Die Ninja-Morde von Bel Air

This is the true story of the Woodman murders, the affluent parents of Stewart and Neil Woodman who have been sentenced to life imprisonment for hiring hit-men to commit their murders so as to collect the insurance money. The first half of this made-for-TV movie is quite riveting whereas the second half is more the story of the wife's valiant struggle to come to terms with the demise of her comfortable bourgeois existence. Not to mention the difficulty in raising three children whose own worlds have shattered after the arrest of their father. We can sympathize with Melody Woodman's plight, but I would have liked to see Mimi Rogers less afraid to look awful, it would have made her role more believable. Thanks to the fine young actors we root for the kids despite their spoiled rottenness. As Stewart Woodman, Elliott Gould plays him so well, we feel truly pained to see him as the broken man that his incarceration has left him. All the actors are good, and this is one of the better TV movies made from the waist-deep true life murder cases.

Melody Woodman (Mimi Rogers) marries into a wealthy family whose business is manufacturing plastics when she marries Stewart Woodman (Elliott Gould). But the family has huge problems. Stewart's dad is a megalomaniac and a bully who belittles his older two sons who have spent their adult lives working the family business. Eventually Stewart and his brother Neil are in bitter competition with their dad with opposing companies. But the stress is all over - Stewart's dad has to declare bankruptcy. And then Stewart's father and mother are killed one night when returning home with no suspects to be found. Imagine Melody's shock six months later when Stewart and Neil are arrested for the murder for hire of their parents.

The wheels of justice grind slowly as Melody has to learn to do - well - everything! Her bank accounts are frozen, and the life she was living which was that of a commoner married to a prince is over. She is instead living the great American nightmare of being a single mom with three kids, no money, and no training in anything that can earn good money. I'm surprised that this one isn't rated higher. Sure it has the usual Lifetime Movie style tropes, but it also has rich entitled people hitting the skids, and everyone likes to watch that!

It's also a story of female empowerment as Melody learns that, although the near poverty can be exhausting, she likes being independent and making her own decisions. Being married to Stewart she was practically the fourth kid, and thus she has real problems keeping order with the actual kids without Stewart around.

There are just a few things I noticed - Stewart's attorney, Hal Leventhal (Joe Spano) seems to be an A list attorney. If Melody can't afford her rent, how can she afford this guy for years on end? And towards the beginning of the ordeal she is practically having this guy do double duty as her therapist, which would really run up the bills. And something I notice just because I am old now. Leventhal walks with a cane, yet Melody decides it will be a great idea to take a walk on the beach with this guy. It is very hard to walk in sand with a cane. I bet she had to pay double time for that. These are probably just devices for dramatic purposes, but really.

Recommended for people who liked it when the networks would produce an original movie for "sweeps month" that looked like they put some work into it.

Made during the golden age of TV mini series, and directed by the King of TV drama Paul Wendkos, this is a classic. Mimi Rogers is stunning and compelling as Melody Woodman the wife decked out in Chanel, she totally dominates the screen with a performance that is wide in range. The same can not be said for Elliott Gould, who so over acts that he makes The maniacal Elliot Woodman the scared of his own shadow, take a pill for chest pains caused by hyper tension attack self centered murderer into a buffoon. The supporting cast is great in that early late '80s 90's kind of way. And I'd swear that is David Krumholtz and not Robert Munic who plays the bad-boy boyfriend of daughter Jacy played by Nicholle Tom. Not available on DVD and relegated to LMN for an airing about twice a year.

I have to say that Mimi Rogers gives probably the performance of a lifetime playing Melody Woodman, a rich and wealthy Jewish housewife in Los Angeles, California. Her husband Stewart Woodman is played by Elliot Gould who really shows his acting ability playing this despicable son, father, brother, and husband. The Woodman murders is really a crime that should not be forgotten. It's about greed, jealousy, and a hunger for wealth and power. The Woodmans became one of the wealthiest and prominent families but their three sons were at war over the family fortune. Kim Hunter plays the matriarch Mrs. Woodman, a loving and kind grandmother, whose marriage to Mr. Woodman is not what it appears to be. She is a good, loyal, and dedicated wife. Their marriage would have been better if they were poor because money doesn't buy you happiness. The elder Woodmans are murdered after ending their fast on Yom Kippur. The relatives suspect the couple's own sons involved in this hideous crime. Nicole Thom from The Nanny has a memorable role as Stewart and Melody's daughter. Emmy winner Bonnie Bartlett plays Melody's very understanding mother. I miss these mini-series about real crime because they really go into detail.