MURDER IN MY HOUSE (TV Movie 2006)
Time to read 1:36 minutes
4.5 stars out of 10
BASIC PLOT:
Lauren Kessler (
Barbara Niven) is embarking on a journey of healing. She is still recovering from the recent death of her young daughter. Even though it's been a few years, the pain is still fresh in her heart. Lauren's become a children's writer, to feel closer to the daughter she lost. After her divorce, she decided to move in with her father, Stan Douglas (
Daniel J. Travanti). Stan's a recently retired prosecutor, who is more than happy to see his daughter starting over. They've moved to new town, and bought a house together. Stan is going to teach part time at the local college, and Lauren is going to begin working on her new book. For the first time in a long time, Lauren is feeling positive about the future. She's even agreed to go on a date with her handsome neighbor, Brian Ellis (
Gary Hudson), who lives across the street. But her new found happiness is interrupted by another neighbor, Claire (
Ellen Dubin), who has some unsettling news. The house Lauren bought is the scene of a recent murder. Lauren is terrified by this discovery, but her father is intrigued. He learns everything he can about the case, including the former resident of their house, Amanda Whitman (
Sophie Gendron), was convicted of the murder. She supposedly killed her husband, but Stan thinks otherwise. He is determined to dig into the case, and get Amanda's wrongful conviction overturned. Lauren is happy to help, she is gratified her father has found a purpose again. She feels much the same way about herself. Her new book and relationship, are bringing her so much joy and peace. But something is amiss. The deeper Stan digs into the case, the more bizarre Brian's behavior. Are the two connected? And what really happened to Brian's first wife, Roxanne (
Lisa Zane)?
WHAT WORKS:
*ROXANNE IS A NICE TOUCH We're never really sure if Roxanne (
Lisa Zane) is a ghost, or a hallucination, and that's a good thing. It makes us wonder about Brian's (
Gary Hudson) state of mind. Also, her constant acerbic remarks are great!
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*STAN DOUGLAS BECOMING AN ADVOCATE IS TOO BIG OF JUMP Stan and Lauren go to talk to Marlee Hall (
Katherine Dines), the sister of the woman who lived in the house before they bought it. They seek her out because she didn't disclose a murder that took place on the property. But, before they arrive, they know she didn't break the law, so why go? It's a flimsy pretext for Stan Douglas (
Daniel J. Travanti) to get involved with the case. He's an ex-prosecutor, and finds the case, flawed and
fascinating.
*THE WRITING AND ACTING IS PRETTY SURFACE I know this is a melodrama, and characters don't have much depth in melodramas, but a bit more character development would have helped here. The viewer has no investment in anything, and it makes for a less enjoyable experience.
*WHAT WAS LAUREN'S DAUGHTER DOING IN THE STREET? I'm never one to be judgemental, but if her daughter was three when she died, what was she doing playing outside, by herself, near a busy road? They show the accident, and Lauren is upstairs doing laundry. Who was watching her child?
*SOME OF THE CAMERA ANGLES ARE DISTRACTING Occasionally, the camera will do a tight zoom on the actors faces. I don't think there's anyone in this movie under the age of 50, so that's not such a good thing.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*If you like made-for-tv melodramas, you might like this. Understand going in, the characters are pretty one dimensional, and so is the plot. If you're looking for an afternoon, cozy thriller, this will work. If you're looking for a movie with depth, look elsewhere.
CLOSING NOTES:
*This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.
*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in ANY way by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews, and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.
