She's No Angel

This is the best non-TV movie I've seen Tracey Gold in in at least two years. Two enthusiastic thumbs way up! Tracey Gold is definitely "No Angel" in this steamy thriller featuring a mind-boggling cast of future megastars. Watch out for Ogy Durham at the 2004 Oscars! She'll be working with Sly in no time.

When I read the Plot Summary: "A young woman on the run allows grieving parents to believe she is their late son's wife." I immediately thought that they had taken the movie -"Mrs. Winterbourne" - and changed the title for TV. WRONG!!! The plot summaries could be used to describe both movies. It as at this point the resemblance ends. The movie is slow, predictable, and at times - down right boring. There are very strong actors in the movie, but apparently the director did not know how to utilize their talents. The blame should be shared equally by the screenwriter. The script is "sappy". Somehow I felt that I should connect with the lead character (played by Tracey Gold) but I could not decide whether she should be liked, disliked or even pitied. The character's motivation was revealed too late in the story to justify the ending. In "Mrs. Winterbourne" the last ten minutes were the best in the movie, the plot and subplots all came together based on good character development. In "She's No Angel" it felt like the writer and/or director (or possibly even the film editor) realized that the film was running long and they wrapped up the story line in the remaining allotted time. I believe that when watching a movie the viewer has a responsibility to suspend reality and that filmmakers are allowed to use poetic license. I think their license should be suspended for this one.

This TV film captured my interest from the very beginning to the very end. Tracy Gold,(Liddy Carlyle),"Wanted",'99, played a young gal who was just plain down on her luck, having been raped and without any money or possessions. She does manage to get herself a breakfast for $1.75 and wound up getting it for nothing. She was also told that she should make a wish for better Luck! She managed to get a ride from a newly wed couple and then the story starts building into lots of suspense and mystery. Kevin Dobson(Donald Shawnessy),"Restraining Order",'99 has a winery and teaches her the business along with his wife, Dee Wallace Stone,(Maureen Shawnessy),"Dead Canaries",'03, who tries to be a mother and gives a great supporting role. If you can find this TV Film, it is definitely worth your while in viewing this very entertaining FILM.

A woman is raped and her employer refuses to pay her owed wages. She runs away and ends up in a road accident. People assume she's someone else who died, and is not able to admit anything until its too late. I found this film uncomfortable to watch as you know the main character is living a lie and you keep wanting her to be honest.

This movie is a remake of "No Man of her Own", starring Barbara Stanwyck (1950). "Mrs. Winterbourne", starring Ricki Lake (1996), was also a remake.

The original story was by Cornell Woolrich: "I married a Dead Man".

It was also a French movie "I Married a Dead Man" ("J'ai épousé une ombre")in 1982, starring Nathalie Baye. I have enjoyed this movie in all three American incarnations. I have not seen the French version, but now that I know it exists, I will try to find it. The best version, of course, was the one starring Barbara Stanwyck. However, I thought both Ricki Lake and Tracey Gold did a fine job of portraying the poor girl, who wound up in circumstances not of her own making. I like happy endings, and all three American versions had happy endings.