, family love, gossip, and what happens? Nothing really, except that Coyote is let go.
Peter Coyote is a pretty good actor. He's confident and professional. Lesley Ann Warren is very sexy but cannot act. She should have made more soft-core skin flicks. Those goggling dark eyes, her breathless quivering voice, he nervous little laughs, her tics. Nobody else really stands out.
No more than average. It should have gotten more into the dynamics of small-town gossip but the movie isn't ambitious or dark enough to tackle a subject so reluctant to yield simple answer.
Briefly, the plot is this. Peter Coyote is a kind of smug defense lawyer who gets Lesley Ann Warren off after she murders her husband. Coyote beams. He's won yet another case, which makes him look good but makes the police chief look like an idiot.
Warren becomes enamored of Coyote, power and celebrity being the aphrodisiacs that they are, but Coyote is happily married and has a few kids. He spurns her advances. Hell hath no fury like a woman spurned. Warren hires some dumb stud to kill Coyote's wife, telling the murderer that the whole thing is being instigated by Coyote himself. After the killing, Warren blames Coyote publicly and at the grand jury she testifies that she was nothing more than an intermediary between Coyote and the killer. The cops having been humiliated by Coyote once too often, are happy to dig up whatever circumstantial evidence they can to make him look bad.
Then the plot falls apart. Warren takes the stand to make sure that Coyote gets skinned alive, but she begins to stutter. The media describe this as a "nervous breakdown on the stand." (It would be nice to see a courtroom drama in which nobody has a nervous breakdown on the stand.) Coyote is set free. He walks out of the courtroom vowing never to leave Travis.
I don't know why he doesn't leave Travis. With some exceptions, the towns folk seem to have leaped on him like a rabid pack of his namesakes on a rotting pronghorn carcass. And what kind of climax is that, anyway? All this intrigue, murder, family love, gossip, and what happens? Nothing really, except that Coyote is let go.
Peter Coyote is a pretty good actor. He's confident and professional. Lesley Ann Warren is very sexy but cannot act. She should have made more soft-core skin flicks. Those goggling dark eyes, her breathless quivering voice, he nervous little laughs, her tics. Nobody else really stands out.
No more than average. It should have gotten more into the dynamics of small-town gossip but the movie isn't ambitious or dark enough to tackle a subject so reluctant to yield simple answer.
less than interesting film
guilfisher-122 January 2007
This 1991 film was really predictable and no surprises for a mystery. Writer Christopher Canaan could have done more with the subject matter based supposedly on a true story. Aren't all LMN TV movies true stories? Director George Kaczender tried but had bad actors to work with and I feel he finally gave up.
For certainly Peter Coyote, an actor I never have liked, gave a one dimensional performance. Watch the scene where he discovers his wife's murder. Blank face, no expression, no regret, just sits in the dining room staring into space. This is all right if you're playing shock, but to continue the same thing through the entire movie got boring as hell. And through all of this where are the children? Who's looking after them? For Coyote is too busy saving his own neck. Bad, bad, bad! Now Lesley Ann Warren has come a ways since Cinderella, hasn't she? She makes these googly eyes and giggles, reminiscent of VICTOR VICTORIA and A NIGHT IN HEAVEN. It seems to be the only thing she can do. She's quite a lovely lady and should try less intensive roles and just look pretty, which she is. Jean Smart as the wife was the only actor who had any balls at all. As the wife, she made a presence to reckon with. And Freda Williams as the dumb secretary taken in by the obvious allure of Warren did okay.
Forget this one. No hope for it.
For certainly Peter Coyote, an actor I never have liked, gave a one dimensional performance. Watch the scene where he discovers his wife's murder. Blank face, no expression, no regret, just sits in the dining room staring into space. This is all right if you're playing shock, but to continue the same thing through the entire movie got boring as hell. And through all of this where are the children? Who's looking after them? For Coyote is too busy saving his own neck. Bad, bad, bad! Now Lesley Ann Warren has come a ways since Cinderella, hasn't she? She makes these googly eyes and giggles, reminiscent of VICTOR VICTORIA and A NIGHT IN HEAVEN. It seems to be the only thing she can do. She's quite a lovely lady and should try less intensive roles and just look pretty, which she is. Jean Smart as the wife was the only actor who had any balls at all. As the wife, she made a presence to reckon with. And Freda Williams as the dumb secretary taken in by the obvious allure of Warren did okay.
Forget this one. No hope for it.
No good
alicespiral6 August 2007
I just picked up a video of this one for 75p-about all its worth. I usually like the True Story types but this is only true if you realise that people murder people. More likely its a rip off of Fatal Attraction. A woman apparently discovers her husband has been murdered-there was no motive for her to have done it yet she's arrested.A lawyer gets her off on some sort of technicality-which could have been due to the fact that there was no fingerprints,witnesses or motive but the police need to do this stuff. This is when you think it can't have been a True Story because it starts to get into the realms of fiction with plots and subplots based on the storyline of a woman lusting after her lawyer who tells her he's happily married.We find out later he DID once have an affair which nearly destroyed him. How utterly original! It just seems as if the plot is being added to when the woman employs a hit man to bump the lawyers wife off after arranging to have his nightclub torched.It gets too silly I was glad when it finished the film overstayed its welcome by about an hour
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
