Director: Robert Greenwald
Starring: Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur
Running Time: 95 minutes
Synopsis: In Michigan of 1977, Francine Hughes (Farrah Fawcett) kills her ex-husband Mickey (Paul Le Mat) by igniting a bedroom fire. In prison awaiting trial, Francine recounts her story to her lawyer (Richard Masur). She met Mickey in 1963 as a 16-year-old, they got married and eventually had three children. Mickey always had trouble holding a job, and resorted to a cycle of drinking and physically abusing Francine, followed by apologies and promises to never hurt her again. She frequently escaped and sought refuge, but her mother Hazel, her in-laws, the police, and social services provided little help. After a divorce and a serious car accident, the abuse escalated.
What Works Well: Based on a true story and the Faith McNulty book, this is a rare example of a made-for-TV production that rises above its origins. Farrah Fawcett deglamorizes her image to highlight the plight of battered women, and captures the harrowing agony of a wife trapped between abuse, poverty, and motherhood responsibilities. Paul Le Mat rises to monstrous as needed, instigating in-your-face and difficult to view assault scenes, often filmed with inescapable close-ups. Director Robert Greenwald still hides more than he shows, cleverly deploying sounds-from-the-next-room and imagination's ability to amplify horror.
What Does Not Work As Well: Any and all cinematic and visual flourishes are notably absent, and Fawcett understandably struggles to convince as a 16-year-old in the early scenes of Francine's flashback. More character background for Mickey's parents and Francine's mother Hazel would have added context to their aloof behaviour.
Key Quote:
Hazel (to her daughter Francine) He loves you. It's not really so bad. Is it?
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