Between the Darkness and the Dawn

This movie was an excellent showcase for the dramatic acting talents of Elizabeth Montgomery. Break out the Kleenex, because it is a tear jerker, but none the less satisfying in the end. I suppose the only thing I found unrealistic, was the fact that the writers portrayed Elizabeth as someone who was semi-fit, physically, after a 20 year coma. And as we all know, anyone who is lucky enough to survive being in a coma for 20 years, would be severely incapacitated, due to atrophied muscles, etc. But that aside, I felt the intent of the movie, and the problems that she and everyone around her faced, made for a number of fascinating challenges. All in all I thought the movie was well done. And I believe it was one of the last movies that Elizabeth Montgomery herself made before cancer claimed her in real life. A great actress who will be missed.

The strange case of Elizabeth Montgomery as the coma case waking up after 20 years, having left the world in 1965 as 17 years old, and finding a totally bewildering new world in 1985 with a laughable Ronald Reagan as president, her old school full of weird computers and nothing at all making any sense - the first thing she says to her mother after twenty years, who tended her all this time, is, "Who are you?" She is totally alienated, and Elizabeth Montgomery makes a fabulous realisation of the case, being actually 52 when she made the film, which no one could suspect - she doesn't look a year younger than 37. It's a wonderful story, and there are many touching and delicate scenes, Dorothy McGuire playing the mother, famous from the first classical version of "The Spiral Staircase" 1946, which part Elizabeth Montgomery actually remade for television 20 years later. It's a wonderful enjoyable film, but what you will remember most is Elizabeth's eyes. She actually acts by her eyes, and they are almost disturbingly expressive, especially when all the rest of her is stiff; and although it is a fictional story, it is made very real indeed, and such cases aren't just impossible. This is a treat for anyone.

Yes, it is hard for me to be objective about anything with Elizabeth Montgomery in it as I am a huge fan. This movie is quite good. Dorothy McGuire does a great job as her mom, funny considering Liz slaps her around the next year in "Amos", another good TV movie. Here she plays a woman who wakes up after falling into a coma after 20 years. She was only 17 when she collapsed at school. Now, she finds out her younger sister is married to her old boyfriend! Of all the indignity! She has quite a hard time adjusting to harshness of the 80's and wonders where all the innocence went, no more malt shops, just loud video arcades full of bratty teenagers. One cute scene is where she walks back to her old high school and goes straight to her old locker forgetting where she has been for the past 20 years. Karen Grassle is quite good as her younger sister who we find out was extremely jealous of her back in the day. I mean she married her old boyfriend. Not the best movie Liz has done, the script is kind of predictable and it has the typical Hollywood ending but good performances, very dated 80's wardrobe and ambience but still enjoyable.

I love this movie. Everyone in it is terrific . The story is very moving and you feel not just for Elizabeth Montgomery's character but also Dorothy Maguire's. Both women are great.

Another made for tv movie, I believe. I think Liz did a lot of these after a certain sitcom got cancelled trying to break away from whatever mold Samantha Stephens might have left her in. At any rate, a very good movie. First the young actress playing Liz's character as a teen before she lapsed into a coma, then Elizabeth appears, in a vegetative state, but still beautiful.

Apparently, Ms. Montgomery was in her 50s, but still playing a woman in her 30s--not much of a stretch. Anyway, it's an adjustment to her new surroundings, waking up all those years later. Touching movie at times, with a bit of humor and maybe some nice visuals. I might be thinking about some of the young college students in the film, but nevermind.

If you like Elizabeth Montgomery, then this is good stuff (obviously)....