Guilty Hearts

I thought that Treat Williams was a poor choice as the philandering doctor but Marcia Gay Harden was good as his love interest, Jenny Moran. The movie deals with a woman in a mid life crisis who leaves her husband and gets involved with a manipulative doctor who takes advantage of her vulnerability. I was impressed with the acting of Neally Glenn who plays the part of the doctors eldest daughter and Katie Boland, the young daughter of Jenny. They were both very convincing in their roles. The movie was poorly put together as it seemed to skip about and show snippets of scenes without fully developing them. However, I did enjoy it and would give it a rating of seven of ten.

You have to remember that this man was a manipulator. he used this women to get what he wanted. an excuse for killing his wife. It didn't matter who's lives he destroyed, his own children didn't matter to him. he was caught having an affair, he used to to try to put suspicion on another man, than he used this woman's emotions to further his quest for an insane plea. it doesn't take much to figure out this man should have been locked up long before his crime. This movie was well put together and should be used as a training film by victims of domestic violence groups as a format on what type on person to avoid. Teaching women the right kind of relationship to avoid is clearly defined in this film. It was well put together.

I found this mini-series to be a little under the weather.Treat Williams played his character well.I didn't like the character but you have to give him credit for pulling it off so well.The character that I found to be pulling the whole story downward was Marcia Gay Harden's.Due to mediocre direction,Marcia's talent is wasted in this movie.She is one of the most talented and attractive actors around in my book.She is directed in this movie though as if she is on medication which gives her a zombie-like personality.Her hair looks like a wig.If it's real hair or not,it does make her look more unattractive than she really is.She looks like a high-school graduate of the 1960's.This actress in reality is very attractive.Take one look at the movie "The First Wive's Club".You probably will be startled to find out that the sexy-looking therapist Dr. Leslie Rosen is in fact Marcia Gay Harden.Her character in that movie compared to Guilty Hearts is like night and day.I had to look her name up in the internet movie database to make sure I was seeing the same woman in both movies.Marcia,do be careful of the projects you get involved with as well as directors.You are much too talented and beautiful to appear in a downer like this.

I am enjoying this movie very much. I am particularly touched by the performance of the jilted husband. His actions are a model in forgiveness. This was a beautiful aspect of the story line IMHO. What I find especially enlightening is that the husband's character was not particularly religious. He did not attend church with his wife regularly, and he was openly hostile toward the pastor of the church (whom he viewed as mercenary). This is an example of how goodness and godness are not necessarily interchangeable terms. Some people just have an innate sense of right and wrong. When I saw the faithful hubby coming to his philandering wife's rescue again and again, I was truly moved.

This 2002 mini series was shown tonight and I wanted to watch because I like the work of Treat Williams. It was directed fairly well by Marcus Cole and written by JB White ("The Beast") and Steven Siegel ("K-9" series). I found the mistake was in the casting of Marcia Gay Harden as "the other woman". First of all she's totally unattractive as to woo the likes of Mr. Williams, who remains one of today's hunks. Someone should have cut those bangs. She looked like Morticia from The Adams Family. And to top that she walks around with one expression on her face. For Treat to reject Jennifer Dale, his lovely wife, for the likes of the plain jane looks of Harden was hard to swallow.

If you put aside Harden's performance, which is hard to do, as she monopolizes most of the film, with close-ups, mind you. Gary Bassaraba was very good as the husband of Harden and you wanted to tell him to tell her to "get lost". He keeps forgiving her. Why? She was cheating on him. Then she walks out on him. And we're supposed to have sympathy for her? Please.

Add that talented lady, Olympia Dukakis as Harden's mother, John Bourgeous, the Reverend who kicks Harden out of the church (don't blame him) and Lawrence Dane, another fine actor, wasted in this flick.

All in all, a boring film saved by the presence of Williams, Dukakis, Dale and Basaraba.