A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story

"I have regrets but no remorse". I always get chills when I think of Ms. Baxter speaking these words as the character of Betty Broderick, a woman who has just murdered her ex-husband and his new bride. Her portrayal as a neurotic woman, scorned, blows the mind!! She breaks all stereotypes of the wholesome Elise Keaton from the 70's sitcom, Family Ties. She's an awesome actress! It's a very entertaining movie!

Betty loved Dan more than she lived herself. After giving her life to Dan so that he can be successful, with hopes one day she can begin to enjoy life. Yet, as it often happens, the successful man forgets the sacrifices that he allowed and insisted the wife take, without realizing that she's being used for a personal purpose that wasn't really love. Dan knew that Linda knew what she was going to get by cheating with him. Murder should not have happened, but I saw the hurt Betty had, she lost her youth to Dan and acted in an immature way because Dan didn't allow her to grow with him. He used her as a pretty young productive machine until got where he wanted to be and found a new Betty to start over again.

Meredith Baxter(of FAMILY TIES fame) received a much deserved Emmy nomination for her rich, compelling portrayal of convicted murderess Betty Broderick who shot and killed her ex-husband(Stephen Collins) and his new bride(Michelle Johnson). Though the supporting cast is good(particularly Kelli Williams), this is Baxter's moment of triumph, effectively and completely sheading her nice TV sitcom mother image with a knock-out performance that makes this one of the most stylish and enjoyable TV movies ever, as well as one of the most frighteningly realistic. Be assured, even though she's playing a convicted killer, most of my sympathies rest with Baxter's character. She makes you feel her rage, and by the end of the film you can't help but feel that Betty was the true victim. This was such a big hit when it aired for the first time on network TV that it was followed by a sequel: HER FINAL FURY, with Baxter and most of the earlier film's supporting cast reprising their original roles.

Meredith Baxter gives a superb performance in this film and its sequel. She captures the cold narcissism of Betty Broderick and manages to play scenes of rage in a surprisingly subtle manner. For example, in the scene in which Betty trashes her ex-husband's house, Meredith approaches the destruction with great nonchalance, which is ultimately more frightening than if she had played it full-on. She taps into the smugness and sense of entitlement that were strong components of Betty Broderick's personality and allowed her to murder two people in cold blood.

Betty Broderick worked hard as a wife, and Mother, and got a raw deal when her husband of 16 years, Dan, left her for his young, pretty, secretary (Linda). He finally asked for a divorce, and this was the beginning of the end. A betrayed Betty went on the war path, and made Dan's life miserable, which led to her shooting and killing him, and his new bride, Linda. She worked hard for years supporting Dan when he was in law school, and raised their 4 children as well. Excellently portrayed by Meredith Baxter, this movie was fabulous. Part II, her Final Fury, the last chapter was also an excellent movie!