I was a member of a Baptists church for over 2 years. The Pastor's Wife portrays a fairly accurate account of the women in my church who firmly believe that the men in the family have the final say. The wedding vows too are fairly accurate in as much as the 'love, honour and obey' that were originally 'standard' vows. The pastor (or minister) in my church, although young was not (to my knowledge) violent, nor abusive. However he had little or no knowledge of domestic abuse as he had been raised in a non-violent atmosphere. His views were outdated though, because he constantly informed me that no matter how I was treated (or ill-treated), my role as wife was to be submissive, understanding and non-judgemental. My ex treated me okay (in public) behind closed doors, I too was subjected to verbal abuse both by him and his parents. The minister in my church did inform me that if I chose to 'abandon' the marriage, I too would be ostracized by the church. I chose to leave and (as promised) was ostracized.
7 Reviews
I'm still not sure what to think of this one
mgconlan-16 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I'm still not sure what to think of this one. It's trying really hard to be more than just another Lifetime movie about either a crazy woman who knocked off her husband or a male S.O.B. who got what he deserved when his wife shot him. The film has a lot of good aspects, notably the way it establishes how the authoritarian beliefs of the Church of Christ conditioned the events -- how the husband could literally believe his wife should submit to him and meekly accept him even when he hit her for trivial reasons, and also why his dark side would reveal itself in surfing for porn on the Net and ultimately in making his wife dress like a hooker before he could have sex with her (all those religious hang-ups about sex being only to make babies, not to have fun!). I also liked little bits like the woman prosecutor saying, when she receives notice that the wife and her attorney are going to present spousal abuse as a defense, "I wonder what took them so long." (Since the movie is already more than half over before this happens, I wonder what took screenwriter Robert Freedman and director Norma Bailey that long, too!) At the same time, there are just too many lapses into familiar Lifetime clichés for this to work as the atmospheric neo-noir it was clearly meant to be, and Rose McGowan simply looks too young to have been married for 13 years and have three children, the oldest a teenager. (Then again they may have wanted a young-looking actress because Freedman's script contains a lot of flashbacks to when Matthew and Mary Winkler were dating and Mary was still just a teenager herself.) The story deserved a better movie, but this one isn't bad, and Michael Shanks is marvelously understated as Matthew even though Lifetime did the abused-wife schtick much better in "Black and Blue" (in which the authority figure the wife didn't dare report as a spousal abuse was a cop instead of a minister).
The last line in this movie makes it a certain winner!
rbrb8 November 2018
A riveting drama based on true events.
Pastor with wife and kids seem to be the perfect family. Until that is.... the wife shoots her husband to death.
But there is more to the story then meets the eye...
Rose McGowan gives a show stopping performance in this classily crafted and compelling real life drama:
8/10.
Pastor with wife and kids seem to be the perfect family. Until that is.... the wife shoots her husband to death.
But there is more to the story then meets the eye...
Rose McGowan gives a show stopping performance in this classily crafted and compelling real life drama:
8/10.
Pillar of the Community
lavatch21 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Pastor Matthew Brian Winkler was a beloved member of the community of Selmer, Tennessee. As pastor of the Fourth Street Church of Christ, Matthew had an especially strong following of women, and his sermons paid tribute to them and his wife Mary. It was therefore shocking to this placid town when Matthew was murdered by his wife with a shotgun.
"The Pastor's Wife" carefully unfolds the story of the marriage of Matthew and Mary Carol Winkler. After shooting her husband, Mary packed up the minivan with her three daughters, Hannah, Emily, and baby Sarah and drove from Tennessee through Mississippi and on to Alabama. It was at Orange Beach that she was apprehended on the day after the murder.
Most of the film focuses on the sensational murder trial and a series of flashbacks that recreate the sordid details of the verbal, physical, and psychological abuse inflicted on Mary by her violent husband. The actor playing the defense attorney was extremely convincing, as he persuaded Mary to tell the jury the complete story of her marriage in hell.
The film really belongs to Mary, and the actress gave a remarkable performance in delineating the fragile psyche of an abused woman. Ultimately, Mary was found guilty of manslaughter, but spent only seven additional days in jail, plus sixty days in in a mental health facility. She retained full custody of her three girls.
The filmmakers succeeded in the well-written dialogue, the flashbacks, and the evocation of a credible small-town environment in which the pillar of the community turns out to be a charlatan.
"The Pastor's Wife" carefully unfolds the story of the marriage of Matthew and Mary Carol Winkler. After shooting her husband, Mary packed up the minivan with her three daughters, Hannah, Emily, and baby Sarah and drove from Tennessee through Mississippi and on to Alabama. It was at Orange Beach that she was apprehended on the day after the murder.
Most of the film focuses on the sensational murder trial and a series of flashbacks that recreate the sordid details of the verbal, physical, and psychological abuse inflicted on Mary by her violent husband. The actor playing the defense attorney was extremely convincing, as he persuaded Mary to tell the jury the complete story of her marriage in hell.
The film really belongs to Mary, and the actress gave a remarkable performance in delineating the fragile psyche of an abused woman. Ultimately, Mary was found guilty of manslaughter, but spent only seven additional days in jail, plus sixty days in in a mental health facility. She retained full custody of her three girls.
The filmmakers succeeded in the well-written dialogue, the flashbacks, and the evocation of a credible small-town environment in which the pillar of the community turns out to be a charlatan.
Surprisingly good Rose McGowan
phd_travel29 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This true life case appeared in the news a lot - Mary Winkler a young mother of 3 daughters shot and killed her seemingly kind loving pastor husband in the back in bed. She claimed abuse. She got a very short sentence. This puzzling case captured a lot of attention.
Rose McGowan is convincing as the enigmatic Mary. She looks shell shocked and is quite appropriately spaced out. The blank stare looks a lot like what we have seen on the news.
It's quite well done how they show the public witnessed version of events first and then gradually the alleged private version where the abuse took place.
The murdered pastor Matthew Winkler is played by Michael Shanks who gives quite a convincing performance especially explosive in the alleged abuse situation.
Leaves one with an unsettled feeling whether the abuse actually took place and he was a perverted abuser or she got too lightly away with murdering him in a huge miscarriage of justice.
Rose McGowan is convincing as the enigmatic Mary. She looks shell shocked and is quite appropriately spaced out. The blank stare looks a lot like what we have seen on the news.
It's quite well done how they show the public witnessed version of events first and then gradually the alleged private version where the abuse took place.
The murdered pastor Matthew Winkler is played by Michael Shanks who gives quite a convincing performance especially explosive in the alleged abuse situation.
Leaves one with an unsettled feeling whether the abuse actually took place and he was a perverted abuser or she got too lightly away with murdering him in a huge miscarriage of justice.
lots of stereotypes
Steelmagnolia0620 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
As a member of the Church of Christ I have to disagree with the other reviewer. There is no conditioning in the church for wives to be underlings and take abuse. That is hogwash. My mother is a preacher's wife and she is very strong and outspoken. I also hated the scene of their wedding. Those vows they said I have never in my life heard at a wedding. That too was Hollywood hogwash. I also noticed some of the background music made me think of Deliverance. That's what Hollywood thinks of Southerners! All our women barefoot and pregnant and the men chewing tobacco holding a shotgun. Please!!! I didn't really keep up with this trial, but I wonder how much conjecture and untruths were added to this film. But, nobody but Mary knows the truth about what happened and evidently,the jury bought her story.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
