The Marla Hanson Story

Typical but affecting TV-pic dealing with the attack and aftermath of beautiful New York model Marla Hanson in 1986. Pounding the pavement looking for print and TV work, while slinging drinks at a Grand Central Station bar, she goes through the pre-requisite pains of the Big Apple after arriving. Living on a friends couch, getting chummy with a photographer, and snapping up minor modeling jobs here and there. The wrinkle thrown in is obsessive make-up artist Steve Roth, who for whatever reason, can't get over Hanson's rejection of him. Problem is, he owns the building she lives in, and makes himself to home once too often.

Hanson, finally having had enough and bent on moving out, results in Roth enlisting two childhood cronies to corner her in an alley and....well, if you don't know the case, I'll let you see for yourself. The result is a graphically painful change to her life and career, at times leaving her the perpetrator and he the victim. We're for once treated to detailed courtroom scenes to one of these cause-celebres, though much is still left out dealing with the real-life racism and character attacks that Hanson endured off-screen.

Strong supporting cast for a TV flick, including journeyman Midkiff, and Stephen Tobolowsky, nailing his role as your prototypical scumbag defense lawyer. Most notably though is Baltz as the unhinged obsesser. He perfectly portrays how superficial Roth's "love" for Hanson was, which he could no more define than "You're beautiful". Pollak is somewhat understated as Hanson, but livens up after the attack occurs.

At times the film falls into usual TV-movie traps in terms of overdone music and soap opera-ish romantic situations. Biggest botch comes from the very beginning, revealing Hanson's ordeal first, and then flashing back to events prior. It not only ruins the story for a first-time observer, but creates an awkward tone to the film, segwaying from early brutality to schmaltzy music over a montatge. But for a decent retelling of Hanson's shocking tragedy, it brings the goods. Though a difficult film to find that rarely airs on television anymore.

I was unaware that this film was based upon a true story so judged it purely on its merits. The subject matter of a beautiful model disfigured by a rejected suitor is pretty unsettling. Somehow the soft focus photography and background muzak never quite work with the subject matter.

Kirk Baltz plays the psychotic stalker well, and his motivation is well observed.However the attack is shown briefly at the start, reprised two thirds of the way through the film and then the courtroom drama becomes the final act. The balancing of this does not work and might better have been told from the courtroom.

Cheryl Pollack makes a decent fist of the title role, but ultimately this is formulaic routine fare that never rises above that standard.

This tv film was very superficial and really didn't tell the story the way it deserves to be told. I first became aware of Marla Hanson's terrible ordeal in the summer of 1986. I was a young private in the United States Army having basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It is one of the worst places you could imagine to take basic at! While standing guard in the day room one day, I happened to pick up a Newsweek magazine that talked about Marla Hanson's horrible story and how she was so viciously attacked. I hated what those men did to her, they slashed her face so badly that she could have bled to death and it ruined her career as a fashion model. When I was in college, I learned even more about Marla's ordeal. She was attacked again in the courtroom by a lawyer named Alton Maddox. He was under investigation at the time for throwing his briefcase at a judge during another trial. He is an African-American who uses it as an excuse for his clients. Without introducing a scrap of evidence, he charged Marla Hanson with being a hooker and of using men to further her career. Marla said later on she felt like she was being attacked a second time in the courtroom. She spoke out about her ordeal and criticized the judge for allowing it. Judge Jeffrey Atlas blasted her in court and drove her to tears! He was so angry at the way she criticized him! It made me sick to my stomach that this cruel thin skinned man hurt poor Marla the way he did. She was an innocent victim who was put on trial and he did nothing to stop it!!!!I hated what he did to her and I think they should have thrown the son of a bitch off the bench for good and yet he is still a judge today! Even though Marla was not raped, the ordeal she went thru is typical of many rape victims at the hands of callous defense lawyers, they put the victim on trial.

story of Marla Hanson, a beautiful model who is stalked and ends up being knifed by her stalker..she later takes him to court to end her torment...based on a true story..is shocking in the story of stalkers and their victims..released close to the time when actress Rebecca Schaeffer was needlessly murdered by a stalker which helped change the laws not only in California but throughout most of the country and brought the issue out in public 6 of 10

A narcissist aka a model is assaulted by a junkie and this story makes major headlines? This whole story is suspect and they could have used that time and energy to report actual REAL events.

Anyways... The movie is boring. Stale. And empty.

I'm not sure why such a story Recieved attention and a boring movie. Many women go through stalker events so where are their movies? I'm pretty sure their stories are way more interesting then this boring empty movie and story which I think is hash.

Please don't watch this.